SYLLABUS

Organizational Behavior in Global Settings

MGMT 4850
Summer 2008 (May 18 – June 28)
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Instructor: Dr. Hao Zhao Email Address: zhaohao@gmail.com
Office Hours: by appointment (as I am ‘office-less’) Cell Phone: 137 1776 8496
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Class Sessions: Lectures are on M & W 10-11:30 at Classroom 2319 (with a few
exceptions; see the schedule on page 4)
Activities are usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Renmin students are
not required to attend.

Text (optional): Author: Greenberg & Baron

Title: Behaviors in Organizations (9th ed).
Publisher: Prentice Hall
ISBN 0131542842
Earlier versions or similar textbooks are okay

Course Description OB is the study of how individuals and groups impact the behavior within
& Objectives: an organization. It is a field of systematic study that focuses on
improving productivity and other areas of performance improvement.
The class material will include both theory and practical application of
Organizational Behavior (OB) in global settings. At the completion of
this course, students will have an improved understanding of people’s
work behavior under the diversity and complexity of today’s global
environment.

Grading: Grades will be based on the following assignments:

Exam 40 points
Short Papers 10 points (5*2)
Long Paper and presentation 30 points
Participation 20 points
_______________________________________
Total 100%
The final grade cutoff points are based on the following scale:
100 – 93 = A
90 – 92 = A-
87 – 89 = B+
83 – 86 = B
80 – 82 = B-

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 77 – 79 = C+
73 – 76 = C
70 – 72 = C-
65 – 69 = D+
60 – 64 = D
59 and below = Fail

Exams The exam will consist of 10 short essay questions. Exams are close-book
and close-notes. No cheat-sheet allowed. Scores will be posted within a
week after the exam.

Participation Students are expected to actively participate in class discussion with

valuable ideas. Please follow me and contribute as much as you can. I
also consider your classroom behaviors. Improper behavior, such as
coming late, leaving early, or snoring in class, will negatively affect your
total participation score.

Short papers Each paper will earn you up to 5 points depending on its quality. Format:
individual paper, 2 full pages (not more than 2.5 pages), double space,
#12, Times New Roman. Submit by email.

The first paper is due on May 26. In this paper, please tell a story about
an ‘adventure’ in your first week in China. Describe what difficulties you
had and how you overcome such problems. Make some conclusions as
well.

The second paper is due on June 4. In this paper, please compare

American and Chinese businesses according to your experiences so far,
and discuss the similarities and differences (e.g., brand, pricing,
product/service quality, customer orientation, etc. Use at least 3
companies as examples.

Long paper I expect you to show your improved knowledge of organizational

behavior in the global settings. Besides searching literature online, you
are required to have in-depth interviews of 3 or more appropriate people
(e.g., Chinese employees, managers, government officials, or western
expatriates), and cite their comments. I appreciate more of your own
observations and insights instead of your reading from a book.

Format: Group paper (4-5 students, no more than 2 RPI students per
group), 12 full pages (not more than 12.5 pages), double space, #12,
Times New Roman. Feel free to use tables and figures. Submit by email.
You earn up to 20 points for the group paper and up to 10 points for your
group presentation. You must choose a topic by May 29, and the paper
itself is due on June 25 when the group presentation is made.

Suggested topics (but feel free to propose new topics):

(1) Post-disaster management (e.g., earthquake in China vs. Katrina in
US)
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 (2) Guanxi (social relationship) in China: Is it a monster?
(3) Organizational justice and social justice in China (e.g., minority class,
minimum wage, safety protection, welfare system)
(4) China’s international reputation and real image: Is there a difference?
(5) Western Expatriates in China: Motivation, conflict, and adjustment

Activities Selected activities including a number of site tours will be organized to

help you understand Chinese culture and businesses. For safety concerns,
please follow instructions from the instructor, tour guide, host, security
guards, etc. while you are out.

Academic Integrity The Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities defines
various forms of academic dishonesty and you should make yourself
familiar with these.

In this class, all individual assignments and exams that are turned in for a
grade must represent the student’s own work. Any exceptions to this
must be clearly stated in the submittal with prior approval by the
instructor. Submission of any assignment that is in violation of this
policy will result in a failing grade for the exam, assignment, or course.

Integrating concepts from related coursework is encouraged; however, it

is unacceptable to submit work completed for another class. Handing in
previously submitted assignments is considered academic dishonesty and
will result of failure in this course.

Students must provide the reference source if they use other people’s
work from a book, journal, magazine, newspaper, thesis, working paper,
and/or website.

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Class Schedule

Week Date Day Topic Location Note

1 May 19 M Arrival in Beijing Arrival 2:25pm
1 May 21 W Introduction of the course 2319 Team formed
1 May 22 Th Activity 1 Great Wall
2 May 26 M Motivation 2319 Paper 1 due
2 May 27 T Activity 2 Forbidden city
2 May 28 W Communication 2319
2 May 29 Th Activity 3 Mingde 602 Guest lecture
3 June 2 M Decision Making 2319
3 June 3 T Activity 4 798 Art Zone
3 June 4 W Groups and Teams 2319 Paper 2 due
3 June 5 Th Activity 5 Mingde 713 Movie 1
4 June 9 M Groups and Teams 2319
4 June 10 T Activity 6 Mingde 602 Movie 2
4 June 11 W Negotiation 2319
4 June 12 Th Activity 7 Entrepre. firm
5 June 16 M Power & Politics Mingde 602 3:30pm!
5 June 17 T Activity 8 Olympics sites
5 June 18 W Organizational Culture Mingde 602 3:30pm!
5 June 19 Th Free travel No gathering
6 June 23 M Free travel No gathering
6 June 24 T Activity 9 TBA
6 June 25 W Presentation Mingde 602 3:30pm! Long paper due
6 June 26 Th Reading day
Mingde 602
6 June 27 F Exam & Farewell Party Final exam
Party room TBA
6 June 28 Sa Return to US Flight at noon

This schedule is subject to change. Changes may be announced in class or by email.

Class hours are 10-11:30am with a few exceptions (marked in bold).