Drexel University Policies:
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Drexel Policies and Resources: Students should be familiar with the university policies on
academic integrity, disability resources, and course add/drop/withdrawal. Current information is
available at: https://lebow.me/DrexelPoliciesStudent
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LeBow-Specific Policies: Students should be familiar with the business college's policies
regarding deadlines, remote & HyFlex courses, health guidance/requirements, etc. This
information is available at: https://lebow.me/LeBowSyllabusStatementsStudent
Initial Course Participation (ICP)
Class attendance is critical to your success as a student. Missing classes may impact your class success
and your federal financial aid.
Plagiarism, Academic Integrity, and Artificial Intelligence
Recent advances in “generative” artificial intelligence (AI) (such as ChatGPT) make it possible to
generate text, visual, and other content. This technology offers many opportunities for innovative teaching
and learning, but it must also be used responsibly. For the purposes of academic integrity, any sources of
material that informed the student’s work must be cited as external sources -- even if those sources were
responding to a student-written prompt. Editing such content after the fact does not mean it is solely the
student's work and should still be cited as paraphrased text. Failure to cite such sources will be
considered plagiarism and reported in accordance with Drexel's Academic Integrity policy. Students
should be sure to understand any rules the instructor has on using such AI sources in assignments and
papers as stated by the instructor or in the course syllabus.
Note that these (AI) systems are not perfect, and the responses and content they generate are
sometimes incorrect and potentially biased. Students are responsible for any content they submit on an
assignment. Instructors reserve the right to use AI-detection tools to analyze assignment submissions,
just as they can use tools such as TurnItIn to check written assignments for non-original content.
The use of AI technology to answer questions – either as an assignment or on a quiz/exam – is
considered a violation of academic integrity, unless explicitly permitted by the instructor. This includes,
but is not limited to, solving math problems, writing computer code, answering objective questions, and
answering open-ended questions.
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 300
FALL, 2023
Section 005: Tuesday/Thursday 2:00pm – 3:50pm
Professor: Susan Epstein, MBA
Office: 524 G Hall
Course Website: Access via BbLearn
E-mail: sae60@drexel.edu (Please put ORGB 300 and your section number in the subject header)
*This syllabus and the aspects of the course below are subject to change
Course Description
Organizational Behavior (ORGB) is a field of study that draws from several disciplines including sociology, social psychology,
and management. The primary purpose of academic study in ORGB is to understand, explain, and improve human behavior in
organizations. Many organizations and managers tend to focus their efforts on enhancing two specific aspects of an employee’s
work experience:
(1) Job performance – the degree to which individuals perform the behaviors needed for the organization to achieve
its goals
(2) Organizational commitment – an employee’s desire to remain a member of the organization.
As such, this course will introduce and explain individual, group, and organizational issues that affect business organizations, and
give particular attention to issues that influence job performance and organizational commitment. Topics, such as motivation,
organizational justice, individual differences, group dynamics, leadership, organizational structure, and organizational culture,
will be discussed.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this class, you should be able to:
1. Develop an understanding of key concepts that influence human behavior in organizations,
2. Demonstrate a practical understanding of how these concepts influence employee performance and organizational
commitment,
3. Achieve an ability to think critically about human behavior in organizations,
4. Demonstrate an awareness of the challenges faced by today’s managers,
5. Apply their understanding of organizational behavior to real-life situations,
6. Link theoretical concepts with their personal lives and experiences,
7. Develop and/or improve skills needed for successful managers (i.e., business literacy, ethical reasoning, global mindset,
creative and critical thinking, and leadership), and
8. Develop and/or improve written and oral communication skills.
Course Format
This course is a four-credit class. The course has two purposes: learning and application. You will be expected to develop not
only a solid understanding of the concepts and theories discussed in the course, but also the ability to apply them to a variety of
practical situations. All learning material of this class will be delivered in weekly lectures. The goal is to teach you core
organizational behavior concepts and theories. There will be TWO case responses on chapter content to assess your knowledge
and comprehension. In addition, there will be weekly graded response activities based on course topics.
Grading Scale:
A+ = 97-100, A = 93-96, A- = 90-92, B+ = 87-89, B = 83-86, B- = 80-82, C+ = 77-79, C = 73-76, C- = 7072,D+ = 67-69, D = 61-66, F = 60 and below
Recommended Text
Organizational Behavior: A Practical Problem-Solving Approach by Angelo Kinicki and Mel Fugate Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Education, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-25-918841-1. These materials can be purchased online through the McGraw Hill site, or in the
bookstore. (No Connect Access card required)
Graded Course Components
Case Response 1
Case Response 2
Team Debate
Homework Assignments
In Class Assignments
Team Experiential Activity
Self and Team Evaluations
TOTAL
50 points
50 points
50 points
50 points (2 @ 25 points each)
30 points (3 @ 10 points each)
10 points
20 points
260 Points
ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND ALL CLASSES. POINT PENALTIES WILL BE IMPOSED FOR
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES.
Case Responses: Throughout the term, you will be asked to respond to two Case Responses. Based on material covered in class
discussions and text content, as well as external research, you will be asked to address how topics in Organizational Behavior can
impact the workplace. If you miss a Case Response, there will be absolutely NO make-up given without prior contact with
me, along with documentation warranting an excused absence.
Team Presentation/Debate: Each student will be part of a team of approximately five members. Each team will prepare to
discuss and debate perspectives on a topic about which they have shown interest. These debates will take place in the last weeks
of the term. The goal of this assignment is to consider topics we are studying and recognize their impact on organizational
performance. Areas such as motivation, leadership, corporate culture, ethics and job satisfaction should be discussed. Your
presentation MUST incorporate content (theories, theorists, terms, and discussion material) from class in order to fully explain
your assigned topic and the implications on leaders, employees, organizational culture, shareholders, and overall workplace
satisfaction that lead to organization performance. Theories and research to generate understanding and to support your
perspective are REQUIRED. With the help of your instructor, teams will be formed based on topics interest as well as personal
viewpoints on those topics. The debate format for these presentations will be discussed in class.
It is expected that all team members will contribute their fair share to their team’s work. Research the topic to gain a better
understanding of it and be prepared to provide examples from today’s business environment to support your discussions.
*Attendance is mandatory for the entire class during all team debates.
Homework Assignments: These assignments are intended to provide a better understanding of the topic being covered in class.
The evaluation method used to determine your understanding of topic will vary for each case. You will be asked to complete two
such assignments, each of which is worth 25 points. ALL MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THESE ASSIGNMENTS CAN
BE ACCESSED VIA BbLearn
In Class Activity Responses: Throughout the term, topics for group discussion and analysis will be assigned. These will take
place in class and will have specific reference to topics being discussed in the lecture. Participation is required by all members of
the class and you will be asked to complete 3 such activities, each of which is worth 10 points.
Self and Team Presentation Evaluations: In the spirit of 360-degree evaluations, you will be required to evaluate both your
own performance and that of your team members for the contemporary workplace issues debate. Guidelines for this written
assignment are on BbLearn. Based on your peers’ evaluations, your personal self-evaluation, and your instructor’s evaluation,
a grade will be assigned INDIVIDUALLY, for each member of the team. Since this information is crucial to determining a fair
grade for each team member, if you do not submit these evaluations by 11:59pm on the day of your presentation you will
receive a zero for the assignment. Your feedback will be used to help determine individual grades for your presentation, which
makes your honest and timely input very important. This assignment is due ON THE DAY YOU PRESENT. These
documents must be loaded to BbLearn no later than 11:59pm EST on that date. Late submissions or emailed submissions
will NOT be accepted.
Leadership Training and Experiential Activity Assignment
Leadership skill development is a crucial aspect of business education that will assist you not only in your formal leadership
roles, but also in informal leadership roles and as future team members.
During week 8 of the term, you will participate in the team experiential activity and a subsequent leadership training session as
part of the Chapel Leadership Development Program in the LeBow College of Business. This activity is worth 4% of your
course grade. Note that the assignment grade is based on your completion of the experiential activity and contribution to the
leadership training sessions. Your individual or team performance on the team experiential activity will not impact your grade. If
you are unable to attend one or both class sessions, you may provide suitable justification at least seven (7) days in advance of the
session(s) being missed, and you will have the opportunity to complete additional assignments to make up points and apply key
leadership concepts to real-world situations.
General and Miscellaneous Policies
Extra Credit: There are NO unplanned opportunities to do additional work for extra credit before, during, or after the term, so
you are urged to attend classes, participate frequently.
Attendance: Regular attendance and participation is expected. If you are unable to attend class, you must contact me. Students
are responsible for all material presented during each class session.
Academic Integrity: All students are expected to conduct themselves responsibly and honestly. Acts of academic dishonesty in
any form (e.g., cheating on assignments, plagiarizing others’ work including your classmates’ work) will NOT be tolerated
and will be penalized. Any act of academic dishonesty will be subject to the University’s policies, as outlined in the Student
Handbook. For details see the Academic Honesty Policy and the Code of Conduct (under Judicial Affairs) at
http://www.drexel.edu/studentlife/studenthandbook/Handbook.html.
If an act of academic dishonesty occurs, the incident will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards
and one of the following sanctions will be imposed, depending on the gravity of the offense:

Reduction of course grade

An “F” for the assignment or exam

Failure for the entire course with the inability to withdraw

Other action deemed appropriate by the faculty member.
Students with Special Needs: The University is committed to equal opportunity for students with disabilities. If you have a
physical or learning disability you should register with the Office of Disability Services (ODS). They will ensure that appropriate
accommodations will be provided. Also, please notify me, so that I can help to accommodate you.
Respect & Disruptive Behavior: Each student is expected to be respectful of all other individuals in the class at all times. Since
this class will be covering sensitive workplace issues, it is important that we all remain open to differing opinions and
welcome each classmate’s contributions.
Extreme Circumstances: These are the ONLY exceptions to the above rules and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the
instructor. When documented by the student, acceptable excuses include: hospitalization or medical emergency involving the
student, or death/funeral in the immediate family. Students should inform the instructor as soon as possible (before the expected
date of absence if possible)
WEEKLY SYLLABUS
Week 1
TU: 9/26
Course Introduction/Individual Introductions/Expectations/Syllabus Review
TH: 9/28
Class Discussion Topic: Values, Attitudes, and Job Satisfaction
Job Satisfaction homework assignment opens at 4:00 pm Eastern Time. Please refer to BbLearn for
assignment guidelines.
Week 2
TU: 10/3
Team Challenge
Job Satisfaction homework assignment DUE: 2:00 pm Eastern Time
TH: 10/5
Class Discussion Topic: Trust and Justice in the Workplace
In class assignment: Trust and Justice
Week 3
TU: 10/10
Class Discussion Topic: Social Perception and Managing Diversity
TH: 10/12
Class Discussion Topic: Critical Thinking and Ethical Decision Making
Week 4
TU: 10/17
Case Analysis 1: Critical Thinking and Ethical Decision Making
Case article and questions will open at 7:00 am Eastern Time
Please refer to Case Analysis 1 in BbLearn for guidelines
Submission deadline: 11:59pm Eastern Time
TH: 10/19
Class Discussion Topic: Spheres of Executive Leadership
In class assignment: Spheres of Leadership
Week 5
TU: 10/24
Class Discussion Topic: Socially Conscious Business Decisions
In class assignment: Socially Conscious Business Decisions
TH: 10/26
Class Discussion Topic: Employee Motivation
Employee Motivation homework assignment will open today at 4:00pm Eastern Time. Please refer to
BbLearn for assignment guidelines
Week 6
Employee Motivation homework assignment DUE: 2:00 pm Eastern Time
TU: 10/31
Class Discussion Topic: Organizational Culture
TH: 11/2
Class Discussion Topic: Conflict and Stress
Week 7
TU: 11/7
Case Analysis 2: Organizational Culture
Case article and questions will open at 7:00am Eastern Time
Please refer to Case Analysis 2 in BbLearn for guidelines
Submission deadline: 11:59pm Eastern Time
TH: 11/9
Working in Teams
Week 8
TU: 11/14
Experiential Learning: Chapel Leadership Development
TH: 11/16
Experiential Learning: Chapel Leadership Development
Week 9
TU: 11/21
TBD
TH: 11/23
NO CLASS - Thanksgiving
Week 10
TU: 11/28
Team Debates: Contemporary Workplace Issues
TH: 11/30
Team Debates: Contemporary Workplace Issues
Week 11
TU: 12/5
Team Debates: Contemporary Workplace Issues
TH: 12/7
Team Debates: Cotemporary Workplace Issues