Course OB 6305-501: Foundations of Work Behavior

Professor Dr. David L. Ford, Jr.

Term Spring Semester 2011
Meetings Mondays, 7:00 – 9:45 pm, SOM 2.902

Professor’s Contact Information

Office Phone 972/883-2015
Other Phone 972/883-6112 (Teaching Assistant)
Office Location SOM 4.201
Email Address mzad@utdallas.edu
Office Hours Mon., Tues. – 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Other Information

General Course Information: TENTATIVE – SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Pre-requisites, Co-
requisites, & other OB 6301, Organizational Behavior
restrictions
This course is designed as an advanced elective for those who wish to
know more about the determinants of individual behavior, performance
and effectiveness in today's work organizations. The content will focus
on the basic psychological processes of work motivation, job
performance, absenteeism, turnover, and organizational stress associated
with careers in organizations, within the context of the "new" employee-
employer psychological contract. As organizations reshape themselves to
survive and compete in a global economy, the familiar employee-
employer contract has been broken. The drastically changing world of
work demands a new social contract -- one that says we are all self-
employed whether we work inside or outside of organizations. This new
Course Description
employee-employer contract will be examined within the context of the
students' own work lives and careers.

The course itself will be conducted in a seminar-type format and each

student will be expected to be a discussion leader for one of the class
sessions. First-rate participation from all will be expected. My role will be
to serve as a "facilitator" of discussion and to frame the discussion, as
needed, around key issues. Beyond that, the class itself will determine its
specific agenda for discussion and learning and will engage one another
in constructive dialogue.

1. Students will learn to analyze the characteristics of the “new”

psychological contract” between employer and employee and assess the
nature of their own psychological contract with their respective
Learning Outcomes employers.
2. Students will evaluate the similarities and differences between protean
and boundaryless careers and be able to apply the concepts to their own
professional careers.
3. Students will understand what it takes to combine/integrate different
 fields, disciplines, cultures, and concepts to create a large number of
extraordinary new ideas – the “Medici Effect” – by examining the
intersection of ideas within their own class project teams and developing
an innovative team project.

Hall, Douglas T. (2002). Careers In and Out of Organizations. Thousand

Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. (H)

Required Texts & Harrington, Brad & Hall, Douglas T. (2007). Career Management &
Materials Work-Life Integration. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications (HH)

Inscape Publishing (2000). Role Behavior Analysis Instrument (purchase

at Off-Campus Bookstore).

Canfield, J. (2005). The Success Principles. New York: Harper Collins

Suggested Texts, Publishers. (C)
Readings, &
Materials Wall Street Journal

Assignments & Academic Calendar

[Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates]
Introduction to the Course and Getting Acquainted
Explanation of course objectives and requirements; Motivation/Career
1/10
Exercise (Handout); sign up for discussion leader dates; formation of
project groups.
NO CLASS – UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY
1/17
Catch Inauguration activities on TV tonight, if any
Understanding the New Career
1/24
Read: Chapter 1 (HH); Reserve Reading #1
Self Assessment and Development
1/31
Read: Chapters 2, & 3 (HH)
Finding Ideal Work
2/07
Read: Chapter 4 (HH); Reserve Readings #16 & #17
Career Development Strategies
2/14
Read: Chapter 5 (HH); Video: “C and the Box”
Work and Family Issues
2/21 Read: Chapter 6 (HH); Reserve Reading #9
Benchmarking Report Due Today
Workplace Flexibility
2/28
Read Chapter 7 (HH); Reserve Reading #15
Career Development within the Lifespan
3/07
Read: Chapter 8 (HH); Reserve Readings #7 & #12
NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
3/14
Careers and the Psychological Contract: Issues, Alternatives &
3/21 Measures
Read: Chapters 1 & 2 (H); Reserve Reading #11
Career Decision Making and Learning Stages
3/28
Read: Chapters 3 & 4 (H); Reserve Readings # 4 & #14
 Career Effectiveness and Adaptability
4/04 Read: Chapters 3 & 7 (H); Reserve Readings # 3, #6;
Role Behavior Analysis Instrument (bring to class)
Protean & Boundaryless Career Identity and Life Roles
4/11
Read: Chapters 6, 8, & ( (H); Reserve Readings # 5 & #10
Strategic, Self-Directed, and Spiritual Careers
4/18
Read: Chapters 10 & 11 (H); Reserve Readings #8 & #13
4/25 Oral Project Reports; Written Group Project Papers Due
Final Exam
5/02
Fox and Hound

1. D. Feldman (2000). The Dilbert syndrome: How employee cynicism

about ineffective management is changing the nature of careers in
organizations. American Behavioral Scientist, 43 (8), 1286-1300.

2. Arthur, M. B., Khapova, S., & Wilderom, C. (2005). Career

success in a boundaryless career world. Journal of Organizational
Behavior, 26, 177-202.

3. Sullivan, S. E. (1999). The changing nature of careers: A review

and research agenda. Journal of Management, 25 (3), 457-484.

4. Mainiero, L. A. & Sullivan, S. E. (2005). Kaleidoscope careers:

An alternate explanation for the “opt-out” revolution. Academy of
Management Executive, 19 (1), 106-123.

5. Hall, D. T. (1996). Protean careers of the 21st century. Academy of

Management Executive, 10, 8-15.

6. Granrose, C. S. & Baccili, P. (2006). Do psychological contracts

include boundaryless or protean careers? Career Development
International, 11 (2), 163-182.

7. Desmette, D. & Gailard, M. (2008). When a “worker” becomes an

Reserve Readings
“older worker”: The effects of age-related social identity on attitudes
towards retirement and work. Career Development International, 13
(2), 168-185.

8. Agarwala, T. (2008). Factors influencing career choice of

management students in India. Career Development International,
13 (4), 362-376.

9. Lapierre, L. M. et al. (2008). Family-supportive organization

perceptions, multiple dimensions of work-family conflict, and
employee satisfaction: A test of model across five samples. Journal
of Vocational Behavior, 73, 92-106.

10. Briscoe, J. P., Hall, D. T., & DeMuth, R. (2006). Protean and
boundaryless careers: An empirical exploration. Journal of
Vocational Behavior, 69 (1), 30-47.
 11. Porter, L., Pearce, J., Tripoli, A., & Lewis, K. (1998).
Differential perceptions of employers’ inducements:
Implications for psychological contracts. Journal of
Organizational Behavior, 19, 769-782.

12. Zappala, S., Depolo, M., Fraccaroli, F., Guglielmi, D., & Sarchielli,
G. (2008). Postponing job retirement? Psychosocial influences on
the preference for early or late retirement. Career Development
International, 13 (2), 150-167.

13. Gentry, W., Weber, T., & Sadri, G. (2008). Examining career-
related mentoring and managerial performance across cultures: A
multilevel analysis. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 72, 241-253.

14. Terjesen, S. (2005). Senior women managers’ transition to

entrepreneurship: Leveraging embedded career capital. Career
Development International, 10 (3), 246-259.

15. Baruch, Y. (2004). Transforming careers: From linear to

multidirectional career paths. Career Development
International, 9 (1), 58-73.

16. Segers, J., Inceoglu, I., Vloeberghs, D., Bartram, D., & Hendricks, E.
(2008). Protean and boundaryless careers: A study on potential
motivators. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 73, 212-230.

17. De Vos, A. & Soens, N. (2008). Protean attitude and career success:
The mediating role of self management. Journal of Vocational
Behavior, 73, 449-456..

Course Policies

Group project Paper and Oral Presentation 50%

(Due April 25, 2011)
Grading Class Participation and Class Discussion Leader 25%
(credit) Criteria Job Search Benchmarking Report 25%
(Due Feb. 21, 2011) _______
100%

Make-up Exams N/A

Extra Credit TBD
Late Work Not accepted without proper excuse

Discussion Leader Assignment

Note: Each student will select a contemporary article from the recent (2008,
2009, 2010) business literature (e.g., Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek,
Business Week, Fast Company Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Working
Woman, Essence Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine, Hispanic Business,
 etc.) that relates to the course material. The student will prepare a 1-2 page
written summary of the article and provide copies of the summary (and article
Special if possible) for the other class members and instructor on the night for which
Assignments he or she has signed up to be discussion leader. The student will provide a
brief oral summary of the article and its relationship to the assigned readings
for that evening.

In addition to summarizing the article, the discussion leader should address

the following issues:

1. What are the key issues raised by the assigned readings for
that evening and what information in the summarized
article also relates to the assigned reading, if any?

2. What events from your own personal work experiences or

those of a close personal friend relate to the assigned
readings?

The role of the class in responding to the discussion leaders is the following:

1. Pose questions of the discussion leaders that raise issues of a

paradoxical, ethical, or controversial nature.

2. Develop "pro" arguments to support the assigned readings.

3. Develop "con" arguments to counter the points made in the assigned

readings.

Job Search Benchmarking Report Assignment

This two-part assignment is rather simple but will require some forethought
and self-reflection to complete. First, think back over the course of your
career and the times you have conducted a search for a new or different job.
Identify, if you can, two successful job searches, i.e., the outcomes were
pretty close to what you were searching for, and two unsuccessful job
searches, i.e., you did not get any offers or the job you desired, or the offers
you received were not exactly what you wanted. Compare and contrast the
successful and unsuccessful job searches and then identify four lessons that
you have learned about conducting job searches.

Next, benchmark your job search process with two other students of your
choosing – either in this class or a different class. What things do they do that
are different as well as similar to your search process?

In your write-up, please develop a 4-6 page paper that discusses the lessons
learned from comparing your successful and unsuccessful job searches. Also,
the paper should summarize the similarities and differences in your approach
to job search and that of your two benchmark students.

The paper should be typewritten and double-spaced.

 Group Project Instructions

The project is to culminate in a 15-20 page paper of near publishable quality

that applies the ideas and readings covered in this course to some problem,
case, organization, issue, or other topic of interest to you. You should attempt,
if possible, to cover additional literature beyond what is on the assignment
syllabus. You will be expected to include references to the course readings
and discussion-leader topics in your paper.

The project should show evidence of familiarity with the research in the area
of work attitudes and behavior, especially as it relates to organizational
commitment, job involvement, psychological ownership, and career success,
in light of the “redefined” employer-employee relationship or social contract.

Any of the major topics covered during the course, as well as others you
might suggest, can be a relevant basis for the project. It will be up to you as
project groups to determine what kind of project you will undertake. The
project itself could take a variety of forms:

1. A case study of a particular organization or company that has recently had

morale problems as a result of reorganization, downsizing, etc.

2. A major literature review concerning some aspect or topic of the course.

3. Development of a skit or role play exercise that highlights a particular

issue of concern to you.

4. An empirical study whereby you either run an experimental study or

develop a survey questionnaire and administer it, collect and analyze the data.

5. A theoretical analysis whereby you attempt to develop a model or theory

concerning careers, workplace commitment, or other topic. Or, you might
indicate how existing theories need to be changed or modified to be more
applicable to certain diverse groups of workers (e.g., immigrant workers
imported for work in the U.S.).

The paper should be typewritten and double-spaced. Attach appendices as

needed. Grading will be based on: Writing Style (30%), References to the
Literature (20%), and Content (50%).

Quality, not quantity, is operant for class and group participation. It is

expected that the reading and exercises assigned for each class be thought
provoking tools to generate discussion. Class sessions assume you have read
the material and completed the exercises. Consequently, you will only be
Class Attendance able to participate if you have read and completed the assignments before
class. Class attendance is not taken after the first week and the instructor is
aware of frequent travel requirements of some employees which might
preclude class attendance sometime. Nonetheless, where possible, students
should schedule their business-related travel around scheduled class dates and
 should alert their team members if they will be absent from class.

You will be assigned to a class team which will serve as the primary vehicle
for class discussion of the lectures and exercises as well as the self
assessments. You will be allocated class time most weeks to meet with your
teammates to share information about the week’s assignments. The team
Classroom should arrive at a consensus, if possible, concerning the issues in the
Citizenship exercises, assessments, or cases. Teams will be called on at random to
present to the rest of the class their conclusions from their discussions.
Therefore, your full involvement and participation in these team discussions
is important.

Field Trip
N/A
Policies

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.

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
Student Conduct
System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
and Discipline
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.

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
Academic as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic
Integrity 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.
 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
Email Use 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.

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.
Withdrawal from Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to
Class 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.

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
Student evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be
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
Incomplete
been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from
Grades
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.

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
Disability
in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30
Services
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. 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.

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
Religious Holy maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any
Days 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.
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.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.