Management and Organization Theory
BMGT-364 (3)
University College
Electronic Distance Education
Heidelberg, Germany
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Management and Organization TheoryBMGT-364 (3) |
University
of Maryland University College Electronic Distance Education Heidelberg, Germany |
| DE Term 2, 2002-2003; Dates: 4 Nov. 2002 - 7 March 2003 | ||
Course Syllabus |
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| Instructor Biographic Sketch |
Current
Courses Previous Courses |
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| [If you have specific questions about this course, please email me.] | ||
Stephen Covey has reminded us to
Prerequisite: BMGT 110 or at least two years of business and management experience.
A study of the development of theories about management and organizations. Processes and functions of management discussed include the communication process, the role of the manager as an organizer and director, the determination of goals, and the allocation of responsibilities.
Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: BMGT 364, TEMN 202, TEMN 300, TMGT 301 OR TMGT 302.
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Let's have some FUN THINKING. I want to re-focus your study of management on the current thinking and practice in the field in an enjoyable way so that you can become more comfortable with looking at situations differently. I hope to help you set the stage for your continued development as an exemplary manager. The natural and physical sciences try to grow by testing current understandings of the world around us and communicating those insights to each other. |
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In management we try to gain similar levels of understanding in different ways so that you who follow us in this pervasive discipline will have a firm basis upon which to build the future. Theories developed most especially in the last 100 years are intended to help us understand the fluid world of organizations. We have borrowed liberally from the other disciplines those concepts that add meaning to what we see as the functions of management and as “best practice”. Recent research supports a belief that we need to study the process of managing in more detail – we need to master the “how” of management. Our science and its development tend to be culturally based - in particular constrained by language groups. It is no secret that we have far to go, that new ideas from chaos theory, data mining of knowledge bases, and contributions perhaps decades or hundreds of years old in other languages may have more to offer us, as a behavioral science, than we have yet imagined. But is it important for us, today, to develop our understanding of where we are and how we got here and how we might take ourselves forward so that the organizations of tomorrow can be better managed, the people more committed, productive and fulfilled, the managers more serving of their various clienteles and aware of their ethical and social responsibilities and the team - the organization - more cohesive and true to its mission. |
| We will be using MS Project 2000 in this course (trial version provided). If you have another piece of project management software you prefer, fine (as long as it can help you complete the assignments); however, our instruction will be directed at understanding and using MS Project 2000. Yet it is well to remember, as your authors point out, our primary aim is not to learn how to use project management software, but how to manage projects. So we will be careful not to lose sight of our objective. |
Please review the Table of Contents (your road map) & Preface (your setting) of your text. Also use the CD-ROM that comes with the text and visit the publisher’s web site supporting this text (http://daftXtra.swcollege.com). This site offers a wealth of supplemental material which I encourage you to use. Additionally there is a four month free subscription to the Infotrac On-line Library (use the card with passcode in your text). You should also make full use of the UMUC on-line library and databases which you can easily reach through WebTycho or the UMUC web sites.
Daft, Richard L., Management (6th ed. - with Infotrac). Mason, Ohio: Thompson-Southwestern, 2003. (0-03-035138-3) <M>
This is an excellent text, used widely in universities. The author reviews relevant theories and provides us with many valuable stories from which we can gain insights into the practice of management in a variety of contexts.
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This practical, discovery class depends upon active, consistent student involvement. Check our WebTycho classroom and your email at least once every two days and respond to queries within one day if possible, two at the maximum (even if just to say when you will be able to give a more complete answer to the request). I will try to allow you time to explore the subject both individually and in small groups while giving you feedback on completed assignments. There will be both individual and small group work. In addition to studying the assigned text, you must satisfactorily complete the following: |
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use WebTycho as our virtual classroom. Discussions take place there and
documents are posted for exchange there as well. All uploaded files will
have names that are no
more than 15 characters in length and
contain no spaces or special characters. No exceptions,
please. We will use email as our back-up mode of contact; send me an email with your current or changed email address. Please place the course designator - bmgt364 - as the first item in the subject line of each email message. |
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Class Participation: (25% of course grade)
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I will look at these five things that I ask you to do on a continual basis. Within this area, your small group (team) work and individual work will count the most toward your grade. You will be graded on your consistent, steady progress through this course. While individual work can often be made up if you get behind, group work cannot, so keep that in mind. |
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Course Project: (25%) A formal, written report in MS Word file format presented as a Case Study with your analysis, conclusions and recommendations. |
This will be your opportunity to analyze the practice of management in your own organization (or one to which you have current or recent access). Choose a topic that presents a problem or opportunity. Use this course to better understand your work environment and how you can operate better within it. Choose your three perspectives based on those that best help you understand the key issues in the case you are studying. |
| Midterm: open-book, take-home (20%). | You will have 48 hours for each of these tests. |
| Final exam: open-book, take-home (30%) . | |
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This is not a correspondence course. Your presence in our virtual classroom is a vital part of the learning experience for everyone in this course. Consequently lack of consistent participation and meaningful contributions 2-3 times weekly in spite of long hours at work, computer problems, deployments, vacations, business trips, other courses, etc. may earn you a grade of F(n) as such action overrides the grading percentages shown above. |
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| Weekly
Assignments, Class Discussion & Journal: |
25% |
| Course Project: | 25% |
| Mid-term Exam: | 20% |
| Comprehensive Final Exam: | 30% |
| Total: | 100% |
| Lack of regular contributions is sufficient cause for the award of the grade of F(n) in spite of any other performance you may have in this DE course. | |
I
will try to help every student earn an "A" by demonstrating a mastery
of course concepts. I do understand that students have many other responsibilities,
but it is your responsibility to your own learning and to assisting the learning
of others in this class that I will be most concerned with. I will work with
every student within reason to help her or him complete this course successfully.
I grade each exam and assignment on a relative scale (A-F; 70-0 points typically).
Your final grade is a weighted average of your separate grades in this course
with some allowance made for technical problems imposed by the delivery method
(WebTycho with email backup). It will come as no surprise that for a variety
of reasons a number of students each term choose not to earn an "A".
Consistent, quality participation and effort are essential if both you and the class as a whole are the reach our goals. You must check your WebTycho and your email at least once every 48 hours and respond to queries within one day (even if just to say when you will be able to give a more complete answer to the request). I will try to allow you time to explore the subject both individually and in small groups while giving you feedback on completed assignments.
Students will take turns leading group discussions. Group discussions will be held in Study Group areas on WebTycho. You will principally use the Discussion Group area for it allows you to keep track of who is saying what. Use the Collaborative Documents section of the Study Group only when you have a document that you are preparing as a group that requires frequent, small revisions. Take care to annotate your initials and date/time on all postings and changes to collaborative documents so your classmates and I know who is providing the "helpful comments" and when. Take care too that you do not delete the entire document. One of your classmates might be rather upset.
Make-up exams/assignments: No, exams cannot be made up unless you are absent for unavoidable duty or medical reasons AND I am notified in advance. Exams must be made up within four days, otherwise you will incur a 10% grade penalty. There is a 10% penalty for late assignments. If not completed within four more days, there is another (additional) 10% penalty. After one week, late assignments are not accepted.
Finally, do not fall behind. Work ahead if possible. Do some work on this course every day or two. Set aside time to do this. If confused, in doubt, or in need of a clarification on any aspect of the course, contact me first.
This,
then, is the plan. Like all plans, it is subject to change during implementation.
| Phil Richardson; prichard@faculty.ed.umuc.edu | Revised 30 October 2002 |