Main Content
Syllabus
HRER 802: Human Behavior and Organizational Performance - This course provides students with an overview of selected managerial behavior and career topics in modern organizations. 3 Credits
Overview
PROFESSOR: Hello. I want to welcome you all to HRER802, Organizations in the Workplace. This course is about how people behave in organizations, either as individuals, as team members, or generally as stakeholders who have an interest in the outcome of the combined efforts to promote organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and achieve organizational objectives.
The course is divided into two discrete parts. Initially we'll study very basic concepts associated with organizational structure, human interaction, perception, human personality, motivation. We'll study culture and ethics a bit, in terms of setting the stage. Eventually we'll deal with more complex issues. Development of rewards systems, performance management, managing diverse cultures, and so forth.
These will depend on a clear understanding of those more basic concepts. We'll talk about, for example, managing change, and change in an organization that may be undergoing great stress. Again, we need the basic concepts in place before we can really understand how that is going work itself most effectively. There are five basic ways in which you're going to interact with this curriculum, in terms of assignments.
In addition to the readings, you're going to first periodically take quizzes. You will also engage in discussion forum. Not every week, but there will be several of them throughout the class. Interact with your classmates. Still in an asynchronous way. You will write individual papers, usually between 500-750 words.
You'll write team papers, papers where you and a group of people will get together and do some research, and write a team paper associated with that research. And finally, you will write what I call individual application papers, papers that allow you to apply course concepts to a set of facts we'll provide to you. The readings are generally from a textbook. The textbook is updated frequently.
The textbook reflects current literature, material that's been published in the last couple years. There are also e-reserve readings. Now, some of these really appear to be dated. For example, we have a passage from Machiavelli, The Prince, talking about power, that's 400 years old.
There are other articles that represent what I would consider to be very classic pieces in this curriculum that I would hope everybody would read and understand, if only to represent the notion that not everything is brand new. And we'll see that in a variety of ways as this class progresses.
In the end, this course is about helping you manage your work as an HR professional more effectively, understanding it, and managing it. What we hope also is that you will bring your own personal experiences to bear, and that you will leave the class making yourself more effective in your own role as an HR professional. I hope you have a wonderful experience. We look forward to being involved with you throughout the semester.
The purpose of HRER 802, Organizations in the Workplace, is to help you define and be able to articulate critical factors that affect behavior within organizations. As a result, you will be able to improve your ability to navigate organizational systems as well as the management of individuals and teams in large and small organizations.
This course is about scholarship, teamwork, and online discussions with colleagues from different professional and industrial backgrounds, and opportunities to develop your thinking beyond what is usually possible given the time pressures on the job. In discussions and group projects, you will be able to benefit from the experiences of a diverse group of peers with different approaches to considering and solving business problems.
Performance in this course will depend on your ability to appropriately apply the course material to cases and current situations. In this course, you will apply your knowledge of organizational dynamics to specific problems and seek out missing perspectives that will help you avoid unintended consequences of your decisions.
Course Objectives
This course provides you with an overview of selected managerial behavior and career topics in modern organizations. After successfully completing the course, you will be able to:
- Describe the four elements affecting performance at work: organizational structure, the individual, teams, and organizational culture.
- Identify elements associated with organizational structure that affect individual, team, and organizational performance
- Individuals
- Explain the value of an individual cognitive assessment.
- Identify at least three ways in which individuals learn.
- Describe critical elements associated with the communications process, including common barriers making communication between and among individuals challenging.
- Describe the concept of diversity in the context of an organizational workforce.
- Teams
- Compare and contrast the concept of a team with the concept of a group.
- Describe and explain the concept of a high performance team.
- Identify external team boundaries.
- Analyze the manner in which individual behaviors affect team performance.
- Organizational Culture
- Define the term organizational culture.
- Describe the manner in which organizational culture influences individual, team, and organizational performance.
- Describe, explain, and apply principles associated with critical organizational processes, including:
- Define the concept of motivation.
- Compare and contrast motivation theories.
- Identify variables acting as stressors.
- Create options to effectively manage stress.
- Identify variables affecting employee job satisfaction and engagement.
- Compare and contrast decision making processes.
- Describe at least two negotiation processes.
- Perform effectively in a negotiations process.
- Define leadership.
- Compare and contrast leadership theories.
- Develop skills to more effectively:
- Create and lead teams.
- Create and manage reward systems.
- Manage Conflict.
- Lead and manage organizational change.
Optional Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Specifications
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
|---|---|
| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
|
Lesson |
Reading Assignments |
Activities |
|---|---|---|
|
Lesson 01, Part 1:
Lesson 01, Part 2:
|
|
|
|
Lesson 02: Organizational Structure |
|
|
| Lesson 03: The Individual |
|
|
| Lesson 04: Organizational Culture and Ethics |
|
|
| On-Site Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 10:30 |
Introduction Evidence-based MGMT |
Negotiation Strategies Positional/Principled |
Managing Diversity Managing Teams |
Performance Model Expectancy Theory Equity Theory Job Satisfaction Employee Engagement |
Counseling |
| 10:30 - 10:45 | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break |
| 10:45 - 12:15 | Leadership: Introduction |
Negotiation Strategies Positional/Principled |
Facilitation |
Performance Management Coaching |
Counseling Counseling Memos |
| 12:15 - 1:15 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch |
| 1:15 - 2:15 | Communications
Critical Moments (C.M.) |
Negotiation Strategies Positional/Principled |
Facilitation |
Reward/Recognition Systems |
Discipline |
| 2:15 - 2:30 | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break |
| 2:30 - 4:30 |
Critical Moments (C.M.)
|
Case Study | Facilitation |
Stress/Conflict |
Exam
Final Paper Discussion |
| Evening | Campus Tour | State College Spikes Game | Closing Banquet |
|
Lesson |
Reading Assignments |
Activities |
|---|---|---|
|
Lesson 10: Application |
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Grading
The World Campus follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. The grades of A, B, C, D, and F indicate the following qualities of academic performance:
A = (Excellent) Indicates exceptional achievement
B = (Good) Indicates extensive achievement
C = (Satisfactory) Indicates acceptable achievement
D = (Poor) Indicates only minimal achievement
F = (Failure) Indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course in order to secure credit
| Grade | Minimum % |
|---|---|
| A | 93 |
| A- | 90 |
| B+ | 88 |
| B | 82 |
| B- | 80 |
| C+ | 78 |
| C | 70 |
| D | 60 |
| F | < 59 |
GRADING CRITERIA
| Lesson | Discussion Forum | Drop Box | Points Per Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 Part 1 |
|
Getting Started Activities |
Ungraded |
|
1 Part 2 |
Lesson 01 Discussion Forum |
|
Ungraded |
|
2 |
|
Lesson 02 Individual Essay | 100 |
|
3 |
Lesson 03 Discussion Forum |
|
100 |
|
4 |
Lesson 04 Discussion Forum |
|
100 |
| Lesson | Discussion Forum | Drop Box | On-Campus | Points Per Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/24 | Win/Win Project | 100 | ||
|
4/27 |
|
Individual Exercise: Counseling Memo |
100 |
|
|
4/27 |
|
|
Exam |
200 |
| Lesson | Discussion Forum | Drop Box | Points Per Assignment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
10 |
|
Individual Application Paper |
300 |
|
|
Points |
|---|---|
| Individual Essays | 10% |
| Classroom Activities | 20% |
| Individual Application Papers | 30% |
| Discussion Forums | 20% |
| Exam | 20% |
Please Note: Lesson 1, Part 2 is not a graded assignment; however, if you do not complete it (including the responses to other students), you will not receive a grade for Lesson 3.
Assignments
Discussion Forums and Participation
During each week in which there is a discussion forum, you will be expected to make an initial post and at least two additional posts in response to posts by fellow classmates. You may submit additional posts where you feel is appropriate. Your work will be evaluated on three criteria:
- Did you make the required posts?
- Were the posts submitted within the required time frame?
- Was each of the posts of substantive?
With respect to the third criterion, it would never be acceptable to make a post such as the following:
I read Chapter 3 and found that it did not correctly speak to the issues raised in the assignment. I simply don't get the author's point.
Nor would the following be an appropriate response to a classmate's posting:
Frank, your comment is right on point. I've been in situations of that sort before.
In essence, "substantive" suggests that you will add value to the discussion, either because you recount a personal experience that helps broaden everyone's experience, or you make an insight that represents a critical analysis of the text, or you interject additional research as part of the discussion that is not otherwise available to fellow students, or some other set of comments of a comparable nature. Anything that appears perfunctory will receive a "no" in the chart below.
Papers and Essays: Spelling, Grammar, Syntax
With respect to all written activities, your work will also be evaluated with respect to spelling, grammar, and syntax. A stray typo will not result in a lower grade; however, a pattern of minor errors suggesting careless writing and little or no proofreading will result in a lower grade. No student who writes an incomplete sentence will receive a grade of "A" no matter how superb the substance of the paper itself.
With respect to syntax, it is common - particularly when rushed - to write sentences which, in some cases, make little or no sense. It is often the case that proofreading a sentence may not be enough for you to notice the error, in part because you know what you meant to say, and because of this, you may easily miss the error. If you read your work out loud before submitting the final copy you'll more easily catch these errors. We often hear mistakes we simply don't see.
Individual Essays
Each submission will graded based on the degree to which you are responsive to each part of the assignment. If, for example, the assignment requires two examples of a situation you have previously experienced and you only provide one such example, your grade will be reduced. This will occur no matter how well the one example is presented.
Individual Application Papers
You will analyze a case study provided in the course. Your analysis should draw from concepts covered in the course. The analysis will be evaluated on your selection of course concepts, application of the concepts, and whether your recommendations follow logically from your analysis.
NOTE: Prior to turning in your paper, you must run it through TURNITIN. It is recommended that you do this a few days before the deadline in case this turns up any problems with your paper. To do so, you will use the information your instructor will provide to access their services. Then follow the instructions to download your paper to "First Submission." It sometimes takes several minutes for the program to analyze your paper. Eventually you should see your "Report." The Report should include a percentage score and a color code. If the color is green or blue, you are OK. If it is yellow or red, click to see comments. The report should indicate where your text is too similar to a publication. If the program turns up passages of more than one or two lines, this needs correction - you will need to paraphrase them and cite the source, indicate they are quotations and cite the source, or remove these passages.
Students please note: The Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations does not view Wikipedia as a valid source for information cited in academic work. It can be a useful tool for quickly finding general information on subjects or as a starting point for research. However, students should not cite Wikipedia as a source in papers, reports, assignments, etc.
Assignments are due by 11:55 p.m. Eastern Time on the date listed on the Course Schedule, unless otherwise noted. Late assignments will be penalized. Assignments that are more than one day late will not be accepted without prior approval.
As a Penn State student, you have access to lynda.com, your one-stop shop for video tutorials on Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and hundreds more topics--all free to active Penn State faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students. Take tutorials to help with coursework, learn techniques for your own projects, and build tech skills to boost your résumé. ( Tutorials are not required or graded.)
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.