Introduction to Organizational Behavior and Management
(MANA 3335)
Summer 2009: 2:00pm-4:00pm MTWTh(F)
130 Melcher Hall
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
e-mail:
Richard S. DeFrank, Ph.D.
310G Melcher Hall
713-743-4678
rdefrank@uh.edu
Website:
blogs.bauer.uh.edu/defrank/
Office Hours:
1:00-2:00pm MTWTh or by appointment
TEXT:
Hill and McShane, Principles of Management: McGraw-Hill,
2008.
WEBSITE:
www.mhhe.com/hillmcshane
Course Objectives
In general terms, the objective of this course is to provide a conceptual
and empirical understanding of the structure and function of organizations
and the human behavior that occurs in them. As an introductory course in
management, we will explore a wide range of topics, ranging from where
management has been to where it is now, along with its context and mission.
The goal of this course is to both simplify and complicate your picture of
organizations -- to simplify by systematizing and interrelating some basic
ideas, and to complicate by pointing out the infinite shades of gray and the
multitude of interacting variables that can occur in a behaving human
organization.
Hopefully, by the course's end you will have increased your understanding
of management and organizational behavior issues and sharpened your
analytical skills as they relate to organizational problems.
Course Schedule:
Dates
Topic
Readings
June 1
Course overview
June 2
Management
Ch.1
June 3
The External and Internal Environments
Ch.2
June 4
Stakeholders, Ethics and Corporate Social
Responsibility
Ch.4
June 5
Planning and Decision Making
Ch.5
June 8
Strategy
Ch.6
June 9
** EXAM #1 **
June 10
Control Systems
Ch.9
June 11
Organizational Culture
Ch.10
June 15
Developing High-Performance Teams
Ch.11
June 16,17
Staffing and Developing a Diverse Workforce Ch.12
June 18
Motivating and Rewarding Employee
Performance
June 19
June 22,23
Ch.13
** EXAM #2 **
Managing Employee Attitudes and Well-Being
Ch.14
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Date
June 24
Topic
Readings
Managing through Power, Influence, and
Negotiation
Ch.15
June 25
Effective Leadership
Ch.16
June 29
Communication
Ch.17
June 30
Managing Innovation and Change
Ch.18
July 2
** EXAM #3 **
(2:00 p.m.)
Examinations
Tests will be multiple choice in format and will cover assigned readings,
lecture materials and class discussions. The tests are not comprehensive;
that is, each exam will only test over material presented since the last test.
Students will need to purchase their own scantron sheets for use in
the examinations (General Purpose NCS - Answer Sheet - A-E (the blue
version)). Also, arrangement for make-up exams will likely be made only under
extraordinary circumstances, usually on a pre-planned basis, and are likely to
be essay in format.
Determination of Grades
Each test will be worth 50 points, and thus the maximum score you may
earn is 150 points. Opportunities for extra credit may be available; if they
are they will be offered to the entire class and will not be provided on an
individual basis. Course grades will be based on the following distribution:
A = 138-150
A- = 135-137
B+ = 132-134
B = 123-131
B- = 120-122
C+ = 117-119
C = 108-116
C- = 105-107
D+ = 102-104
D = 93-101
D- = 90- 92
F = 0- 89
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Extra Credit
There will be two additional questions on each of the three tests that
are extra credit in nature; they will focus on current events and if answered
correctly will add 1 point each to your test score. In addition, at the start of
non-test-day classes you may submit a news article (from the newspaper or a
reputable Internet site) on a topic of relevance to the course with at least a
half-page typed paragraph of your own discussion regarding your reactions to
the story and why it is of significance for management. The paragraphs will
not be graded, but they need to be thoughtful and clearly demonstrate why
the article is meaningful for this class; if they do not accomplish this they
will not be accepted. You may submit up to three articles; each of them, if
accepted, will earn 2 extra credit points to be added to your point total,
making a maximum of six points a possibility. Articles must be submitted by
June 25th. Other opportunities for extra credit may be available; if they
are they will be offered to the entire class and will not be provided on an
individual basis.
Blackboard Vista Information for Students
All exam scores and grades will be posted on Blackboard Vista (the
successor to WebCT) for this course. Additionally, all mass communications
from the instructor will be done using email through Blackboard Vista, and
students may post messages to each other via an available bulletin board.
Thus it is important that you understand this system, which is located at
http://www.uh.edu/webct. Help regarding Black board Vista can be obtained
at http://www.uh.edu/webct/help/.
Class Policies
General:
1. Please ask any questions you may have about the topics being
considered, either in class or during office hours. If you're not clear about
an issue, make sure you ask about it.
2. It is assumed that you will have read each of the assignments prior
to class.
3. During class, please respect the rights of your fellow classmates.
Please do not carry on conversations in class, and please turn off pagers and
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cell phones. Also, try to avoid getting to class late and leaving early, as these
are very disruptive.
4. You are responsible for all discussions, announcements, videos, etc.
that occur during class; if you cannot be present, obtain this information
from your classmates.
5. The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the syllabus as
necessary during the course of the semester.
Exams:
1. Be on time to take tests. Anyone who arrives after the first 20
minutes of a test will not be allowed to take the test. There will be no
exceptions, so take into account weather, traffic, etc. on exam days.
2. Exams are property of the instructor and the University of Houston
and may not be taken or duplicated.
3. If you are doing poorly on exams, please see the instructor as soon
as possible; waiting will not increase your chances of improving your grade.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
The C. T. Bauer College of Business would like to help students who
have disabilities achieve their highest potential. To this end, in order to
receive academic accommodations, students must register with the Center
for Students with Disabilities (CSD) (telephone 713-743-5400), and present
approved accommodation documentation to their instructors in a timely
manner.
Academic Honesty
The University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy is strictly enforced
by the C. T. Bauer College of Business. No violations of this policy will be
tolerated in this course. A discussion of the policy is included in the
University of Houston Student Handbook, which can be reviewed at
http://www.uh.edu/dos/hdbk/acad/achonpol.html. Students are expected to
be familiar with this policy.
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Course Evaluations
The Bauer College of Business has a policy that requires all of its
instructors to be evaluated by their students. The results of these
evaluations are important to provide feedback to instructors on how their
performance can be improved. In addition, these evaluations are carefully
considered in promotion, salary adjustment, and other important decisions.
We openly encourage students to provide feedback to instructors and to the
Bauer College through the evaluation process.
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