WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
HAWAII CAMPUS
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
SYLLABUS
1. Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging,
learning-focused and distinctively Christian environment for professional success and service to God and
humankind.
2. Course: MGMT 5305 – HI01, Organizational Theory
3. Term: Fall 2015
4. Instructor: Dr. Dan Jacobson
5. Office Phone Number and WBU Email Address: (808) 369-6325, dan.jacobson@wbu.edu
6. Office Hours, Building, and Location: Immediately before and after class & by appointment
7. Class Meeting Time and Location: Thursdays – 5:30p - 8:30p, WBU Campus, Mililani
8. Catalog Description: Organizations as complex systems impacted by environmental forces, and structure and
design dimensions required for effectiveness.
9. Prerequisites: BUAD 5300 (For the M.P.A. MGMT 3304 only).
10. Required Textbook and Resources:
BOOK
AUTHOR ED YEAR
Organizational Theory
and Design
Daft
11th 2013
PUBLISHER
ISBN#
UPDATED
Cengage Learning
978-111122-1294
6/11/13
11. Optional Materials: None.
12. Course Outcome Competencies:
Upon completion of this course the student should be able to:
 Describe an organization as an open system & hypothesize its application.
 Summarize the difference between a goal and a strategy.
 Identify the forces that influence environmental uncertainty.
 Differentiate between mimetic, coercive, and normative forces.
 Outline Woodward’s classification of organizational technologies.
 Illustrate an information system and subsystem design for managerial control, decision making, and
knowledge management.
 Contrast Weber’s framework against current organizational control strategies.
 Compare the differences among rites of enhancement, renewal, and integration.
 Discuss the focus in modern organizations on the History of Western Industrialization.
 Develop a methodology for studying organizations.
 Summarize the development of the theory of organizations.
 Summarize how designing the organization to fit strategy and other contingencies can lead to
organization effectiveness.
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Compare the five approaches for assessing organization effectiveness.
Discuss the interface of design components, coupling, and technology.
Using levels of analysis, explain the systemic relationship between environment, adaptation, and
change.
Differentiate between the stages of organizational life cycle development in relation to growth,
development, and decline.
Compare the different decision-making process models with the contingency framework.
Rank the impact of globalization on the future of organizations and their design.
Identify the five structural strategies for grouping organizational activities.
Describe the symptoms of structural deficiency.
Explain the institutional view in relation to organizational design and similarity.
13. Attendance Requirements: Attendance is very important to your success in this class. Meeting deadlines is
very important. In the event of a missed assignment or activity, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the
instructor. Absences will affect your grade. Missing more than 25% of the classes will result in a failing grade
for the course. Missing an hour or more of a class is counted as an absence. Participation in online portions
counts as an equal part and missing online assignments is the same as missing face-to-face classes.
All Wayland students are expected to attend every class meeting; the minimum percentage of class
participation required to avoid receiving a grade of "F" in the class is 75%. Students who miss the first two
class meetings without providing a written explanation to the instructor will be automatically dropped
from the roster as a "no-show." Students who know in advance that they will be absent the first two class
meetings and who wish to remain in the class must inform the instructor in order to discuss possible
arrangements for making up absences.
14. Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty: Wayland Baptist University observes a zero tolerance
policy regarding academic dishonesty. Per university policy as described in the academic catalog, all cases of
academic dishonesty will be reported and second offenses will result in suspension from the university.
15. Disability Statement: “In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the
policy of Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program
or activity in the university. The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students
with a disability and should be contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765.
Documentation of a disability must accompany any request for accommodations.”
16. Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:
Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious academic
evaluation. A student who believes that he or she has not been held to realistic academic standards, just
evaluation procedures, or appropriate grading, may appeal the final grade given in the course by using the
student grade appeal process described in the Academic Catalog. Appeals may not be made for
advanced placement examinations or course bypass examinations. Appeals are limited to the final course
grade, which may be upheld, raised, or lowered at any stage of the appeal process. Any recommendation to
lower a course grade must be submitted through the Executive Vice President/Provost to the Faculty
Assembly Grade Appeals Committee for review and approval. The Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals
Committee may instruct that the course grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more proper evaluation.
Grading Criteria:
Positive Participation in Class
Article Presentations
Blackboard Assignments
Paper
Paper Presentation
Final Exam
Grading Scale:
10%
21%
21%
25%
5%
18%
100-90
89-80
79-70
69-60
Below 60
W=
WP=
WF=
I=
A
B
C
D
F
Approved Withdrawal
Approved Withdrawal Passing
Withdrawal Failing
Incomplete
17. Tentative Schedule: (Calendar, Topics, Assignments)
August 20
Introductions
Syllabus review (bring syllabus to first class)
Chapter 1
Homework for next time:
Homework – Article Summary
Blackboard Discussion
August 27
Chapters 2-3
Present article on Organizational Design
Homework for next time:
Homework – Article Summary
Blackboard Discussion
September 3
Chapters 4-5
Present article on Interorganizational Relationships
Homework for next time:
Homework – Article Summary
Blackboard Discussion
September 10
Chapter 6
Present article on International Organizations
Homework for next time:
Homework – Article Summary
Blackboard Discussion
September 17
Chapter 7
Present article on Manufacturing/Service Organizations
Homework for next time:
Homework – Article Summary
Blackboard Discussion
September 24
Chapters 8-9
Present article on Information Technology in Organizations
Homework for next time:
Homework – Article Summary
Blackboard Discussion
October 1
Chapter 10-11
Present article on Organizational Change or Innovation
Homework for next time:
Homework – Article Summary
Blackboard Discussion
October 8
Chapter 12-13
Present article on Organizational Conflict, Power, or Decision-Making
Discuss paper presentation criteria
Paper due on Safe Assignment before next week’s class
Homework for next time:
Submit Paper to Safe Assignment
October 15
Final Exam (in class scenario)
October 22
Discuss Safe Assignment Reports
Paper Presentations
Discuss paper presentation criteria
Homework for next time:
Complete final paper
October 29
Paper Presentations (if required)
Final Paper due
18. Additional information as desired by the faculty member.
Class Participation: Class participation is a very important part of education. This class requires active
class participation. Many classes begin with a basic question that appears clear-cut, and the class
participation is what helps add to the complexity that is critical for solving problems and understanding
processes. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in class.
Other Important Information:
1. Homework is due by the beginning of each class.
2. Late homework will result in a lower grade.
3. Written work is graded on the basis of content first, but also on the quality of grammar and
punctuation.
4. All written assignments should be 12-point type, double-spaced, and using APA Formatting.
5. Questions concerning grades received should be resolved within one week after the assignment
has been returned.
6. Unless noted as a group assignment, all work should be original work of the individual student.
7 Students will need to use the Internet to access some assignments.
8. Cell phones and pagers must be placed on vibrate or silent mode.
9. Presentations of papers must be done on the assigned date with the class to receive credit.
10. Exams may be made up, but there is a 10% penalty for each day it is late.
11. Always contact the professor if you need assistance.
Article Presentations: In order to better understand and participate in the stages of the study of the
assigned material, students will be required to bring examples of relevant topics to class. The format for
the articles will be described in class, and when presented they will be graded based upon quality and
relevance to the topic being discussed. They may also be graded based upon the amount of class discussion
that ensues when the summary is presented. Length of the individual presentations will be discussed when
each assignment is made.
Term Paper: Students will complete one research paper for this class. The paper should be a minimum of
ten pages of content, excluding coversheet, abstract and references, and should utilize at least ten
references, five of them scholarly (journal articles, not just websites). Students will orally present a
summary of this paper to the class. Papers must utilize APA format. Topics for papers must also be preapproved by the professor. To avoid a 10% deduction, paper draft must be available by the ninth class
meeting to submit online to Safe Assignment. If Safe Assignment detects more than a 20% match of
previously written work, you must discuss with the instructor to get further instructions.
STATEMENTS:
Course Format: This course will be taught in a blended format, with the majority (over 51%) of the
contact hours occurring in class. There will also be Blackboard assignments and other activities outside the
classroom.
“Students are responsible for reading, understanding, obeying, and respecting all academic policies, with
added emphasis being placed upon academic progress policies, appearing in the Wayland Baptist
University Academic Catalog applicable to their curriculum and/or program of study.”