Management
Principles
Spring, 2021
MGT 3013-003
Video Conference
January 25th - May 3rd, 2021
- "Blended"
Hybrid Course Delivery = weekly Zoom meetings and biweekly
readings/lectures delivered online.
Chapter Assignments due at "normal" class meeting times, i.e., 5:30 Mondays & Wednesdays. - Lectures for each chapter will be available on specific dates in the calendar below (click on links to Power Point PPTX files that have video lectures embedded).
- Zoom video
conference 5:30 Mondays starting January 25th.
|
Instructor |
Craig
J. Russell, Ph.D. |
|
Office |
7C Adams
Hall |
|
Office hours |
By appointment |
|
Text |
Kinicki,
A. & Williams, B. Management: A
Practical Introduction (9th Edition)
McGraw-Hill. |
Overview of Learning Objectives
This course provides a foundation in management theory and practice, focusing on organization-, group-, and individual-levels. Starting with creation, maintenance, and long term modification of strategic goals (mission) and objectives, the course covers basic function areas addressing management of employees, decision making, innovation, leadership, and organizational design and control. Theoretical concepts and practice deriving from them rarely involve definitive "right" and "wrong" ways to manage. However, there are better and worse processes in which evidence-based management systems can be applied. This course will focus on what kind of theory and evidence relates to all major management decisions.
"Blended" Course Delivery Format
OU has come up with a number of alternative course
delivery formats to cope with the Covid-19 virus.
This course will be "blended," meaning some course
meetings will be held live using the Zoom software,
though ~ 95% of course lecture material will be
delivered in recorded videos embedded in the PowerPoint
slide deck I would normally use in live lectures.
While I will post a pdf file version of our course
outline in the Canvas system, I have exclusively used my
web site (www.ou.edu/russell) for all course management
since 1996 - your best information about the class will
be available on my web site.
I will send out invitations to Zoom meetings for every
5:30 pm Monday class. We will likely spend ~ 45-60
minutes in our first class meeting going over the
"housekeeping" items related to course management and
reviewing generally the substantive topics delivered in
the course. I will try to capture video mpg files
of all Zoom class meetings and make them available
through my web site (i.e., one Zoom creates the mpg file
I will send everyone an email notification that the
course outline calendar {below} has been updated to show
a link to the mpg file on the dates of the class periods
they occurred). I tried a number of variations in
"blended/hybrid/online" course delivery in 2020 and will
continue to experiment with alternate methods in 2021 -
one goal I am going to strive for this semester is to
achieve a pace or "cadence" that approximates the pace
at which students would normally go through the material
if we were still meeting in person. So, the
afternoons of each class meeting that we would
"normally" be starting a chapter (if we were still
meeting in person), Power Point PPTX files for the
chapter we would normally be starting in that class
period will become available through the online course
outline (I suggest you bookmark our course outline in
your browser for the duration of the course). For
example, on Wednesday afternoon, January 27th, of the
first week of class, I will update the course outline so
that the "Chapter 2" listed in the calendar below will
have link students can click on to download the
PowerPoint PPTX file for Chapter 2. On the
afternoon of Wednesday, February 3rd, I will update
"Chapter 3" on the calendar below so it contains a link
to the Chapter 3 Power Point PPTX file. In this
way your chapter reading assignments and the Power Point
PPTX lecture files will occur in tandem throughout the
semester. Download and open the PPTX files on your
personal computer to see 1) the substantive content of
each PowerPoint slide and 2) a video of me in the lower
right corner of the slide delivering the lecture
associated with that slide. Because the reading
assignment for that chapter will be due in the Connect
system on that same date, students should be in a
position to learn the most about the material covered in
that chapter.
All of our Monday Zoom class meetings will address
questions students might have about the material
assigned for the prior week, any "housekeeping" items
that might come up, and review midterm exam
performance. I will send out sample short answer
essay questions before our Monday Zoom meetings over
material covered in the prior week that I have used in
the past exams as something to talk about if students
don't have specific questions about the prior week's
material.
Please know that all of this is very much in flux, i.e.,
while normally courses I teach rarely modified after
they start, Covid-19 has changed that. When OU
converted to "online" class delivery after 2020 spring
break, I attended two Zoom instructional courses and
tried to create video lectures. It worked twice,
creating mpg video files from my lectures within an hour
of my completing them. Unfortunately, the third
lecture occurred 3 days before our second midterm.
In this instance Zoom took six (6) days to "process" and
create the MPG file, and I had to quickly find a
different technology and recreate the lecture. I
am still waiting for Zoom to get back to my request for
support (OU IT did not know what was wrong
either). Rather than being at the mercy of Zoom
and its inability to create lecture videos in a timely
manner, I found an alternative in PowerPoint
(Microsoft's PowerPoint software has been around much
longer and is much more robust).
Of course, nothing is perfect. The downside of
embedding videos of my lectures in PowerPoint is that
the resulting files are very large (~ 4X larger than the
MPG files Zoom would have created). This is
not a problem for me since I house them on my personal
Dropbox account which has a very large capacity.
Experience last year suggests students may run into two
problems. First, students will need to have enough
storage capacity on their devices to hold the files (I
don't recommend trying to "stream" the files from the
Dropbox folder . . . band width requirements typically
are too high). Hopefully most of you have devices
with USB ports, which will permit use of inexpensive USB
drives to store the PowerPoint files (8gig USB drives
are available for < $10 at most big box stores and
online). If you encounter storage problems, please
let me know and I will see what solutions might be
available. The second problems students have
experienced is in downloading the files. You do
need access to a good internet connection, and obviously
the faster the better. A slow internet connection
will work as long as it is "good," i.e., you can be
assured of no dropped connection during the
download. Taking your laptop to a pubic library or
coffee house will likely work, though speeds vary with
the number of users present at any given time.
Finally, note that Mac users often run into problems
downloading the files. I am totally ignorant of
all things "Mac," and cannot begin to know what
problem(s) cause this. I will provide a handout I
put together on request explaining a possible alternate
way to download the PPTX files if you run into problems.
Sign-up for Online Content
We will use the
McGraw-Hill “Connect” system to help student
comprehension. The
"Connect" online content will supplement the
text, requiring each student to further their
understanding of the chapter concepts through evaluations
spaced between readings within each chapter. Assignments
will be posted for each chapter with dates by which they
must be completed.
How you purchase access to the online McGraw-Hill
text book is described on the OU Canvas system. Any problems or
questions with the online system should be directed
towards McGraw-Hill's tech support team.
Tech.
Support:
1-800-331-5094
Add/Drop Deadline
If you are currently not enrolled
in this course, you need to add it by the appropriate
deadline. If
you want to drop the course without penalty, you may do
so by the appropriate date. For these and other
deadlines, including receipt of an automatic grade of
“W”, please consult OU’s Schedule of Classes or check
with the Price College Graduate Programs Office.
Incomplete Grade
A grade of I (for incomplete) will not be given under normal circumstances. Not performing well in class or being out of town during a test are inadequate reasons for requesting or granting an incomplete. Only circumstances beyond your control—such as an illness—that can be documented may warrant a grade of an “I”.
Honor Code
All students enrolled in this class are expected to abide by all aspects of OU’s Honor Code. The two basic tenets of this Code are:
- Students will behave honorably,
ethically, and responsibly in all academic
matters both inside the classroom and in outside work
related to their courses.
- Students who are aware of academic misconduct in any form will report the violation to the instructor or other school representative. Students who are aware of academic misconduct and who fail to report the violation are considered to be guilty of academic misconduct themselves.
For more details on the Honor Code, please check http://integrity.ou.edu/ or ask the instructor. Note, the immediate "moral hazard" created by the required online delivery format involves exam cheating. You will be on your honor to NOT collaborate with one another, use outside consultants, or access the online textbook while completing the essay midterms and final.
Civility
Behaving “honorably, ethically,
and responsibly” means that everyone deserves to be
treated with respect and dignity. Such conduct
means that all interactions related to this course need
to be civil, and without prejudice or rancor.
Being civil in a class
REGARDLESS of the medium used to deliver it includes:
-
Not browsing the web,
checking e-mail or texting when in class session
-
Not
talking with your neighbor constantly when class is in
session
-
Not
reading newspapers, magazines or other books
-
Not
being late to class or leaving early
-
Not
eating or drinking in class
-
Not
sleeping in class
Civil online behavior seems to be a moving target,
especially when participants are anonymous. You
will not be anonymous in our Zoom classes, so I urge
each of you to adopt the same rule I use in all my
email communications - I don't say it (or write it) if
I can't live with it on the front page of tomorrow's
newspaper (or live with the video of my behavior
embedded in an online newspaper).
Attendance
I do not take "attendance,"
and am unsure how I would do so if I wanted to.
The university has put on a new "attendance
policy," which becomes important if you contract
Covid-19 during the course. Hopefully this will
not happen, and if it does, you will be one of the ~ 96%
of folks who seem to come through it ok after about two
weeks. If that happens, please let me know (and
the university) so I can make any adjustments needed to
make examination accommodations.
You will need to complete the Connect reading
assignments and go through the PowerPoint slide
lectures. I will try to pace the course by
sequentially rolling out the Power Point PPTX lecture
files at the pace we would be going through them if we
were still meeting in person. Research suggests
learning is best when material is broken into smaller
chunks with adequate time for reflection and
consideration between chunks - this pacing will force
students to do that. I once developed a
masters-level course for delivery at a business school
in Singapore. Given a semester is ~ 16 weeks long,
a 3 hour credit course meet 3 X 16 = 48 hours, so we
squeezed each class into a solid one week time window
(with pre-week and post-week
assignments/projects). It was a challenge that I
wouldn't want to meet unless I had to - you don't have
to, so I urge you to pace yourselves, tracking with the
assignments and lectures on a weekly basis.
Reasonable Accommodation
Any student in this course
who has a disability that may prevent the full
demonstration of his or her abilities should contact
me personally as soon as possible so we can discuss
accommodations necessary to ensure full participation
and facilitate your educational opportunities.
Additional information is available at: http://www.ou.edu/content/drc/accommodations/norman-accommodations.html
Religious Holidays
It is the policy of the
University to excuse the absences of students that
result from religious observances and to provide
without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations
and additional required classwork that may fall on
religious holidays. All weekly Zoom class
meetings will be recorded and made available to
students, so problems should only occur if/when a
religious observation coincides with an exam
period. Please see the course calendar below and
let me know quickly if you might face this
circumstance.
Adjustments for
Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should
you need modifications or adjustments to your course
requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or
childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as
possible to discuss. Generally, modifications will be made
where medically necessary and similar in scope to
accommodations based on temporary disability. Please see www.ou.edu/content/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html
for commonly asked questions.
Title IX Resources
For any
concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual
harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate
partner violence, the University offers a variety of
resources, including advocates on-call 24/7,
counseling services, mutual no contact orders,
scheduling adjustments and disciplinary sanctions
against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual
Misconduct Office 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU
Advocates 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to
report an incident. Additional information can be
found at: http://www.ou.edu/content/eoo.html.
Grades
Grades will be based on student
performance on three exams and performance on the online
Connect assignments. Due to our online course delivery
system, exams will be all short answer essay. Students
will be required to select and answer five (5) essay
questions from a set of ten (10) or more. Students
will have to answer at least 1 of 2-3 questions drawn from
each chapter. Students who answer six (6) questions
will have scores on the highest five answers counted toward
their exam grade. Evidence suggests doing an extra
essay on each exam helps, as most students cannot accurately
estimate how many points they are likely to earn with their
answers (i.e., they aren't able to accurately choose which
five essay questions they could earn the most points from).
Midterm exams will be distributed in a Microsoft Word
document file by email at 5:30pm (the normal course starting
time) on the dates specified in the course calendar below,
while the final will be distributed at the time/date OU
specified as the final exam period for the course (also
specified in the calendar below). Students should
write their answers to each essay question immediately below
the questions in this document and return it promptly 2
hours after receiving it (of course, saving a copy
yourself).. This means completed midterm exams must be
received by 7:30pm on the evenings they are distributed, and
2 hours after the final exam start time during final exam
week.
Final letter grades will be based on student performance on
the three examinations and online Connect assignments (each
will receive equal weight, or contribute 25% to the
students' final grades). I will discuss exactly how
letter grades are arrived at following the 1st
midterm. I do not use a 90-80-70-60 scale. After
each of the first two exams I going through an exercise I
call the "how I would assign final grades if someone held a
gun to my head and said 'assign final grades based only on
scores earned so far.'" In this way students will know
1) exactly where they stand in the course after each exam
and 2) the process I will use to arrive at the final course
grade after the final exams are graded.
Any student in this course who has a disability that may
prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her
abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible
so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full
participation and facilitate your educational
opportunities.
PowerPoint Files:
Masking Policy
While we are not scheduled to actually meeting in person this semester, that might change (as everything might change!). So, to be thorough, the University's "masking policy" can be found below:
As outlined by the University of Oklahoma¹s Chief COVID Officer, until further notice, employees, students, and visitors of the OU community will be mandated to wear masks (1.) when they are inside University facilities and vehicles and (2.) when they are outdoors on campus and social distancing of at least six feet is not possible. For the well-being of the entire university community it is important that everyone demonstrate the appropriate health and safety behaviors outlined in the University Mandatory Masking Policy (https://www.ou.edu/coronavirus/masking-policy). As this mandate includes all campus classrooms, please make sure you are wearing your mask while in class. If you do not have a mask or forgot yours, see the professor for available masks. If you have an exemption from the Mandatory Masking Policy, please see the professor to make accommodations before class begins. If and where possible, please make your professor aware of your exemption and/or accommodation prior to arriving in class. If a student is unable or unwilling to wear a mask and has not made an accommodation request through the ADRC, they will be instructed to exit the classroom.
Course Calendar
|
Date/Video |
Topic |
|
| Introduction
and overview |
|
|
|
|
The
Exceptional Manager |
Chapter 1 |
| 1/27 &
2/1 |
Management
Theory
|
Chapter 2 |
| 2/3, 8 |
Business Environment and Ethical Responsibility | Chapter 3 |
| 2/10,
15 |
Global
Management |
Chapter 4 |
| 2/17, 22 |
Planning |
Chapter
5 |
| 2/24 &
3/1 |
Strategic
Management |
Chapter 6 |
| 3/3 |
Midterm I |
|
| 3/8, 10 |
Decision
Making |
Chapter
7A Chapter 7B |
| 3/15 |
Organizational
Culture, Structure, and Design |
Chapter 8 |
| 3/17, 22,
24 |
Human
Resource Management |
Chapter
9 Part A Chapter 9 Part B Adverse Impact Defense Test Fairness |
| 3/29, 31 |
Organizational
Change and Development |
Chapter 10 |
| 4/5,
7 |
Individual
Differences See this TED talk |
Chapter
11 |
| 4/12 |
Midterm
II |
|
| 4/14, 19 | Motivation |
Chapter
12 Part A Chapter 12 Part B |
| 4/21, 26 | Groups and
Teams |
Chapter 13 |
| 4/28 &
5/3 |
Power,
Influence, and Leadership |
Chapter 14 |
| 5/5 |
Communications |
Chapter 15 |
|
Scheduled
|
Final |
May
12, 2021, 4:30pm - 6:30pm
|
Craig J. Russell, Ph.D.
Professor
Michael Price College of Business
University of Oklahoma
Norman, OK 73019-0450
(405) 821-4155 (cell)
(405) 325-7688 FAX
cruss@ou.edu