Organizational Behavior
BUS 2111
Course Syllabus
Our
textbook for this semester is Organizational
Behavior, 15th edition
by Stephen Robbins (ISBN-10: 0132834871 | ISBN-13: 9780132834872). You may use
the reserve copy in the library on the main campus to stay current with reading
assignments if you should experience a delay purchasing a copy.
COURSE
DESCRIPTION
Studies the importance
of understanding human relations in the workplace and how interpersonal
relationships have evolved in this century from an emphasis on production to an
emphasis on developing and utilizing the whole person. Topics include
communication, conflict, motivation, power, decision making, and self-esteem.
Prerequisites: Completion of all Learning Support competencies for reading and
writing.
COURSE
OUTCOMES
After completing
BUS 2111, students should be able to:
1. Explain the importance of interpersonal skills to managerial effectiveness.
2. Describe the impact in the work place of globalization, cultural
differences, workforce diversity, and ethics.
3. Discuss the role of leadership in achieving effective organizational
performance.
4. Analyze various group dynamics and the impact on the organization.
5. Provide a critical analysis of the need for change and stress management in
the workplace.
The following are detailed course
competencies to support the course outcomes:
1. Define organizational behavior.
2. Explain how values and attitudes affect job satisfaction.
3. Identify and explain contemporary theories of motivation.
4. Provide an explanation of the foundations of group behavior.
5. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between groups and
teams.
6. Describe the communication process.
7. Provide a critical analysis of the basic approaches to leadership.
8. Differentiate between power and politics.
9. Distinguish functional from dysfunctional conflict.
10. Discuss organizational culture and how it impacts the organization.
11. Describe techniques for implementing change in an organization.
COURSE OUTLINE
I. Introduction
A. What
is Organizational Behavior?
II. The Individual
A. Foundations of Individual Behavior
B. Attitudes and Job Satisfaction
C. Personality and Values
D. Motivation Concepts
E. Motivation: From Concepts to Applications
III. The Group
A. Foundations of Group Behavior
B. Understanding Work Teams
C. Communication
D. Basic Approaches to Leadership
E. Contemporary Issues in Leadership
F. Power and Politics
G. Conflict and Negotiation
IV. The
Organization System
A. Organizational Culture
V. Organizational Dynamics.
A. Organizational Change and Stress Management
SUMMARY
of COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1) Read the assigned material in the textbook (see the Assignments page);
2) Complete the required online tests;
3) Complete the online Mid-Term Exam in a testing center; and
4) Complete the online Final Exam in a testing center.
OPTIONAL
ACTIVITIES
There are a variety of learning materials within each chapter in the textbook
and the online content, such as: quizzes, practice tests, Internet exercises,
homework assignments, etc. These are not
required but are
recommended to help you
develop mastery of the subject.
ONLINE
TESTS/EXAMS
Important
Requirement: The
Respondus LockDown Browser is required to complete and review the required tests
and exams. Click
here for instructions.
Test questions for each of the
online tests and the two exams will come from material covered in the textbook
and the Web lessons. The Mid-Term Exam will include materials covered to that
point in the course. The Final Exam will emphasize material covered after the
Mid-Term Exam. A
good strategy to prepare for the Mid-Term and Final Exams is to review all the
tests you have completed (see
the instructions in the FAQ's). The
online tests are timed and one attempt is allowed. The amount of time allocated
begins when you click the link to access a test; therefore, you must be prepared
to complete the test when you access it.
The Mid-Term and Final Exams require a password and must
be completed in a testing
center. A testing technician will enter the password necessary for you to
complete the exam. You may complete all tests and exams online in the Kisber Library
Testing Center located on the main Nashville State campus or at one of the
Nashville State sites in Cookeville, Dickson, Southeast Center, or Waverly. The
hours for the Testing Center on campus are: 8:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday -
Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday, and 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Saturday (video
and Web students only on Saturday). If you plan to go to an off-campus testing
center, I suggest that you check with them to determine their hours and
procedures for the current semester. You must provide photo identification, your
course name and number, and your instructor's name to take tests in the Testing
Center. Tennessee Board of Regents rules and regulations require that no
children under 12 years of age will be allowed in the Testing Center.
You will be allowed one hour and
may use one page of notes (8 1/2 X 11 both sides) for each test or exam. The
notes may be configured as you wish - hand written, typewritten or a combination
of both. You should schedule a full hour to complete each test or exam. The test
is locked if the time expires and the test is not submitted, and you will be
unable to do anything further at that point. It is imperative that you save
answers as you enter them.
PROCTORS
You may make arrangements with an
acceptable proctor if you have truly extraordinary circumstances, rather than
mere convenience, and cannot come to campus or an off-campus site to complete
the Mid-Term and/or Final Exam. Most towns and cities have acceptable proctors
which could include: school teachers, college professors, school administrators
(e.g. principals), and librarians. Most community colleges and universities have
testing centers which are usually willing to proctor an exam. The proctor must
have an email address which clearly reflects the name of the institution and the
proctor's name. Please have the proctor contact me for arrangements via email
(Quenton.Pulliam@nscc.edu). The proctor must contact me and express a
willingness to proctor your exam(s) before I contact her/him. This is a matter
of courtesy. Additionally, the proctor must have the Respondus LockDown Browser
installed on the computer to be used for the exam or be willing to install it.
Your arrangements must be completed by the third week of the semester.
MISSED TEST/EXAM POLICY
The dates
published in the
Assignments/Semester Calendar page are not
the due dates, they are the last opportunity to complete a test or exam.
I expect that students will not wait until the last opportunity but some always
do and often run into unexpected complications. The
usual last-minute difficulties each semester include: computer malfunction, had
to work late, illness, car troubles, read the calendar date wrong, etc. Believe
me, something
will happen if you wait until the last day and I do
not approve extensions! Tests
and exams will not be available after the date published in the
Assignments/Semester Calendar. The only
exception to this policy will
be if you can document a severe, personal tragedy such as hospitalization or
death. Do not ask for an extension unless you are able to document such an
event. The lowest test grade for the semester will be substituted for the first
missed test. Subsequent missed tests will receive a score of zero. Missed exams
will receive a score of zero. Clearly, this is to encourage you not to
procrastinate until the deadline. Occasionally,
a student will complete all four required tests and have one low score which
will lower the semester grade. As a matter of equity, I do not allow that to
happen. I
look closely at all test scores for each student before submitting final grades.
If one low score will reduce the final grade by a letter, I adjust the student's
final grade accordingly.
REVIEWING
TESTS
I strongly encourage
reviewing prior tests as you prepare for the mid-term and final exams. Click
Grades and the submission icon to the right of the test or exam you wish to
review.
GRADING CRITERIA
Final grades for the semester are calculated on a basis of 1000 points which can
be earned from the required tests and exams:
A = 900+ points (90%+)
B = 800-899 points (80-89%)
C = 700-799 points (70-79%
D = 600-699 points (60-69%)
F = 0-599 points (0-59%)
You can earn a maximum of 1150
points from a combination of the required tests and exams, and opportunities for
extra credit. Extra credit points are included at the end of the semester. For
example, if you earn 775 points (C) from tests 1-4, the mid
term and final exams, and 50
extra credit points for a combined total of 825 points, you will earn a B in the
course.
Required Tests and Exams:
4 Tests: 400 points possible (100 points each)
Mid-Term Exam (Testing Center): 300 points possible
Final Exam (Testing Center): 300 points possible
Opportunities for Extra
Credit
Practice Tests: You
can earn up to 100 additional points by completing practice tests. You may
attempt these as many times as you wish and only the highest score will count
towards your grade.
Position
Paper: You can earn up to 50
additional points by composing a position paper and posting it as an attachment
in the Discussion area for class members to review. Please choose a contemporary
topic from our text book or any topic that is relevant to our subject. I
encourage you to be selective and choose one which will be interesting and
meaningful to you. Examples of position papers and an excellent guide from the
University of Hawaii are available in the Help section of the Content page.
I shall grade only those papers
which meet the
following 5 requirements:
1) Consist of a minimum of 3-5 pages;
2) Use at least 5 information sources of your choosing (Wikipedia.org is not an
acceptable source);
3) Format must be derived from the style manual of your choice, such as:
Chicago, Campbell, Keithley,
Hacker, Turabian, MLA, or APA;
4) A bibliography, list of references, or footnotes; and
5) Posted in the NS Online Discussion area absolutely no later than the deadline
listed in the Assignments/Semester Calendar.
Grading Rubrics
Content and persuasiveness = 40 points
Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style = 10 points
I have received several plagiarized
papers recently. In an attempt to
provide a "level playing field" for all students, a copy of all papers will be
submitted to Turnitin.com to verify authenticity. Please review the college’s
honesty policy.
In short… compose
this paper as you would for an English composition class.
Course Access, Attendance,
and Satisfactory Progress
Access to the NS Online component for all courses, study aids, tests, and
exams will be available on the first day of classes for the semester. The
benefit which you can derive from your course is related directly to the effort
which you put into your studies. Attendance, defined as completing assignments
on time, is critical to your success. Dates are published for the last
opportunity to complete various assignments such as chapters to read, and tests
and exams to complete. These dates will not be extended. A student that stops
attending (completing assignments on time) during the semester, and does not
withdraw, will be assigned a grade of “FA” - Failure, attendance related
(unofficial withdrawal). A student that never attends, and does not
withdraw, will be assigned a grade of “FN” - Failure, never attended class
(unofficial withdrawal). A student must withdraw officially from a course or the
college rather than stop attending. Please refer to the most recent Nashville
State catalog for information on withdrawing.
NSCC
POLICIES:
Student Communication
Channels
It is
the student’s responsibility to check NS Online and MyNSCC email on a regular
basis. These are the official communication channels between the college
and students. Students are responsible for the information communicated through
those channels. NS Online contains specific course information and MyNSCC
contains information important for other purposes.
Early Warning System
Nashville State
Community College has implemented an Early Warning System to notify students via
e-mail about academic problems such as poor classroom attendance, poor
performance on assignments/tests, poor communication skills, late/missing
assignments, and/or lack of classroom participation. Please note that Early
Warning Alerts do not affect a student’s academic standing.
ADA Compliance Statement
Nashville State
complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If
you wish to request any special accommodations for any courses in which you are
enrolled, contact the Student Disabilities Office at 353.3721.
Classroom Misconduct
Nashville State
Community College has a zero tolerance policy for disruptive conduct in the
classroom. Students whose behavior disrupts the classroom will be subject to
disciplinary sanctions. Please consult your Student Handbook for more specific
details. The instructor has primary responsibility for control over classroom
behavior and maintenance of academic integrity. He/she can order temporary
removal or exclusion from the classroom of any student engaged in disruptive
conduct or in conduct which violates the general rules and regulations of the
College. Disruptive behavior in the classroom may be defined as, but is not
limited to, behavior that obstructs or disrupts the learning environment (e.g.,
offensive language, harassment of students and professors, repeated outbursts
from a student which disrupt the flow of instruction or prevent concentration on
the subject taught, failure to cooperate in maintaining classroom decorum,
etc.), the continued use of any electronic or other noise or light emitting
device which disturbs others (e.g., disturbing noises from beepers, cell phones,
palm pilots, lap-top computers, games, etc.).
Please be aware that children are
not allowed in class or unattended on campus.
Academic Dishonesty (Honor
Code)
Any form of academic
dishonesty, cheating, plagiarizing, or other academic misconduct is prohibited.
“Plagiarism may result from: (1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas,
(2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to
put summaries and paraphrases in your own words (A Writer’s Reference 331).
Academic dishonesty may be defined as, but is not limited to, intentionally
trying to deceive by claiming credit for the work of another person, using
information from a web page or source without citing the reference, fraudulently
using someone else’s work on an exam, paper, or assignment, recycling your own
work from another course, purchasing papers or materials from another source and
presenting them as your own, attempting to obtain exams/materials/assignments in
advance of the date of administration by the instructor, impersonating someone
else in a testing situation, providing confidential test information to someone
else, submitting the same assignment in two different classes without requesting
both instructor’s permission, allowing someone else to copy or use your work,
using someone else’s work to complete your own, altering documents, transcripts
or grades, and forging a faculty/staff member’s signature.
In addition to other possible
disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed through regular college procedures as
a result of academic dishonesty the instructor has the authority to assign an
“F” or a “Zero” for the exercise, paper, or examination or to assign an “F” for
the course. Students may appeal through the appropriate college grade appeal
procedures.
Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of an
inclement weather event, check the Nashville State web site home page at
www.nscc.edu for announcements on campus closures. Campus closures will also be
announced on local television stations (channels 2, 4, 5, and 17). When classes
are cancelled, an online assignment will be posted in NS Online. Check your NS
Online email for a message from your instructor regarding your online assignment
requirements. Even though classes may be cancelled, some areas, i.e. Testing
Center, may be open. However, you should check before commuting to campus. The
Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Director of Security are responsible
for cancellation decisions during an inclement weather event for the Nashville
State main campus and the Southeast campus. Cookeville, Waverly, and Dickson
Campus Directors will make class cancellation decisions based on conditions in
their respective areas. Decisions about class cancellations are based on actual
conditions, not forecasts. The perspective used for making decisions is that of
the college as an employer, not as a K-12 institution. Students should use their
own best judgment in determining whether to report to campus during inclement
weather when classes are not cancelled.