MGMT S-4000

Organizational Behavior

Summer 2024

Course Information

CRN: 33055
Section Number: 1
Format: Live Attendance Web Conference
Credit Status: Graduate
Credit Hours: 4

Course Description: This course deals with issues related to human behavior in a
variety of organizational settings. Conceptual frameworks, case discussion, and skills-
based activities are applied to each topic/issue. Topics include communications,
motivation, group dynamics, leadership, power and politics, influence of technology,
corporate social responsibility and ethics, conflict resolution, and workplace culture.
Class sessions and assignments are intended to help participants acquire the skills
managers need to improve organizational and individual performance.

Prerequisites: A satisfactory score on the test of critical reading and writing skills or a B
or higher grade in the alternate expository writing course.

Instructor Information & Office Hours

Carmine Gibaldi
Email: cgibaldi@fas.harvard.edu
Course Goals / Learning Outcomes

Attain greater knowledge about people in the workplace

Acquire insights about people management

Develop an understanding of Organizational Behavior

Mode of Attendance & Participation Policy

Class meetings take place over Zoom. Because they involve active participation,
discussion, and dialogue, you are expected to attend all class meetings. Please arrive on
time. You should attend Zoom meetings with a functional web-camera and microphone,
prepared with materials needed, to engage thoughtfully, and with your camera on. You
may turn off your camera for occasional interruptions or momentarily for privacy.

You will also need the most up-to-date Zoom client installed on your computer to join
class. Please participate from a safe and appropriate environment with appropriate
clothing for class. Participating while traveling or in a car is not permitted. In addition,
please do not join class via mobile phone or web browser.

Please be sure to review important information on Student Responsibilities and

Policies.

Assignments & Grading

Assignments:

All assignments are expected to be completed and submitted on time.

Grading

0% Skills Check

25% Class Participation

25% Assignments / Problem Sets / Group Projects - DUE: before class begins (3:15
PM/EST) on the day the topic is to be discussed.
20% Theoretical Paper - DUE: July 24th

30% Final Comprehensive Case - DUE: August 7th

Grade Definitions

Students registered for undergraduate or graduate credit who complete the requirements
of a course may earn one of the following grades:

A and A– Earned by work whose superior quality indicates a full mastery of the subject
—and in the case of A, work of extraordinary distinction. There is no grade of A+.

B+, B, and B– Earned by work that indicates a strong comprehension of the course
material, a good command of the skills needed to work with the course materials, and the
student’s full engagement with the course requirements and activities.

C+, C, and C– Earned by work that indicates an adequate and satisfactory

comprehension of the course material and the skills needed to work with the course
materials, and that indicates that the student has met the basic requirements for
completing assigned work and participating in class activities.

D+, D, and D– Earned by work that is unsatisfactory but that indicates some minimal
command of the course materials and some minimal participation in class activities that
is worthy of course credit.

E Earned by work that is unsatisfactory and unworthy of course credit. This grade may
also be assigned to students who do not submit required work in courses from which
they have not officially withdrawn by the withdrawal deadline. Zero or E grades are
assigned to students for missing work. These grades are included in the calculation of
the final grade.

Course Materials

Organizational Behavior
Authors: Hitt, Miller, & Colella
Text book
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Publication Date: 2017
Edition: 5th edition or later
Text is Required

Academic Integrity Policy

You are responsible for understanding Harvard Summer School policies on Academic
Integrity and how to use sources responsibly. Violations of academic integrity are taken
very seriously. Visit Resources to Support Academic Integrity and the Harvard Guide to
Using Sources to review important information on academic citation rules.

AI Technologies. The Summer School's Academic Integrity Policy. prohibits students

from representing work as their own that they did not write, code, or create. It is never
permissible to submit work generated by machine learning and AI technologies (such as
ChatGPT) without proper attribution. Your instructor has the authority to set the rules
governing the use of AI technology in their course, including completely prohibiting its
use.

Accessibility Services Policy

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) is committed to providing an accessible

academic community. The Accessibility Services Office (ASO) is responsible for
providing accommodations to students with disabilities. Students must request
accommodations or adjustments through the ASO. Instructors cannot grant
accommodation requests without prior ASO approval. It is imperative to be in touch with
the ASO as soon as possible to avoid delays in the provision of accommodation.

DCE takes student privacy seriously. Any medical documentation should be provided
directly to the ASO if a substantial accommodation is required. If you miss class due to a
short-term illness, notify your instructor and/or TA but do not include a doctor's note.
Course staff will not request, accept, or review doctor's notes or other medical
documentation. For more information, email accessibility@extension.harvard.edu.

Publishing or Distributing Course Materials Policy

Students may not post, publish, sell, or otherwise publicly distribute course materials
without the written permission of the course instructor. Such materials include, but are
not limited to, the following: lecture notes, lecture slides, video, or audio recordings,
assignments, problem sets, examinations, other students’ work, and answer keys.
Students who sell, post, publish, or distribute course materials without written permission,
whether for the purposes of soliciting answers or otherwise, may be subject to
disciplinary action, up to and including requirement to withdraw. Further, students may
not make video or audio recordings of class sessions for their own use without written
permission of the instructor.

Class Meeting Schedule

Week 1

June 24 (Mon.): Class 1 - Course Orientation and Discussion addressing the changing
nature of Management; What is Organizational Behavior? and How to Prepare a
case analysis. Read Chapter 1 in text.

June 26 (Wed.): Class 2 - Ethics and Social Responsibility

Read Chapter posted to Canvas and write and submit the "Does this Milkshake Taste
funny" case

Week 2

July 1 (Mon.): Class 3 - Organizational Culture

Read Chapter 13 in text and prepare for class discussion the "American Express" Case.

July 3 (Wed.): Class 4 - Learning and Motivation

Read Chapter 6 and prepare the "Nordstrom" case posted on Canvas.

Week 3

July 8 (Mon.): Class 5 - Managing Organizational Change

Read Chapter 14 and prepare for discussion the "Implementing Teams at AAL & IPS"
case.

July 10 (Wed.): Class 6 - Organizational Behavior in a Global Context

Read Chapter 3 and prepare the exercise posted on Canvas to be discussed in class.

Week 4

July 15 (Mon.): Class 7 - Communications in the Workplace

Read Chapter 9 and write and submit the "Motor Parts Corp" case

July 17 (Wed.): Class 8 - Group Dynamics and Decision Making

Read Chapter 11 and prepare for class discussion the "Acton-Burnett" case posted on
Canvas.

Week 5

July 22 (Mon.): Class 9 - Conflict & Conflict Resolution (including negotiations)

Read Chapter 12 and write & submit the "Pearl Jam's dispute with Ticketmaster" case
posted on canvas.

July 24 (Wed.): Class 10 - Personality and it's relevance to work and the workplace

Read Chapter 5 and prepare for class discussion the assignment posted on canvas.
Week 6

July 29 (Mon.): Class 11 - The Changing Workplace, Working remotely, the Changing
workforce, & the future of Work.

Prepare to discuss your thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to the changing
workplace.

July 31 (Wed.): Class 12 - Leadership

Read Chapter 8 and prepare to discuss the "Lincoln Electric" case posted on canvas

Week 7

August 5 (Mon.) - Stress and Fear in the Workplace and Wellness in the Workplace

Articles posted to canvas. Also be prepared to discuss how you manage your stress,
what are the greatest stressors for you in the workplace, and dose your organization
have wellness programs and do you take advantage of them.

August 7 (Wed.): Final Comprehensive case will be assigned in place of a final exam.

Final Exam

Final comprehensive case is required in place of a final exam.