Instructor:    Dr. Gary Convertino PHR

Phone:   401-573-9408 cell

Fax:  216-712-7627

E-Mail:  gconvertino@cox.net

BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Gary Convertino PHR

Education:

Doctorate (Ed.D) in Education                                              Master’s Degree in Teaching (M.A.T)

Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources                                 Associates Degree in Hospitality/Culinary

Work Experience:

Restaurant/Hospitality and Human Resources, working in the Corporate Offices of Bess Eaton Inc., (RI), Dunkin Donuts World Wide (MA), Johnson & Wales University (RI) and The Arch Street Center.

Higher Education Experience:

Adjunct Professor at The University of Massachusetts, New England Institute of Technology, and Tiffin University.

Volunteer Experience:

Board Member for The Cleveland Restoration Society, Mentor for Big Brothers of Cleveland, Cleveland SHRM Education Committee Member, Commissioner for the RI Service Alliance (Governor Appointed), Human Resources Transition Team for Mayor of City of Providence, Board Member of the American Society of Training and Development Professionals, and Board Member of the Neighborhood Citizen’s Association of Providence.

General Policies

RESPONSES TO REQUESTS AND INQUIRIES
Emails and the course requests will be checked daily. However, because of other commitments, immediate responses to questions, requests, inquiries, etc may not be possible. Most inquiries will be responded to within 48 hours of the time sent unless there is an announcement noting otherwise.

The best way to get in touch with the instructor is through email.  However please call the instructor at 401-573-9408 anytime if you have a question or need.

LATE WORK
A late assignment will not be accepted under any circumstances unless the student contacts the instructor personally with a valid excuse (e.g., illness, death in family, work commitment) before the assignment is due and makes arrangements to turn it in at a later time. If the student fails to contact the instructor beforehand, the student will receive a zero for that assignment. If a new due date is agreed upon, the assignment will be considered late if it is not turned in by that new date.  For success in this course, it is important for the student to be aware of and meet all due dates. 

GRAMMAR AND SPELLING
All assignments are graded on grammar and spelling as well as content.  Using the APA Manual as a guide in your writing is highly recommended.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY/PLAGIARISM
Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this course.  The Student Handbook contains the University’s policy regarding academic dishonesty and every student is responsible for knowing this policy.  If it is determined that a student has cheated, plagiarized, or engaged in any other form of academic dishonesty on an assignment in this course, the penalty will be a grade of zero (0) for the assignment in question, an “F” for the final course grade, or recommendation to the dean for dismissal from the program, depending on the severity of the offense.

GUIDANCE
If, at any time during the semester, the student does not understand some of the material or an assignment, or is having difficulty with the material or an assignment, the student should contact the instructor about it.

SYLLABUS

MIS: 34185 – Individual and Group Behavior in Organizations

LCCC – Room 325 – University Center

Thursdays – 4:25 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

August 30 to December 20, 2012 (No class on Thanksgiving)

Course Description:

The focus of this course is on human behavior in organizations, including individual behavior and the team concept.  Problem solving through effective communication, group processes and team building will be stressed.

Course Objectives:

·         Understand individual and group/team behavior in organizations

·         Develop/enhance self-awareness as it relates to organizational realities

·         Develop knowledge and skills for effective management of individuals and teams 

Required Course Material

1. DuBrin, A.J. (2007). Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior. Fourth Edition.
   Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing. (ISBN: 9780324421392)
2. Packet of two Harvard Business Review articles (To be handed out in class)
• “The Power to See Ourselves” by Paul J. Brouwer (ISBN: 9786460200006)
• “Pygmalion in Management” by J. Sterling Livingston (ISBN: 9788850900008)

Optional Text (strongly recommended):

• Perrin, R. (2012). Pocket Guide to APA Style. Fourth Edition. Boston:
  Cengage. (ISBN: 9780495912637)

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs):

      1. To discover the meaning of organizational behavior

2. To explore the advantages of organizational behavior knowledge

3. To consider how to develop organizational behavior skills

4. To examine the stages of group development and the roles that group members occupy

5. To identify characteristics of an effective work group

6. To consider potential problems with groups and how to prevent them

7. To explore how to foster teamwork

8. To develop insights into effective team management

9. To explore how individual differences influence organizational behavior

10. To examine the various facets of diversity

11. To consider how mental ability and personality affect job performance

12. To study the basic concepts of learning and learning styles

13. To investigate how perceptual differences and attribution can influence behavior in the workplace

14. To study the concepts of emotional intelligence and social intelligence
15. To understand how emotional intelligence and social intelligence can be developed
16. To learn how emotional intelligence and social intelligence can be used to manage others

17. To explore various theories of motivation

18. To consider how to enhance employee motivation

19. To learn to choose appropriate motivational methods for the situation and the person involved

20. To explore the nature and causes of conflict in organizations

21. To examine strategies for dealing with workplace conflict

22. To explore the nature and causes of stress

23. To consider strategies for managing and reducing stress

24. To examine sources of power in organizations

25. To consider factors which contribute to organizational politics

26. To explore influence tactics

27. To differentiate between the ethical and unethical use of power, politics and influence in organizations

ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES

Grading Policies:

The following scale will be used to determine your final grade

A: 90-100%
B: 80-89.99%
C: 70-79.99%
F: below 70%

Evaluation:
Your final grade will be based on the instructor's evaluation of the following components:

Class Participation: 30%
2 Reaction Papers: 10%
Individual Self-Development Plan: 20%
Team Project: 20%
Individual Assessment of the Team: 10%
Other Team and Individual Assignments: 10%

PARTICIPATION
Each student is expected to actively participate in each class discussions. Students should prepare in advance in order to contribute meaningfully to the discussions. 

REACTION PAPER (INDIVIDUAL)
This paper is a discussion of your reaction to the newly gained knowledge found in the assigned articles  (“The Power to See Ourselves” & “Pygmalion in Management”).  That is, with what points do you agree or disagree and why?  What did you find interesting about the article and why?  What new questions have been sparked in your mind?  These are not summary papers.  Your discussion should tie your reactions directly to specific points in the article.  The paper should exhibit critical thinking on the part of the student about the article.  Each reaction paper should be double-spaced and be no less than one full page and no more than two pages in length (using Times New Roman 12pt. font with one-inch margins all around), not including a cover page.  Also, grammar and spelling errors will not be tolerated.  Note that the grading rubric for these papers should be reviewed and referenced as you prepare your papers.  The paper should be submitted on the appropriate due date.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT PLAN (INDIVIDUAL)
This paper will be based on your results from the Pt/psychtest – “Emotional Intelligence Test”.  Complete the test very carefully, giving honest and thoughtful answers.  Only by doing this can you get the most benefit from this exercise.  This paper and your results will be kept completely confidential.

After completing the test, you will have to purchase the results of the test - $6.95 to $9.95 depending on your type of purchase – online or PDF.

Once you have completed all of the above steps, write your paper to address each of the following questions:

1.      What are your main challenges today and in the future (i.e., the next 2 to 4 years)?  List several that will be key to your success.  Note that these are general challenges, not competencies.

2.      What were your strengths?  What were your areas for growth or development? (Note that this discussion should not be the focus of the paper.)

3.      Select three or four emotional/social competencies you would like to develop over the next 12 to 24 months that will help you realize success today and/or acquire the job you are seeking for the future.  These should be competencies that, if consistently demonstrated, will help you achieve your personal goals.

4.      What are the key things you need to do to enhance these competencies and achieve your goals?  What activities could you do over the next 12 to 24 months that would give you opportunities to practice and develop your competencies of interest?

5.      What can you do during classes or course assignments, as well as outside of work/class, to help you practice your new behaviors?

6.      How will you deal with setbacks that may interfere with the achievement of your learning and the acquisition or enhancement of the chosen competencies?

7.      What kind of support will you need to be successful in building capability in these competencies?  What steps will you take to get this support?

8.      By what date will you achieve measurable progress toward building competency capability?

9.      How will you know that you have enhanced your capability in each of the competencies you chose for development?

The paper should be no less than five and no more than eight double-spaced pages in length (using Times New Roman 12pt. font with one-inch margins all around).  In addition, the paper should be well organized and readable; spelling and grammar errors will not be tolerated.  Note that a grading rubric for this paper will be available—this should be reviewed and referenced as you prepare your paper.  Submit the paper on the appropriate date.

TEAM PROJECT
Teams will be formed by the instructor early in the term.  Each team will then be assigned a scenario in which the management team, of which you are all a part of, are faced with a significant change initiative within your fictitious corporate facility.  You will use your newly gained knowledge about Emotional/Social Intelligence and other Organizational Behavior concepts to determine, as a team, how to make the change happen and get everyone on board.  This will be the basis for your team PowerPoint presentation to be shared with your classmates.

The presentation should be produced using Microsoft PowerPoint.  It should include the following:

1.      A synopsis of the problem and a list of the assumptions you have made about the problem

2.      A discussion of the issues involved, including the affected stakeholders

3.      A discussion of the OB and EI/SI concepts involved

4.      A discussion of a number of possible alternative solutions to the problem which make use of Emotional/Social Intelligence and other OB concepts (be creative!)

5.      A discussion of the solution chosen as the best alternative and why it was best

6.      A discussion of how the solution should be implemented using Emotional/Social Intelligence and other OB concepts

The presentation will be evaluated based on content, presentation style, and use of the technology.  PowerPoint comes with a lot of bells and whistles, some of which are useful in getting your message across and others that impede your message.  Your presentation should take advantage of the technology but not show off at the expense of the message.  The file should also be a reasonable size so that classmates with slower Internet connections can download it in a reasonable amount of time.  Note that a grading rubric for this project should be reviewed and referenced as you prepare your project.

ASSESSMENT OF TEAM PAPER (INDIVIDUAL)
Near the completion of the team project, each team member will assess the performance of the team overall and of each of its members.  The assessment of the team as a whole should be a succinct but thorough analysis of the team's strengths, major obstacles to effective team processes, and recommendations for improving the team's interactions for future involvement (i.e., explain what would be needed to help the team function more effectively if it were to continue working as a team in the future).

In assessing individual members, you will use a total of 50 points to distribute among teammates (do not include yourself).  You do not have to use all 50 points, but you may not use more than 50 points.  Because it is almost impossible for each team member to contribute to the group absolutely equally, the number of points assigned to each member should be different.  For example, Member 1 may be assigned 25 points because s/he went above and beyond in his/her contributions to the team, Member 2 may receive 5 points because they contributed little, and Member 3 may be assigned 20 points.  But, you may not assign the same number of points to any two team members.  Please be honest in your ratings of your peers – this is the only way that the instructor can truly assess the dynamics of the group throughout the term.  Your assessments will be kept confidential—only the instructor will see them.

For the individual assessments of your teammates, you must include the following information:

·         The team member’s name

·         The team member’s role in the team             

·         The number of points you have assigned to that person's contributions to the group

·         The rationale for the grade – be very descriptive in your reasoning; e.g., what portions of the project were undertaken by the member, how well s/he performed his/her assignments (include evidence), how faithfully s/he attended team discussions (and if s/he didn't, were his/her excuses seemingly valid).

This paper should be no more than two double-spaced pages in length (using Times New Roman 12 pt. font with one-inch margins all around).  It is worth 5% of your final team grade and the grades you receive from your teammates will make up another 5% of your final team grade.  Submit the paper to on the appropriate date.

OTHER TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS
Several intermediate team assignments and an individual autobiography may also be assigned.  Details are given in the appropriate unit online.