Managing Individual and Team Performance

Managing Individual and Team Performance

BA 352 – Spring 2009

Instructor: Michele Swift

Office Hours: Bexell 400B

Tuesdays/Thursdays, 12 – 1pm, Fridays 1 – 2:30pm, by appointment

Office Phone: 541-737-4110

Email:

Class Info: http://classes.bus.oregonstate.edu/ba352/

Class Section Day Time Location

BA 352 01 Tuesday/Thursday 10:00am – 11:50am Bexell 323

Course Description:

This course will provide students with opportunities to diagnose individual and small-group behavior and develop their skills at improving individual and small-group performance in a variety of organizational settings. The emphasis will be on professional skill development and the practical application of the theoretical concepts and research discussed in class.

Course Text and Additional Readings

Hitt, M.A., Miller, C.C., and Colella, A. (2006). Organizational Behavior: A Strategic Approach. (1st ed.) NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Students who successfully complete BA 352:

·  Have assessed how their values, attitudes, perceptions and behaviors impact their interpersonal effectiveness and professionalism.

·  Have developed and enhanced the essential interpersonal skills for being an effective team leader and member of a variety of organizations with a diverse membership.

·  Have used appropriate conceptual frameworks from management research and practice to diagnose and improve individual performance and group dynamics.

·  Have developed an awareness of the role of effective human resource management in organizations.

·  Have a framework for assessing the ethical implications of the decisions they make and the actions they take so that they work more effectively with persons (1) with disabilities, (2) from diverse ethnic, cultural, gender backgrounds and (3) across various hierarchical and social strata.

Grading Policies

Your individual performance is based on instructor assessment. Your group performance is based on an individual, instructor, and team assessments. The table below shows the points available from the various assignments. Your final letter grade is based on the distribution of total points at the end of the quarter.

Assignment / Possible Points
Individual requirements
·  Exam I and Exam II (multiple choice - 30 pts each)
·  Cumulative Final Exam (multiple choice, short answer, essay)
·  Journal
·  Class participation / 60
80
25
25
Team requirements
·  IRG work plan (5), IRG report (30), IRG presentation (15)
·  Chapter presentation and questions
·  Team project evaluation report / 50
15
15
Total / 270

The grading scale is as follows:

A 93-100% C 73-76.9%

A- 90-92.9% C- 70-72.9%

B+ 87-89.9% D+ 67-69.9%

B 83-86.9% D 63-66.9%

B- 80-82.9% D- 60-62.9%

C+ 77-79.9% F Below 60%

NOTE: You should know now what grade you need to receive in this class. You have ample opportunity to earn that grade. Please feel free to discuss with me during the first two weeks of the quarter your grade requirements. Throughout the quarter I will work with you and do all I can to help you earn the grade you need. However, do not ask me to supplement your earnings at the end of the semester. Therefore, there is no need to request a grade change at the end of quarter due to your need to either: (1) graduate, (2) avoid academic probation, (3) get off probation, (4) stay in the country, (5) stay in school, (6) keep your scholarship or financial aid, (7) avoid the wrath of your parents, or (8) avoid any other grade related calamity.

Course Requirements

1.  Exams

There will be two examinations plus a cumulative final exam. Exams I and II will be multiple choice, worth 30 points each, and will cover the chapters indicated in the syllabus as well as all material covered in class pertaining to those chapters. The cumulative final exam, worth 80 points, will cover material from the entire term and will be a combination of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions.

2. Journal Assignment

Part of the learning in this class is to become more aware of your own strengths and developmental needs. As part of this process you will keep a journal for the duration of this course where you will be recording significant discoveries and insights based on what you have learned from the course material, class discussion, and your results on various assessment tools. As such, this journal will be a reflection of what you learned from various events and assignments as a result of the skills and behaviors you have learned from this course.

In completing this assignment, you are required to complete the “Building Your Human Capital” assessments at the end of all chapters covered in the class (except Chapter 13) as well as any other assessment tools distributed in class. Your journal entry should reflect what you learned about yourself as a result of your performance on the assessment tool and the material covered in the chapter and in class.

As this is your own personal journal, I do not expect it to be in a specific format and it can either be hand-written or typed. I won’t be expecting it to be free of spelling or grammatical errors. However, I will evaluate it based on the quality of reflection and learning it suggests you have gone through. Journal entries that merely summarize the material from the chapter will not be sufficient to earn you a good score on your journal. Your journal is due the beginning of class Thursday, May 28th and I will return them to you Thursday, June 4th.

2.  Class Participation

This course is designed to be an experiential one, and much of your learning depends upon your active involvement with the subject matter. This means I expect you to think about the class material, to evaluate its usefulness, and to find opportunities to apply it.
I expect all class members to contribute to class discussions. This should be based on prior reading, lectures and class exercises. This requirement applies to the large class sessions and not to class group work. If you don’t feel comfortable getting involved in large group discussions, see me privately about strategies for increasing your involvement.
The class will be divided into groups that maintain the same members throughout the term. By maintaining intact groups, the groups become a focal point for learning and skill development. Most class sessions will involve group work and your contribution to your group’s success depends on your attendance. Therefore you must come to class and there will be a penalty for missing class group activities. Two absences during group activities are allowed (although not encouraged), but I will deduct 10 points from your total points for each absence beyond two. Showing up after a group activity has begun will count as an absence, as will leaving early.
The absence allowance should give you enough flexibility to deal with unexpected illness or emergency. In no case, however, will there be an exception policy. If you are likely to have some regularly scheduled event during class sessions, you should take this course during a different quarter.

3.  Team Projects

There will be three team projects, each with deliverables. I will form class teams based on background information I collect the first week of the term. The first group meeting will be on the first day of the second week of the term. Each team will have approximately 5-6 members. Failure to provide the background information by Thursday of the first week of the term will result in you not being assigned to a group and thus unable to earn any of the group project points for the course.

·  International Resource Guide (IRG) for Managers
See the Team Project Resource Guide for Global Managers for details.

·  Chapter Presentation and Questions
Each team will be assigned a chapter and will be responsible for preparing and delivering a 10 minute interactive presentation. The team’s task is to 1) identify the most important information and then 2) convey that information to the class in a concise but engaging (i.e., fun, creative) manner. Think of the presentation as a student led exam review where you highlight the material they should focus on when studying for the exams and why. You are also required to submit a 1-2 page paper that summarizes the chapter material in 5-10 bullet points and suggests 3-5 questions that can be used to stimulate student discussion of the material.

·  Team and Peer Evaluation Report
See the Team Project Evaluation Report for details.

Basic Class Policies

·  Late assignments. Unless you have an acceptable reason and get advance approval, 5% of available points will be deducted for each day an assignment is late. Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the assigned date unless otherwise specifically noted.

·  Classroom etiquette. During class turn off your pagers, cell phones, Ipods (or equivalent), and laptops. If you need to leave your cell phone on for an emergency, please let me know prior to class. I will ask that you turn off the ringer and change the setting to vibrate.

·  Students with disabilities. Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Disability Access Services (DAS). Students with accommodations approved through DAS are responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained approval through DAS should contact DAS immediately at 541-737-4098.

·  Religious accommodation. Any student having particular needs related to religious observances is requested to speak with me during the first week of the term.

·  Email/Blackboard communication. I will communicate with you using the email address listed for you in Blackboard as well as through announcements posted in Blackboard. I will hold you responsible for checking your email and Blackboard at least 2-3 times a week excluding weekends and holidays.

·  Syllabus and Schedule changes. The syllabus and schedule are guides, not a contract, and therefore may be changed as necessary. If changes are made, I will announce the changes in class and will post an announcement in Blackboard (which I’ll have forward the announcement to you as an email), generally at least one class in advance of any changes (e.g., change of due date, change of material being covered).

·  Class participation. I attempt to learn the names for all students in the class but this requires your help. Display a name tent everyday and when you speak up in class be kind enough to indicate your name. I will also use the photo enrollment sheet to help ensure accuracy of class participation scores. If you have not done so already, make sure you have your photo taken in BXL 112/120 so that I can match a fact to your contributions and you get credit for your participation.

Statement of Academic Integrity

Assignments will be assigned to both individuals and teams. You will be expected to complete your work as is appropriate for each assignment.

Any case of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of F for the course. This action is allowed according to the Academic Regulations and Procedures as described in the Schedule of Courses. This includes anyone found to be using the work of analysis of other individuals/groups in the class or other classes (past or present). Anyone who provides information to other students will be similarly disciplined. Exceptions will not be made for graduation status or magnitude/type of dishonesty.

If there is any doubt about the meaning and interpretation of the Academic Regulations and Procedures, ask for an explanation. Helpful information can also be found at http://oregonstate.edu/admin/stucon/achon.htm.

TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE

Week / Tuesday / Thursday
1 / 3/31 Introduction and Syllabus / 4/2 The Strategic Approach (Ch 1)
2 / 4/7 Effective Groups Teamwork (Ch 11)
Form teams / 4/9 Library research
IRG country selection due
3 / 4/14 Diversity and Culture (Ch 2) &
OB in Global Context (Ch 3)
/ 4/16 Learning and Perception (Ch 4)
Learning Style Inventory handout
IRG interviewees and topics due
4 / 4/21 Exam I
Time in teams / 4/23 Personality, Attitudes and Values
(Ch 5)
Team’s IRG work plan due
Draft of IRG country background due
5 / 4/28 Work Motivation (Ch 6)
Draft of one IRG topic due / 4/30 Work Motivation (Ch 6) – cont’d
IRG interview questions due
6 / 5/5 Leadership (Ch 8) / 5/7 Communication (Ch 9)
7 / 5/12 Exam II
Time in teams / 5/14 Decision Making (Ch 10)
MONDAY, JUNE 18TH IRG project reports due by 12noon (submit via Message within Blackboard)
8 / 5/19 IRG Presentations / 5/21 IRG Presentations
9 / 5/26 Power, Conflict, & Politics (Ch 12)
FIRO-B / 5/28 Team and Peer Feedback
Bring information on self and peers’
strengths and weaknesses
Journal due
10 / 6/2 Organizational Culture & Structure
(Ch 13)
Team project evaluation report due / 6/4 Review for exam
Course evaluations
Celebrate end of term!
FINAL EXAM scheduled as a group final for Thursday, June 11th at 4pm in Bexell 323.

BA 352 Managing Individual and Team Performance (4 credits)