Department of Strategic Management and Organization Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta Faculty
Ian R. Gellatly, Ph.D Professor
Campus Office: 4-20D Business Building
Office Phone: 780 492-5823 (please leave a detailed voice-mail message) E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site: Ian Gellatly - Alberta School of Business - University of Alberta
Office Hours: No set hours. What this means is that you are free to drop in and see me, and I will see you whenever time allows. If this does not work out, some other arrangement will be discussed. Appointments can also be made. I welcome questions on my e-mail.
Class Information
Section Meeting Times Room
B1 Monday, 8:30am to 9:50am BUS 1-05
Wednesday, 8:30am to 9:50am BUS 1-05 Course website: https://ulearn.ualberta.ca/webapps/login/
Course Objectives
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the field of organizational behaviour.
Topics such as personality, employee attitudes, work motivation, teamwork, leadership, power, ethics, and organizational structure will be discussed. This course will expose students to a set of conceptual frameworks, methodological approaches, and analytical skills for understanding and managing individual and group behaviour in work settings. Lecture, class participation, and experiential work will be the primary modes used to facilitate learning. The experiential activities (e.g., case analyses) will illustrate practical application of chapter concepts to the workplace.
Required Textbook
Colquitt, J.A., LePine, J.A., Wesson, M.J., & Gellatly, I.R. (2013). Organizational Behaviour: Improving Performance and Commitment in the Workplace. 2nd Canadian Edition. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
Learning Objectives
This course incorporates the learning goals of the B Com Program, in particular: Critical Thinking, Global Awareness, Oral Communication, Teamwork, and Written Communications. The purpose of this course is not to turn you into a do-it-yourself manager. Rather it is to give you the basic knowledge that will help you understand organizational behaviour and provide insights into effective management strategies. At the end of this course, you will have developed functional competence in the following knowledge areas: Job Performance; Organizational Commitment; Personality, Cultural Values, and Ability; Job Satisfaction, Motivation, Organizational Justice, Ethics, Decision Making; Communication;
Team Structure and Process; Power and Influence; Leadership; Structure; Organizational Culture and Change.
These learning goals in this course are measured by the following assessments: Mid-term and Final Exams will assess knowledge acquisition, critical thinking, global awareness, and written
communication. The Group Research Project will assess research skills, knowledge acquisition, critical thinking, organizational and time-management skills, oral communication, teamwork, and written communication. Class Attendance and Participation will assess professionalism, critical thinking and oral communication.
Method of Instruction
The method of instruction will be a blend of lecture method and application exercises (e.g., class
exercises, case analyses and discussion). Students are expected to prepare for class (i.e., read the assigned readings before class). Attendance is strongly recommended and will be monitored throughout the term.
Powerpoint slides will be posted on the website. All in-class material and all of the readings are potentially testable.
Scheduled Evaluation Components and Weighting
Exam #1 (Monday, February 2nd) 20%
Exam #2 (Wednesday, March 4th) 20%
Exam #3 (Monday, March 23rd) 20%
Exam #4 (TBA; April 13th to April 25th) 20%
Media Project (Assigned Due Dates Will Vary) 15%
Attendance/Participation 5%
Evaluation Criteria
Exams. There are four scheduled exams. The specific chapters tested on each exam will be specified in the topic outline. All four exams will use a combination of multiple-choice and short-answer formats. Together, the four exams will be worth 80% of your final mark. The last exam will be scheduled during the formal exam period, April 13th to 25th.
Media Project. In Week 3, students will be organized into project groups. I’ll have more to say about group assignment early in the term. Once formed, each group will be assigned one or more focal concepts from the course (e.g., group norm; transformational leadership; job dissatisfaction; influence tactics) and a DUE DATE. To begin, as a group, brainstorm and try to find “every-day” examples of your concept(s) from popular culture, visual media (e.g., past or present television shows; current movies).
Please do NOT choose clips from reality TV shows, sporting events, interviews with research professors, consultants, or industry experts, home videos uploaded to YouTube, or any other non-fictional pieces. Do not use any movie references that you encounter in our textbook (current or previous editions). There are
lots of popular television shows, and thousands of movies to work with. Next, as a group, you are to make a 15 minute (maximum) video, and submit this assignment to me on or before your DUE DATE. In this video, 5 minutes will be the actual clip(s) accompanied by a 10 minutes analysis. Your analysis will provide context for the clip, describe what the characters are demonstrating and why, clearly connect what we are seeing in the clip(s) with the relevant material in the source chapter, and talk about any lessons learned. To record your video, use whatever equipment is available to you (e.g., cell phone camera, point and shoot camera with video capabilities), however I must be able to clearly see any text you display, the clip you play, and your faces (webcams probably will not be clear enough). The final video file you submit must be easy for me to open without having any special software (e.g., files can be played by Windows Media Player or iTunes). This component of the course will be worth 15% of your final mark.
Attendance/Participation. Each week, usually on Wednesdays, we will focus on application of chapter concepts using case analyses (working in small groups), class exercises, presentations, and/or class discussions. Students will be expected to prepare for these sessions, participate, and complete in- class assignments. Marks for this component will be based on individual attendance and an evaluation by the instructor. This component of the course will be worth 5% of your final mark.
The University of Alberta Grading System
The University of Alberta uses a letter grading system with a four-point scale of numerical equivalents for calculating grade point averages (GPA). Grades reflect judgements of student
achievement made by instructors. These judgments are based on a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance in a class. Some instructors assign grades at intervals during the course and others assign marks (e.g., percentages) throughout the term and then assign a letter grade at the end.
Instructors must adapt their approaches to reflect the letter grading system.
Historical grade averages by course level are based on university-wide data from 2003-2010. For 3rd year undergraduate courses, the historical university mean is GPA 3.0. University-wide averages are provided for information and reference. They are inappropriate to use for small classes, and must not ever by applied even in large classes. Grades must reflect the level of student achievement. For more information on the updated marking and grading guidelines at the University of Alberta, please go to:
https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca/PoliciesProcedures/Pages/DispPol.aspx?PID=101
Academic Integrity, Honesty, and Plagiarism
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
http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofStudentB ehaviour.aspx 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.
Use of Electronic Devices in Class
Students are permitted the use of laptops or tablet devices in class to take notes or access the course website or other materials relevant to the class. Other uses are disruptive to the class, the instructor, and other students, and are not permitted. Use of smartphones/cellphones for making or receiving calls or texting is prohibited. Smartphones/cellphones should be turned off prior to class. 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.
SMO 301 Section B1: Topic Outline
Week 1 January 5 and 7 What is Organizational Behaviour?
Read: Chapter 1
Monday: Syllabus; Course Overview; Ice-Breaker Case Wednesday: McGraw Hill Book Representative (to go over textbook options); Video (Implementing Strategy: Managing Through Organizational Culture)
Week 2 January 12 and 14 Job Performance Read: Chapter 2
Monday: Class Exercise and Lecture Wednesday: Case Exercise (Best Buy)
Week 3 January 19 and 21 Organizational Commitment/Media-Project Read: Chapter 3
Monday: Lecture and Case (Accenture)
Wednesday: Media-Project Assignments; Class Exercise
Week 4 January 26 and 28 Job Satisfaction Read: Chapter 4
Monday: Lecture and Case (Zappos) Wednesday: Class Exercise and/or Case
Week 5 February 2 and 4 Exam/Media Project Planning
Monday: Exam #1 (covers Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4) Wednesday: Media Project Planning
Week 6 February 9 and 11 Motivation Read: Chapter 6
Monday: Lecture and Case (Enterprise) Wednesday: Class Exercise and/or Case READING WEEK (February 16-20)
Week 7 February 23 and 25 Trust, Justice, and Ethics/Learning and Decision Making Read: Chapters 7 and 8
Monday: Lecture and Case (Nike) Wednesday: Lecture and Case (KPMG)
Week 8 March 2 and 4 Personality, Cultural Values and Ability/Exam Read: Chapter 9
Monday: Lecture and Case (Nexen)
Wednesday: Exam #2 (covers Chapters 6, 7 and 8)
Week 9 March 9 and 11 Teams, Diversity, and Communication Read: Chapter 10
Monday: Lecture and Case (Logi-Tech) Wednesday: Lecture (Chapter 10 continued)
Week 10 March 16 and 18 Power, Influence, and Negotiation Read: Chapter 11
Monday: Lecture and Case (Harpo) Wednesday: Lecture (start Chapter 12)
Week 11 March 23 and 25 Exam/ Leadership Styles and Behaviour Read: Chapter 12
Monday: Exam #3 (covers Chapters 9, 10 and 11)
Wednesday: Lecture (finish Chapter 12); Case (Steve Jobs)
Week 12 March 30 and April 1 Organizational Structure, Culture and Change Read: Chapters 13-14
Monday: Lecture and Class Exercise (Creative Cards) Wednesday: Lecture and Case (WestJet)
Week 13 April 8 Optional Review
Wednesday: Optional Review Class (Chapters 12, 13 and 14)
