MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 1
MGMT 121: Organizational Behavior
Fall 2009
Department of Management
School of Business and Management
The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Office hours:
Dr. Prithviraj (Raja) Chattopadhyay
Associate Professor
Room 3438 (Lifts 17-18)
2358 7740
prithvi@ust.hk
TBA
Course website:
http://lmes2.ust.hk/
Mr. Deon Chiang
Instructional Assistant
Room 2388 (Lifts 13-15)
2358 7753
deon@ust.hk
CLASS MEETINGS
L4:
L5:
L6:
Tuesdays / Thursdays
Tuesdays / Thursdays
Tuesdays / Thursdays
3:00pm – 4:20pm
1:30pm – 2:50pm
4:30pm – 5:50pm
Room 2306 (Lift 17/18)
Room 2306 (Lift 17/18)
Room 2306 (Lift 17/18)
Course Overview
This is an introductory course to organizational behavior (OB) – the field of study that investigates
how individuals, groups, and organizational characteristics affect human behaviors and
organizational effectiveness.
We live in an organizational world. To succeed in your careers and to help your organizations
succeed, you have to understand how employees and managers behave and why they behave the
way they do. This course will help by covering a wide variety of OB topics such as perception and
decision-making, motivation, team dynamics, leadership, power and influence, and organizational
culture. While this course will not turn you into OB experts right away, it should lay a good
foundation to help you become more effective and satisfied organizational members.
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 2
Course Objectives
By the end of the semester, I would like you to be able to do the following:
1. demonstrate your understanding of major concepts and theories in OB by analyzing
management issues at the individual, team and organizational levels in a (a) critical and (b)
creative manner;
a. Being critical refers to the application of OB theories to solving organizational
problems in a manner that shows your awareness of (i) exactly how the theory of
your choice applies to the issue being analyzed and (ii) the risks and benefits
associated with each solution suggested.
b. Being creative refers to finding solutions to management issues not necessarily
referred to in your textbook, as long as such solutions are theoretically justified.
The course will also give you the opportunity to do the following:
2. communicate and present your ideas or recommendations clearly in English, in writing as
well as through presentations and discussions;
3. enhance your personal ability to function effectively in a multicultural team setting;
4. develop an understanding of personal strengths and weaknesses with regard to people
related issues in organizational contexts and consider ways of enhancing strengths while
reducing weaknesses.
Course Materials
Required materials

Required textbook: McShane, Steven L., and Von Glinow, Mary Ann. 2009. Organizational
Behavior: [essentials], 2nd edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin. Available for purchase
at Sports Hall (LG1). Limited copies are available for 2-hour loan from the Library Course
Reserve (under MGMT 121)

Required case: Shay, Jeffrey P. West Indies Yacht Club Resort: When Cultures Collide.
Available on LMES teaching website.
Additional resources

Lecture notes: Will be provided on the day of the lecture. If you miss class, it will be made
available for download from course website at http://lmes2.ust.hk/ after class

Additional readings will be distributed on the course website or in class periodically
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 3
Course Format and Our Mutual Responsibilities
Class time will be divided between lectures, experiential exercises, videos, case analyses,
discussions, and student presentations. It will take our collective efforts – yours and mine – to
make this course interesting, challenging, thought provoking, interactive and fun!
Your responsibilities are to:




Read the assigned materials before class
Be an attentive listener and active participant in class discussions and exercises
Complete assignments as scheduled
Contribute your fair share in group assignments
In turn, I pledge to:




Provide you with relevant course materials
Lead and facilitate meaningful class discussions
Treat each student with respect
Evaluate your performance fairly
Class Norms

Bring your PRS (Personal Response System) handset to every class (which could be checked
out from the AV counter of ITSC at Room 1030 next to Lift 1)


Come to class on time and stay until the class ends
Turn off the ringer of your mobile phones and pagers

Listen attentively and participate actively to contribute to the classroom learning environment
Performance Evaluation
Assessment
Percentage
of grade
Examination I
25% (100 points)
Examination II
25% (100 points)
Group project
25% (100 points)
Individual assignment 10% (40 points)
Class participation
10% (40 points)
Research participation 5% (20 points)
Total
100% (400 points)
Learning goals assessed (see last page for
list of learning goals)
1, 2, 3, 4
1, 2, 3, 4
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
1, 2, 3, 4
1, 2, 3, 4, 8
8
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 4
Distribution of course grades will be based on the following school guidelines, combining all three
of my sections (L4, L5, and L6):
Grade
A+, A, AB+, B, BC+, C, CD
F
Percentage
10-20%
25-40%
35-45%
5-10%
0- 5%
Grade rebuttal
If you disagree with the evaluation of your performance on any exam and assignment, you may
submit a grade appeal. Your appeal will only be considered if you submit a one-page rebuttal to me
within one week of receiving the grade. In the rebuttal, you should detail the reasons why you
believe your grade should be revised. A grade review will be completed within one week, which
may result in a grade increase, grade decrease, or no change.
Examinations
There will be two exams, each comprising 25% of your course grade. The exams are noncumulative – the first exam covering the first half of the course and the second exam covering the
second half. Each exam will consist of multiple choice and essay questions, with emphasis on the
understanding of key OB concepts and application of those concepts. All course materials –
assigned readings, lecture notes, videos, exercises, cases, class discussions – are subject to
examination.
Please note the examination schedule: Examination 1 will be held in week 6 as noted below while
examination 2 will be held in the university examination period (date and time to be announced
later). There will be no make-up exams except due to extraordinary circumstances beyond your
control such as medical emergencies. If there is a conflict in exam schedule with another course,
you should consider switching to another section during the add/drop period. In case of absence
due to medical emergencies, you have to submit appropriate documentation issued by a registered
medical practitioner in order to be considered for a make-up exam. The make-up exam, if granted,
will consist of essay questions only.
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 5
Group Project: Learning OB from movies
The group project comprises 25% of your course grade. This is the chance for you to be creative
and have some fun in the learning process. You need to (1) form a group of six, (2) choose a movie
for the project, (3) prepare a one-page progress report about mid-way through the project, (4)
towards the end of the semester turn in (at a maximum) 12-page report, and (5) make a 12-minute
presentation to the class followed by 3-5 minutes of Q&A.
Forming a group
Due: September 17
Get to know your classmates and form a group of six members for the group project. Have one
representative from your group email me and Deon your group members’ names, student IDs, and
ITSC accounts. Let Deon or me know if you need help forming a group. After the due date, Deon
and I will arrange for students who have not yet joined a group to either form their own groups or to
join existing groups.
Due: October 6
Choosing a movie
There are many movies potentially suitable for this project. Select a movie where the main
characters or the story present interesting OB issues. Choose your movie early as no duplicates will
be allowed across my three section – we will work on a “first come first served” basis. First check
with Deon whether the movie your group has selected has not already been chosen by another
group, then email both Deon and me to “claim” this movie.
Progress report (10 points)
Due: October 29
Prepare a one-page progress report that summarizes what your group has accomplished so far and
how you plan to complete the project in the remaining time. Briefly discuss how and why your
group chose the particular movie, the OB issues you have identified to be important, and your team
management process, e.g. how many meetings have been/ will be scheduled, division of
responsibilities, how you plan to complete the project on time.
Final report (40 points)
Due: November 24
Prepare a final written report in a maximum of twelve pages (inclusive of cover page and
appendices, if any). First, briefly (approximately one paragraph) describe what the movie is about.
Then briefly describe the OB issues in the movie that you discuss in the report. Then move to the
more important part of the paper – analyzing OB problems or issues you have uncovered in the
movie. Form your analysis by examining the characters and story development in the movie and
applying OB concepts you learn in this course to help you answer one or more questions about
organizational behavior. Finally you should discuss practical implications for managers and / or
employees and other lessons we might learn from your analyses.
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 6
Presentation (50 points)
November 24, November 26, December 1, or December 3
Towards the end of the semester, your group will give a 12-minute presentation + Q&A session to
the class based on your movie analysis. Make an impressive PowerPoint presentation using some
video clips from the movie, or incorporate roles plays by group members; be creative! Every team
member must take a turn to be the presenter to earn credit for the presentation. At the end of each
presentation, there will be 3-5 minutes question and answer (Q&A) session during which the group
will address questions from the class. The evaluation of the presentation will include the following
components:
Content
Visual aids, organization
Presentation skills
Q&A
20 points
10 points
10 points
10 points
50 points
(Group)
(Group)
(Group)
(Group)
The class will vote for the best presentation of the day at the end of each class. The group with the
most votes will receive 5 bonus points for their group project score.
Peer evaluation
To discourage free-riding, individual group member’s contribution to the group project will be
assessed by confidential peer evaluations twice: once midway through the project and once at the
end. Your individual grade on the group project will be adjusted to reflect any significant uneven
sharing of workload among group members to ensure fairness.
Social Loafing/Free-riding: Social loafing or free-riding occurs when a group member relies on the
remaining group members to complete group tasks, and does not contribute to group work. If you
feel that a member of your group is a social loafer or free-rider, please respond as follows: (1)
address your concerns with that group member as early as possible via email, and copy me on the
email. (2) Agree upon a way in which that person can contribute to the group and notify me of your
resolution by email. (3) If the problem persists, make an appointment for your group to meet with
me. We will attempt to resolve the problem together. (4) If this second attempt fails, leave the
person’s name off the title page of the Group Case Assignment. (5) I will inform the group member
that s/he will receive a zero on the Group Case Assignment. Note that I will only give a zero if
steps 1-4 have been followed.
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 7
Individual Assignment: West Indies Yacht Club Resort
Due: November 10
There is one individual written assignment in this course, which comprises 10% of your course
grade. You will write a two-page analysis of an OB issue based the “West Indies Yacht Club Resort:
When Cultures Collide” case. In the paper, you should (1) briefly describe the OB issue presented
in the case, (2) analyze the issue with relevant OB concepts you learn from this course, (3) make
recommendations to solve the problem, and (4) discuss potential risks associated with your
proposed solutions.
Penalties for late submission and excessive length
Both individual and group assignments must be typed in 12 point Times New Roman, doublespaced, with approximately 1 inch margin. Each paper should include your full name and student
ID number. Only hard copies will be accepted, which will be collected at the beginning of class on
the due date. Late assignments will be penalized 5 points per every 24-hour period after the due
time and assignments that exceed specified page limits will be penalized 5 points per page.
Class Participation, PRS (Personal Response System) and Attendance
Participation is valuable as it gives you the opportunity to contribute to the learning in this class and
to learn from others. Your participation grade will reflect the quality of your participation during
class discussions, experiential exercises, case analyses, and presentations. High quality
participation requires preparation – having read the assigned materials before class, attentive
listening – building on and enriching current discussions rather than making repetitive or irrelevant
comments, and active participation – if you don’t speak up, the class cannot benefit from your
insights.
We will use PRS (Personal Response System) throughout this course. Bring your PRS handset to
every class. Your use of the PRS will contribute to your participation grade.
Attendance is important but it is your choice whether to come to class or not. If you choose to
come to class, please show respect by coming to class on time, staying until the end, turning off
your mobile phone, and engaging fully in class activities.
You will lose participation credit if you engage in behaviors that are disruptive to class learning.
Some examples are: arriving in class late, chatting, using your laptop computer for non-class-related
activities, making repetitive or irrelevant comments in class discussions, and monopolizing
discussion time.
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 8
Research Participation Requirement
You are required to participate in two hours of experiments conducted by faculty in the MGMT
department. Prior notices will be given regarding the times and venues of these experiments. If no
experiment is scheduled during this semester or if you do not wish to participate in the experiment,
you will have to complete a written assignment, which will take about two hours.
Student Feedback
I welcome feedback on my teaching throughout the semester. You are encouraged to contact me or
Deon any time you have questions, concerns, suggestions, or would like to ask for advice.
After the student groups are formed, I will ask for one volunteer from each group (optional) to serve
on the “Student Feedback Committee”. The purpose of this committee is to act as a feedback
channel for me to improve my teaching and enhance students’ learning experience in the class. I
will meet with this committee to gather your feedback periodically. It would be a good opportunity
if you wish to take a more active role in class management rather than waiting to submit your
comments after the course is over.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a critical value of the university community. You are expected to uphold the
HKUST Academic Honor Code and show the highest level of integrity and honesty in the work you
do. I have absolutely no tolerance for cheating – cheating in exams, copying other people’s work
without proper citation and acknowledgment, allowing others to copy your work, using other
students’ PRS handset, and any other form of academic dishonesty. Please DON’T cheat! Be
proud of yourself and remember why you are attending HKUST – to learn, to challenge, to dialogue
with others, to receive feedback on your work, and to improve. Remember, two cases of ethical
misconduct will get you dismissed from the university automatically. Please visit the following
website for further detail: http://www.ust.hk/vpaao/integrity/student-1.html
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
The University has a legal obligation to provide appropriate accommodations for students with
disabilities. In order to ascertain what accommodations may need to be provided, I ask that students
with disabilities please inform me of their needs at the beginning of the semester so that appropriate
accommodations can be provided.
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 9
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week
Date
1
Sept 1
Welcome! Course Introduction
Sept 3
Introduction to Organizational
Behavior
Individual Behavior, Values, and
Personality
Perceptions and Learning in
Organizations I
Perceptions and Learning in
Organizations II
Workplace Emotions, Attitudes, and
Stress I
Workplace Emotions, Attitudes, and
Stress II
Employee Motivation: Foundations
and Practices I
Employee Motivation: Foundations
and Practices II
National Day
Conflict Management
Exam I: 6:15-8:15pm, LTA
Individual Decision Making I
Individual Decision Making II
Team Dynamics I
Team Dynamics II
Communicating in Teams and
Organizations I
Communicating in Teams and
Organizations II
Power and Influence in the
Workplace I
Power and Influence in the
Workplace II
Leadership in Organizational
Settings I
Leadership in Organizational
Settings II
Organizational Culture I
Organizational Culture II
Group Project Presentations
(Groups 1, 2, 3)
Group Project Presentations
(Groups 4, 5, 6)
Group Project Presentations
(Groups 7, 8, 9)
Group Project Presentations
(Groups 10, 11, 12)
2
Sept 8
Sept 10
3
Sept 15
Sept 17
4
Sept 22
Sept 24
5
6
7
8
9
Sept 29
Oct 1
Oct 6
Oct 8
Oct 13
Oct 15
Oct 20
Oct 22
Oct 27
Oct 29
10
Nov 3
Nov 5
11
Nov 10
Nov 12
12
13
Nov 17
Nov 19
Nov 24
Nov 26
14
Dec 1
Dec 3
Topic
Readings
Syllabus
Ch. 1
Notes/ Assignments Due
Introduction
Start Forming Teams
Index card with photo
Ch. 2
Ch. 3
Ch. 3
Ch. 4
Group project – Group member list due
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Ch. 5
Ch. 10
No class
Group project – Movie selection due
No class
Ch. 6
Ch. 6
Ch. 7
Ch. 7
Ch. 8
Ch. 8
Group project – Progress report due
Ch. 9
Group project – Peer evaluation I due
Ch. 9
Ch. 11
Individual assignment due
Ch. 11
Ch. 13
Ch. 13
Group project – Final report due (All
groups)
Study
Group project – Peer evaluation II due
Break (8th- Last day of classes (for MGMT121)
9th)
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 10
Additional Notes:
Participation
Organizational behavior is a field with few “right” or “wrong” answers. Hearing multiple
perspectives is critical for student learning. Students should attend class prepared to discuss the
reading material, answer questions, and participate in class exercises. Thoughtful, integrative
comments will earn you a higher participation grade than will trying to dominate class
discussions or offering up every random idea that you have.
Points assigned to participation are intended to encourage your class participation. However,
you do not have to feel compelled to speak in every class just to give an impression of
participation in class discussion. Points will be given for quality and quantity. Specifically,
participation will be evaluated on 1) preparation for classes, 2) participation in discussion, and
3) provision of unique insights and ideas. If you wish, you can send your comments by e-mail.
Your e-mail should demonstrate your ability to clearly and critically discuss the course
materials. I will count it as a part of your participation. For your reference, I would like to share
with you the criteria of participation in class discussion.
Good contributor. Contributions in class reflect thorough preparation. Ideas offered are
substantive, and provide good insights and a direction for the class. Arguments when presented
are well-substantiated and persuasive. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality
of the discussions would be diminished considerably.
Adequate contributor. Contributions in class reflect satisfactory preparation. Ideas offered
are sometimes substantive, provided generally useful insights, but do not offer a new direction
for the discussion. Arguments are sometimes presented, and are fairly well substantiated and
sometimes persuasive. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the
discussions would be diminished somewhat.
Non-participant. This person has been present but has said little or nothing in this class to
date. Hence, there is no adequate basis for evaluation. If this person were not a member of the
class, the quality of the discussions would not be changed.
Unsatisfactory contributor. Contributions in class reflect inadequate preparation. Ideas
offered are seldom substantive; provide few, if any, insights; and never give a constructive
direction for the class. Integrative comments and effective arguments are absent. Class
contributions are, at best, marginal efforts, making isolated, obvious, or confusing points. If this
person were not a member of the class, valuable time would be saved.
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 11
Group Project Notes - Frequently Asked Questions
What should my group do for group project?
– Analyze what we can learn about OB from a movie of your choice
Why should my group do it?
Through this course, you are going to learn how people in organizations behave, interact with, and
relate to each other. Movies often help to bring human behavior to life in a way that can help
provide fresh insights. They are particularly useful in illustrating how principles of organizational
behavior may be applicable in all walks of life. I hope that this opportunity helps you think about
how you can put your learning in this course to use both in and outside organizations.
How can we form a group?
For the group project, you need to be a member of a group. Each group should have about six
members. To successfully finish your group project, you have to cooperate with your group
members throughout the semester. Therefore, if you form your own group with your good friends,
you should be able to enjoy the project. You have to inform the Instructional Assistant (Mr. Deon
Chiang) of the names of your group members by September 17th. I will create some groups with the
remaining students who do not find their groups by the due date.
What are the most critical milestones for group project?


Due Dates for Group Formation: Thursday, September 17th
Due Dates for Group Paper Submission: Tuesday, November 24th at the beginning of class time
(There will be a 5 points/day penalty for the late submissions.)
Which movie should my group use for the project?
Although some movies may seem obviously better suited (e.g. because they actually deal with an
organization) I would like to emphasize that most movies contain some elements that are suitable
for this project. This is because we are dealing in this course with basic human interactions that
have parallels in many movies. Although the way in which a particular situation unfolds in a movie
may never occur in organizations, we can almost always learn something about the principles of
human behavior from those situations that is applicable in an organizational setting.
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 12
How can my group structure the group paper?
Our class discussion and textbook explain organizational phenomena in three levels: Individual,
Group, and Organization. Each level is again composed of more specific issues. For instance, at the
Individual level, we are interested in the following issues: how do values affect individual’s
attitudes and behaviors? (Chapter 2); how does individual’s learn new things? (Chapter 3); what are
the roles of emotion in a workplace? (Chapter 4); what makes an individual to work so hard in
organizations? (Chapter 5); how does individual make a decision? (Chapter 6)/ At the Group level,
we are concerned about: why people join groups? Why people behave differently in groups than
when they are alone? (Chapter 7); how people can improve their communication skills? (Chapter 8);
what are the sources of power and how does it influence others (Chapter 9); how managers can be
good leaders? (Chapter 11)/ At the Organization level, the relevant issues are: how one
organization is different from other organizations? (Chapter 13)
Note that you don’t have to address all of those topics in your group paper. What you have to do is
to pick one topic each from two levels. Roughly speaking, each chapter of the textbook centers
around one major theme. With regard to those topics you chose, you may describe a situation that
illustrates something you have learned in this course. You may identify problems encountered by
characters in the movie or a situation where they engage in behaviors worthy of an effective
manager. Then you provide suggestions on how to solve the identified problems or describe how
the positive behaviors you have identified may be enacted within organizations, according to
concepts and theories of Organizational Behavior that we discuss in the classes. As such, your
group paper should include a brief (but informative) Description of the movie; the Analysis of
problems and / or strengths of the movie characters in terms of the selected topics; and Suggestions
on how to solve the identified problems or how positive behaviors may be acted out in
organizations.
Because you have page-limitation in your paper, you need to minimize the quotes from the movie.
It means that the paper should not be a transcript of the movie situation. What I would like to
see in your paper is two things: 1) your understanding of the attitudes, behaviors, responsibilities,
and characteristics of the movie characters; and 2) of greater importance, your analysis of them
based on the course material. This group paper should demonstrate your ability to express
yourselves very clearly and logically.
MGMT 121 Syllabus, p. 13
Can you give us some guidelines for the group paper?








Your opinions, comments, and analysis are crucial.
Length: Maximum 12 pages typed
Papers that are long will be penalized 5 points/page.
Format: 12 font size, Times New Roman font, double space, standard margins
Edited: Grammar and spelling
Quotes can be used to support your analysis, but they should be concise.
You need to use headings & subheadings to make a paper more readable.
Cover page should be signed by all group members. If your names are not included in the cover
page, I will interpret it that you did not contribute to the group paper.
Learning Goals
The following are the learning goals for the Department of Management. Goals addressed in this
course are marked with *.
1. Goal: Graduates will be critical and creative thinkers who make effective decisions supported by
analytical and quantitative techniques.*
2. Goal: Graduates will be effective communicators in oral and written English and Chinese for
general business applications.*
3. Goal: Graduates will have broad understanding of the core business functions and integrate these
functions to solve business problems.*
4. Goal: Graduates will have in-depth grasp of their area of business concentration or major.*
5. Goal: Graduates will be effective team members and leaders.*
6. Goal: Graduates will be effective in multi-cultural and international settings.
7. Goal: Graduates will be effective users of information technology in business applications.
8. Goal: Graduates will understand their professional and ethical responsibility.*
9. Goal: Graduates will be life-long learners who have an inquiring mind characterized by a love
for learning, curiosity, a critical spirit and self-monitoring of their own learning.