MAN 320F

Foundations of Organizational Behavior and Administration

Fall 2013

Sections / 04545 | Tue/Thu 8:00 to 9:30a.m. | UTC 2.102A
04555 | Tue/Thu 9:30 to 11:00a.m. | UTC 2.102A
Instructor / Dr. Kristie Loescher
Office / CBA 2.216
Email /
Phone / (512) 471-9318
Office Hours / Mon/Wed 3:20p.m. to 4:30p.m.
Tue/Thu 11:00p.m. to 12:00p.m. and by appointment
Teaching
Assistant / Kelly Steffen ()
Office: CBA 2.216 (same as instructor)
Office Hours: Tue 4:30p.m. to 5:30p.m.
Fri 10:00a.m. to 11:00a.m. and by appointment

Prerequisites

·  Upper division standing (completion of a minimum of 60 credit hours)

Course Description

This upper-division course is designed for non-business majors. The course is structured to provide students with an introduction to management of organizations and organizational behavior. Emphasis is placed on the importance of ethical leadership in organizations.

Course Objectives

1.  Explore the management functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling at the individual, group, and organizational level

2.  Analyze how cognitive, behavioral, and emotional outcomes contribute to and sustain organizations, identifying processes and methods that can improve the behavior, attitudes, and effectiveness of organizational members, with a particular emphasis on ethical decision making and change management

3.  Apply organizational behavior and management theories to practice in the classroom, organization, and society through readings from modern management literature

From the Center for the Core Curriculum:

This course carries the Ethics and Leadership flag. Ethics and Leadership courses are designed to equip you with skills that are necessary for making ethical decisions in your adult and professional lives. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments involving ethical issues and the process of applying ethical reasoning to real-life situations.

Required Materials

Textbook
I-Clicker / A custom textbook containing: MGMT 6e by Williams and selected chapters and cases from Business & Society 8e by Carroll/Buchholtz
I-Clicker remote device that allows you to respond to questions posed during class.
ISBN: 0716779390. If you already own an i-clicker, it can be registered for this class.

Grading

The course grade will include the following components:

Exam #1 20%

Exam #2 20%

Exam #3 20%

Quizzes and Cases 30%

Class Attendance 10%

Final Exam - Cumulative Optional – replace or improve an exam grade

Due to the large class size, make-up exams will not be available and earlier alternative test dates will only be available with prior approval and with documentation of exigent circumstances. However, the final exam is optional and may be used to replace a missing or low exam grade. Students requiring accommodation for exams must present their SSD accommodation letter to the instructor as soon as possible before an exam.

No exceptions will be made to the uniform final exam date provided by the registrar (the date for the uniform final will not be available until about three weeks before the end of the semester). Since no make-up exams are offered besides the final, do not make any travel or other arrangements before the end of the final exam period to assure you will have the ability to take the final if needed. If you know you will need to leave campus before the end of the final exam period, it is recommended that you switch to another section of MAN 320F.

You may earn a maximum of 2% extra credit for either (1) participating in approved research studies during the semester or (2) writing a 10-page paper discussing research from at least 2 management journal articles. Option 2 requires prior approval of topic and journal articles from the instructor by mid-term and final paper submission one week before the last class day. Announcements regarding new research studies will also be posted through Blackboard. Note that one-hour studies are worth 1% extra credit and two-hour studies are worth 2% (you may complete two of one-hour studies to get the full 2%). Full instructions for both options are listed online at: http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/dept/management/programs/subjectpool.asp

The course grade will be computed as follows. Class grade curves are generally avoided, assume exact score required for the listed grade (e.g. 89.50 is a B+; 92.50 is an A-; no rounding).

A 93.0 and above Excellent - indicates mastery, professional level

A-  90.0-92.9

B+ 87.0-89.9

B 83.0-86.9 Good - respectable level for business environment

B- 80.0-82.9

C+ 77.0-79.9

C 73.0-76.9 Average - marginal for business environment

C- 70.0-72.9

D+ 67.0-69.9 Insufficient mastery - unacceptable for business environment

D 65.0-66.9

D- 63.0-64.9

F 62.9 and below Unsatisfactory (Failing for Pass/Fail)

During the semester, homework quiz/case grades, exam grades, and attendance points will be posted on Blackboard. Extra credit will be tracked on the subject pool website (http://mccombsmanagement.sona-systems.com/). All grades will be centralized onto Blackboard at the end of the semester. Please raise questions about potential data entry or calculation errors with the TA within one-week of grade posting.

To respect each student’s privacy, individual grades are never discussed over email or phone. You may email the TA to initiate an investigation into missing/incorrect grades, but to verify grades, please see the TA or instructor in person.

The final grade assigned in the course is an informed and final evaluation and not open for discussion or negotiation. Any lobbying efforts (i.e. asking for a higher grade because you want one, need one, etc.) will not be tolerated. No additional extra credit assignments are offered to individual students.

Meeting Your Grade Goals

First, review this syllabus and the course requirements carefully. There are many opportunities provided to help you succeed in this course. However, you must take advantage of them throughout the semester since the assignments and extra credit opportunities are time-limited. A full 40% of your grade is determined solely by your class attendance and completion of homework quizzes and cases, with an additional 2% available to add to your final grade through extra credit.

To make your desired grade in this course, your exam scores, homework, and attendance record must earn the points tied to the grade-level standards indicated above. Please note that grades are based on your output, not your effort, nor your improvement. I expect upperclassmen to have the time management skills to evaluate course requirements and complete them on time, or accept the consequences of their choices with the maturity of seasoned students.

Please see the instructor for guidance early in the semester if you are not meeting your grade goals. A free learning styles assessment is offered (see link on first day of class calendar) to provide you with personalized guidance on effective learning approaches. Any member of the teaching team is happy to assist you in using this information to devise a more successful study system.

It is always disappointing to hear from students at the end of the semester that did not take advantage of attendance, homework, and/or extra credit and then are only one or two points away from a higher grade. Do not be one of them! All choices have consequences – even ‘right’ ones – so skipping class/studying less to meet other legitimate life needs does not excuse you from getting the grade you earn in this class. The instructor will not discuss or consider any grade changes at the end of the semester (regardless of special circumstances, catastrophes, improvement, good intentions, needs, desires, etc), so please put your effort into this class throughout the semester and/or accept the consequences of your choices.

Required Materials: I-Clicker

You must register your i-clicker and start bringing it to class by the 2nd day of class. Register your i-clicker on the i-clicker website: http://www.iclicker.com/support/registeryourclicker/. The remote ID you need to register your i-clicker is the series of numbers and letters found on the back of your i-clicker remote. If these numbers have rubbed off, the website has a look-up table you can use, or you can come by office hours and the instructor can help you identify your i-clicker ID.

Your i-clicker will be used every class, and you are responsible for bringing it every session and ensuring that it has working batteries and is functioning properly. If you lose your clicker or for any reason have to get a different remote, please notify the instructor as soon as possible to assure your attendance credit is captured correctly. Be sure to check Blackboard regularly to ensure that your points are being recorded.

Students joining the class or registering their i-clicker after the 5th day of class should send your i-clicker ID to the instructor by e-mail to insure it is linked to your name in the system. It is your responsibility to make sure your i-clicker is registered and you are receiving attendance credit on Bb. After the 5th class day, the instructor will not go back and post attendance points earned before the instructor was notified of your i-clicker ID.

Note that you are not allowed to share or borrow another i-clicker. Allowing another student to use your i-clicker, using another person’s i-clicker, or simply having more than one i-clicker in your possession will be considered a violation of scholastic integrity requirements and may result in a report to Student Judicial Services as well as final grade penalties. The instructor will randomly verify attendance and correct i-clicker usage during the semester.

Attendance

Reliable and punctual attendance is critical in the workplace. As a business class, this course is designed as an opportunity to begin to practice good business habits. You are expected to attend each class on time and stay the entire session. Attendance points are earned by responding (with your i-clicker) to questions posed in class. At least two i-clicker questions will be asked during most class sessions, and you need to participate in both to get credit for attendance that day. The first question will be approximately 15 min. after the start of class and the second question will be near the end of the session. Each day you attend class when the i-clicker questions are presented and answer two i-clicker questions, you will earn 5% of your attendance credit. You must attend twenty (20) classes and participate in two i-clicker questions in each of those classes for full attendance credit. The first class day and exam days are NOT counted in attendance. While having more than 20 classes of attendance credit does not help your grade, it does make a difference in reference letters (I always note superior attendance). You are responsible for bringing your i-clicker to class and ensuring that it is functioning properly (put some batteries in your backpack!).

Attendance data is stored on a separate Blackboard site called MAN320F Attendance Tracking. You are responsible for verifying your attendance and must raise any concerns within two-weeks of the date in question. Both sections are tracked on this one master site, so be aware that the total column is double the actual total points possible for your section. A one (1) will be entered on the date and section column when you answer both clicker questions. A zero (0) in a day/section column indicates that only one of your clicks registered and you will not receive attendance credit for the day. A dash (-) indicates that no clicks registered.

If you lose your i-clicker or for any reason have to get a different remote, please notify the instructor as soon as possible to assure your attendance credit is captured correctly. Note that you must be present and use your own registered i-clicker for attendance credit. Allowing another student to use your clicker or using another student’s clicker is a violation of scholastic integrity requirements and will result in severe penalties. Please check Blackboard regularly to verify your attendance points.

This system is designed to reward those students who make class attendance a priority. All sections of MAN 320F have some system of rewarding attendance. Students with other priorities (e.g activities, jobs, etc.) are welcome in this class and can certainly achieve a passing grade by completing the homework, doing the assigned readings, and taking the exams, but should not expect an A. Similarly, students adding the class late who miss more than the first class day will not be given any credit or make-up for those days. Late adding students can still earn full attendance credit with 20 participation days, but will have fewer days they can miss in the semester without a grade penalty.

The number of allowed absences is typically sufficient to cover missed classes due to observance of religious holy days, school sport obligations, and job interviews. However, if you must miss 5 or more classes for these purposes, please contact the instructor to discuss. Any accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis and is at the discretion of the instructor.

You are welcome to attend either lecture offered each class day (8:00 or 9:30) regardless of your registered section. Attendance quizzes taken in either section will count towards your attendance grade. You must be present for both i-clicker questions in one section to receive attendance credit. However, there is an important caveat to this flexible section policy: You MUST take all exams during your registered section time. If you do not take the exam with your registered section, you will be given a zero (0) for that exam and expected to take the final exam to replace this grade. See exam policies section for more information.

Students with short-term personal or family emergencies should register their situation with UT’s Student Emergency Services (SES) by calling 512-471-5017. Any requests for assignment or exam extensions, modifications, or emergency leaves must be approved first by SES. Note that the make-up homework and the final exam exist to help you weather a personal emergency that causes you to miss homework deadlines or exam dates. Please let me know if you have an issue that might require an accommodation, but understand that I will expect you to use the tools provided within the class and will only discuss additional accommodation in extreme circumstances (i.e. if you miss one exam for any reason, you will need to take the final exam, but if you miss two exams, I will discuss accommodation with you).