Main Content
Syllabus
MGMT 433: Leadership and Team Building
MGMT 433 (3) Leadership and Team Building. Team-based learning approach to developing conceptual knowledge, skills sets, and personal competencies needed for leading and managing organizations.
Overview | Course Objectives | Materials | Library | Tutor.com | Technical Requirements | Course Schedule | Course Requirements | Grading | Academic Integrity | Policies
Overview
To lead effectively and to manage others in contemporary work contexts requires mastery not only of conceptual knowledge, but also of the intra- and inter-personal competencies and skills sets that are vital to successful performance in a work environment. This course emphasizes an experiential-based learning approach that is designed to impart skill sets and competencies in areas such as leadership, team building, negotiating, communicating, valuing diversity, managing conflict, and more. The course thus uses assessment exercises, role playing techniques, group problem solving exercises, and other experiential-based learning techniques in order to provide students with a framework for better understanding their own strengths and weaknesses, to enable them to practice, enhance, and to gain confidence in their competencies in these various areas, as well as to enable students to better appreciate when and how to effectively apply these skills sets and competencies in the workplace.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:
- Explain the similarities and differences between trait, behavior, and contingency theories of leadership;
- Identify and describe the ways in which leaders’ character and values affect leadership style;
- Examine how leaders impact the individual, team and organizational levels of a system;
- Examine and understand how group dynamics influence leaders’ and team members’ behaviors;
- Examine how globalism, cross cultural difference, diversity, ethics and other larger organizational issues impact leadership and team development/productivity.
Course Materials
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 can view the Online Students' Library Guide for more information.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Once you have a Penn State account, you will automatically be registered with the library within 24–48 hours. If you would like to determine whether your registration has been completed, visit the Libraries home page and select My Account.
Technical Requirements
| 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. |
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| 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. |
| Help | If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk. |
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).
The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments.Note that all dates reflect North American eastern time (ET). This ensures that all students have the same deadlines regardless of where they live.
All lesson assignments must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the last day of the timeframe indicated below for the lesson unless otherwise stated. Initial discussion forum first posts are due Wednesday of the lesson week assigned with responses being due on Sunday of the assigned week unless otherwise noted
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Requirements
Individual Journal - Example for Choosing an Experience to Journal About
During Week 1 we discuss the concept of Psychological Contract. You would thus locate a life experience having to do with a psychological contract, or a psychological contract breach. Pick an experience about which you are motivated to learn more. Perhaps an experience that you still have not entirely processed, one that made you realize that you lack certain skills, or that was somehow significant for you. This can be from any time in your life, including childhood. Each ‘journal entry’ will contain 4 distinct sections, parallel to Kolb’s (1984) four stage experiential learning cycle. You may want to revisit the experiential learning theory in the Types of Learning and Learning Styles sections in Lesson 4 and the Action-Observation-Reflection section in chapter 2 of your text, as you begin writing this assignment.
This cycle describes learning in terms of four interrelated sub-processes: (1) concretely describe your experience, (2) reflect on it, (3) tie this into abstract concepts or theories, and (4) actively experiment with how to integrate these findings into to your daily life. Please use these sections to organize your journal entries.
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Concrete Experience: In this section, you objectively describe the experience (who, what, when, where, how), and subjectively describe your feelings, perceptions, and thoughts that occurred during (not after) the experience. But, present only things you directly perceived, felt, or observed in that time (i.e.: avoid retrospective reflection or judgments). Try to include your feelings.
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Reflective Observation: Look back on the experience in retrospect, viewing it from different perspectives or points of view. Look beneath the surface to figure out why you & others behaved as you/they did. Reflecting back, what were the perspectives of the key actors (including you)? Put yourself in others’ shoes. How did they view the situation? What did it mean to them? How would a neutral observer have seen or heard it? If time has passed, how do you now see things differently? Attempt to discover the personal meaning that the situation had for you.
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Abstract Conceptualization: Relate the experience to at least 2-3 concepts or theories from the chapter or other readings. Briefly define the concept, and articulate how it relates to and provides insight into your experience. You may also develop diagnostic questions based on the theory. Does the theory explain what causes certain behaviors or outcomes? Does the theory distinguish between effective and ineffective practices that help you to understand your situation? Does the experience support or refute parts of the theory? Boldface any concepts/theories you reference.
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Active Experimentation: What personal insights and practical lessons have you learned about how to more effectively deal with these types of experiences? If you were to re-live your experience, what would you do differently, or do to improve the situation? Try to present at least two action steps that you will take to make you more effective in the future in these situations. E.g.: guidelines as to how you would act differently, resolutions as to steps you can take to develop or practice particular skills. (“If this occurred in the future, I would . . .”; “To develop my skill in this area, each week I will try to. . . “). If the theories you selected provide recommendations, you can use these ideas in formulating action steps.
Overall: You are responsible for a total of four journals (maximum of 5 pages each). A ‘page’ is double-spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman font. Please boldface formal terms or concepts. Be sure to label each section: Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, etc., and label each entry with the so I know what lesson is being referenced. Include a list of references even if you only use the text and course readings.
Team Building Exercise - Written Deliverable
Produce a detailed booklet/handout. Please cite all references used including books, articles, pamphlets, web pages, etc. This deliverable must contain all information necessary for someone not familiar with the exercise to facilitate it on their own. It must be all combined into one well-formatted and professionally appearing booklet, to include:- The general purpose of the exercise (e.g. communication skills, trust building, problem-solving, etc.);
- Include 3 to 5 objectives/outcomes the exercise is meant to address/achieve
- The theory and/or conceptual framework behind the exercise;
- Suggested reading(s) on the topic for participants, either preparatory or post-exercise if necessary;
- Sample of all handouts for participants if necessary;
- A script for facilitators to follow to introduce the exercise to participants and task them on the activities;
- Number of participants designed for (minimum & maximum);
- Any physical space requirements (e.g. different rooms; tables/chairs layout, etc);
- Listing of all required materials (e.g. masking tape, newspapers, whatever, etc.);
- A timeline that specifies the various steps and time to allot to each step;
- Detailed instructions for the facilitators, including tips that may help make the exercise run smoothly. You might want to offer relevant hints on information regarding critical points, glitches, or difficult hurdles that may be encountered. For example, you might offer a list of questions participants may ask during the exercise, whether the facilitator should give participants a hint of no progress has been made by a certain point, what to do if ‘x’ happens, etc.);
- Debriefing guidelines: if there was any hidden information, manipulation, or differential group conditions, participants should be fully apprised afterwards;
- Discussion guidelines: Issues to raise or pertinent questions for use in an ensuing group discussion;
- Including the ways in which the exercise met (or did not meet) the objectives/outcomes.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies. 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.
Grading
For students enrolled in the BSBIC program, a grade of C or better is required to pass this course.
| Numerical value | Letter grade |
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| 93 and above | A |
| 90–92.99 | A- |
| 87–89.99 | B+ |
| 83–86.99 | B |
| 80–82.99 | B- |
| 77–79.99 | C+ |
| 70–76.99 | C |
| 60–69.99 | D |
| below 60 | F |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
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.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 refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
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 .
Additional Academic Integrity Violations
Please note: Various tutoring websites claim to offer you the opportunity to download answers to everything from accounting problems to quiz questions for little to no cost. Full papers can also be downloaded to submit in place of your own work. Use of these materials, or “ghosting,” is considered cheating and an academic integrity violation. Similarly, uploading exams, course materials, or your work to one of these sites is considered an academic integrity violation.
Using online services that complete assignments for you is considered an academic integrity violation.
Giving your Penn State Access ID and password to someone else to do your work is against University policy AD95/AD96 and an academic integrity violation; sanctions will be given for these violations.
Student Responsibilities and Conduct
- Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor. As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Values.
Policies
Late Policy
Late Assignments will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to contact the instructor prior to the due date of an assignment if you are aware of extenuating circumstances that will impact your ability to meet a deadline. The instructor will determine if alternative arrangements may be made.
Blank or Erroneous Assignment Submissions
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have uploaded the correct document to each assignment prior to the assignment due date. Please check your assignment submission immediately after uploading a file in Canvas to ensure that it contains content and is the correct file. If you notice an error, such as a blank or incorrect file, you must resubmit the assignment before the assignment due date. Similarly, you are responsible for ensuring that discussion forum initial posts are not blank and that any website URL submissions (such as links to documents, video recordings, etc.) have the correct sharing settings enabled so that they can be viewed by recipients. Any blank or erroneous submissions that you have not resubmitted by the assignment due date will receive a zero for the assignment.
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Veterans and Military Personnel
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.
Privacy Notice
In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.
One Year Course Access
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.
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.
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.