MBA 653–Section 002: Organizational
Behavior
Spring 2004:
Class meets:
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Thursday 7:20 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in SOM 1 |
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Instructor: |
David A. Kravitz, Ph.D. |
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Offices: |
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Office hours: |
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Contact: |
dkravitz@gmu.edu Home: 703-426-8551
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WebCT: |
http://webct38.gmu.edu |
Course objective
To deepen your understanding of human behavior
in organizations and to improve your management practice as a result of that
understanding.
Specific goals
·
Students
should become familiar with the major concepts of organizational behavior.
·
Students
should understand that organizations are dynamic systems that interact with
their environment.
·
Students
should understand how the structures of these systems affect human behavior.
·
Students
should become familiar with the kinds of issues managers encounter and with
principles, practices and models that help managers deal with these issues.
·
Students
should examine the relationships among people within organizational systems and
see how they influence organizational effectiveness
·
Students
should deepen their understanding of their own behavior in organizations and
improve their interpersonal and managerial skills
Class format
Facilitating
effective human behavior in organizations requires a variety of skills. For
example, before one can analyze behavior–let alone knowingly change it–one must
observe it. Likewise, a management or behavioral concept is of little service
until one is able to link it to experience and vary behavior accordingly. Finally,
understanding and skills improve with practice and feedback. Accordingly, the
course design incorporates all these dimensions of learning through the use of
cases, exercises, group work, self-reflection, readings, discussion, lectures,
written work, and opportunities for feedback. Much work in the course will be
done in small learning teams.
Evaluation
What
you learn and how much you learn depends a great deal on how actively you
approach this course. I encourage you to push yourself to make the most of the
opportunities offered.
A weekly observation (WO) paper is due at
the beginning of most classes–exceptions are noted in the class schedule.
·
These short
papers must relate to the week’s topic/concepts. They may not simply summarize
the readings because I assume you have read and understood the assigned papers.
Instead, the WO should go beyond a simply summary. It could critique or extend
the arguments given in the readings, could illustrate the points with examples
drawn from your own experience, could draw connections to other concepts
covered inside or outside the class, could bring in other articles you have
read, or could relate to the week’s topic or assigned readings in other ways. I
am relatively open regarding the manner in which the WO connects to the topic,
as long as it is not a simple summary. There is no need for the WO to address
all aspects of all the readings–focus on whatever interests you. The goal of
the paper is to motivate you to think about the week’s topic and thus deepen
your understanding of it.
·
Each paper
should be identified at the top with your name and the date of the relevant
class. The paper must be no longer than a single page, with 1 inch margins and
double-spaced 12-point Times Roman font. If you refer to your personal
experiences and make negative statements about other individuals, it would be
best if you used pseudonyms when referring to them. These papers will be graded
on a 1/0 basis. The normal grade will be 1. A grade of zero will be assigned to
papers that are late, simply summarize the readings, do not clearly demonstrate
adequate thought about the topic, or do not follow the formatting instructions
given at the beginning of this paragraph. Although I may occasionally correct
grammatical errors, the quality of the writing will not affect the grade.
·
Because this
is one of the two ways in which I give credit for class contributions, you must
attend class to turn in the WO. You may not send it to me electronically or ask
a classmate to drop it off. Because students must sometimes miss class for
professional or personal reasons, only 10 papers of the 12 assigned papers are
needed to receive full credit. I will not assign extra credit if you turn in
more than 10 papers.
Mastering the
observational and analytic skills represented by the personal application assignments (PAAs) is a central part of the
course and of course evaluation. You will be asked to write two PAAs, each six
to seven pages in length. The PAAs allow you to reconsider professional
problems you have experienced in light of the concepts covered in this class.
You may choose to do extra reading on those topics, but this is neither
required nor expected. The class web site contains hints for writing PAAs, the
criteria on which PAAs are graded, and sample PAAs. Due dates are indicated in
the class schedule.
While
the PAAs allow you to explore in depth the course materials that are
particularly relevant and useful for you, the final exam tests your understanding of the central ideas of the
course. Central ideas of the course will be emphasized in lecture and will
often be explored in cases and exercises. The exam will consist of short
essays, and will focus on your understanding of key theories and concepts and
how to apply them in work settings. I am not particularly interested in your
memory case details or of author names, except when the names are needed to
identify a particular theory or perspective. The final exam will be held during
the official exam period.
Preparation
for and participation in your learning team is critical to your own learning
and to your colleagues' learning. Each team member will evaluate the
preparation and participation of all the other members. All the scores given to
you by your colleagues will be averaged to determine your peer evaluation grade. The peer evaluation form is available on the
class web site; I suggest you print it out now and think about the implications
for your behavior. This is the second way in which I evaluate class
contribution.
Finally,
a personal learning note is due when
you arrive to take the final exam. This is designed to give you an opportunity
to reflect on and summarize for yourself the most important information and action resolutions you take from the
course–to look at the big picture. The personal learning note should be
single-spaced and no more than one page long (including your name); citation is
not required. If you focus on writing something useful for yourself, it should meet my standards. This assignment
is primarily for your sake–to help you establish the take-away messages that
are most relevant to you. Approach it in that spirit.
Grading Standards:
A solid job on the PAA sections or exam questions will be evaluated at the A/B
border. To earn a strong A, performance must go beyond “meets expectations.”
Summary
PAA #1 27%
PAA #2 27%
Weekly observation 10%
Final exam 27%
Learning group participation (evaluated by
peers) 5%
Personal learning note 4%
The PAAs and weekly observations are due at the beginning of class on the date specified, though there is a 30-minute grace period for traffic problems. The peer evaluations and personal learning note are due when you take the final exam. Late PAAs will incur a penalty of 10% for the first 24 hours and 20% thereafter. Missing deliverables will receive a grade of zero. I expect you to bring hard copies of the deliverables to me – please do not fax them or send them via e-mail and expect me to print them out. Naturally, I will make exceptions if necessary due to illness or other emergencies.
Semester grades will depend on the total points
you earn. The percentage cutoffs are shown below. There will not be a curve or
any other form of score adjustment. Grades will be completely determined by the
points you earn. They will not be affected by any other factors (e.g., class
attendance, apparent effort, work and family responsibilities, etc.).
|
Grade |
% of Points |
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A |
90 – 100 |
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B |
80 – 89.99 |
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C |
70 – 79.99 |
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F |
0 – 69.99 |
Honor Code
The
honor code applies to all work required for this class. You are free to confer
with other people when working on your PAAs, but the final decisions about the
papers and the writing should be your own. You may not obtain any help from
anyone on the examination. Furthermore, because I may re-use some questions,
you may not show or discuss the examination with past or future MBA students. I
urge you to discuss your weekly observations with others. More information
about the GMU honor code is given on the GMU web site at various locations,
including: http://www.gmu.edu//mlstudents/handbook/honor.html
Other
E-mail: I will regularly send electronic messages to
the entire class. I will either use the cohort listserv or the GMU mailing list
associated with this class. Thus, be sure you join the listserv and arrange for
mail sent to your MEMO e-mail account to be forwarded to whatever e-mail
account you normally use. You are fully responsible for taking the steps listed
above, for checking your e-mail regularly, and for any information communicated
to the class via e-mail. You should always feel free to communicate with me via
e-mail.
Disability:
Students with disabilities who require special accommodation should contact the
Religion:
Students who will miss class for religious reasons should inform me of their
anticipated absences during the first two weeks of the semester.
Cell
phones & beepers: Cell phone and beepers are distracting.
Please turn off all audible signals before class.
WebCT:
All materials needed for this class are available in the class WebCT site. To
log on to the class web site, go to the address provided at the top of this
syllabus. Click “Log on to myWebCT.” Your user name is your GMU user name and
the password is the last four digits of your student/social security number.
More information about WebCT can be obtained by clicking the “Need help” link
directly below the log in link.
The readings are all available through
electronic reserve. Detailed information about using electronic reserve is
available on the class web site, as is a direct link to the electronic reserve
site. To download the papers, go to the library e-reserves site at
http://oscr.gmu.edu/. Click on “Search electronic reserves” at the top. Use the
drop-down list to select this course. Our password is “
Schedule
[I recommend that you read the readings in the order listed
·
Pfeffer, J., & Veiga, J. F. (1999).
Putting people first for organizational success.
·
DeLong, T. J., & Vijayaraghavan, V.
(2003). Let’s hear it for B players. Harvard
Business Review, 81(6), 96-101. [Harvard Business Review Reprint R0306F].
·
Kolb, D. A., Osland, J. S., & Rubin.
I. M. (1995). Organizational behavior: An experiential approach (6th
ed.).
·
Currall, S. C., & Epstein, M. J.
(2003). The fragility of organizational trust: Lessons from the rise and fall
of Enron. Organizational Dynamics, 32(2),
193-206.
·
Hiltrop, J. M. (1996). Managing the
changing psychological contract. Employee
Relations, 18(1), 36-49.
·
Kolb, D. A., Osland, J. S., & Rubin,
·
Johns, G. (1996). Organizational behavior: Understanding and managing life at work.
·
Martinko, M. J., Henry, J. W., &
Zmud, R. W. (1996). An attributional explanation of individual resistance to
the introduction of information technologies in the workplace. Behaviour & Information Technology, 15(5),
313-330. [This article is
recommended for students who may be responsible for introducing new IT systems
in their workplaces; it is not assigned.]
·
Tannen, D. (1985). The power of talk: Who
gets heard and why? Harvard Business
Review, 73(5), 138-148. [
·
Culp, G. & Smith, A. (1992).
Communication. In G. Culp & A. Smith (Eds.), Managing people (including yourself) for project success (p.
14-33).
·
Cohen, A. R. & Bradford, D. L.
(1989). Influence without authority: The use of alliances, reciprocity, and
exchange to accomplish work. Organizational
Dynamics, 17(3), 4-17
·
Bennis, W. (1991). Learning some basic
truisms about leadership. National Forum,
71(1), 12-15.
·
Kotter, J. P. (1990). What leaders really
do. Harvard Business Review, 68(3),
103-111. [Harvard Business Review Reprint 90309]
·
Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets
results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2),
78-90. [Harvard Business Review Reprint 4487]
·
Collins, J. C. & Porras, J. I.
(1996). Building your company’s vision. Harvard
Business Review, 74(5), 65-77. [
·
Bass, B. M. (1990). From transactional to
transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18(3), 19-31.
·
Khurana, R. (2002). The curse of the
superstar CEO. Harvard Business Review,
80(9), 60-65. [Harvard Business Review Reprint R0209D]
·
The text of the ‘I have a dream’ speech
by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on the steps of the
·
DuBrin, A. J. (2001). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and
skills (3rd ed.).
·
Duncan, W. J. (2001). Stock ownership and
work motivation. Organizational Dynamics,
30(1), 1-11.
·
Kerr, S. (1999). Organizational rewards:
Practical, cost-neutral alternatives that you may know but don’t practice. Organizational Dynamics, 28(1), 61-70.
·
Case, J. (2001). When salaries aren’t
secret. Harvard Business Review, 79(5),
pp. 37, 39, 42 & 43. [
·
Nohria, N., Joyce, W., & Roberson, B.
(2003). What really works. Harvard
Business Review, 81(7), 43-52. [Harvard Business Review Reprint R0307C]
·
Dess, G. G., Rasheed, A. M. A.,
McLaughlin, K. J., & Priem, R. L. (1995). The new corporate architecture.
·
Sims, R. R. (2000). Changing an
organization’s culture under new leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 25(1), 65-78.
·
Wetlaufer, S. 1997. What’s stifling the
creativity at CoolBurst? Harvard Business
Review, 75(5), 36-39. [
·
Sundstrom, E. (1999). The challenges of
supporting work team effectiveness. In E. Sundstrom and Associates (Ed.), Supporting work team effectiveness: Best
management practices for fostering high performance (pp. 3-23).
·
Katz, N. (2001). Sports teams as a model for workplace teams:
Lessons and liabilities.
·
Wageman, R. (1997). Critical success
factors for creating superb self-managed teams. Organizational Dynamics, 26(1), 49-61.
·
Wetlaufer, S. (1994). The team that
wasn’t. Harvard Business Review, 72(6),
281-284.
·
Cascio, W. F. (2000). Managing a virtual
workplace.
·
Davis,
·
Cramton, C. D. (2002). Finding common
ground in dispersed collaboration. Organizational
Dynamics, 30(4), 356-367.
·
Cox, T. H., & Blake, S. (1991).
Managing cultural diversity: Implications for organizational competitiveness.
·
Allen, R. S., & Montgomery, K. A.
(2001). Applying an organizational development approach to creating diversity. Organizational Dynamics, 30(2), 149-161.
·
Roberts, K., Kossek, E. E., & Ozeki,
C. (1998). Managing the global workforce: challenges and strategies.
·
Go to the OFCCP web site at
http://www.dol.gov/esa/ofcp_org.htm. At a minimum, connect to the following
links and read the associated text: (1) What is the OFCCP? (2) Affirmative
Action (Fact Sheet)
·
Ashkanasy, N. M., & Daus, C. S.
(2002). Emotion in the workplace: The new challenge for managers.
·
DeFrank, R. S., & Ivancevich, J. M.
(1998). Stress on the job: An executive update.
·
O’Neill, H. M. & Lenn, D. J. (1995).
Voices of survivors: Words that downsizing CEOs should hear.
·
Feel free to check out the GMU Resources
at http://www.gmu.edu/departments/csdc/stress.html
Week 13 (4/22): Managing change
·
Kotter, J. P. (1995). Leading change: Why
transformation efforts fail. Harvard
Business Review, 73(2), 59-67 [
·
Sugarman, B. (2001). A learning-based
approach to organizational change: Some results and guidelines. Organizational Dynamics, 30(1), 62-76.
·
Risher, H. (1999). Are public employers
ready for a "new pay" program? Public
Personnel Management, 28(3), 323-343. [This article is not required but is recommended for
students who work for the federal government. It relates to the presentation
that will be given by a guest speaker. You can download it directly from the
library, but I have not placed it on electronic reserve.]
Week
14 (4/29): Overview & wrap-up [No weekly observation required]
May 6 Final exam from 7:30 to 10:15
p.m.
Peer Evaluations and Personal
Learning Note are due at the final exam.