Summer 2008

INSTRUCTOR:        Craig Bell

Smith 231

Phone 496-1488                                                         

E-Mail: bellc@byui.edu                                               

OFFICE HOURS:    My Schedule

If you are unable to meet with me at these times, I can arrange a time that will accommodate your needs.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

A course to help you gain a better understanding of key principles of effective organizations.  The course will also assist in helping you develop effective management skills.

COURSE OBJECTIVES  

Knowledge and Skills

1.   Gain an understanding of and an appreciation for the underlying principles of effective and successful organizations. 

2.   Understand the role and importance of organizational behavior and management.

3.   To help you acquire personal confidence to apply principles that help create effective organizations.

4.   To learn about and gain critical management skills.

COURSE INFORMATION

1.   The purpose of this course is to enable you to understand principles and develop skills required to be successful in the business world.  The course will focus on principles that are portable into all organizations.

2.   It is the responsibility of the student to attend class regularly, read assigned materials, and come to class prepared to participate in a meaningful way.  

3.   Grades will be determined by total points based upon the exams, assignments and responsibilities as outlined on the syllabus. In order for a student to receive an A grade they must be able to demonstrate a corresponding level of understanding.

4.   All assignments are expected to be quality work, complete, and on time. This means printed out and handed in at the beginning of class on the day specified. Late assignments are discounted 50%. (do not email assignments)   Other assignments will be discounted a minimum of 10%. Late is after the start of class on the day assigned or after the time specified.   Assignments can be turned in early.  Any late assignment must be turned in a week from the due date.      

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:  (details explained below)

Grading: Approx. 900-1000 points.

1/3  Outside of class:  Online Bb postings,  Topic newsletters/mentors, Team Participation

1/3  Individual and Team Projects:   Self Improvement project,  Team Paper and Presentation

1/3  Class attendance and participation:  On time, well prepared, respectful, meaningful contribution

A large % of the grade is based upon self, team, and instructor evaluations.  – What you know and do.   Every day and every assignment is an evaluation.  Most of the points will come at the end of the course—i.e. projects, class participation score.

What would constitute great performance?

1.       Always here, on time, and well prepared—could deal with almost any issue of the case.

Quality work, complete, and on time

3.       Contribution is meaningful and of value

4.       Respectful, ethical, and professional

5.       Dress is modest and appropriate

Preparation, Promptness, and Participation: 

You  will be evaluated based upon your level of preparation, attendance and participation.  Participation includes in and out of class activities-- i.e. class and online discussions.

I am interested in you coming to share and engage in the discussion and learning process. To teach and to be taught.   Doctrine and Covenants 88: 118-125 provide the guiding principles for the course.   You need to be prepared if called upon to start a discussion or to answer questions regarding the particular readings / cases. 

I am asking you to come dressed up --start dressing like a business professional. This higher standard will not be enforced just encouraged.  The  Honor Code / Dress and Grooming code will be enforced. 

Team Project:  150 PTS.  You will be placed in a team in which to collectively work on a project dealing with organizational effectiveness issues.  This semester we will focus on Sir Ernest Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

The purpose of your team project is to analyze one of the world's greatest journeys of discover.  Like any great undertaking-- many principles and parallels can be discovered and drawn as it relates to successful organizations.

Every company and organization today is comprised of individuals who with varying degrees of motivation are part of a mission or cause. Every organization is concerned with meeting and surpassing goals and expectations. The project will be worth 200 points-- in other words this is a major deal and will require high quality-- professional work. 

General guidelines to consider: 

Instead of trying to give a list of specific guidelines and a host of requirements I want you to look at the expedition and pull out principles of management / leadership and overall organizational effectiveness.  You will not be able to cover everything so your team will need to pick and choose one area of focus.  Some general areas may include:

1. Selecting the right team.
2. Mission and motivation issues
3. Strategic Planning
4. Communication systems
5. Conflict Resolution
6. Management
7. Leadership
8. Trust and Trustworthiness
9. Teamwork

From these areas you will need to be specific and dig below the surface. The projects should teach us and make us think.  Do not tell us things that are obvious...i.e. Honesty and Integrity build Trust. Even though this is extremely important it is not something most have not heard and can readily accept. 

Each team will be asked to prepare a presentation  (written and oral) on the  expedition and its relationship to organizational effectiveness. The written portion will need to include your areas of focus and the principles and parallels drawn from the expedition as it relates to Organizational Effectiveness .

The Paper

The written portion should be APA format  (click link for more information) with Cover page, Table of Contents, Executive Summary and bibliography.  The paper should be long enough to adequately cover the topic.  (no more than 10 total pages)  Your audience is business managers.  Your purpose is to help them become better managers by teaching/presenting practical principles.

The Presentation

The presentations should be professional as if presenting to a business conference on leadership.  The use of PowerPoints, multi-media, and other creative ways of presenting are encouraged.  The presentations will be evaluated by the entire class for professionalism, content and flow, and relevance to business.  Time: 11 min.

The grade earned will be based upon teacher and peer evaluations.

The presentation will be due towards the end of the semester
 

Your Individual Project: (150 pts.)

"What one thing could you do (you aren't doing now) that if you did on a regular basis, would make a tremendous positive difference in your personal life?"  (Covey, Stephen-- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, pg. 146)

Select an area in your personal life you wish to improve.  Whatever the area write down what you want to accomplish and how you plan to accomplish it (be specific).  You should also be to  able assess if you accomplished what you set out to do.  As part of this assignment you are to keep a journal primarily for reflection and assessment purposes. In order to be effective, the journal entries should be written often...preferably on a daily basis. Short reports will be asked for periodically.

Mentors and Management: 

In order for learning to fully occur I feel it is critical to connect theory and principles with practice.  You are to select 1-2 mentors who are in management positions to correspond with during the semester.   The mentors should be willing to take the time to give feedback regarding assignments and answer questions.   Also --on a personal application level--think through what organizations you currently belong to and your role in those organizations.   If you are in a managerial role at the current time this will give you a great opportunity to connect the dots so to speak with the content of the course.   I am going to ask you to spend a considerable amount of time reflecting upon your experiences and your conversations with you mentor(s).   The purpose of this reflection is to formulate action plans for the future that would increase you effectiveness as a manager.  The insights gained from you mentors will be part of your topic newsletters.

Grading    (based upon total points earned divided by total points possible)                                                                    

93-100 A              73-76.9 C
90-92.9 A-           70-72.9 C-
87-89.9 B+
83-86.9 B
80-82.9 B-
77-79.9 C+

          The syllabus and course outline are subject to change due to instructors  request
 

HONOR CODE

One of the major goals at BYU-Idaho is that of providing quality educational opportunities in a rich spiritual environment.  To obtain this desired level of spiritual influence, students are asked to observe all points of the Code of Honor including the dress and grooming standards.

We take this opportunity to remind you of the commitment you made to live the Code of Honor when you signed your application form to BYU-Idaho.

In this class you are expected to observe the Code of Honor: specifically--be honest, refrain from plagiarizing or any form of cheating; obey all college rules and regulations; help others in fulfilling their responsibilities under the Code of Honor; and comply with the college dress and grooming standards. 

The dress and grooming standard is fully defined in BYU-Idaho's catalog.  (Use those sources for specific interpretations and more details.)  The appearance hoped for in dress and grooming is best achieved through the guidelines of modesty and cleanliness.  We encourage our students to be modest in their attire and neat and clean in their personal appearance.

Conscientious attention to appropriate dress and grooming will enhance your performance in class and contribute to the spiritual environment of BYU-Idaho.  We invite your participation in this important expectation.  Unwillingness to follow the dress and honor codes will mean that you will be dropped from the class.

DISABILITY

In compliance with applicable disability law, qualified students with a disability maybe entitled to a reasonable accommodation. It is the students responsibility to disclose to the teacher any special need he or she may have before the end of the first week of class.  In order for students to qualify for a reasonable accommodation@, they must contact Dr. Richard Taylor in McKay 123,  phone 496-1159.  He will give qualified students a letter to submit to their teachers. 

STANDARD CODE OF CONDUCT

DEMAND THE HIGHEST ETHICAL STANDARDS FROM YOURSELF.  The collaborative nature in this class means that there are will be some group projects both in and out of class.  It is inevitable that you will have opportunities to hand in work that is not your own.  Remember when these opportunities present themselves that you are being trusted and challenged to uphold the highest standards of ethical behavior.  We want you to learn from your experiences in this class and at BYU-I in general, that you need to be able to trust each other and yourself to make the ethical decision.  Accordingly, cheating, plagiarism, and other cases of intellectual dishonesty will not be tolerated.

TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK.  Business leaders know that everything they present to the public reflects on them and their organization.  Long-term success comes only to companies and individuals who produce the highest quality products and services, and deliver them in a timely fashion.  Every paper, presentation, and project is an expression of the pride you take in yourself and your work.  Make every effort to write well, meet deadlines, and take the time to make both the format and the content of your work of the highest quality.  This may mean writing one more draft, double checking spelling and grammar, or reviewing overheads and practicing your presentation one more time.

 

DEMONSTRATE RESPECT FOR YOURSELF AND FOR OTHERS.  Managers make decisions and try to influence others to implement them.  Thus, if you are going to be a manager, you have to learn how to make others accept and respect you.  You must show yourself to be worthy of their respect and show that you respect them.  Your professional demeanor sends messages about your leadership ability and level of dedication.  You can earn a lot of credit here for doing some very basic things. 

• Be On Time - Professional behavior means being on time for classes, appointments, and meetings.  Furthermore, it means staying there once you have arrived.  Just as you wouldn’t leave the middle of a business meeting in order to get a soda, you shouldn’t disrupt a class by leaving in the middle for a drink, chat or to pick up your e-mail.

• Be Prepared - Unprepared managers have very short careers (or end up in dead-end jobs).  To succeed, you need to prepare for each class session.  Nothing shows less respect for others than making them wait while you do something you were supposed to have done in advance.  If you don’t prepare and try, instead, to “fake it,” you run the risk of looking foolish and wasting everyone’s time with irrelevant comments.

• Show Respect - Professionalism also means being civil to those with whom you disagree.  In business, you will find that you must work with people with conflicting opinions or personal styles.  Your ability to work with, tolerate, and effectively interact with these individuals is critical to your success.  Finally, you demonstrate a lack of respect for your colleagues or professors when you engage in private discussions while course or meeting business is in progress.

• Get Involved - Professionalism means keeping up with the discussion.  It means making a contribution.  Not everything you say has to be serious, however.  As long as it fits, it’s okay, even desirable, to inject a little humor once in a while.  Just make sure you do it that isn’t mean and doesn’t step on anybody’s toes.  
  
   

TREAT YOUR STUDIES AS YOU WOULD TREAT YOUR FULL-TIME JOB.  Your  are the primary reason for you to be at BYU-I.  You and your family have made a large investment in them.  Few professionals today are successful with anything less than a full-time commitment.  To maximize the return on your investment, you should treat your course work as your highest BYU-I priority. 

• Attend Every Class - There are very few valid excuses for missing work.  Likewise, there are very few valid excuses for missing class.  Serious illnesses, injuries or emergencies are valid excuses.  Sleeping in, conflicting assignments, and social commitments are not.  Just as you would for your job, you should arrange your personal life and budget your time to meet your work commitments.  This is simply part of what it means to become a professional.

• Keep Your Professors Informed - You made a professional commitment by registering for class, and have a standing appointment to attend all class sessions.  However, as you would do with any job, if you are unable to attend class you need to inform the affected professors by voice mail, e-mail, or in person before the class.  Classes missed for invalid reasons will affect your professionalism grade.  (You will find your professors’ names, office locations, and phone numbers elsewhere in the course syllabus materials.)

• Accept Responsibility For Your Own Learning - Whether you are trying to prepare for a class or trying to complete an assignment, the objective is learning something in the process.  Don’t be surprised, then, if you don’t “get it” right away.  Take it upon yourself to seek help when you need it.  Look for extra reading material.  Talk to your professor.  When appropriate, discuss the material with your peers use the available Time and Resources Wisely - Dedicate an adequate amount of time and effort to prepare projects, papers and exams.  BYU-I has many resources you can employ in completing your tasks (faculty, computer systems, library materials, software, access to the Internet, reference librarians, industry contacts, etc.).  However, you cannot take full advantage of them unless you have the time.  Now is the time to learn this crucial lesson.

• Meet All Due Dates - Your boss won’t understand if you miss a contract negotiation because you were up all night.  It won’t be okay to miss a project implementation date because you had to return your friend’s car.  The vice-president won’t reschedule the monthly division budget meeting because you couldn’t get a ride to work.  Likewise, work that is scheduled to be delivered at a particular time on a particular date will not be accepted late because the printer was busy, or because you have a flight to catch, or because Thursday night is your night to party.  These are not valid excuses.  If you have a valid excuse and you inform your professors in a timely manner, an attempt may be made to schedule alternative arrangements for you, but don’t count on it. 

 Selected Quotes on Education:

... to be merely mentally trained is to be only partly trained.  The man whose mind only has been trained may be likened to the ship with great engines and a huge propeller, ready to drive the ship forward, but without rudder, chart, compass, or definite destination. When we add to the man, so trained, spiritual training, then it is as if we add to the ship, with its wonderful machinery, a compass, a chart, a rudder, and a dependable intelligence which controls the whole machinery, above and below deck, so that the vessel may reach a safe haven, according to a definite purpose.

~John A. Widstoe

“You know, it is a wonderful thing to be faithful, but a much greater thing to be both faithful and competent.  There is no particular virtue in being uninformed, certainly no virtue in ignorance.  When young people can acquire the skills, the techniques, and the knowledge of these times, and along with it have a spiritual commitment and a solid faith and cleanliness of life, there is nothing that you can’t achieve; nothing in righteousness or in reason.

~Elder Richard L. Evans, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, given at the Northwest Inland Division Gathered for Zion=s Camp, October 15, 1971.

Selected Links