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Course Information
Course Number/Section BA 3361 – Honors
Course Title Organizational Behavior
Term Fall 2007
Days & Times Thurs. 1:00 – 3:45
TA TBA
Phone
Email Address WebCT email
Office Location
Office Hours
Course Description
Have you ever wondered why some people seem motivated and others do not? Why some people
see the world the way you do and others don’t have a clue? Why some decisions are successfully
implemented and others never see the light of day? These questions and more are at the heart of
organizational behavior. In this course you will learn about human behavior in an organizational
context. You will not only understand what is going on, you will also be able to predict what will
happen, and will be able to influence outcomes.
BA 3361 Journal Articles (refer to the Journal List located at the end of this syllabus).
Packets are available at the UTD and Off-Campus bookstores. Some articles are
available at the UTD Library.
Books:
Big Brown: The Untold Story of UPS, Greg Niemann ISBN: 0787994022
The Google Story: Inside the Hottest Business, Media & Technology Success of Our
Time, David A Vise and Mark Malseed ISBN: 0553383633
Books may be purchased at the UTD and Off-Campus bookstores or through other
sources.
Dr. Z: Power Points Slides, Audio Lectures, Assignments, Assessments, Unit Learning
Objectives
Assignments
Welcome Students
I am pleased to be your instructor and facilitator to the wonders that are Organizational
Behavior. I am trying a different approach this semester forgoing textbooks, using
journal articles and books instead. Consequently, the assignments, assessments, and
weights below are based on the research I have conducted, feedback I have received from
students and colleagues, and my own experiences.
This course is a small organization and as an organization we will acquire, share, and
most assuredly use knowledge. Also, as a successful organization, we will need to be
flexible and adaptive. As such, this syllabus may need to be modified during the
semester. I will apprise you at the earliest opportunity of any changes that might take
place. I will also, if appropriate, solicit your input.
Participation (15%)
Class Contributions and Discussions (10%): Although you have no formal write-up*,
it is expected that you will be prepared to discuss readings and participate in assessments
and other activities. *I will institute required write-ups if I perceive that the class, as a
whole, is not adequately prepared each class period. I will keep track of your value-
added comments and questions.
Field Trip (3%): It is expected that you will participate in the field trip. If you are
unable to for some reason, talk to me and we will come up with an alternative
assignment.
Each team is responsible for facilitating two class sessions. The sessions are based on the
powerpoint slides I have created as well as the journal readings associated with your units. First I
will provide the theory and basic concepts of the associated OB concept. Then, you will expand
on the OB concept, integrating the journal reading(s) in your analysis. You are encouraged to
supplement your analysis with additional academic resources. If you do, provide a reference list
or bibliography as appropriate. Use questions, dialogue, PowerPoint presentations,
Audio/Videos, web links, etc. to enhance your presentations. You should then provide interactive
activities that engage the entire class in meaningful applications of course content. You may have
them complete surveys, conduct role plays, build objects, etc. You may choose to bring in a guest
speaker. What a great idea! If you do so, please inform me in advance so I can find out specifics
about the speaker and the topic.
The Evaluation Rubric for the facilitation activity is provided in a separate document.
The quality and timeliness of your quiz questions over both sessions counts 5% toward your team
facilitation grade.
We will read two books during the semester. First, we will read Big Brown: The Untold Story of
UPS. Your objective is to analyze the book through the eyes of an organizational behavior
For some basic ideas on how to evaluate a book check out the following website:
http://lib.colostate.edu/howto/evalbk.html
Quizzes (40%)
You will have 12 quizzes during the course of the semester. I will use the top ten grades. If you
miss a quiz you will get a “0” for that quiz score and this will be one of the grades I drop. This is
consistent with the attendance policy. You may not make up quizzes.
The quizzes will cover questions coming from my lecture material (obtain slides from your
WebCT course site in advance of the lectures) and from the team facilitation presentation. The
quiz will take place after the material is presented; therefore if you come to class prepared and
actively listen you will do well on them.
Submission criteria:
Each team will submit to me a minimum of 7 Multiple Choice questions that adequately assesses
their presentation material. One team member will attach a word document of the quiz questions
and will submit them through the WebCT mail tool with the subject heading “Quiz Questions
Unit X” where X is your Unit number. This is due no later than the Monday immediately
preceding your facilitation (8:00 AM CST). I will use these questions in combination with my
lecture questions to create the quizzes. Remember to make your questions as unambiguous as
possible. Provide four options and avoid using: all of the above, none of the above, a and b etc.
type of questions. Make sure that you covered the material in your presentation and dialogue.
Also, make sure that the questions assess key learning points. For ideas, take a look at the
learning objectives I have provided at the beginning of each unit’s slide presentation.
Important: Do not share your questions with any member of the class who is not in your team.
You are required to complete an evaluation of your participation and the participation of your
team mates on the team facilitation projects including the creation of quality quiz questions. I
want to know how well you worked with each other, how you divided the tasks, and how well
each member executed his/her part. Among other issues you may find important, consider each
member’s ability to adhere to deadlines, availability, interpersonal skills, creativity, leadership,
and responsibility to the team. The Team Peer Evaluation is confidential and is due at the
beginning of class on 11/15.
Rating/Grading
Above and beyond: (A+) went above and beyond and deserves a score higher than the
majority of the team members
Full contributor: (A) receives all team points; contributed fully to the team project
Overall Evaluation
I will review the feedback and determine if you deserve a “0” (full participation), “+”
points (members rate you consistently above and beyond the other team members) or “-“
points (members rate your participation consistently below that of full participation). If
you contribute fully you will receive a “0” on the peer evaluation and receive full credit
on your team assignment. It is possible for you to earn or lose points based on your
overall team contribution assessment. If you are consistently rated low (social loafing)
you may fail the team project.
Penalty
If you do not turn in your peer evaluation on time, I will deduct 5 points off of your Final
Course Grade (not the grade on your team projects). This is very important. Contribute
fully to your team projects and meet all course deadlines.
List team member names in alphabetical order by last name, assign grades and provide
comments. Include yourself in the list.
1. Explain the roles each member took and the contributions that each team member made. Be
specific. You learned about this in OB after all.
2. Why did you grade each person the way you did?
3. What worked well with your team and what would you do to improve your team process?
Academic Schedule
Unit 1: Icebreaker
8/16
Introduction to Speaker: Loreen
OB
Phillips
(Library)
Values
Field Trip
9/27
(Flexible Date)
Quiz 11 (Unit
13)
11/22 Holiday
Participation (15%)
Team Facilitations (25%)
Book Analyses (20%)
Quizzes (40%)
97 and above A+
92 to 96.99 A
89 to 91.99 A-
87 to 88.99 B+
82 to 86.99 B
79 to 81.99 B-
77 to 78.99 C+
72 to 76.99 C
69 to 71.99 C-
67 to 68.99 D+
62 to 66.99 D
59 to 61.99 D-
Below 59 F
Note: There has to be a grading cut-off somewhere. This is where our course grades are
delineated. Do not ask me to give you a different cutoff at the end of the semester.
If you must come to class late, please do so quietly. If you need to leave class early, please get
my approval at the beginning of the session. Turn off all electronic equipment unless I give you
prior permission to use them. This includes computers, cell-phones, MP3 players, Blackberries,
etc.
I do not accept late assignments and do not offer extra credit. I drop your two lowest quiz grades,
therefore, there will be no make up quizzes.
Technical Support
If you experience any problems with your UTD account you may send an email to:
assist@utdallas.edu or call the UTD Computer Helpdesk at 972-883-2911.
The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and
Regulations, Series 50000, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, and in Title V,
Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391) and online at
http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairs-HOPV.html
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship.
He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules,
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the
standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.
Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because
the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the
Scholastic Dishonesty, any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to
discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the
submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another
person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a
student or the attempt to commit such acts.
Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other
source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see
general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the
web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials, including music and software.
Copying, displaying, reproducing, or distributing copyrighted works may infringe the copyright
owner’s rights and such infringement is subject to appropriate disciplinary action as well as
criminal penalties provided by federal law. Usage of such material is only appropriate when that
usage constitutes “fair use” under the Copyright Act. As a UT Dallas student, you are required to
follow the institution’s copyright policy (Policy Memorandum 84-I.3-46). For more information
about the fair use exemption, see http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm
Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a
UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.
Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities
equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the
Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and
Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with the
Coordinator of Disability Services. The Coordinator is available to discuss ways to ensure your
full participation in the course. If you determine that formal, disability-related accommodations
are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with Disability Services to notify them of
your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. Disability Services can then plan how best to
coordinate your accommodations.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members
to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special
accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.
The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding
the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to
take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period
equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the
instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A
student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.
If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of
observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has
been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the
student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or
his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.
These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.
Why Does Affect Matter in Organizations? Barsade, Sigal & Gibson, Donald; In
Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 21, Iss. 1, pp. 36-59, Feb. 2007 (24 p)
What Makes a Leader? (HBR Classic). Goleman, Daniel. In Harvard Business Review,
Case No. R0401H. Published 01/01/2004, Harvard Business School Publishing, (10
pages).
Personality
Perception
Do Teams Who Agree to Disagree Make Better Decisions? Sidle, Stuart; In Academy of
Management Perspectives, Vol. 21, Iss. 2, pp. 74-75, May 2007 (2p)
How to Motivate Your Problem People. Nicholson, Nigel. In Harvard Business Review,
Case No. R0301D. Published 01/01/2003, Harvard Business School Publishing, (8
pages).
Speeding Up Team Learning. Edmondson, Amy C.; Bohmer, Richard; Pisano, Gary P. In
Harvard Business Review, Case No. R0109J. Published 10/01/2001, Harvard Business
School Publishing, (7 pages).
High Performance Teams: Lessons From the Pygmies. De Vries, Manfred F. R. Kets. In
Organizational Dynamics (journal), Vol. 27, Iss. 3. pp. 66-77. Published Winter, 1999.
Elsevier Science Publishers *, (12 pages).
Leading Virtual Teams, Malhotra, Arvind; Majchrzak, Ann, & Rosen, Benson; In
Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 21, Iss. 1, pp. 60-70, Feb. 2007 (11 p)
Communication
Taking the Stress out of Stressful Conversations. Weeks, Holly. In Harvard Business
Review, Case No. R0107H. Published 07/01/2001, Harvard Business School Publishing,
(8 pages).
Leadership
The Seven Ages of the Leader. Bennis, Warren G. In Harvard Business Review, Case
No. R0401D. Published 01/01/2004, Harvard Business School Publishing, (8 pages).
Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve (HBR Classic). Collins,
Jim. In Harvard Business Review, Case No. R0507M. Published 07/01/2005, Harvard
Business School Publishing, (12 pages).
Leadership That Gets Results. Goleman, Daniel. In Harvard Business Review, Iss.
03/01/2000. pp. 1-16. Case No. R00204. Published 03/01/2000, Harvard Business
School Publishing, (13 pages).
When Followers Become Toxic. Offermann, Lynn R. In Harvard Business Review, Case
No. R0401E. Published 01/01/2004, Harvard Business School Publishing, (6 pages).
Conflict
How Resilience Works. Coutu, Diane L. In Harvard Business Review, Case No. R0205B.
Published 05/01/2002, Harvard Business School Publishing, (6 pages)
Negotiation
Tapping the Subjective Values Present in Negotiations: Face, Feelings, and Friendships.
Muir, Clive; In Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 21, Iss. 1, pp. 72-74, Feb.
2007 (3p)
Culture
Case Analysis
Bob's Meltdown (HBR Case Study and Commentary). Carr, Nicholas G. In Harvard
Business Review, Case No. R0201A. Published 01/01/2002, Harvard Business School
Publishing, (9 pages).