Assessment:

Assessment Form of Value of Date of Assessment

Item Assessment Assessment
Number Used
e.g. test,
assignment,
presentation etc

1 *Case study #1 20 % Week 4

2 **Exam #1 20 % Week 6

3 Class exercises 10 % In-class where appropriate

4 *Exam #2 20 % Week 12

5 Written report 15% Week 14

6 Continuous 15% Ongoing

Assessment

*Case Study

The case study is to be done individually.

The hard copy of the Case Study is to be handed in at the beginning of class on the due
date. Do not email me your assignment .

**Exams

There will be NO Make Up Exams

Course structure
WEEK COURSE PLANNER/READING
1 Chapter 1 Introduction to Organizational Behaviour

2 Chapter 2 Personality Traits and Behaviour

3 Chapter 3 Individual Perception and Decision Making

4 Chapter 4 Job Attitudes Case Study due

5 Chapter 5/6 Motivation concepts

6 Chapter 7 Moods, Emotions and Organizational Behaviour

7 Exam 1 – Chapters 1,2,3,4,5,6

8 Chapter 8 Groups

9 Chapter 9 Teams

10 Chapter 10 Communications Processes

11 Chapter 11 Leadership

12 Chapter 13 Conflict and Negotiation

Exam 2 – Chapters 7,8.9.10,11,12

13 Chapter 15 Organizational culture

14 Project due January 05, 2011

Case Study (attached)

Please note that there is one case study (attached) worth 20%. This case study must be
done individually.

*The case study must be fully referenced (APA style) with support provided for your
answers. If you are unsure of how to reference, please go to the writing centre before
you commence the report.

Case Study
Apples Beethoven
Apple’s Beethoven

Management guru Jim Collins calls him the "Beethoven of business," Wall Street loves
him, and Bill Gates was once his nemesis. Who is this powerful man? It' Steve Jobs,
cofounder and current chief executive officer of Apple Computer. But despite its
trailblazing start, Apple has suffered in recent years, losing sales and market share to
big companies such as IBM and Microsoft. The slide even caused many analysts to
question whether Apple had anything innovative left to offer. But Jobs, in characteristic
fashion, has once again cornered a market, thanks to a small device-with big musical
power-called the iPod.

Although Apple competed with computer giant Microsoft during the early 1980s, it
soon found itself on the fringes of the computer industry because its computer, the Mac,
wasn't compatible with many software programs that businesses needed. Personal
computers (PCs), along with Microsoft's Windows operating system, began to dominate,
sending the Mac to niche markets. By 1986, Apple's board of directors forced Steve
Jobs out of the company. By the late 1990s, even the most fanatic Apple users were
turning to different products because of the Mac's compatibility issues and Microsoft's
ever-increasing dominance. Apple's share in the computer industry continued to decline,
bottoming out at a mere 2 percent in the mid-1990s.

Apple knew it had to improve its operating system, so it bought the computer
company Next in 1997, which, as circumstances would have it, Jobs himself was
running. Along with Next came Jobs, who eventually returned to the forefront of Apple.
Jobs's plan was simple: Rather than focus on hardware, Apple should focus on software.
Create the right software, he reasoned, and the hardware sales would follow. So Jobs
began making moves that at first seemed risky but in the end paid off. One of the first
things he did was to partner with his former rival, Bill Gates. Gates agreed to supply
Apple with its popular Office and Internet Explorer programs as well as buy $150 million
of Apple stock. Though this deal was good for Microsoft, it was even better for Apple,
whose future was now tied to the more successful Microsoft in that Microsoft now had an
interest in maintaining Apple's survival. Apple was no longer a competitor in a strict
sense.

Because developing software is a costly undertaking, Jobs tried to keep the company
afloat by offering computer hardware, which was simply a means to get into the software
business. He pushed the company's managers for innovative thinking, which led to the
introduction of the iMac in 1998. The iMac immediately stood out from its competitors for
its odd, colorful styling, but compatibility issues with some widely used programs still
remained. Though the iMac was not the innovative success that Jobs had hoped for, it
bought him time to continue developing software.

During this time, Apple developed a new operating system that Jobs thought would
revolutionize the computer industry: Mac OS X. The system was based on the operating
system UNIX and was superior to Windows in several areas, including stability and
security. Now that he had the operating system, Jobs needed exciting software to go
along with it. Knowing that he already had a deal with Microsoft, Jobs headed to Adobe
Systems to ask them to develop a video editing program for his new operating system.
Jobs recalled, "They said flat-out no. We were shocked, because they had been a big
supporter in the early days of the Mac. But we said, 'Okay, if nobody wants to help us,
we're just going to have to do these ourselves.' "

Adobe's rejection may have been a blessing in disguise for Apple. Jobs quickened
the pace on software development, and in less than a year released two video editing
programs, one for professionals and one for consumers. The software helped keep the
buzz alive for Apple' innovative reputation. Feeling confident, Jobs knew that Apple
needed to develop more software applications if it were to thrive, but he still hadn't
noticed a phenomenon taking place on the Internet: the birth of online music.

In 2000, music lovers the world over, particularly young adults and teenagers, were
downloading MP3s (digital music files) by the thousands from what were then illegal
online music services, Napster being the company most in the news at that time. Online
music delivery was an exciting product for consumers in that they could easily pick and
choose what songs to buy and create their own music libraries on their computers. II was
also a controversial issue in that there was no way (yet) to compensate artists and their
record companies for the sales.

But for Jobs, the opportunity to deliver music to online consumers in a legitimate,
user-friendly way was right up his alley. "I felt like a dope," he said. "J thought we had
missed it. We had to work hard to catch up." He set out 1 0 develop the best "customer
experience" possible.

So Apple began to install CD-ROM burners a standard feature on all of its computers,
hoping that it hadn't missed an opportunity. The burners allowed users to save electronic
files, such as digital music files, onto a CD. The addition of burners as a standard feature
was a crucial first step in marketing digital music because it offered a way to play digital
music on devices other than a computer.

But Apple still needed to offer software that allowed users to manage their digital
music files. Microsoft already sold several computer programs of this sort. For Apple,
developing software that could easily manage and navigate through thousands of songs
and allow a user to call up a song on a whim was no easy task. Jobs didn't have the
answer himself, but he found it in a company called SoundStep. Jeff Robbin, the founder
of Sound Step, teamed with several engineers and developed the program iTunes in just
over three months. Not only was iTunes Apple's answer to comparable Windows
jukeboxes, but many consumers found it a superior program with great search and
sorting capabilities.

Jobs then hit on his big, Apple-saving idea: Develop a small, portable device, like the
Sony Walkman, that could hold a user's entire digital music library. Jobs turned to
Robbin again. In November 2001-a mere nine months later-Robbin and his team had
developed the iPod, which is basically a small, handheld computer the size of a deck of
cards (now, some are even smaller) with a simple interface for navigating through one's
digital library and a set of earphone for easy listening. Music could be taken from a
user's existing CD collection and "ripped" to the iPod via the user's computer, or online
music file-sharing service such as Napster could be used to download songs onto the
iPod.

Though Jobs believed that the iPod would be a success, he kept at his goal of
developing the best "customer experience" possible. Napster, as well as other online
music file-sharing services, was in the midst of lawsuits, leaving the door open for more
legitimate, licensed services to emerge, By April 2003, Apple debuted its online iTunes
Music store, allowing customers to legitimately buy songs for 99 cents that they could
then download and store on their Mac computers and iPods. Major recording
companies, such as Sony and Universal, agreed to sell their songs on iTunes, and the
result was a tremendous success. As Eddy Cue, vice president for applications at Apple
recalled, "We had hoped to sell a million songs in the first six months, but we did that in
the first six days." While the iTunes store was busy selling digital music, Robbin and his
team developed a Windows version of the iTunes store, further broadening Apple's
market.

To say that Apple has done well with the iPod is an understatement. By January
2005, the company had sold more than 10 million iPods and 250 million songs. As a
result, it stock price hit a record high of almost $80 per share in February 2005, and
analysts estimated that Apple would earn $13 billion in revenues in 2005.

Jobs credits Apple's success to maintaining its core values of innovation and a
continuous focus on the consumer, "The great thing is that Apple's DNA hasn't changed,
The place where Apple has been standing for the last two decades is exactly where
computer technology and the consumer electronics markets are converging. So it's not
like we're having to cross the river to go somewhere else; the other side of the river is
coming to us." jobs further stated, "At Apple we come at everything asking, 'How easy is
this going to be for the user? How great is it going to be for the user?' "

Though it appears that Apple is on a roll, its competitors are beginning to catch up.
Not only has Microsoft entered the online music market but companies such as Wal-
Mart and Napster (Napster is now on legal footing) are trying to capture some of the
market share. As of the latest look, Wal-Mart was offering songs at 88 cents each,
undercutting Apple's iTunes. Indeed, Apple's first-mover advantage will erode as
competitors mimic Apple's product. Because they can copy Apple's online music store
instead of creating it from scratch, start-up costs are lower for new entrants. What, then,
will be the next move for Steve jobs and Apple?
 Questions for Discussion
1. Using the three-component model of creativity, describe what makes Steve Jobs, and by
extension, Apple Computer, successful. Based on the case, which components does
Jobs seem to possess in the highest degree? What aspects of the case led you to this
conclusion?

2. What leadership theories are most applicable to Steve jobs and why? How can these
theories explain jobs’ recent successes?

3. Based on the case's description of jobs, what can you infer about his personality? In
other words, how would you describe his personality using terms from the book?

4. Are situational factors solely responsible for Apple's success, or is it due to the traits and
leadership skills of Steve jobs? If both contribute, which do you believe is more
important and why?

5. Using Lewin's Three-Step Model of organizational change, explain Apple's development

of and success with the iPod.

6. Would you characterize Apple as a learning organization? Why or why not? As a

manager, what could you do to ensure that Apple continues to be innovative?

Source: Based on B. Schendler, "How Big Can Apple Get?"

Fortune, February 21,2005,66-73.
Written Report

Please note: This project will be done individually or in pairs (groups of

three (3) are will NOT BE permitted)

A. Nature of the project

The purpose of the project is to develop a thorough understanding of a topic of

your own choice within the area of Organizational Behaviour. The report will
Involve different OB theories concentrating on their impact of human resource
management as a discipline

B. Structure of the report

This project work is academic work, and as such the following sections should be
included:
• Introduction and Background
• Methodology
• Analysis
• Conclusions and Recommendations

The purpose of each of these sections is as follows:

1. Introduction and Background. This introduces the reader to the

areas that you will address in your work. Define and discuss what
the areas are about and why you think it is important to do research
in them.

2. Methodology. Here you should be concerned with presenting the

methodologies that you used when you went about finding the
answer to your research questions during the project.

3. Analysis. In this section you should critically analyze the results of

your study against the knowledge that you have gained
theoretically (frame of reference). Be critical. Does your company
act in accordance to theory? Why or why are they not acting in
accordance with theory?

4. Conclusions and Recommendations. Finally this section should

cover the main conclusions that can be drawn from your study.
Here you should formally answer your purpose and research
questions and discuss relevant considerations.
 RULES FOR THE ROAD AHEAD

1. CLASS PARTICIPATION GRADE (20 PERCENT)

This grade is a combination of the following:

• Your attendance and punctuality. The aim of this course is to prepare you
for life in the “real” business world where being at appointments on time is
critical to your personal success and that of your business. If you do not
attend class or are late you will lose marks (See Punctuality and
Attendance below).
• Your contribution in class including your willingness to answer questions,
do recommended readings and participate in role plays where appropriate
and your attitude towards your fellow students.
• Regular quizzes to assess whether or not you have done the required
reading for the week plus ungraded written work handed in during the
semester.

Use of English

English is today recognised globally as the language of international business

and its use is an integral part of all elements of this course. All group and class
work will be in English and this will be assessed as a part of your Continuous
Assessment.

Punctuality and Attendance

The roll will be marked at the beginning of class. Students who are 15 minutes
late will not be permitted to enter the classroom.

*Please note if you are late three (3) times this will be equivalent to one absence.

Mobile Telephones

All phones are to be switched OFF before coming into class. NO exceptions. If
your phone rings and causes distractions it may be confiscated
Your Final Grade

Your final grade will be a reflection of the effort that you have made across
ALL sections of the course from the very first class session through to the
final assessment for the course. All components as identified in this
document will count towards your final grade.

2. CASE STUDY FORMAT

• I will be looking for creativity in your case studies, other elements such as
ease of access of information, and the proficiency of English language
skills must also be demonstrated. Your attention to correct English
language format is critical as marks will be deducted where your work
does not meet the required grammatical standards.
• There will also be a particular emphasis on the sources of information
supplied. You must cite all information
• Anyone found to be using material without identifying its source will FAIL .
• Large amounts of text downloaded from the internet DO NOT make up an
assignment. Anyone found doing this will FAIL.
• Anyone found copying the work of another student will FAIL; the person
providing the material will also FAIL

3. THE GOLDEN RULES OF ASSIGNMENT WRITING:

1. Begin by analysing the question – you must answer the question, the
whole question and nothing but the question
2. Planning is the key to good assignments
3. Your assignment must be all your own work. You may brainstorm ideas
with your colleagues, but when you sit down to write the assignment the
words MUST be your own.
4. Reference any material you use which is not your own work
5. A bibliography at the end of your assignment is critical as it shows me the
work you have read in preparation of the assignment
6. Treat all work you hand in as important and apply the same professional
standards.
Referencing

*Please remember all written work must use APA style. This includes your
Case Study and your written report. If you are unsure how to reference
correctly please visit the writing centre

Referencing all direct and indirect quotations is a critical part of all work you hand
in. You can choose to reference using either the in text method or footnotes.
Indirect quotations can be used when the gist of what the author is saying is
more important than the direct words they use. It can also be used effectively to
summarise long passages of text by an author as long as the meaning reflects
that of the author.

Direct quotations are used when the exact detail of what an author is saying is
important to the theme of the written assignment.

The penalty for plagiarism is FAIL – automatically, no exceptions.

Turn It In

AUK has an assessment mechanism which helps faculty ensure that the work
students hand in is in fact theirs. The tool is called Turn it In (www.turnitin.com)
and it contains a database of written material including books, newspapers and
even the work of other students, against which your work is checked.

The process is simple.

1. Complete your assignment and hand in a hard copy and a soft copy to me
on or before the due date (you may email me the soft copy).
2. Before your first assignment I will give you a class ID number and a class
enrolment password.
3. You visit www.turnitiin.com create a user profile (just like an email
account) and use the class ID and enrolment password to enroll in the
class.
4. You then submit an electronic version of your assignment to Turn It In and
it is compared to their database.
5. Shortly afterward I receive advice whether or not your work is your own
and I then mark it.
6. You will receive your grade from me electronically and I will retain the hard
copy of your work for future reference.

Please note that no assignment will be graded until the soft copy has been
lodged with Turn It In. Both the hard copy and the soft copy to Turn It In MUST
be completed by the due date for the assignment.