Faculty Contact Information:
Kenneth J. Kovach, EdD
kkovach@faculty.ed.umuc.edu
kjkovach@aol.com
26 March –May 2007
Weekends: 31 March/1 April; 21/22 April; 5/6 May; & 19/20 May 2007
RAF Menwith Hill, UK (Harrogate)
Room TBA. 0900-1600 hours each session
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Consultation:
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For this f2f class, coordinate any appointments after class through the Field rep or the instructor. Email communications or telecon may be made,as desired.
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Required Texts and Readings:
Text used exclusively in this course--
Robbins, S.P.; Judge, T.A. 2007. Organizational Behavior (12th 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.
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Supplementary Readings:
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Graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at www.ed.umuc.edu/library . The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills.
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Recommended Journals:
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A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed in the UMUC Library. The Journal of Organizational Behavior is especially useful in this course.
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Course Description:
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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.
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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 – 100 points
B = 80 – 89 points
C = 70 – 79 points
F = Below 70 points
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F 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.
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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 40 points
Write graduate level papers or case studies 25 points
Orally/visually present prepared material 5 points
Midterm examination 30 points
Total 100 points
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Description of Course Requirements:
Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the face-to-face classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an 8-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most 14-week graduate distance education courses require at least 10 hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner. Assigned readings will be completed, and any assigned group or individual tasks will be prepared.
Report: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment. A topic of study will be decided the first class session so that research can be completed. A report using APA format is required to include four specific chapters: (a0 Introduction, (b) General, (c) Analysis and Discussion, and (d) Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations. Front material will consist of a Title page, Abstract, and Table of Contents. End material will consist of References and Appendices, if used. A grading form will be provided for this requirement.
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In a face-to-face course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. All students are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with current UMUC-Europe/BSU policy regarding plagiarism, as all class papers are subject to being sent to turnitin.com for authentication.
This presentation will be completed the last class weekend.
Midterm examination: 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. The questions used for this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam.
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In a face-to-face course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. In a DE class, this means creating a visual/textual presentation for your instructor and classmates. Moreover, all students are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with current UMUC-Europe/BSU policy regarding plagiarism, as all class papers are subject to being sent to turnitin.com for authentication.
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. The questions used for this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam.
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Course Schedule:
This schedule presents four class weekend sessions, or 8- day long classes.
Weekend 1
(31 March & 1 April 2007)
Introductions
Review of syllabus
Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
Orientation
Organizational Behavior
Foundations of Individual Behavior
Attitudes & Job Satisfaction
Personality and Values
Perception & Individual Decision Making
Review the text and related information sources relative to the topics.
Read Chapters 1 through 5 of the course text. Review and be prepared to discuss the end of chapter cases.
Weekend 2
(21 & 22 April 2007)
Motivation Concepts
Motivation: From concepts to Applications
Emotion and Moods
Foundations of Group Behavior
Understanding Work Teams
Review the text and related information sources relative to the topics.
Read Chapters 6 through 10 of the course text. Review and be prepared to discuss the end of chapter cases.
Weekend 3
(5 & 6 May 2007)
Midterm Exam
Communication
Basic Approaches to Leadership
Contemporary Issues in Leadership
Power and Politics
Review Chapters 1-10 for the midterm examination. Review the text and related information sources relative to the topics.
Read Chapters 11 through 14 of the course text. Review and be prepared to discuss the end of chapter cases.
Weekend 4
(19 & 20 May 2007)
Conflict & Negotiation
Foundations of Organizational Structure
Organizational Culture
Human Resource Policies and Practices
Organizational Change & Stress Management
Student Presentations
Review the text and related information sources relative to the topics.
Read Chapters 15 through 19 of the course text. Review and be prepared to discuss the end of chapter cases. Be prepared to discuss your report findings and use handouts, powerpoint, or other techniques, if desired.
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Academic Policies:
The University has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University's contract with Turnitin.com. If you object to this temporary storage of your paper, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please Note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarism.
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi.
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and 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.
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Faculty Bio:
Dr. Ken J. Kovach has been with UMUC since 1993, teaching a variety of subjects to include research & statistics, management, business statistics, managerial leadership, and others, as well as with several other colleges and universities in a variety of subjects (over 500 course completions). Ken previously served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, first enlisted, then commissioned. Major duties involved airborne command post, aerial delivery, command staff, logistics management, operations, plans, and transportation.
Within distance education, he has continuously taught over the Internet since 1995 after developing graduate and undergraduate courses for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a business management program for the National Business Aviation Association. He has developed research guidelines for several universities and has served as Research Advisor and Committee Chair for graduate research projects. Additionally he acts as Referee for The Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research and is an active member of Phi Gamma Sigma, as well the American Statistical Association, the American Counseling Association, and the Institute of Transport Administration. His recent publication was Corporate Aviation Management.
Ken’s bachelor’s of science was from the University of Tennessee in business, master of arts in guidance and counseling from Wayne State University, and doctorate of education in higher education from Nova University (Now Nova Southeastern). He has a British wife and two educated daughters.
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