MGMT 3101: Managerial & Interpersonal Behavior
Fall 2016
Course Time: 6:00 – 8:30 PM, Tuesdays
Location: Classroom 258
Professor: Nicole C. Jackson, Ph.D.
Email:
Cell Phone Number: 203-548-7227
Office Hours: Mondays 4:00 – 5:00 PM or by appointment
Office Location: Office 381
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The work that we do within organizations has a profound influence on others, market systems, and society. As an important aspect of management and organizational performance, organizational behavior affects our ability to diagnose, implement, and evaluate organizations and their practices effectively. Some of these practices include how we develop organizational strategy; how we engage and use leadership; how we select and develop groups and teams; and how we structure HR practices and policies that tap into individual personality, motivation, perception, and values. These are some of the many practices and applications that require an understanding of organizational behavior.
In this course, we learn organizational behavior from a social psychology and behavioral perspective but with an applied emphasis to both for-profit and non-profit organizations.As part of this emphasis, this course integrates a service learning project, a case study of a failed for-profit organization, along with a final exam to study these dynamics. Several reasons explain the importance of approach. First, as future professionals in the field of management, you will face enormous complexities in dealing with a range of socio-economic problems that reach across industriesand affect how people will perceive your organization as well as the solutions that you will need to develop. To prepare for these problems, future management professionals must be able to translate theory into practice by showing howit applies to specific organizational problems and in a variety of contexts. Second, when students are pushed to apply concepts, they tend to identify more explicit gaps in their understanding that cannot be easily gained through rote memorization of concepts from a textbook. Third, students should walk away from a course knowing that they can market what they have learned.The course assignments and projects are designed so that you can use and talk about them in an employment interview or performance appraisal as a portfolio of your work as well as develop the necessary competencies.
COURSEEXPECTATIONS:
As a result, you will be expected to develop good analytical, creative thinking, and communication skills that applies and moves well-beyondOB concepts learned in the textbook and assigned articles. HR managers and executives are less willing to hire someone who rambles on about theory without application. This course pushes integration of theory with applicationincluding in the form of a service-based learning project and presentation, a case study analysis of a failed for-profit organization, and a final exam. The service learning project is an extension of the University of Connecticut’s commitment to the service-based values of a land-grant institution.
What is service learning? The Carnegie Foundation defines service learning as a “teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.”
As part of service-learning, a critical component is reflection, which is a process whereby “students become active learners within the service learning experience. Reflection is the mode or tool by which students make a connection between the course content and the service. ‘Reflection is a mental activity that builds a bridge between the human inner world of ideas, and the outside world of experience’ (Hinchey, 2004). Service Learning experience becomes educational when reflection guides the students to develop a new understanding of the situation, which, in turn, lead to a chance in the state of mind and more informed action” (Bringle & Hatcher, 1999).
In the context of this course, the service-based learning projectis intended to expose you to the complexities and opportunities of how organizational behavior can be used for a variety of purposes, but most importantly, and through guided reflection, how you can apply your learnings to your own development. The following are some of the skills that you will be expected to exhibit in this course.
- Appreciate the role of organizational context (structures, culture, and change approaches), theinterpersonalcontext(e.g.,leadership,teamdynamics,andcommunication),andhowthey affectindividualbehaviorin theworkplaceandvice-versa
- Understand the nuance of application including in for-profit and non-profitorganizations
- Performanassessmentofone’sskills,thoseofthegroup,andthoseofanorganizationandhowtheyrelatetoperformance
- Effectivelydevelop andcommunicateideas individuallyandasagroup inaclearandcogent manner
- Demonstrate a willingness to innovate and to experiment with different organizationalbehavioral approaches and frameworks to learn from both success and failure
- Fromgroupprojectsandassignments,toreflectonhowone’sownbehaviorandthoseofthe groupaffecttheabilitytoworkandlearneffectivelytogether
COURSE FORMAT:
To facilitate better transfer of OB concepts to management, this course simulates how a manager or HR professional would typically use organizational behavior. This process typically begins by understanding and evaluating the overall organizational context (i.e., the macro-context, the role of structure, culture, and how forms of change have succeeded or failed), then as part of that process the form of leadership, team dynamics, and communication of the organization, and then followed by how individual employee personality, values, and behaviors contribute to these dynamics. To simulate realistic application, we work from the back to the front of your textbook around the following themes:
- Understanding the Organizational Context (structures, organization culture, and forms change)
- The Interpersonal Context of Leadership and Teams (communication, conflict, power, anddecision-making)
- The Individual in the Organization (employee motivation, goal-setting, emotions and moods, perceptions and bias, values, and personality)
Wealsomovebothwithinandbeyondthetexttolearnthisrealisticapplication through additional readings and in the service learning project.Inclass,welearnthisapplicationbybuildingabroaderstory(i.e.,“the forest”)inunderstandingthegeneralframeworksandtheuseofOBconcept.Iwillalsoembedsome ofthegeneralhistoryanduseofotherconceptsandframeworksnotcontainedinyourbookbut consideredinstrumentalindevelopingagoodunderstanding ofthematerial.Assuch,wewillnotbe reiterating allcontentverbatim(i.e.,“thetrees”)fromthetextbook.Thebookservesasareference guidetounderstandsomeofthebasiclanguage(i.e.,thebasicvocabulary)ofOB.
To apply the concepts, a variety of different methods may be used including but not limited to exercises, case- studies, and videos; the number and use of these methods may vary from class to class. In addition to these methods, online discussions will be utilized to help you reflect on the material and on the service-learning project. Please note that the course is designed to be very hands-on and interactive. Powerpoint or recap handouts will be used typically at the mid-point or at the end of class only to review the major points learned in consonance with your textbook but not as a central framing method in how we learn in this class. A soft copy of class PowerPoints will also be posted after each class session to help reinforce the material learned in that class day.
ASSIGNMENTS:
As part of this course, there are three areas of major assignment. They include the following:
Final Exam (worth 15% - done individually).To prepare for thefinal exam, you will be given study sheets and PowerPoints. We will also review sample questions for the exam in class as well as the grading rubric.
A Group Service LearningProjectand Presentation (worth 30% - done both individually
and as group – including 5% for a group service learning update, 10%for yourgroup’sfinalpresentation, and 10% for your individual reflection paper on individual and team dynamics learned from this project and course).You and your team will select a community project to apply the theories that you learned in class to your project and also to bring innovative insights in a service learning presentation.To find and to prepare you for your project, I will provide an orientation during week 4 of the course on the purposes of service-based learning. Community service partners will also visit our class that day and will pitch their project to you. At the end of that class week, you will finalize your project and team selection and will fill out a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) form with your project team and community partner. You will also fill out a waiver form to allow participation on this project. At the end of your service, your community partner will turn in your community service log of hours. They should total at minimum 15 hours per person. For project and presentation deliverables, you and your group will provide a 10-15 minute PowerPoint presentation on the key learnings and issues that you are facing in terms of the service learning project and next steps for the project; this presentation will be given during week 7of the course. This presentation will then be followed by a 20-30 minute PowerPoint finalpresentation on your project outcomes and specifically what you have learned and accomplished given either during week 11 or 13 of the course. Finally, to round out this project, you will write a 5-7 individual reflection paper (Times Roman, double-space, 12 pt. font) based on what you learned in individually terms of leadership and management from this project and the course that will be due on December 13th.To develop this paper, you will be given three online discussion prompts, which will be counted toward your participation grade but will also serve as input (i.e., reflection check-points) for this deliverable. You will also be asked to bring copies of two team recordings that we will analyze in-class and will serve also as input into this paper. Instructions for these deliverables will be provided in class with additional guidelines on HuskyCT and/or in course announcements.
Case Write-Up (worth 15% - done as a group).To provide a comparative example of your learning to a for-profit context, you and your team will diagnose a failed for-profit organization using the concepts and theories from the course and will suggest a turn-around strategy based on your learnings to-date from the course. This 5-7 paged paper (Times Roman, double-spaced, 12 pt. font) will be due during week 4 of our course. Instructions for the case-study are located on HuskyCT. As preparation for this assignment, you will be asked to bring examples of 2-3 failed organizations to the first day of class. Please see the course outline. We will also review the expectations for this assignment in class.This assignment will serve as an important comparative point (i.e., benchmark) as to how we apply concepts in organizational behavior similarly and/or differently between for-profit and non-profit contexts. Instructions for this deliverable will also be provided in class with additional guidelines on HuskyCT and/or in course announcements.
GRADING
Gradesarebasedonpunctuality, quality,andquantityofthecontribution.Whatisquality?Qualityis definedbyyourabilitytodemonstrate knowledge of and integration ofthe concepts andtheories learned in class along with theirapplications thatequallyweightheirbenefits anddrawbacksincourseassignments,classparticipation,andpresentations.Qualityisalsodefined by yourabilityto move beyond existing theories andprovidenew andrefreshinginsightsfor bothpeerandyourowndevelopment.I will discuss what this looks like as far as grades A, B, C, and so forth for each of the written presentations and assignments.
With these considerations in mind, final grading for this course is broken down as follows:
- 15% for case study write-up (done as a group)
- 30% for your Service Learning Project presentation and final reflection (done both individually and as a group – includes5% for a group service learning update, 10%for yourgroup’sfinalpresentation, and 10% for your individual reflection paper on individual and team dynamics learned from this project and course)
- 15% for the final exam(done individually)
- 40% for individual class participation(includes 25% for in-class and 15% for online discussion participation or 5% for each of the three online discussion)
Please Note: With the exception of online discussions, all written assignments and presentations are to be submitted directly to my email address, . All written assignments and online discussions are due by the date listed in the course outline and/or as discussed in class.
The grade ranges are as follows: A [100-93%]; A- [92.9-90%]; B+ [89.9-87%]; B [86.9-83%]; B- [82.9-80%]; C+ [79.9-77%]; C [76.9-73%]; C- [72.9-70%]; D+ [69.9-67%]; D [66.9-60%]; F [59.9-0].
CLASSROOM POLICIES: Late contributions on both group and individual assignments are dropped one full letter grade. For email submissions, I will respond no later than 48 hours acknowledging receipt of your materials/papers. No response means that I did not receive it. To maintain a professional atmosphere that promotes learning inside of the classroom, cell phones and laptops must be turned off at all times. Violations of this policy can significantly impact your participation grade. On group projects, you are expected to participate 100% to project deliverables. Complaints from team members and/or from the community partner about lack of contribution and/or professionalism will lower individual final project grades by at least one full letter grade. To ensure a fair contribution, you will be asked to fill out a group participation survey and have your community partner maintain and sign a log of your service hours.
ACADEMIC POLICIES
As with any course in the program, you are expected to adhere to academic guidelines and codes of conduct outlined by the department, your program, and by the University of Connecticut. It is your responsibility to know these policies and to abide by them. A statement concerning this policy can be referenced in the Handbook on Responsibilities of Community Life: The Student Code at as well as additional policies outlined by the University If you have a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation, you need to notify me no later than the second day of class.
REQUIRED TEXTS/READINGS: Thetextbookusedforthis classisMcShaneVonGlinow.OrganizationalBehavior(6thEdition)– notedas M&V inthecourseoutline. A copy of the textbook is also available on three hour reserve from the library.HarvardBusinessReviewreadingsnotedas[HBR]inthecourseoutlinecanbefoundfree ofchargeon HuskyCT. Non-HBR readings will be posted as either a link found in the course outline or on HuskyCT. They are noted as [Non-HBR] in the course outline below.
REQUIRED PREREQUISITES (INCLUDING MINIMUM GRADE):
If you have any questions about your eligibility to enroll in this course, please consult the department and course catalogue concerning the pre-requisite requirements for this course.
STUDENT DISABILITY SERVICES STATEMENT
Student Disability Services extends reasonable and appropriate accommodations that take into account the context of the course and its essential elements for individuals with qualifying disabilities. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services Office at (203) 251-8484 to set up a confidential appointment to discuss accommodation guidelines and available services. Additional information regarding the services available may be found at the following address on the University of Connecticut’s website:
CLASS SCHEDULE
Course semester runs from August 29th through December 9th.
Academic Holidays –Tuesday, November 22nd (Thanksgiving Break)
CLASS / TOPIC / READING ASSIGNMENT / ASSIGNMENTWeek 1
(Wk. of Aug.
29th) / Course Overview & Expectations
The Macro Context of OB:
Understanding How Structure and Context Shapes Individual Behavior / M& V- Ch.1&13 / Bring two to three examples of failed organizations to class
Review the project guidelines and start-up kit
Before we meet next, identify and confirm your initial team for the class project
Week 2
(Wk. of Sept.
5th) / Overviewof OrganizationalCulture
Approaches inOrganizationalChange and Their Effects on Individual Behavior / M &V- Ch.14 &15
[HBR–Jul./Aug.2000–Change withoutPain] / Overview of case study write-up
Identify and lock-down a failed organization for your case-write up
Week 3
(Wk. of Sept.
12th) / Understanding and Managing Conflict, Power, and Social Networks / M &V- Ch.10 &11
[HBR-Jul./Aug.1993- Informal Networks: The CompanyBehind theChart]
[HBR–Jun.2002-PeopleWhoMakeOrganizationsGo–orStop] / Finalize your case-study write-up
Week 4
(Wk. of Sept.
19th) / Overview of the Community Service Comparison Project
Understanding the Purposes of Service-Based Learning
Community Partner Recruitment Pitches and Orientations / [Non- HBR–Service-Based
Learning: ABalanced Approach]
[Non-HBR -Asset Based Community
Development] / Case-study write-up due
Identify community partner and review expectations for the community partner project and presentation
Complete On-line Discussion Topic 1
Week 5
(Wk. of Sept.
26th) / Teams vs. Groups
Designing Creative and Effective Teams / M&V- Ch. 78
[HBR–Jan. 2006 -TheHidden
TrapsinDecision-Making]
[Non-HBR –Groupthink:The BrainstormingMyth–accessedvia thelink below
/reporting/2012/01/30/120
130fa_fact_lehrer?currentPa ge=all
Week 6
(Wk. of Oct.
3rd) / Individual & Team Communication Analysis
Leadership vs. Management / M &V- Ch. 9 &12
[HBR–Dec.2001-What Leaders
Really Do]
[HBR–Jun.2012-How Managers
BecomeLeaders] / Bring a copy of your team’s tape recording
Week 7
(Wk. of Oct. 10th) / Service Learning Project Updates
Interim Reflection on Team Dynamics / Project Update Presentations
Complete On-Line Discussion Topic 2
Week 8
(Wk. of Oct. 17th) / Understanding and Influencing IndividualMotivationandGoalSetting / M&V- Ch. 2 (pages32-39),5
[Non-HBR – On the Folly of Rewarding]
Week 9
(Wk. of Oct.
24th) / How Perceptions and Bias Impact DiversityManagement
The Role of Emotions and Stress in Workplace / M&V- Ch.3 & 4
[HBR– Jul./Aug. 1999-Toxic Handler:Organizational Hero–and Casualty]
[HBR - Sept./Oct.1996-Making
DifferencesMatter]
Week 10
(Wk. of Oct. 31th) / Identifying and Aligning Individual PersonalityandValues / M&V- Ch.2 (pages40–60)
[HBR – Sept./Oct. 1996 - Values in Tension:Ethics Away fromHome]
[Non-HBR –BuildingOrganizational
Integrity] / Complete On-Line Discussion Topic 3
Week 11
(Wk. of Nov. 7th) / Final Service Learning Presentations / Final Project Presentations
Week 12
(Wk. of Nov. 14th) / Final Service Learning Presentations / Final Project Presentations
Week 13
(Wk. of Nov. 28th) / BringingtheCourse and Service Learning ProjectBacktoYou
Final Team Analysis & Review of Final Reflection Paper Expectations / [Non-HBR–TheBrandCalledYou
– accessed via the link below]
m/28905/brand-called-you
[HBR–Jul./Aug. 2010-HowWill
YouMeasureYour Life] / Complete a second team tape-recording for your final paper analysis and bring it to this class
Week 14
(Wk. of Dec. 5th) / Final Exam Review and Course Wrap-Up / Bring any questions about the final exam to this class
Individual and Team Analysis Paper
Due One Week After Our Last Class on Dec. 5thClass
(i.e., No Later than 12/13)!
Course outline is subject to change.