COURSE SYLLABUS

School of Management
The University of Texas at Dallas

Course: Organizational Behavior

Instructor: Laurie Ziegler, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Z.)
Semester: Spring 2006
Course Start/End Dates: January 9, 2006 – April 30, 2006

| Course Information | Technical Requirements | Course Access | Communications |

Student Assessment
| Scholastic Dishonesty | Course Evaluation | Course Outline

Course Information

Course Description

Have you ever wondered why some people seem motivated and others do not? Why
some people see the world the way you do and others don’t have a clue? Why some
decisions are successfully implemented and others never see the light of day? These
questions and more are at the heart of organizational behavior. In this course you will
learn about human behavior in an organizational context. You will not only understand
what is going on, you will also be able to predict what will happen, and will be able to
influence outcomes.

Learning Objectives

1. To develop an understanding of concepts, research, and theories in the study of

human behavior in organizations.
2. To introduce the student to primary research and the application of associated
theories to individual, group, and organizational-level behavior.
3. To provide cases, examples, and exercises that help you incorporate
contemporary knowledge of organizations into your thinking and behavior.
4. To create an awareness of the relationships that diversity and ethics have on
organizations and on organizational behavior concepts.
5. To help foster improved competency in several critical management skills.
6. To help prepare you to transfer this knowledge to real-world settings.

Instructor Information

Instructor: Dr. Laurie Ziegler (Dr. Z.)

Office: SM 4.210
Phone: 972-883-2847
Chat hours: Experience has shown me that a “set” chat time is underutilized; therefore,
if you wish to chat with me send an email via WebCT and I will set up a time to chat with
you. Please give me a few days notice as I, like you, have a hectic schedule.
Contact me through the WebCT system about course content only. If you have account,
server, or technical difficulties see resources listed under Technical Requirements.

TA Information
TBA

Required Course Materials

Organizational Behavior: Emerging Realities for the Workplace Revolution by Steven L.

McShane and Mary Ann Von Glinow, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 2nd edition. Do not purchase
the third edition. You may purchase an eBook version of the second edition at
http://ebooks.primisonline.com/ . A link is also provided on your course menu. Once in
the site, go to the custom book link and follow directions.

If you choose to buy a hardcopy of the textbook, it can be ordered online through MBS
Direct Virtual Bookstore or Off-Campus Books online ordering site. Textbooks are also
available in stock at UTD Bookstore and Off-Campus Books.

Cases, exercises, and self-assessments as described in the course schedule.

Multi-media: I created the multi-media lectures for your use in this course only. Do not
share these materials or use them in any way that is unrelated to this course. They
constitute my intellectually property. You can access the movie and music clips by
clicking on the “movie camera” and “record player” respectively.

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Technical Requirements

In addition to a confident level of computer and Internet literacy, certain minimum

technical requirement must be met to enable a successful learning experience. Please
review the important technical requirements and the web browser configuration
information.

Course Access and Navigation

This course was developed using a web course tool called WebCT. It is delivered
entirely online. You will use your UTD NetID account to login to the course at:
http://webct.utdallas.edu. Please see the details contained in: course access and
navigation information.

To get started with this WebCT course, please see Getting Started: Student WebCT
Orientation.

If you have any problems with your UTD account or any problem with the UTD WebCT
server, email: assist@utdallas.edu or call the UTD Computer Helpdesk at: 972-883-
2911. If you encounter any technical difficulties within the course site, please send an
email to gmbasupport@utdallas.edu. Do not contact the instructor for these issues.

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Communications
WebCT course has built-in communication tools which will be used for course
interactions and communications. Some external communication tools such as regular
email and web conferencing tool may also be used during the semester at my discretion.
Please see more details in communication tool information.

Interaction with me

I will communicate with you primarily through the Discussion board. You may send
personal concerns or questions using the course Email tool. I may also require certain
assignments to be submitted via Email. I will reply to your emails or Discussion board
messages within 3 working days under normal circumstances. When communicating
with me via the Discussion board, post your messages under “Messages for Dr. Z.”.
See the Discussion board section in this syllabus for further information.

Online interactive format

You are on the cutting edge of a new WebCT format. Each of your five Modules may be
accessed from the home page. Within each module you will find three sessions. Within
each session, you are directed to my media lectures, readings, cases, etc. These may
not map directly on the syllabus. If there is any discrepancy, refer to the syllabus.

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Student Assessment

Grading Information

Individual Activities
Personal Statement 2%
Participation 18%
Quizzes (5) 45%
Syllabus quiz Gateway to the course

Team Activities
Team led Facilitation 5%
Term Paper 30%

Grading Scheme

Scaled Score Letter Equivalent

89.6 – 100 A
79.6 – 89.5 B
69.6 – 79.5 C
69.5 and under F

Note: There has to be a grading cut-off somewhere. This is where our course
grades are delineated. Do not ask me to give you a different cutoff at the end of
the semester.

Another note: All assignments are due at 11:55 CST on the date specified.
An additional note: If you find discrepancies between this syllabus and the online
information, refer to the syllabus. We are piloting a new online program which
may not map directly to this syllabus.

You can check your grades by accessing the “My Grade” icon on the Student Tools
page after the grade for each activity is released.

Individual Activities

Personal Statement: Submit up to a one page personal statement on

the discussion board under the personal statement forum by January
23rd. We will use this information to get an idea of what our class
members are like. Information you provide might include: who you are,
what you do, what industry you are in, what your hobbies are, and what
you want to get from this course. You could attach a picture of yourself
(with family, friends, pets, alone, etc.) if you like. Your experience in this
course will be greatly enhanced if you read your classmates’ statements.
You might even find out that you have synergies with fellow students and
wish to explore further relationships with them.

Participation: Graded The course is divided into five modules. Each

module contains three sessions (topical areas). It is expected that you
will be able to add at least six quality comments per module. I assess the
quality of your comments based on the value you add to the discussions.
You should go beyond the course material and share relevant work
experience, current events, websites, books, etc. You may also integrate
material from other sessions into the current discussion. After all,
organizational behavior is interrelated by definition. You will find that if
you keep up with discussions your experience will be enriched. To keep
the class members moving at a similar rate, you have approximately one
week to respond to each session. (I have to manually open and close
each session which requires me to be online to do so. Consequently,
there may be occasions in which you have slightly more than a week to
respond to my or your fellow teammates discussion messages). You will
not be able to post messages to a session after the date has expired;
however, you may read the messages whenever you desire. Although “I
agree” and “me too” type comments are appreciated and encouraged,
they will not give you participation credit.

For the first three sessions (module 1) and for the last session in module
5 (chapter 15), I will facilitate discussion. The remainder of the sessions
will be facilitated by teams. (See team led facilitation below). When
responding to another’s message, hit reply. If you want to start a new
message under each topical area, hit compose. The discussion board
simulates an in-class discussion. If you were sitting in a classroom, your
instructor might submit a question for thought and you respond to it
(reply). Another classmate may then respond to your thoughts rather
than to the initial question (their reply to your reply). You might also find
that you have something new to add in a discussion that is relevant but
unrelated to the initial question posed. If so, then compose a new
message under the appropriate topical heading. I strongly encourage you
to read all of the messages posted. If you will devote a few minutes each
day to the discussion board you will stay current with the discussions and
will find that you are not at a disadvantage toward the end of the
semester. I know that this may not be possible for some of you and I
have created a flexible format such that overall participation is graded at
the end of the semester. However, you will lose points if you try to “cram”
all of your discussions into just a few sessions. I want to see consistency
across the semester. This is not a self-paced course.

If you are unfamiliar with the online format, it is easy to misunderstand my

expectations. Consequently, I will facilitate the first module (sessions 1 -
3). You are expected to participate as described above. I am also
facilitating the last session (15) for grading purposes. That is, the
University system allows little time between the official end of the
semester and when I must submit grades. This gives me a time cushion
within which to work.

Finally, never ever ever (hyperbole intended) post a message directly for
me under a topic heading. Messages for me should be posted only under
“Messages for Dr. Z.”.

Participation: Ungraded

Make sure that your comments are posted under the appropriate
headings otherwise your messages will be difficult to find. If you have a
question or comment for me, post it under Discussions: Messages for
Dr. Z. You should keep up with my postings located in a separate
discussion area: Messages from Dr. Z. Your teaching assistant will
answer questions related to grades and content areas. You may post
questions/comments to your TA under the Messages for TA discussion
thread. Due to the nature of WebCT the responses may appear as if they
come from me. I hope you will take advantage of the Social Lounge
discussion area where you can talk to each other, share information etc. I
do not monitor this area – it is a lounge for students only. Finally, I
strongly encourage you to take advantage of your private group forum.
Only your team members and I can access this forum. If you are having
difficulty with team members (refer to social loafing) I can see what is
going on with the team dynamics. If you choose to communicate with
your teammates in a different way, I will not be able to assess what is/is
not going on with you.

Quizzes: You are required to take a brief ungraded quiz over the
syllabus which serves as your gateway to the course materials. You may
take the quiz as often as you like but you must achieve 100% proficiency
prior to accessing the first module. The syllabus quiz not only highlights
important aspects of the course, it also provides a good preview of how
the quiz function works. You have until January 23rd 11:55 p.m. CST to
complete the syllabus quiz. The remaining five quizzes are graded and
also have deadlines for their completion. You have only one opportunity
to complete the graded module quizzes. Each module quiz is a gateway
 to the next module. You must complete each quiz during the specified
module time window before you can advance to the next module. I have
designed this course to maximize flexibility but to also provide firm
deadlines for assignment completion. If you miss a quiz time window
you will not be able to advance to the next module and you should
consider dropping this course. You can not make this up. Quiz
dates are provided on this syllabus as well as on the Course Menu under
Online Quizzes.

Graded quizzes consist of multiple choice questions covering required

readings and multi-media lectures. I make every effort to assess applied
learning as well as definitional and conceptual levels of proficiency.
Quizzes contain approximately 40 questions delivered randomly to each
student. You have one hour to complete them. Please do not share quiz
information with your classmates or keep hard copies (See the Scholastic
Dishonesty policy described below). I write my own quizzes. You may
access the quiz material that is packaged with your text; however, I do not
verify their quality or veracity.

Access Instructions: You may access the quizzes by clicking Online

Quizzes on the Course Menu or Module Quiz under the appropriate
Module heading. The quizzes are timed and can only be accessed once
within the scheduled time window. Please read the on-screen
instructions carefully before you click the Begin Quiz button. Remember
to save each of your answers. I can not adjust your answers once you
have completed the quiz. After the quiz is graded and the scores are
released, you may go back to the quizzes page and click the View
scores button to review your exam results. This is very important, if
you have questions about your quiz scores you must email them to
me. Do not post them on the discussion board as other students
may not have taken the quiz.

Team Activities

Team members and team name: I have randomly assigned you to

groups. If you have a strong desire to be placed in a different group let
me know by January 17th. You should recognize that this move means
that I will have to adjust the membership of another group. Your first
team assignment is for you to designate one team member to email to
me your team name – put “team name” as your subject heading. Your
team name is due by January 23rd. This name should reflect the
proclivities of all of your team members.

Team participation: All students are expected to participate actively

within their group. Social loafing will not be tolerated. Although I
believe that a peer evaluation is the best way to assess within team
participation, the large number of students in this course and the
peculiarities of WebCT preclude this as an efficient option. Consequently,
you may “fire” a member from your group. You must reach consensus
among team members if you wish to take this drastic action. You must
also send an email to me detailing why you wish to fire a member of your
 group. This email should state “firing a member” in the subject heading
and specify the names of each team member and comments from each
about the discharge. You must first contact the “noncontributing” member
specifying why you are dissatisfied and what he/she can do to participate
in the team activities. If, as a member of the team, you are not able to
fulfill certain obligations, discuss this with your team members. Just as in
the real world, work activities can be adjusted to maximize team
dynamics. Do not take team membership lightly. Everyone in the class
must be a member of a team. If you are “fired” then you must interview
and be “hired” by another team. If you are not hired, you will receive a
zero on that assignment. I do not accept individual assignments for the
team activities. Be responsible!

Team Led Facilitation: Each team has approximately one week to

facilitate their session on the discussion board (see the course schedule).
The purpose is to provide a forum within which to explore the material in a
variety of formats. I have provided readings, cases, and/or self-
assessments for each session. You should provide thoughtful questions
and comments about the readings and cases as well as use self-
assessment exercises to help your fellow classmates gauge their styles,
strengths, weaknesses, etc. You may provide current events, links to
relevant material, power point slides or anything that you believe will be
informative and enhance interest. All students are expected to participate
in the team led exercises. Remember, a substantial portion of your grade
is based on your participation on the discussion board. I will facilitate the
first three sessions which constitute module 1. I will assign each group to
one of the remaining sessions (except session 15). If your team has a
session preference, please have one of your teammates email to me your
top three preferences by January 17th. Put “team facilitation” in the
subject heading. I will assign sessions based on a “first come – first
serve” basis.

Evaluation
100%: Adds substantially to course content, facilitates discussion,
incorporates quality outside resources
80%: Adds substantially to course content, facilitates discussion,
may incorporate outside resources
70%: Adds to course content and facilitates discussion
50%: Does not add to course content but facilitates discussion
0%: Does not add to course content or facilitate discussion

Team Term Paper: You have two assignments related to your team term
paper. The first is for one of your team members to submit the film title
(your topic e.g. “Office Space”) describing (4-6 bullet statements) how you
plan to analyze the OB concepts (e.g. motivation, teams, and leadership)
you will cover in your term paper. Submit this as a word document under
Assignment: Film Description using your team name and a doc
extension (e.g. OB1 Kenobis.doc) no later than February 20th. This will:
help you in your goal-setting endeavors for this project; help you
determine if you have any underperforming members; and provide me the
opportunity to view the films. The second assignment is for you to
 complete the team term paper. The term paper is due April 7th at 11:55
pm CST. Guidelines for the term paper and the evaluation rubric can be
found under the Assignment: Team Term Paper link.

Important Dates (all due by 11:55 CST)

Team Member Change: 1/17/06

Team Led Facilitation Request: 1/17/06
Team Name: 1/23/06
Personal Statement: 1/23/06
Syllabus Quiz: 1/23/06
Film Description: 2/20/06
Team Term Paper: 4/7/06
Quiz 1: 1/16 – 1/29
Quiz 2: 1/30 – 2/19
Quiz 3: 2/20 – 3/19
Quiz 4: 3/20 – 4/09
Quiz 5: 4/10 – 4/30

Scholastic Dishonesty/Sexual Harassment

The university has policies and discipline procedures regarding scholastic dishonesty.
Detailed information is available on the Scholastic Dishonesty web page. All students
are expected to maintain a high level of responsibility with respect to academic honesty.
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 integrity of
the university, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced.

Students are expected to treat one another with respect and dignity at all times. You
may obtain a copy of your rights and obligations regarding sexual harassment at:
www.utdallas.edu/utdgeneral/business/hr/sexual_harassment.htm.

Course Evaluation

As required by UTD academic regulations, every student must complete an evaluation

for each enrolled course at the end of the semester. An online instructional assessment
form will be made available for your confidential use. Please look for the course
evaluation link on the course Homepage towards the end of the course.

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Course Schedule

Module 1 (1/09 – 1/29)

Quiz 1 (1/16 5:00 am cst - 1/29 11:55 pm cst)

1/9-1/15 Introduction

Lecture: Instructor Introduction, Session 1

Readings: Chapter 1
Case: BusinessWeek Online: Planet Starbucks
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________

1/16-1/22 Individual Behavior and Learning in Organizations

Lecture: Session 2
Readings: Chapter 2
Case: Pushing Paper Can Be Fun
Self-Assessment: Assessing Your Self-Efficacy, pg. 59
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________

1/23-1/29 Perception and Personality in Organizations

Lecture: Session 3
Readings: Chapter 3
Case: BusinessWeek Online: No Way to Treat a Lady

Self-Assessment: Comparing Cultural Stereotypes pg. 93

(Work in your teams)

______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________

Module 2 (1/30 – 2/19)

Quiz 2 (1/30 5:00 am cst – 2/19 11:55 pm cst)

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________

1/30-2/05 Workplace Values, Ethics and Emotions

Lecture: Session 4
Readings: Chapter 4
Case: BusinessWeek Online: After Enron: The Ideal Corporation
Case: BusinessWeek Online: The Big Squeeze on Workers
Self-Assessment: Individualism/Collectivism Scale pg. 128
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________

2/06-2/12 Foundations of Employee Motivation

Lecture: Session 5
Readings: Chapter 5
Case: BusinessWeek Online: CEO Coaches
Self-Assessment: Measuring Your Growth Need Strength pg. 159
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________
2/13-2/19 Applied Motivation Practices

Lecture: Session 6
Readings: Chapter 6
Case: Keeping Suzanne Chalmers pg. 190
Self-Assessments: What Is Your Attitude Toward Money? pg. 194
Assessing Your Self-Leadership pg. 194
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________

Module 3 (2/20-3/19)
Spring Break (3/6-3/12)
Quiz 3 (2/20 5:00 am cst – 3/19 11:55 pm cst)

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________

2/20-2/26 Stress Management

Lecture: Session 7
Readings: Chapter 7
Case: BusinessWeek Online: Rethinking the Rat Race – Chapter
7
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________

2/27-3/5 Foundations of Team Dynamics

Lecture: Session 8
Readings: Chapter 8
Case: BusinessWeek Online: Detroit is Cruising for Quality –
Chapter 9
Case: BusinessWeek Online: The New Teamwork – Chapter 10
Self-Assessment: Team Roles Preference Scale pg. 255
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________

3/13-3/19 Decision Making and Employee Involvement

Lecture: Session 9
Readings: Chapter 9
Case: Employee Involvement Cases pg. 285
Self-Assessment: Decision Making Style Inventory pg. 291

Module 4 (3/20-4/9)
Quiz 4 (3/20 5:00 am cst – 4/9 11:55 pm cst)

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
3/20-3/26 Creativity and Team Decision Making

Lecture: Session 10
Readings: Chapter 10
Case: BusinessWeek Online: The Art of Brainstorming – Chapter
8
Exercises: Creativity Power Point slides and Lecture

3/27-4/2 Communicating in Organizations

Lecture: Session 11
Readings: Chapter 11
Case: BusinessWeek Online: Watch What You Put in That Office
E-Mail – Chapter 11
Self-Assessment: Active Skills Listening Inventory pg. 351
NOTE: Some of copies of this book incorrectly say in Appendix B that high students
have high scores if they score 10 or above on each sub-scales and above 50 points for
the total. This should say above 6 points on the subscales and above 30 points on the
total score.

4/3-4/9 Power, Politics and Persuasion

Lecture: Session 12
Readings: Chapter 12
Case: BusinessWeek Online: A Whistle Blower Rocks and
Industry – Chapter 12
Self-Assessment: Perceptions of Politics pg. 382
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________

Module 5 (4/10-4/30)
Quiz 5 (4/10 5:00 am cst – 4/30 11:55 pm cst)

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________

4/10-4/16 Conflict and Negotiation

Lecture: Session 13
Readings: Chapter 13
Case: Conflict in Close Quarters pg. 410
Case: BusinessWeek Online: The House of Pritzker – Chapter
13
Self-Assessment: Conflict Management Style Orientation Inventory pg. 412

4/17-4/23 Organizational Leadership

Lecture: Session 14
Readings: Chapter 14
Case: BusinessWeek Online: Staying On Top – Chapter 14
Self-Assessment: Leaderships Dimensions Instrument, pg. 442
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________

4/24-4/30 Organizational Culture

Lecture: Session 15
Readings: Chapter 15
Case: BusinessWeek Online: Shaking Up Merrill
Self-Assessment: Corporate Culture Preference Scale pg. 470

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