BUS 321 Organizational Effectiveness - Syllabus


Note: This course code has changed from B 321 to BUS 321. You may occasionally see references to the old course code or title.

Course Description and Outcomes

The purpose of this course is to enable you to understand principles and develop managerial skills required to be successful in the business world. The course will focus on principles that are portable into all organizations.

In this course you will learn about organizational effectiveness at three levels: individual, group, and organizations. You will do this by exploring the following topics: motivation, team, group behavior, organizational design, structure, culture, communication, leadership, decision making, and managing change.

You will apply your learning through the compilation of case study write-ups, meaningful participation in discussion boards, synchronous group meetings, and an Accountability project. In short, you will become something better through practice and application of sound principles of personal accountability.

Prerequisites

You must have completed at least 48 credits prior to enrolling in this course. If you are an online Business Management student you should take this course, as it fulfills a requirement for your degree. If you are a campus Business Management student you should not take this course, because you take a similar course as part of the IBC Core requirements. If you have any questions, please contact your Academic Adviser.

Required Materials

    1. Covey, Stephen R. (1991). 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change.
    2. Lencioni, P. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team: A leadership fable. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (Available as an e-book.)

Compare prices for your textbooks through the University Store Price Comparison site. They will show you all of the options from the University Store plus several online options to help you find the best price.

Zoom allows you to hold a video conference with your group, record the meeting, and then make the recording available to your instructor. One of the most important learning activities that you will participate in during this course will involve your Zoom sessions, so it is critical that you know how to correctly carry out and record discussions using this service. For those of you who may not be familiar with these features, instructions will be provided in the course to answer common questions and troubleshooting features.

Learning Model Architecture

As with all of your other courses at BYU-Idaho, you will have the opportunity to develop intellectually and spiritually throughout this course. This course follows the BYU-Idaho Learning Model in the following manner:

Please remember that you will need to devote 3-4 hours of time for every course credit, or 9-12 hours weekly. It is your responsibility as a student to log into class regularly, read assigned materials, and come to class discussion boards and group meetings prepared to participate in a meaningful way.

Typical Lesson Flow

You will access the course and complete assignments throughout the week. Below is an explanation of typical assignments and completion time estimates.·

As you enjoy the flexibility of having multiple due dates, it is highly recommended that you spend time each day working on your assignments. It is expected that you will put forth consistent, strong effort and fully participate in all learning opportunities. We love you and trust you, and believe that with great preparation comes great discussions and learning. At the end of each week you will also complete a brief Accountability Quiz to report your preparation and participation. Due to the expectations of this course, you will only receive credit for full participation and preparation. Please plan your study schedule accordingly.

You will also complete two group assessments during the semester. However, if you have questions or concerns about your group, you are invited to contact your instructor at any time.

Class policies

Be a responsible student. Be respectful in all communications with your classmates and your instructor. Show respect by allowing others to finish their thoughts without interruption and by using respectful written communication within the course. When meeting with your group, do not use technology for personal recreation or other use not related to the course.

If these rules are broken, your consequence is to sing a solo to your group.

Grading Structure

In order for a student to receive an A grade they must be able to demonstrate a corresponding level of understanding, work, and participation. Semester grades will be determined by the grade you earn on assignments in weighted grading categories.

You can miss one assignment (case study write up, accountability quiz, or insight sharing; not a 360 or Accountability project assignment) during the semester without receiving a 0 score on it. If you want to use this tender mercy at some point during the semester, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor and ask them to excuse a particular assignment. Be sure to provide your instructor with the lesson number and the name of the assignment you would like them to excuse.

Grading Scale

You, your classmates, and your instructor own the culture of this class. As part of establishing the culture of the course, you will help determine the weight of the grading categories at the beginning of the semester.

The grading scale used for the course is as follows:

Letter Grade Percentage Range
A 100% –93%
A- 92% – 90%
B+ 89% – 87%
B 86% – 83%
B- 82% – 80%
C+ 79% – 77%
C 76% – 73%
C- 72% – 70%
D+ 69% – 67%
D 66% – 63%
D- 62% – 60%
F < 60%

Late Work Policy

All assignments are expected to be quality work, complete, and on time. No late assignments will be accepted. Assignments can be turned in early. You are also expected to be early or on time to all group meetings, prepared to make a meaningful contribution to the discussion.

Plagiarism

As a university student you are expected to develop your own ideas and distinguish between your own and someone else’s intellectual property. When you copy the words or ideas of anyone else and pass them off as your own you are engaged in plagiarism, a serious academic and moral offense. Plagiarism is considered to be extremely unethical and is taken very seriously in academics. It also compromises your integrity and is a violation of the BYU-I honor code.

Plagiarism includes copying and pasting text, pictures, or other content from books, websites, or other media into class assignments and passing them off as your own. If an assignment asks you for your own work (i.e. opinion or understanding) and you copy someone else’s material (even just a paragraph or even if you replace some of the words with your own synonyms), without properly giving credit to the original source, you are plagiarizing.

Anyone caught plagiarizing will be penalized (usually with a failing grade). Other consequences can be as severe as being expelled from the university. Take a few minutes to read through the university’s website concerning plagiarism (Academic Honesty Policy) to make sure you do not sabotage any work you do for this course by plagiarizing.

Disclaimers

We reserve the right to update this Syllabus document at any time.