Course Syllabus

Course Information

BA 3361.002: Organizational Behavior

Spring 2008
Tuesday 1:00-3:45 p.m.
Room: SOM 2.106

Professor Contact Information

Professor Dr. JoyLynn H. Reed

Phone & Voice Mail 972-883-6562
E-Mail Please use WebCT internal e-mail only
Office TBA
Office Hours TBA and by appointment
TA TBA

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

None

Course Description

Welcome to Organizational Behavior. This is a particularly important course

because in it you will learn how individuals and groups impact and influence
behavior in the places where you will work and spend a large percentage of your
time. Your knowledge of how and why people in work settings behave as they
do and your application of that knowledge can be key factors to your success as
future managers and executives. OB is a field of systematic study that focuses
on improving productivity, enhancing quality, and assisting practitioners to
develop methods to empower people and to enhance their functioning in their
workplaces. We live in a world characterized by rapid change, globalization, and
diversity. In this course, you will gain knowledge about these trends as well as
guidance for managers interested in creating an ethically and healthy work
climate. Get ready to learn how to challenge your intuitive assumptions about
workplace behavior by learning and applying the findings based on systematic
research.

There are many different types of learning activities in this class. I have
structured the course so that varied learning preferences are accommodated.
Given this instructional goal, please engage fully with me and your classmates in
all activities and assignments so that the depth and breadth of your learning
experience this semester will be rich, interesting, and useful. You never know

Course Syllabus Page 1

when an assignment or activity will capture your attention and spur your learning
in unanticipated ways.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

By the end of this class, you will:

1. Develop a regard for human values and the ability to make judgments
based on ethical and environmental considerations.
2. Apply theories and concepts of motivation to develop strategies for
improving work performance.
3. Apply theories and concepts of leadership to develop strategies for
improving work performance.
4. Apply theories and concepts of goal setting, feedback, and conflict
management to develop strategies for improving organizational
communication.
5. Describe team processes and explain the characteristics associated with
effective team performance.
6. Apply ethical and value-related issues as they relate to human behavior in
organizations to making ethical and responsible decisions.
7. Explain and apply major theoretical and scholarly approaches, empirical
findings, and historical trends in Organizational Behavior.
8. Explain how diversity and multiculturalism affects the workplace
environment and develop some strategies to bridge differences to
capitalize on the benefits of multiculturalism.
9. 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.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Organizational Behavior 12th edition. Stephen P. Robbins and Tim Judge (2006)
Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ. (Realize that other versions of the text,
including the international version, might be different than the one I am using as
my source for quiz questions and short assignments.)

Website readings as noted in course calendar and/or announced in class.

PLEASE NOTE: I will be highlighting info from the text as well as

explaining some info that is not clear or needs elaboration. I will NOT
repeat everything in all chapters. BUT, many quiz questions will come from
information in the text that we did not cover in class. If you do not
understand something in your textbook, please ask questions about it so I
can make it clearer for you. I am happy to answer such questions during
class time, before or after class, or anytime outside of class.

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Assignments & Academic Calendar
(Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates)

Date Topic Readings Due

Week 1: Course Student info sheet in class

January 8 Introduction

What is
Organizational
Behavior?

Week 2: Foundations of Chapters Final project teams formed—names

January 15 Organizational 1, 2 & 3 and contact info for all team members
Behavior due before leaving class.;

Short Assignment #1 Due Today:

Week 3 Attitudes and Chapters Short Assignment #2 Due Today:

January 22 Job Satisfaction; 4&5
Personality and
Values

Week 4: Perception and Chapters Turn in team memo Failure to submit

January 29 Individual 6&7 this information will result in a 5-point
Decision Making; deduction for your final written
Motivation assignment score. Instructions are in
the team memo in the Team Project
learning module on WebCT

Week 5: Catch-up and Quiz #1 (Chapters 1,2, 3, 4. 5, 6,& 7)

February 5 review

Week 6: Emotions and Chapter 8 Short Assignment #3 Due Today:

February 12 Mood &9

Group Behavior,
Teams
Week 7: Teams—The 10 & 11 Short Assignment #4 Due Today
February 19 Abilene Paradox

Communication

Week 8: Leadership Chapters Short Assignment #5 Due Today

February 26 12 & 13
Week 9: Catch-up and Quiz #2 (Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 &
March 4 Review 13 )

Other TBA

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 Date Topic Readings Due

Week 10: Happy Spring Do Something Fun!

March 11 Break

Week 11: Power and Chapter Short Assignment #6 Due Today—

March 18 Politics 14 TBA

Week 12: Conflict and Chapter Short Assignment #7 Due Today---

March 25 Negotiation 15 & 16 TBA

Week 13: Organizational Chapter Short Assignment #8 Due Today---

April 1 Structure; 17, 18, & TBA:
Culture, Change 19
Other TBA

Week 14: TBA Short Assignment #9 Due Today---

April 8 TBA

Week 15: Catch-up and Catch-up Quiz #3 (Chapters 14,15, 16, 17, 18, &
April 15 Review and 19)
review
Week 16: Course Wrap-Up Team Movie Analysis Paper—Hard
April 22 Wisdom from an copy due in class, electronic copy due
Executive—Mr. via e-mail on WebCT. Team Member
Jim Hailey, evaluations due today.
Women’s
Division Short Assignment #10 Due Today—In
President (ret), Class
JC Penney
Course Evaluations

Please note that this schedule may be altered however the quiz dates will not be
changed.

Course Syllabus Page 4

Grading Policy (including percentages for assignments, grade scale, etc.)
There are 100 possible points in the class. The following assignments will
contribute to your grade:

Assignment Due Date Points Instructions

Quizzes February 5 Each quiz is worth Quizzes with multiple choice,
March 4 20 points for a total matching, fill-in-the-blank on scantrons.
April 15 of 60 points. Quizzes will cover the readings as well
as all notes and outside activities.
There will be approximately 40
questions on each quiz. Bring a
scantron to during quiz days. I WILL
NOT HAVE EXTRA SCANTRONS IF
YOU FORGET YOURS. You may
substitute your highest quiz score for
your lowest quiz score. This means
that your lowest grade will be dropped
and your highest grade will be doubled.
There are NO make-up quizzes. If
you miss a quiz, that zero is the
grade that will be dropped. If you
miss more than one quiz, you will
receive a zero for the second one
you do not take.

Movie Analysis April 22 20 points—15 for All members of your team will receive
Team Paper the paper and 5 for the same number of points UNLESS
with self- and your self- and your teammates’ or self-evaluations
teammates’ teammates’ suggest that you did not contribute to
evaluations evaluations (Use the team effort in writing the paper. I
only the form reserve the right to deduct points as
provided.) You appropriate for team members who do
must turn in the not contribute to the assignment. In
team memo (Due addition, realize that submitting a
1/29) to avoid paper with the name of a teammate
having 5 points who did not contribute is a form of
deducted from your academic dishonesty which will be
final grade on this reported to the Dean of Students for
assignment. appropriate academic penalties.

Ten Short Almost daily 20 points total--each These brief assignments are posted in
Assignments: in class and assignment will the "Short Assignments" Learning
Including self- often out of receive one of the Module on WebCT. Some will be
assessments, class. See following scores: completed outside of class (e.g. online
in-class syllabus for 0=did not do it at all; surveys) and some will be done in
exercises, and out-of-class 1=did not do it class (e.g. brief written answers to
other brief assignment completely/correctly; questions discussed in class). The
written tasks due dates. 2=completed the purpose of these assignments is to
assignment help you think about highlighted issues
correctly and to help you become engaged in
course materials. No Short
Assignment will be accepted late.

Course Syllabus Page 5

Grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

Points Grade
90 – 100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
<59 F

If you are taking this course CR/NCR, you must complete ALL parts of all
assignments at a "B" level to receive credit

NOTE: There are NO plusses (+) and minuses (-) in this class.

If you do not understand the reason you received a specific grade on any
assignment, I definitely want to talk with you about it. If you believe that a grade
should be reconsidered, take time to review my comments about your work and
follow these instructions:
1. You must wait at least 24 hours after you received the grade but no more
than one week to talk to me about it.
2. Write a memo specifying the grade you think you deserve and your
reasons for asking me to change the grade you received. Address this
memo to me.
3. Include your original evaluation and paper with your memo.

Course & Instructor Policies

Classroom Citizenship:
With approximately 100 students in this class, it is easy to distract others and
interfere with their learning. I expect all students to behave professionally and as
upper-level university learners. This means contributing to a positive learning
environment in the following ways:
Please do NOT:
♦ Forget to turn OFF your cell phones or pagers.
♦ Use computers in class.
♦ Answer your cell phone in class.
♦ Walk to the front of the classroom for a personal conversation with me
while I’m trying to conduct class.
♦ Read newspapers, magazines, other textbooks, etc.
♦ Study for another class or do other work during our class time.
♦ Play video games, do text messaging, etc.
♦ Talk to your neighbor while someone is speaking.
♦ Come in late and walk around the room--sit near the door you entered.

Course Syllabus Page 6

Please DO:
♦ Get plenty of SLEEP BEFORE class (if you snore out loud, we will laugh
out loud at you).
♦ Be prepared – bring the correct equipment – pen, scantrons, paper, etc
♦ Review your notes from our previous class session prior to class.
♦ SKIM or READ the assigned reading.
♦ READ or RE-READ the assignments after class.
♦ Prepare for the exams a LITTLE EACH DAY.

Tips for Success after class:

♦ REWRITE your notes in a final neat format…this allows you to review the
information, elaborate on it, and fill in blank spots while the information is
fresh.
♦ Look up any terms, definitions, etc that you struggled with in class.
♦ Practice EXPLAINING the concepts from lecture to someone else.
♦ Study with your team…I suggest creating your own “test bank” file after
each class session, then you have a great study tool for exams.
♦ Remember: The secret to success in this class is simple: Keep up.
♦ Ask me to clarify anything you do not understand.

REMEMBER:
As a courtesy to both your classmates and me, please turn off cell phones and
put them away. No computer use is allowed in this class. I will ask you publicly
to leave the room if you are doing activities unrelated to class.

We will be using WebCT throughout the semester. Updates, documents, and

answers to frequently asked questions will be posted on WebCT. You are
responsible for any information posted on WebCT.

When calling my office, please leave a local phone number where you can be
reached, as I am unable to return long distance phone calls (i.e. to out-of-town
cell phones).

My slides from class will be posted on WebCT after each class session.

There will be different forms of each quiz. While yours might appear the same as
your neighbor's, it is unlikely that all questions are in the same order and all sets
of answers for each question are in the same order. If you are looking at each
other's quizzes to try to find the differences in versions, I will consider it an act of
academic dishonesty.

Course Syllabus Page 7

Rules for Teams:

Your participation on a team for the film assignment is designed to help you put
into practice what you will learn in this class about working with others to
accomplish a common goal. There are various ways work teams are structured in
organizations and various levels of control that team members have over their
working situations. In this class, the following rules apply to your project teams:
1. You may fire any group member who is not contributing to your project.
If you decide to fire a group member, there is a procedure for doing so:
First, meet as a team and discuss with the member your
dissatisfaction with his/her level/quality of work. Give that person one
chance to recover the team's confidence.

After the one chance, meet with me to discuss the best way to
approach the situation.

Have a full team meeting and give effective and constructive

feedback to the member you are firing. Make sure that all members,
including the one you fired, sign a statement of understanding that
the person is no longer on your team. Submit the statement to me no
later than one week after it is signed.
2. With your team's permission and the permission of a new team, you may
switch teams. No team may have more than 6 members.

3. If you are fired, you may submit an individual project for 1/2 credit.

4. No individual papers for full credit will be accepted. That means is it to

your advantage to make sure you stay on a team.

5. You can control whether or not your team members are all contributing
If you do the intro team exercise provided in class, you increase your
chances of functioning together effectively. Please do not complain to
me about team members who are not meeting your expectations.
Instead, use your knowledge gained in this class to do something about
it. As future managers and executives, motivating and inspiring low-
performing team members is something you will do often.

Rules for Quizzes:

1. No electronic gadgets of any kind allowed during quizzes including cell
phones, iPods, computers, calculators.
2. No wearing hats during quizzes.
3. No food or drinks allowed during quizzes.
4. No wandering eyes. There will be multiple forms of the quizzes but you
do not get extra points for figuring out the differences among them.
5. No paper, notebooks, or books visible during the quiz. I will keep these
articles in the front of the room if I find they are causing a problem.

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 6. When you turn in your quiz, please put your initials by your name on the
quiz roster.
7. Bring your own scantron for each quiz. I will not have extras for you.
You may not leave to get one after the quiz begins.
8. If you leave during a quiz, you will submit it to be graded. This means no
in and out during a quiz. Make sure you attend to issues before the quiz
begins.
9. You will receive your scores for your quizzes on WebCT. If you would
like to see your own quiz, please make an appointment with me during
my office hours and you can review your quiz and your answer sheet. I
will be happy to discuss your answers with you.

Make-up Quizzes:
Because you are able to drop your lowest quiz grade, there are no make-
up quizzes. I reserve the right to make an exception only in an
extenuating case involving your own documented hospitalization. Do not
ask for an exception for any other reason.

Rules for Written Work:

1. Make sure that your name is at the top of the page. If you are submitting
a team assignment, make sure that all names are correct (you know who
your teammates are). Also, put the names in alphabetical order to
ensure that errors are not made when recording grades.
2. Papers should be stapled or clipped in the upper left corner. Do this
before class because I do not carry a stapler with me.
3. Papers should be 12 font type double-spaced.
4. All papers need to be typed. No hand-written papers are accepted
unless written as an in-class assignment.

Drops:
I will not drop anyone from the course. It is your responsibility to drop. Failure to
drop this course could result in an F in the course.

Class Attendance:
It is fundamental to your success in this class that you attend regularly. Our time
in class will give you the opportunity to work through important topics with your
peers and me and help you to meet the objectives of the course. Although I will
not take attendance, you will have frequent in-class assignments that will be
collected and counted toward part of your grade. There are no excuses
accepted for missing these assignments--you will receive zeros for missing
them.

Extra Credit:
There is a lot of work in this class. If you focus on doing it to the best of your
ability, you will not need extra credit. However, I will give up to 2 points extra
credit (up to 8 points total) for a typed 2-3 page report (turned in hard copy in

Course Syllabus Page 9

class the next class day) based on your attendance at the following outside
events:
Career Center Workshops
Counseling Center Workshops that relate to the content of this course
(you must write a rationale stating the reason the workshop relates to
our course)
Presentations in SOM by outside professionals (you need to make me
aware of these BEFORE you attend so I can announce the event to
everyone in class)
Writing 1 or 2 quiz questions for Quiz #3 (more info on this later but you
can receive up to 4 points extra credit for this option)
All extra credit must be completed no later than April 22. Please do not ask for
exceptions to this as keeping track of your extra credit takes a lot of time and it
needs to be logged by the last day of class. Extra Credit is an optional benefit
offered to you so treat is as a privilege and not a right.

There is no specific format for the report but it MUST state at the top the name of
the event (workshop, speaker's name for a presentation), the date of the event,
and your name. In your reports, do not repeat what was said. Instead, write
about what you learned and how it will benefit you as a professional.

Problems? Questions?
I hope you enjoy participating in this course as much as I enjoy teaching it. If you
are having any problems, questions, or just want to talk, I encourage you to see
me before class, during my office hours, or call me. In any case, I WANT TO
TALK TO YOU!!! Don't let small problems during the semester grow to a crisis at
the end. It's always easier to fix anticipated difficulties than to untangle a mess;
please see me beforehand.

Field Trip Policies

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and
University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information
regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional information is
available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-
related activity associated with this course.

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 publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic
year.

Course Syllabus Page 10

 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, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, 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).

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 includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to
applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the
following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

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.

Email Use

We are only communicating in this class via WebCT e-mail. However, the
following policy applies to any other regular e-mail you send to faculty and
students on campus:

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.

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

Course Syllabus Page 11

 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.

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 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.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments
necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary
to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for
students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example,
a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes
enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities.

Course Syllabus Page 12

 The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.

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.

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, 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 13