Course BA 3361 Organizational Behavior Section 001

Professors Jane Salk

Term Spring 2008
Meetings TR: 10:00-11:15 Room SOM 1.217

Professor’s Contact Information

Office Phone (972) 883-6265
Other Phone TBA
Office Location SOM 4.408
Email Address jane.salk@utdallas.edu
Office Hours By appointment
Other Information Please check WebCT at least once weekly.

General Course Information

Research demonstrates that, time and again, understanding people, groups

and organizations is a more critical determinant of success than technical
skills. The field or organizational behavior has accumulated almost a
century of experience in studying and explaining organizational life. OB
addresses topics such as: how organizational cultures and subcultures
affect organizational performance and experiences of individuals in
organizations, to how to motivate and reward people, what makes work
groups function effectively, the impact of leadership styles and
communication, how to access and accumulated power and influence,
Course Description how to diagnose and manage change, and how to design jobs and
organizations.
The goal of this course is to provide an overview of the many
critical concepts and skills offered by the discipline of organizational
studies. The hoped-for benefits include a chance to analyze your
personal dispositions and skills so that you can make better choices and
be effective in your work and careers. Your active engagement and
sharing of experiences will be key factors in making this course a
success.

Hellriegel, D. And J.W. Slocum (2004) . Organizational Behavior: 10e. Mason,

Text
OH: South-Western (Thomson).

Grading:

Individual Work
In Class Quizzes 30%
Class Participation 15%
Midterm and Final 40%
Exams
Group work: Group exercises 20%
with write-ups. At
least 2 (Sessions 14,
17, 23, 25)
Total: 105

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Course Policies
In Class Quizzes YOU NEED TO BRING A SCANTRON SHEET AND PENCIL WITH YOU TO
ALL MEETINGS. I shall administer up to 8 short quizzes in class. This is a quick way
to me to assess how class members are doing with the materials and address any
weaknesses in a timely fashion. I shall eliminate the 2 worst scores before I calculate this
part of the grade. No make-ups if you are absent. Some of these might be short answer
questions rather than T/F or Multiple Choice.
Class Participation The Professor will make notes on participation and will assign points based upon her notes
and perceptions. You need to bring a 4 by 6 note card due Thursday January 10.
Late cards are accepted, but you will not get participation grades until it is handed
in. The cards should include your contact information as well as the information on
the form in appendix 2.

It is the quality of your participation, not the quantity (or “air time”), that will lead to good
performance in class discussion. The following criteria are employed:
· Excellent class participation: The student consistently attends class, consistently
contributes to case discussions, and consistently demonstrates superior
understanding and insights
· Good class participation: The student consistently attends class, consistently
contributes to case discussions, and occasionally demonstrates superior
understanding and insights
· Mediocre class participation: The student inconsistently attends class,
inconsistently contributes to case discussions, and rarely demonstrates superior
understanding and insights.
Turning in your copies of questionnaires will not add to the point, but failure to do so
will result in points subtracted from your overall participation.
Exams (20 points BRING SCANTRON SHEETS UNLESS TOLD OTHERWISE. Your midterm covers
each) material for the first half of the course and the Final covers the second half of the course,
though keep in mind that the learning is cumulative and it might be useful to draw upon
earlier material in answering questions. The midterm is likely to consist of multiple
choice and T/F questions. The final, on the other hand, is likely to include at least one
essay question. More will be said in class closer to the exam dates. NO MAKEUP
EXAMS
Group Work Look for the [G] in the far right-hand column. The default would be to choose
Sessions 17 and 25. I am trying something new this semester, which is small-scale
experimentation with Second Life as a learning tool (Sessions 23 and 14). So I can
better monitor these SL experiences, only a limited number of groups can be formed
to participate on these (see below).

It is to be encouraged to stay in the same group (MAXIMUM 6 members, Minimum

4 members). However, it is possible to compose different groups for each exercise.
CLEARLTY MARK FULL NAMES for all members.
Second Life Many companies and Universities are looking at the potential of Second Life for
Teamwork, recruiting, distance, learning, etc. Meanwhile, studies suggest that many
students participate in virtual worlds, including SL. IF YOU ALREADY ARE
FAMILIAR WITH SECOND LIFE AND/OR WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO
SET UP A FREE ACCCOUNT AND CREATE AN AVATAR, YOU CAN
VOLUNTEER FOR THE VIRTUAL ASSIGNMENTS. THESE WILL ENTAIL
FINDING AN EVENING TIME WHEN EVERONE CAN BE ONLINE AT THE
SAME TIME. NO EXTRA CREDIT IS GIVEN FOR THIS – IT IS STRICTLY
VOLUNTARY. IF YOU WANT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE SL

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 EXERCISES, KINDLY FILL OUT AND RETURN THE FORM AT THE END OF
THE SYLLABUS.

Other Information

Extra Credit No
Late Work Late written assignment will be downgraded by 10% every business day
For all papers, both hardcopies and WebCT submissions will be required. Thus, you
must hand in a hard copy of your work at the beginning of the class when it is due and
Special Assignments
a WORD or PPT file should be sent via WEB CT. If you are unable to deliver the
hardcopy in-person, ask a classmate to print out a hardcopy for me on your behalf.
You are expected to exhibit the highest level of professionalism and courtesy in and
out of class. Minimum behavioral expectations include:
· Turn off cell phones, beepers, and pagers while in class
· Arrive punctually to class (if you have to be late in arrival or to depart early,
please find a seat closer to the door in a non-disruptive manner)

More seriously, please be aware that anyone who commits an act of scholastic
dishonesty is subject to disciplinary actions. Given that this course is writing-
Academic
intensive, the primary concern is plagiarism—defined as not giving credit to others’
Professionalism
and Citizenship work and representing such work as one’s own. Operationally, if words are copied
verbatim, they must be placed in quotation marks and properly documented – either in
footnotes or in (name, year) format with a reference list at the end of your work.
Direct quotes should also provide a page number. Quotation marks and page numbers
are not necessary when you paraphrase someone else’s work using your own words.
Nevertheless, you should still give credit to the origin of these ideas. Failure to do so
consists of plagiarism. For an example of adequate documentation of sources, see end-
of-chapter Notes sections after each chapter in my book. See also
http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/dishonesty.html
The UT System and UTD 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.

UTD administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and

established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and
Student Conduct and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI,
Discipline 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 (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
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.
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
Academic Integrity
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

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 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.
UTD 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 UTD email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students
Email Use 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 UTD provides a method for students to
have their UTD mail forwarded to other accounts.
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
Withdrawal from
handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or
Class
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.
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
Student Grievance submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean.
Procedures 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.
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
Incomplete Grades
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

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 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. Please contact:
UTD Office of Disability Services, 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. 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.
UTD 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
Religious Holy Days
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.
Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law
Off-Campus and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities.
Instruction and Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at
Course Activities http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm.
Additional information is available from the office of the school dean.

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 Academic Calendar (These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the
Professor.)

Session Number Week Day Reading Assignments

1 1/8 T Introduction Read Syllabus in
advance and bring
text to class
2 1/10 R Chapter 1 Debate: Studying
Chap2:37-48 OB will not
Individual change your
Differences behavior
3 1/15 T Chap 2 Do Questionnaires
Individual 59-63. Turn in a
Differences copy (keep for
yourself
Cases:Oracle, throughout the
Computex semester
4 1/17 R Chapter 3
Perceptions and
Attributions pp.
64-79
5 1/22 T Chapter 3
Case
p.88 Fudge the
numbers or leave

6 1/24 R Chapter 4, pp. 92-

110

7 1/29 T Chapter 4 Debate: Starbucks:

Chap 5 pp. 114- I would prefer to
125 work for
Case: Starbucks p. companies who
115 manage employees
like Starbuck’s
does.
8 1/31 R Chapter 5
9 2/5 T Chapter 6 p. 164 Goal-setting
Motivating Questionnaire
Individual for (give me a copy
High Performance and keep for
yourself)
10 2/7 R Chap 8, 190-214 Debate: Professors
Managing Teams should stop
(Part 1) assigning group
assignments.
11 2/12 T Chapter 7 (stress)
12 2/14 R Review/ Q&A
13 2/19 T MIDTERM
2/21 R Class Cancelled
14 2/26 T Chap 8 [G]
Arctic Survival
Exercise: need 12
volunteers for
Second Life?

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 Other groups via
chat room and/or
face-to face
15 2/28 R Lecture: Multi- TBA: 220-221
cultural teams Team
Assessment??
16 3/4 T Chap. 9: 224-237 p. 244-46 Conflict
Handling Styles (6
volunteers to
collect and provide
basic statistics
about class based
upon age, gender,
major…)
17 3/6 R Chap 9: [G]
Negotiations

Exercise: TBA
Week of 3/10 SPRING
BREAK!
18 3/18 T Chap 10: pp. 247- Leadership Style
267 Questionnaire:
(In class video) 266-267 Turn in a
copy
19 3/20 R HBR Article: TBA Debate:
available on line Organizations do
via Library best if they have
charismatic
leadership.
20 3/25 T Chap 11: 269-284 TBA
21 3/27 R Managing Change
Case: Meg
Whitman of Ebay :
266-287
22 4/1 T Chapter 12 Questionnaire:
Fostering 313-315 (Keep and
Interpersonal hand in copy.
Communication
23 4/3 R Prepare [G]
Xographics case Need three groups.
pp. 316 I group will
prepare
Xographics
presentation face-
to-face, 1 group
via SL and 1 Via
Chat/ internet.
Will present
suggestions and
also comment on
the media of
communication
used.

24 4/8 T Chapter 15, [G]

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 Cultivating
Organizational Using textbook,
Culture pp:377- outline the key
403 aspects and
Case: Southwest underpinnings of
Airlines pp. 402- the SW Airlines
403 Culture
25 4/10 R Chapter16: 404- [G]
427 Apply force field
analysis to one of
the following
questions: a) why
do people find it so
hard to lose
weight, or b) why
is it so difficult to
quit smoking?
26 4/15 M Managing Change Debate: A flexible
(Continued) organization that is
Case:Cigna open to change and
learning will be
more competitive
than those with
more rigid cultures
and routines.
27 4/17 T Capstone case
TBA
28 4/22 R Reading period

29 4/24 T Q&A Bring your

questions on
materials
30 4/29 R FINAL EXAM

Appendices:
1) Name and Information Sheet
2) Group Participation Form
3) SL Information and Release of Liability Form (to be added later)

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 Peer Evaluation Sheet

BA 3361 Spring 2008

Team # ______________

Your Name __________________________

Names of You 1 2 3 4 5
Members: (write
names under
numbers)
Score
(1-5)* (in 0.5 pt
increments, where 5
is the highest and 1
is the lowest)

Reasons (use space

below or back if
necessary)

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 Student Information Sheet: BA 3361 – Spring 2008

General Information

Name: ____________________________
Phone # ____________________________
Email: ____________________________
Hometown/State or Country: ____________________________

Work experience (use back if necessary):

Languages Spoken? Experience outside USA?

Personal goals:

1. What do you hope to learn from this course?

2. What are your professional and/or academic goals?

3. Anything else?

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