HROB 101 | Syllabus

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Fall 2012                                                                                                Professor Jerry D. Estenson

 

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
College of Business Administration

 

HROB 101 – The Management of Contemporary Organizations

Section Seven: 4:30 – 5:45 Monday and Wednesday

 

OFFICE:                            Tahoe – 2048
OFFICE HOURS:               M/W     2:30 – 4:00 p.m.               
OFFICE PHONE                Good Choice:  278-6781 (CSUS) 
EMAIL:                                Good Choice: estenson@csus.edu (Campus)
                                           (Messages picked up on Monday and Wednesday)
                                           Best Choice jestenso@earthlink.net (Other World)
                                           (Messages picked up seven days a week)
WEBSITE:                          www.csus.edu/indiv/e/estenson

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TEXT (Required)

Kinicki, Angelo & Williams, Brian K. (2012). Management: a Practical Introduction 5th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

 

COURSE OVERVIEW

 

The development of next-generation managers and leaders is at the top of the to-do list for most organizational leaders. While the goal is clear, the question becomes: “How do we build the best?”  In their critique of management theory developed by management consultants and academicians, Micklethwait and Wooldridge claim that these self-appointed “gurus” are “the unacknowledged legislators of mankind.” (They borrowed and modified Shelly). They support their theory by asking us to look around and note how theorists and consultants are laying down the law, reshaping institutions, refashioning language, and reorganizing people’s lives.  As a side note, they propose that neither the President of the United States or the Governor of California may immediately impact your daily organizational life but a consultant could quickly and seriously change your work life. (The Witch Doctors: Making Sense of the Management Gurus).

 

Some thinkers about the future of management like Jim Collins tell us that our current situation is the result of hubris and failed leadership. Others tell us that the change we are experiencing will become the norm and your career in business will be impacted by a series of discontinuities.  If this is true, the future is up for grabs and those who are successful will not become enamored with the latest fad, but instead understand the foundations of solid business management. This requires you to challenge old models, old ways of thinking, old rules, old strategies, old assumptions, and old recipes for success while honoring what has worked. (Rethinking the Future). This view of the world resulted in Handy and Senge challenging the complacency of a group of future Chief Executive Officers by asking them to think about the proposition: “What would you do if the behaviors and skills that made you a success to this point in your career will cause you to fail in the future?”

 

Before one can challenge the way organizational life is ordered, it is important to understand the basics (the old way).  It is through understanding the roots of past thinking that we can move forward to new and creative ways to solve organizational problems.  My job as your guide on a journey to understanding will start with the world in which managers live and operate. Once there is understanding of that terrain, we will explore the specific tools managers use to focus human behavior.  These tools include planning, organizing, leading and controlling the activities of those who have chosen to work in an organization.

 

As we explore past techniques we will integrate current thinking on various topics.  In these explorations we will move to discuss difficult issues such as downsizing, re-engineering, work place diversity, quality of work life, role of unions, globalization, market expectations, outsourcing jobs, and the recruitment and retention of skilled workers.

 

Together we will build a base of knowledge, which will serve you well in future business courses, and help you start to build the skills needed to shape a future that will meet your needs.

 

COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

 

1. You will be provided the opportunity to understand the nature of organizations, internal and external forces that influence organizational behavior, and the factors contributing to organizational effectiveness.

2. You will be given the opportunity to analyze and solve complex organizational problems using the frameworks, perspectives and models provided during the course.

3. You will gain an appreciation for the role of human behavior in determining organizational effectiveness.

4. You will have the opportunity to improve your team management skills by studying the theory and process of team activity.

5. You will be exposed to the complexity of global operations and understand the impact the global economy has on organizations.

6. You will study the relationship between organizations and society and appreciate the nature of ethical dilemmas created by this relationship.

7. You will have a solid informational foundation to further your study of business administration.

These goals will be accomplished by narrowing the focus to certain aspects of behavior in organizations.  You will have the opportunity to probe human interaction at the following levels:

1. Organizations in a global setting

2. Organizations in a society

3. Activities between organizations

4. Behavior of individuals in an organization

5. Behaviors of individuals in groups

6. Behavior of individuals

COURSE ACTIVITIES

Several methods of instruction will be used.  Because of class size, each subject will be covered by a lecture and (to the extent possible) class discussion and exercises. The lectures will take on the flavor of an open discussion versus “stand and deliver”. Lectures will be supplemented by videos and guest speakers. Like the subject matter, method of instruction will be fluid and respond to resources available each week.

 

Examinations

There will be three full period examinations during the semester.  The exams will be divided into two parts: Multiple choice and short essay. Each exam will cover material in a specific number of chapters, lectures and information provided by guest speakers. The exams are NOT CUMULATIVE.

 

Case Project

During the semester there will be a significant number of team case analyses.  Your contribution to the team solution to the case will be graded by your team members.

 

In addition to the in-class case analyses each student will be assigned to a team (consisting of approximately five - eight students).  This team will work on either a live case study or a case the team selects from the Strategic Management Text located in the reserve book room.

 

It is hoped that the team can find a situation occurring in an organization employing an individual team member.  If there is no opportunity for a live study, the instructor has placed books with strategic cases in the reserve bookroom in the library.  To assist you with this project, material related to preparation of a case study is provided through the course web site.

 

The teams are encouraged to use the case preparation methodology (provided on-line via the website).  This methodology suggests that each team clearly state the context in which a management problem is occurring. Next, a critical problem will be selected and artfully described.  With the problem defined the team will develop a set of alternative solutions.  These solutions will be constructed using theories and models presented in the text.  The last part of the study will be a recommended course of action to fix the problem.  This recommendation will be supported by theories and models used by the authors or shared with the class by the instructor and or guest speakers.

 

Your case will be graded using the following criteria:

Area Reviewed	Maximum  Percentage
Clarity of problem statement	15%
Exploration of options	15%
Persuasiveness of material and arguments used to support recommended solution	15%
Use of theories, models, and processes provided in the text	25%
Presentation (Writing mechanics, appropriate writing style, use of graphics, and general appearance of document)	30%
Total	100%

GRADES

 

The feedback provided by grades indicates how well you are performing against a standard set at the beginning of the semester.  There is no curve provided and the points you accumulate on each activity will determine your final grade.

 

DESCRIPTION	POINTS
Three Exams (200 points per exam)	600
In-class case studies	300
Case Project - As an(incentive, extra credit or bribery) for turning the project early the starting point for determining the case value is a follows:  Before midnight 7 November = 150 possible points After midnight 7 November and before midnight Nov 14 = 125 possible points After midnight Nov 14 before midnight Nov 21 = 100 possible points After midnight Nov 21 before midnight November 28 = 75 possible points. After midnight on November 28 to end of class on December 6 = 50 Maximum possible points. After end of class on December 6th no points will be available.	Bonus Round: Maximum Possible   150
Total Possible Points	1000

 

Academic Honesty:

California State University, Sacramento has a clearly defined policy and procedure to address issues of academic honesty (PM 90-94, PM 04-01). Those policies will be applied to this course in the following manner. If you are caught cheating on the test you will be given an F for the course. If you are caught cheating on any written assignment you will be given an F for the course. To help you focus it is important to remember that I selectively keep copies of previously submitted case studies. Should you turn in a copy of previous case study that will be viewed as a violation of University policy and you will be given an F for the course. Enough said.

Note that the instructor reserves the right to modify this course outline.

 

Grade Distribution:

 

CLASS WORK PLAN

 

(The dates set forth below are target dates and subject to change.This course is taught in a dynamic manner which means we will flow with learning opportunities presented to us)

 

DATE/ WEEK	CHAPTER	TOPIC	GUEST/ACTIVITY
Week One Monday August 27	1	Course Introduction The Exceptional Manager: What you do, How you do it	Each week read the assigned chapter, review the PowerPoint slides, and listen carefully to the lectures. This is the type of course where it is very hard to catch up once behind.
Wednesday August 29	2	Management Theory: Essential Background for the Successful Manager	Note that in addition to material in Chapter 2 there is supplemental information contained in the power point slides. This will be a common occurrence as I will regularly find material that will add to our discussions.
Week Two Monday September 3 “Labor Day”			.
Wednesday September 5	2 and 3	Finish discussion of early management thinking. Introduce:  Manager’s Changing Work Environment & Ethical Responsibility: Doing the right thing	Team Membership announcement.
Week Three Monday September 10	3	Finish discussion about ethics and provide time for team meeting to discuss strategy to accomplish case study assignment	To be on track for early extra credit the formation of team goals, an analysis of team strengths and weaknesses, and the formation of a time and action plan should be in place. If you are having a problem contact Instructor.
Wednesday September 12	4	International Business	Again note that there will be slides in lecture that supplement slides provided on website.
Week Four Monday September 17	4	International Business Global Management: Managing Across Borders Review for Test One
Wednesday September 19	Chapters 1 – 4	EXAM
Week Five Monday September 24		Team Day
Wednesday September 26	5	Planning and Strategy Planning: The Foundation of Successful Management
Week Six Monday October  1	5	Planning and Strategy
Wednesday October 3	6	Strategic Management: How Star Managers Realize a Grand Design
Week Seven Monday October 8	7	Individual & Group Decision Making: How Managers Make Things Happen
Wednesday October 10		Team Day	Use day as a gift of class time to get on top of your case assignment.
Week Eight Monday October 15	7	Individual & Group Decision Making: How Managers Make Things Happen
Wednesday October 17	8	Organizational Culture, Structure, Design: Building Blocks of the Organization
Week Nine Monday October 22	8	Design Continued
Wednesday October 24	9	Human Resource Management: Getting the Right People for Management Success
Week Ten Monday October 29	9	HRM Systems Review for Exam
Wednesday October 31	Chapters  5, 6, 7, 8 & 9	EXAM	EXAM
Week Eleven Monday November 5	10	Organizational Change & Innovation: Lifelong Challenges for the Exceptional Manager
Wednesday November 7	10	Change & Innovation	Case value starts to drop after midnight November 7, 2012
Week Twelve Monday November 12 “Veteran’s Day”		Holiday
Wednesday November 14	11	Managing Individual Differences & Behavior: Supervising People as People
Week Thirteen Monday November 19	12	Motivating Employees: Achieving Superior Performance in the Workplace
Wednesday November 21	13	Groups & Teams: Increasing Cooperation, Reducing Conflict
Week Fourteen Monday November 26	14	Power, Influence & Leadership: From Becoming a Manager to Becoming a Leader
Wednesday November 28	14	Leadership
Week Fifteen Monday December 3	15	Interpersonal & Organizational Communication: Mastering the Exchange of Information	Last possible day to turn in case study
Wednesday December 5	16	Control: Techniques for Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness
Finals Week Date of final to be determined.  Exact date and place will be announced in class.  Most likely on Monday December 10 3:00 – 5:00	Chapters 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16	EXAM	EXAM

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