Organizational Behavior | scientist-site

Psychology 267 - Organizational Behavior (Spring, 2025)

LOCATION & TIME: 5th Period MWF, Room A-203 SMC

INSTRUCTOR:

OFFICE: SMC E-131

PHONE: Ext. 7525

TEXTBOOK:
Organizational Behavior by Robbins & Judge (19th Ed., 2023) – ISBN: 978-0-13-7474646

In addition to the above text, there are a number of outside readings (“OR”) that are downloadable from this web page. These readings are listed at the end of the syllabus.

PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT WRITING POLICY

PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT WEB PAGE

TIPS FOR DOING WELL IN THIS COURSE (or any course!)

COURSE DESCRIPTION & GRADING:

In addition to the above text, there are a number of outside readings (“OR”) that are downloadable from the class web page. These readings are listed at the end of the syllabus.

Please note that IF YOU ARE USING AN EARLIER EDITION OF THE TEXTBOOK, the assigned chapter readings and page numbers will be different for the topics of “Organizational Structure, Culture, & Change” (April 11 & 14), as well as for the topic of “Job Stress” (May 26 & May 28). Check with me and I can clarify what you should be reading in your text for those topics.

The format for the classes in this course will be primarily lecture and discussion, with many in-class activities. Your final grade will be the average of your scores on four tests and three graded papers/projects. The tests will be based on the textbook, the outside readings, and class lectures. The last test will not be a comprehensive final exam.

THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT WRITING POLICY WILL BE APPLIED TO ALL WRITTEN PROJECTS.

(A copy of the psychology department writing policy can be viewed HERE. )

MY POLICY FOR USING AI IN YOUR WRITING

I would prefer that you develop skill as a writer without the aid of AI technology. Having said this, I recognize that the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, Writesonic, etc is the wave of the future and that I would be fighting a losing battle by totally banning the use of these programs by my students.

So, here is how I will handle this in PSYC 267. At the end of each one of your written projects, please include a section under the heading “Use of AI in this Assignment.” In this section of your paper, please identify exactly which writing tool(s) you used and explain exactly how you used them. I am not putting any particular restrictions on how you use them, but I want you to be completely transparent and honest with me about how you wrote the paper. I will only consider something an Honor Board violation if you claim that you did not use any AI tools and I then discover that you did. (And this is not really very hard for me to figure out!) If you honestly did not use any AI tools, this section will be very short – just one sentence certifying that no AI tools were used when you wrote the paper.

As a guide for the final grades in the course, use the following percentages:

(A = 93-100%)
(A- = 90-92%)
(B+ = 88-89%)
(B = 83-87%)
(B-=80-82%)
(C+=78-79%)
(C = 73-77%)
(D+=68-69%)
(D = 63-67%)
(D-=60-62%)
(F = anything < 60%)

LEARNING GOALS:

Your learning will be assessed by the quality of the written work that you hand in and your performance on the tests and quizzes. Every course that you take is designed to help you acquire knowledge and skills. The departmental learning goals & competencies assessed in this course include the following:

1) Understand the basic theoretical approaches and classic empirical findings of psychology.

2) Effectively communicate with clear, grammatically-correct writing.

3) Demonstrate an empathic understanding of people of diverse abilities, experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives

Goal # 1 listed above will be assessed via the tests; Goals 2 & 3 will be assessed via the written projects.

SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Wednesday, March 26 - What Is Organizational Behavior? Chapter 1

Friday, March 28 - Diversity & Legal Issues in Organizations Chapter 2; OR#1 & 2

Monday, March 31 - Diversity & Legal Issues in Organizations Chapter 2; OR#1 & 2

Wednesday, April 2 – Individual Differences & Career Choice Chapters 4 & 5; OR#3

PROJECT #1: Holland’s Vocational Preference Inventory

(Due Date: Wednesday, April 16)

Friday, April 4 – Emotions, Values, & Personality Chapters 4 & 5; OR#4

Monday, April 7 – Emotions, Values, & Personality Chapters 4 & 5; OR#4

TEST #1 (Wednesday, April 9) – Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5; OR #1, 2, 3, 4

Friday, April 11 – Organizational Structure, Culture, & Change Chapters 15, 16. OR#5, 6, & 7

Monday, April 14 – Organizational Structure, Culture, & Change - Chapters 15, 16. OR#5, 6, & 7

PROJECT #2: Organizational Culture (Due Date: Monday, May 5)

Wednesday, April 16 – Communication: Interpersonal and Organizational Chapter 11; OR#8

PROJECT #1 IS DUE

Friday, April 18 – Communication: Interpersonal and Organizational Chapter 11; OR#8

Monday, April 21 – Communication: Interpersonal and Organizational Chapter 11; OR#8

Wednesday, April 23 – Power and Politics Chapter 13

TEST #2 (Friday, April 25) – Chapters 11, 13, 15, 16; OR #5, 6, 7, 8

Monday, April 28 – Work Teams & Team Building Chapters 9 & 10; OR#9 & 10

Wednesday, April 30 – Group Dynamics Chapters 9 & 10; OR#9 & 10

Friday, May 2 – Group Dynamics Chapters 9 & 10; OR#9 & 10

Monday, May 5 – Decision Making & Creativity Chapter 6; OR #11

PROJECT # 2 IS DUE

Wednesday, May 7 – Decision Making & Creativity Chapter 6; OR #11

TEST #3 (Friday, May 9) – Chapters 6, 9, 10; OR #9, 10, 11

Monday, May 12 – Leadership and Management Style Chapter 12; OR#12, 13, 14, & 15

Wednesday, May 14 – Leadership and Management Style Chapter 12; OR#12, 13, 14, & 15

Friday, May 16 – Leadership and Management Style Chapter 12; OR#12, 13, 14, & 15

PROJECT #3: Understanding Your Leadership Style (Due Date: Friday, May 23)

Monday, May 19 – Conflict, & Negotiation Chapters 14

Wednesday, May 21 – Job Satisfaction Chapter 3; OR#16, 17, & 18

Friday, May 23, May 21 – Job Satisfaction – PROJECT #3 IS DUE Chapter 3; OR#16, 17, & 18

Monday, May 26 – Job Stress Chapter 18; OR#19, 20, & 21

Wednesday, May 28 – Job Stress Chapter 18; OR#19, 20, & 21

TEST #4 (During scheduled final exam period)

– Chapters 3, 12, 14, 18

–OR #12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

CLASS PROJECTS FOR PSYCHOLOGY 267

Project #1 - Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (Due Date: Wednesday, April 16)

Dr. John L. Holland has created a very influential instrument for helping individuals to explore what occupations might be good for them to pursue. His instrument is known as The Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI). In your first written assignment, you will be doing a self-assessment of your occupational interests by using a shortened, online version of Holland's VPI. After analyzing the results of your occupational interests, you will write a reflective essay in which you discuss your reactions to your assessment.

CLICK HERE to download the instructions for this assignment.

CLICK HERE to access the website where you will assess your vocational interests.

Project #2 - Organizational Culture (Due Date: Monday, May 5)
“Organizational Culture” refers to the perceptions of an organization that are widely shared by its members, and it is the perception of the organization on seven key characteristics that distinguish it from other, similar organizations. You will reflect on an organization that you currently belong to (or have been a member of in the past few years) by assessing it on the Organization Culture Questionnaire. You will write an essay in which you analyze and describe the culture of this organization.

Project #3 - Understanding Your Leadership Style (Due Date: Friday, May 23)
We will be spending a fair bit of time learning about leadership in this course. As we do so, you will assess your own leadership style by filling out five different leadership scales designed to assess leadership style from five different theoretical perspectives. You will also fill out a scale that will assess your preferred style for dealing with conflict. You will write a reflective essay in which you analyze your own personal style of leadership. In your essay, identify which one of the leadership scale(s) seemed to be the best at helping you think about your leadership style and explain why you think that is the case. Also, describe how your style of dealing with conflict might affect the way you would manage people. Describe what you think your leadership style is, and identify the situations in which you think you would perform best as a leader. Finally, discuss whether the results of the various leadership scales confirmed things that you already believed about yourself or whether they are at odds with your self-perception of yourself as a leader.

OUTSIDE READINGS - DOWNLOADABLE

1. Allegations Against Mitsubishi (Peoria Journal Star)

2. Abuse of Power (Maremont)

3. How to Let Go of a Lifelong Dream (Jarrett)

4. The "Dark Triad" of Personality Traits Will help You Get Ahead in Your Career (Andrews)

5. Why I Am Leaving Goldman-Sachs (Smith)

6. How Do You an Change Organizational Culture? (Denning)

7. The Peter Principle and How to Beat It (Reh)

8. Gossip in Your Workplace Probably Does More Good Than Harm (McAndrew)

9. Teams in Space (Hewer & Sleek)

10. Company Retreats: Know the Rules (Dilenschneider)

11. Putting Your Company’s Whole Brain to Work (Leonard & Straus)

12. In Praise of the Incomplete Manager (Ancona, Malone, Orlikowski, & Senge)

13. How Bosses Waste Their Employees' Time (Sutton)

14. When the Boss Feels Inadequate (Fast & Chen)

15. The Tyranny of Toxic Managers (Lubit)

16. Woodworker (Mosher)

17. Debunking the Lazy Leader's Argument Against Remote Work (Bukhari)

18. Companies' Hard-Line Stance on Returning to the Office is Backfiring (Telford & Abril)

19. High Status Stress (Warner)

20. The Company Man.

To see copies of the PPT slides that were used in the lectures for this course, click on the picture of the overhead projector.