MGMT 351
Management of Organizations
Syllabus - Summer 2003
Instructor: Rusty Juban, Ph.D.
Phone: (985) 549-3079
Fax: (985) 549-2019
Office Hours: Monday 8:30 – 10:30
Wednesday 8:30 – 10:30; 1:30 – 2:30
E-Mail:
Course Description: Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Introduction to theory and practice of managing formal organizations, including planning, organizational theory, human behavior and control.
Course Objectives: By the end of the course, students should be able to identify the principals of managing formal organizations, recognize the various challenges involved in management and give examples of organizational management functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling.
Classroom Contributions: Questions and discussion are encouraged in this class. Classroom behavior that interferes with either the instructor’s ability to conduct the class or the ability of students to benefit from the instruction is not acceptable. Do not use beepers, cellular telephones or other electronic devices in class unless it is an emergency and when doing so please give prior notice to the instructor.
Textbook: Management by Robbins & Coulter, 7th edition, Prentice Hall, Website for Text: www.prenhall.com/robbins
Evaluation:
Group Video Assignment (50 points; Due July 14th): Students will be divided into groups no larger than four to work on this assignment. (Student may do this project on their own if they desire). For this project, students are to write and produce a 10-15 minute video that illustrates a topic central to the principles of management. Projects should focus on the communication and the practical application of their chosen topic. Please use other resources, such as the library, to research your topic. Video equipment for this project may be checked out from Student Productivity Services. Potential topics for this project may include (but are not limited to):
· Organizational Culture
· Decision Making
· Human Resource Management
· Innovation
· Motivation
· Group Dynamics
· Leadership
All topics are to be approved by instructor, no later than June 30th.
*******Projects will only be accepted on VHS format.*********
Internet Assignments: (50 points) Students are to go to (http://myphlip.pearsoncmg.com/cw/mplistres4.cfm?vbookid=287) and complete the following internet exercises.
Chapter 2: Managing Diversity Today and Tomorrow (Due June 11th)
Chapter 5: Building a Better Tomato (Due June 18th)
Chapter 8: Viacom: An Entertaining Story (Due June 25th)
Chapter 12: Weight Discrimination: A New Type of Corporate Downsizing? (Due July 2nd)
Chapter (15)18: The Stanford Prison Experiment (Due July 21st)
These assignments are to be typed and submitted to the instructor before class begins on the day assigned.
Exams (300 points): There will be four exams during the course of the semester (100 points each) and 1 final exam (100 points). The lowest score from the first three exams will be dropped. If you are absent for one of the first three exams, then that is the exam that will be dropped. All students will be required to take the final exam (the final exam will not be comprehensive). Each test will include a variety of multiple choice, matching and fill in the blank questions.
Attendance & Late Assignments: Because each class is important, attendance is required. To receive material for exams and instructions for the case you must be in-class. This faculty member does reserve the right to drop students who miss more than 10% of regularly scheduled classes. If assignments need to be turned in late due to school activities, work or illness, the student should contact the instructor immediately before or after the date the material is due. If I am not contacted and/or the excuse for turning in the material is not acceptable, I reserve the right to deduct 10% of the assignment's points from the students grade for every day the assignment is late.
Grading Scale: Grades for exams and other material will follow the formula
100% - 90 A
89% - 80 B
79% - 70 C
69% - 60 D
59% - F
Disability Statement: If you are a qualified student with a disability seeking accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to self-identify with the Office of Student Life, Room 202, Student Union
Academic Honesty and Appeals: The instructor expects that all students will adhere to the university policies regarding academic integrity as laid out in the student catalog. If a student decides that they wish to appeal a policy or grade from this class, they should follow the appeals process provided in the Admission Criteria and Academic Regulation section of the catalog.
Withdrawals and Financial Aid: If a student chooses to withdraw from a class and they are receiving financial aid, they should notify the instructor as soon as possible. Financial aid does not stop until the student has officially withdrawn from the course and the instructor has recorded the last date of class attended.
Course Outline/Schedule Mmgt 351:
Class Meets: Monday/Wednesday 10:30-1:30 with a 15 minute break (Schedule is Subject to Change)
June 4 Introduction and Chapter 1
June 9 Chapter 2: Management Yesterday and Today
Chapter 3: Organizational Culture and the Environment
June 11 Chapter 4: Management in a Global Environment
June 16 Test 1
June 16 Chapter 5: Ethics
June 18 Chapter 6: Decision Making
June 23 Chapter 7: Planning
Chapter 8: Strategic Management
June 25 Test 2
June 25 Chapter 10: Organizational Structure and Design
June 30 Chapter 12: Human Resources
July 2 Chapter 13: Change and Innovation
July 7 Chapter 14: Foundations of Behavior
July 9 Test 3
July 14 Chapter 15: Understanding Groups
July 16 Chapter 16: Motivation
July 21 Chapter 17: Leadership
July 23 Chapter 18: Control Systems
July 28 Final Exam (Test will begin at 9:10)
Important Dates:
July 4th Independence Holiday
July 9th Last day to resign from the University or withdraw from regular clases
July 28th Final exam
Chapter 2- Managing Diversity Today and Tomorrow
The management of diversity is smart for business. The changing trend of more women and minorities actively contributing in organizations results in a need for more awareness of differences and opens the door for increased education on valuing differences.Go to the Johnson & Johnson Careers page. Here you will find an overview of the company's philosophy on the value of a diverse workforce. Scroll down the page and read the "recent article" from DiversityInc.com titled "Strong Corporate Reputation at J & J Boosts Diversity Recruiting Efforts."
Microsoft also has a strong position on managing a diverse labor force. Click on each of the following links on the Microsoft Web page to read about Microsoft's diversity programs: "Accessibility," "Diversity Education," "Supplier Diversity," and "Diversity Program Links." Answer the following questions as you explore these Web sites.
1. Describe the philosophy behind managing a diverse work force at Johnson & Johnson. Identify how diversity management as a business strategy helps companies move toward a competitive advantage.
2. What is the link between a solid corporate reputation and a company's ability to attract a diverse workforce?
3. Repeat questions 1 and 2, but this time analyze Microsoft. How are the two companies similar in achieving their goal of managing a heterogeneous work force?
4. Describe some of the initiatives Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft use to promote diversity within the organization and within communities nationwide. If you had to manage a diverse labor force, what methods would you use to improve the management of diversity in your company? Identify some methods used by modern organizations to improve diversity management.
Chapter 5 - Building a Better Tomato
It would seem that consumers would embrace the idea of an agricultural food product with improved taste, better texture, and longer shelf life than average crops. Food industry firms are being criticized for genetically engineering these different characteristics. Genetic engineering creates a new crop by altering its original genetic makeup. A specific gene that is known to increase resistance to disease or to improve taste is isolated in one plant, and then copied and transferred to other plants as a means of passing on these desirable traits.
There are several major concerns regarding genetically modified foods. One issue is that these changes may cause susceptible individuals to become allergic to foods they previously could safely consume. Others have to do with the damage that genetically modified seeds can do to the unmodified seeds in adjoining fields. The third is that these innovations represent an expropriation of the food chain by corporate interests.
Despite the potential health hazards and controversial aspects of genetically engineered agriculture, the FDA has ruled that, because genetically engineered foods are indistinguishable in appearance from non-engineered food, manufacturers do not have to label these foods. This decision is causing a greater controversy than the nature of the technology and is the subject of recent legislation.
Activity
As a means of sharing information, many groups fighting for the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods have developed Internet sites for their cause. These sites include not only news on government legislation or facts concerning the technology, but also have various proactive (indeed, sometimes provocative!) measures to improve support for their cause. Some of the actions include updates of current movements, meetings or protests being held, lists of important officials involved in monitoring the technology, and even prepared letters that only require a signature and a stamp to be sent to members of Congress. Companies also have sites to present their points of view.
Visit some Internet sites for the campaign to label genetically engineered foods at The Campaign or Purefood. Also, visit the Food and Drug Administration's website at FDA and read their statements concerning labeling of these foods. To get the perspectives of a competitor in the industry, look at Monsanto's site at Monsanto. From the information available on these sites and from your own knowledge and beliefs, you should be able to develop opinions on genetically modified foods and whether they should be labeled. Then, discuss the following questions:
1. What impact might the labeling have on grocers and food distributors?
2. What kind of activity is being carried on in the web sites?
3. What other policy challenges are associated with genetic modification?
Chapter 8: Viacom: An Entertaining Story
Viacom is the number one platform in the world for advertisers, with preeminent positions in broadcast and cable television, radio, outdoor advertising, and online. With programming that appeals to audiences in every demographic category across virtually all media, the company is a leader in the creation, promotion, and distribution of entertainment, news, sports, and music. Viacom's well-known brands include CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, BET, Paramount Pictures, Infinity, UPN, TNN: The National Network, CMT: Country Music Television, Showtime, Blockbuster, and Simon & Schuster. More information about Viacom and its businesses is available at Viacom's Web site.
In this exercise, we look at Viacom's businesses, the background of its key executives, and its key Internet links.
1. What are Viacom's key businesses?
2. What is the background of its key executives?
3. How does the company manage to leverage its products and partners through the Internet?
Chapter 12 - Weight Discrimination: A New Type of Corporate Downsizing?
During the late 1980's and early 1990's most of us were aware that many firms were downsizing"getting leaner and meaner"in order to compete more effectively with their local, national, and global rivals. Today, however, the terms "leaner and meaner" and even "downsizing" are taking on entirely new meanings, as more and more overweight executive-level applicants are experiencing rejection because they don't fit the "trim and slim" mold that some firms prefer. In fact, even the most casual of observers will notice that top managers who are overweight, out of shape, or sluggish, by today's corporate standards, tend to be the exception, not the rule.
For those overweight applicants hoping to someday secure a management position, some experts contend that their chances of being rejected simply because they don't "look the part" are pretty strong. Findings from a study conducted by the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) indicate that only 9% of top male executives are overweight. In addition, overweight people typically are hired for less prestigious positions and generally receive less pay. Although some executive recruiters don't believe that a person's weight plays a part in career advancement, many other experts believe otherwise.
Sharon Voros, president of Voros Communications, a management and career consulting firm in Ft. Worth Texas, has written a provocative two-article series about weight discrimination in the workplace. The articles, which are located at The Wall Street Journal's online career journal Web site, are:
· "Weight Discrimination Runs Rampart In Hiring"
· "How To Overcome Weight Discrimination"
After reading these two articles, please answer the following questions:
1. According to the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), why do companies have a hard time hiring overweight candidates?
2. One NAAFA study found what type of disparity between overweight employees' pay and their thinner counterparts?
3. Explain the female-oriented standard called "the size-eight straightjacket".
4. According to the articles, under what conditions are overweight employees protected against size-related discrimination?
5. What strategies does the author suggest to help overweight executives secure employment with other firms?
Chapter 18 - The Stanford Prison Experiment
The Stanford Prison Experiment of 1971 is a dramatic example of the power of peer pressure, group norms, and institutional control to change the persona of normal people into brutal barbarians and whimpering broken souls. The 24 subjects were chosen from 70 applicants as the most normal, average, and healthy; in other words, those individuals most like you and I. Five days into a scheduled two-week experiment these individuals had become completely consumed by the artificial roles created for the experiment. So brutal were the "guards" (a randomly chosen dozen of the 24) and so emotionally distraught, depressed, and distressed were the "prisoners" (the other dozen of the 24), that at the end of five days the experiment was halted.
This is one of the most famous and dramatic experiments in Psychology and it has applications to those studying the art and science of management. Of course the study results have an impact on many facets of life and have thus become the subject of segments on 60 Minutes, Phil Donahue, PBS, and is even being developed as a Hollywood movie. Students and the public are very fortunate that details and pictures from this experiment are now available on the Stanford Prison Experiment Web site.