Professor Breaugh Phone: 516-6287

Office: 218 CCB Fax: 516-6420

e-mail: JBreaugh@umsl.edu

Text & Other Materials:

1. Osland, J., Kolb, D. & Rubin, I. The Organizational Behavior Reader, Prentice-Hall, 2001.

2. A packet of handouts will be sold in bookstore.

3. There will be a number of handouts distributed in class. You also may need to buy cases (e.g., Southwest Airlines A & B) from the bookstore or get materials from the library.

4. Optional books (not ordered for course, but you might consider getting access to):

-Cialdini - Influence, Allyn and Bacon (2001).

-O'Reilly & Pfeffer, Hidden Value, Harvard Business School Press (2000).

-Pfeffer & Sutton, The Knowing-Doing Gap, Harvard Business School Press (2000).

Course Requirements: I assume you are familiar with basic organizational behavior concepts.

1. Attendance: Your attendance is critical for the success of this course. If you miss a class, you are responsible for the material covered.

2. Participation: Students are expected to participate during class discussions of cases and readings. I would welcome your bringing relevant issues from the "real world" to our attention.

3. Assignments: (more detail will be provided during class sessions).

a) Group Presentation: Each student will be part of a group that will make a presentation to the class. How a group functions is up to its members. In researching your group's case, you should not exclusively rely on the assigned class materials. In order to help your classmates follow your presentation, you should provide copies of your overheads, slides, etc. at the beginning of your presentation.

b) Feedback on Group Presentations: After each group presentation, 3-4 students, who were not a part of the group, will evaluate the group's performance and provide written feedback. In order to provide insightful feedback, a student will need to have a good mastery of the case being presented and will need to take thoughtful notes during the presentation.

c) Written Case Analyses: There will be a take-home case analysis and an in-class case analysis.

1) The take-home case analysis is to reflect your professional competence both in terms of its content and its style (late papers will be penalized). This case analysis is to represent the independent work of the student. In preparing your paper, you should not rely exclusively on the assigned class materials.

2) The in-class case analysis will take place near the end of the semester. The case will be handed out at the start of the class period. You will be able to refer to any materials you desire (e.g., class notes, class handouts, the text) in analyzing the case. In my opinion, students who are actively engaged in the course each week (e.g., carefully read and take notes on articles, participate actively in case discussions) are likely to do better on the in-class case analysis.

d) Case Questions: For each case, except as noted, you are to submit one question at the start of class that you would like to see addressed during the case discussion. Your question should show your insight into the case. You should also submit an outline of an answer to your question. Although this outline need not be extremely detailed, it should describe the key issues that you believe should be addressed in responding to your question. An excellent answer would typically cite relevant course material. Bring two copies of your question and answer to class so that you can keep a copy. Questions need not be submitted: (a) when you are part of the group making a presentation, (b) when you are responsible for providing group feedback, or (c) when I say so (if you are not sure, ask!).

Course Evaluation: (these percentages are approximations).

a) Group Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%

{Group members will evaluate each other in terms of their relative contributions. Some members of the class, who were not part of the group, will also evaluate each group presentation. I will consider this information along with my own impressions in giving

each student a grade for the group presentation.}

b) Take-home Case Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%

c) In-class Case Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%

d) Feedback On Group Presentation . . . . . . . . . . 10%

{Each student will be assigned to provide feedback on one group presentation. I will

grade these feedback papers. Your paper should address all aspects of the presentation.}

e) Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15%

{based upon questions submitted, class attendance, and remarks made}

Analyzing A Case: Remember, managers rarely have all of the information they'd like.

1) Know the facts of the case.

2) Demonstrate your knowledge of the case. This does not mean providing an in-depth review of factual material in the case. In studying a case, ask yourself such questions as: What important information is missing? What are the differing perspectives that exist? How might certain issues have been addressed earlier? What constraints limit the actions I might recommend? What are the advantages and disadvantages of my recommended actions? What alternative course(s) of action should be considered?

3) Bring readings and other sources (e.g., class assignments and outside sources) to bear on the case being discussed (e.g., Are power issues involved? Does corporate history enter in? What have other organizations facing similar circumstances done?). If appropriate, do outside research (e.g., research relevant academic publications).

4) Demonstrate your awareness of critical issues that need to be addressed and constraints that should be considered. What are key problems and what are only symptoms of problems?

5) Suggest preferred actions and acknowledge the potential advantages and disadvantages of the actions you have recommended (e.g., speed and cost of implementation? long vs. short term effects? How different individuals in the case would react to what you have recommended? How can you convince key players to implement your ideas?).

6) When appropriate, recommend alternative courses of action and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.

7) Note how the problems being faced might have been avoided (or of lower magnitude) if action had been taken earlier. What actions should have been taken earlier? Why weren't they?

8) In doing the preceding, you should communicate clearly and succinctly. If it is a written case, use your space wisely. If it is a case to be discussed in class, use your time wisely. What you say should be logical and persuasive. Never forget your audience.

9) In terms of your group presentation, I would offer the following suggestions.

a) Review the evaluation form on which you will be rated.

b) Be careful about reading too much from your notes.

c) Keep good eye contact.

d) Begin the presentation by introducing the group members.

e) Provide an outline/overview of how your presentation will unfold.

f) In preparing overheads/slides/etc., make sure they enhance rather than detract from your presentation (e.g., print is sufficiently large, acronyms are explained, color contrasts are reasonable).

g) Rehearse your presentation. Critique each other. Make sure that the timing is optimal (e.g., neither too much nor too little time is spent on a topic, topics are covered in a logical sequence).

h) Build in effective transitions from one presenter to the next (e.g., "Now Carol will discuss

the constraints that limited what ABC Corporation can do").

i) Try to anticipate the types of questions that will be asked by your audience. How will you respond? Who will respond?

August 22 (Week 1) (Introduction to Course).

A) Introduction To Course. (syllabus/handout).

B) Lecture: How to Analyze a Case (Group Rating Form).

C) Lecture: "Schools of Management Thought" (handout).

August 29 (Week 2) (Introduction to Course).

*have read four lecture outlines ("Intro", "Managerial . . . Effectiveness", "Advice", "Overview of OB") to know what is coming. Be prepared to raise issues.

A) Introduction of Students.

B) Lecture & Discussion: "Managerial and Organizational Effectiveness" (handout).

C) Discuss readings: Mintzberg (34-49), Rousseau (2-8), Pfeffer (471-483).

WSJ: "Losing Faith" (for all readings, you should write down at least one important observation and one point you disagree with).

D) Lecture: "Advice for a New Manager" (handout/does it ring true to you?).

E) Señior Payroll: how to prepare and discuss a case.

September 5 (Week 3) (Career Issues and Motivation).

**Motivation at your place of work/How could things be improved? (be prepared to discuss).

A) Lecture: "Overview of Some Selected 'OB' Concepts" (bookstore packet).

B) Todd Thorpe - (case in bookstore packet).

C) Discuss readings: Dessler (20-30), Shepard (146-155), Nadler (96-103),

Kouzes (104-117), Teal (49-57-refers to Johnsonville).

D) video: Peters: the real world of work (update Harley-Davidson).

September 12 (Week 4) Management/Executives/Leaders

(assign first written case - due: 10/17, grace period: 10/19).

A) Lecture: Finish "OB handout".

B) Discuss readings. Kerr (508-515), Goleman (371-381), Conger (451-461), Cohen (461-469), (packet/"Managing Your Boss").

C) video. "Influence" (notes in packet).

D) Chose groups for presentations.

September 19 (Week 5) Groups/Teams

A) Lecture: catch up on loose ends. ("Whole Foods").

B) Discuss readings. Ware ("Taskforce"/handout), Wageman (231-242), Eisenhardt (285-293)

C) Case: ?

D) video: "Power". (notes in packet).

September 26 (Week 6) Communication, Culture,

A) Lecture: OB Handout.

B) Discuss readings. Rogers (185-195), Gibb (195-200), Tannen (200-210),

Schein (405-416).

C) Case: New Manager Stumbles.

D) video: "Knowing/Doing Gap". (notes in packet).

October 3 (Week 7): Organizational Design and Change/Glass Ceiling.

A) Lecture: tie up loose ends.

B) Discuss readings. Greiner (417-427), Kotter ("Org. Change"/handout), Ragins (327-342), Paul (227-230).

C) Case: Will She Fit In?

D) Levis: WSJ article.

E) "Nerds" - begin.

October 10 (Week 8): (First written case is due).

A) innovation: "Nerds" video, WSJ: intrapreneur. Sternberg (273-282).

B) finish up loose ends.

October 17 (Week 9)

A) Feedback on first written case.

B) Rhondell (handed out, student presentation #1).

October 24 (Week 10)

A) Lecture.

B) John Smithers (handed out, student presentation #2)

C) Videos: Chapparal, Motorola,

October 31 (Week 11)

A) Lecture:

B) Team That Wasn't (handed out, student presentation #3).

C) chapters: Nielsen (119-129).

November 7 (Week 12)

A) Lecture.

B) Strategy that Wouldn't Travel (handed out, student presentation #4).

C) chapters: Ulrich (484-496).

November 14 (Week 13)

A) Lecture.

B) People Express. (handed out, student presentation #5).

November 28 (Week 14)

A) Lecture.

B) After the Layoffs . . . (handed out, student presentation #6).

December 5 (Week 15) (subject to change).

A) (handed out, student presentation #7).

B) Lecture: "Witchdoctors".

December ? (7:45: exam period):

A) video: O'Reilly (notes in packet).

B) case: SWA.

8/03/01