MGMT 3699
Summer 2004 GN Section
Syllabus

Instructors:  
Kim Melton, kmelton@ngcsu.edu, (706) 867-2724 

Andy Schaffer, aschaffer@ngcsu.edu, (706) 864-1615

Office Hours:  At least one instructor will be in Gainesville from 4:30 to 5:30 each day that class is scheduled (with the exception of June 16).  Additional times may be arranged.

Pre-requisites:
As with most upper division Business courses, Banner will require ACCT 2101, ACCT 2102, ECON 2105, and ECON 2106 with a grade of C or better.  Non-business majors interested in the course should contact Dr. Melton--other junior and senior level students will be considered on an individual and space available basis.

Texts:
The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook:  Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization, Peter M. Senge, Charlotte Roberts, Richard B. Ross, Bryan J. Smith, and Art Kleiner

Additional readings will come from journal articles available through the library.
“The Abilene Paradox: The Management of Agreement” by Jerry Harvey Organizational Dynamics (Summer 1988) 17-43
 “On the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping for B” by Steven Kerr Academy of Management Journal 18 (4) (1975) Also reprinted in the Academy of Management Executive 9(1) (1995) 769-783
“Situational Leadership: Conversations with Paul Hersey” by John Schermerhorn, Jr. Mid-American Journal of Business 12(2) 5-11
“How to Choose a Leadership Pattern” by Robert Tannenbaum and Warren Schmidt Harvard Business Review (May-June 1973) 162-180

Tentative Schedule:

Grading:  Grades will be based on a combination of required and optional work.  All students will be expected to complete some optional work.  The term “optional” refers to the fact that each student has options in terms of which additional work to attempt and when to attempt this work.  This allows students to structure the course to meet their individual interests and learning styles.  Due dates for optional assignments will be flexible.

Grades will be based on the following scale:
A         All required assignments plus 30 optional points
B         All required assignments plus 20 optional points
C         All required assignments plus 10 optional points
D         All required assignments plus 5 optional points

  A grade of F will be awarded if the required assignments are not completed satisfactorily regardless of the number of optional points earned.

Required work:
There will be 3-5 required assignments during the semester.  Each of these must be satisfactorily completed in order to successfully complete the course.  Assignments that are not initially completed satisfactorily will be returned with recommendations for improvement and for rework.  These will have specific due dates and will be approximately evenly spread over the two-month period.  Some of the assignments may be completed in class while others may be completed out of class.  One required assignment will be in class on July 28, 2004 (the final).

Optional work (links provided where lists are to be supplied):
Optional work may be attempted at any point during the semester.  Also, students may discuss these assignments with each other and with people who are not in the class.  Responses to optional assignments may incorporate ideas from other people and published sources as long as all sources are appropriately referenced; but all responses must also include individual reflection.  All written responses should be typed single-spaced with double spacing between paragraphs.  Please begin each new assignment on a new page, place your name on each assignment, and clearly identify the assignment attempted.  The approximately length of response is provided following each type assignment. 

Each optional assignment carries a potential point value.  Assignments may be submitted at the beginning of any class period (or by e-mail between classes).  Assignments will be graded and returned as quickly as possible—generally by the next class period.  If you are asked to do rework on an assignment, please resubmit the original assignment when you submit the revised response.

Applied or Research Project (20 points – limit one):  If you would like to explore one of the areas covered by this class in more depth, you may complete a project.  This project may take the form of a research paper or an applied project.  In order to attempt this optional assignment, you must clearly identify the topic of interest and meet with one of the instructors by the end of June to discuss specific plans.  A research paper must be typed and include a literature review as well as a discussion of potential implications for organizations. Applied or research projects may be completed with a partner with prior approval.  Expected “deliverables” for an applied project will be determined based on the actual project. 

Book Review:  You may earn points for at most two book reviews (one from each list).  If you want to review a book not on the lists, you should seek approval prior to submitting a report.  Please select books that are new to you.  Your write-up for a book should explain how this book relates to the topics in this course, some things you learned from the book, and some questions that you have about how the ideas expressed in the book "mesh" with the concepts of this class.  You are not simply summarizing the book!  The approved book list is divided into two categories (List 1 and List 2).  In general, books on list one are easier to read and more application oriented.  Many of the books on the second list take you to a more abstract level.  Understanding the concepts presented in the books on list two provides more leverage for improvement.  If you prefer, book reports may be done orally (on cassette tape or in person). [If written, approximately 1-2 pages.]

Popular Press Articles (2 points – limit 5):  Newspaper and magazine articles related to the concepts discussed in class may be turned in, along with a short write-up, at the class following the date of publication.  Be sure to include the date and title of the publication along with a copy of the article.  Articles should come from sources readily available to the general public (Acceptable:  Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Newsweek, Business Week, any publication sold at the grocery store or convenience store; Unacceptable:  Quality Progress, Journal of Quality Technology, any journal or trade magazine that is published by professional societies).  Points may be earned for a maximum of five (5) articles.  [Approximately 1/2 page]

Instructor Selected Journal Articles (8 points):  The following articles have been identified by the instructors.  Most are available through Galileo (on-line library).  Galileo is easily accessed from computers on campus.  From off-campus, you will need a password.  You may obtain this password from the library (you may have to show your ID), by e-mail to the instructor, or in class.  To review one of these articles, type a short overview of the article and provide your own reaction to the topics presented.  Be sure to include the title and author of the article with your write-up. [Approximately 1-2 pages]

Student Selected Journal Articles (5-8 points; depending on the article):  Journal articles related to concepts discussed in class may be turned in, along with a thorough write-up.  Please include a complete reference and submit a copy of the article.  Articles from journal published by professional associations (such as Academy of Management, ASQ, APICS, ASA, DSI, INFORMS, AMA) are acceptable.  These reviews should include more summary of content than instructor selected articles.  Although you are not limited to these, number of potential articles are identified in your textbook or as references for other articles (required or suggested). [Approximately 2 pages]

Challenge Questions (5 points):  Challenge questions require some in depth thought.  Students may discuss possible answers, but write-ups should be done individually.  You may (but are not required to) use references to answer the questions.  If you do use references, be sure to provide a complete reference.  You must include your own explanation of the answer.  To submit a challenge question, type the question number and the question; then, provide your answer.  Although you may submit challenge questions at any class session, you probably will be more successful if you wait until we have covered material in the general topic area related to the question.  Additional challenge questions may be added as the semester progresses. [Approximately 1/2 to 1 page]

Audio Tapes (8 points):  Each of these tapes is from a live presentation that lasted approximately 1.5 hours.  Presently, they are only available on cassette tape.  If you would like to listen to one of the tapes, you should made the request at least 24 hours prior to class time (e-mail kmelton@ngcsu.edu).  Tapes will be loaned on a first-come first-serve basis and a waiting list will be maintained.  Most are tapes from annual conference of the Ohio Quality and Productivity Forum—the year of the presentation is provided before the name of the presenter.  To receive credit for an audio tape, type the name of the presentation (including year and presenter) and a critical review of the presentation.  Critical reviews consist of more than a summary of key points—i.e., you should include your own insights, questions, and concerns.  [Approximately 1/2 to 1 page]

 Website Review (5 points):  A number of organizations have created web sites related to topics covered in class.  This assignment can take a number of different directions.  One possibility is locating sites and creating some type of annotated bibliography [a listing of addresses along with a short description of what is available at the site].  Another possibility is to select a specific site and conduct an in-depth review of that site.  A few sites to consider are:
www.thesystemsthinker.com            The Systems Thinker Website
www.pfdf.org              Leader to Leader Institute (look under articles, books, resources)
www.greenleaf.org      Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership
www.solonline.org       Society for Organizational Learning (look under Knowledge Repository)

Other:  If you have ideas for additional optional assignments, please discuss these with one of the instructors before beginning the work.

Rework:  Optional assignments submitted at least two class periods prior to the end of the semester will be graded (if satisfactory) or returned with suggestions for rework (if unsatisfactory).  There is no grade penalty for resubmitted work.  Optional work submitted the class period before the deadline or at the deadline will not be eligible for rework.  If rework is attempted, the original submission should be resubmitted along with the rework.

Attendance:  Attendance is not mandatory, but is highly recommended.  Students are responsible for material covered in class.  Often, material covered in class will not be available in the textbook.  Students missing class should arrange to get notes from another student. 

Homework:  Homework will be assigned at almost every class.  Students are expected to complete all assignments prior to the next class meeting.  Unless the assignment is labelled as required, submission is not expected.

Academic Integrity:  Unless otherwise indicated, collaboration with other individuals is acceptable for all assignments made in this course.  Any material submitted that is not original work of the individual submitting the assignment must carry a reference (even if that reference is to a classmate or course materials).  All submissions are expected to include some work that is unique to the individual(s) submitting the work.

Telephones and pagers:  Turn them off during class.

Disabilities:  North Georgia College & State University is committed to equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities.  Students needing accommodations in this course, must supply documentation from the Office of Student Disability Resources stating the appropriate accommodations.  To obtain appropriate documentation, students should contact Mr. Rodney E. Pennamon, Coordinator at 706-867-2782, 221 Barnes Hall. 

Links:
Book List 1 (10 points)
Book List 2 (20 points)
Instructor Selected Journal Articles (8 points)
Challenge Questions (5 points)
Tape List (8 points)
Homework (to be prepared for class and any out-of-class required assignments)