Unit Outline* MGMT1135/2235. Organisational Behaviour. Semester 2, 2011 Crawley Campus. Unit Coordinator Dr. Catherine Lees

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1 Unit Outline* MGMT1135/2235 Organisational Behaviour Semester 2, 2011 Crawley Campus Unit Coordinator Dr. Catherine Lees Business School * This Unit Outline should be read in conjunction with the Business School Unit Outline Supplement available on the Current Students web site

2 MGMT1135_2235/Crawley/CDL/ All material reproduced herein has been copied in accordance with and pursuant to a statutory licence administered by Copyright Agency Limited (CAL), granted to the University of Western Australia pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Copying of this material by students, except for fair dealing purposes under the Copyright Act, is prohibited. For the purposes of this fair dealing exception, students should be aware that the rule allowing copying, for fair dealing purposes, of 10% of the work, or one chapter/article, applies to the original work from which the excerpt in this course material was taken, and not to the course material itself. The University of Western Australia

3 UNIT DESCRIPTION Welcome to Organisational Behaviour! Organisational Behaviour is a social science discipline concerned with understanding the behaviour of individuals and groups in organisations. This unit will introduce you to the concepts, theories and applications of the study of organisational behaviour. Organisations are composed of people. The study of human behaviour is, therefore, fundamental to understanding organisations and organisational effectiveness. This also means that organisational behaviour is relevant to all forms of business including businesses engaged in engineering, education, the arts, and physical and health sciences. Not only is organisational behaviour fascinating, it can also help us to understand life outside the classroom and in the workplace. This unit is concerned with learning how the study of human behaviour helps improve organisational, managerial and personal effectiveness. The unit will start you on a journey to understanding, integrating, and applying knowledge on why people act the way they do in organisations. The teaching staff for this unit are all passionate about Organisational Behaviour. We hope to spark your interest too, as we warmly welcome you to join us on this fascinating journey. Unit content Do you believe workers will generally avoid doing anything unless they have to, and that they must be monitored, enticed, or even threatened to keep them working up to standard? Or, do you believe workers are generally eager to work hard and concerned about what they produce and the contribution they make, and that they must be encouraged, trusted, and empowered in order to keep them working up to standard? Ask some of your friends what they think and you will get a variety of answers; we all have our own opinions about how people work, and how organisations work. Because OB is about people, and we are all people, it is easy to think that our own opinions and experiences provide the best guide to understanding behaviour. While we would not imagine that our personal experiences and intuitions could give us an adequate understanding of the complexities of chemistry, genetics or palaeontology, when it comes to human behaviour everyone is an expert! But, often different people have had different experiences and have developed different opinions. What if your experiences are different to the experiences of some other people, or do not correspond to the situation at hand? This is when we need to look for research to help guide our actions and behaviour towards others at work. Evidence-based management is the idea that we lead and manage ourselves and others based on research and evidence not upon what we think is common sense. Like many CEOs and executives are now doing, MGMT1135/2235 is based upon the premise of evidence-based management. As such, we will explore ideas around what makes for good research, as well as constantly touching base with what the research tells us, rather than just relying on our gut feel. Of course experience is useful, so the lectures and the tutorials encourage you to think about your own experiences but we will always tie it in to the theory and the research. We do this so that when you are your own business manager, or a manager of others, or just trying to understand those around you as you travel the world, you can rely on evidence to design practices and procedures, to predict and analyse management and people problems, and to understand and affect the actions and reactions of the people who make those organisations work. Organisational behaviour includes some of the most personal and important issues that will affect your career. 3

4 What motivates you, what motivates others? How do you react to the way you are treated? How will you treat other people when you have power over them? How do groups of people behave, and why? What can a manager do to affect the way people behave and what they do? The Goal of the unit Organisational behaviour (either MGMT1135 or MGMT2235) is a core foundation unit for those taking a major in Management or Human Resource Management in the Bachelor of Commerce. The goal is to provide students with an introduction to the study of organisational behaviour, its history, methods, and current state of knowledge, as well as to introduce students to how this knowledge is applied to improve the management of organisations and the well-being of those who work in them. Learning outcomes On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to: Understand organisational behaviour theories and concepts in the areas listed in the schedule of topics. Explain the importance of taking an evidence-based approach to management and organisational behaviour. Master the language and basic technical terms of the organisational behaviour discipline. Analyse and critique research in the field of organisational behaviour. Interpret organisational problems in terms of individual, interpersonal, and group processes. Analyse organisational problems using a number of established theoretical frameworks. Create solutions to managerial problems through the application of organisational behaviour principles. Educational Principles and Graduate Attributes In this unit, you will be provided with the opportunity to: Critically evaluate and develop solutions to organisational behaviour problems. Develop your communication skills through class discussion in tutorials, and responding to questions that arise about the discussion topics. Develop a willingness to question accepted wisdom and be open to new ideas and possibilities, through critical analysis of competing organisational behaviour theories and active debate in tutorial classes. Develop self-management and independent learning skills through completion of the regular assigned work in the course. Develop competencies for working effectively in teams, through full participation in team exercises in the tutorial classes. 4

5 Develop awareness of the ethical and cultural aspects of organisational behaviour in an international context. TEACHING AND LEARNING RESPONSIBILITIES Teaching and learning strategies The learning outcomes of this unit, as outlined above, are reflected in the teaching and learning strategies used. The lectures define areas, outline key theories and research in organisational behaviour, contrast alternative perspectives and identify points of debate. You are expected to participate in assigned activities, and to keep up-to-date with assigned reading so that you can benefit fully from the lectures. Tutorials build on the lecture material and draw upon your knowledge and experiences. Experiential activities and participative discussions are used to develop your critical thinking skills, creativity and confidence in speaking on organisational behaviour topics. You are expected to listen to the lectures, either in person or on Lectopia, and to attend your allocated tutorial session. Attendance and participation at tutorials is a requirement and part of the assessment for the unit is conducted during tutorials. Everyone involved in the unit is expected to show a commitment to professionalism, social responsibility and ethical practice. Participants are also expected to be sensitive and committed to a better understanding of cultural, diversity-related, and international issues. Attendance Engagement with the course, whether by listening to a lecture or getting involved in other activities, is an important part of the learning process. It is therefore important that you attend your tutorial classes. More formally, the University regulations state that to complete a course or unit students shall attend prescribed classes, lectures, seminars and tutorials. Teaching and learning evaluation You may be asked to complete two voluntary surveys on your experience of this unit.; The Student Perception of Teaching (SPOT) and the Students Unit Reflective Feedback (SURF). SPOT results are processed by the University s Centre for Teaching and Learning before being sent to the academics concerned. SPOT provides valuable feedback directly to the teachers in the unit on how students view the unit and the teaching methods used. This is a very helpful and useful source of information for the lecturers and tutors and will be important in their reflection on how to improve the learning experience for students. SURF is completed online and is a university-wide survey conducted on every unit, with the same questions for all units. You will receive an from the SURF office inviting you to complete the SURF when it is activated later in the semester. We encourage you to complete these surveys as your feedback is an important source of information to help the University to design units, and to improve teaching and learning outcomes. 5

6 SPOT and SURF are different but they are both important. Please complete both questionnaires when they become available to you, and help us to help you! CONTACT DETAILS You should access your student account regularly. Important information regarding the unit may be communicated by and will not be automatically forwarded to private addresses. Unit coordinator/lecturer Name: Catherine Lees Phone: Consultation hours: Wednesdays 1:00 pm 5:00 pm (most weeks) Lecture times: Mondays 2:00 pm 3:45pm Lecture venue: BUSN G91 Wesfarmers Lecture Theatre Contact details for your tutors will be placed on the unit web site in the first week of tutorials. TEXTBOOK AND RESOURCES Required text McShane, S., Olekalns, M., & Travaglione, T. (2010). Organisational behaviour on the Pacific rim (3rd ed.). Sydney: McGraw-Hill. The text can be purchased from the Co-op bookshop on campus. It is also available in closed reserve in the Business Library. Students must have regular access to the text as it is essential reading for the course, and a number of tutorial activities are also based on exercises in the text. Additional resources & reading material Topics and prescribed preparatory reading from the text are listed in the lecture schedule in this outline. A small number of additional background readings will be available in Course Materials Online (CMO), through the library web site. Students should keep up to date with the reading as the course proceeds. 6

7 Unit website Once semester begins the unit will have an associated web site on WebCT. You can access the site by logging on to the UWA WebCT site at the following address: Regular use of the website will be essential in the unit, both to receive information and to submit work for assessment. There you will find your grades for the various assessment components will be posted progressively through the semester. You will be able to view distributions of class marks for components of assessment, and there will be a bulletin board for asking and answering questions. You will also be able to access learning support materials such as the on-line quizzes, which contribute to marks for the unit, and recordings of the lectures. Apart from this unit outline, the WebCT site should be your first source for answering questions about the unit. WebCT can be accessed from anywhere on the internet, including from home, the library and the Business School computer labs. Be sure to log-out of WebCT when you have finished using it. For help with troubleshooting your University IT here are some useful addresses. For your University account and access go to UWA Information Technology Services: Student Internet Support Office located physically in the Reid Library, and at Phone: For help in troubleshooting using IT provided in the Business School, go to the following address: Phone: (dial 7888 on internal UWA phones), 7

8 UNIT SCHEDULE Week Lecture Topic Tutorial Essential Reading & assessment 1 Introduction to OB, and individual differences NO TUTORIAL Chapters 1 & 2 of McShane et al. 2 Perception and learning in organisations Tutorial 1 Chapter 3 3 Emotions, attitudes and stress in the workplace Tutorial 2 Chap. 4 Quiz 1 this week only 4 Motivation 5 6 Applying motivation to the workplace Decision-making and creativity & Research methods in the social sciences 7 Team dynamics Tutorial 3 Tutorial 4 Tutorial 5 Tutorial 6 Chap. 5 Chap. 6 Chap. 7, & Appendix A, p Quiz 2 this week only Chap. 8 8 Communication and Leadership NO TUTORIAL Chap. 9 & 12 Mid-Semester Break 9 Power and Influence 10 Conflict and Negotiation 11 Organisational structure and culture 12 Organisational change Tutorial 7 Tutorial 8 Tutorial 9 Tutorial 10 Chap. 10 Quiz 3 this week only Chap. 11 Assignment due by 4:00 pm, Tues. 11 Oct. Chap. 13 & 14 Chap. 15 Quiz 4 this week only 13 Exam Workshop Tutorial 11 8

9 ASSESSMENT MECHANISM The purpose of assessment There are a number of reasons for having assessable tasks as part of an academic program. The assessable tasks are designed to encourage you to explore and understand the subject more fully. The grade for your work provides you an indication of how much you have achieved. Providing feedback on your work also assists you as part of the learning process. Assessment mechanism summary Item Weight Due date Remarks Tutorial participation 10% On-line quizzes on WebCT Individual written assignment (2 500 words) 10% Final exam 50% In weeks 3,6, 9, &12 30% 11 Oct. Exam period Throughout the semester from the first tutorial (in week 2) to the second last tutorial in week 12. For details see description below. Four quizzes worth 2.5% each An individual essay on an assigned OB topic. Due by 4:00 pm. Submit 2 copies, one to Uniprint and one on WebCT. (See below for details). The University will schedule this exam to occur during the examination period at the end of Semester 1. Note 1: Note 2: Note 3: Results may be subject to scaling and standardisation under faculty policy and are not necessarily the sum of the component parts. Your assessed work may also be used for quality assurance purposes, such as to assess the level of achievement of learning outcomes as required for accreditation and audit purposes. The findings may be used to inform changes aimed at improving the quality of Business School programs. All material used for such processes will be treated as confidential, and the outcome will not affect your grade for the unit. Written work by students may be subject to electronic checking to gauge originality, using tools approved by the Business School. Assessment components Assessment Item 1. Tutorial participation There are 11 tutorial sessions beginning in the second week of semester. Attendance and active participation are required and will be recorded by tutors. You will be given a participation mark between 0 and 1 for each of ten of the tutorials, excluding the last class. (The last tutorial of the semester is for review purposes and will include return of the assignment). Participation in tutorial classes, including getting involved in discussions and other activities, is an important part of the learning process. It is therefore important that you attend tutorial classes (and be on time). Marking criteria for tutorial participation:.9-1 Outstanding, insightful contributions to the mutual learning environment in the class Positive engagement with regular, active contributions and analytical comments. 9

10 Attendance for the full class period with some productive contribution(s) Attendance with minimal engagement, or for only part of the class time. 0 Non-attendance, or attendance with negative behaviour. The nature of the tutorial assessments varies from week to week. For some classes individual participation is assessed. For other classes there are team-based exercises and participation in the teams is assessed. Assessment Item 2. On-line quizzes 2.5% per quiz; 10% in total. Each quiz will be available on WebCT for one week only and will include questions covering the material in the course since the previous quiz opened. The quizzes provide temporal structure to encourage you to keep up with the reading and lectures, rather than leaving study until the end of semester. The quizzes also give you feedback on how you are going with your study. You will be able to enter quiz answers from the time the quiz opens until the time the quiz closes. You will receive timely feedback of answers and marks on WebCT within days of the quiz closing. The online quizzes are done in your own time, not in class time. Quiz Opens on WebCT Closes on WebCT 1 9 am, 15 Aug. 9 pm, 22 Aug. 2 9 am, 5 Sept. 9 pm, 12 Sept. 3 9 am, 3 Oct. 9 pm, 10 Oct. 4 9 am, 24 Oct. 9 pm, 31 Oct. Assessment Item 3. Individual written assignment (30%) Students will complete one individual 2500 word written assignment. The assignment will be a scholarly essay and will assess knowledge of course content and application of that knowledge to the assigned topic. You will need to conduct a review of the theoretical and empirical literature related to the topic. The assignment topic is about the application of knowledge from Organisational Behaviour to sustainability issues for organisations. Students will be provided with more detail on the assignment topic during the first week of the course. Guidelines & Marking Criteria Word Limit The word limit is absolute; there is no additional percentage margin. The WORD COUNT and LIMIT apply to the body of the assignment up to the start of the reference list. All text in that part of the assignment, including headings, sub-headings, quotations, and reference citations, will be included in the word limit. Any short quotes that must be read in order to understand your discussion about them must be included in the main body of the assignment. All analysis, argument and discussion must be in the main body of the assignment. 10

11 Words beyond the word limit will not be marked. Only words up to the word limit will be considered part of the assignment and will contribute to the mark. (the reference list excepted) Manuscript Style All assignments must be in Times or Times Roman 12-point font. Use double line spacing throughout the body of the essay. The reference list can be single spaced, with a blank line between each reference. Format all citations and references in either Harvard or APA style. Either of these styles can be used, but use only one style consistently throughout the document. For guidance on how to use these styles see the Library Guides on referencing on the library web site. EndNote is a really good system for building up a database of references. The program links to Word and automatically creates a correctly formatted reference list as you insert reference citations while writing your assignment. Not everyone will want to invest the time in learning to use this system, but once you know how to use it you will find that it saves you time, and you should consider learning it if you intend to build up resource materials or plan to write about research in a particular area. The library staff have developed a tutorial package: A Quick Guide to Using EndNote, which provides the basics for using EndNote for an essay. Submission of assignments Two electronic submissions (identical) are required Submit 2 identical electronic copies of your individual written assignment by the due date and time as follows. Uniprint copy One copy is to be submitted to Uniprint as follows. Submit your assignment in an electronic format by going to the Uniprint web site then click on Student Assignments and follow the instructions. There is also a link to get to Uniprint on the WebCT site for the unit. WebCT copy The other copy is to be submitted directly in the unit WebCT site, in the assignment section. Uniprint will print all the assignments and deliver them to the Business School for marking. The date you submit the Uniprint copy will be recorded and taken as the date of submission. The version lodged on WebCT provides the safeguard of redundancy. In the event of a missing assignment, or a dispute about the date the assignment was received, the version lodged on WebCT will be marked and the date it was lodged on the system will be taken as the date the assignment was submitted. 11

12 Penalty for late submission of assignment Late assignments will receive a deduction of 10% for every day late, or part thereof. For example, an assignment due Monday that is submitted on the following Wednesday, (two days late), and receives an initial mark of 65% would be marked down to 45%. No extension of the due date will be granted, other than in exceptional personal circumstances (e.g. illness, with accompanying medical certificate). 12

13 Student Name Student Number Marks guide for individual assignment: Contributes 30% to the final grade for the unit. Dimension Description Mark INTRODUCTION Description of concepts in the topic (define or otherwise make the concepts clear) /2 REVIEW OF THEORIES & ANALYSIS MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS USE OF EXAMPLES INNOVATIVE CONTENT USE OF SOURCES FORMAT Establish the significance of the topic for OB and management /2 Describe major theories on the topic drawn from the text and recommended readings. /3 Compare and contrast the theories with respect to the topic. /3 Integrate the perspectives from the theories where possible. /3 Implications for organisational processes and outcomes. /2 Discussion of the implications of your analysis for management practice and broader social implications. /3 Illustrative examples may be taken from the lectures, text and other readings. All sources should be scholarly except for personal anecdotes from observations of behaviour, which may be included sparingly. /3 Original, innovative or creative additional points not mentioned Bonus in the course content or sources. Must be relevant to OB, wellarticulated, and supported with argument. marks References are cited in support of arguments and are appropriate. /2 Clear articulation of how each source relates to the argument for which it is cited as support. /1 Clarity of expression at the sentence and paragraph level. /3 Well-structured with logical flow of ideas between paragraphs, and between sections. Good use of headings and subheadings. /2 Follows the prescribed manuscript style. Format of citations and references fully complies with either Harvard or APA. /1 Deduction for late submission Total /30

14 Assessment Item 4. Final exam Worth 50% of overall mark 2 hours and 10 minutes long The final examination will cover the prescribed sections of the textbook, lectures, and tutorial material from Week 1 to Week 13, inclusive. It may contain both multiple choice and essay style case-study questions. Further details of the format of the exam will be provided towards the end of the course. Note: It is important to note that lecture content may go beyond the material in the supporting textbook. The textbook does not define the content of the unit or the limits of examinable material. Reading the prescribed sections of the textbook is essential, but it is not sufficient. Variations for MGMT2235 The course and assessments for MGMT2235 students will be the same as prescribed above, with two additional aspects; The supporting readings on Course Materials On-line (CMO) will be more demanding, and the final exam will contain some different questions that assess a greater depth of knowledge. STUDENT GUILD Phone: (+61 8) Facsimile: (+61 8) enquiries@guild.uwa.edu.au Website: Charter of Student Rights and Responsibilities The Charter of Student Rights and Responsibilities outlines the fundamental rights and responsibilities of students who undertake their education at UWA (refer ). Appeals against academic assessment The University provides the opportunity for students to lodge an appeal against assessment results and/or progress status (refer ). 2