COMENIUS UNIVERSITY IN BRATISLAVA FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR SYLLABUS
Common Core Subject
Graduate Course, Fall 2013
Prof. Ing. J. Rudy, PhD. - Comenius University Faculty of Management (CUFM)
Doc. PhDr. R. Sulíková, PhD. – CUFM, Mgr. Anna Lašáková, PhD. – CUFM
Mgr. Jana Fratričová, PhD. - CUFM
CLASS MEETS:
Tuesdays 10:30 A.M. - 11:50 A.M., (12:30 P.M. and 3:30 P.M.
seminars)
OFFICE HOURS:
Mondays 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. and by appointment
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The course covers specific contents areas of Organizational Behavior (OB) and is designed
for graduate students in the field of Management. The subject OB is an integral part of the
Common Core Subjects. OB is a course designed to introduce graduate students to the
theories, concepts, and practical applications of research in the field. Its objective is to
develop the skills necessary to solve specific problems of OB faced by organizations.
Organizations all over the world are facing tremendous competitive pressures, and must be
able to produce goods and deliver services with great flexibility and customer orientation.
Organizations and their managers are increasingly being asked to deliver quality products
and services at reasonable costs. These competitive pressures are altering organizational
design, management, and human resource practices. People as human resources are
increasingly being recognized as the basic building blocks of organizational performance.
It is critical for any organization hoping to compete in such a global marketplace to know
and practice effective and efficient management. All managers are, to some extent,
accountable to their organizations in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. That is true in
Slovakia as the EU member country. OB is a discipline devoted to helping managers and
organizations to reach this goal.
This course covers some introductory topics that are designed to provide some functional
overview for managers - generalists. Students taking this course also will become
acquainted in more depth with the major types of issues in OB such as individual behavior
in organizations, group dynamics in organizations, motivation, power, leadership and
followership.
CLASS FORMAT:
The class will integrate lectures and seminars. Lectures and seminars are included in each
class meeting and there is no formal separation between the two.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
A. EXAMS:
There will be one written exam during semester and a final comprehensive oral exam that
will be given after the end of the instruction period (December 17, 2013 till February 14,
2014 including make-up exams). Exam will be given by Prof. Ing. J. Rudy, PhD., (PM and
Erasmus), Doc. PhDr. R. Sulíková, PhD., (Marketing and Information Systems), Mgr. A.
Lašáková, PhD. (Financial man., Intern. man., Strategic man. and students Mat-Fyz). The
exams will consist of content and application questions. The application questions will
require students to apply the material in class to situations that they might face in
organizations. FINAL ORAL EXAM WILL BE GIVEN ONLY TO THE STUDENTS
WHO HAVE MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS.
B. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:
Class participation (100 % attendance, except for legitimate excuses based on prior
approval of the instructor).
Participation in the written exam given during semester.
Group report preparation and presentation (cases).
C. GROUP REPORT (or CASE STUDY PRESENTATION):
Students are asked to analyze specific problems in actual organizations. Based on their
study of magazines and their research in organizations the students will be asked to do
a group report on specific aspects of OB. Each student (or group of two or three) will be
given one specific problem to analyze. The group report should be written (about 5 -10
computer typewritten pages) and presented in English. Presentations will be discussed in
the class and evaluated by students and the instructor. The first presentation will take place
in the second week of the semester. All students are expected be prepared to discuss the
case studies.
D. CLASS PARTICIPATION:
The attendance - class participation is compulsory in all class meetings and for all the
students including students who will get an individual study plan. Class participation is
required only in the designed study group. There is no exception. Students are expected be
ready to discuss the course readings and the group report topics. Students should be
prepared to present recommendations or comment on issues relevant to the readings and
any presented topics. The expectation is that each student will make a meaningful
contribution to class discussions.
GRADES:
Grades will be based on the following scale:
91 - 100 % = Grade A (Excellent)
81 - 90 % = Grade B (Very Good)
73 - 80 % = Grade C (Good)
66 - 72 % = Grade D (Satisfactorily)
60 - 65 % = Grade E (Sufficiently)
59 % and less = Grade F (Fail)
The assignments will be weighted according to the following algorithm:
Class Total = (Written Exam x 0.3) + (Group Report - Case Presentation x 0.2) + (Final
Oral Exam x 0.5)
For example: Written exam “A”, Case “B”, Oral “C” = 0.3 x 100% + 0.2 x 90% + 0.5 x
80% = 30 + 18 + 40 = 88% = B
Make - up tests will be given only if the student has a legitimate excuse and informs the
instructor prior to the examination. There will be no exceptions.
Academic dishonesty in this class shall result in a grade " F " for the course.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
A. Class meetings (Tuesdays 10:30 A.M. - 11:50 A.M. – lectures, for seminars see the
schedule):
Week / Date
Topic
September 24: Introduction, What is OB and Why it is Important, The Nature of
Organizations, Trends in the New Workplace, OB and Management, The
Nature of Managerial Work, Managerial Skills.
October 1:
Management Lessons from Abroad – Japanese Management (see the
textbook Human Resource Management in Japan – in the library).
October 8:
Individual Behavior and Performance, Basic Attributes of Individuals,
Values, Attitudes, and the Perceptual Process
October 15:
Motivation Theories, Learning, Reinforcement, Self-Management, Job
Design .
October 22:
Groups in Organizations, Group Effectiveness, Group Dynamics, Group
Norms, Teamwork .
October 29:
Managing Organizations: Organizational Design for Strategic Competency,
Basic Elements of Organizational Structures, Organizational Design
Principles, Departmentalization, Organizational Design Concepts
(Options).
November 5: Management and Chaos Theory, New Model of Organization (see the
textbook Management and Chaos Theory – in the library).
November 12: Exam (at 10:30 A.M. - all the 4th -year students).
November 6: Managing Change in Organizations, Managers as Change Agents, Change
Strategies, Resistance to Change, Crisis of Change, Dynamics of Stress
November 19: Power, Authority and Organizational Politics, Sources of Individual
Power, Leadership Theories, Effective Leadership.
November 26: Managerial Communication, Effective Communication,
December 3: Conflicts Resolution and Negotiations, Management Development,
Decision Making,
December 10: Multiple Perspectives On Organizational Processes.
December 17: Evaluation, conclusion
B.
Group Reports (Case - Class Presentations):
1. Business Environment Today: The Meaning of Business Cycle and the Return of
Depression Economics (October 1)
2. Japanese Approach to Management (October 8)
3. The Case of the Temperamental Talent (October 15)
4. Motivation at Bald Eagle Software (October 22)
5. Dishonorable Intentions (October 29)
6. The Well Paid Receptionist (November 5)
7. VacationSpot.com& Rent-A-Holiday (November 12)
8. Unions Learn to Change: Toyota Comes to Kentucky (November 19)
9. The Work of Leadership (November 26)
10. Karen Leary (December 3)
11. Spotfire:
Managing a Multinational Start-up (December 10)
READINGS:
Krugman, P.: The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008, Penguin, 2008
Robbins, S. P. – Judge, T.A.: Organizational Behavior, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2011.
Rudy, J. – Sulíková, R. –Lašáková, A. –Fratričová, J. – Mitková, Ľ.: Manažment
a organizačné správanie, MV Wissenschaft, Münster, 2013
Rudy, J. – Rudyová, J.: Human Resource Management in Japan, Verlag Harald Kupfer,
2008
Rudy, J.: Organization and Management of Japanese Industrial Firms, Alfa, Bratislava
1990,
Rudy, J.: Management and Chaos Theory, Faber, Bratislava 1997
Schermerhorn, J.R.-Hunt, J.G.-Osborn, R.N.: Organizational Behavior, John Wiley
and Sons, Inc., New York, 2008
SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:
Harvard Business Review, The Economist, Management Today
Note: Instructors are authorized to change or adjust the case study topics. Class schedule is
subject to change.There will be one guest speaker in the class (topic and time by
appointment).
TEAM PRESENTATION CRITERIA
OB Case Studies
Each of the criteria is worth 1 – 3 points.
1.
ISSUE IDENTIFICATION
2.
ANALYSIS
3.
ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS
4.
RECOMMENDATIONS
RATIONALE
5.
CREATIVE EXPOSITION
6.
PRESENTATION STYLE
Evaluation:
17 and 18 points = A
15 and 16 points = B
13 and 14 points = C
11 and 12 points = D
+
SUPPORT