Principles of Organization & Management (BUS 330)
Spring 2019
Professor:
Fade Eadeh
Course Schedule:
Mondays & Wednesdays
1:00, GBS 301
2:30, GBS 301
Contact Information:
Fade.eadeh@emory.edu
404-727-9655
Teaching Assistants:
Ethan Bixler-Smith -- ethan.bixler-smith@emory.edu
Shelby Purl -- shelby.purl@emory.edu
Office Hours:
Tuesday 2-4 (Room 553A)
Course Goals and Overview:
This course is designed to help you understand the role that people play in organizations and groups.
Throughout your careers, you will work for other people, with other people, and supervise other people.
Understanding the human side of organizational life is an essential component of successfully managing
and succeeding in these relationships and ultimately in your career.
This course will introduce you to the basic concepts and topics in organizational behavior (OB) and
management. We will focus on OB at three levels: individual, interpersonal, and collective. We will start
at the individual level, covering topics such as decision-making, motivation, and personality. We will
then turn to the interpersonal level and examine issues such as power, influence, and negotiations.
Finally, we will move to the collective level and cover topics such as groups, organizational structure,
and organizational culture.
The course is designed to accomplish three main goals:
• Increase your knowledge of OB concepts so that you can understand and analyze how organizations
and the people within them work.
• Provide you with opportunities to apply OB concepts to real-world problems faced by managers.
• Develop your leadership and management potential. Leaders must successfully diagnose problems,
communicate clearly, make effective decisions, motivate and influence others, and manage diversity.
To meet these goals, this course uses readings, lectures, exercises, cases, individual and team
assignments, and class discussion. Class time will be divided between lectures, experiential exercises,
and class discussions. Class exercises will involve various activities, such as a face-to-face negotiation
exercise, a group decision making task, and feedback from online exercises. The readings will introduce
key concepts and ways of thinking about common situations in complex organizations. Case studies and
class exercises will provide opportunities to apply theories, concepts, and research findings to particular
Syllabus Version: January 14, 2019
situations and help you learn to identify and address organizational issues. The written assignments are
designed to help you consolidate your insights and develop your analytical skills.
Readings
Reading assignments provide an important foundation for class discussion and must be completed
before each class session. Most of the readings are available on eReserves. All other articles and cases
are available on Study.net. We will cover a significant amount of material in class that will not be in your
readings, and we will not have time in class to cover every detail included in the readings. You are
responsible for all the material both assigned and covered in class. The due dates for all readings and
other assignments are listed in the class schedule at the end of the syllabus. We will not have time to
talk about everything covered in the readings in class, so be sure to email me or ask questions during
office hours about anything that you do not understand. You will be expected to know all the assigned
readings for the papers and exams.
Assignments and Grading
Your final grade in this course will be based on the following:
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Participation: 20%
Midterm: 25%
Persuasive paper: 10%
Diagnosis paper: 10%
Final: 35%
Each of these assignments is discussed in more detail below.
Class Participation (20 %): The class participation grade consists of attendance, research participation
(see below), and participation in the course exercises, both in-class and online. It also means
contributing to a positive class environment through comments and citizenship. As for comments, I’m
more interested in quality than quantity. By this, I mean comments should demonstrate:
1. Relevance (input related to the current discussion, linking ideas and/or adding insights that
move the discussion forward)
2. Logic and meaning (ability to explain reasoning and use evidence)
3. Respect (disagreements with the professor and fellow students are encouraged, though it’s
expected they’ll be pursued in a constructive manner)
As for citizenship, different faculty may have different expectations about classroom behavior. Here are
mine:
1. Computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices are not to be used during class. This is
distracting to everyone
2. Timely attendance is essential, as is attendance at all class meetings
3. Attend your assigned section and remain in the classroom for the entire session
4. Keep your name card visible during class meetings
If you cannot attend a session, you are expected to email me at least 24 hours in advance. Please also let
me know in advance if you know that you will need to arrive late or leave early on a particular day.
Syllabus Version: January 14, 2019
Please note that missing more than one class, consistently showing up late or leaving early, or engaging
in distracting behavior will negatively influence your participation grade.
Online Exercises
Some classes will feature the results of exercises completed before or during the class. In some cases,
the anonymous results will be discussed as part of the lecture. In other cases, students may receive
personalized confidential feedback. These exercises are required and count as part of your participation
grade. You will not be graded based on your answers, only on whether you completed these surveys. I
will post links to the surveys on Canvas at least two days before they are due.
Research Participation
You are required to complete 2 hours of research participation through the Goizueta Behavioral
Research Lab to receive full credit in this course. More information on research studies will be provided
on the first day of class.
Midterm Exam (25%): The midterm exam will be given during class on February 20th. The exam will be
closed book, covering material presented in class and in the readings from the first part of the semester.
This exam cannot be rescheduled.
Persuasive Paper (10%): The goal of this assignment is to analyze and apply OB concepts to a real world
case. You are to prepare a short (2-3) page persuasive paper in which you attempt to convince an
organization (hypothetical or real) to take a particular action related to an organizational behavior topic.
Your paper will be related to issues we discuss in class (or it can be related to another interest you have
pertinent to OB if you consult with me first). Sample topics include: why team-based rewards should be
used instead of individual rewards (or vice versa), or how the workplace hiring process should be
improved. Keep in mind that many organizational leaders may have little professional management
training and even less knowledge of social science. Criteria for evaluating your paper will be based on 1)
how effectively you marshal the best evidence from the course material to make your case and 2) the
extent you have made your case in a strong, truthful, and convincing manner, drawing on what you have
learned about persuasion. The paper should be between 2 and 3 pages of text, double-spaced in 12point Times New Roman font with 1” margins.
Diagnosis Paper (10%): The theories and concepts taught in this course will only contribute to your
business success if you apply what you have learned in the classroom to your everyday experiences. The
objective of the diagnosis paper is to give you some practice in looking at your life through an
organizational behavior lens. For this assignment, you will reflect on an organizational problem that you
experienced. I use the term “organizational” quite broadly; you can write about an experience at a
summer job, a sports team, a school work group, or any other situation in which you worked with other
people for the purposes of completing a collective task. Once you have selected an organizational
problem from your past, you should describe and diagnose the problem using concepts from the course,
outline the factors that contributed to the situation, and discuss how the concepts could have helped
you and/or others deal with the situation more effectively. The paper should be between 2 and 3 pages
of text, double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1” margins.
Final Exam (35%): The final exam will be given during the final exam period at the time designated by
the registrar. The exam will be closed book, and will cover material presented in class and the readings
after the midterm. Exams cannot be rescheduled.
Syllabus Version: January 14, 2019
Policy for Late Assignments
As in the business world, work must be received on time in order to receive full credit. If you are late on
an assignment, your grade on that assignment will be reduced by one letter grade for each day (“day” is
defined as 10 minutes after expected submission time to 23 hours, 59 minutes after expected
submission time) that it is late. You are always welcome to hand in an assignment before its due date if
you know that you will be busy as the due date approaches.
Grading
The written assignments will be graded on the following criteria:
 Organization and structure: The paper employs a logical framework and identifies a critical issue
for analysis.
 Creativity and insight: The material is presented in an original, engaging, and interesting
manner.
 Integration with course readings, lectures, and discussions: The paper draws on, applies, and
seeks to extend OB concepts covered in the class.
 Style: The paper is smoothly and professionally written, using appropriate grammar, spelling,
and punctuation.
If you feel strongly that a mistake has been made in grading an exam or paper, you can submit it for regrading within 1 week of receiving your grade. You must provide written justification for why you think
the assigned grade is incorrect. I will not address these questions in person. Please be aware, a regrade can lead to a lower or higher revised grade.
Grade Distribution
Your final numeric score will be converted to a letter grade following completion of the course. The rank
order of the final numeric scores will be used in assigning letter grades according to the distributional
requirement of grades in the GBS BBA program. You may contact the BBA program office if you wish
guidance on the distribution policy. The approximate distribution of letter grades will be as follows:
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+ or below
% of students
15-20%
15-20% (no more than 35% will receive A or A-)
15-20%
15-20%
10-15% (no more than 45% will receive B+, B or B-)
20%
Honor Code
Students are expected to abide by the Goizueta Business School Honor Code in all aspects of this class,
including all written and oral coursework. All coursework should be completed on your own. If you have
any questions or concerns about Honor Code issues, please feel free to speak with me.
Syllabus Version: January 14, 2019
Class Schedule
Date
Topic
Readings and Assignments
1/16
Introduction to
Organizational Behavior
Note: Online Exercise 1: Due Sunday 1/20 at noon
Level 1: Individual
1/23
1/28
Decision Making
Decision Making
Pfeffer & Sutton (2006). Evidence-based management, HBR*
Miller (2015). Why what you learned in preschool is crucial at work, NYT
Belsky & Gilovich (2009), Chapter 2 (p. 45-65), Why Smart People Make Big Money
Mistakes
Pinker & Mack (2014). The world is not falling apart, Slate
Miller (2016). Is blind hiring the best hiring? The New York Times
1/30
Perceiving others
Elsbach (2015). How you look to others, Contemporary Organizational Behavior,
Elsbach, Kayes, & Kayes (Eds)
Note: Online Exercise 2: Due Sunday, 2/3 at noon (12 pm)
2/4
Culture
Nisbett, R. (2003). Living together vs. going it alone. The Geography of Thought.
Note: We will not meet today. Lecture will be made available online via Canvas
2/6
Personality
Cain (2012), Introduction, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop
Talking
Campbell & Campbell (2015): Narcissism and its role in organizations, Contemporary
Organizational Behavior, Elsbach, Kayes, & Kayes (Eds)
2/11
Motivation: Expectancies,
Needs, & Values
Hausser Foods
2/13
Motivation: Goal setting
Baumeister & Tierney (2011). A brief history of the to-do list, Willpower.
Kerr, S. (1995). On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B. AME
2/18
Motivation: Rewards
Pink, D.H. (2009). Seven reasons carrots and sticks (often) don’t work (Ch. 2) … and
the special circumstances in which they do (Ch 2A). Drive: The surprising truth about
what motivates us.
2/20
MIDTERM
MIDTERM
Syllabus Version: January 14, 2019
Level 2: Interpersonal
2/25
Power and Influence 1:
Strategic Alliances
Please bring $3 to class
2/27
Power and Influence 2:
Acquiring and Using Power
Gladwell (1999). Six Degrees of Lois Weisberg, The New Yorker
Note: Online Exercise 3: Due today (2/27) at noon (12 pm)
3/4
Power and Influence 3:
Networking
Lehrer (2010). The power trip. WSJ
3/6
Power and Influence 4:
Influence
3/11
&
3/13
No Class: Spring Break
3/18
Influence in Practice: 12
Angry Men
3/20
Kidney Case
Due: Persuasive Paper (bring to class) & upload online
3/25
Negotiation 1:
Distributive Bargaining
Babcock & Bear (2017). 10 Myths About Negotiating Your First Salary, HBR*
3/27
Negotiation 2:
Integrative Bargaining
Grant (2013). Yes, power corrupts, but power also reveals. LinkedIn
Cialdini (2001). Harnessing the science of persuasion, HBR*
Korkki (2011). Talk About Pay Today, or Suffer Tomorrow, The New York Times
Babcock & Laschever (2007). Low goals and safe targets, Women Don’t Ask
Level 3: Collective
4/1
4/3
Ethics in Organizations:
Enron
Ethics in Organizations:
Enron Cont.
Scheiber (2017). How Uber Uses Psychological Tricks to Push its Drivers’ Buttons, The
New York Times
4/8
Groups and Teams 1
Duhigg (2016). What Google learned from its quest to build the perfect team, The
New York Times
4/10
Groups and Teams 2
White (2007). How a company made everyone a team player, WSJ
4/15
Social Identity and
Diversity
Llopis (2011). Diversity Management Is the Key to Growth: Make It Authentic, Forbes
4/17
Organizational Structure
Robbins & Judge (2011). Foundations of organization structure, Essentials of
Organizational Behavior Due: Diagnosis Paper (bring to class)
4/22
Organizational Culture
Kantor & Streitfeld (2015). Inside Amazon, The New York Times
Syllabus Version: January 14, 2019
4/24
Organizational Change
Katzenbach, Steffen, & Kronley (2012). Cultural change that sticks. HBR*
4/29
Wrap up and reflection
Roese (2017). Being Too Busy for Friends Won’t Help Your Career, HBR*
Frank (2016). The Incalculable Value of Finding a Job You Love, NYT
*Denotes reading from Study.net. All other readings are on eReserves
Summary of Key Deadlines:
Online Exercise 1
January 20, noon (12pm)
Online Exercise 2
February 3, noon (12pm)
Midterm
February 20, in class
Online Exercise 3
February 27, noon (12pm)
Persuasion Paper
March 20, in class
Diagnosis Paper
April 17, in class
Final Exam
Date and Room TBA
Syllabus Version: January 14, 2019