1BUAD 304 University of Southern California Leading Organizations Marshall School of Business Course Instructors Online Sections 18820 & 18830 Online Sections 18840 & 18850 Professor Michael Coombs Professor Thomas G. Cummings Department of MOR Department of MOR Bridge Hall 304 Bridge Hall 306B Phone: 213-0740-9290 Phone: 213-740-0733 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: By appointment Office Hours: By appointment Course Objectives  Understanding what leadership is all about and what is involved in becoming a successful leader in today’s business organizations.  Appreciating leadership skills as an essential complement to the technical skills you are learning in other courses.  Learning concepts and approaches that will enable you to lead the analysis of organizational problems and the development of appropriate solutions.  Developing the behavioral skills you need to be a successful manager of yourself and others. Course Format This course includes three elements: (1) weekly online lecture sessions; (2) weekly lab sessions; and (3) interactive sessions that you will attend three times during the semester. The online lecture sessions will explain key conceptual frameworks found in the reading assignments. They will also use short stories and videos to illustrate how corporate leaders are implementing the concepts you are learning. It is expected that you will do the required reading prior to viewing the lecture sessions online. The lab sessions will focus on discussion of issues related to actual leadership situations and experiential exercises to gain leadership skills. They will integrate lessons of the discussion and experiential exercises with the concepts covered in the lecture sessions. It is expected that you will come to your lab section meeting prepared to discuss the assigned material and participate in the learning exercises. The interactive sessions will provide an opportunity to interrelate more personally with the course instructor. They will address the course material in a highly interactive format including short case studies, debates, self-assessment measures, and question-and-answer periods. It is expected that you will come to your interactive sessions prepared to discuss the assigned material and to participate in the learning activities. Changing Lab Sections If you are already registered for BUAD 304 but you would like to move to another lab section without first dropping the class, you must find someone in the desired lab section to switch places with you and take your space in your lab. If you are switching2to a lab that is attached to a different lecture section, you are automatically switching lecture sections as well. This is the only way you will be able to move to another lab section without first dropping the class. Students who are already registered for the class are not eligible to sign up on the waiting list for other lab sections. To avoid being inadvertently dropped from the class, you and the person you switch places with are responsible for informing both lab instructors of the switch as soon as you start attending another lab. During the third week of classes, your new lab instructor will provide you with an add slip so you can register for the correct lab (and lecture) section. Text Stephen P. Robbins. Organizational Behavior, 11th Edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005. Blackboard The weekly lecture sessions as well as overheads, course announcements, and communication will be available from the course web page on Blackboard. To access Blackboard, launch Internet Explorer, enter http://totale.usc.edu, and use your USC/Unix username and password to log in. For the course web page, select 20053_buad_304_18820: 20053_buad_304_18820: Organizational Behavior (or 18830, 18840, 18850 depending on your online lecture section). You can use the tabs on the left-hand side to access the lectures and navigate the course web page. For your lab section web page, select the similar link that contains your lab section number. You can use your lab section web page to communicate directly with your lab instructor, your project team members, and other classmates from your lab section. Grading Participation in Lab Sessions 15% Homework in Interactive Sessions (3 written assignments) 10% Homework (5 written assignments) 10% Midterm Exam 25% Team Case Analysis 15% Final Exam 25% TOTAL 100% Target Grade Average: Grading is done separately for each lab section. In accordance with the grading guidelines of the Marshall School, each lab section will have a grade point average approximating 2.85. Participation in Lab Sessions: This part of your grade will be based on effective contributions to class discussions. These include input that is relevant to the course content and the topic of discussion. Participation also comprises involvement in a research activity. To participate in a research activity, you will need to register at http://marshall.experimentrak.net no later than September 19, 2005. To provide opportunities that will fit your schedule, research sessions will take place on various days and times. Please note: If you reserve a time and then fail to appear without notifying the researcher, you will then need to participate in 2 research sessions to fulfill this part of3your participation requirement. If you prefer not to participate in a research activity, you may arrange to write a 3-page research paper on a topic prearranged with your TA. Papers must be turned in no later than December 2, 2005. Homework in Lab Sessions: This portion of your grade will be assessed on both timely and complete submission of homework. Five assignments consisting of 1- to 2-page single-spaced answers to questions about a “Case Incident” or “Questions for Critical Thinking” will be due at the beginning of lab on the dates as indicated in the course outline below. Your lab instructor will provide you with additional details about homework expectations. Homework in Interaction Sessions: This portion of your grade will be based on timely and complete submission of homework. Three assignments consisting of self-assessment measures and 1- to 2-page single-spaced answers to questions about an “Ethical Dilemma” or “Questions for Critical Thinking” will be due at the beginning of