NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
NUS School of Business
Department of Management & Organization
MNO1001X Management and Organization
Lecturer and Coordinator:
Dr. Daniel J. McAllister
Office: MRB #08-58
Phone: 6516-1009
Email: bizdjm@nus.edu.sg
Tutors:
GAO Xiangyu
LI Xian
LU Qian
Mavis McALLISTER
WANG Nan
Session:
Semester 1, 2011/2012
Course Overview
The focus of this course is on developing your understanding of modern organizations and the tools you will need
to contribute effectively in them. Much of your success as leaders, managers, and professionals will depend on
how well you work with and get things done through others. The organizations best prepared to succeed in the
competitive global marketplace are those that engender full participation and promote teamwork through enabling
and responsible leadership. This course will provide you with a framework for understanding what it takes to
make this happen, and challenge you to see the roles that you can play in the process.
Given the lecture-tutorial format of this class, modes of instruction vary widely, including lecture materials, videos,
case analyses, simulations and role-play exercises. Come to class prepared to think, to test ideas out, to make
good mistakes, and to discover more about your own capabilities as managers and leaders.
Required Textbooks:
Bauer, T. N., & Erdogan, B. (2010). Organizational Behavior (Version 1.1). Nyack, NY: Flat World Knowledge.
(ISBN: 978-1-4533-0085-5). Free online access available.
Additional required readings are made available online through the course web site (IVLE). Please consult the
detailed course outline below for a listing of these materials, and make sure that you have no difficulty in viewing,
downloading, or printing them.
Assessment:
Team CA Assignment
Team Project—VIA Video Assignment
Individual CA Assignments
Teamwork Analysis & Feedback
Reflected Best Self Analysis
Subject Pool Participation (or Individual Learning Report)
Class Contribution
Final Examination
20%
7%
8%
10%
15%
45%
MNO1001X MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION… PAGE 2
TEAM ASSIGNMENT: Virtues in Action (VIA) Video Assignment
Above all else, the field of organizational behavior is concerned with unleashing human capabilities, bringing out the
best in people and the organizations in which they work. The focus of this team project is on learning about human
virtues—strengths and qualities of character—and the role they play in enabling organizations to thrive. You will be
working together as a team to communicate your learning about Virtues in Action in video form to an audience of
managers and professionals.
Your task is to select one human virtue that you believe is poorly understood or under-appreciated in the business
world, but is highly relevant for students of management and organization, and communicate the importance of that
virtue in a manner that is meaningful, memorable and motivating! This will require background research and reflection
on the topic of interest, creativity in developing material to present, resourcefulness in bringing your vision to life, and
teamwork throughout.
You can prepare your VIA Videos in genre of your choice—news bulletins, case studies, documentaries,
parables/fantasies/fables, and video essays are all welcome. You want to align the medium with the message you
wish to convey.
VIA Videos will be evaluated on the basis of four equally weighed criteria: 1) substance (going beyond the obvious,
and showing deeper insight), 2) engagement (connecting with the audience both in the moment and motivating a
response), 3) creativity, and 4) professionalism (the quality of the final product).
This assignment is worth 20% of the course grade and is to be submitted to your tutor by Monday, the 24th of October.
VIA Videos will be presented during tutorial sessions for the week (26-28 Oct).
Additional Information:

Teams for this project will be randomly assigned by your professor, and consist of 5-7 people. All team members
should participate in the video as cast members.

Locating and gaining access to the materials needed to complete the assignment is the responsibility of the team
as a whole. Be resourceful and plan ahead!

VIA Videos should be between 5-7 minutes in length. Teams will be penalized 10% of their final grade for each
minute (or portion thereof) below or above these limits.

VIA Videos should be prepared to meet YOUTUBE specifications (www.youtube.com). Video submission
consists of uploading the file to Youtube, verifying that it is online, and forwarding the Youtube URL to your tutor
by email. Teams are free to bring higher resolution copies for class presentation, but it is each team’s
responsibility to ensure that its video will project on the classroom equipment.

VIA Video teams are responsible for establishing and affirming in writing that the work they upload to YOUTUBE
complies with legal requirements for acceptable use of any copyrighted material or intellectual property
incorporated into the presentation.
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS:
Teamwork Analysis and Feedback
In this multi-part assignment you reflect upon your teamwork experiences from the course in general, and your
experiences with your VIA video team, using course concepts to make sense of it. Follow the guidelines outlined
below for this assignment.

Teamwork Analysis: Prepare a progress report, no more than two pages in length, on your teamwork
experiences to this point in the course. Analyze the group to which you have been assigned, and your role in it.
To what extent is it a high-performance-team? What steps might you take to help the team be more effective?
Your analysis will be submitted at the beginning of your tutorial session, the week of 7-9 September.

Teamwork Feedback: You will be completing an online survey (October 29-31), providing feedback to your
peers on their teamwork contributions. Your feedback should provide practical insight into each person’s
strengths and areas for development. You will be asked to substantiate the points you make, using descriptions
of incidents/events that have occurred during team interaction. Feedback is most effective when it is specific,
concrete, and developmental in focus. While feedback sources will be kept confidential, each team member will
receive a summary report of the feedback that peers provide concerning their team contribution.
The Teamwork Feedback and Analysis assignments account for 7% of your course grade (5% for Analysis; 2% for
Feedback). Graded assignments will be returned to students together at the end of the semester.
MNO1001X MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION… PAGE 3
The Reflected Best Self (RBS) Assignment
The goal of this activity is to get people who know you well to help you understand yourself when you are at your best,
and how you can better leverage your strengths. The article entitled “How to play to your strengths” (Roberts and
colleagues, 2005) provides a good overview of what this project entails and what you can hope to accomplish. This
article is included in your assigned readings for the course.
We will complete this project in four stages. First, you will identify contacts and approach them for input (tutorial
activity for 14-16 Sept). Second, you will analyze the information you receive and compose a ‘reflected best self’
portrait (tutorial activity for 5-7 Oct). Third, you will analyze your data to better understand the factors influencing your
ability to be at your best, and develop an action plan for personal development (tutorial activity for 5-7 Oct). Fourth
and finally, you will submit a summary report (5-pages, 12-point font, double-spaced, single-sided) of your learning
both from the results of the exercise and from the process itself. (due 19-21 Oct at the beginning of class).
Further guidelines for completing this project and preparing reports will be distributed in class. The reflected best self
assignment accounts for 8 % of your course grade. Assignments will be assessed on three criteria, equally weighed:
1) level of engagement in the exercise, 2) thoroughness and coherence of reflections, and 3) clarity of writing.
Tutorial Participation/Contribution:
I expect students to attend lecture and tutorial sessions regularly, except where precluded by emergencies, religious
holidays, or other extenuating circumstances. Much of the learning for this course takes place in the classroom, and
tutorial exercises are planned with full attendance in mind. I expect each student to do her or his best to contribute to
the learning experience of peers. This means coming to class prepared to participate, and doing your part to ensure
the success of team-based exercises and assignments. Overall grading of class participation will reflect tutor
assessments of your tutorial contributions throughout the semester.

Note regarding “one-pagers”: Preparing for tutorial sessions usually involves some combination of reading
assigned materials in advance and completing short hand-in assignments called “one-pagers.” One-pagers
challenge you to do some thinking before class or to make some decision about an assigned case (prior to and in
preparation for class discussion). Once you are mentally ready for class, one-pagers should take no more than
15-30 minutes to complete. One-pagers are due at the beginning of class, and signify your attendance for that
day. Late and electronic submissions are not accepted, and I encourage you to plan ahead to avoid inevitable
last-minute ‘printer problems.’

Note regarding team contribution: Peer assessments of participation on team projects are completed during
this course, the focus of which is on providing peers with constructive feedback on their teamwork strengths and
areas for development. However, where clear evidence of effort/contribution imbalance is observed, the
professor reserves the right to alter project and class contribution grades for individual team members.
Subject Pool Participation Requirement (Or Individual Learning Assignment)
Each student enrolled in MNO1001 is required to fulfill a 3-hour commitment to serve as a participant in the
Subject Pool administered by the Department of Management & Organisation, for which they receive course
credit. While this assignment has been designed to provide you with direct exposure to management and
organization research, your participation also facilitates work to acquire knowledge that is ongoing within the
department. You will be awarded 10 marks for full participation. Those who serve less than 2.5 hours will receive
marks weighted by their contribution. Detailed information regarding the SPP is provided in the “Subject Pool
Participants Guide.”
Those who, for one reason or another, cannot serve in the subject pool may undertake the writing of an
“Individual Learning Report.”
OR
MNO1001X MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION… PAGE 4
Individual Learning Report (Instead of Subject Pool Participation)
For this assignment, select TWO related articles from the popular press (e.g. newspapers, magazines, reports,
journals, the Internet) that reflect a theme relevant to this course. Insightfully critique and analyze them, using
perspectives and information covered in class and/or in the text.
In your analysis, be sure to include the following: (a) the issue or theme reflected in the articles; (b) point out and
discuss examples of "good" and/or "bad" management of human resources as reflected in the articles; (c) explain
why the practice or approach is good or poor. If the articles present opinions or points of view, discuss the extent
to which you agree or disagree with what the authors say, explaining the basis for your agreement or
disagreement; (d) the "lessons" implied for you and for organizations/management in general; and (e) raise and
discuss any other ideas you feel are relevant to your critique.
Please attach a cover page to your critique which should include the following: a title for your Individual Learning
report, complete reference information for the selected articles, your name and student matriculation number,
your session date and time, and your tutor’s name. Attach a photocopy of the articles with your report.
Individual Learning Report length should be 4 and 5 pages [A-4 paper, double-spacing], excluding cover page
and attachments. If you intend to complete this assignment in lieu of subject pool participation, notify your tutor of
this intention before September 30. Please submit your report to your tutor during tutorial class time.
McAllister’s Criteria for
Evaluating Written and Presented Work
Managers and professionals have to communicate in a way that is clear, precise, and informative. They have to be
convincing, organizing their thoughts clearly and making their points with logic and supporting rationale. I look for
similar elements when evaluating the written work you submit:

Discipline: Make sure written work is organized and readable. Convey main points clearly to readers and in a
logical manner. Don’t gloss over the foundations—spell words correctly and adhere to rules for grammar and
usage.

Justified Arguments: Support your assertions with evidence from relevant sources (e.g., text, reading,
interviews). Be sure to acknowledge sources.

Specificity and Accuracy: Make specific rather than vague assertions. You will have greater difficulty in
justifying general observations/statements. Also, note that accuracy in the use of technical terminology is critical.
It is better to use an everyday word you do understand than to use a nice-sounding technical term inappropriately.

Wisdom: Think through the implications of your recommendations (well beyond the obvious). Recognize
potential unintended consequences and inherent trade-offs that must be considered.

Originality: The quality of your ideas is important. Show creative, independent thinking as much as possible.
Other things being equal, I reward attempts at creativity and thinking “outside-the-box.”

Academic Integrity: Signing your name to an exam or quiz signifies that the work is your own. In written reports,
give credit where credit is due, acknowledging sources for both ideas and direct quotations. Follow accepted
standards for citing and referencing sources (e.g., APA or MLA format).
MNO1001X MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION… PAGE 5
Summary Lecture/Tutorial Outline
Date
Foundations for Effectiveness
9 Aug
No Class—National Day!
16 Aug
In Search of Excellence: Managing and Leading People in Organizations
17-19 Aug
23 Aug
No Tutorial (Tutorial registration period)
Leading and Following: Pathways to Participation
24-26 Aug
Stretch Experience
31 Aug-2 Sept
Young Chickens in Space
30 Aug
No Class—Hari Raya Puasa
6 Sept
Working Together: Team Processes and Creativity
7-9 Sept
13 Sept
Social Perception and Understanding
14-16 Sept
20 Sept
Negotiating Team Contracts
RBS Project Initiation
No Class—Recess Week (17-25)
Bringing Out the Best in People
27 Sept
Understanding Individual Differences
28-30 Sept
4 Oct
Motivation Theories and Applications
5-7 Oct
11 Oct
Team Decision Making Exercise
Enabling Work Environments I: Structural Imperatives
19-21 Oct
25 Oct
RBS analysis and reflection
Job Attitudes and Emotions
12-14 Oct
18 Oct
Case Discussion: “The Forgotten Group Member”
“Mistakes at work…”
Enabling Work Environments II: Organizational Culture and Values
26-28 Oct
VIA Team Video Presentations
Integrative Perspective on Organizational Challenges
1 Nov
Leading Change with Power
2-4 Nov
8 Nov
Decision Making and Ethics!
9-11 Nov
15-16 Nov
TBA
Risks and Returns Exercise
“Winter Oak” Case Discussion
In Search of Relevance: Making a Difference
Final Examination
Detailed outline of readings available at the beginning of the semester.