Course Description
Organizational behavior focuses on identifying and building leadership skills, and the traits and attitudes that employees need to perform effectively in various contexts. This course weaves in core managerial topics such as power and influence, motivation, selection, teams, organizational structure, communication, and culture, among others.
Athena Title
ORG BEHAVIOR
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The course should better enable students to: Understand the contingent nature of leadership. Be able to identify organizational contingencies that determine the appropriate leadership style required. Gain an improved understanding of the complex interaction between their skills and the leadership requirements of various organizational leadership roles. Make better career choices based on the match between their own skill sets and organizational needs. Make better decisions through understanding an organizational decision-making framework. Understand some of the causes of organizational failure.
Topical Outline
1. Introduction to Leadership Models a. Contingency and Situational Theories of Leadership 2. The Leadership Lifecycle a. Stages of the Organizational Lifecycle and Leadership Demands b. Individual Leadership Characteristics, Styles and Behaviors c. Leadership Effectiveness 3. The Creation Phase a. Leadership Challenges in New Organizations b. Organizational communication, Organizational structure, and the Establishment of Organizational culture c. Person-Organization fit as Organization grows d. The Exercise of Power and Politics in Organizations 4. The Growth Phase a. Human Resource Challenges (hiring, development, retention, & turnover) b. Organizational Systems and Structures for Growth c. Group Dynamics and Team Effectiveness 5. The Maturity Phase a. Organizational and Leadership Challenges b. Motivation, Satisfaction and Commitment c. Decision Making for Leaders d. Causes of Organizational Failure 6. The Decline Phase a. Transformational Leadership b. Personal and Organizational Resilience c. Social Networks