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Course Syllabus

Introduction to Organizational Behavior

Course Information
Course Number/Section BA 3361-501
Course Title Introduction to Organizational Behavior

Term Fall 2010


Days & Times Tuesdays & Thursdays: 5:30-m-6:45pm
Location SOM 2.117

Professor Contact Information


Professor Deidria (Dee) Ellington, M.A.
Office Phone 972-883-5911
Other Phone 972-742-1447 (cell)
Email Address delling@utdallas.edu
Office Location SOM 2.205 (Undergraduate Lounge)
Office Hours by appt. only
Other Information I am the recruiter for the undergraduate programs in SOM. I’m
often off campus recruiting prospective freshman and transfer
students. If you need to contact me, please email me or contact
me by cell phone. I will not discuss grades over the phone or by
email. You will need to see me in person if you have a question
regarding your grade.

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions


None
Course Description
Organizational behavior is a field of study that seeks to understand, explain and improve human
behavior in organizations. Most organizations focus their efforts on improving two aspects of
human behavior: (1) job performance-the degree to which individuals perform the behaviors
needed for the organization to achieve its goals; and (2) organizational commitment-the degree to
which employees remain loyal to the organization rather than withdrawing from their work.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes


1. Describe team processes and explain the characteristics associated with effective team
performance.
2. Apply ethical and value-related issues as they relate to human behavior in organizations
to making ethical and responsible decisions.
3. Explain and apply major theoretical and scholarly approaches, empirical findings, and
historical trends in Organizational Behavior.
4. Explain how diversity and multiculturalism affects the workplace environment and
develop some strategies to bridge differences to capitalize don the benefits of
multiculturalism.
5. Explain and apply the multicultural aspects and international dimensions of the societies
and world in which we live and be familiar with knowledge and methods necessary to
deal with related problems.

Course Syllabus Page 1


Required Textbooks and Materials
Organizational Behavior, 1st ed. Bauer & Erodogan

This is also an ebook. You can get access to it for free and you have other options ranging from
access to print it yourself (for $20) to getting a soft cover color book ($60). Follow this link to
access the site and the ordering options:
http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/pub/1.0/organizational-behavior?course=46224

Suggested Course Materials


Wall Street Journal (recommended only)
http://online.wsj.com/home-page
http://www.nytimes.com

Grading Scale

A+: 97 and up A: 94-96 A-: 90-93


B+: 87-89 B: 84-86 B-: 80-83
C+: 77-79 C: 74-76 C-: 70-73
D+: 67-69 D: 64-66 D-: 60-63

F: 59 and below

e-Learning and Communication


You will need to have access to eLearning. Class slides and other relevant material will be posted
on eLearning. In addition, you are advised to check your messages on eLearning frequently, and
prior to each class session. This will be the main way to disseminate any messages or instructions
relating to the course. A university policy to protect student privacy directs that faculty are not
required to answer student e-mails unless they are from a UTD account. This means that I will
not respond to e-mails unless they come from a UTD account.

Course Syllabus Page 2


Assignments and Academic Calendar

Date Topic Readings

Aug. 19 Syllabus, Course Overview, Intro to OB, Student Group Exercise


Information Card, What is Organizational
Behavior?

Aug. 24 Understanding Organizational Behavior Chapter 1


Understanding your learning style
Understanding How OB Research Is Done
Trends and Changes
Exercise: Paragon Learning Style Inventory

Aug. 26 Managing Demographic and Cultural Diversity Chapter 2


Demographic Diversity
Cultural Diversity
The Role of Ethics and national Culture
Exercise
Video
Aug 31 Understanding People at Work: Individual Chapter 3
Differences and Perception
The Interactionist Perspective: The Role of Fit
Individual Differences: Values and Personality
Video
Case Study

Sept. 2 Understanding People at Work: Individual Chapter 3 continued


Differences and Perception
Perception
The Role of Ethics and National Culture
Exercise
Video

Sept 7 Individual Attitudes and Behaviors Chapter 4


What are the Main Components of Attitudes?
Does Behavior Always Follow from Attitudes?
What are the Major Job Attitudes

Course Syllabus Page 3


Sept 9 Job Satisfaction Chapter 4 continued
Measuring Job Satisfaction
How satisfied are People in their Jobs
What causes Job Satisfaction
The impact of Satisfied and Dissatisfied Employees on
the Workplace

Sept. 14 Theories of Motivation Chapter 5


Need Based Theories
Process-Based Theories
The Role of Ethics and National Culture
Video
Exercise

Sept 16 Contemporary Theories of Motivation Chapter 5 continued


Cognitive Evaluation Theory
Goal-Setting Theory
Self-Efficacy Theory
Equity Theory
Expectancy Theory

Sept. 21 Designing a Motivating Work Environment: Chapter 6


Motivating Employees Through Job Design
Motivating Employees Through Goal Setting
Motivating Employees Through Performance Appraisals
Motivating Employees Through Performance Incentives
The Role of Ethics and National Culture

Sept. 23 Exam 1 (Online)

Sept. 28 Managing Stress and Emotions Chapter 7


What is Stress?
Avoiding and Managing Stress
What are Emotions
Group Exercise
Video
Sept. 30 What are Emotions continued Chapter 7
Emotions at Work
The Role of Ethics and National Culture
Video
Case Studies
Oct. 5 Understanding Communication Chapter 8
Communication Barriers
Different Types of Communication and channels
The Role of Ethics and National Culture
Group Exercise

Course Syllabus Page 4


Oct. 7 Managing Groups and Teams Chapter 9
Group Dynamics
Understanding Team Design Characteristics
Video
Case Studies
Oct. 12 Management of Teams Chapter 9 continued
Barriers to Effective Teams
The Role of Ethics and National Culture
Video

Oct. 14 Conflict and Negotiations Chapter 10


Understanding Conflict
Causes and Outcomes of Conflict
Conflict Management
Oct. 19 Negotiations Chapter 10
Bargaining Strategies
The Negotiation Process
Individual Differences in Negotiation Effectiveness
Third-Party Negotiations
Case Studies
Oct. 21 Making Decisions Chapter 11
Understanding Decision Making
Faulty Decision Making
Decision Making in Groups
Exercises
Oct. 26 Leading People Within Organizations Chapter 12
Who Is a Leader? Trait Approaches to Leadership
What Do Leaders Do? Behavioral Approaches to
Leadership
What’s New? Contemporary Approaches to Leadership
Group Exercise
Oct 28 Exam II (Online)

Nov 2 Power and Politics Chapter 13


The Basics of Power
The Power of Influence
Organizational Politics

Nov 4 Power and Politics continued Chapter 13


Understanding Social Network
The Role of Ethics and National Culture
Case Study
Nov 9 Organizational Structure and Change Chapter 14
Organizational Structure
Organizational Change

Course Syllabus Page 5


Nov 11 Organizational Structure and Change Chapter 14
New Design Options
Why Do Structures Differ

Nov 16 Organizational Culture Chapter 15


Understanding Organizational Culture
Characteristics of Organizational Culture
Creating and Maintaining Organizational Culture
Creating Culture and Organizational Change
Nov 18 Group Presentations meeting In classroom

Nov 23 Group Presentations

Nov 25 No class-Thanksgiving Holiday

Nov 30 Group Presentations

Dec 2 Final Exam (Online)

Course Syllabus Page 6


Grading Policy
Group Project 30%
Exam I 25%
Exam II 25%
Exam III 20%
Quizzes- extra points
Course Policies

Exams
There will be three exams. All exams will be weighted the same, and the final will not be
comprehensive. The exams will be online and timed. The student will be given a “testing
window” of several days so that the student can take the test at their convenience at anytime
during the “testing window.” Exam questions will consist of true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and
multiple choice. Each exam counts between 20%- 25% of your grade. Since the exams are timed,
I recommend that each student study since not enough time will be available to “look up” each
answer.

If you have a conflict and need to reschedule an exam for a different “testing window”, please
discuss it with me at least one week before the exam date. If you do not contact me one week
prior to the exam date, there will be no make-up and that exam will be dropped by default.

Pop Quizzes
I will give random pop-quizzes throughout the semester. The quizzes will be brief, designed to
get you thinking about the class materials ahead of time. The quizzes will include three simple
questions to test your reading of the material. They will be either true/false, fill-in-the-blank, or
multiple choices. Each question is worth one point, so you can score a maximum of 3 points on
each quiz. I will not give make-up quizzes.

Policy on Cheating
Each student in this course is expected to exercise independent scholarly thought, expression and
aptitude. The addendum to the course syllabus is provided to assist you in developing and
maintaining academic integrity while seeking scholastic success.

All episodes of suspected scholastic dishonesty will be reported according to University policy.
Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University.
Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students and the University, policies on scholastic
dishonesty will be strictly enforced. Penalties that may be assessed for scholastic dishonesty may
be reviewed in Subchapter D. Penalties at http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/chapter49.html.

Late Work
None

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Presentation Workshop
Teams of 5 -7 students will work together to develop a workshop around one of the topics of
organizational behavior listed in the syllabus. Each team will present/demonstrate the topic/issue
in a creative manner (e.g., skits/role plays, debates, videos, large/small group discussions,
assessments/inventories, cases, overheads, worksheets, class activities, etc.). In your planning for
the workshop, you are expected to have read the readings thoroughly, and include any additional
material (articles from academic and practitioner journals, books, etc.) that you have identified. If
you wish, you may distribute copies of additional readings to class members one week before the
day you will be covering the material. You are also expected to hand in a copy of the outline of
your workshop for instructor feedback.

Workshops will be graded based on the following criteria:


1. Connection to theory and concepts from text, lecture and outside research. (Does it
demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topic? Does it demonstrate good research?)
2. Creativity of workshop and communication style (Is the content and format unique (or is
it simply a lecture/slide presentation? Is the workshop effective? Clear?
3. Overall integration of workshop. (Does it appear to be a team workshop, or a series of
individual workshops? Do team members individually present sub-topics?)

Class Attendance
Although there is no attendance taken, it is still a very important part of the grade equation. If you
miss more than a few classes, it will impact your grade in several ways. You might miss a quiz.
You may also miss important information that will be on the exam. The quiz grade is designed so
that it is possible for you to miss one or two without consequence (provided you do well on the
others). However, repeated missed quizzes will hurt your grade. The bottom line is, if you do not
plan to come to class on a regular basis it is unlikely that you will pass.

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.

Student Conduct & Discipline


The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations
for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and
each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern
student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is
contained in the UTD printed publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered
students each academic year.

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

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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 student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high
standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

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, and 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.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level
courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog.
Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle
withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final
grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

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Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other


fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a
serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or
committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and
evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be
submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If
the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student
may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the
School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate
or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the
academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

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.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably
missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An
incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the
subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the
incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is
changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities equal educational
opportunities. Disability Services provides students with a documented letter to present to
the faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
This letter should be presented to the instructor in each course at the beginning of the
semester and accommodations needed should be discussed at that time. It is the student’s
responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for accommodation. If
accommodations are granted for testing accommodations, the student should remind the
instructor five days before the exam of any testing accommodations that will be needed.
Disability Services is located in Room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are
Monday – Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You may
reach Disability Services at (972) 883-2098.

Guidelines for documentation are located on the Disability Services website at


http://www.utdallas.edu/disability/documentation/index.html

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Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose
places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, and
Texas Code Annotated.

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.

Course Syllabus Page 11

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