Fall 2012
MHSA 6100
Organization Theory and Organizational Behavior in Health Care
Fall 2012
When:
Wednesday, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Where:
202 Solms Hall
Instructor:
Betty T. Dixon
Phone:
(912) 660-2819 )Cell)
E-Mail:
Betty.Dixon@armstrong.edu
Office Hrs:
By appointment
______________________________________________________________________________
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this course is to introduce the graduate student to the fields of organization theory and
organizational behavior and their application to the management of health care organizations. The course will
cover both “macro” and “micro” level issues relevant to health care organizations. Methods of instruction
include readings, lectures, class discussions, self-assessments, interactive exercises, videos, and an industrybased project.
COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES
MHSA Program
Learning Objective
Competencies
Understand and articulate the roles,
2.C. Leadership – Systems
responsibilities, and preferred characteristics
Based Thinking
of governing bodies in health care
5.D. Business Knowledge and
organizations.
Skills – Organizational
Design and Behavior
Identify alternative structural designs for
2.C. Leadership – Systems
health care organizations and circumstances
Based Thinking
when each may be most appropriate.
5.D. Business Knowledge and
Skills – Organizational
Design and Behavior
Understand and articulate the principles of
2.B. Leadership – Leading
effective management in organizations,
Others
including communication, motivation,
5.A. Business Knowledge and
leading teams, power & politics, conflict
Skills – Critical Thinking /
management, negotiation, and
Decision Making
organizational culture and develop the
5.D. Business Knowledge and
ability to apply them in an organizational
Skills – Organizational
setting.
Design and Behavior
Develop the ability to effectively
1.E. Communication and
communicate and collaborate with clinical
Relationship Management
professionals and to maintain medical staff
– Collaboration with
relationships.
Clinical Professionals
Develop the ability to work within and lead 1.C. Communication and
groups of peers and demonstrate effective
Relationship Management
interpersonal relations.
– Team Participation and
Leadership
Develop the ability to provide constructive
1.A. Communication and
feedback to others.
Relationship Management
– Interpersonal
Assessment
Class discussion, exams,
group project
Class discussion, exams,
group project
Class discussion, exams,
group project
Class discussion, exams
Class discussions, group
project
Class discussions, group
project
Learning Objective
Demonstrate the ability to prepare and
deliver information via written and oral
means and present results of organizational
analyses in a professional manner.
MHSA Program
Competencies
Communication
1.B. Communication and
Relationship Management
– Presentation Skills
1.D. Communication and
Relationship Management
– Technical
Communication
Assessment
Class discussions,
exams, group project
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS
Borkowski, N. (2011). Organizational Behavior, Theory, and Design in Health Care. Sudsbury, MA: Jones
& Bartlett Publishers. ISBN: 978-0-7637-4285-0
Myers, I.B. (1998). Introduction to Type: A Guide to Understanding Your Results on the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator (6th ed.). Gainesville, FL: Center for Applications of Psychological Type.
In addition, supplemental readings from the professional literature to coincide with the subject material
covered will be required. Links to electronic copies of these articles through Galileo will be posted on the
course web site (through Pirates VIEW Vista).
GRADING
The grading scale to evaluate student performance will be similar to that used by other courses at AASU:
A
90-100
B
80-89
C
70-79
D
65-70
F
<65
Plagiarism tutorial .............................................. Required but not graded
In class presentations/assignments ................................................... 15%
Midterm exam.................................................................................... 25%
Team project ...................................................................................... 35%
Final exam .......................................................................................... 25%
Penalty for Disruptive/Distracting Behavior ......................... up to 10%
My philosophy toward grading is that points are yours to earn. You start the semester with 0 points and
earn points along the way based on your performance in class and on written assignments. You should not
expect to earn 100% of the points for any assignment or activity unless you are prepared to deliver a
consistently outstanding performance. Additionally, as part of being a student in this course, you are
expected to participate fully in class discussions and activities. If you miss classes, are not prepared for
classes, do not contribute in a meaningful way, are disruptive to the class or disrespectful of others you will
lose points from those that you may have already earned. Just speaking out in class is not nearly enough to
count as meaningful participation – you must work to further the class discussion with your comments,
questions, and replies. Your written work will be evaluated based on the content of your work, including the
depth and comprehensiveness of your analyses, the extent to which you support your statements and
recommendations (with facts, logic and concepts from the textbook and readings), and the quality and
professionalism of your writing and formatting (including grammar, spelling, appropriate use of headings
and fonts, appearance of tables, charts, and graphics).
Dr. Betty Dixon
MHSA 8861
Plagiarism Tutorial: All students are required to complete the Plagiarism Tutorial on the Lane Library web
site (http://www.library.armstrong.edu/plagiarismtutorial.html) by the third week of the course. At the end of
the tutorial, take the post-test and email the results to me at betty.dixon@armstrong.edu. If you have any
questions, concerns, or areas of uncertainty about the definition of, avoidance of, or rules governing
plagiarism you should do two things: (1) contact a staff member at Lane Library or the AASU Writing
Center (109 Gamble Hall) to seek clarification and (2) research the matter further using a writing manual
such as the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Note that it
is your responsibility to know and adhere to all rules and regulations related to plagiarism – ignorance of the
rules and regulations is NOT an excuse. For additional information about the AASU policy on academic
dishonesty, see the Student Performance / Conduct Expectations section below and refer to the AASU Honor
Code in the Graduate Student Handbook (available at the Registrar’s Office as well as online at
http://www.gs.armstrong.edu/Catalog/current_grad_catalog.pdf.)
In Class Presentations and Assignments (15 pts): This course is designed as a seminar, so it is essential
you read the assigned materials for each class period, complete any assigned tasks, and come to class
prepared to participate in the discussions. This portion of your grade will be based on two types of work: (1)
presentation of article summaries and (2) presentation of your work resulting from assigned cases, research
topics, discussion questions, and activities.
Article summaries: We will begin each class by going over the articles assigned for that week. Each article
will be assigned to a particular student to present, but each student is responsible for reading all of the
articles each week. The student responsible for summarizing a given article should write a 1-2 page brief (to
be turned in) summarizing the relevance of the article for the week’s topic and the key take-away points.
From among the assigned articles, 2-3 students will be selected to present his or her summary to the class.
Your presentation, like your brief, should be concise and emphasize the relevance to the week’s topic and the
key take-away points. Although these presentations are meant to be informal (i.e., no PowerPoint slides), it is
still very important that you take care to structure your presentation carefully, articulate your points clearly,
and engage your audience. Throughout the semester, each student will get at two (and likely more)
opportunities to present.
Discussion questions, case analyses, and other activities: Throughout the semester you will be assigned work
to prepare prior to class. In class, you will be responsible for presenting to the class (either individually or as
part of a group) your answers, analyses, or findings. You will be graded based on the quality of the content of
your work (e.g., whether or not it is correct, the depth and comprehensiveness of your work, how well you
applied the material from the readings to the assignment) as well as the quality of your presentation.
Although most of these presentations are informal, it is still important that you present the required
information in a professional, engaging manner. In some cases you will also be asked to turn in written work
resulting from these activities; in such cases your written work will be graded as well.
Article summaries, in-class presentations, discussion questions, case analyses, and other activities will be
graded on the following scale:
4 = exceeds expectations
3 = meets expectations
2 = below expectations
1 = unacceptable
Team Project: (35 pts) Each team will have a minimum of three (3) students. Each student team will
complete a profile of a health services organization, to be chosen by the team and approved by the instructor.
Your profile should be a comprehensive analysis of the organization from an administrative perspective, to
include the following:
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mission, vision, and values
governance
structure, including
 the various aspects of organizational design, including design parameters
 medical staff relations
 strategies used to sustain interorganizational relationships
approaches to creating and sustaining effective communication & coordination throughout the
organization
incentive systems and other motivational approaches
strategies for managing stress, conflict, and negotiation
decision-making style(s)
approaches to team-based work
organizational culture
approaches to organizational change, including managing resistance
Each student team must submit to the instructor the name of the organization they wish to profile by
August 31, and, if approved, the name, email address, and phone number of the primary contact person at
that organization by September 7. You MAY NOT select an organization with which any member of your
team has a current or previous working relationship, or with which any immediate family members of your
team have a working relationship.
When contacting the organization, you should offer to sign a confidentiality agreement, and, if necessary,
to disguise the name of the organization for the purposes of the written report and class presentation.
However, the instructor must be given the name of the organization and contact person – I will sign a
confidentiality agreement as well, if needed. A progress report, including an outline of the presentation,
indication of responsibilities of each team member, checklists of information obtained and information
needed, and peer feedback forms for each team member must be submitted by October 12. We will discuss
these progress reports in class that evening.
Each team must prepare a report to submit to the instructor by November 30 and a presentation to be
given in class that same day. The specific format and structure of the report and presentation are to be
determined by the team, but should be appropriate to be presented in a business setting (i.e., to a group of
executives from that organization), including an executive summary for the report and relevant handouts for
the presentation.
Dr. Betty Dixon
MHSA 8861
Your report and presentation will be graded based on the following criteria:
Comprehensiveness and depth of analysis ..............................................................35%
Accuracy and support of analysis with facts, logic and concepts
from the textbook and readings (including appropriate citations) ....................35%
Professionalism of presentation and presentation materials (structure
and flow of presentation, formatting of materials)............................................15%
Professionalism of written report (including writing style, formatting,
spelling, grammar, and charts/tables/graphics) ................................................15%
Each team member will be required to complete two team peer evaluations of each of team member,
including him or herself, based on the team project assignment in this class. Evaluation forms should be
turned in with the progress report and the final report and will constitute approximately 30% of each
student’s grade for the project. The peer evaluation form will be given out is attached to this syllabus.
Exams (50 pts): There will be two exams for this course, a midterm exam and a final exam. The final exam
will not be cumulative. Exams will cover all topics from the textbook, readings, class discussions, and class
activities and will include objective (true/false and multiple-choice) questions, short-answer questions, and
essay questions. Bring a #2 pencil to class to use during the exam
Attendance : Students are expected to attend each class session and to actively participate in all class
discussion and activities for the purpose of optimizing the educational experience. If you must miss a class
due to illness, a death in your immediate family, or a work requirement beyond your control, you must
present official documentation to the instructor in order for it to be considered an excused absence. Official
documentation includes one of the following: (1) a form or letter from a physician, clinic, or hospital,
including the date on which the student is approved to return to work or school and contact information for
the provider; (2) a published obituary for the family member or an official notice from a mortuary, including
the date of the funeral service and evidence of the family relationship; (3) a letter from your supervisor, on
official company letterhead, indicating the reason for missing class and contact information for your
supervisor. If you miss class due to an excused absence, you should contact the instructor to set up an
appointment to come in and go over any material with which you need help. If you miss class due to an
unexcused absence, it is your responsibility to get notes from a classmate. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES
should you contact the instructor to ask for lecture notes, or, worse yet, “did I miss anything.” The instructor
reserves the right to ask a student to withdraw from the class if the number of total or unexcused absences is
excessive, as determined by AASU policy.
Penalty for Disruptive/Distracting Behavior: Students who engage in distracting and/or disruptive
behavior – including texting, having side conversations during class, or use laptops for non-class purposes
during class time – will lose up to 10% of their points. The philosophies behind this policy are: (1) the ability
to focus on the task at hand is a measure of a student’s professional competency; (2) just as in the work
environment, professional behavior is expected, so failure to live up to this standard will meet with
appropriate consequences; and (3) these behaviors distract other students as well as the instructor, therefore
disrupting the educational process for which other students are paying. For more information on distracting
behavior, see the section on Distractions and Disruptive Behavior below.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Academic dishonesty, as defined in the AASU Student Handbook, is strictly prohibited in this course as in
all others at AASU. Students are reminded that, as AASU students, they have a responsibility to adhere to
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and have knowledge of the principles of ethical conduct for AASU students as it applies to academic
dishonesty. Violations of any of these principles will result in the student receiving an ‘F’ in the course as
well as the potential for further prosecution for said violations by AASU and its respective governing bodies.
STUDENT PERFORMANCE / CONDUCT EXPECTATIONS
Students are expected to attend all classes as scheduled. If you have prior obligations that will keep you
from doing so, you should not enroll in the course. Specifically, if you can't be here for the entire term
(including the final exam as scheduled), drop the course. Similarly, if you can't be here for the entire class
period every day that class is scheduled to meet (except for rare, excused absences), drop the course.
As a condition of enrolling in courses at AASU, you agree to abide by the rules of the Honor Code and
the Code of Conduct. The Honor Code and Code of Conduct are printed in the AASU Graduate Catalog and
on the University website. Any student desiring assistance with any matter related to these Codes should seek
assistance in the Division of Student Affairs.
Commensurate with their obligations associated with adherence to these defined codes of conduct, all
students in this course are expected to abide by the following (excerpted from the AASU Graduate Catalog;
see the catalog for additional information about the honor code, honor offenses, reporting of honor offenses,
and adjudication of honor offenses):
1.
Exercise honesty in all matters, both academic and personal in nature.
2.
Be fair and courteous with others, treat them fairly and with respect, showing sensitivity to cultural,
ethnic, and religious diversity and personal dignity.
3.
Accept personal responsibility for appropriate behavior as defined by the Codes.
4.
Know the offenses under each Code and the penalties for violating them.
5.
Understand that they are responsible for knowing and following any additional written or verbal
requirements given by the professor, which relate to honor or conduct and which are inherent to the
classroom or University functions.
6.
Know what plagiarism is, as defined under the Honor Code; recognize that it undermines individual
and academic integrity and ensure that it is avoided in both spirit and deed.
7.
Understand that the Codes apply at all University activities whether on the main campus or at other
locations.
8.
Remember that they are representatives of Armstrong Atlantic State University and that they must
always conduct themselves in a manner that brings credit upon themselves and the University.
Any student determined to be in violation of one or more of the provisions of these codes will be subject
to all proscribed academic and/or disciplinary penalties as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. Lastly, it
should be noted that student ignorance of the specific provisions within the Code of Student Conduct is not
an acceptable defense in any such proceedings. Students should thus exercise particular care to refrain from
any activity or behavior that has the appearance of constituting a violation of the Code.
PROVISIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
All students that have a documented disability, whether permanent or temporary, that will impact
significantly on their ability to be successful in this course, are encouraged to discuss the disability with me
to allow for appropriate assistance through the Office of Disability Services. All inquiries will be strictly
confidential.
Dr. Betty Dixon
MHSA 8861
POLICY ON DISTRACTIONS
Consistent with the Health Sciences Department’s statement on Essential Qualifications and Technical
Standards (http://www.healthscience.armstrong.edu/policies.html), which outlines the importance of
students maintaining professional behavior both in the classroom and out in the community, the department
has a firm policy regarding classroom distractions.
Distractions of any kind negatively affect those trying to listen to or discuss the material being presented
and are in direct violation of the Essential Qualifications and Technical Standards. Therefore, distractions
will not be tolerated. Any distraction will be viewed a significant disruption of the class, and the student(s)
will be asked to leave the classroom immediately and the student’s final grade for the course will be reduced
by up to 5 points. The professor reserves the right to determine what is distracting in his/her class, but
common distractions include:
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Students using the text or voice functions on a cell phone in class;
A beeper, cell phone, or any other noise-making device ringing or vibrating;
Students leaving the classroom repeatedly, or leaving the classroom to make or answer a phone call
or text message;
Students having private conversations in the classroom;
Students doing any other work than that which is related to the material being presented in class at
that time.
Particular attention should be given to cell phones as they are especially distracting. If you must carry
one, make sure it is OFF before you enter the classroom.
The professor may, at his/her discretion, drop a student from a course if that student violates this policy
three times in any one course. If necessary, the full resources of the university will be utilized in order to
enforce the Policy on Distractions.
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Fall 2012
Date
Topic
Readings
Assignments
August 15
 Course Introduction
August 25
 Overview & History of Org. Behavior
 Working in Student Teams
 Chapter 1
 Readings
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
 Diversity in Health Care
 Perceptions & Attitudes
 Chapter 2
 Chapter 3
 Readings
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
 Project proposal due
 Plagiarism tutorial due
 Workplace Communication
 Chapter 4
 Readings
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
 Project contact
information due
September 12
 Motivation & Attribution Theory
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Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Readings
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
September 19
 Power & Influence
 Chapter 8
 Readings
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
September 26
 Chapter 12
 Stress, Conflict, Decision Making & Negotiation  Chapter 13
 Readings
October 3
 Midterm Exam
August 29
September 5
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
October 10
 Groups & Teams
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October 17
 Organizational Development & Change
Management
 Chapter 17
 Chapter 18
 Readings
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
October 24
 Overview of Organization Theory
 Organization Theory & Design
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 Prepare discussion
questions/case
October 31
 Governance
 Readings
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
November 7
 Medical Staff Relations
 Readings
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
November 14
 Medical Staff Relations
 Readings
 Prepare discussion
questions/case
November 21
Thanksgiving Week – No class meeting
November 28
Team Project Presentations
December 5
FINAL EXAM
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Readings
Chapter 19
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Readings
 Progress report & team
evaluations due
Team Projects & Team
Evaluations Due
Dr. Betty Dixon
MHSA 8861
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