MAN 4151 – Organizational Behavior
Section B51
Thursdays 11AM – 1:45PM
Fall 2014
-- Wolfe Center 221
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Instructor: Nathan J. Hiller, Ph.D.
Phone: 305-348-3299
Office: RB 348-A (MM Campus)
Office Hours: Thursdays 10-11 and by appointment
Fax: 305-348-6146
E-mail: hillern@fiu.edu
Link to professor's site: http://faculty.fiu.edu/~hillern
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides an analysis of selected concepts in behavioral science and their application to
people and systems in organizations. At a broad level, this course will help you to understand “people
issues” that all organizations face, with additional attention to understanding how organizational
behavior looks different as a result of globalization, diversity, and increasing technology. We will spend
several weeks exploring the topic of leadership and leadership development, as well as numerous other
topics, including: work-family conflict, stress, learning and perception, personality and attitudes as they
relate to organizations, decision-making, groups and teams, conflict, and organizational structure and
development. Regardless of where you end up working after you graduate, this course should help you
think about behavior and organizations in a sophisticated manner and may even help your career.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:
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Recognize different organizational structures, work designs and methods for organizing in
dynamic organizational environments.
Demonstrate understanding of the role of human abilities, perception, personality, attitudes,
values, culture and other individual differences in predicting, organizing and managing behavior
in organizations.
Explain various methods of fostering motivation, commitment and learning through people
management skills and creating an environment for effective teamwork.
Describe the impact of employee attitudes (such as job satisfaction) and demands (such as workrelated stress) on job performance.
Describe the process of organizational communication and some of the ways to organize and
improve it.
Explain how to manage group processes in organizations including management of teamwork,
conflict, negotiation and decision making.
Discuss leadership in organizations including leader styles, decision making, power and politics,
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ethics & integrity, and performance management.
Identify methods for overcoming resistance to change and carrying out organizational
development processes.
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MAJOR & CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES TARGETED
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Understand and apply principles of management in the following areas: planning, organizing,
control, leadership, and social responsibility.
Creating competitive advantage in organizations through human capital
Understand the domestic and global economic environments of organizations
Communication ability
Critical thinking
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TEXTBOOK
There is one required textbook
Textbook:
Organizational Behavior
Hitt, Miller & Colella
Wiley, 2011, 3rd Edition.
ISBN: 978-0-470-52853-2
I will also distribute readings in class and via Blackboard – sometimes we
will do short readings in class, and other times you’ll be responsible to
read these short articles outside of class time and be prepared to discuss
them in class.
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TEACHING METHODOLOGY
This course utilizes a number of methods in helping you to meet the learning objectives, including:
activities, discussions, case-studies, examination of current events as they relate to organizational
behavior, and a look at research findings and cumulated knowledge from the textbook and from the
professor’s expertise. In addition, the learning experience is enhanced when students participate –
which is an expectation of the course.
The combination of teaching and learning methodologies employed seeks to maximize learning and
current/future application of the principles learned.
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COURSE PREREQUISITES
MAN3025 OR MAN 3022 – with a grade of C or higher.
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COMMUNICATING WITH THE INSTRUCTOR
The best way to get in touch with me outside of the class meeting day is by email. I am also usually
available both before and after class. This course utilizes Blackboard (for posting of notes, syllabus, and
submission of assignments). Please note that I DO NOT check my Blackboard mail. You will not get a
response if you send an email through Blackboard.
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GRADING
Course Requirements
Weights
Best 2 of 3 Exams (25% each)
50%
(1) Case Write-Up (20%)
20%
(1) Team Assignment (15%)
15%
Participation
15%
Total
100%
The following scale is used to assign final grades. Percentages will be rounded up if the value is .5 or
greater. In other words, an 85.5% would be rounded up to an 86%. An 85.4% would be rounded down
to an 85%.
Letter
Grade
A
AB+
B
Range
94-100%
90-93
87-89
84-86
Letter
Grade
BC+
C
C-
Range
80-83
77-79
74-76
70-73
Letter
Grade
D
F
Range
65-69
<65
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ASSURANCE OF LEARNING
As a college, we care about the quality of the business education we are providing you. More
information on the College’s commitment can be found on the College of Business website.
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QUIZZES
EXAMS
There will be three exams that will consist of a combination of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and
short-answer questions. You can throw out your lowest score. Your two highest scores will each
contribute toward 25% of your final grade. See schedule (below) for exam dates.
Make-up Policy: Students are expected to complete exams and assignments on time. There are no
make-up exams. If you miss an exam for any reason, that exam is your lowest score and will be thrown
out.
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PARTICIPATION
Students will be assigned a score based on their participation in class. I expect that you are prepared
for each class session and actively engaged in class sessions. I do not take attendance, and realize that
you may have to miss one, or perhaps two classes during the semester, but beyond that and you will
likely see your Discussion grade suffer – if you’re not present, you can’t participate.
Your score for class participation will be based on participation in class. The general rubric that I use is
the following:
15 points – actively prepared for and involved in class (including regular attendance) with insightful
comments.
12-14 points – attends class and participates. Good contribution at times, but not excellent.
9-11 points – mediocre participation (and/or attendance) in both class.
7-8 points – occasional participation, but lacking preparation, regularity and insight.
0 points – failure to participate in class.
I expect that you are actively engaged in the class and contributing to the discussion and flow of the
class. Each semester, a few students are surprised that I really do pay attention to participation when
they receive a very low score.
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ASSIGNMENTS
There is one team assignment and one case-study write-up. Assignments are due at 10:55AM - late
assignments are docked 20% per day, starting at the due-date/time. Please note that all assignments
need to be submitted via Blackboard. You can find a link to submit the assignment under the
“Assignments” tab.
Case Study: There is one case study write-up. Instructions will be given in Week 2 of the course. The case
study is due September 18th
Team Assignment: The team assignment should be completed in groups/teams of NO MORE THAN 3
members. You only need to hand in one assignment for the team, but be sure that all team-members’
names are listed. Instructions for completing the team assignments will be given about 2-3 weeks before
the assignment is due. The assignment is due November 20th.
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DISABILITY NOTICE
If you have a disability and need assistance, please contact the Disability Resource Center. Upon contact,
the Disability Resource Center will review your request and contact your professors or other personnel to
make arrangements for appropriate modification and/or assistance.
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RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
The University's policy on religious holy days as stated in the University Catalog and Student Handbook will
be followed in this class. Any student may request to be excused from class to observe a religious holy day
of his or her faith.
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RULES, POLICIES, and ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
Assignments from the text and other resources are listed below for each class session. Students are
expected to pace their learning according to the posted course assignments.
It is expected that interactive learning and teaching will enrich the learning experience of all students,
and that each student will work in partnership with the professor to create a positive learning
experience for all. Student engagement is a necessary condition for an effective learning experience,
and includes contributions to debate and discussion (if any), positive interactive learning with others,
and an enthusiastic attitude towards inquiry. Everyone is expected to be a positive contributor to the
class learning community, and students are expected to share the responsibility of teaching each other.
Statement of Understanding between Professor and Student
Every student must respect the right of all to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly
demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students must adhere to a standard of
academic conduct, demonstrating respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational
mission of the University. As a student in the College of Business taking this class:
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I will not represent someone else’s work as my own
I will not cheat, nor will I aid in another’s cheating
I will be honest in my academic endeavors
I understand that if I am found responsible for academic misconduct, I will be subject to the
academic misconduct procedures and sanctions as outlined in the Student Handbook
Failure to adhere to the guidelines stated above may result in one of the following:
Expulsion: Permanent separation of the student from the University, preventing readmission to the
institution. This sanction shall be recorded on the student's transcript.
Suspension: Temporary separation of the student from the University for a specific period of time.
Additionally the following two documents should be used by every student in business classes that
require individual or group written assignments:
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Certification of Authorship Assignment Cover Page (Individual)
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Certification of Authorship Assignment Cover Page (Groups)
For details on the policy and procedure, see the University’s policies under Academic misconduct.
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EXPECTATION OF THIS COURSE
My job is to create an environment where you can maximally learn. I love teaching, and seek out ways
to make the material engaging and relevant. In the end, however, the responsibility for learning is up
to you. Being up to speed with course material, knowing content and ideas for exams, turning in
excellent assignments and case write-ups, and actively participating are all expected in this course. If
you meet expectations, I believe that you’ll get a lot of useful tools and ideas out of this course that
you can use in your current and future work situations!
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COURSE CALENDAR
Please note that short assigned readings (for example, an article about a relevant topic)
will be given about once every 2-3 weeks and will be available via Blackboard.
Date
Topic
Assignment
August 28
Course Introduction & Overview
-Familiarize yourself with the course syllabus and
deadlines. Read Chapter 1
September 4
Organizational Behavior in a Global Context
Chapter 3
September 11
Traps and Processes in Learning and Perception
Chapter 4
September 18
“Whatever!”
Personality, Attitudes, and the “G” Factor
Case Study # 1 due
Chapter 5
September 25
Work Motivation
Chapter 6
October 2
Exam # 1
Exam #1
Chapter 1
October 9
Going Postal. Workplace Stress
Chapter 7
October 16
What is Leadership?
Chapter 8
October 23
If Good Communication is Common Sense, Then
Why Do People Do It So Poorly?
Chapter 9
Why Most Groups and Teams are Less Than The
Sum of Their Parts
Chapter 11
How We Make Decisions and What to Do About
It
Chapter 10
November 6
Exam #2
Exam #2
November 13
A Different Approach to Conflict, Power, Politics& Diversity
Chapter 12 & 2
November 20
Organizational Structure and Culture
Team Assignment Due
Chapter 13
November 27
How to Change an Organization
Chapter 14
December 4
Tying Up Loose Ends
No chapter
December 11
Exam # 3
**9:45 – 11:45 in classroom**
Exam #3
October 30
Please contact the professor directly if you have any questions.
College of Business Administration - Enterprise Technology Center (RB 107)
Tel: (305) 348-6259 | Fax: (305) 348-6882 | Email: cbasys@fiu.edu
Copyright © 2006 FIU College of Business