Human Behavior and Organizational Performance

Catalog description

This course helps students understand individual and team behavior in organizations and its impact on individual, team, and organizational effectiveness. HRER 802 Organizations in the Workplace (3) Through the case method, students will be challenged to think critically about real-world problems faced by employees, managers, and organizational leaders. Incorporating basic theoretical principles, we will brainstorm and explore possible approaches to diagnosing those problems and implementing solutions. The approach to learning is purposefully interactive and open-ended, although each module will include some readings summarizing relevant current academic research that provide a framework for thinking about the case. Team exercises and a term paper also provide opportunities for more in-depth exploration of one or more issues introduced during the course of the semester. Students should leave the class with (a) practice in critical thinking; (b) tools for analyzing and managing their own careers in organizations; (c) exposure to some basic concepts from organizational and management science; (d) knowledge about several real-world managers, companies and industries. Evaluation will be based on participation in online case discussions (40%) and written case memos (20%), an individual career and network assignment (20%), and an individual or team option final project involving a paper (10%) and presentation (10%). All letter grades will be assigned in accordance with the University's grading policy.