MANGT 545 Project Team Leadership: This course focuses on development of team leadership skills and the ability to solve team problems related to human interaction.
Prerequisites or co-requisites: MANGT 510 and MANGT 535.

Note: Students who have completed a master's degree (M.S., M.A., or M.B.A.) are not permitted to transfer credits from that degree into another master's degree at Penn State.

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Overview

Instructor:                Dr. Ryan M. Vogel

Office Hours:            By appointment

Phone:                     (814) 898-6264

E-mail:                      rmv13@psu.edu

Course Website:      Course website will be managed using the ANGEL system. You can access ANGEL at: http://cms.psu.edu.

The course builds on the knowledge base developed in MANGT 535 (Interpersonal and Group Behavior) to identity and develop behavioral levers that leaders can use to improve individual and group performance and commitment. Focus is placed on better understanding one's own leadership capabilities and building skills necessary to lead project teams. During your study, it is expected that you will draw on your own work experiences to further enhance your understanding of the subject matter.

• The course has an established start and end date and you will interact with other students throughout the course.
• The course consists of a textbook and various academic and practitioner-oriented readings.
• The course has 9 lessons, a requirement to complete five homework assignments, a requirement to participate in online discussions, and a requirement to work with one or several other members of the class to teach a portion of one lesson's material.

So how are we going to do this?
During the first week of the course you will meet your instructor and fellow classmates at a virtual orientation session.

1. During the course, you will be expected to draw from your personal and work experiences to further enhance your and your classmates’ understanding of the subject matter. Therefore, many of the course assignments should be completed by using real situations and instances from your experience. It is asked only that you maintain the integrity of private information by changing any names such that individuals remain unidentifiable.

2. The course involves 9 main topic area lessons, including textbook material, additional readings, individual reflections on the material in the form of homework assignments, and online class discussions. Because of the online nature of this class, you may study this material at your own pace. However, there are some requirements (e.g., homework assignments, discussions, case studies) that require your timely attention. It is your responsibility to meet any deadlines that are associated with the class.

What will be expected of you, the student?
As a student in this course, you are expected to read the material on the course website, textbook, and associated readings, and complete any suggested exercises and homework assignments. You may work through this course at your own pace, but at each stage, you should:

• conscientiously read and reflect on the material;
• ask questions (via the Web, e-mail, phone, or in person) of your instructor and fellow classmates on issues you don't understand;
• complete any homework assignments as outlined in this Syllabus;
• participate with your assigned group members to prepare a thoughtful and engaging group presentation of the assigned material.

NOTE: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor.  This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines.  For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please see "Graduation" on the World Campus Student Policies Web site.

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Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• understand and integrate the material regarding leadership behaviors and their impact on individual and team effectiveness, including an understanding of the psychological mechanisms at work;
• better understand your own personality and leadership style and how it might be adapted to improve your effectiveness in the workplace;
• have a concrete plan of action for building your personal network, developing your communication skills, and preparing for the first day of a new leadership assignment, and;
• apply this course material into the program's body of knowledge on project management.

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Required Course Materials

The following materials are required :

• Barling, J. (2014). The Science of Leadership: Lessons from Research for Organizational Leaders, ISBN# 9780199757015
• Dutton, J. E., & Spreitzer, G. M. (2014). How to Be a Positive Leader: Small Actions, Big Impact, ISBN# 9781626560284 (can be purchased here: http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Positive-Leader-Actions/dp/1626560285)
• MANGT 545 Coursepack (purchase from Harvard Business School Publishing)

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.

Materials will be available at MBS Direct approximately three weeks before the course begins. Alternatively, you may seek these texts from other favorite bookstores. (Note: Be sure you purchase the edition/publication date listed.)

https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/23719149

You need to register on the site to create a user name if you do not already have one. 

Some course materials are PDF documents and you can open them with Adobe Reader. 

eLearning materials include a link you can use to gain access to them. 
Some course materials may not be available in digital format and these will be shipped to you. 

You will have access to the course materials for 6 months. 

After you register, you can get to the coursepack at any time by doing the following: 

1. Visit hbsp.harvard.edu and log in. 
2. Click My Coursepacks , and then click MANGT 545 SP 15

E-Reserves

This course also requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. To access these materials, click on the "Student Resources" link in the left menu then click on Library Reserves. Please note that this list of readings may be updated – new articles will be announced in the “announcement section on ANGEL. 

The following materials have been reserved:

• Brown, M. E. (2007). Misconceptions of ethical leadership: How to avoid potential pitfalls. Organizational Dynamics, 36, 140-155.
• Toegel, G., & Barsoux, J. L. (2012). How to become a better leader. Sloan Management Review, 53, 51-60.
• Podsakoff, N. P., Podsakoff, P. M., & Kuskova, V. V. (2010). Dispelling misconceptions and providing guidelines for leader reward and punishment behavior. Business Horizons, 53, 291-303.
• Grenny, J., Maxfield, D., & Shimberg, A. (2008). How to have influence. Sloan Management Review, 50, 47-52.
• Clampitt, P. G., & Williams, M. L. (2007). Decision downloading. Sloan Management Review, 48, 77-82.

The following materials can be found by accessing LionSearch (through the PSU Libraries website or at http://psu.summon.serialssolutions.com/). Copy the title of the article and paste into the search bar. Then, click the title of the article when the search results are given.

• Kotter, J. P. (2001). What leaders really do.
• George, B., Sims, P., McLean, A. N., & Mayer, D. (2007). Discovering your authentic leadership.
• Antonakis, J., Fenley, M., & Liechti, S. (2012). Learning charisma:
• Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results.
• Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2009). To lead, create a shared vision.
• Cialdini, R. B. (2001). Harnessing the science of persuasion.
• Eckert, R. A. (2013). The two most important words.
• Tannen, D. (1995). The power of talk: Who gets heard and why.
• Morgan, N. (2008). How to become an authentic speaker.
• Uzzi, B., & Dunlap. S. (2005). How to build your network.
• Ibarra, H., & Hunter, M. (2007). How leaders create and use networks.
• Van Buren, M. E., & Safferstone, T. (2009). The quick wins paradox.
• Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2009). Ten fatal flaws that derail leaders.
• Morieux, Y. (2011). Smart rules: Six ways to get people to solve problems without you.
• Martin, R. (2007). How successful leaders think.
• Goffee, R., & Jones, G. (2007). Leading clever people.
• Wiseman, L., & McKeown, G. (2010). Bringing out the best in your people.
• Ibarra, H., & Obodaru, O. (2009). Women and the vision thing.

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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.

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Technical Specifications

Technical Requirements

Operating System	Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor	2 GHz or higher
Memory	1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space	20 GB free disk space
Browser	We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers. Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins	Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe] Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software	Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection	Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer	Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM	Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers	Required
Monitor	Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

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!

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Course Schedule

MANGT 545 – Project Team Leadership - Tentative* Class Schedule

 

Lesson 1:  Introduction to Leadership

Readings:	• READ THE SYLLABUS - NOTE ALL DEADLINES IN YOUR CALENDAR • Read through "Introduction: Management 545" materials online • Text Chapters 1 & 4 (Science of Leadership) • Kotter (2001) – What leaders really do
Assignments:	• Complete readings as outlined above • Participate in Yammer discussions

Lesson 2:  Where Leadership comes from

Readings:

• Text Chapters 5 & 6 (Science of Leadership) • Complete the short version of the Big 5 Personality profile online (http://www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/IPIP/) Also, have at least two close friends/coworkers, and/or your spouse complete the personality inventory with YOU as the referent (they are taking the same personality profile about you) • Toegel & Barsoux (2012) – How to become a better leader • Brown (2007) - Misconceptions of ethical leadership - YOU ARE REQUIRED TO READ ONLY THE FIRST MISCONCEPTION - Relate this to the Big 5 Personality traits instead of ethical leadership • George, Sims, McLean, & Mayer (2007) - Discovering your authentic leadership

Assignments:

• Complete activities and readings as outlined above • Participate in Yammer discussions • Homework #1 - due at 6pm (Eastern) on Sunday, February 1 - WORTH 10% OF FINAL

Lesson 3: How Leadership Works

Readings:	• Text Chapters 2 & 3 (Science of Leadership) • Grenny, Maxfield, & Shimberg (2008) - How to have influence • Antonakis, Fenley, & Liechti (2012) - Learning charisma • Podsakoff, Podsakoff, & Kuskova (2010) - Dispelling misconceptions and providing guidelines for leader reward and punishment behavior
Assignments:	• Complete readings as outlined above • Participate in Yammer discussions • Homework #2 - due at 6pm (Eastern) on Sunday, February 22 - WORTH 10% OF FINAL

Lesson 4: Leadership Styles

Readings:	• Text Chapter 9 (Science of Leadership) • Goleman (2000) - Leadership that gets results
Assignments:	• Complete readings as outlined above • Participate in 4 of 6 daily discussions about leadership style vignettes (1 will be released each day from Monday to Saturday) - PARTICIPATION THIS WEEK IS WORTH 5% OF THE FINAL GRADE (COUNTED UNDER HOMEWORK)

Lesson 5: Communicating as a Leader

Readings:	• Kouzes & Posner (2009) - To lead, create a shared vision • Cialdini (2001) - Harnessing the science of persuasion • Eckert (2013) - The two most important words • Tannen (1995) - The power of talk: Who gets heard and why • Morgan (2008) - How to become an authentic speaker • Clampitt & Williams (2007) - Decision downloading
Assignments:	• Complete readings as outlined above • Participate in Yammer discussions • Homework #3 - due at 6pm (Eastern) on Sunday, March 8 - WORTH 10% OF FINAL

Lesson 6: Building a Leadership Network

Readings:	• Uzzi & Dunlap (2005) - How to build your network • Ibarra & Hunter (2007) - How leaders create and use networks
Assignments:	• Complete readings as outlined above • NO FORMAL DISCUSSIONS THIS WEEK • Complete Network Assignment (Higgins, 2007) included in MANGT545 Coursepack • Homework #4 - submit one page executive summary of readings, one page summary of findings/goals taken from Network Assignment - due at 6pm (Eastern) on Sunday, March 15 - WORTH 10% OF FINAL

Lesson 7: How to Be a Positive Leader

Readings:	• How to Be a Positive Leader (Dutton & Spreitzer)
Assignments:	• You will be teaching the content for this Lesson; a Yammer group will be created for your content and activities

Lesson 8: Lessons for New Leaders

Readings:

• Van Buren & Safferstone (2009) - The quick wins paradox • Zenger & Folkman (2009) - Ten fatal flaws that derail leaders • Morieux (2011) - Smart rules: Six ways to get people to solve problems without you • Martin (2007) - How successful leaders think • Manzoni & Barsoux - New leaders: Stop downward performance spirals before they start • Bennis - Avoiding the mistakes that plague new leaders • HBR Management quick tip - How to lead when you're not the boss

Assignments:

• Complete readings as outlined above • Participate in Yammer discussions • Homework #5 - due at 6pm (Eastern) on Sunday, April 19 - WORTH 10% OF FINAL

Lesson 9: Parting Thoughts on Leadership

Readings:	• Text Chapters 8 & 10 (Science of Leadership) • Goffee & Jones (2007) - Leading clever people • Wiseman & McKeown (2010) - Bringing out the best in your people • Ibarra & Obodaru (2009) - Women and the vision thing
Assignments:	• Complete readings as outlined above • Participate in Yammer discussions

* This is a working document and the instructor reserves the right to make changes as needed.NOTE: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please see "Graduation" on the World Campus Student Policies website.

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

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Grading

Your final course grade will come from a combination of participation, homework assignments, a research project, and a final exam.

Item	Point Value	% of Grade
Participation	200 points	20%
Homework	550 points	55%
Group teaching assignment	250 points	25%
Total	1000 points	100%

Grading Scale

930-1000 points  A	830-869 points  B	700-769 points  C
900-929 points  A-	800-829 points  B-	600-699 points  D
870-899 points  B+	770-799 points  C+	599 and below  F

As a general policy, I do not engage in the rounding of grades at the end of the semester.

If you are prevented from completing this course for reasons beyond your control, you have the option of requesting a deferred grade from your instructor. For more information, please see "Deferred Grades" on the Student Policies Web Site.

Explanation of Assignments

Participation – 200 points

Students will be expected to regularly and actively engage in discussion in the online forums. Your participation will be graded on the quantity and quality of your posts, your willingness to start new threads of discussion, and your replies to other students' comments. Recommended length of posts should be between 100-150 words (replies may be shorter).

Posts will be judged to be “excellent” (an “A” grade) if they thoughtfully integrate material/learning/theories from the course with observations/situations from the student’s work experiences. “Excellent” posts will seek to answer the question of “why” the phenomena in the course occur. “Good” (a “B” grade) posts do only one of the above; they either make a comment about the material OR offer an anecdote from personal experience. Posts will be judged to be “poor” (a “C” grade) if they represent opinions only, they repeat others’ observations or comments, or they offer only surface-level observations.

By way of quantity of posts, “excellent” contributions are reflected in consistent and active participation in discussion topics, “good” contributions are reflected in sporadic and reasonable participation, and “poor” contributions are reflected in minimal participation.

You are heavily encouraged to start new discussion threads based on the current week's topics (e.g., news/magazine articles related to the topic/material). 

You are also heavily encouraged to offer insights and opinions on others' posts. These discussions will be constructive, respectful, and professional in nature. 

We must realize that each student brings a unique background and set of experiences to this class; these experiences can help each of us grow as individuals and broaden our own perspectives.

Homework – 550 points

There will be five required homework assignments pertaining to the lesson's material and readings. Please note that I will only accept homework assignments by their due date at the latest. Due dates are the last day of a lesson at 6:00pm Eastern time (see schedule at end of syllabus). If you are unable to complete a homework assignment within the required time frame, you may submit it for no credit if you choose. Further, I request that all homework done in advance be submitted within the time period requested. In other words, please do not get too far ahead. There is nothing wrong with doing homework in advance but please realize that your work will not be graded until the week of that lesson.

Group teaching assignment – 250 points

You will work with other group members to develop a creative way of teaching one of the four modules contained in the book, "How to be a Positive Leader" (Dutton, J. E., & Spreitzer, G. M.). The goal of the assignment is to find innovative and creative ways to teach other class members the material contained in the assigned section of the book. You should find ways to encourage conversation among the class and leave class members with some sort of deliverable that will allow them to walk away with practical advice for how to incorporate the teachings into their own personal leadership repertoire.

 

You are expected to complete all assignments. Some of the lessons have exercises built in – each one should be completed at the time that the lesson is assigned. You are expected to actively participate in all discussion activities.  Sometimes, I have provided a discussion topic. When no topic is provided, use this opportunity to raise your own concerns and problems. 

Reflective activities are not collected - they are designed to help you learn the material and perform better on the final exam. This is an on-line course so I will not be standing over you to make sure that you do the work. Feel free to ask questions about exercises which you find confusing or difficult.

Note that the Lesson material can be found in two places. If you look under the “Lessons” heading, you will find “Course Content”.  That is where you will find the notes/lectures which I have written on each topic.  However, the activities for each lesson are listed directly under the “Lessons” heading. This can be a bit confusing so remember to look both places when completing the assignments each week.

Course Grievance Procedures

To ensure that students feel they are treated fairly, I provide an avenue for appealing grades.  If you think your work was graded unfairly, you may use the following procedure:

1. Within SEVEN (7) days of receiving the grade, give me a written appeal.  After, seven days I will assume that you agree with my assessment and consider the grade final.  In other words, do NOT wait until the end of the semester to appeal grades earned weeks earlier; I will not consider appeals at this time.
2. To file an appeal, prepare a written statement explaining why you think the grade is incorrect or unfair.  Be sure to document your reasons by referring to inconsistency in the application of grading standards, etc.  Stating simply that you want or feel you “deserve” a higher grade because you worked hard is NOT sufficient grounds for an appeal.  Performance reflects a combination of effort AND ability.
3. Submit the written statement together with the graded material (if appropriate).  I will consider your complaint and make a decision.  You will be notified in writing of my decision.  If you are not satisfied with my decision, you may use University grievance procedures to continue your appeal.  Please note that I document my rationale for all grades.

If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.

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Academic Integrity

 

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Accommodating Disabilities

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. If you have a disability-related need for reasonable academic adjustments in this course, contact the Office for Disability Services (ODS) at 814-863-1807 (V/TTY). For further information regarding ODS, please visit the Office for Disability Services Web site.

In order to receive consideration for course accommodations, you must contact ODS and provide documentation (see the documentation guidelines). If the documentation supports the need for academic adjustments, ODS will provide a letter identifying appropriate academic adjustments. Please share this letter and discuss the adjustments with your instructor as early in the course as possible. You must contact ODS and request academic adjustment letters at the beginning of each semester.return to top of page

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Additional Policies

 

Military

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses 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.

Time Zone (for due dates)

NOTE: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).

Communication

It is my goal to make this course a valuable and positive learning experience for all students. Please feel free to call me during my office hours whenever you have any questions or concerns. If you need to contact me via e-mail, please include your first and last name, course number, and section number in the subject line. (Example: John Smith 301 04) If you follow these instructions, it will allow me to pinpoint student e-mails and make them my first priority. E-mails not appropriately identified may not be opened, unfortunately.

Penn State’s Nondiscrimination Policy

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to a policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by Commonwealth or Federal authorities. Penn State does not discriminate against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

I fully concur with this policy and incorporate it into my classroom and in the professor-student relationship. If you believe that a classmate or I have violated this policy, please bring it to my attention.

Religious Holidays

Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their instructor in writing at the beginning of the semester, or as soon as possible, and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence.

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