BU.142.620.XX –Leadership in Organizations– Instructor’s Name – Page 1 of 7

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Leadership in Organizations

2 Credits
BU.142.620.XX
[NOTE: Each section must have a separate syllabus.]
[Day &Time / ex: Monday, 6pm-9pm]
[Start & End Dates / ex: 3/24/17–5/12/17]
[Semester / ex: Spring 2017]
[Location / ex: Washington, DC]

Instructor

[Full Name]

Contact Information

[Email Address]

[Phone Number, ###- ###-#### (Optional)]

Office Hours

[Please specify the day and time of the 2 hours that will be dedicated to office hours each week. For evening classes, faculty may wish to hold their office hours by phone or email. While faculty are permitted to state “and by appointment,” office hours should not be held exclusively by appointment.]

Required Text(s) & Learning Materials

A list of weekly readings is provided below the Course Calendar in this syllabus.

Course Description

Although this course is called Leadership in Organizations, its goal is about more than understanding organizational actors’ behavior. Its goal is to help students learn how to leverage organizational behavior to enhance their ability to lead—now and in the future. Specifically, this course seeks to provide students with both the analytical frameworks and the practical experience necessary to better lead individuals and groups in organizations. The analytical frameworks will help students to understand leadership; the practical experience will help students put that understanding into action. The goal is to help students lead, even if they do not currently find themselves in a formal leadership role. The practices that are discussed will promote effectiveness at any level.

Prerequisite(s)

None

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of, and ability to communicate about, leadership theory.
  2. Demonstrate an ability to apply leadership theory to novel situations.
  3. Understand personal behaviors and tendencies that impact your leadership style.
  4. Demonstrate an ability to motivate individuals and groups to achieve organizational goals.
  5. Diagnose and apply ethical leadership frameworks.

To view the complete list of Carey Business School’s general learning goals and objectives, visit the Carey website.

Attendance
Attendance and class participation are part of each student’s course grade. Students are expected to attend all scheduled class sessions. Each class will include opportunities for teams to work together. Failure to attend class will result in an inability to achieve the objectives of the course. Regular attendance and active participation are required for students to successfully complete the course.

Assignments

Your grade will be calculated asfollows.Rubrics for all assignments will be available on Blackboard.

Assignment / Learning Objectives / Weight
Attendance and participation / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / 20%
Done differently analysis / 1, 2, 3 / 15%
Current events presentation / 1, 2 / 15%
Leadership action plan / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / 25%
Final exam / 1, 2, 5 / 25%
Total / 100%

1.Attendance and Participation (20%)

This component of the grade includes participation in both leadership exercises and class discussions. Because exercises are a critical component of the learning process, you should be fully prepared for every exercise. You should try your hardest to get the best possible outcome for yourself or your group. You are not graded on the outcomes of the exercises, but rather on the quality of your preparation beforehand, and your participation in post-exercise discussions. (The purpose of this approach is to encourage you to experiment with a variety of leadership strategies, without harming your grade.)

Your participation in the class discussions will be evaluated in terms of the quality of your contributions to the debriefing session that follows each exercise. Debriefing sessions will involve information-sharing about results, strategies, and reactions. High-quality comments have one or more of the following properties:

  • Offer a different and unique, but relevant, perspective based upon analysis and theory
  • Help move the discussion and analysis forward
  • Build upon the comments of classmates
  • Transcend the “I feel” syndrome—that is, include some evidence or logic
  • Link relevant concepts to current events or personal work experiences

To promote the best possible learning experience for everyone, the instructor will call on students who wish to answer, but also occasionally “cold-call” on others. Please be prepared to contribute to the class discussion at any time.

2.Done Differently Analysis (15%)

The Done Differently Analysis is a short essay in which you reflect on one of your own, past experiences in an organization, analyzing what you could or should have done differently in light of what you have learned in class. This essay will help you to connect the course learnings with your professional lives. It will also allow you to reflect on successful and failedstrategies, which will help you better prepare and respond in the future.

Although you will inevitably need to describewhat happened during a past experience, the analysis should not be a detailed report of everything that happened. Instead, you should focus on analyzing what could or should have happened if you had known the course lessons discussed to-date—and why. In addition to discussing how the process would have differed, you might also reflect on how the outcome would have differed.

A high-quality analysis is one that steps back from a situation, identifies key events and processes, uses course concepts to help structure the analysis, and does so in a well-written fashion. The analysis should be no longer than two pages typed (double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point). It is due at the beginning of Class 4 on X date.

3.Current Events Presentation (15%)

The Current Events Presentation is a short presentation, done in a group, in which you apply course content to a current event of your choice. The purpose of this presentation is to apply course concepts and theories to a real-life organizational issue. Each group will be assigned a class topic, and will present a 15-minute analysis of their issue at the beginning of that class. Like the Done Differently Analysis, the key to this presentation is to focus on analysis rather than description. An excellent presentation will step back from the event itself and, using a compelling delivery, will succinctly highlight key points while making a broader connection to course content.

4.Leadership Action Plan (25%)

To help you extend the course lessons into your professional lives, this assignment asks you to develop an action plan based on what you have learned. The goal of this assignment is to translate the course material into a tangible and actionable plan that you will actually implement after finishing the course. As the assignment is intended primarily for your benefit, it comes with no formatting prescriptions. You should develop a plan in whatever format will be most useful to you.

That said, please note that one key to receiving a strong grade is, again, analysis. Some formats are more conducive to analysis than others. For example, bulleted lists often preclude an analysis of the inter-linkages among a plan’s elements. If you choose such a format, I would encourage you to include another section that analyzes the linkages between the bullets. Additionally, the strongest leadership action plans will contain, at a minimum, an answer to the following questions:

  • Which aspects of your leadership do you plan to improve?
  • What tangible steps will you take to improve them?
  • Why will you take those steps instead of others? (This would be a good place to reference the course lessons.)
  • How will you know if these steps are working, and what will you do if they are not?

If you are currently a leader, you should focus on what you will do to become a better one. If you are not a leader, you should focus on what you can do to lead from your current organizational level, and what you will do to become a leader in the long-term.

Overall, this document should be no longer than 5 pages typed (double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font). Your grade will be based on how well your plan ties your professional concerns together with the course lessons through thoughtful analysis. This document is due at the beginning of Class 7, X date.

5.Final Exam (25%)

The final exam will cover the concepts discussed in class and in the readings, with an emphasis on in-class discussions. The exam will ask you to apply the course concepts, which means you need to know not only the definitions of various concepts, but the pros and cons of using various concepts strategically.

Grading

Effective Fall 2017: The grade of A is reserved for those who demonstrate extraordinarily excellent performance as determined by the instructor. The grade of A- is awarded only for excellent performance. The grades of B+, B, and B- are awarded for good performance. The grades of C+, C, and C- are awarded for adequate but substandard performance.The grades of D+, D, and D- are not awarded at the graduate level (undergraduate only). The grade of F indicates the student’s failure to satisfactorily complete the course work.

Please note that for Core and Foundation courses, a maximum of 25% of students may be awarded an A or A-; the grade point average of the class should not exceed 3.3. For Elective courses, a maximum of 35% of students may be awarded an A or A-; the grade point average of the class should not exceed 3.4. (For classes with 15 students or fewer, the class GPA cap is waived.)

Tentative Course CalendarThe instructors reserve the right to alter course content and/or adjust the pace to accommodate class progress. Students are responsible for keeping up with all adjustments to the course calendar.

PDOB = Psychological Dimensions of Organizational Behavior.

Week / Content / To Do Before Class / In Class / To Do After Class
1 / Introduction
Individual Decision Making / -- / Introduce course
Do $20 Auction / Take course survey
Weekly Readings
2 / Group Decision Making / -- / Do Murder Mystery
Debrief Murder Mystery / Weekly Readings
3 / Influence / -- / Watch 12 Angry Men
Debrief 12 Angry Men / Weekly Readings
4 / Leading Groups and Teams / Complete Done Differently Analysis (graded) / Do Tanagram Task
Debrief Tanagram Task / Weekly Readings
5 / Ethics and Values / -- / Do Kidney Case
Debrief Kidney Case, Deception Game / Weekly Readings
6 / Motivation and Goals / -- / Do Tower Building Exercise
Begin to debrief Tower Building Exercise / Weekly Readings
Read Heidi RoizenCase
7 / Social Networks / Complete Leadership Action Plan (graded) / Finish Tower Building debrief
Do Heidi Roizen
Wrap up course / Weekly Readings
8 / Final Exam / Prepare for Final Exam (graded) / Take Final Exam / --

Weekly Readings & Learning Materials

Week 1: Individual Decision Making

  • Bazerman, M. H., & Moore, D. A. (2013). Common biases (chapter 3). In M. H. Bazerman, & D. A. Moore (Eds.),Judgment in managerial decision making(8th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
  • Staw, B. M., & Ross, R. (1986). Understanding behavior in escalation situations. Science, 246, 216–220.

Week 2: Group Decision Making

  • Asch, S. (1955). Opinions and social pressure. Scientific American, 193(5), 31–35.
  • Janis, I. L. (1971). Groupthink. Psychology Today Magazine, 84–90.

Week 3: Influence

  • Cialdini, R. B. (2001). Harnessing the science of persuasion. Harvard Business School, #7915.

Week 4: Leading Groups and Teams

  • Hackman, J. R. (1987).The design of work teams. In J. Lorsch (Ed.), Handbook of Organizational Behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Week 5: Ethics and Values

  • Aronson, E. (1973). The rationalizing animal. Psychology Today, 132–144.
  • Badaracco, J. L. (1992). Business ethics: Four spheres of executive responsibility. California Management Review, 34(3), 64–79.
  • Austen-Smith, D., Feddersen, T., Galinsky, A., & Liljenquist, K. (2010). The Kidney Case. Dispute Resolution Research Center, Northwestern University. (In Harvard Coursepack)

Week 6: Motivation and Goals

  • Latham, G. P., & Locke, E. A. (1979). Goal-Setting—A motivational technique that works. Organizational Dynamics, 8(2), 68–80.
  • Kerr, S. (1975). On the folly of rewarding A while hoping for B. The Academy of Management Journal, 18(4), 769–783.
  • Staw, B. (1986). Organizational Psychology and the Pursuit of the Happy/Productive Worker. California Management Review, 28(4), 40–53.

Week 7: Social Networks

  • Ibarra, H., & Hunter, M. (2007). How leaders create and use networks. Harvard Business School, #R0701C-HCB-ENG.
  • McGinn, K., & Tempest, N. (2010). Heidi Roizen. Harvard Business School, #9-800-228. (In Harvard Coursepack).

BU.142.620.XX –Leadership in Organizations– Instructor’s Name – Page 1 of 7

Carey Business School

Policies and General Information

Blackboard Site

A Blackboard course site is set up for this course. Each student is expected to check the site throughout the semester as Blackboard will be the primary venue for outside classroom communications between the instructors and the students. Students can access the course site at Support for Blackboard is available at 1-866-669-6138.

Course Evaluation

As a research and learning community, the Carey Business School is committed to continuous improvement. The faculty strongly encourages students to provide complete and honest feedback for this course. Please take this activity seriously; we depend on your feedback to help us improve. Information on how to complete the evaluation will be provided toward the end of the course.

Disability Support Services

All students with disabilities who require accommodations for this course should contact Disability Support Services at their earliest convenience to discuss their specific needs. If you have a documented disability, you must be registered with Disability Support Services ( or 410-234-9243) to receive accommodations. For more information, please visit the Disability Support Services webpage.

Academic Ethics Policy

Carey expects graduates to be innovative business leaders and exemplary global citizens. The Carey community believes that honesty, integrity, and community responsibility are qualities inherent in an exemplary citizen. The objective of the Academic Ethics Policy (AEP) is to create an environment of trust and respect among all members of the Carey academic community and hold Carey students accountable to the highest standards of academic integrity and excellence.

It is the responsibility of every Carey student, faculty member, and staff member to familiarize themselves with the AEP and its procedures. Failure to become acquainted with this information will not excuse any student, faculty, or staff from the responsibility to abide by the AEP. Please contact the Student Services office if you have any questions. For the full policy, please visit the Academic Ethics Policy webpage.

Students are not allowed to use any electronic devices during in-class tests. Calculators will be provided if the instructor requires them for test taking. Students must seek permission from the instructor to leave the classroom during an in-class test. Test scripts must not be removed from the classroom during the test.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the Johns Hopkins University’s regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. Please contact the Student Services office if you have any questions. For the full policy, please visit the Student Conduct Code webpage.

Student Success Center

The Student Success Center offers free online and in-person one-on-one and group coaching in writing, presenting, and quantitative courses. The center also offers a variety of workshops, exam study sessions, and instructor-led primer seminars to help prepare students for challenging course content, including statistics and accounting. For more information or to book an appointment, please visit the Student Success Center website.

Other Important Academic Policies and Services

Students are strongly encouraged to consult the Carey Business School’s Student Handbook and Academic Catalog and Student Resources for information regarding the following items:

  • Statement of Diversity and Inclusion
  • Inclement Weather Policy

Copyright Statement

Unless explicitly allowed by the instructor, course materials, class discussions, and examinations are created for and expected to be used by class participants only.The recording and rebroadcasting of such material, by any means, is forbidden. Violations are subject to sanctions under the Honor Code.