BADM 591J
CRN 52609
Section 001
Organizational Behavior
Summer 2009
TTh, MWF, TTh, MWTh, 8:30 – 12:15, Room 128 B&E
Instructor
Telephone
e-mail
Dr. Jeff Houghton
293-7933
Jeff.Houghton@mail.wvu.edu
Office
Office Hours
122 B&E
Friday 1:00 to 3:00
and by appointment or
just come by my office
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES:
•
•
•
•
Understand the basics of behavioral processes within an organizational context at the
individual, group, and organizational levels of analysis.
Apply basic theories of human behavior and individual differences to the process of
energizing and directing behavior (of both self and others).
Critical analysis of differing theoretical and practical perspectives on behavior,
personality, motivation and leadership and their application in organizational
contexts.
Become a more effective manager, leader, team member, and organizational member.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course focuses on understanding human behavior, primarily in an organizational
context, with the applied purpose of helping the student to become a more effective
manager, leader, team member, and organizational member. The course will examine
basic theories of human behavior and individual differences as a foundation for a study of
the process of energizing and directing behavior (of both self and others). The course
will also examine the process of influencing others toward the achievement of objectives.
Team dynamics and various other topics will also be covered. The class will be
organized into teams and will involve a participative multi-method learning approach.
LEARNING METHODS:
This class will rely on a variety of learning methods and will especially emphasize a
cooperative learning format. Student led discussions and presentations will be combined
with instructor facilitated learning experiences and lecturettes. Some specific methods
include:
Lecturettes
Reading assignments
Class discussion
Interactive exercises and activities
Cases
Videos
Team seminars
Individual leadership development project
Team exams
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Required Texts:
McShane, S. L., & Von Glinow, M. A. (2010). Organizational Behavior, McGraw-Hill
Irwin.
Edelman, R. C., Hiltabiddle, T. R., & Manz, C. C. (2008). Nice Guys Can Get The
Corner Office: Eight Strategies For Winning In Business Without Being A Jerk,
Penguin.
Harvard Business School Cases:
Al Dunlap at Sunbeam – Product Number: 9-899-218
Mary Kay Cosmetics: Sales Force Incentives (A) - Product Number: 9-190-103
Coach Knight: The Will to Win – Product Number: 9-406-043
Leadership in Crisis: Ernest Shackleton and the Epic Voyage of the Endurance – Product
Number: 9-803-127
The Army Crew Team - Product Number: 9-403-131
Note: Harvard Business School Cases may be purchased online at a cost of $6.95 per
case. This price includes electronic access for six months and the right to print a paper
copy of the case for your personal use. The full web address for Harvard Business
School Cases is:
http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/cases/cases_home.jhtml
CASE EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES:
Students should complete an executive summary for the discussion case assigned for
most classes. Summaries should be no longer than 2 single-spaced typed pages; one page
will usually suffice. The primary purpose of the executive summary is to prepare you for
discussing the case in class. Summaries will be collected following the case discussion in
each class.
CLASS INVOLVEMENT:
This class is designed to involve students as much as possible through the use of multiple
learning methods. Student involvement is therefore expected across all learning methods.
Each class I will take note of the extent to which each student is involved in class
discussions, case discussions, and team activities. Please understand that I am more
interested in the quality rather than the quantity of your class involvement.
CLASS ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is expected at all class meetings. Because of the accelerated schedule,
missing a single class can be quite costly. However, if a student must miss class, she/he
should write a short summary of all readings assigned for that class period. The
summaries, along with the executive summary of the case assigned for that class, should
be turned in no later than the next class meeting. Points assigned for the reading
summaries will substitute for the student’s class involvement points for that session.
BOOK REVIEW:
Students will be required to write a book review (5 –7 double spaced typed pages) of
Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office. In critiquing the book, students should address
questions such as: How useful are the concepts presented in the book for organizations
and leaders? What are some possible strengths and weaknesses of this approach to
leadership relative to others kinds of approaches? Did the book change the student’s
view of leadership or her/his approach to being a leader? Specifically, how might the
concepts presented in the book be applied to the student’s organization or to an
organization with which the student is familiar?
INDIVIDUAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROJECT:
Students will be asked to complete a leadership development project and write a short
paper (3 to 5 double-spaced typed pages) summarizing their results. Briefly, the project
will involve application of a leadership concept or combination of concepts to change
your leadership or self-leadership behavior in a desirable way.
More specifically, the project will involve selection by the student of a topic on the
subject of self-leadership or leadership. The student will then read or study at least two
outside references (books, articles, educational tapes, etc.) on this topic. The final
summary paper should identify your project objective (i.e., what behavior(s) you
attempted to change), the plan and method you used for attempting the change, the
results, and your interpretation of your project (i.e., what did you learn?). Your outside
learning references should be identified (i.e., in a bibliography) and used to help interpret
your project and to write your paper. Additional supporting appendices can be attached to
the back of the paper such as charts or graphs that display your project results. The final
project paper is due August 5th. A project proposal (one page typed) summarizing your
project objective and plan is due by July 20th.
TEAM SEMINAR:
Each team will choose an organizational behavior topic that is not being covered in detail
in this class. The team will then prepare an organizational training seminar designed to
provide practicing managers with an overview of the key aspects of the topic. The team
seminar will include a 30-40 minute abbreviated oral presentation, but will also include
an outline with time schedules for a 3-hour detailed training seminar. Each team member
should participate in the oral presentation. Teams are encouraged to incorporate creative
and varied presentation methods in both the detailed 3-hour outline and in the abbreviated
oral presentation.
In addition to the detailed 3-hour outline, you should also develop a handout that
represents the material covered in your seminar. The handout can and should be more
detailed than your oral presentation, which must necessarily be selective. Your seminar
should be developed on the basis of multiple sources of information (books, articles, etc.)
and the handout should include appropriate references. The purpose of the seminar is to
provide you and your classmates with an executive overview (oral presentation) and a
ready reference (handout) on a variety of important OB topics.
Possible topics include but are not limited to:
Knowledge Management
Job Design
Stress Management
Job Satisfaction
Organizational Commitment
Organizational Citizenship Behaviors
Organizational Communication
Organizational Conflict and Negotiation
Decision Making
Organizational Politics
Psychological Contacts
Contingent Workforce
Organizational Structure and Design
Teams must choose a topic and have it approved by the instructor by July 22nd.
EXAMINATIONS:
The exams will be multi-format (objective, short answer, essay, and case-based
questions) and multi-method (team in-class, individual in-class, and individual takehome). Exams will cover material from all learning methods (lectures, readings,
discussions, exercises, cases, videos, etc).
Specifically, the in-class midterm exam will be partially completed as a team and
partially completed as an individual. The final exam will be completed entirely as an
individual with both take-home and in-class components.
EVALUATION:
Case Executive Summaries
Class Involvement
Book Review
Individual Leadership
Development Project
Team Seminar (Oral and Written)
Mid-Term Exam
Final Exam
TOTAL
Grading Scale (% of Total Points):
30 points
30 points
40 points
40 points
100 points
100 points
100 points
-----------440 points
A = 90%, B = 80%, C = 70%
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE:
July 14 – Session 1
INTRODUCTION AND COURSE OVERVIEW: WHY STUDY
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR?
Readings:
Chapters 1 (OB)
July 16 – Session 2
UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR AND INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES
Readings:
Chapters 2, 3, 4 (OB)
Case:
“Chainsaw” Al Dunlap (HBS)
Additional Preparation:
-Go to the following web site and complete the free personality
test: http://similarminds.com/jung.html
Know your personality type when you get to class
-Optional: Go to the following web site and complete the
Emotional Intelligence Test:
http://www.queendom.com/tests/emotionaliq.html
July 20 – Session 3
MOTIVATION: THEORIES, PROCESSES, AND APPLICATIONS
Chapters 5, 6 (OB)
Readings:
Case: Mary Kay Cosmetics: Sales Force Incentive (HBS)
Individual Leadership Development Project Proposal Due!
July 22 – Session 4
LEADERSHIP: TRADITIONAL MODELS AND APPROACHES
Chapters 10, 12 (OB)
Readings:
Cases: Coach Knight: The Will To Win (HBS)
Team Seminar Topic Approval Deadline
July 24 – Session 5
LEADERSHIP: EMERGING MODELS AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
Case: Leadership in Crisis: Ernest Shackleton and the Epic Voyage of the
Endurance (HBS)
July 28 – Session 6
MIDTERM EXAMINATION (In-class, Team and Individual Components)
July 30 – Session 7
TEAM DYNAMICS
Readings:
Chapters 8 (OB)
The Army Crew Team (HBS)
Case:
Team Seminars:
Teams and Topics TBA
August 3 – Session 8
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
Chapter 14 (OB)
Readings:
Team Seminars:
Teams and Topics TBA
Book Review Due!
August 5 – Session 9
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
Readings:
Chapter 15 (OB)
Team Seminars:
Teams and Topics TBA
Individual Leadership Development Project Due!
Take-Home Component of Final Exam Distributed
August 6 – Session 10
FINAL EXAMINATION (In-class component, Take-home component due)
Note:
OB = Organizational Behavior, McShane-Von Glinow.
HBS = Harvard Business School