Org. Studies/Psychology 135: Organizational Behavior

Spring Semester, 2008

Meeting Time: Tuesday and Thursday at noon		Room: Fletcher Hall, room 112
Professor: Jeff Lewis		Office: Fletcher 214
Phone: 73069 (607-3069 from off campus)		AIM: profjeffclewis
E-Mail: jeff_lewis@pitzer.edu		Web Page: http://www.pitzer.edu/~jlewis
Office hours: Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m., or by appointment. Wednesday Web Hour 8:30 pm
Text:	Robbins, S. R., & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational Behavior (12^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Goals of the Course: This course will provide an overview of the major topic areas associated with the study of organizational behavior. Over the course of the semester, we will study human behavior in organizations at the individual and group level, and also investigate unique macro influences within organizational contexts. Personal exploration of important concepts through a series of self-assessments during the semester will also be part of this course.

Course Requirements – Please note that e-mail announcements regarding class will go out using your Pitzer account.

Exams (60% of the course grade) – There will be three exams in this course (as noted in the following schedule). Each exam will cover approximately one third of the readings and related lectures. The exams themselves will be a mixture of objective and essay material and the tests are NOT cumulative.

Self-Assessments assignments (10%) – Accompanying the text are a set of self-assessment assignments that you will be asked to complete. Over the course of the semester, we will examine these and discuss their meaning, and periodically you will be asked to hand in selected pieces along with your answers to reflection questions to help personalize the concepts from class. These assignments should not only help you discover more about the personal side of organizational behavior but also lead you to learn more about yourself in general.

Organizational study presentation (20%) – You will also be required to form groups and study an organization of your choice, presenting information directly related to important topics in the field. After finding an interesting organization, you will observe and analyze what your group believes are the important (and/or unique) aspects of the organization. After your investigation, your group will report back to the class on your observations. These oral presentations should incorporate material from the class and demonstrate a clear understanding of the chosen applied setting. After the presentations, your group will also be required to turn in a written summary of your findings.

Class participation (10%) – Throughout the course, you will be responsible for completing the reading assignments prior to class and be able to demonstrate in class the ability to discuss and reflect upon the assigned reading. In addition, exercises and participatory demonstrations will be used to illustrate some of the concepts presented in the readings and lectures. Your participation will not only lead to greater understanding, but also contribute to your final grade.

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

Dates	Topic	Readings
January 22^nd and 24^th	Introduction - What is Organizational Behavior?	Chapter 1 & Appendix A
January 29^th and 31^st	Individual Behavior	Chapter 2
February 5^th and 7^th	Attitudes, Personality and Values	Chapters 3 & 4
February 12^th and 14^th	Values and Decision Making	Chapters 4 & 5
February 19^th and 21^st	Review & Exam 1	Chps. 1-5 & App. A
February 26^th and 28^th	Motivation	Chapters 6 & 7
March 4^th and 6^th	Emotions and work	Chapter 8
March 11^th and 13^th	Groups and Teams	Chapters 9 & 10
Spring Break – March 17^th through 21^st (no class on March 15^th and 17^th)
March 25^th and 27^th	Communication	Chapter 11
Group Presentation Topic Proposals due March 27^th
April 1^st and 3^rd	Review & Exam 2	Chapters 6-11
April 8^th and 10^th	Leadership	Chapters 12 & 13
April 15^th and 17^th	Leaders and Power	Chapters 13 & 14
April 22^nd and 24^th	Conflict	Chapter 15
April 29^th and May 1^st	Organizational Culture	Chapter 17
May 6^th and 8^th	Poster Presentations & Senior final
Test Three: Seniors - Thursday, May 8^th (in class) Chapters 12-15 & 17 Others - Tuesday, May 13^that 7 pm Chapters 12-15 & 17