Spring 2012
Seminar in Strategic Performance Management
MGT 494
Section 1001: Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00-11:15 a.m., BEH 119
Section 1002: Tuesday and Thursday, 5:30-6:45 p.m., BEH 109
Alan N. Miller, Ph.D.
Professor of Management
Lee Business School
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Office: Beam Hall, 301
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00-2:30 p.m. and by appointment
Telephone: (702) 895-3814
Email:
Course Objectives
Performance management is a continuous process of identifying, measuring, appraising, and developing the performance of individual employees and teams and aligning their performance with the strategic goals of their organization. This course has three related learning objectives. First, to describe the performance management process. Second, to integrate performance management with the strategic management process. Third, to teach students how to design and implement a viable strategic performance management system that can be used in any type of organization (large and small, for-profit and not-for-profit, and domestic and global).
Prerequisites
Students must have completed MGT 301 (Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior) and have senior standing.
Required Readings
Aguinis, H. (2009). Performance Management (Second Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Beer, M. (1997). “Conducting a Performance Appraisal Interview.” Harvard Business School Note 9-497-058.
Greiner, L. E., & Collins, E. (2008). “A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the Fast Lane at Landon Care Products.” Harvard Business School Case 2177.
Course Requirements and Grading
Attendance and punctuality are required at the class meetings on which the date of the Term Project oral presentation is assigned and on which examinations are scheduled (see the class schedule below). Attendance and punctuality at all other class meetings are strongly recommended.
Students are required to read all assignments (book chapters, the case, and the note) before the date they are scheduled to be discussed in class (see the class schedule below). The case must be brought to class on the date it is to be discussed.
There will be four examinations given on the dates shown in the class schedule. The first exam has 40 multiple-choice questions and is worth 40 points. The second and third exams each have 55 multiple-choice questions; each exam is worth 55 points. The final exam has 50 multiple-choice questions and is worth 50 points. The exams cover both assigned readings and class lectures. A brown or green Scan-Tron answer sheet and a number 2 pencil are required for each exam. Make-up exams are only given to students who notify the instructor before missing an exam and who provide an acceptable written excuse that can be documented.
Each student is required to complete the Term Project. For this project, each student must design a performance management system for his or her current employer or for any company he or she has worked for in the past. Students with no work experience should meet with the instructor for help with selecting a company. Students cannot select the same company and must provide the instructor with the name of their company for approval by January 26.
The Term Project requires each student to make an oral presentation to the class. Using the relevant chapters of Performance Management (Second Edition), students must briefly state and explain their company’s strategic plan, including its mission; design a performance management system for their company and provide a complete description of it; and provide a detailed explanation of how the performance management system should be implemented. The presentation must be between 13 and 15 minutes. The use of Power Points is required. Each student must provide the instructor with a hard copy of the Power Points at the time of his or her presentation. The Term Project is worth 80 points and will be graded on quality of content (40%), thoroughness (40%), and adherence to the time requirement (20%).
Each student must submit his or her own complete type-written answers to the questions for the case, “A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the Fast Lane at Landon Care Products.” The questions must be submitted at the end of the class meeting on March 13. Questions submitted after this will not be accepted. The answers to the questions are worth 20 points.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is an excellent source of current information about organizations. Students who subscribe to the WSJ will receive 5 points that will be awarded as extra credit. In order to receive these points, the subscription must begin no later than the seventh class meeting of the current semester; end no earlier than the last class meeting of the semester; and students must give the instructor an Account Status (AS) form from the WSJ by February 28. To obtain an AS form go to www.services.wsj.com and follow the directions. The student’s full name must appear on AS form.
Course Web Site
The web site http://faculty.unlv.edu/amiller contains the course syllabus, the Power Point presentations used in the class lectures, and questions for the case, “A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the Fast Lane at Landon Care Products.” To access these click on “Classes” in the left column and then on “MGT 494 – Seminar in Strategic Performance Management.”
Determination of the Course Grade
A student’s course grade is determined by summing the number of points received for all examinations; the Term Project; and the answers to the questions for the case, “A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the Fast Lane at Landon Care Products.” If applicable, extra credit points for subscribing to the WSJ will be added to this total. The following table shows the number of points needed to receive each letter grade:
276-300 = A
270-275 = A-
264-269 = B+
246-263 = B
240-245 = B-
234-239 = C+
216-233 = C
210-215 = C-
204-209 = D+
186-203 = D
180-185 = D-
0-179 = F
Students who have a documented disability that may require accommodation must contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) for coordination of services. The DRC is located in the Student Services Complex (SSC), Room 137 (Voice: 895-0866 or TTY: 895-0652). These students must notify the instructor in writing of the accommodation they need by the last day of late registration.
Students requesting an accommodation for religious holidays must notify the instructor in writing of the accommodation they need by the last day of late registration.
CLASS SCHEDULE
January 17: Discussion of course objectives, prerequisites, course requirements and grading, course web site, determination of the course grade, etc.
January 19: Discussion of the following questions: How is employee performance evaluated in the organization where you are or were employed? What is your organization’s mission? How is employee performance aligned with achieving this mission? How could the alignment be improved?
January 24: Performance Management and Reward Systems in Context.
Reading: Aguinis, chapter 1.
The date of the Term Project oral presentation is assigned.
January 26: Performance Management Process.
Readings: Aguinis, chapter 2 and Beer, “Conducting a Performance Appraisal Interview.”
Each student must provide the instructor with the name of his or her company for the Term Project.
January 31: Performance Management and Strategic Planning.
Reading: Aguinis, chapter 3.
February 2: First Exam (covers Aguinis, chapters 1, 2, and 3; 75 minutes).
February 7: Defining Performance and Choosing a Measurement Approach.
Reading: Aguinis, chapter 4.
February 9: Measuring Results and Behaviors.
Reading: Aguinis, chapter 5.
February 14: Gathering Performance Information.
Reading: Aguinis, chapter 6.
February 16: Implementing a Performance Management System.
Reading: Aguinis, chapter 7.
February 21: Second Exam (covers Aguinis, chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7; 75 minutes).
February 23: Performance Management and Employee Development.
Reading: Aguinis, chapter 8.
February 28: Performance Management Skills.
Reading: Aguinis, chapter 9.
March 1: Reward Systems and Legal Issues.
Reading: Aguinis, chapter 10.
March 6: Managing Team Performance.
Reading: Aguinis, chapter 11.
March 8: Third Exam (covers Aguinis, chapters 8, 9, 10, and 11; 75 minutes).
March 13: Case: “A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the Fast Lane at Landon Care Products.”
Each student must submit his or her own complete type-written answers to the questions for this case.
March 15: Term Project Presentations.
March 20: Term Project Presentations.
March 22: Term Project Presentations.
March 27: Term Project Presentations.
March 29: Term Project Presentations.
April 3: Spring Break Recess.
April 5: Spring Break Recess.
April 10: Term Project Presentations.
April 12: Term Project Presentations.
April 17: Term Project Presentations.
April 19: Term Project Presentations.
April 24: Term Project Presentations.
April 26: Term Project Presentations.
May 1: Integrating Strategic Performance Management and Performance Appraisal.
May 3: Lee Business School Assessment Exams.
May 8: Section 1001: 10:10 a.m. - Final Exam (covers Aguinis, chapters 1-11; the note, “Conducting a Performance Appraisal Interview;” and the case, “A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the Fast Lane at Landon Care Products”).
May 10: Section 1002: 6:00 p.m. - Final Exam (covers Aguinis, chapters 1-11; the note, “Conducting a Performance Appraisal Interview;” and the case, “A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the Fast Lane at Landon Care Products”).
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