T 7:00-9:50pm
General Learning Goals: • Teambuilding and collaboration to achieve group objectives. These objectives will be practiced as students work in teams to analyze business scenarios and cases and complete skill-building experiential exercises. Students will also work closely in teams to complete a major course project involving the analysis of film clips demonstrating organizational behavior concepts. Instructor observation, project evaluation, and feedback from team members will be used to assess these abilities. • Competency in speaking and writing for common business scenarios. Students will practice their oral presentation skills in class experiential exercises which require them to speak and role play before the class and in the major course presentation of the film analysis. The student’s ability to speak clearly to an audience will be included in the student’s participation grade and the team score for the major project. A written personality profile and research paper will also be used to assess writing ability. • Problem solving and decision-making abilities through critical analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of business information. This course assumes basic knowledge of organizational behavior concepts. Students build upon this foundation by exploring new research, applying concepts to a variety of real world cases and experiential exercises, and building self-awareness and new skills through self-awareness surveys and skill development exercises. Problem solving, decision-making, and critical analysis abilities will be assessed by examination, instructor observation, team feedback, team presentation, and in written analyses.
These general learning goals are established by the Dillard College. They represent skills graduates carry with them into their careers. While assessing student performance in obtaining these goals, the Dillard College is assessing its programs. These assessments assist us as we improve curriculum and its delivery.
Course Specific Learning Goals: After completing this course, students should: • Gain deeper insight into traditional organizational behavior concepts, like individual differences, attitudes, ethics, motivation, group dynamics, leadership, power, conflict, stress, culture and change. • Discover new knowledge of specific organizational behavior issues by examining current research. • Apply organizational behavior concepts and skills to recognize, analyze, and develop solutions to specific organizational problems encountered at work. • Expand self-awareness concerning their personality, workplace preferences, and attitudes toward others and the workplace. These insights along with self-development exercises will help students build the skills they need to succeed in the workplace. • Develop team skills by working extensively in group experiential exercises and by preparing and presenting a team film analysis to the class.
Grading and Evaluation - Student's performance will be assessed using the following methods:
Exams (2): Exams may be a combination of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. Examinations are designed to assess knowledge of key concepts presented in the course as well as critical thinking skills in applying concepts. See Missed Examination Policy above.
Projects (4): The following projects are assigned. Project details are provided later in this syllabus.
1. Personality Profile – Individual Paper
2. Research Paper – Individual Paper
3. OB in the Movies – Team Presentation
4. Mini-Papers - Homework
Assignments are due at the start of class on the due date. Late surveys and papers must be received before the end of the next class session. A letter grade penalty (e.g., A reduced to B) is assessed for late homework and papers without documentation of a university-approved absence.
Final grades will be determined as follows:
Course Grade Determination 2 Exams @ 25% each 50% Personality Profile 15% Research Paper 15% OB in the Movies 15% Mini-Papers 5% 100% Grade Ranges 90-100 A 80-89 B 70-79 C 60-69 D Under 60 F
The grade ranges are firm. Standard rounding rules apply – only decimals of .5 or greater round up. For example, 79.4 is a “C” but 79.5 rounds up to a “B”.
Participation and Attendance Policy: Since this is a participation-based course, you must be present and prepared to participate effectively. Missing one class session is equivalent to missing a week of class. Even a partial absence is preferable to missing the whole evening. Missing more than two class sessions is considered excessive. If you must miss a class, turn your homework in early for full credit. Otherwise, it will be counted late upon your return. See MSU Student Handbook (2009-2010) page 39-40, for University Class Attendance Policy.
Missed Examination Policy: If a student misses a scheduled exam, the student must immediately contact the instructor to schedule a make-up exam. Students must make up a missed exam before they are allowed to return to class. Students who miss a scheduled exam will not be given the original exam (Form A). Instead, they will take a make-up version of the exam (Form B) that is substantially different from the original. It is in everyone’s best interest for students to take the exam as scheduled if at all possible.
Assignment Submission Policy: All assignments are due in class at the beginning of class on the specified due date. Assignments submitted after the instructor collects them from the class will be counted late, even if they are submitted during the class session. Assignments will not be accepted via e-mail without the prior consent of the instructor. You may slide homework under my office door if I am not in the office. Multi-page assignments must be stapled!
Academic Dishonesty
With regard to academic honesty, students are referred to the “Student Honor Creed” on p. 19 of Midwestern State University Undergraduate Catalog, Vol. LXXVIII, No. 1. Your name on any exam or assignment is your pledge that all work contained therein is yours alone. Collaboration in graded assignments is allowed only in the “OB in the Movies” team project in this course. Academic dishonesty (cheating, collusion, and plagiarism) is taken seriously and will be investigated. Serious violations will result in you being dropped from the course with an “F” and may trigger disciplinary action by the college or university. The university academic dishonesty policy, outlined in Section VI of the MSU Student Handbook (2009-2010), includes a student appeal process, but all incidents require written notification of the incident to the Department Chair, College Dean, and the Dean of Students with copies placed in the student’s file.
Americans with Disabilities Act
If a student has an established disability as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act and would like to request accommodation, that student should please see me as soon as possible (i.e., within the first two weeks of the semester). Refer to my office hours and phone number shown on page 1. This class follows the guidelines suggested by MSU Disability Support Services for those students who qualify for disability services. See Midwestern State University Undergraduate Catalog, Vol. LXXVIII, No. 1, p. 21.
Food and Beverage Policy
No food of any kind is allowed in classrooms in the Dillard Building. All beverages are prohibited except bottled water that is capped at all times when not taking a drink. Policy is strictly enforced!
Syllabus Change Policy
This syllabus is a general outline of material covered, learning goals, grading procedures and student performance requirements. Material covered, dates of tests, and percent of total grade will vary as necessitated by the pace at which material is covered and any unforeseen class interruptions, such as weather cancellations, guest lecturers, or instructor illness. This syllabus and the attached class schedule are guides for the course and are subject to change. Changes to the syllabus and/or class schedule will be communicated in class.
Additional Information
Grade Appeals: Any student who believes a grade has been inequitably awarded should first contact the instructor who awarded the grade to discuss the issue and attempt to resolve the differences. A student has 30 days following the first day of the succeeding semester to file a written appeal with the dean of the instructor’s college in which the course was taught. Refer to the Undergraduate Catalogue for further details. See the MSU Student Handbook for University policy on grade appeal.
Grade Changes: No grade except “I” may be removed from a student’s record once properly recorded. Changes are not permitted after grades have been filed except to correct documented clerical errors. Requests for error correction must be initiated immediately after the close of the semester for which the grade was recorded.
Awarding and Removal of I: A grade of I (incomplete) is a non punitive grade given only during the last one fourth of a semester and only if a student (1) is passing the course; (2) has reason beyond the control of the student why the work cannot be completed on schedule; and (3) arranges with the instructor to finish the course at a later date by completing specific requirements that the instructor must list on the grade sheet. A student may remove a grade of I within 30 days by completing the stipulated work.