MANAGING PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS
Course 833:681 Tuesdays 9:50 - 12:30, Civic Square Building, Room 113
Julia Sass Rubin CSB 544 848-932-2967 jlsrubin@rutgers.edu
Fall Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00 to 3:00 and Wednesdays 1:10 to 3:10
This course is designed to enhance participants' understanding of their own motivation and behavior, as well
as that of others, in order to increase their effectiveness in professional environments and (more importantly)
their satisfaction with their career. By the end of the course, students should understand better what kinds of
environments make them most productive and satisfied with their work, how to create the most productive work
environments for their employees, and how to manage different types of professional and interpersonal
situations. The course utilizes cases and readings to explore the topics such as individual motivation,
leadership, power and influence, managing conflict, organizational culture, working in groups and teams,
communicating effectively, decision making, fostering creativity and innovation, and managing change.
Course Requirements
Class Participation
Because this is a seminar, active and informed participation in class discussions is critical and will count for
26% of the overall course grade. It is difficult to participate if you’re not in class, so participation will include
attendance. Each course participant will be allowed one absence. Any additional absences, with the
exception of those caused by emergencies, will result in a 5-point reduction off the total grade. Anyone who
knows in advance that s/he will miss class should let the professor know as soon as possible.
In-Class Presentation
Each course participant will research and present a short illustrative case study or learning exercise to the
class, which will be worth 20% of the overall grade. The case studies may be from personal experience or
from secondary sources. These individual presentations should last 10 to 15 minutes, with another 5 to 10
minutes for discussion and class questions. They are intended to help the class better understand a particular
week’s topic. Two participants also may choose to do a joint presentation on a given week’s topic (20 to 30
minute presentation with an additional 10 to 20 minutes for questions and class discussion). The presentations
will take place in the latter portion of each class.
Weekly Response Papers/Assignments
Course participants will write short (two page), weekly response papers analyzing that week’s readings and
case study. These will not be returned with individual grades and comments, but will be read carefully by me
in preparation for each week’s class and will count for 39% of the overall grade (3% per paper). The papers
must be uploaded to the Sakai site by 2 pm on the Monday before each class. Any papers submitted
later than that will not be accepted.
Final Project
Course participants will create a manual intended to help guide them in their careers and personal interactions.
The manual will consist of the key lessons learned from each week’s class and how best to utilize those
lessons in their lives. More information about the manual will be provided on Sakai. The manual will count for
15% of the overall course grade and is due by 11 pm on Friday, December 12th.
Course Readings
The course readings and thought questions are available on Sakai (https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal) under the
Managing People and Organizations heading. There will be a charge for use of the case studies and a few of
the other readings.
The Rutgers University policy on academic integrity and plagiarism is available at:
http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/integrity.shtml
2
Week 1: September 5
Introduction and Course Overview
Week 2: September 9
Knowing Yourself
Week 3: September 16
Understanding Others
Week 4: September 23
Motivating Yourself and Others
Week 5: September 30
Understanding an Organization's Culture
Week 6: October 7
Power and Influence
Week 7: October 14
Managing Conflict
Week 8: October 21
Negotiating Effectively
Week 9: October 28
Communicating Effectively with Others and Managing Meaning
Week 10: November 4
Leadership
Week 11: November 11
Working in Groups and Teams
Week 12: November 18
Fostering Creativity and Innovation
Week 13: December 2
Decision-Making
Week 14: December 9
Organizational Change