Faculty Contact Information:
Randy E. Robertson
HQ, 2d Signal Brigade
Bldg 346, Taylor Barracks
Mannheim
Home phone-06221752900
Work phone-06217308634 | |
Consultation:
| Contact hours after 20:00 hours or by prior arrangements after class | |
Required Texts and Readings:
Text used exclusively in this course--
Robbins, S.R. 2003. Organizational behavior (10 th ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Texts used in multiple courses --
Ott, J.S., Parkes, S.J. & Simpson, R.B. 2003. Classic readings in
organizational behavior (3rd ed.). Toronto, Ontario: Thomson Wadsworth.
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the
American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington DC:
Author. | |
Supplementary Readings:
Heifetz, R. A. & Linsky, M. (2002). Leadership on the Line. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press.
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership (3rd ed). New York: Harper & Row.
Hershey, P. & Blanchard, K. H. 1993. Management of Organizational Behavior (6th ed). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. | |
Recommended Journals:
| A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on the PA Webboard (http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~pa). The Journal of Organizational Behavior is especially useful in this course. In addition to the above, The Harvard Business Review and Government Executive Magazine are good sources of information for this course. | |
Course Description:
| Prerequisite: Undergraduate principles of management or permission of the program director. Presents basic concepts of formal organizations. Students become acquainted with the major conceptual models that purport to explain organizational behavior, acquire an understanding of the methods used to study organizations, and analyze research that has been produced. While the emphasis is placed on critical analysis of literature that deals with "what is," attention is given to views about "what should be" in order for people to derive maximum satisfaction and other benefits from organizational activity. | |
Course Goals:
As one of three foundations courses in the MPA program, a requirement for the Certificate in Public Management, and an elective in the MIS program, this course introduces and analyzes major theories of organizational behavior and the ways in which theses theories inform management of organizations in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Particular attention is given to theories focusing on:
- Individual and group behavior in relation to each other and larger organizations
- Leadership styles, principles and contingencies
- Motivation and Reward Systems
- Values, Attitudes and Job Satisfaction
- Organizational Communication Organizational Culture
- Organizational Development and Change
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Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
- Analyze case material, web sites, public law, and research articles related to organizational behavior and organizational change
- Investigate the relationship between historical and current issues in organizational behavior
- Utilize electronic resources to find primary source documents, data, statements on best practices and research articles related to issues in organizational behavior and organizational change
- Develop and present written and oral arguments, case studies, and/or research papers on current issues in organizational behavior that make reference to and build on factual and expert information.
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Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90%
B 80 – 89%
C 70 – 79%
F Below 70%
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center. | |
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society. In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
Participate in classroom discussions 10%
Write graduate level papers or case studies 30%
Orally/visually present prepared material 30%
Complete one or more written examination(s) 30% | |
Description of Course Requirements:
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner. Usually this requires two to three hours of additional for every hour of a face-to-face class and approximately ten hours of preparation per week for a DE class.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: A 12-15 page professional-level research paper is required. The subject will be submitted and approved NLT 8 Feb. Work will demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues and provide properly cited works of others. Further discussion will take place during the first weekend of class.
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. This will consist of an oral presentation accompanied by visual material. Depending on class size, this requirement may be done in small groups. Students will also be assigned individual readings to present to the class from Ott, Parkes, & Simpson's text, Organizational Behavior, which is one of the required texts.
Complete one or more written examination(s): The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. Exam questions will come both from assigned readings and class discussions. | |
Course Schedule:
This schedule is organized around the 4 weekends we will spend together:
24-25 Jan: Class introduction and syllabus overview, Robbins chapters 1-4, and Ott chapter 15 (Herzberg: One more time: How do you motivate employees?). This will be discussed by the instructor as an example of how to conduct the case presentation.
Feb 7-8: Robbins chapters 5-9 and case studies
Feb 21-22: Robbins chapters 11-14 and chapters 17-18 and case studies
Mar 6-7: Presentations, course evaluation, examination | |
Academic Policies:
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center. | |
Faculty Bio:
| Randy Robertson is a retired Army officer who currently a Department of the Army civilian. He holds graduate or post-graduate degrees from Western Kentucky University, Central Michigan University, The Johns Hopkins University, Boston University, The Army War College, Syracuse University, and Harvard University. He has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels for City Colleges of Chicago, Wesleyan University, Central Michigan University and UMUC. | |