College of Criminal Justice and Security

Faculty Notes
CJA/444 Version 4 / 1

Faculty Notes

CJA/444 Version 4

Organizational Behavior and Management

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Faculty Notes
CJA/444 Version 4 / 1

Course Revision History

Revision Date / Revision Details
October, 2009 / Version 1
January, 2010 / Version 2
December, 2013 / Modified objectives, readings, and assessments. Added Listen to Me First podcasts. Updated editions of texts.

Week One

Organizational Behavior and Environment

Explain the dynamics of social, political, and organizational behavior that influence change in criminal justice agencies.
Describe the relationship between organizational behavior and organizational systems.
Analyze techniques for managing the perceptions of organizational stakeholders.
Describe observable aspects of the organizational culture of criminal justice agencies.
Analyze change management strategies as they apply to criminal justice agencies and the criminal justice system.

Administrative Notes

Adapt the grading guide templates, located on the faculty website, as needed.
Distribute the course syllabus. Discuss policies, procedures, expectations, and assignments.
Provide directions for locating the program handbook on the student website.
Preview the learning objectives and content for this week.
Preview the major assignments for the course, week by week. Include suggested times to start preparation for these assignments.
Discuss the role of Learning Teams in the course, highlighting the specific demands for each modality.
Facilitate the formation of Learning Teams.
Ensure that you have received all assignments that are due.

Content Outline

Organizational behavior and environment
Explain the dynamics of social, political, and organizational behavior that influence change in criminal justice agencies.

1)Defining an organization

a)Boundaries, roles, objectives, behaviors, customs, culture, and values

b)Flexible or rigid, modeled after a machine or a living entity

c)Encompassing the collective efforts of individuals, groups, material resources, and organizational processes

d)Operating as a relatively open or closed system, responding to the environment to varying degrees

2)Types of criminal justice organizations

a)Law enforcement, courts, and corrections

b)Federal, state, local, special districts, private, and so forth

3)The changing organization

a)Social forces

b)Political forces

c)Laws

d)The media

e)Workforce changes

f)Stakeholder expectations

g)Technology

h)Budgets and resources

i)External and internal organizations and systems

j)Individuals

Describe the relationship between organizational behavior and organizational systems: defining organizational behavior

1)Study of individuals in organizations

2)Study of groups in organizations

Analyze techniques for managing the perceptions of organizational stakeholders: perception versus reality

1)Selective perception and attribution theory

2)Stereotypes, halo effect, projection, and perceptual distortion

3)Attribution management

4)Managing reactions instead of events

5)Managing discrimination instead of individuals’ prejudices

6)Learning from others’ reactions

7)Self-reflection

Describe observable aspects of the organizational culture of criminal justice agencies.
Analyze change management strategies as they apply to criminal justice agencies and the criminal justice system.

1)Change

a)Planned

(1)Proactive

(2)Structured

(3)Intentional

(4)Specific efforts to address performance gaps

(5)Occurring in conjunction with the strategic plan

b)Unplanned

(1)Reactive

(2)Spontaneous

(3)Occurring without an intended plan

c)Resistance to change

(1)Individual resistance

(2)Organizational resistance

(3)Overcoming resistance

(4)Politics of change

d)Strategies for dealing with resistance to change

(1)Education and communication

(2)Participation

(3)Facilitation and support

(4)Negotiation

(5)Manipulation and cooptation

(6)Coercion

2)Change agents

a)Internal

(1)Employee expectations

(2)Managerial expectations

(3)Organizational restructuring

(4)Downsizing or rightsizing

(5)Outsourcing or privatization

(6)Civilization

(7)Volunteers

b)External

(1)Community relations and outreach

(2)Legislation and regulation

(3)Professional organizations

(4)Sociopolitical influences

c)Lewin’s force field analysis

(1)Unfreezing

(2)Transitions

(3)Freezing

Alternative Learning Activities

BS/CJA Handbook

Related Course Objective

Explain the dynamics of social, political, and organizational behavior that influence change in criminal justice agencies.

Online Instructions

Many students have not reviewed the handbook since the beginning of the program. Students are often still undecided about what criminal justice field they want to pursue as a career. This is a good place to recommend that they explore specific fields in criminal justice as outlined in the handbook and web links.

Start an online discussion asking students to identify what they expect from the course and what criminal justice field interests them.
Refer students to the BS/CJA handbook and web links for additional research.
Ask students to share what they learned through their research and if it helped to narrow the focus of their chosen field.

Ground Instructions

Start a group discussion asking students to identify what they expect from the course and what criminal justice field interests them.
Refer students to the BS/CJA handbook and web links for additional research. Allow time for students to research individually or in small groups.
Ask students to share what they learned through their research and if it helped to narrow the focus of their chosen field.

Learn by Doing, Ch. 2, Question 3, Justice Administration

Related Course Objective

Explain the dynamics of social, political, and organizational behavior that influence change in criminal justice agencies.
Analyze techniques for managing the perceptions of organizational stakeholders.
Describe observable aspects of the organizational culture of criminal justice agencies.

Online Instructions

Discuss the following scenario in small groups or as an individual discussion in the classroom:

Your prison duty shift’s middle manager, a lieutenant, comes to you saying he has personally observed a number of problems concerning the manner in which communication is occurring from one shift to another. These problems appear to primarily involve inaccurate information being disseminated; a grapevine that seems bent on carrying inaccurate, malicious information; and a diverse group of employees with language and cultural barriers. You are assigned to look at the problem and recommend means by which communications could be improved. How would you proceed? What kinds of ideas might you put forth?

Ask students to respond to the scenario and to each other’s messages to brainstorm ideas of how to resolve the problems.Answerthe following questions:

How are the dynamics of social, political, and organizational behaviors related to the scenario?
What consideration should be given to social, political, and organizational behaviorswhile analyzing and solving the problems?

Ground Instructions

Assign the students to small groups. Ask each group to read and discuss the following scenario:

Allow time for each small group to discuss the scenario order to brainstorm ideas of how to resolve the problems.Answerthe following questions:

How are the dynamics of social, political, and organizational behaviors related to the scenario?
What consideration should be given to social, political, and organizational behaviors while analyzing and solving the problems?

Bring the class together to share the observations and ideas from each group.

Week Two

Group Behavior and Processes

Describe the attributes of groups and high-performance teams.
Outline a typical decision-making process in a criminal justice agency.
Identify the factors that influence decision making in criminal justice agencies.
Describe the value of diversity in serving diverse communities.

Administrative Notes

Answer any content or logistical questions resulting from the previous week.
Discuss and approve the Learning Team Charter.
Check on the progress of Learning Team projects.
Preview the learning objectives and content for this week.
At the end of the week, review key content points and preview the content of the next week.
Ensure that you have received all assignments that are due.

Content Outline

Group behavior and processes
Describe the attributes of groups and high-performance teams.

1)The nature of groups and teams

a)Defining a group

b)Foundations of group effectiveness

(1)Organizational settings

(2)Nature of the group task

(3)General membership characteristics

(4)Group size

(5)Definition of a team

(6)Teams versus groups

(7)Creating effective teams

(8)Managing teams

(a)Quality management

(b)Workforce diversity

2)Stages of group and team development

a)Forming

b)Storming

c)Norming

d)Performing

e)Adjourning

3)Organizational culture

a)Definition

b)External adaptation

c)Internal integration

d)Observable aspects of organizational culture

Outline a typical decision-making process in a criminal justice agency.

1)Assets and liabilities of group decision making

2)Decision making

a)Theory

b)Characteristics of decision-makers

c)Characteristics of information

d)Discretion

e)Prediction

3)The rational decision-making model

a)Defining the problem

b)Identifying the criteria

c)Allocating weights to the criteria

d)Developing alternatives

e)Evaluating alternatives

f)Selecting the best solution

Identify the factors that influence decision making in criminal justice agencies: perception and decision making

1)Programmed and nonprogrammed decisions

2)Classical theory and behavioral theory

3)Optimum solution versus satisfactory solution

Describe the value of diversity in serving diverse communities.

1)This chapter looked at diversity from many perspectives paying attention to three variables: biographical characteristics, ability, and diversity programs.

2)We can readily observe biographical characteristics, but that doesnot mean we should explicitly use them in management decisions.

a)Most research shows fairly minimal effects of biographical characteristics on job performance.

b)We also need to be aware of implicit biases we or other managers may have.

3)An effective selection process will improve the fit between employees and job requirements.

a)A job analysis will provide information about jobs currently being done and the abilities individuals need to perform the jobs adequately.

b)Applicants can be tested, interviewed, and evaluated on the degree to which they possess the necessary abilities.

c)Promotion and transfer decisions affecting individuals already in the organization’s employ should reflect candidates’ abilities.

d)As with new employees, care should be taken to assess the critical abilities incumbents will need in the job and match those with the organization’s human resources.

e)To accommodate employees with disabilities, managers can improve the fit by fine-tuning the job to better match an incumbent’s abilities.

f)Often, modifications with no significant effecton the job’s basic activities, such as changing equipment or reorganizing tasks within a group, can better adapt work to the specific talents of a given employee.

4)Diversity management must be an ongoing commitment that crosses all levels of the organization.

a)Group management, recruiting, hiring, retention, and development practices can be designed to leverage diversity for the organization’s competitive advantage.

b)Policies to improve the climate for diversity can be effective, so long as they are designed to acknowledge all employees’ perspectives.

c)One-shot diversity training sessions are less likely to be effective than comprehensive programs that address the climate for diversity at multiple levels.

Alternative Learning Activities

Decision making in criminal justice agencies

Related Course Objective

Outline a typical decision-making process in a criminal justice agency.
Identify the factors that influence decision making in criminal justice agencies.

Online Instructions

Review Ch.6 ofManaging Criminal Justice Organizationsand Ch.6 of Organizational Behavior for various decision-making and planning models. Ch.2 of Justice Administration and Ch.1 ofManaging Criminal Justice Organizations also include information on criminal justice managerial planning, which reinforces the previous week’s material on usingPOSDCORB and Lodestar.

Post a message with the following scenario:

Your agency has developed a long-range planning cycle for the next 2years. You have received new communications system equipment that must be implemented within the next 6 months. What planning factors would you consider? What course of action would you recommend?

Students should discuss the questions in the scenario and respond to each other’s messages.

Ground Instructions

Review Ch.6 of Managing Criminal Justice Organizationsand Ch.6 of Organizational Behavior for various decision-making and planning models. Ch.2 of Justice Administration and Ch.1 ofManaging Criminal Justice Organizations also include information on criminal justice managerial planning, which reinforces the previous week’s material on using POSDCORB and Lodestar.

Dividethe class into small groups. Ask each group to consider the following scenario and answer the questions:

Bring the class together. Ask each small group to summarize their discussions for the class, including the recommendations they would make.

Week Three

Individual Behavior and Processes

Compare motivation theories.
Apply motivation theory to a criminal justice scenario.
Identify organizational approaches and strategies for managing stress.
Describe approaches to internal and external conflict management.

Administrative Notes

Answer any content or logistical questions resulting from the previous week.
Check on the progress of Learning Team projects.
Preview the learning objectives and content for this week.
At the end of the week, review key content points and preview the content of the next week.
Ensure that you have received all assignments that are due.

Content Outline

Individual behavior and processes
Compare motivation theories.

1)Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory

a)Physiological needs

b)Safety needs

c)Social needs

d)Esteem needs

e)Self-actualization needs

2)Alderfer’stheory

a)Collapsing Maslow’s needs into existence, relatedness, and growth

b)Allowing for more than one need to be activated at a time

3)McClelland’s three needs theory

a)Need for achievement

b)Need for affiliation

c)Need for power

4)Two-factor theory: Herzberg

a)Hygiene factors

(1)Work environment

(2)Satisfying lower-level needs, as identified by Maslow

b)Motivators

(1)Intrinsic to work

(2)Associated with the employee as a person

(3)Fulfilling higher-level needs

(4)Jobs with opportunities for achievement, recognition, responsibility, and advancement

(5)Improving job satisfaction and work motivation

5)Equity theory

6)Expectancy theory

a)Expectancy: performance relationships

b)Instrumentality: outcome relationships

c)Valence: desirability of work outcomes

Apply motivation theory to a criminal justice scenario.

1)Motivation: Exhibit 7–9 on p. 227 of Organizational Behavior integrates much of what we know about motivation. Its basic foundation is the expectancy model.

2)Expectancy theory predicts that an employee will exert a high level of effort if he or she perceives that there is a strong relationship between effort and performance, performance and rewards, and rewards and satisfaction of personal goals.

a)The final link in expectancy theory is the rewards-goals relationship.

b)The model considers the achievement, need, reinforcement, and equity/organizational justice theories.

3)Reinforcement theory recognizes that the organization’s rewards reinforce the individual’s performance.

4)The following is a summary and implications for management:

a)Review the most established motivation theories to determine:

(1)Their relevance in explaining turnover, productivity, and other outcomes

(2)Assessing the predictive power of each

b)Need theories

(1)Maslow’s hierarchy, McClelland’s needs, and the two-factor theory focus on needs.

(2)None has found widespread support, although McClelland’s is the strongest, particularly regarding the relationship between achievement and productivity. In general, need theories are not valid explanations of motivation.

c)Self-determination theory and cognitive evaluation theory

(1)As research on the motivational effects of rewards has accumulated, it increasingly appears extrinsic rewards can undermine motivation if they are seen as coercive.

(2)They can increase motivation if they provide information about competence and relatedness.

d)Goal setting theory

(1)Clear and difficult goals lead to higher levels of employee productivity, supporting the theory’s explanation of this dependent variable.

(2)The theory does not address absenteeism, turnover, or satisfaction, however.

e)Reinforcement theory

(1)This theory has an impressive record for predicting the quality and quantity of work, persistence of effort, absenteeism, tardiness, and accident rates.

(2)It does not offer much insight into employee satisfaction or the decision to quit.

f)Equity/organizational justice theory

(1)Equity theory deals with productivity, satisfaction, absence, and turnover variables.