34185-003 Bohan

INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP BEHAVIOR IN ORGANIZATIONS - 15826 - MIS 34185 - 003

Fall Semester 2015

Tuesday 2:15pm to 5:00pm        

Business Administration Bldg 00110

Instructor:  Rick Bohan

E-mail:   rbohan@yahoo.com  (Best way to contact me!)

                gbohan@kent.edu              

Phone:  Cell – 216-409-9046 

Course Objectives:

When you’re finished with this course you should have a good understanding of several of the more practical theories of how to create change in organizations and how to apply them.  You will have a good understanding of how organization leaders create a high performance culture.

Course Description:

In my experience, managers think they know all there is to know about how to create high performance cultures …then, too often, they make decisions that seem designed solely to create low performance cultures.  This class will assume that most of you will be in positions in which you have to lead and manage others.  We will read about, talk about, write about concepts of change in organizations and how to apply them.  We’ll use cases and case studies as often as we can.

Instructional Philosophy:

There is a body of knowledge to learn but the most important development takes place when you read about, think about, consider, discuss, ponder, discuss some more, analyze, and debate the theories and concepts and their application.  SO….you will be expected to PARTICIPATE IN CLASS!  There will also be a fair amount of writing.  Along the way, I’ll stay in touch with each of you so as to encourage, nag, assist, coach, counsel, teach,, and advise you.

Required Reading: 

There is no assigned text but readings will be assigned.

Course Requirements and Grading:

As you’ll see in the course outline, you have to turn in three papers.  Here’s how the grading will go:

Emailed Intro                       2 points

First Paper                             20points

Second Paper                       40 points

Final Paper                            25 points

Participation                         13 points

Total                                      100 points

For each of the papers, here’s how I’ll figure the grade:

Overall quality of the content (Well organized, college-level language and syntax, good use of and attribution of outside resources…other than paper-writing services, of course.) – 40%

Use of concepts and material from the text and class – 40%

Punctuation, spelling, grammar, that sort of thing – 20%

Standards of proper English apply to all written assignments, and exams.  In addition to content; spelling, grammar and flow of ideas will be used to evaluate any written work product.

Here’s how I’ll score you for the semester:

A = 89.5 to 100 points

B+ = 86.5 to 89.0 points

B = 82.5  to 86.0 points

B- = 79.5  to 82.0 points

C+ = 76.5 to 79 points

C = 72.5  to 76 points

C- = 69.5 to 72.0 points

D = 60 to 69 points

F = Below 60 points

I’ll give out the research paper questions well in advance of the due date.  I will be happy to review rough drafts of papers before the due date to provide advice and feedback. 

Notice that, even if you made perfect scores on all the assignments, you couldn’t make an A if you sat in the back of the class and didn’t say a word all semester.  Or, worse yet, if you don’t come to class regularly.  PARTICIPATION IS IMPORTANT! 

The following policies apply to all students in this course:

Attendance:  Regular class attendance is expected. You should come to class prepared to discuss the assigned topic. If you are unable to attend a class or exam, you should consult with me individually in advance of class. The University Health Service will verify treatment due to illness or injury only when the Health Center has rendered a service to you. In other words, no make-up exams will be allowed without a medical excuse from the Health Center or your physician.

Enrollment:   Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes.  You are advised to review your official class schedule during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure you are properly enrolled in this class and section.  Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until August 31 to correct it with your advising office.  If registration errors are not corrected by this date and you continue to attend and participate in classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any class in which you are not properly registered.

Course withdrawal: The course withdrawal deadline is September 13.  Withdrawal before the deadline results in a "W" on the official transcript; after the deadline a grade must be calculated and reported.

Getting to class, turning exams and research papers in and other important stuff:  I don’t take attendance but I do make it a point to get to know students by name.  As such, I’m good about keeping track of your participation and you can’t participate if you aren’t there.  Also, the material from class is entirely your responsibility and, if the past is any indication, I’m very likely to bring up topics in class that can’t be found in the readings or anywhere else for that matter but I’ll still expect to see them referred to in the essays. I’ll help you in any way I can but I don’t lecture from notes so don’t bother to ask me for notes from classes you might have missed.   

Missed exams shouldn’t be a problem because they’ll all be take-home essay exams and will be given out well in advance of due dates.  As such, you would need an EXTREMELY good reason not to turn a paper in on time and the reason would have to be accompanied by proof (such as a doctor’s note).  And the time to tell me that you have extenuating circumstances that make it difficult for you to turn in a paper on time is not two days after it’s due.   If you can’t turn a paper in on the due date…turn it in early.  If you know you’re not going to be able to get it in on time, let me know as soon as you know! Do not wait until three days after the paper was due to tell me that your dog ate your Flash Drive or that your frat or sorority house burned down three weeks earlier with all your belongings in it.   

I strive to make the whole exam/research paper experience fairly “student friendly”.  If you run into extraordinary problems, I can be reached via Email and Telephone (including voice mail).  Please make use of these communication channels for missed Exams, etc.    In general, though, I expect everything to be turned in ON TIME!  I will take points off your Participation Grade for late papers. 

I’m required to report grades a couple of days after the last day of exams (when your final essay is due).  No materials will be accepted after I’ve reported grades.  If you know that you’re not going to be able to get an assignment in by then due to extraordinary circumstances and want an incomplete grade, you had better get in touch with me early.  And the day before grades are due is not early. 

Academic Honesty:  Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work so as to get underserved credit. The use of the intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense.  It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course. Repeat offenses result in a dismissal from the University.

Here’s my take on all that: you can use any material you want to from whatever source you want to…but you MUST credit the source.

Students with Disabilities: In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required.   Students with disabilities must verify their eligibility through the Office of Student Disability Services in the Michael Schwartz Student Services Center (672-2972).

Note: This syllabus may be changed and/or updated throughout the semester.  I will announce all changes in class - it is your responsibility to make sure you attend class and are aware of any changes.

Other Important Matters:

1. If you need to meet with me outside of class, please feel free to email for an appointment.  Or you can stay after class to talk with me.
2. Please tell me about any problems you are having while there is still time to do something about them!  In other words, if you need to make an A to graduate, let me know before the end of the semester.
3. Each student must turn in an original piece of work.  You can use “internet term papers” for references but don’t just print them out and turn them in as your own work.  That would be cheating.  So is cutting and pasting from another work, for that matter.
4. Reading assignments are expected to be completed prior to attending class so that you may participate in class discussion.  However, we will not discuss every aspect of the assigned chapters or supplemental material. 
5. All out-of-class written assignments must be submitted in typewritten form.  No handwritten assignments will be accepted.
6. LATE REGISTRATION: No late registration forms will be signed following the first exam. If you wish to register for the class, you MUST REGISTER BEFORE THE FIRST PAPER IS DUE—NO EXCEPTIONS!

Course Outline