SMO200
Introduction to Management for Non-Business Students
Course Syllabus SMO 200
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 200 - Lec A1 - Spring 2017
Please Note: You are responsible for reading and following the instructions in this syllabus.
For any project work or essays you may not conduct any research involving human subjects.
No data may be gathered. We do not have Ethics Board approval for this.
NOTE: SMO200 is the equivalent of SMO301. You may not take both.
Professor: Dr. Richard Field
Office: Faculty of Business Building, Room 4-30M Contact: Telephone 780-492-5921; Fax 780-492-3325 E-mail: [email protected]
Web Address for Professor: www.business.ualberta.ca/rfield
Web Address for Course: https://sites.google.com/a/ualberta.ca/richard-field/home
Textbook (Optional): Organizational Behaviour by Gary Johns and Alan M. Saks, Ten
th Edition, 2017,
in the bookstore. It may be possible to use the Ninth Edition of this textbook. Changes accumulate over time.
There will be copies of the texts in Winspear Library Reserves (first floor School of Business Building).
Check under SMO200 and SMO301.
(https://www.library.ualberta.ca/catalog/6920085) for SMO 200/301
Grades: Check your grades online at https://ulearn.ualberta.ca
Sign in with your campus computing id and password.
If you have trouble you may need to go to the campus computing site and change your password.
Class Times: Monday and Wednesday 2:00 – 4:50 p.m., May 8 to June 14, 2017, in Business 3-10.
Office Hours: Call or email for an appointment. Before or after class is always a good time.
Notes from General Faculties Council:
1. “Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar.”
Specifically, "At the beginning of each course, instructors are required by GFC to provide a course outline which must include the following: (1) a statement of the course objectives and general content; (2) a list of the required textbooks and other major course materials; (3) an indication of how and when students have access to the instructor; (4) the distribution of weight between term work and final examination; (5) identification of all course activities worth 10% or more of the overall course mark; (6) whether marks are given for class participation and other in-class activities as well as the weight of such participation; (7) dates of any examination and course assignments with a weight of 10% or more of the overall course mark; (8) the manner in which the official University grading system is to be implemented in that particular course or section, i.e., whether a particular distribution is to be used to determine grades, or whether there are absolute measures or marks which will determine them, or whether a combination of the two will be used. Instructors should refer to the University of Alberta Marking and Grading Guidelines.
2. From the University of Alberta Libraries website "Imagine that you were about to get surgery and just as you were going under, you discovered that your surgeon had cheated throughout his/her university career. Would you feel betrayed? What if it was your lawyer? Your accountant? Your child's teacher? All the above scenarios are reflective of a concept called academic integrity. As the above examples illustrate, academic integrity not only affects the climate at the university but it can also affect every other area of your life."
The Centre for Academic Integrity at Duke University defines academic integrity "as a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and
responsibility. From these values flow principles of behaviour that enable academic communities to translate ideals into action."
From General Faculties Council: “The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.”
3. The University of Alberta Code of Student Behaviour
(online at http://www.ualberta.ca/~unisecr/policy/sec30.html) specifies in Section 30.3.4 Inappropriate Behaviour towards Members of the University Community, subsection 30.3.4(1) Disruption,
paragraph 30.3.4(1)a that "No Student shall disrupt a Class in such a way that interferes with the
normal process of the session or the learning of other Students." Under Section 30.4.3 Levels of Sanction, subsection 30.4.3(1) Minor Sanctions, paragraph 30.4.3(1)a "Instructors have the authority to dismiss a Student from Class for no more than 3 hours of Class time for Disruption of a Class. In cases where a single class meeting is longer than 3 hours the student may be excluded from that entire class."
4. Students may wish to view past blank copies of SCHEDULED FINAL EXAMS for this course by visiting the SU Exam Registry in person, at 0-26 Students Union Building (SUB), or online at http://www.su.ualberta.ca/services/infolink/exam/
University Policy on Recording:
Audio or video recording of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is
allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan.
Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the instructor.
Description from the University of Alberta Calendar: Provides an understanding of the behavior of individuals and groups within the context of the business organization. Topics covered include
organizational structure, culture, individual differences, personality, motivation, leadership, groups, decision making, power, politics, conflict, careers, stress, and organizational change. Not to be taken by students with credit in SMO 101, 201, 301 or 310.
[Also, no student with credit in SMO200 can then receive credit in SMO301 or SMO310]
The purpose of this course is to help you attain greater personal effectiveness in organizations. It will help you to understand how organizations operate, how to motivate yourself and others toward the attainment of your own and organizational goals, how to work with others, how to make better decisions, how to cope with stress and change, and how to plan your future career as an organizational participant.
From a former student: "This course is not about learning information, but about how to process information.
We are learning to approach familiar topics and situations critically. We are learning to think. We are learning to think about our actions, even when completing simple everyday activities, in fact especially when completing everyday activities. We have to think about the things we don't think about. For me this is the most important message conveyed in this course. We have to be aware of the things we, and others do, and why we do such things. Otherwise you may fall victim to easily avoidable problems."
Learning Goals
There are a number of learning goals for this course:
1. Business fundamentals -- the student will become more aware of and appreciative of the nature of organizations, different organizational types such as for profit, not-for-profit, governmental,
and non-governmental.
2. Critical Thinking -- Students will be exposed to issues and ideas from the business press and this will help to develop their ability to analyze problems, situations and issues in a clear-minded, rigorous intellectual manner.
3. Ethical Awareness -- Students will develop a high degree of awareness of ethical concepts and issues in the world of business and will begin to learn to develop strategies to both recognize and deal with ethical problems.
4. Global Awareness -- Students will develop an awareness of the global community in which business operates and how management and business operations are likely to vary between countries and cultures.
5. Information Literacy -- Students will read articles from the business press and learn to extract the key lessons from those articles.
6. Practical Experience -- Students will develop the ability to apply academic knowledge to their own real-world work situations.
7. Teamwork -- Students will have the opportunity to work in teams.
8. Leadership Skills -- Students will be encouraged to develop an understanding of leadership roles and skills and how leadership methods may change depending on organizational circumstances.
9. Problem Solving -- Students will be given the opportunity to use problem-solving and decision-making tools to better understand organizational problems and issues.
The class will examine current questions about how organizations work, how people act in
organizations, and how to be more personally effective in organizations. Current articles from the business press will be studied to aid understanding of business.
Grading
Individual Work 10%
Team Project 30%
Final Exam - closed book 60%
Total 100%
Expect a class average about a "B". Your grade will be determined by a combination of your absolute performance in the class and how well you did compared to your classmates.
Here is a table of conversions from number grades to letter grades.
Raw scores are rounded up to the next whole number. This means that in practice a raw score of 74.44 will result in a "B-".
A+ 95
A 90
A- 85
B+ 80
B 75
B- 70
C+ 65
C 60
C- 55
D+ 50
D 45
F 40 and
below
Think of the class average grade as having a normal distribution with a mean of B and tails that extend to C- on the left and A+ on the right. Collective, cohesive, and supportive behaviour by the class as a whole will drive the mean to the right. The opposite of these attributes by individuals in the class or the class as a whole will drive the mean to the left.
Individual Work 10%. There will be an introductory memo worth 5%.
This needs to be about 600 words long. Tell me about where you were born,
where you grew up and went to high school, a bit about your family, the kinds of work you have done, and how you decided on your program at the University of Alberta.
The rubric for this assignment is 5=outstanding; 4.5=excellent; 4=very good; 3.5=satisfactory;
3=needs improvement; 2.5=pass; 0=not submitted.
The introductory memo is due Monday May 15 at 11:59 p.m.
Send this memo to me by email.
In class you will have a name tent that you may choose to display, which will mean that you are ready to be called on by the professor. Being in class and having your name tent out will be evaluated out of 5%.
The rubric for this component is 5=always out; 4.5 almost always out; 4=mostly out;
3.5=sometimes out; 3=more not out than out; 1=not out much; 0=not out.
Team Project 30%. Form a small group, likely three or four students, and present in class on a topic relevant to course material. Presentations may be made throughout the term yet typically fall in classes 10 and 11.
You will have 4 minutes per member for your presentation. I will grade the presentation when time is up.
This assignment will be graded out of 20 on a scale of 20=outstanding; 18=excellent; 16=very good;
14=good; 12=fair; 10 and below=poor. I am looking for understanding of and correct use of SMO200 course concepts, an interesting and clear presentation, and useful and important take-away points for your classmates.
One option for this project is to take a movie or TV series and use it as a video case. Then analyze your case using concepts from the SMO200 course. Typically one student in a group chooses a chapter and uses
those concepts to describe/explain a short scene from the movie. Other students in the group use other chapters. You may be as creative as you wish.
The Final Exam 60% covers all material of the course and will be composed of multiple choice questions.
Questions will cover the textbook chapters and material covered in class. There will be a few questions based on in-class group presentations.
The exam is closed book with no aids permitted.
Classroom Expectations
Please come to class whenever you can and wish to. If you are delayed, please come in late as it will not
be a distraction. Should you need to leave early for an appointment or if something comes up, that is fine.
You will find retention of course material is easier and more effective if you stay off email, Facebook, Internet games, on-line shopping and the like. Also, please be considerate of those behind you who will be looking at your laptop screen.
If it is possible to turn off your keyboard's clicks I would appreciate it as that I do find distracting.
Eating and drinking in the classroom is fine, however I do prefer that any food that has a distinct smell should be avoided while in the classroom.
Course Schedule
Class Day Date Topic Readings
1 Monday May 8
Organizational Behaviour and Management
Personality and Learning
Chapters 1 and 2
2 Wednesday May 10
Perception, Attribution, and
Diversity
Values, Attitudes, and Work Behaviour
Chapters 3 and 4
3 Monday May
15 Theories of Work Motivation
Motivation in Practice
Chapters 5 and 6
4 Wednesday May
17 Motivation in Practice
Groups and Teamwork
Social Influence, Socialization,
and Culture
Chapters 6, 7 and 8
Monday May 22
This is the Victoria Day Holiday -- the university is closed
5 Wednesday May 24
Finish Chapters 7 and 8
6 Monday May
29
Leadership
Chapter 9
7 Wednesday May 31
Communication Chapter 10
8 Monday June 5
Decision Making
Power, Politics, and
Ethics
Chapters 11 and 12
9 Wednesday June 7
Conflict and Stress
Environment, Strategy, and
Structure
Organizational Change, Development, and Innovation
Chapters 13, 14
10 Monday June 12
Finish Material, Presentations, Other activities Presentations
"The Devil Wears Prada" by Lily Z., Nick T., and Hao W.
(12 minutes)
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by Dhruvil P., Henry F., Qiuran L., Weijia W., and Vivian M. (20 minutes)
Chapter 15
11 Wednesday June 14
Presentations
"The Intern" by Yimei S., Mingchen D., Yue X., Jack W., and Mingzhu G. (20 minutes)
"The Proposal" by Maria O., Jelann G., Bonnie C., Aaiza Y., and Daisy M. (20 minutes)
"Monsters Inc." by Reagan K. Zanetta H., Nick H. and Elise L. (16 minutes)
The Final Exam date and time is Friday June 16, 2017 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Business 3-05. There are
92 MC questions.
There are no questions on group presentations.
