Syllabus for PSY-360-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Organizational Theory explores organizational structures, processes, and outcomes. The approach to these issues is primarily analytical and theoretical. Specific concerns are presented within the context of the nature and types of organizations, organizational processes and environments, and organizational effectiveness. You will also examine the history of organizational theory through the words and ideas of master theorists.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing Organizational Theory, you should be able to:

• Explain the differences between traditional perspectives and critical perspectives on organizations.



• Evaluate the methodological controversies in social science approaches to people in organizations.



• Describe the structure, processes, and outcomes of organizations.



• Discuss various concepts and theories about people in organizations, including population-ecology, rational-contingency, transaction-cost, and institutional models of organizational theory.



• Analyze the performance of organizations, using a variety of paradigms about people in organizations.



• Critique alternative modes of organization.



• Define organizational structure, contextual explanations, and organizational design.



• Discuss the nature of power in organizations, the roles of the participants, and how power affects conflict in organizations.



• Define leadership, and explain the outcome of leadership in organization.



• Study communications in organizations, detailing the importance of communications, individual and organizational factors, and communications problems.



• Evaluate decision making, with particular attention to strategic decisions, rationality, power and decision-making, and the decision-making process.



• Analyze how organizational environments and interorganizational relationships are formed and perceived. Discuss the perception of organizations and the impact of the environment on the organizational structure.

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COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course. These materials are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Textbook

• Organizations: Structures, Processes, and Outcomes, 10th ed., by Pamela S. Tolbert and Richard H. Hall (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2009).
  ISBN-10: 0-13-244840-6



• Classics of Organization Theory, 7th ed., by Jay M Shafritz, J. Steven Ott, and Yong Suk Jang (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/CENGAGE, 2011.
  ISBN-10: 0-495-56941-0

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Organizational Theory is a 3-credit course consisting of 6 study modules, 6 written assignments, and two exams. You are required to read the texts as assigned, complete all written assignments, and take two exams: a proctored midterm and an unproctored online final. You are also required to take part in the online discussions.

For the course's assignment modules (reading and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

In addition to posting an introduction to the class in Module 1, you are required to participate in ten (10) graded online class discussions.

Your first posting, "Introductions," will give you a chance to tell your mentor and classmates something about yourself and to find out who they are. You should post your introduction in the Introductions forum on the class Discussion Board and respond to at least two of your classmates' responses.

Communication with your mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online class discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a discussion question and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate or your mentor, state and support your position.

You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation, including your use of relevant course information to support your point of view, and your awareness of and responses to the postings of your classmates. Remember, these are discussions. responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, mature, and respectful.

Your initial responses to the discussion questions and subsequent comments on classmates' responses are due on the days specified by the course Calendar.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Organizational Theory has six (6) written assignments. Pay attention to each set of directions and to the general directions for assignments. Many students find it helpful to read over the assignment questions for a module before beginning the reading for the module.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and submit your assignment file.

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EXAMINATIONS

This course requires you to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination during and an unproctored, online final examination.

Midterm Examination
The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and covers material in Modules 1 through 3. It consists of essay questions. The questions will be similar in kind to, though not necessarily identical to, the written assignment and discussion questions you have seen throughout the course.

You may take the examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site).

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

Final Examination
The final is a closed-book, unproctored exam. It is two hours long and covers material in Modules 4 through 6. It consists of essay questions. The questions will be similar in kind to, though not necessarily identical to, the written assignment and discussion questions you have seen throughout the course.

The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you in the Tests & Quizzes area of the course site at the start of the final week of the semester. You may take the exam at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final exam.

Sample Examination
You will find a sample online examination in the Tests & Quizzes area of this course site. Use this sample exam to familiarize yourself with the online testing setting and format before you take your online exam. Keep in mind the following potential differences between the sample exam and your online exam:

• The content of your exam will match the content of your course; the sample exam has some generic questions on art history, world history, and environmental science.
• Your exam will include only essay questions. The sample exam includes all the types that you might encounter in an online assessment at Thomas Edison State College.
• You will be able to enter and take your exam just once—once you have entered the exam you must complete it. The sample exam may be taken as often as you like.
• There will be a penalty for exceeding the time limit in your actual midterm and final exams (see the "Statement about Cheating" below), whereas there is no corresponding penalty with this sample exam.

Statement about Cheating
The final examination in this course is an unproctored exam. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

• Looking up any answer or part of an answer in a textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
• Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
• Plagiarizing answers.
• Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
• Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
• Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Please also note that the exam is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the exam. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and the final examination are based on the following numerical grades:

Note: To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.



2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule your midterm exam and arrange for a proctor, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)



4. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.



5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking your examinations. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.



2. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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