Course Description
The basic concepts, theories, and practices needed to understand human behavior within work organizations. Reviews the interpersonal skills that provide individual, group, and organizational effectiveness. In essence, it is an exploration of how, why, and what people think, feel, and do in organizations. Students will apply this knowledge through a research project.
Athena Title
Organizational Behavior
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in MGMT 5920, MGMT 5920E
Non-Traditional Format
Course includes a service-learning project during the semester that either employs skills or knowledge learned in the course or teaches new skills or knowledge related to course objectives. Student engagement in the service-learning component will be up to 25% of overall instruction time.
Prerequisite
MGMT 3000 or MGMT 3000H or MGMT 3000E
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
•Introduce you to the basic principles and concepts of organizational behavior •Provide you with hands-on research experience that develops the skills that enable you to implement these principles in ways that benefit you and your company down the line •Encourage introspection and help you gain a better understanding of yourself In addition to traditional course expectations (reading, assignments, test, etc.), students enrolled in this course will create, design, build, implement, interpret, and report a research project designed to answer real-world questions that employees face when working in organizations. Small groups of students will act as consulting groups and independently design and execute their project with full-time working individuals. As part of this process, students will: (1) recruit a set of current employees and conduct interviews about their work experiences, (2) develop theory and hypotheses based on this set of interviews, (3) create a survey instrument designed to test their hypotheses, (4) recruit a new set of employees to be surveyed, (5) compile the data and analyze the statistical results, (6) interpret and synthesize the results to provide practical feedback with workplace implications. Students will relay the findings and feedback to participants (clients) in an effort to help enhance their everyday working experiences. Depending on the direction of the project, it can provide, for example, actionable steps to improve their satisfaction, the quality of their work relationships, job engagement, and contribute to the overall environment of the business community to which they belong. This project is designed to give students hands-on experience with how to apply research methods in management to practical questions that arise in the workplace.
Topical Outline
The following topics are covered in this course: - Job performance - Organizational commitment - Employee satisfaction and emotions - Motivating employees - Organizational justice and trust - Individual differences: personality, ability - Team structure and processes - Leadership style and theories
Syllabus