THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO
Bryan School of Business and Economics
Department of Business Administration
MGT 312 - Human Behavior in Business Organizations
Professor E. Holly Buttner
Instructor Laura Perry
Email: llperry2@uncg.edu
Office phone:
Office Hours:
Ms. Perry
Dr. Buttner
Ms. Perry
Dr. Buttner
Spring 2008
Office: Bryan 361
Office: Bryan 349
334-4319
334-4529
By appointment
By appointment
**NOTE: YOU MUST ACTIVATE YOUR UNCG ACCOUNT TO PASS THIS
COURSE; ALL TESTS, FINAL EXAMS AND MOST GRADING WILL BE THROUGH
THE UNCG SERVER. MAKE UP EXAMS WILL NOT BE GIVEN TO ANY STUDENT
WHO DOES NOT HAVE AN ACTIVE, VALID OPERATIONAL UNCG EMAIL
ACCOUNT.
EMAIL:
If you have a question regarding the course, you must email your question to Ms Perry at:
LLPerry2@uncg.edu. You MUST put Your name, (last name first, e.g. Smith, Nancy) MGT 312
and your correct section number in the subject line, or the email will be deleted and not opened.
If you do not receive a response to an email within 48 hours, you should assume that Ms. Perry
did not receive it and you should resend it.
11:00 am class is Section 01.
12:30 pm class is Section02.
TEXT and SELF-ASSESSMENT LIBRARY ACCESS:
Robbins, Stephen R. Organizational Behavior. 12th Edition. Prentice Hall, 2007, and the
Prentice Hall Self-Assessment Library, 3rd ed., by Robbins, Stephen. You can purchase the text
at the UNCG Bookstore. The ISBN for the text is: 0132244012. The Self-Assessment access
code will be shrink-wrapped with the text. Be sure if you buy the text new from any other source
that it includes the S/A access code. If you bought a used book from the bookstore or elsewhere,
you can obtain a self assessment code by going to the Prentice-Hall website at this link:
http://www.mypearsonstore.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=0131914456
Once you purchase the code, you can register your code at www.prenhall.com/robbins.
To access the online Self-Assessment Library follow the following steps: Next to Self
Assessment Library 3.0, click on Log In. Then scroll down to New Users register first. Register
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your access code and create a log in and password. Then, you can log into the site. Instructions
for completing and printing the self assessments are in Section 1 of the Graded Course
Requirements section below.
A copy of the syllabus is available online through Blackboard. A topical outline of the material
we will cover will be on Blackboard, organized by chapter objectives. Copies of Power Point
slides that accompany the text are in the Course Documents section of Blackboard. You may find
these materials useful for taking your notes in class and for review. However, reading the power
point slides is NOT a substitute for reading and studying the text. There will be material on the
tests that is not covered in the slides. You should check Blackboard at least several times weekly,
if not daily, for course announcements and updates.
PREREQUISITES for MGT 312:
Students enrolled in MGT 312 must have achieved at least sophomore standing (31 or more
earned credit hours, not including this term) at the beginning of the semester in which you take
MGT 312 and a minimum GPA of 2.0. Any student who does not meet these requirements will
be administratively dropped from the course. There is no guarantee that this administrative drop
will be processed before drop/add week is over, so if you lack any prerequisites, drop yourselves
so you may add another course in its place before the week’s end.
.
MGT 312 COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this course, you should be knowledgeable about major concepts and theories of
Organizational Behavior. The learning outcomes for this course are the following:
1. Explain the value dimensions of assessing national cultures using Hofstede's model.
2. Give examples of how the U.S. workplace is becoming more heterogeneous in terms of
gender, race, ethnicity, and age.
3. Identify the stages of group development and explain the managerial responses
appropriate to each stage.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of interpersonal awareness by explaining different styles
of conflict resolution and negotiation techniques.
5. Provide an example of an ethical issue pertinent to leadership today.
6. Predict how perception and attribution affect the decision making process.
7. Explain and give examples of how personality, values and motivation affect employees’
performance.
8. Identify and explain the dimensions of human resource management, organizational
structure and culture and the steps of organizational change.
TOPICAL COVERAGE:
The following topics will be covered in MGT 312.
Individual behavior concepts such as ability, personality, learning, values, attitudes,
perception, attribution, motivation, individual decision making, & ethical dimensions of
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decision making;
Group behavior including stages of group development, group structure and processes,
group decision making including groupthink and groupshift, work teams, leadership,
power & politics, conflict, and negotiation techniques.
Organizational systems and processes including organizational structure and design, work
design and the effects of technology, human resource management, organizational change
& stress management.
COURSE PHILOSOPHY:
Webster's definition of "learn" is: to acquire knowledge, skill or understanding; to explore; to
investigate. The definition of "teach" is: to guide; impart knowledge; to make aware by
information or experience. These concepts form the basis of what we will be doing in MGT 312.
We see our role as "teacher" as that of a guide with responsibility to organize the class and
materials so that information will be understandable for you. We will use a variety of teaching
techniques including lecture, cases, role plays, self-assessment instruments, homework
assignments, group activities and exercises to give you an opportunity to acquire knowledge
about and to experience organizational behavior.
As a "learner" you also have responsibilities:
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to read the chapters before class
to attend class and participate in class discussions and in-class graded activities
to complete an individual assignment that consists of: twelve (12) assigned selfassessments from the Prentice-Hall Self Assessment Library
to complete one (1) group virtual discussion assignment
to take a quiz
take two tests and
complete the final exam.
Each of these requirements is explained in more detail in the Graded Course Requirements
section below. We see this as a shared opportunity for us to investigate and explore
organizational behavior and we invite you to join your classmates and us for a thought-provoking
semester of OB.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLASS SUCCESS:
Class Attendance and Participation:
Experience is a wonderful teacher. Experience indicates that some of the keys to successful
performance in a class are preparation, attendance, and participation. Attendance is essential to
successfully completing MGT 312. We have found over the years that students who attend class
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consistently earn better grades. To maximize your opportunity for learning, you should read the
assigned material before we will cover it in class. Material covered in class, some of which is
not in the textbook, will be included in questions posed on the tests and final exam. You are
responsible for class material whether you are in class or not. We encourage you to find a study
buddy now who can give you motes if you should have to miss class.
CLASS ETIQUETTE:
Please plan your schedule so that you will be on time:
Please plan, when you come to class, to stay the entire period, unless you have a genuine
emergency. It is distracting for the rest of the class to have students arriving late and getting up
and leaving during the class. Please turn off all beepers and cell phones or set them to vibrate
rather than ring before coming into the classroom. If you have an emergency call, please take it
in the hall. Your cooperation will help us have a better classroom experience.
Note: The Bryan School has an attendance policy that says if you are not in attendance
during the first class meeting, you can be dropped from the class to make room for
students on the waiting list.
GRADED COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1.
INDIVIDUAL SELF-ASSESSMENTS:
You must complete twelve (12) of the self-assessments in the Prentice Hall SelfAssessment Library. The twelve (12) self-assessments you should complete are listed in
the sections in which they appear in the Library. Complete the ones shown below.
Section: What about me?
 What’s my basic personality?
 Am I type A?
 How well do I handle ambiguity?
 How involved am I in my job?
 How satisfied am I with my job?
 What are my dominant needs?
 What’s my decision-making style?
Section: Working with Others
 What’s my leadership style?
 How good am I at building and leading a team?
 What’s my preferred conflict handling style?
Section: Life in Organizations
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

What’s the right organizational culture for me?
Am I burned out?
HOW TO PRINT OUT THE S/A’s:
When you have completed ALL 12 of the above S/A’s, click on the “Print scores” tab
and then print out the summary of your results. The summary prints out your scores on
all the assessments you have completed. Do not print out and hand in the report for
each individual assessment. This wastes paper and makes grading more difficult. You
will lose points if you do not print out and hand in the summary report. You should print
two (2) copies of your scores, one copy for you to keep and one copy to hand in as the
ones submitted will NOT be returned.
Helpful note: If you complete the self-assessments in a computer lab or other public
medium, your scores may not be saved. Therefore you should complete all the
assessments in one sitting and print out your summary report twice to avoid having to
complete the assessments multiple times.
INSTRUCTORS WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ASSIGNMENTS NOT
PLACED INTO THE ORGANIZER BOXES BY STUDENTS AT THE BEGINNING
OF CLASS ON THE DUE DATE. SUCH BOXES WILL BE LOCATED ON THE
TABLE IN THE BACK OF THE AUDITORIUM AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
CLASS PERIOD AS YOU ENTER THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR CLOSEST TO THE
RESTROOMS.
Late assessment summary printouts will be downgraded one letter grade per day unless
you bring in written evidence that you were in the hospital or suffering some other
verifiable emergency on the date it was due. Unless you have a verifiable emergency,
after three days beyond the deadline, no credit may be earned for the assignment. Note
that printer breakdowns, computer failure, car breakdowns, and other difficulties are not
acceptable reasons to avoid the late penalty if your paper is late. Late self-assessment
summary reports handed in after the class period in which they are due MUST be
handed in to one of the departmental secretaries in the Department of Business
Administration Office in Bryan 366. Emailed assignments and assignments turned
in via any way other than to Bryan 366 will not be accepted. DO NOT PUT THE
PRINTOUT IN THE BOXES OUTSIDE THE PROFESSORS’ DOORS AS THEY ARE
NOT SECURE. The assignment will not be returned to you. The assignment is worth
12% of your course grade.
2.
VIRTUAL GROUP DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT:
Students will be assigned to virtual groups and will participate in a discussion forum on
blackboard. It will be asynchronous, meaning that all students in each group may log in
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at their convenience during the open window time, to post their opinions. All students in
each group must participate or will get zero for this part of the course grade. Your grade
on the online discussion will be a function of both the quality and quantity of your input.
You need to carefully prepare for the online discussion by reading assigned material and
reflecting on the questions posed in the discussion as well as responding to the input
provided by your classmates. Grades will be assigned on an individual basis. This means
that each student in a discussion group may receive a different grade. If your comments
are assessed as notably high quality, thoughtful and insightful input, you will earn a
higher grade. Your comments will be carefully reviewed and graded and are not
negotiable. Further instructions will be posted on Blackboard and announced in class
later in the semester. To help you understand how to participate in this online activity,
Dr. John Eatman will attend class for one time period the week before the discussion
window opens to demonstrate how to use the Facilitate Pro software that posts your
discussions. If you miss this Facilitate Pro lesson, you must get instructions from a
classmate. The date of the assignment will depend on Dr. Eatman’s schedule. Thus,
window times will be posted in the announcement section of blackboard and in class.
THIS ASSIGNMENT CANNOT BE MADE UP AS IT IS A GROUP EFFORT, NOT
AN INDIVIDUAL ONE. The group homework assignment is worth 9% of your final
grade.
Helpful hint: Carefully read the assigned reading and think about your response to the
questions posed in the online chat early in the time window, provide your initial input
early in the discussion, go back often and contribute thoughtful input and responses.
Bring your own experience into the discussion where possible. For students who wait
until the last few hours the window is open and cannot finish or those that forget to do the
assignment altogether, will NOT be able to extend the window time and finish. Once the
window closes, the online chat is over.
3.
IN-CLASS PARTICIPATION ASSIGNMENTS:
Throughout the semester, in-class activities will be randomly assigned, completed, and
collected the same class day for grading. Depending upon course progression and time
constraints, a minimum of ten (10) to fifteen (15) in-class assignments will be
collected. Some of these activites will be individual activities and others group work.
This will comprise 15% of your course grade. MANY OF THESE ASSIGNMENTS
WILL COME FROM YOUR TEXT, SO BRING IT TO EVERY CLASS.
NOTE: In-class work cannot be made up outside of class for any reason.
Students may miss up to two (2) of the in-class graded assignments without penalty.
EXCEEDING THIS GRACE NUMBER OF TWO WILL RESULT IN GRADES OF
ZERO FOR EACH ADDITIONAL MISS. Exceptions will not be made for this
course requirement.
4. QUIZ, TESTS AND FINAL EXAM INFORMATION:
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Test-Taking Procedure. The syllabus quiz, tests and final exam will be administered in
Blackboard under the Assignment Section. There will be one syllabus quiz, two tests and
a non-cumulative final exam. See the Assignments section of BBD for a description of
test format and procedure, and study tips. The quiz is worth 4% of your course grade.
The two tests and the final exam each comprise 20% of your course grade.
The syllabus quiz date and window times are:
Thursday, Jan. 24th, 9:00am through 9:00pm.
The test dates and window times are:
Tuesday, February 19th, 9am-9pm for Test 1
Thursday, April 3rd, 9am-9pm for Test 2
The final exam date depends on your section. The final exam will be available through
Blackboard for section 01 (which meets 11:00-12:15 during the regular semester) only on
Tuesday May 13th from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. A PASSWORD TO ACCESS THIS FINAL
EXAM WILL BE EMAILED TO THE CLASS THROUGH BLKB AT 9 AM.
The final exam will be available through Blackboard for section 02 (which meets 12:301:45 during the regular semester) only on Saturday May 10th from 9:00 am to 9:00pm.
A PASSWORD TO ACCESS THIS FINAL EXAM WILL BE EMAILED TO THE CLASS
THROUGH BLKB AT 9 AM.
ONLINE TIME LIMITS:
There will be a time limit on the quiz (15 minutes), tests (1and 1/4 hours each) and final
exam (1and ½ hours). It is important that you have a watch, clock or alarm set to remind
you of the time limit for the quiz, tests, and exam. It is your responsibility to manage your
time. If you go over the time limit by more than one minute, you will lose one (1) point
for every minute over the above time limits.
Helpful hint: Blackboard will not notify you about how much time you have left as you
are taking the quiz tests, and final exam, so check your watch often and manage your
time effectively.
NOTE: BBD specialists recommend all students follow the suggestions below to minimize computer
problems during online testing.
Uninstall all web toolbars.
If using a laptop, plug it in to make sure you have enough electrical power to finish the entire
test.
Do not use a wireless router.
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Do not use AOL. If, however, you only have AOL access, then connect to the web with
AOL, and then open another web browser to connect to BLACKBOARD.
Do not open until ready to take the entire test. When opened, even for just a moment, your
time is starting and being used up, so be ready to complete the test when you click on it.
Do not click the back button.
Do not wait until the last hour of the window time to start. Should there be problems, the last
hour will not give enough time to help a student with an online problem and adjustments to
the affected grade cannot be made. You should begin the test at least two hours before the
window closes.
ADVERSE WEATHER/CLASS CANCELLATION POLICY:
If class is cancelled due to adverse weather, instructor illness or for any other reason, you should
consult the announcements section of Blackboard on line for available updates. You will be
responsible for being aware of any scheduling or other changes announced on Blackboard, so be
sure to check it frequently.
GRADING POLICY:
Your final grade will be weighted as follows:
Self-Assessments
Virtual Online Discussion
Syllabus Quiz
Tests (2 @ 20 points each)
Final exam
In-Class Assignments
12
9
4
40
20
15
100
points
points
points
points
points
points
Total Points
GRADING SCALE:
A+
A
A-
97-100
93-96.99
90-92.99
B+ 87-89.99
B 83-86.99
B- 80-82.99
C+
C
C-
77-79.99
73-76.99
70-72.99
D+
D
D-
67-69.99
63-66.99
60-62.99
F below 60
NOTE - NO EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES:
There are no opportunities for extra credit assignments. All credit earned in the course must
be earned through regularly scheduled assignments described in this syllabus and in the
Assignments section of BBD.
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NOTE: PROFESSORS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MODIFY THE
DATES/ASSIGNMENTS OR ANY OTHER ASPECT OF THE ABOVE SYLLABUS.
ANY SUCH CHANGES WILL BE POSTED IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT SECTION OF
BLKBD.
NOTE – BRYAN SCHOOL SENIOR EXAM MATERIAL:
If you are a Bryan School major, you will be tested on the material we cover in MGT 312 in
a comprehensive written examination in MGT 491. Your score on this exam will comprise
a part of your grade for MGT 491. It is recommended that, at a minimum, you retain your
notes for MGT 312 for review in preparation for the comprehensive exam in MGT 491.
UNCG ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODE:
We expect you to uphold and abide by the UNCG Academic Integrity Code in all matters
pertaining to this course. Violations of the Code will be pursued in accordance with the code.
All written work submitted should include the UNCG Code statement written out (“I have abided
by the UNCG Academic Integrity Code in completing all aspects of this work.”) followed by
your signature, indicating that you have abided by the Academic Integrity Code. This pledge
will also indicate that you have not used information, materials, or papers prepared by or given
by any other individual. For information concerning the Bryan School Faculty – Student
Guidelines, explore the following website:
http://www.uncg.edu/bae/faculty_student_guidelines.pdf
We look forward to working with you as we explore the behavioral topics that challenge
managers in their work each day.