THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO
The Bryan School of Business and Economics
Department of Business Administration
MBA 604.61: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
William L. Tullar
Spring Semester 2010
Office: 364 B & E
Tel: 334-4526
e mail: wltullar@uncg.edu
COURSE OBJECTIVES: To provide students with some fundamental understanding of
the causes of certain behaviors, both functional and dysfunctional, which occur in work
organizations.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Study of organizational behavior and theory of complex
organizations. Major topics include organizational structure and theory, individual
perception and learning, motivation, group relationships, leadership, and decision making.
(3:3)
TEXT: Managing Behavior in Organizations Jerald Greenberg (5th Edition)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: MBA 604 is presented through readings, lecture, video,
case discussion, and individual and group exercises. Each class will begin with a short
quiz on material from the previous class and reading material from the text. I will drop
your lowest quiz grade. Classes will involve case discussions and discussions of video
clips. The second half of the seventh class will consist of an integrative test.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION:
Final Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30%
Case Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20%
Quizzes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40%
Class Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . .10%
SUGGESTED METHOD TO WORK THROUGH COURSE MATERIALS:
Read the chapter and underline and make notes. Write out the answers to each
of the quiz questions on the schedule. Put this aside. Next day study your answers.
Study your answers before the class. You should have 100% for this portion of your
grade. These answers should constitute MUCH of your materials to review for the
exam. The idea of the quizzes is to distribute the (fairly light) workload over the seven
weeks.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
The student will be able to explain basic research strategies used in OB and will
be able to distinguish between primary and secondary research.
The student will integrate the basic ideas of organizational justice into a coherent
description of the concept.
The student will demonstrate the application of the basic attribution process
including those factors that prompt an internal as opposed to an external
attribution and fundamental attribution error.
The student will explain the basic theories of motivation distinguishing between
those theories which are content based as opposed to those which are process
based.
The student will synthesize the three components of attitudes and outline the
importance of job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
The student will explain the three stages of socialization and the role of
organizational culture in the socialization of employees.
The student will distinguish between a group and a team and explain the six key
characteristics of teams.
The student can explain and contrast the three main types of leadership theories:
trait, behavioral, and contingency and can explain the importance of
transformational, attributional, and charismatic theories of leadership.
The student can identify and define each of the five basic elements of
organizational structure: formalization, specialization, hierarchy, centralization,
professionalism, and personnel ratios
The student can explain the strategic and psychological preparation necessary
for an organization to make a merger or an acquisition work.
The student can explain the basics of organizational change efforts.
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THE SCHEDULE
CLASS #1: 1ST HALF: What is OB?
Reading Assignment: Greenberg Ch. 1
nd
3/18/10
2 HALF: Organizational Justice Reading Assignment: Greenberg
Reading Assignment: Greenberg Ch. 1 & 2
Quiz Questions:
1. The student will explain the difference among survey research, experiments,
naturalistic observation, and the case study (see p. 6)
2. Provide a working definition of an open system.
3. Explain the basic idea behind contingency theory.
4. Integrate the concepts of procedural and distributive justice.
5. Explain the difference between interpersonal justice and organizational
justice.
6. Explain how situational factors can be responsible for unethical behavior.
7. Explain what is meant by corporate social responsibility.
CLASS #2: 1st HALF: Learning, perception, and personality
Reading 3/25/10 Assignment: Greenberg Ch. 3; Amabile & Kramer HBR article
2nd HALF: Motivation Reading Assignment: Greenberg Ch. 6;
Quiz Questions:
1. List and explain the five dimensions of the Big Five.
2. Define and explain the basic aims of knowledge management
3. Explain self efficacy and indicate how it is a good predictor of work behavior.
4. Explain consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness in the context of
attribution theory.
5. Distinguish among positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement,
punishment, and extinction (see ch. 3).
6. How are equity theory and expectancy theory alike? How are they different?
7. List and explain the three principle factors that make for effective goal setting.
CLASS #3: 1st HALF: Work Related Attitudes Reading Assignment: Greenberg
Ch. 5; Morrison, Erickson, & Dychtwald HBR article
4/1/10
2nd HALF: Interpersonal Behavior in the Workplace Reading
Assignment: Greenberg Ch. 7
*****************Group Case during second half of the class*******************
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Quiz Questions:
1. Identify and define the three types of organizational commitment and
distinguish among them.
2. Discuss briefly the decision paths of the model of voluntary turnover.
3. Distinguish between the social information processing model and the
dispositional model of job satisfaction.
4. Distinguish between transactional and relational psychological
contracts.
5. Identify and briefly define the five forms of OCB.
6. Explain at least two positive and two negative consequences of
conflict.
CLASS #4: 1st HALF Groups
Reading Assignment: Greenberg Ch. 7, 9
4/8/10 2nd HALF: Groups and Teams
article
Reading Assignment: Chhaptar HBR
Quiz Questions:
1. Explain how the presence of others can sometimes facilitate and sometimes
inhibit task performance.
2. Explain how competition and cooperation are actually opposites
3. Distinguish between norms and status.
4. Differentiate between a work group and a work team.
5. Cite and explain at least four reasons why teams fail.
.
CLASS # 5: 1st HALF
Leadership
Reading Assignment: Greenberg Ch. 11
Greene, Nunes, & Shill HBR article
4/15/10
2nd HALF
Leadership individual case in class
Quiz Questions:
1. Explain the differences among trait, behavioral, and contingency theories
of leadership.
2. Explain the theory behind 360 degree feedback.
3. Cite and explain briefly at least three characteristics of transformational
leaders
4. Outline the basic features of the trait theory (great person) of leadership.
5. List the two main factors and explain the thinking behind the behavioral
theory of leadership.
6. Explain how LMX theory works.
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7. Identify LPC and explain how LPC contingency theory works
CLASS #6: 1st HALF: Creativity and innovation
Reading Assignment:
Greenberg Ch. 12; Picking Winners HBR; May2007, Vol. 85 Issue 5, p121-126, 6p
2nd HALF: Organizational Theory Reading Assignment: Greenberg
Ch. 13
Quiz Questions:
4/22/10
1. Explain the three vital functions performed by organizational
culture.
2. Explain the four types of organizational culture found in the
competing values framework.
3. Cite and briefly explain four ways that people can be trained to be
more creative.
4. Distinguish among three bases for departmentalization.
5. Briefly explain the contingency approach to organizational design.
6. Define and explain the benefits of vertical integration
CLASS #7:1st HALF: Organizational Change
Reading Assignment:
Greenberg Ch. 14;
4/29/10
2nd HALF: Test
N.B. The test for this class will be integrative and will be part of the second
half of the class.
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Readings for MBA 604.61
Emotion: Amabile, Teresa M., Kramer, Steven J. Source:
Harvard Business Review; May2007, Vol. 85 Issue 5, p72-83, 12p
Job Satisfaction: Delusions of Success, Lovello, D. & Kahneman, D. ,Harvard
Business Review, July 2003, Vol. 81 Issue 7, p56-63.
Motivation: Nohria, Nitin; Groysberg, Boris; Lee, Linda-Eling. Harvard Business
Review, Jul-Aug2008, Vol. 86 Issue 7/8, p78-84
Teams: Chhatpar, Ravi Source: Harvard Business Review; Sep2007, Vol. 85
Issue 9, p30-32.
Leadership: Breene, R. Timothy S., Nunes, Paul F. Shill, Walter E. Source:
Harvard Business Review; Oct2007, Vol. 85 Issue 10, p84-93.
Creativity: Picking Winners. Source: Harvard Business Review; May2007, Vol.
85 Issue 5, p121-126.
Organizational Design: Kaplan, Robert S. Norton, David P. Source: Harvard
Business Review; Mar2006, Vol. 84 Issue 3, p100-109.
Organizational Change: The 4 principles of enduring success. Authors: Stadler,
Christian Source: Harvard Business Review; Jul/Aug2007, Vol. 85 Issue
7/8, p62-72.