ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR MBA 502

Online Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Kim LaFevor
(931)334-5171-cell
Email for any course inquiries 7 days a week-use course email system (course
profiles) as primary and bethel email: lafevork@bethelu.edu as secondary. You
may also contact me via my cell number listed above.
Virtual Office Hours: Wednesday 2:00pm-8:00pm CT on gmail*
Email for Virtual Advising: lafevork@bethelu.edu
Course Description:
This course will present a comprehensive approach to how total organizational
effectiveness is conceptualized, measured, and realized in practice through the
understanding of individual and team behavior/effectiveness. It will also explore how
improvement can be initiated, managed, and sustained throughout the organization.
Course Objectives:

Students will gain an understanding of key organizational behavior concepts.

Students will use tools for identifying/modifying individual and team behavior.
Students will understand the components that contribute to individual and team
behavior.
Students will identify motivational tools that are useful for improved or modified
behavior.
Students will relate these concepts and tools to real world situations.

Required Text
Kinicki, A. & Kreitner, R. (2008). Organizational behavior: Key concepts, skills, & best
practices, 3rd edition. MBA Custom Text-Selected Chapters. New York: McGraw-Hill
Unit
1
2
3
4
5

Kinicki Chapter(s)
1, 5
4
6, 7
2, 15
16

6
7
8

9
9
11, 13

Case
Complete Personal Assessments (3)
Managing Diversity at Cityside Financial Services
Big Brothers
Pastor Karl at the Whitney Avenue Congregational Church
Bank of America (A)
Group Process in the Challenger Launch Decision (A),
(B), and (C)
David Fletcher
Donna Dubinsky at Apple, Computer, Inc. (A)

Grading Policy
Case Papers (Weekly Complete Unit) 600 points
You can earn a maximum of 75 points per unit for timely completion of
homework assignments as explained in this syllabus or modified by the facilitator.
Paper should be in APA format (i.e. narrative paragraph format, in-text citations
and use of two peer reviewed journals in reference listing acquired from
Bethel Online Library) Ebscohost database. Other sources may be used in
addition and substitutions are used with prior instructor approval. These sources
should be sources that are not already provided in the course, such as the textbook
or material provided in the lecture material under the Attend tab.
Late Policy for Case Papers- Case Papers will be accepted late up to five days
late. Late submission begins at 12:05am on the Monday following the Sunday
11:59pm due date timeframe. This allows a few minutes graced period for any
delay in your work saving to the course. Here is the breakdown for late point
deductions by days late:
SubmittedMonday = 7 points deducted for late submission
Tuesday= 14 points deducted for late submission
Wednesday= 21 points deducted for late submission
Thursday= 28 points deducted for late submission
Friday= 35 points deducted for late submission
Note: No papers will be accepted more than 5 days late.
Participation (Discussion Board) 200 points
Log-in and post responses to the topics on the Discussion Board. Check the board
at least twice a week and post quality responses to other learners comments. It
is possible to earn a maximum of 25 points per unit for active participation.
Late Policy for Discussion Board- No late Discussion Board posts will be
accepted after 11:59pm on the Sunday of the week they are due (the deadline for
the week). As fellow students in the course will be reading and benefiting from
these posts during the assigned week, your posts (initial posts and replies) must be
made during the assigned week. Initial posts are due on Wednesday of the
assigned week, but may be submitted late up until 11:59pm Sunday of the
assigned week.
Grade Breakdown
A=
B=
C=

720 800
640 719
560 639

points
points
points

D=
F=

480 559
below 480

points
points

Performance Level Definitions:

Accomplished Professional/Exceptional Scholarly Work
60-75pts Complete Unit
22-25 pts Discussion Board
Exceptional performance expected of an expert, experienced professional, consultant, or mentor, capable of
independent thinking and leadership level work. This student typically has prior experience upon which to
draw and has high level critical thinking skills. This student would have immediate impact for a company in
this area of study, hitting the ground running. The paper is virtually grammatically and APA error free. There
are at least a minimum of two professional/academic peer reviewed articles used and properly cited in
responding to the case studies in the Complete section by Sunday at 11:59pm. Discussion responses
indicate high level critical thinking abilities and are proactively posted by Wednesday at 11:59pm of each
week for the assigned module.
Proficient
50-59 pts Complete Unit
15-21 pts Discussion Board
Performance reflecting mastery of critical knowledge and skill without any significant errors, leading to an
expectation of good performance on-the-job relative to this area of concentration. Prior experiences are
used to support answers, but the answers provided do not fully represent independent thinking. This
student would be able to provide immediate benefit to the company relative to this area of study. This
student would incorporate at least one peer reviewed journal article incorporated into a case analysis in the
Complete section by Sunday at 11:59pm. Written work has minimal grammatical and APA errors that do
not detract from the message of the paper. Discussion responses are reflective of good critical thinking
skills and responses are posted within the week for the assigned module.
Partially Proficient
40-49 pts Complete Unit
7-14 pts Discussion Board
Performance reflecting a low to moderate satisfactory level of knowledge and skills in the respective area of
study, but also showing some deficiencies which are likely to be corrected over time with additional
experience and training. This individual would require a high level of supervision and support to perform
adequately relative to this area of study in the workplace. This student would not harm the operational
performance of the company, but is expected to be a productive employee. There are several grammar
and/or APA errors, but the general requirements are followed. Scholarly sources may not be present to
reinforce the points made in the case study in the Complete section by the last class date for this course.
Discussion responses are reflective of minimally acceptable critical thinking skills. Discussion postings
are within the assigned module week.

Unacceptable
0-39 pts Complete Unit
0-7 pts Discussion Board
Performance reflecting a failure to fully understand critical knowledge and skills that would interfere with onthe-job performance, typically leading to a failure of initial efforts in the unacceptable area. The work
performed by this student could prove harmful to the company that hires him/her relative to this area of
work. There are numerous grammatical and/or APA errors and the general requirements of the assignment
are not followed. Scholarly sources are not used to reinforce points made in the case study in the Complete
section. Discussion responses lack critical thinking and/or responses are not posted within week they are
assigned. Discussion responses lacking critical thinking will earn a score of 1-20 if posted within the
assigned week, but discussion posts made after the assigned week will result in a grade of zero. For
discussion to be effective it must occur while the class is active in a given week.
Note: The instructor will assign grades based on his/her cumulative interpretation of these rubrics. (For
example, if both high and low skill indicators are present, the grade for the assignment will be adjusted
accordingly).
Source: Adapted from standards of the American Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
Weekly schedule will run Monday-Sunday. We will be following the following course format for this
course:

COURSE SCHEDULE
Week #1: 4/1-4/7

Module 1: Individual Differences, Work Attitudes, Satisfaction

Week #2: 4/8-4/14

Module 2: Social Perceptions and Attributions

Week #3: 4/15-4/21

Module 3: Motivation and Workplace Applications

Week #4: 4/22-4/28

Module 4: Organizational Culture

Week #5: 4/29-5/5

Module 5: Organizational Change

Week #6: 5/6-5/12

Module 6: Group Dynamics

Week #7: 5/13-5/19

Module 7: Teams and Teamwork

Week #8: 5/20-5/26

Module 8: Conflict, Influence, Power and Politics

Criteria:
Read, Attend , Complete & Discussion should be completed in the week that they are assigned.
Complete sections should cumulatively contain a minimum of 1200-1500 words
Discussion questions should each contain a minimum of a 100 word initial response. You should also
reply with a minimum of a 50 word response to two other students in your cohort. Participation for the
each module is considered during the assigned week.

Attendance Policy

Completing homework assignments on a timely basis as well as quality postings and

frequency of participation are essential components of successfully completing this
course.
Academic Integrity
All submitted homework and discussion board postings are expected to be completed by
the learner. All learners are expected to adhere to all rules associated with academic and
personal integrity. Plagiarism in any form will result in failure.
Unit 1
Introduction to Organizational Behavior & Individual Differences
Learning Objectives:
Students will define organizational behavior.
Students will explain the reasons why organizational behavior is a critical
field of study for managers.
Students will trace the development of the field.
Students will understand the major approaches to understanding
organizational behavior.
Students will understand the concept of the self in relation to individual
differences.
Students will distinguish between self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Students will understand the concept of self-monitoring.
Students identify and describe the Big Five personality dimensions.
Students will understand the distinction between internal and external locus
of control.
Students will explain the concept of emotional intelligence.

Unit 2
Social Perceptions

Students will describe perception in terms of the social information

processing model.
Students will demonstrate comprehension of the social information
processing model.
Students will explain Kelleys theory of causal attribution.
Students will demonstrate appreciation for the necessity of diversity within
organizations.

Unit 3
Motivation

Students will define motivation.

Students will discuss the job performance model of motivation.
Students will contrast Maslows and McClellands theories of motivation.
Students will explain need the job design approach to motivation.
Students will distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
Students will understand equity theory.
Students will demonstrate comprehension of expectancy theory.
Students will understand the role of goal-setting in motivation

Unit 4
Organizational Culture

Students will define organizational culture.

Students will discuss the layers and functions of organizational culture.
Students will understand the three basic types of organizational culture.
Students will describe the three phases of Feldmans model of organizational
socialization.
Students will apply the tactics used by organizations to socialize employees.
Students will identify the four characteristics of all organizations.
Students will differentiate between open and closed systems.
Students will identify the three metaphors for organizations.
Students will explain the contingency approach to organizational design.

Unit 5
Organizational Change

Students will understand the internal and external forces that drive change.
Students will discuss Lewins change model.
Students will explain Kotters eight steps for leading change.
Students will describe the reasons why employees are resistant to change.
Students will understand alternative strategies to overcoming resistance to
change.
Students will differentiate between organizational learning and the learning
organization.

Unit 6
Groups
Students will define groups.
Students will describe Tuckmans theory of group development.
Students will contrast roles and norms.
Students will discuss norm enforcement within organizations.

Students will distinguish between norms within groups and organizational

culture.

Unit 7
Teams

Students will define teams.

Students will differentiate between teams and groups.
Student identify five competencies of teams.
Students will describe self-managed teams.
Students will define groupthink and identify its symptoms.

Unit 8
Conflict and Power

Students will define conflict.

Students will distinguish between functional and dysfunctional conflict.
Students will differentiate between types of conflict.
Students will understand the role of in-group thinking in inter-group conflict.
Students will discuss alternative methods of managing conflict.
Students will differentiate between distributive and integrative bargaining.
Students will define power.
Students will discuss French and Ravens five bases of power.
Students will demonstrate understanding of influence tactics.
Students will define organizational politics.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Based on previous classes, here are a few FAQ's that you may find
helpful. I am looking forward to working with each of you for this term.
Question: Is the 1,200 to 1,500 word count minimum for the
Complete Unit required for Week #1 also?
Answer: Yes, each week your responses to the Complete Unit should in
total contain a minimum of 1,200-1,500 words. You are welcome to have
more word content, but that is the minimum each week. It has been

determined that this is the word content minimum required to fully answer
each question.

Question: Should we have two external sources for Week #1

Complete Assignment? It is just personal evaluations.
Answer: Yes, each week, including Week #1, you should have two
external sources for the best possible grade. These two external sources
should be peer reviewed journal articles acquired from the Bethel Online
Library Ebscohost databse. What I would suggest for Week #1 is
searching for sources related to your given assessment tool you are
referencing or the topic of personality, career assessment, and emotional
intelligence in general. So, it would not be your personal life you are
referencing, but outside sources that support various contentions related
to the subject matter. Again, these sources should be acquired using the
Bethel Online Library-Ebscohost database.
Question: I placed my work in the Complete section and when I
went later went back into the course it was gone. What should I
do?
Answer: Remember, it is possible to time out in the system from lack of
action/activity. Therefore, the work to be posted in your Complete section
each week should first be completed in a word document and saved as a
separate file prior to being pasted into the appropriate respective
sections. Once you have placed your work in the Complete section, you
should select the "Save" icon to save your work.
Question: Where should I place my references/sources in the
Complete section?
Answer: To best simulate APA format and also insure accuracy in
evaluating references, all references used in the Complete section should
be placed in the last section (i.e. Application section except for Week #1 it
will be the EI section) for each week (end of an academic work). The
section should be titled "References" (without quotation marks).
Question: How do I know that the instructor has my submitted
work?
Answer: If you can see your saved work (you have clicked the save
icon), the instructor can see your work for grading. One way to double
check is to save then log back into your work. You should be able to view
your work as of your last save.

Question: If I have saved my work in the Complete Unit, can I go

back and change it?
Answer: Yes, you can change your work any time until it has been
graded. However, the system will date stamp your work as of the last
save so make sure to try to ensure all final changes are made by the due
date. Remember that a new save date will be the only date your
instructor will see, so if it results in a date after the due date, the late
submission policy will apply.
Question: How many times should I post to the Discussion Board
each week?
Answer: You should initially reply to each discussion question in the
Discussion board each week and then reply to at least two others in your
cohort for a minimum of four posts. To receive credit for the Discussion
board you must post within the assigned week.
Question: Is a Dictionary or information from Wikipedia good
choices for academic sources in my Complete Section?
Answer: It is expected that the Bethel Online Library-Ebscohost
database will be used to acquire your two academic peer reviewed journal
articles for your Complete work. However, other sources, such as
professional websites may be used with prior instructor approval. The
textbook, sources provided within the course, dictionaries, or the Bible
may be used but they do not count towards the requirement of an
academic source in your Complete section. Remember, Wikipedia or
ask.com type website are non-academic sources and therefore not
acceptable sources.
Question: What do you mean by the requirement for two
external sources?
Answer: This is graduate level coursework and an important aspect to
this level of work is conducting research to enhance your knowledge base
and to apply to current learning. It is expected that you will conduct
weekly research to find newly acquired data to incorporate into your
Complete section paper to support your presented contentions. This
research should be grounded in at least two externally researched peer
reviewed journal articles from the Bethel Online Ebscohost database,
where you can easily find new research related to your weekly topic. This
is a major grading component for your assignment each week. Therefore,
if you use material included in the course, the course textbook, a
dictionary, thesaurus, book used in a previous class or at home, such as
your Bible, they are acceptable for incorporation in your paper, but will
not count towards your two newly researched external peer reviewed
journal article sources. If other resources are used besides the Bethel

Online Library-Ebscohost database, they must be approved by the

instructor. The integrity and academic fortitude of external research will
be determined by the instructor.
Question: Will I receive feedback on my work?
Answer: Yes, I will go in right after the week assignment deadline has
ended and begin grading assignments and providing specific feedback.
One week is considered an exceptional grading standard. I generally have
all assignments graded within 1-3 days although I have a week for on
time grading standards. For the first week, I especially try to have work
graded early so that you have time to make any amendments to your next
weeks submission. Since all course requirements are outlined in the
course orientation, in the course syllabus, as well in the initial course
announcements, students have the rubric needed to do well each week.
Question: When I paste my APA document from Word to the
Discussion Board, it loses APA format (i.e. double spacing,
indentions, etc.)
Answer: Yes, the Discussion Board cannot accommodate this type of
format. Do not worry about APA format on the Discussion Board, be more
concerned with the content. Remember, due to some format constraints,
I will only be grading APA on the Complete Sections based on paragraph
structure (make sure paragraphs are separated and indented---sometimes
you lose the indentions when you insert so double-check), in-text
citations, two external sources, and a reference section listed in the last
text box.
Question: I turned my assignment in on time on Sunday,
December 13th and today is Tuesday, December 16th and I see no
grade posted yet. Did you receive my work?
Answer: I can see for grading what you can see in the learning
management system. So, if you input your work and then save it, your
work will be available for both of us to view in the future. Also, it takes
approximately five days (one work week) to grade all papers for an
assignment. You can generally expect a grade to be posted in that time
frame (sooner if possible) and I will also post an announcement in the
course announcement board so you will know when a given unit grades
are complete and available.
Question: I see the same read chapters for Unit 6 & 7, is this
correct?
Answer: Yes, there is one chapter of reading assigned for these two
weeks. Information on both group dynamics and teamwork are discussed
in the same chapter and the reason for the single chapter being used.

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Question: I cant find the page number in our books where some
information is listed on the Powerpoint in the Attend section.
Shouldnt I be able to find all course information in the course
text?
Answer: Although the course text is the primary guide for the
development of this course, there is additional information brought into
the course to add pertinent, related knowledge. You will not always be
able to find all lecture material in the course text, but the Attend section
powerpoint slide will identify the author/source.
Question: The page numbers do not match up with the Read
section assignment in my eBook or Custom Textbook. Are the
page numbers wrong in the Read section?
Answer: The Read section assigned reading assignment is based on the
hardcopy text for this course. The same book is used in eBook or Custom
Textbook, but the page numbers are different for the online eBook or
Custom Textbook resources. However, you will find two sets of page
numbers on your eBook or Custom Textbook, one that reflects the
hardcopy text page number and the other that is assigned for the eBook
or Custom Textbook page.
Question: Should I write in first or third person for the Complete
Unit assignments?
Answer: For Week #1, the Complete Unit should be written in first
person since you are evaluating your personal assessment results and
providing an personal explanation and rationale. However, in Weeks #2#8, your work in the Complete Unit should be prepared in third person
(with the exception being the Recommendation or Application section
the last text box response).
Question: I am unfamiliar with APA. What are some sources that
can help me?
Answer: As far as APA usage, I realize that there may be several that this
may be new to or for which it has been some time since it was used. Here
are some sites/sources that can help:
1. Pocket Guide to APA by Robert Perrin (3rd edition) ISBN: 13:978-0-54720193-1
2. http://www.apastyle.org
3. http:owl.english.purdue.edu/ (Note: This is a great site! You have to try
this one)
4. APA Manual (5th or 6th edition) published by American Psychological
Association
5. citationmachine.net

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6. easybib.com
7. amacite.com
Question: What is SmartThinking?
Answer: SmartThinking is a resource that is available to you as a Bethel
student and can assist you in APA usage, paper structure, and grammar. I
encourage you to take advantage of this resource that is a free service to
you. To effectively use this resource, make sure to complete your work
early enough to allow time for feedback from this service. As an
alternative, you can also engage a proofreader. It is always good to have
a second or third pair of eyes to check for these items.
Question: I am receiving point deductions on my reference
citations, but I am pulling them directly from Ebscohost search
function. Why?
Answer: It is likely you are doing one of two things:
1. You are using the default citation format which is AMA format
(make sure you change the desired format to APA)
2. You are not double checking as suggested by Ebscohost for
accuracy. Ebscohost is aware of a few inaccuracies of their format
function. Two of the primary ones are listing titles and names in ALL
CAPS which is incorrect and beginning unauthored works with the
year of publication which is also incorrect (it should begin with the
article title in this instance)
Make sure to use one or more of the APA sources I have listed in the
above FAQs to help guide you on APA use.

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