ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

MANA 3318 - SUMMER 2011

INSTRUCTOR: Pam Van Dyke / Course Time and Location
Office Hours: By Appointment Only
Email:
LinkedIn:
Phone: 214.564.6352 please leave a message / MANA 3318 Section 001
Monday – Thursday 8:00 am– 10:00 am
Room #251

TEXT: Organizational Behavior: Foundations, Realities & Challenges 5th Edition

Nelson, D.L., and Quick, J.C. (2006). Organizational Behavioral: Foundations, Realities and Challenges, Fifth Edition. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western.

MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

My teaching philosophy is to do everything I can to make learning an action VERB. What I mean by that is I view learning as active and dynamic! What I have learned in my 14 plus years of teaching higher education is I cannot teach alone, I need YOU to make it interesting and enjoyable. I hope to create the type of learning environment that is interactive and interesting. Therefore, I will look for you to actively participate in the class discussions and help me make this a positive experience for us both.

Let the learning BEGIN!

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course examines various aspects of human behavior in organizations. Individual differences, ethics, culture, motivation, reward systems, leadership, organizational change, and group process are examined in the context of the organization’s structure, the diversity of its populace (employees, volunteers, etc.), its role in the global marketplace, and its internal and external cultural environment.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

  • Show the interdependent relationship among individuals, groupings of individuals, and the organizational systems in which we live and work.
  • Demonstrate that most processes, problems and issues that individuals encounter in organizations are divergent.
  • Explore how individuals differ in terms of ability, personality, attitude, and motivation and show how these differences impact the person-group-system interrelationship.
  • Explore the nature of aggregations of individuals into groups and teams and show the impact of these aggregations on the organization and the individuals who form them.
  • Explore the nature of the organization as a system and show its impact on the individuals who work within it.
  • Examine the functioning of the organization in its environment: cultural, regulatory, global, technological, and economic.
  • Explore diverse approaches to nature of management / leadership in organizations.

COURSE – AT – A - GLANCE

Course Schedule:

Tentative and subject to change. Additional topics and reading assignments may be covered. Students are responsible for keeping up with any changes to the course schedule announced by the instructor.

WEEK / DAY / READINGS* / ASSIGNMENT
ONE / MO6/6:
Course Overview / **Quizzes will vary throughout the 5 weeks**
TU6/7:
OB Introduction / Ch 1 pp 1-34
WE 6/8:
Challenges for Managers / Ch 2, pp 34-79
TH 6/9:
Personality / Ch 3, pp 80 – 113 / PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT & Report
TWO / MO 6/13:
Attitudes and Values / Ch 4, pp 114 - 148 / Team Assignments – See Case Analysis Guidelines
TU 6/14:
Motivation / Ch 5, pp 149 - 177 / MOTIVATION INTERVIEWS DUE: OPTION A
WE 6/15:
Learning & Performance Management / Ch 6, pp 178 -212
TH 6/16:
Stress & Self Efficacy / Ch 7, pp 213-246 / Exam Review
THREE / MO 6/20
FIRST EXAM
TU 6/21
Communication / Ch 8, pp 247-281
WE 6/22
Teams and Groups / Ch 9, pp 282 - 313 / TEAM OBSERVATION DUE: OPTION B
TH 6/23
Power and Political Beh / Ch 11, 354 - 385
FOUR / MO6/27
Leadership and Followership / Ch 12, pp 386–419
TU6/28
Conflict and
Negotiation / Ch 13, pp 420–458
WE 6/29
Organizational Culture / Ch 16 pp 528 - 559
TH 6/30
Career Management
Managing Change / CH 17-18 pp 560 - 633
FIVE / MO 7/4
NO CLASS
TU 7/5
CASE PRESENTATIONS / CASE PRESENTATIONS
WE 7/6
CASE PRESENTATIONS / CASE PRESENTATIONS
TH 7/7
FINAL EXAM

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS & EVALUATION

Class Participation
And Attendance / 100 Points
Current Events and
Quizzes / 100 Points
Personality Assessment and Response / 100 Points
Motivation Interviews
(Option A) / 100 Points
Team Observations
(Option B) / 100 Points
Exam #1 / 100 Points
Case Review/Presentation / 200 Points
Final Exam / 100 Points
Total Points / 800 Points
Total Points / Percentage / GRADE
700 – 800 / 90 – 100 / A
600 – 699 / 80 – 89 / B
500 – 599 / 70 – 79 / C
400 –499 / 60 – 69 / D
300 – 399 / 59 – 0 / F

POINT BREAKDOWN

ATTENDANCE/ PARTICIPATION (100 POINTS) Satisfactory attendance and completion of exercises and assignments are critical to success in this class. As classes are interactive, excessive absences will result in lack of participation and failure to learn from the interactions and discussions. Attendance will be taken each class meeting and considered in the final calculation of the student’s grade. Individuals must be present for the entire period to receive full credit for that session. Leaving at break or before class ends may result in a forfeiting the participation points for that day. If you miss class it will be your responsibility to contact me or one of your classmates to find out what you missed. It will also be your responsibility to maintain your own point total throughout the course.

CURRENT EVENTS /QUIZZES (100 POINTS)

Current Events (50 Points): Please bring a periodical or newspaper which correlates and/or demonstrates some aspect of that day’s topic to discuss at the beginning of class. Current Events count 10 points a piece.

Quizzes (50 Points): There will be a few quizzes throughout the 5 weeks that will total 50 points collectively.

PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT & REPORT: (100 POINTS)

Completion of personality assessment and submission of one page report.

MOTIVATION INTERVIEWS (100 POINTS) – OPTION A

Completion of 3 interviews and submission of a one page report.

TEAM OBSERVATION (100 POINTS) – OPTION B

Restaurant observations and submission of a one-page report.

CASE REVIEW & PRESENTATIONS (200 POINTS)

Team project, case review, analysis and presentation. Please make sure you review all the requirements.

EXAMS(200 POINTS)

We will have 2 exams. Mid-Term exam and one final exam, the final exam may be comprehensive. Both exams will be true/false and multiple choice. The final exam may include essay as well. For each exam you need a #882-ES scanning form and a #2 pencil. Both of these items can be purchased at the bookstore.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

ATTENDANCE

Attendance and participation in class are necessary in order to receive the full benefit of the course especially since the summer course is a short 9 weeks. Failure to attend class will have a negative impact on your participation grade and on your ability to perform well on your other class assignments.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

It is the policy of the University of TexasatArlington that academic dishonesty is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or explusion from the University.

“Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such act.” (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2., Subdivision 3.22).

BOMB THREAT POLICY

Effective April 8, 1996, the College of Business Administration has adopted a policy to deal with the classroom disruption caused by bomb threats in the building.

1. Section 22.07 of the Texas Criminal Law Statues governs terrorists threats and classifies bombthreats as Class A misdemeanors. Section 12.21 of the Texas Criminal Law Statues states that a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by a fine not to exceed $4,000, a jail term of not more than one year, OR, both such a fine and confinement.

2. If anyone is tempted to call in a bomb threat, be aware that UTA will soon have technology to trace phone calls.

3. Every effort will be made to avoid canceling presentation/tests caused by bomb threats to the BusinessBuilding. Unannounced alternate sites will be available. If a student who has a class with a scheduled test or presentation arrives and the building has been closed due to a bomb threat, the student should immediately check for the alternate class site notice which will be posted on/near the main doors on the south side of the BusinessBuilding. If the bomb threat is received while the class is in session, your instructor will ask you to leave the building and reconvene at another location.

4. Students who provide the information leading to the successful prosecution of anyone making a bomb threat will receive one semester’s free parking in the Maverick Garage across from the BusinessBuilding. UTA’s Crimestoppers will provide a reward to anyone providing information leading to an arrest. To make an anonymous report, call 817-272-5245.

**CLASS DISRUPTIONS

Class participation is encouraged therefore, please refrain from using your laptops, blackberrys I-phones, Ipods and cell phones during class. Ignoring this request can result in a point deduction in your participation grade. This includes texting under the desk on your cell phones, blackberrys or I-phones. Due the increase usage of electronic devices in our society we will decide in class together additional ground rules and point deductions regarding this behavior. Because ultimately it affects all of us.

If an emergency requires you to have a cell phone or pager turned on during class, please let me know before class. Otherwise, please turn off all laptops, cell phones, I-phones, blackberrys and pagers once class begins. This will help all of us stay focused on the discussion in class. Thank you.

DIABILITY POLICY

If you require accommodations for a disability, please consult with me at the beginning of the semester. Faculty members are required by law to provide “reasonable accommodation” to students with disabilities, so please provide me with your documentation authorizing the specific accommodation.

DROP POLICIES

It is the student’s responsibility to complete the course or withdraw from the course in accordance with University Regulations. Students are strongly encouraged to verify their grade status before dropping a course after the first withdrawal date. It also the student’s responsibility to determine whether it is a good idea to drop the class. A student who drops after the first withdrawal date may receive an “F” in the course if the student is failing at the time the course is dropped.

TUITION PAYMENT

Students who have not paid by the census date and are dropped from non-payment cannot receive a grade for the course under any circumstances. A student dropped for non-payment who continues to attend the course will not receive a grade. Emergency loans are available to help students pay tuition and fees. Students can apply for emergency loans by going to the Emergency Tuition Loan Distribution at the E.H.UniversityCenter (near the southwest entrance).

EXAM POLICY

There will be one test and one final exam during the course. You will be expected to complete each test on the day they are given. Tests will be a combination of multiple choice, true/false and possibly some short essay. Test material will come from the text book material, lectures and in class discussions.

MANA 3318

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

CURRENT EVENTS GUIDELINES

POINT VALUE: 50 POINTS - 5 @ 10 POINTS EACH

Each current event that you turn in that is counted is worth 10 points.

Just because you turn in a current event does not mean it will be counted. For example turning in a current event about an unrelated topic, i.e. Charlie Sheen and Winning (Motivation) , will not count towards your current event for that week.

Here are the requirements to ensure you receive full credit for each of your current events.

  1. If your current event is an article that has been cut from a newspaper please make sure you tape or staple neatly onto a piece of paper.
  1. Clearly print your name, date of submission and corresponding week’s topic on the upper right hand corner of the paper so that I can give you proper credit. Failure to do so may result in deduction of points or no points at all.
  1. You must bring the current event on the week the topic is being discussed. See “Course-At-A-Glance” for course topics. For example, bring your current event on team dynamics on the week we are discussing “Groups and Teams”.
  1. Summarize the contents of article in 3-4 sentences (30-40 words) and include somewhere on the article, i.e. at the end or the bottom of the page. For example, if the topic is about “Emotional Intelligence”, write on the article somewhere or on a separate piece of paper the main points of the article.
  1. Make sure you plan well. It is wise to not wait until the last few days of the course to turn in all your current events.
  1. Part of your grade is volunteering to share the content in class so please make sure you have read your current event. 
  1. You cannot turn in a current event after the topic for that particular week has passed.
  1. You must be present to turn in your current event. In other words you cannot have someone else turn in your current event for you.

MANA 3318

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

ASSIGNMENT: PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT

POINT VALUE: 100 POINTS

To determine your basic personality type, visit the HumanMetrics website at

Take the Jung Typology Test questionnaire and select “score it” to reveal your personality “type.” After your type is revealed, read both the “Type Description by D. Keirsey” and “Identify Your Career with Jung Career Indicator” and write a 1-page, APA formatted analysis report answering the following questions. Include a cover sheet.

  • To what degree do the results of this instrument match your personality as you see it?
  • Do you agree or not with the results, explain.
  • What implications in work relationships and leadership do you see for yourself in the workplace based on this assessment tool?
  • Come prepared to discuss your results in class

MANA 3318

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

ASSIGNMENT: MOTIVATION INTERVIEWS

POINT VALUE: 100 - OPTION A

Interview three people you know with the 2 following questions:

  1. What motivates you in your work place?
  1. What de-motivates in your work place?

Consider asking questions about recognition and the employee involvement processes of the company, the compensation program, and so on.

Attempt to analyze the responses in order to identify the motivational factors for each of them. Review the text book and attribute at least one theory that corresponds with each person’s answer. Explain your answer.

Submit your answer in the form of a one page report using APA guidelines, please include a cover page.

MANA 3318

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

ASSIGNMENT: TEAM OBSERVATION

POINT VALUE: 100 POINTS OPTION B

Visit a nearby McDonald's or a Burger King restaurant. Observe the activities and the behavior of all the employees, both during a busy period and during a period with few customers. This may require that you visit on 2 separate occasions. Answer the following questions after your observations.

  • Using at least 3 terms from the text book described what you observed about the employees behavior.
  • To what extent do you think the employees (or at least some of them) were working as a team? Were the employees working as individuals or together as a team?
  • What was leadership doing?
  • Were they leading effectively in your opinion?
  • If you were the manager of the restaurant what actions would you take to encourage a greater degree of team effectiveness?
  • Did the employees look motivated?
  • Using APA guidelines, submit a one-page report, please include a cover page.

MANA 3318

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

CASE PRESENTATION GUIDELINES (100 Points)

ASSIGNMENT: CASE PRESENTATIONS

POINT VALUE: 200 POINTS

Teams will be made up of 4 -5 members. Due to the shortness of the semester, once teams are formed, it will be important that you stay in these teams.

Teams assignments will be made by June 13th.

You will select a case from the textbook – cases can be found throughout the textbook on tan and maroon pages. Other cases outside of the textbook may be used if approved by the Instructor beforehand.

Each team will be given 30 minutes to present their case; 20 minutes to provide the facts and analysis of the case and 10 minutes of questions from the class.

Since the cases are based on actual companies you will be expected to do some additional research on the organization and get additional information about the organization. Information that will aid you in explaining the scenario(s) to the class.

Your team will be responsible for presenting the case:

  • What are the components of the case?
  • Who are the leaders?
  • What are the issues facing the company?
  • Describe the culture of the company
  • What is the communication like?
  • What kinds of processes are used for problem solving?
  • Use at least 4 concepts from the course in analyzing the case
  • Lead the class in a discussion of the facts and analysis of the case, concluding with any recommendations you as a team have about the case/scenario based upon what you have learned in the course.

You will be graded by your team mates (20%), your class peers (20%) and by the Instructor (60%) on the following criteria respectfully:

  1. Engaged the class in a meaningful way, (presentation was interesting).
  2. Integrated and linked the course material into the case analysis and presentation. Is learning from the course evident?
  3. Demonstrated knowledge of the organization beyond what was provided in the textbook. Additional research was conducted and integrated.
  4. Provided enough facts about the organization and the case scenario to set up the analysis of the case.
  5. Presentation overall was professional.
  6. Team member was engaged and met all deadlines as required.

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