Classroom Syllabus
MC 509
HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATIONS
3 Credit Hours
Effective: April 2009
SPRING 2009
INSTRUCTOR´S NAME : MARVEE L. MARR
OFFICE : BRATISLAVA CAMPUS
OFFICE HOURS : BY APPOINTMENT
EMAIL : MLM731@ATT.NET
REQUIRED RESOURCES
Kreitner, R., & Kinicki, A. (2007). Organizational behavior. (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill
Irwin.
Research paper guide. (2004).Trenčín, Slovakia: City University. Available for purchase in the
library or online at http://www.vsm.sk/files/sh/rpg2004.pdf
Access to a personal computer and the Internet is required.
Copyright 1988-2008 by City University of Seattle
All rights reserved
MC 509
HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATIONS
This document provides an overview of the course foundation elements, assignments, schedules,
and activities. For information about general City University of Seattle policies, please see the
City University of Seattle catalog. If you have additional questions about the course, please
contact your instructor.
Notification to Students with Disabilities
IF YOU ARE A STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY AND YOU REQUIRE CERTAIN HELP, PLEASE CONTACT
THE SITE ADMINISTRATOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Scholastic Honesty
City University of Seattle expects each student to do his/her own work. The University has "zero
tolerance" for cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration on assignments and papers, using "notes"
during exams, submitting someone else's work as one's own, submitting work previously submitted for
another course, or facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others. The penalties are severe! A first
offense can result in a zero grade for the course and suspension for one quarter; a second offense can result
in a zero grade for the course and suspension for two or more quarters; a third offense can result in
expulsion from the University. The Policy and Procedures may be found at
http://www.vsm.sk/en/students/scholastic-honesty/policies-and-procedures/.
In addition to providing your work to the instructor for grading, you must also submit an
electronic copy for the CU archives (unless the work is specifically exempted by the instructor).
You will not receive a grade for particular work until and unless you submit this electronic copy.
The procedure for submitting work to the archives is to upload it via the website
http://www.vsm.sk/en/students/on-line-center/uploader/uploader.html. Files should include the cover
page of the work with the student name, instructor name, course name and number, and date. File
names should indicate the type of assignment, such as “researchpaper.doc”, “casestudy.doc” or “
thesis.doc” (student name should not be a part of the file name because the system adds it). All
files received into the archives are submitted to www.TurnItIn.com for plagiarism checking.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Management theory has evolved over time toward the idea that a participative work environment
concentrates the efforts of all employees toward achieving the goals and objectives needed for the
organization to be effective and resilient. Based on the principle that systems drive behavior, this
course focuses on the relationships of people in an organization and the particular structure and
culture that enable them to perform at high levels of accomplishment. Students investigate topics
such as: organizational structure and culture; organizations as a mixture of interdependent
functions and groups; organizations as dynamic systems; work environments; and approaches
used to develop new models of organizing for improved performance.
LEARNING GOALS
Upon the successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
1. Compare and contrast several models of organizational behavior;
2. Describe organizational culture and its relationship to societal culture;
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3. Identify approaches to working across cultures that enable organizations to compete
effectively in a global environment;
4. Develop a theory about how people in organizations can and should make ethical decisions;
5. Predict the effects that a manager’s emotional intelligence will have on the way people
respond to their leadership;
6. Explain the relationship between employees’ value systems, their level of job satisfaction,
and organizational effectiveness;
7. Develop a theory of reward systems;
8. Evaluate the models of teamwork in organizations;
9. Discuss the roles of leaders and managers in organizations, and the similarities and
differences between management and leadership.
CORE CONCEPTS
To achieve the goals of this course, you will need to master the following core concepts:
1. Organizational behavior;
2. Communication;
3. Organizational culture;
4. Global issues in organization design;
5. Ethical decision making models;
6. Organizational change;
7. Learning organizations;
8. Employee motivation;
9. Reward systems;
10. Group dynamics;
11. Leadership and management functions;
12. Multicultural concerns, in both domestic and foreign offices.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
As a City University of Seattle student, you have access to library resources regardless of where and how
you are taking this class. To access the resources necessary to complete your coursework, visit the library
menu in the My.CityU portal at https://my.cityu.edu, and the CU Slovakia library home page at
http://library.cutn.sk/.
A good place to begin your research is through the management program resources page in the
My.CityU library. It provides links to relevant journals, books, and Web sites. Search the online
databases for journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. For additional help, visit the Slovakia
library or submit your question in the Contact Us section of the Slovakia library’s web site.
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Classroom Policy:
-No late work will be accepted under any circumstances
-Missing up to or more than 30% of the class will result in failure/withdrawal
-Note constructive participation is 10% of your grade
-Please respect the classroom, peers and instructor (NO cell phone calls, no laptop use
during class unless directed, come on time, leave on time, etc)
OVERVIEW OF COURSE ACTIVITIES AND GRADING
The grade you receive for the course will be derived using City University of Seattle’s decimal
grading system, based on the following:
Assignments
Constructive Participation
Knowledge Statement #1: Individual Background or Ethics
Presentation on Organizational Change Paper
Essay on Key Topic in Organizational Behavior
Organizational Change Analysis Paper
Final Exam
10%
10%
10%
20%
25%
25%
TOTAL
100%
Please see the current City University of Seattle catalog or consult your instructor for guidance in
determining your decimal grade.
EXPLANATION OF ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING
CONSTRUCTIVE PARTICIPATION
Students are expected to contribute to the class on a regular basis through constructive
participation. The elements considered in evaluating your participation include:





professional demeanor;
timely preparation for each class session;
respectful communication skills demonstrated;
contributions toward the positive development of the class;
questions and comments that are relevant to the topic discussed.
KNOWLEDGE STATEMENT #1: INDIVIDUAL BACKGROUND
By the time they are ready to earn a specific degree, many students have had significant learning
experiences on the job, while some have had little or none. Read pages 1-43 in the textbook about
the topics in this course. In a one- to two-page essay, provide a brief statement about why you
want to earn a degree, what you plan to do afterward as a result of achieving this goal. Next, scan
the textbook Table of Contents. Write a brief statement to describe your current knowledge of the
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subject of organizational behavior; any amount is acceptable – you will begin with whatever you
know and add to that knowledge during the course. Select one or more topics in any chapter of
the textbook that you will focus on learning more about through scholarly research during the
course. (Your final paper will incorporate this new learning.) The more you know already, the
more you are expected to challenge yourself to increase the complexity and breadth of your
knowledge.
Grading Criteria for Knowledge Statement #1: Individual Background
Relevance to topics in organizational behavior
Clarity of expression in the writing
Logical organization of the statement as a whole
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and syntax
35%
25%
20%
20%
TOTAL
100%
KNOWLEDGE STATEMENT #2: ETHICS
After completing the required reading for the first two weeks of the course, select an “Ethical
Dilemma” presented in the first assigned chapters of the textbook. Write your answers to the set
of discussion questions that follow that dilemma in the textbook. Explain how you think you have
come to have the opinions that you have about the ethical case. (If you prefer to write about a
different ethical dilemma in the textbook, obtain permission from the instructor first.) One to two
page essay.
Grading Criteria for Knowledge Statement #2: Ethics
Appropriateness of discussion to organizational behavior
Logical organization of the writing
Application of ethical terms and concepts
Development of the ideas discussed: sound arguments, analysis,
and well-founded conclusions
Proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and
syntax
15%
15%
20%
40%
TOTAL
100%
10%
ESSAY ON KEY TOPIC IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (TEAM)
Scan the topics in the textbook. Select a portion to read about a topic of your choosing. Search for
one or more articles on this topic in the City University of Seattle online library or from other
scholarly sources. Write an essay explaining what you have learned about the topic during the
course thus far. Incorporate your research findings with knowledge acquired from previous study,
from the current textbook, and from your own work experience. Reflect on your thinking about
the topic and your interest in it. Integrate relevant elements of your two knowledge statement
papers into this essay. Be sure to properly cite any sources used in your essay, and prepare a
Reference List at the end of the paper, however brief. (5-7 pages, 3 quality sources)
Grading Criteria for Essay on Key Topic in Organizational Behavior
Appropriateness of discussion to organizational behavior
Logical organization of the writing
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15%
15%
Integration of early course concepts with topic selected
Development of the ideas discussed: sound arguments, analysis,
and well-founded conclusions
Proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and
syntax
20%
40%
TOTAL
CASE ANALYSIS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE (TEAM)
100%
10%
This assignment is not a typical “case analysis” paper; you are likely to find case analysis
methods different from this one in other graduate courses. You may base the case on an
organization with which you are familiar or do research on an organization. Apply your overall
learning in the course as a whole by developing a plan to improve the organization in some way.
Clearly describe the current situation in the case and what the planned change should be. Using
City University of Seattle’s online library, perform some research on the key topic of the case to
inform your thinking. (Scholarly sources should be published within the last four years.) Integrate
sufficient research with other sources in order to justify your proposed change. Include research
and ideas used in the topical essay written earlier in the course, where relevant. Examples of
proposed changes might address issues such as organizational culture, motivation, structure, work
design, conflict, diversity, organizational learning, teamwork, and so forth. Be creative, there are
many options.
Describe the structure of the organization, as best as you can determine it. Describe the culture of
the organization, as best as you can determine it. On what evidence do you base your
descriptions? What is the relationship between the structure, culture, and problem in the case?
Describe the other details in the case. Explain how knowledge from your own work experience
influences your thinking about the case. Did you learn anything from the essay assignment that is
related to the issues in the case?
Explain how you would help this organization if you were the leader. What changes would you
direct employees to make and why? What evidence would show that your solution is having the
desired effect?
You should begin thinking about and planning your problem analysis early in the course so that
you will have time to revise it later, if needed. You will be covering several topics during the
course that are likely to apply to your case, including the topic of your essay paper. The case
analysis should include the following components: Cover page, change proposal, justification,
change implementation plan.
A Cover Page
Your cover page should include your name, title of the assignment, date, course number and
course title.
Change Proposal
This is a statement of the current situation (problem definition), and in general what the proposed
change would be. The details will be provided in the Implementation section of your paper. Be
specific in your description of the situation. Explain what evidence you have about what the
problem is. Be sure to include a discussion about the elements from your knowledge statement
and essay papers, where they relate to the specific case details for organizational change used for
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this assignment. This section may vary from a few paragraphs to three pages in length, depending
on the organization and the situation selected for this paper.
Justification for Proposed Change
This is where you will integrate most of your research and thinking about the case. Justify both
the need for change and the specific changes you would make. Support your ideas by using the
evidence in the case and relevant facts from other sources. Remember that the citations and
bibliography must be in proper APA format.
Include a discussion about one or more other alternatives. Discuss the benefit and disadvantage of
the alternative(s) and why you believe those choices would be less effective than your plan to
resolve the problem.
Change Implementation Plan
Describe your plan in detail in this section, how you would implement and manage the proposed
change. Explain which model of managing change from your reading (textbook or library
sources) is most similar to your plan and why this is so. If you have selected elements from
different models, identify the models and explain why you think the change will be successful.
On what evidence will you base your evaluation at some time in the future (how will you know
improvement has been made)? Identify who is likely to resist the change you recommend, why,
and what you plan to do in order to reduce or manage that resistance. (8-12 pages, 5 quality
sources.)
Presentation
As a team you will present your preliminary findings on the last day of class. The presentation
will be approximately 20 minutes in length and should include a power point presentation and
one additional visual aid.
Grading Criteria for Organizational Change Analysis
Integration of course concepts
Completeness of analysis
Logically supported conclusions and recommendations
(including proper bibliographic support)
Explanation of expected results
Clarity of written work
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, APA style
20%
20%
20%
TOTAL
100%
10%
20%
10%
FINAL EXAMINATION
You should be prepared to answer a variety of questions pertinent to the concepts covered in or
suggested by the course materials, assignments, and activities. Your instructor may provide you
with additional information about the content, style, and grading criteria of the final exam.
Grading Criteria for Essay Questions on Final Examination
Clear demonstration of grasp of major issues
Valid arguments; appropriate supportive detail
Appropriate analysis, evaluation, and synthesis
Demonstration of ability to employ terms, concepts, and frames of
reference from texts and other course materials
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20%
20%
20%
20%
Proper organization and logical flow of response
20%
TOTAL
RECOMMENDED COURSE SCHEDULE
100%
The following schedule has been provided as a general guide to the course. Your instructor may
elect to adjust the outline to meet the unique needs of the class.
SESSION
1
March 28
2
March 29
3
April 4
TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS
READINGS
Introduction to organizational behavior and
terminology
Theories, models, and movements of thought in
organizational behavior
Ethical behavior
Issues in managing diverse groups and individuals
Organizational culture
Kreitner & Kinicki, chapters
1-3, pages 1-104
Societal and national cultures
Ethnocentrism
High- and low-context cultures
Dimensions of regional and national culture
Personality and organizations
Intelligence, cognition, and emotion
Kreitner & Kinicki, chapters
4-5, pages 106-171
Values, attitudes, job satisfaction
Perception and attribution
Motivation
Equity theory
Expectancy theory
Setting and achieving goals
Kreitner & Kinicki, chapters
6-8, pages 172-267
DUE: Knowledge Statement 1: Individual
Background or Knowledge Statement 2:
Ethics (Pick one and bring to class typed on
Saturday)
4
April 5
Performance
Reward systems
Group dynamics
Organizational development
Typologies of work teams
Team-building
Kreitner & Kinicki, chapters
9-11, pages 268-369
Begin to draft ideas for the Case Analysis paper.
April 11
Due: Essay on Key Topic uploaded by Midnight
Saturday. (Enjoy Easter!)
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SESSION
TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS
READINGS
5
April 18
Models of decision making
Knowledge management
Styles of decision making
Group problem-solving techniques
Creativity and innovation
Kreitner & Kinicki, chapters
12-14, pages 370-473
Influence and empowerment
Social power and politics
Leadership vs. management
Trait and behavioral theories
Transformational leadership
Shared Leadership
Effective organizations
Kreitner & Kinicki, chapters
15-17, pages 474-575
6
April 19
April 24
Team Presentations
DUE: Organizational Change Case uploaded by
4pm Friday
Final exam-5pm
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