SEATTLE UNIVERSITY - INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC SERVICE
PUBM 521—Management & Human Relations
* DRAFT *
Spring, 2009 (meets 4/4, 4/18, 5/2, 5/16 from 9-4:00pm)
Instructor: Noreen Elbert, Ed.D.
Office Location: Casey 206
Office Phone: (206)296-6288, 206-778-2961 (c)
Office Hours: By appointment
E-mail: elbertn@seattleu.edu
Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand. - Confucius
COURSE DESCRIPTION
High-performance management of public and nonprofit organizations demands intensive
development of human relations skills. This course teaches essential management and team
skills through a combination of readings, self-reflective techniques, group problem solving,
discussion, and simulation exercises. Our learning objectives are:
1.
To develop a working knowledge of action learning as the foundation of managerial,
team, and leadership success.
2.
To develop self-awareness and clarity with respect to the attitudes, motives, skills, and
values that generate leadership and managerial excellence.
3.
To develop individual and team skills including stress management, creative problem
solving, conflict resolution, interpersonal communication, employee motivation, and
team leadership.
4.
To explore the significance of the above topics in relation to the working reality of
several managers, through a process of interviewing them and analyzing their
experience.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
You are responsible to:
Participant Responsibilities

Co-create a challenging and useful learning experience for yourself, your team, and the class
as a whole. Encourage and support the learning of each member of the class.

Come to class prepared and ready to participate. Engage fully in discussions as well as team
and/or class activities.

Attend all class sessions and complete all assigned work on time or make prior arrangements
if an absence or late submission is unavoidable.
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Other Important Issues
ANGEL:
A website for this class has been developed. You can visit that site at:
https://angel.seattleu.edu/angel/default.asp. From this screen, enter your SU username and
password. Then, you can access the course by clicking on PUBM 521. The ANGEL site
contains the syllabus, course materials, class presentations, a bulletin board, chat room, and
many other features. While there is not a formal requirement to post on the website, I encourage
students to utilize ANGEL as a means for communicating outside of class, commenting on
readings, posting questions to the group, or having virtual team meetings.
Disability Services:
If you have, or think you may have, a disability that interferes with your ability to complete the
assigned work in this class, you are encouraged to arrange support services and accommodations through Disability Services in the Learning Center, Loyola 100, (206) 296-5740.
Classroom Etiquette:
Please be respectful and courteous to your classmates and instructor. Arrive on time to class and
return from breaks on time. Turn off cell phones. While laptops are welcome in class, please
refrain from using the computer for non-course related activities.
Academic Honesty:
Ethical professional behavior as public administrators extends to honesty in our academic work.
Academic dishonesty will be addressed per SU policy 2004-01: “Without regard to motive,
student conduct that is academically dishonest, evidences lack of academic integrity or
trustworthiness, or unfairly impinges upon the rights and privileges of others is prohibited.”
Late Work
If you are unable to meet assignment deadlines, please make prior arrangements with the
instructor. Extensions will be granted on a case by case basis. Otherwise, turning in late work
will result in a 5 pt. reduction per day.
Required Texts
1.
2.
3.
(W & C) Whetten, D.A. & Cameron, K.S. (2007). Developing Management Skills. (7th
Edition) Pearson/Prentice Hall.
(JB) Management Skills: A Jossey-Bass Reader. (2005). San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass.
(A) Materials available for download on Angel
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GRADING
Points
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Individual class preparation and participation
Team participation and presentation(s)
Action learning reports (2) worth 10% each
Performance management systems assessment (PMSA)
Manager in action term paper (MIA)
% of Grade
75 pts.
75 pts.
100 pts.
125 pts.
125 pts.
15%
15%
20%
25%
25%
Point Equivalency
480-500 points
460-479 points
440-459 points
420-439 points
A
AB+
B
400-419 points
370-399 points
369 or less
BC
C- (no credit)
DESCRIPTION OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
Individual Class Preparation and Participation
(15%)
The classroom experience is integral to the learning objectives of this course, and each student’s
presence and participation enriches the learning for all. Therefore, students should attend all
class sessions or communicate with the instructor if an absence is unavoidable. While
extraordinary circumstances may arise, a minimum attendance (80% of class hours) is required
to receive credit for the course. *Please inform me via e-mail or voicemail if you need to miss
or be late to class.
Preparation will be measured on the basis of demonstrated knowledge of readings, completed
assessments, other in-class assignments, and group work. Participation includes raising
questions and making comments that contribute to the overall understanding of the topics at
hand and general contribution to a spirit of inquiry, challenge and support within the classroom.
The readings assigned for the week will relate to the class discussions, or will provide advance
preparation for coming weeks. You are responsible for all the material in the assigned readings
even if the topic is not raised in class.
Effective participation includes: a) comments and questions that facilitate course learning
objectives; b) thoughtful responses to others’ questions and comments; d) task leadership in
class activities; and. e) refraining from over-participation. It will be necessary to bring texts and
completed diagnostic survey scores to class.
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Team Participation and Presentation
(15%)
Team grades will reflect the quality of in-class and, on occasion, virtual problem-solving
processes and reports. An “A” grade will be given when the team excels in its process and
produces exceptional output for the assigned task. Teams will be expected to rotate leadership,
speaking, and recording tasks among all members over the course of the quarter.
Early in the quarter, teams will be assigned one chapter from the Jossey Bass Reader, Mgt.
Skills (JB). As a team, you will prepare a short presentation highlighting the most relevant and
practical concept(s) in the chapter. DECIDE ON A CONCEPT/TOPIC EARLY (as this is often
the most difficult part of the assignment). Devise a creative way to engage the class with your
topic. Groups will have 20 minutes. Plan to spend 5 minutes giving an overview of your topic
and 15 minutes leading the class in an interactive or engaging discussion/exercise that illustrates
your concept or demonstrates the real world relevance of your topic. BE CREATIVE! In
addition, create a 1 page handout (can be single or double sided) summarizing the key points of
your topic. Bring copies of your handout for the class on your presentation day. Remember, this
is a team project. While some individual preparation may be appropriate, the expectation is that
teams work collaboratively. Be sure to practice, so you maximize your presentation time!
Each team member will turn in the attached team evaluation and synopsis of team member’s
contributions. (Evaluations are due via e-mail on 5/11).
Action Learning Reports
(2 @ 10% each-- 20%)
The ALR is a personal assessment and action-learning plan for a specific skill (e.g., descriptive
communications, team leadership) or ability (e.g. beginner’s mind, locus of control) from the
course readings or in-class presentations. ALR’s typically run about three pages long (double
spaced).
Each ALR should:
1) Briefly but substantively describe the skill or ability and provide a substantive selfassessment of your strengths and weaknesses with respect to it.
2) Identify some specific aspects of the skill or ability you would like to improve upon.
3) Provide a concrete, short-term (to be implemented within two weeks) small-wins
oriented action plan for initiating your desired improvement. The action plan must
identify a specific situation, within a specified time frame, in which you are going to
experiment with the new behaviors and should identify the specific actions (behaviors)
you are going to try out.
4) Specify performance criteria and how you are going to monitor and evaluate your
learning process and performance in the experiment (E.g. keep a journal of events, use a
checklist to review your performance, etc.)
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5) Once you carry out an experiment, include an evaluation of the results in a future report
or e-mail me an update later in the quarter.
The purpose of the action plan is to create an intentional, well-structured plan for future
learning which you are going to execute within the next two weeks. Make sure to choose
current examples (as opposed to describing behavior or experiments that occurred in the past).
ALR’s must focus on applying specific concepts from the readings to yourself, not on
summarizing readings, describing situations, or analyzing other people. Examples of high
quality reports are available for review upon request.
This assignment is intended to engage you in self-reflective discovery in a way that deepens
behavioral learning.
Suggested ALR Format
1.
Briefly but substantively describe the learning topic and explain why it is important
to you now.
2.
Assess your own strengths and weaknesses with respect to the topic. Identify
specifically how and in what types of situations you would like to improve.
3.
Design a concrete, short-term, action-oriented learning experiment in which you
identify a specific situation in which you will apply/practice the skill or attitude and
the starting date and duration of the experiment. Be definite about when, where,
who, how, etc. You must also specify your learning goals for the experiment, and
how you will monitor and evaluate your learning and performance.
After you conduct the experiment, do an evaluation of: a) what you learned about yourself or the
topic; b) how well you executed your behavioral objectives; and c) result, if any, with respect to
the situation or other people involved. This can be turned in with a subsequent ALR.
Evaluation Criteria for ALR’s
1)
2)
Completeness of the assignment at each interval
Quality of self-reflection and action learning, including:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Substantive descriptions and application of specific concepts from the assigned
readings.
Consistency of self-focus
Identification of learning opportunities (areas of self-improvement).
Development of behaviorally specific action learning experiments and/or
objectives
Clearly specified learning goals with methods of monitoring and evaluating your
performance and learning from the experiment.
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Performance Management Systems Assessment (PMSA)
(25%)
This project provides you with an opportunity to do a substantive assessment of the performance
management system (PMS) for a nonprofit organization (which could include, but is not limited
to: job analysis, recruitment & selection, performance appraisal/evaluation, training and
development, and reward/disciplinary procedures). You will need to identify and make
arrangements to assess a nonprofit organization that has established procedures for performance
management. (***Option: You can also create a performance management system for a
nonprofit that does not have such systems in place).
You can do the PMSA as an individual project or in teams of up to four people. If you do a
team project I will expect a quality that is reflective of genuine teamwork and collaboration as
opposed to that of a sequential assembly of individual pieces.
Systems Audit
The learning objectives of the systems audit are:
1.
To fully understand the workings of an established performance management
system in a nonprofit agency.
2.
To carefully assess the reliability and validity of the various aspects and components
of the performance management system.
3.
To generally evaluate the PMS procedures in terms of the theory and “best
practices”.
To complete this assignment, you need to obtain information and documentation on the
performance management system, its policies and practices in the selected organization.
Documentation must include performance appraisal forms, instructions, and policies, written
disciplinary rules and procedures, and the employee manual, etc. Other useful documentation
might include information on job analysis procedures, appraisal process procedures,
reward/recognition procedures, and any other written policies related to these systems. You will
also need to interview the HR manager and/or Executive Director of the organization to get an
overview of how the systems work, who is responsible for what, etc. You will also need to
provide basic information on what the agency does, how many employees it has, and the types
of jobs the employees perform.
A basic framework of possible questions to be answered is:
1. Performance Management System— How is performance appraisal utilized
(developmental and/or administrative purposes)? What types of criteria and rating
format are used? How are criteria developed? What roles do job analysis and
organizational strategy play in the process? What process is utilized for employee
feedback? How reliable and valid are each of the components of the performance
appraisal criteria and process? What disciplinary policies are in place? What general
practices are followed for motivating and managing employee performance? What
connections are there between the performance appraisal and discipline/reward systems?
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Recommendations:
Based on your findings, what should this agency keep doing, stop doing, or do differently in its
performance management systems and practices? Recommendations should be well grounded
and clearly derived from the findings in the audit.
The final paper should be 8-15 pages double spaced (not including appendix) depending on the size
of your group. Be prepared to give a short presentation (5 min) of your findings.
Managers In Action (MIA) Term Paper
(25%)
This project provides students with an opportunity to interact with practicing nonprofit managers,
teaching about the problems they face and the skills required to solve problems successfully. As
the basis for the paper, students will complete the “What Does it Take to Be an Effective Manager”
exercise on page 28-29 of the Whetten & Cameron text.
In addition to interviewing three managers (preferably from the nonprofit sector) and collecting the
data requested by the questions on page 28-29, you are to select one focused skill topic (i.e., choose
one chapter topic from the W&C text) and discuss that in detail with each of the three managers.
To do this you will need to design 3-5 supplementary questions, which you will ask in addition to
the ones on pages 28-29, which focus on your chosen skill topic. Your supplementary questions
must be based on material from the selected W&C chapter.
To prepare for these interviews and to insure that the analysis will benefit from adequate theoretical
grounding, you must read the appropriate material from the text and review two or three recent
journal articles (2003 or later) on your focused skill topic. Recent articles can be easily found
using the searchable databases at the SU library, which you can access from home via the SU
website. If you don’t know how to use the online databases, the librarians are eager to show you.
Project Proposal Requirement--A one-page project proposal is due on 4/18 if you would like
feedback on your topic/MIA paper plan of action. The proposal should include:
1) Identification of your focused skill topic;
2) The names and organizations of the three managers to be interviewed;
3) A bibliography listing the two or three recent articles you will review for your focused
skill topic;
4) 3-5 supplementary questions focusing on the selected skill topic. Note that these
questions must be based on concepts from the text chapter that you have selected.
Some good tips on constructing interview questions are found on pages 627-629 of
your text.
If you do not have access to three local managers, please consult me for suggested contacts. In
order to share access to managers, students are welcome to form small (three students maximum)
groups for the purpose of interviewing managers, however student papers must be written on an
individual basis. All students are expected to personally participate in three interviews, draw their
own conclusions from the information and interaction, and obtain sufficient information on their
selected focused skill topic.
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Written Product--The final paper should be a typed, double-spaced, 8-10 page report. It should:
1) Briefly describe the three managers and summarize key points from the three interviews;
2) Compare and contrast, with substantive commentary, the three managers’ responses to
selected questions from 28-29 of the text and your in-depth skill topic questions;
3) Demonstrate your ability to analyze your interview findings on the basis of readings from
this course;
4) Summarize what you learned from the research and how it might be applied to your own
career;
5) Be written and presented in a professional manner, and
6) Include a correctly formatted bibliography of the articles you reviewed.
Papers will be evaluated on the above six points. Intelligent discussion of points of comparison
and contrast, and cogent analysis using course readings (not personal opinion) will weigh heavily
as evaluation criteria. Although you should not provide a transcript of your interviews, you should
use quotes and specifics to substantiate your discussion. Example papers are available on request.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF COURSE TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS
PUBM 521 – Spring 2009
Date
4/4
--Class topics-Complete the following readings and *assessments prior to class:
Assignments
Due
BUILDING EFFECTIVE TEAMS
(W&C), Chapter 9. Read through pg. 522.
(JB) Rd chap. 28
DEVELOPING SELF AWARENESS
(W&C), Chapter 1. Assessments required for class are Self-Awareness, pg. 46,
Emotional Intelligence (optional), pg. 47, Locus of Control, page 54, Tolerance of
Ambiguity, pg. 56, and Core Self-Evaluation, page 57. (Other chapter assessments
recommended, but optional.) Read through page 87.
(A) FIRO-B Complete and score the assessment; read accompanying material.
MANAGING STRESS
(W&C), Chapter 2. Complete Stress Management, Time Management; Type A
Personality, and Social Readjustment Scale inventories, read through page 153.
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4/18
COMMUNICATING SUPPORTIVELY
(W&C), Chapter 4. Complete all inventories, read through page 269.
(JB) Rd chap. 16
MANAGING CONFLICT
(W&C), Chapter 7. Complete all inventories, read through page 408.
(JB) Rd chap. 27
5/2
SOLVING PROBLEMS CREATIVELY
(W&C), Chapter 3. Complete How creative are you? Inventory and read through
page 213.
ALR #1 due
MIA proposal
due (optional)
ALR #2 due
GAINING POWER AND INFLUENCE
(W&C), Chapter 5. Complete both inventories, read to page 313.
5/16
HUMAN RESOURCES –
(JB) Rd chap. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 24
Team
Presentations
MOTIVATING OTHERS - (Staff & Volunteers)
Performance
management
systems
assessment
(PMSA) due
(W&C), Chapter 6. Complete both inventories, read through page 357.
(JB) Rd chap. 18
EMPOWERING AND DELEGATING
(W&C), Chapter 8, Complete both inventories, read through page 477.
HUMAN RESOURCES, cont.
(JB) Rd chap. 31, 34
COURSE WRAP-UP
6/1
NO CLASS THIS DAY
Mrgs. in action
paper due via
ANGEL
dropbox
*The assigned assessment inventories at the beginning of each chapter in the text must be
completed and scored (scoring materials are found in the appendix of the text) prior to each
class. Please bring your scores, your book, and copies of any assigned articles to class
with you.
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Team Project Evaluation
1.
Overall, how effectively did your team work together on this assignment?
Poorly
Adequately
Well
Extremely Well
Comments:
2.
Give one specific example of something you learned from the team that you probably
wouldn’t have learned working alone.
3.
Give one example of something the other team members learned from you that they
probably wouldn’t have learned otherwise.
4.
What aspect of your team project are you particularly proud of?
5.
Suggest one change the team could have made to improve its performance.
6.
On a separate page, please write a very brief synopsis (one paragraph for each member
of your team including yourself) that highlights each individual’s contribution in terms
of ideas, time, leadership, effort, dependability, preparation of final project.
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