Revised: November 7, 2011
Link to PowerPoint Slides (from Textbook and Classes)
Link to Case Questions
Link to Test Review Sheets
Link to Team Experience Analysis Form
http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~whdecker/SyllabusMGMT425Fall2011.doc
THE PERDUE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
MGMT 425 – Fall 2011
APPLIED ORGANIZATIONAL SCIENCE
Sections 001
Dr. Wayne H. Decker
OFFICE HOURS:
317 Perdue Hall
MW: 9:30-10:30
Office Ph. 410-543-6094
M: 2:30-4:00
Home Ph. 410-742-4516
W: 2:30-4:00
e-mail: whdecker@salisbury.edu
NOTE: You are welcome to submit assignments via e-mail. However, do not assume I
have received them until you have received an e-mailed acknowledgement from me.
PREREQUISITE: MGMT 320.
WITHDRAWALS: If you wish to withdraw from the course, it is your responsibility to
complete the proper withdrawal procedure. If you cease to attend and your name remains
on the roster, you will receive an "F".
CONDUCT AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Students are expected to adhere to the Perdue School Student Code of Professional
Conduct. In brief, the code stipulates that students are to conduct themselves as they
would as employees in a business meeting. Dress is casual in our organization, but
tasteful. Violations of academic integrity standards (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) will be
penalized to the fullest extent proscribed in the SU Student Handbook.
DISABILITIES
Please provide the instructor with the appropriate documentation of any disability which
affects your performance in this course.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
To develop a better understanding of yourself and others.
To become a better employee and a better manager.
To better understand behavior within organizations.
To better understand the mutual influences of individuals and organizations.
To better understand how behavior is studied scientifically.
TEXT: McShane, S.L., & VonGlinow, M.A. Organizational Behavior [Essentials], 2nd
Ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2009).
LINKS TO THE WEB:
-PowerPoint Slides used in class will be posted by class date on the internet AFTER they
are covered in class. (However, slides from the textbook are already posted by chapter.)
-Test Review Guides will be posted several days before the tests.
-Case Discussion Questions for the assigned cases are already posted .
-The Team Experience Analysis Form is already posted.
GRADING:
Test #1 (Wed. Oct. 5) ----------------------------------------- 100 pts.
Test #2 (Wed. Nov. 2) ----------------------------------------- 100 pts.
Test #3 (Wed. Nov. 30) --------------------------------------- 100 pts.
Final Exam (Fri. Dec. 16 ) ------------------------------------ 150 pts.
2 Individual Cases (25 pts. each) ------------------------------- 50 pts.
Team Case #1 (Due Wed. Oct. 19) ----------------------------- 50 pts.
Team Case #2 (Due Dec. 5 or 7) ----------------------------- 100 pts.
Participation and Team Maintenance-------------------------- 50 pts.
Team Experience Analysis (Due at Final Exam)------------ 50 pts.
SCALE:
90% or higher ------------ A
80% but less than 90% -- B
70% but less than 80% -- C
60% but less than 70% --- D
Less than 60% ------------- F
TEST DATES AND COVERAGE:
For Test #1 – Wed. Oct. 5 - Chapters 1-5
For Test #2 – Wed. Nov. 2 - Chapters 6-10
For Test #3 – Wed. Nov. Dec. 30 - Chapters 11-14
Final Exam – Fri. Dec. 16 (10:45AM)
(This will be a "selectively" COMPREHENSIVE final exam. Details of the
coverage will be announced late in the course.)
Questions may be multiple-choice, matching, or short essays.
MAKEUP TESTS will be given only under very unusual circumstances.
PARTICIPATION AND TEAM MAINTENANCE:
The instructor's philosophy is that learning is primarily the responsibility of the
individual, but it is enhanced by cooperative effort. Cooperative learning includes
participating in class discussions and contributing to the efforts of one's Team on smallgroup assignments. These assignments are designed to foster active involvement with the
subject matter and the opportunity to learn from other students, as well as to contribute to
other students' learning - an activity which strengthens one's own comprehension.
The participation grade will be determined from:
1) Attendance (More than 4 unexcused absences will be detrimental to your score in
participation and will affect borderline decisions negatively.) (Note: Students leaving
before the end of a class without permission will not receive full attendance credit.)
2) Quality of the Team Assignments Produced.
3) Peer Evaluations (based on the team projects and other activities.).
4) Individual contributions to class discussions and team activities. Discussion will be
facilitated by students preparing by means of advance reading of textbook material and
case assignments.
WRITTEN WORK:
The instructor supports the ideals of “Writing Across the Curriculum.” All written work
done outside of class must be typed and is expected to relatively free of grammatical and
spelling errors. Papers should be logically organized with appropriate transitions from
one paragraph to the next. Papers will be graded, in part, on the basis of these concerns.
GENERAL CASE ANALYSIS GUIDELINES
***Consider the following for all individual and team case assignments.***
Assume the reader has not read the case. Briefly summarize the case in your own words.
The summary should not be more than about one page. You should answer the
QUESTIONS provided with the case (on the website), but you should not necessarily
limit your discussion to those questions. Regardless of whether there are questions with
the case, you should identify any PROBLEMS you find with the organization in the case
and propose solutions for them. Be sure to distinguish PROBLEMS from SYMPTOMS
which merely reflect underlying problems. (e.g., High absenteeism is probably a
symptom of a deeper difficulty. What is causing absenteeism?) You may find multiple
problems. Although it is reasonable to state how a problem could have been avoided in
order to facilitate understanding of it and to promote learning from mistakes, don't dwell
too much on the past or on placing blame. What is most important is where we go from
here.
In analyzing the situation, what can you infer about the persons described in the case?
For example, what is the nature of their:
personality,
communication skills,
attitudes,
interpersonal relationships,
values,
leadership styles,
technical skills,
power/influence?
Cases involving groups/teams should be considered in terms of concepts such as:
background factors,
goals,
cohesion,
norms,
subgroups,
status.
(Note: Not all terms are relevant in all cases.)
What SOLUTIONS do you propose? (There is not necessarily a single correct solution to
a case. The important thing is to logically justify your conclusions.) What are the
expected costs and benefits (or advantages and disadvantages) of the proposed solutions?
INDIVIDUAL CASE ASSIGNMENTS:
As listed in the day-by-day schedule below, selected cases from the textbook are assigned
for discussion in class. (See the schedule at the end of the syllabus). All students are
expected to prepare to discuss all of these cases. Often we will discuss these within
teams. Not reading the case lets your team down!! In addition, each student is
required to select any two (except Regency Grand Hotel, which is a team case) for which
to turn in a typewritten analysis. Follow the General Case Analysis Guidelines above.
(The SUMMARY portion should be no more than about one page! Summarizing the
case before answering the questions is essential) Papers are due at the beginning of the
class in which the case is scheduled (even if the actual discussion is postponed). No late
cases will be accepted. (Note: Students may submit a total of three cases and have the
lowest grade thrown out.)
TEAM CASE #1:
Your team will prepare a written case analysis of Regency Grand Hotel, pp. 320-321,
which is due Wednesday, October 19. Follow the General Case Analysis Guidelines
above.
TEAM CASE #2:
(To be Presented Dec. 5 or 7.)
The purpose of this assignment is for your team to demonstrate principles from the course
to the class. Each team will create a case and analyze it in a written paper, as well as
present it to the class. The written description of the presentation is to be submitted to the
instructor at the start of the performance. This is not a copy of the script or an outline,
but rather a discussion and explanation of what is being demonstrated in the performance.
In other words, the presentation in class is similar to a case printed in the book, plus an
analysis. Your team’s written paper should summarize and analyze the case. The
presentation will be a role-playing episode in which ALL members of the team participate. The event should be both educational (90% of the grade) and entertaining (10%).
Therefore, the assignment is to write a skit or demonstration that has both educational
and entertainment value. Select a topic of reasonable breadth so that 3 or 4 major
principles may be demonstrated. Illustrate principles from at least two of the text’s
chapters. “Before and after” scenarios showing problems and solutions are
recommended. Examples of possible scenes include an office, a factory, a store, a
meeting, or a TV show parody. Your skit must not be about a student team preparing
a class project!
Soliciting audience participation is acceptable, but the bulk of the work should be done
by members of the presenting team.
Presentations should be about 15 minutes long (absolutely no more than 20 minutes).
You may present "live" or on video (motion picture or still shots with narration) or a
combination. Even if a video presentation is done, all team members are expected to
attend class for the presentation, questions, and feedback. Make sure in advance that any
electronic presentation will work in our classroom.
Students from other teams will assist the instructor in the evaluation by rating the
presentations (other than their own).
TEAM EXPERIENCE ANALYSIS (Due at the end of the course)
Students will write an individual paper analyzing their team experiences in terms of the
course content. A handout containing guidelines for this is available on the internet.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:
The following is presented for the purpose of planning. It is strongly recommended that
you do the reading before the dates listed. Where a chapter is listed for two successive
dates, it is recommended that you read in advance at least half of the chapter for the first
day it is covered. In class, we may spend more or less time on a given chapter than is
indicated below. The purpose of the schedule is to spread your reading out fairly evenly
and to facilitate preparation for class discussions. Test dates will be changed only under
very unusual circumstances.
Mon. Aug. 29:
Wed. Aug. 31:
Mon. Sept. 5:
Wed. Sept. 7:
Mon. Sept. 12:
Wed. Sept. 14:
Mon. Sept. 19:
Introduction
Chapter 1
Labor Day Holiday
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapters 3-4, Case: From Lippert-Johnson, Inc. to Fenway Waste
Mgmt., pp. 137-139.
Wed. Sept. 21: Chapter 4
Mon. Sept. 26: Chapter 5
Wed. Sept. 28: Chapter 5, Case: Perfect Pizzeria, pp. 140-141.
Mon. Oct. 3:
Test #1
Wed. Oct. 5:
Chapter 6
Mon. Oct. 10:
Chapters 6-7
Wed. Oct. 12:
Chapter 7
Mon. Oct. 17:
Guest Speaker from Career Services: Careers, Job Search Process,
Interviewing, etc. (Bring a copy of your resume.)
Wed. Oct. 19:
Chapter 8
Mon. Oct. 24:
Chapters 8-9, Team Case #1 Due (Regency Grand Hotel, pp. 320-321)
Wed. Oct. 26:
Chapters 9-10, Case: Bridging the Two Worlds – The Organizational
Dilemma, pp. 247-248.
Mon. Oct. 31:
Chapters 10, Case: Nirvana Art Gallery, pp.318-320.
Wed. Nov. 2:
Test #2
Mon. Nov. 7:
Chapter 11
Wed. Nov. 9:
Chapter 11
Mon. Nov. 14:
Chapter 12, Case: Arctic Mining Consultants, pp. 312-313.
Wed. Nov. 16:
Chapters 12-13
Mon. Nov. 21:
Chapters 13-14
(Thanksgiving Break)
Mon. Nov. 28:
Wed. Nov. 30:
Mon. Dec. 5:
Wed. Dec. 7:
Tues. Dec. 12:
Fri. Dec. 16:
Chapter 14, Case: Woodlands Community Center Corp., pp. 308-310.
Test #3
Team Case #2 Presentations
Team Case #2 Presentations
Team Experience Analysis Due (This is not a class day.)
Final Exam: 10:45AM-1:15PM,
CLASS CANCELLATIONS
In the event of an emergency that results in suspension of this class (e.g., snow, flu
epidemic), I will be communicating with you about this course and its requirements via
campus e-mail. Students must verify that they can gain access to their e-mail through the
web. To verify that you can do this, go to www.salisbury.edu and click “campus e-mail”
at the top of the page. If you cannot access your e-mail see the Help Desk located in
TETC 113 or go to website www.salisbury.edu/helpdesk/.
All revisions to assignments, quiz and exam dates, and class and grading policies that
would occur during such an emergency will be communicated via e-mail. You will be
responsible for completing all these assignments in accordance with class policies.
If one or more classes are cancelled, you should assume that when classes resume we will
continue where we left off. For example, if a test was scheduled for the first day classes
were cancelled, it will be given the first day we are back.