MASTER PROGRAMS Fall Semester 2008/2009 COURSE SYLLABUS INTRODUCTION TO BA: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Instructor: Tatiana E.Andreeva, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management Department, GSOM, e-mail: andreeva@som.pu.ru Organization of the course Program Year Course status Workload Prerequisites Teaching methods Master in International Business 1-st year Elective 1 ECTS, 20 hours of classes None. This course is compulsory elective for students who did not have course in organizational behavior during their bachelor studies. The course is aimed to cover the vast amount of issues within a very limited number of hours, thus the main teaching method will be lecturing, intertwined with class discussions. There are no readings for the course, but active student participation is required. Course objectives The aim of the course is to provide students with the understanding of key factors and parameters of behavior of individuals and groups in organizations, that is: to acquaint students with key theoretical perspectives on organizational behavior, to enhance their understanding of dynamics of human-related processes in organizations, and thus to develop their skills as future managers. 1
Course content The following topics are covered within the course: Topic 1. Organizational behavior: field of research and applied discipline (2 hrs) Topic 2. Individual in organization (2 hrs) Topic 3. Groups and teams in organization (4 hrs) Topic 4. Leadership in organization (2 hrs) Topic 5. Communications in organization (2 hrs) Topic 6. Organizational culture (4 hrs) Topic 7. Organizational design (4 hrs) Plan of classes Topic 1. Organizational behavior: field of research and applied discipline (2 hrs) Class 1 Week 45 November, 5 History of development of organizational behavior (OB). OB as a science: object of study and key assumptions. Three levels of OB analysis. Links to other social sciences. The newest trends in OB. Understanding of the key problems within the field of organizational behavior Understanding of key links and differences between OB and other related management sciences Knowledge of current trends and challenges in OB Topic 2. Individual in organization (2 hrs) Class 2 Week 45 November, 5 Factors that influence behavior of individual in organization Adaptation of individual to organization: stages and challenges Development of individual within organization. Career in organization. Managing career: current trends. Downshifting. Understanding of the key factors that influence behavior of individual in an organization Understanding of individual adaptation and career concepts from the point of view both of an individual and of an organization Awareness of one s own organizational expectations as an employee 2
Topic 3. Groups and teams in organizations (4 hrs) Class 3. Week 46 November, 12 Notion of group. Typology of groups. Group s characteristics. Group role structure. Specifics of group thinking. Notion of team. Differences between groups and teams. Team role structure (Belbin s model) Dynamics of team development. Team building efforts. Team efficiency: key success factors. Knowledge of group and team concepts and their key characteristics Understanding of team dynamics and key factors that influence team efficiency Awareness of one s own teamwork preferences Topic 4. Leadership in organization (2 hrs) Class 4. Week 48 November, 26 Leadership as organizational and personal phenomena. Key theories of leadership: history of development New challenges for modern leaders. Contemporary shifts in efficient leadership models. Knowledge of key leadership theories and capability to compare them Understanding of contemporary shifts in leadership models Understanding of complex set of factors that that make a leader efficient in particular context Topic 5. Communications in organization (2 hrs) Class 5. Week 48 November, 26 Information needs at the workplace Types of communication and communication channels in organizations Communication model. Key elements of communication. Efficiency of communications. Typical communication problems in organization and diagnostics of communications. Knowledge of key information needs in organizations Knowledge of key elements of communication process Understanding of potential communication pitfalls and communication diagnostic tools 3
Topic 6. Organizational culture (4 hrs) Class 6. Week 49 December, 3 Organizational culture (OC) concept. Various approaches to understanding of OC. Elements of OC (E.Schein s concept). Functions of OC. Strength of OC. OC typologies. OC as an objective phenomena or management tool. Diagnosing and managing OC. Knowledge of various approaches to organizational culture concept Knowledge of key elements of organizational culture concept. Understanding of OC as a managerial tool Topic 7. Organizational design (4 hrs) Class 7. Week 50 Notion of organizational structure (OS) and its functions in organization. Influence of OS on behavior in organizations December, 10 OS typologies. H.Mintzberg s approach. Organizational design: key steps. Typical problems in OS. Understanding of influence of OS on behavior of individuals in organizations Knowledge of H.Mintzberg s typology of OS. Basic organizational design skills 4
Office hours for individual consultations: # Tatiana Andreeva, individual consultations by email andreeva@gsom.pu.ru, face-to-face consultations by prior appointment Calendar plan of current and final evaluation Exam: Announcement of exam results: Evaluation system # Forms of current evaluation: class participation. # Form of final evaluation: written test # Grading policy The final grading is composed as follows: o Class participation 15% o Final test 85% December, 10, 2008, To be confirmed later Required readings Basic textbooks: Gibson J. L., Ivancevich J. M., Donnelly J. H., Jr. Organizations: behavior, structure, processes. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Irwin, 1991 Luthans F. Organizational behavior. 10th ed.. -Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2005. 5