ORGB-631
Leading Effective Organizations
~ Syllabus ~
Fall 2008-09

Your First Line of Support for Technical Problems
Your first line of support for technical problems is the Online Learning Team, in Drexel's IRT Department. The OLT is accessible by e-mail (olt@drexel.edu) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you can expect a response of some kind within one business day.

Course Description
"Prepares students to make informed decisions as leaders in common institutional and environmental contexts. The focus of the contingency-based perspective of this course is to help leaders understand how best time to motivate and coordinate employees and to control outcomes in a manner that ensures they fulfill strategic objectives."

Course Objectives
At the completion of the course, students will be conversant with the established and emerging theories and practices related to leading effective organizations. Students will become familiar with

• the process of leadership,
• the overall leadership concept itself,
• a relatively new concept of followership,
• leadership within a variety of situations, and
• both basic and advanced leadership skills.

These text topics are among others yet to be discovered by the course participants, as our term together unfolds. Course participants will be able to model organizational and leadership effectiveness and discuss the relevant topics listed above and those which we discover together during our course. 

At the completion of the course, students will be able to select, analyze, and/or participate in:

• Leadership in modern organizations
• Leadership exemplars in effective organizations
• Individual effectiveness strategies both for themselves and colleagues
• Motivation, satisfaction, and performance
• Groups and teams and their leadership
• Situational factors and determinants
• Contingency theories of leadership
• Leadership and change
• Myriad leadership skills

Weekly Course Schedule Overview
This week-by-week syllabus is subject to change. We will be experiencing "constructivist learning" here, meaning that we will construct how the course unfolds, as we progress together.
We will attempt to "stay on track" using the following schema:

Key Focus Areas
Throughout Drexel University there are four "key focus areas" to concentrate on in all courses, where applicable. In our course, delving deeply into all of these areas will not present a problem for us, particularly since this is an online course.

These key focus areas that we need to concentrate on, across our learning experience together are:
1. Communication Skills
2. Experiential Learning
3. Global Awareness
4. Problem Identification, Solution Formulation, and Implementation
First, communication skills will be key for us across these days and weeks as we form our learning community and discuss, on an ongoing basis, the course topics.
Second, experiential learning is prevalent with a topic such as ours that cuts across so many disciplines. Sharing our past, present, and possibly future workplace experiences and expectations will enable collaborative learning to take place as we interact.
Third, global awareness is a thread clearly winding its way through our text. That is one of the reasons that I selected it (and did considerable work to prepare a course with a brand new, up-to-date, meaningful text).
Fourth, and very importantly, my primary aim here is to have each and every one of us walk away from this course not only wiser but armed with new tools and understandings - that can be put into practical and immediate use in our professional, personal, and community lives. I venture to say that as we read the text and discuss its contents - we will begin to utilize much of this learning - AS WE GO across the course timeline!

Required Text
Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience, 6th Edition
Authors: Hughes, Richard; Ginnett, Robert; Curphy, Gordon
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Higher Education
Copyright Year: 2009

Ancillary Reading
There is an extensive list available in the Ancillary Materials section of the course. These should come in handy in your future leadership challenges as well as in our course for the Threaded Discussions and in the Reflection Papers.

Textbook Components
Our textbook is segmented into five components:

PART-1 Leadership is a Process, Not a Position
1. Leadership is Everyone's Business
2. Leadership Involves an Interaction between the Leader, the Followers, and the Situation
3. Leadership is Developed through Education and Experience
4. Assessing Leadership and Measuring Its Effects

PART-2 Focus on the Leader
5. Power and Influence
6. Leadership and Values
7. Leadership Traits
8. Leadership Behavior

PART-3 Focus on the Followers
9. Motivation, Satisfaction, and Performance
10. Groups, Teams, and Their Leadership

PART-4 Focus on the Situation
11. Characteristics of the Situation
12. Contingency Theories of Leadership
13. Leadership and Change

PART-5 Leadership Skills
Basic Leadership Skills
Advanced Leadership Skills

Valuable Periodicals, etc.
If you are not reading these already - you need to start.

1. Fast Company
2. Business Week
3. Fortune
4. CIO
5. Wall Street Journal
6. Financial Times

General Policies
We have formed a partnership here and an agreement of sorts.

I agree to be the best facilitator that I can possibly be, across our entire course.
I agree to make myself reasonably available to each of you, both online and via other communication modes.
I agree to tell you when you are communicating too much, and I will attempt to draw you into the conversation when I feel you are communicating too seldom.
I agree to make Leading Effective Organizations as exciting, engaging, and meaningful as possible.
I agree to provide substantive feedback, as appropriate, on your comments and your work, and to submit your grades in a timely manner.

You agree to complete the assignments for reading, submitting papers, reading and participating in threaded discussions as outlined in the course Syllabus.
You agree that everything that you contribute and submit across this course will be your own work.
You agree to encourage the participation of others, attempting to "level" the amount of contribution, time, and effort that everyone is able to share while participating in our discussions during the course.
You agree to refrain from criticizing others for typos and the like that may exist in our threaded discussions. After all, we all want to get our ideas out to the group.
You agree to keep confidential anything that others in our course learning community have to share during our time together. This understanding is essential to fostering an environment in which everyone will be encouraged to tell us what they know, share with us what they have experienced, and relate to us how they see things developing in the future as well as how they hope to implement the concepts we learn about here - in their future organizational, personal, and community lives.

NEW Grading Policy
"Drexel University, which has traditionally utilized single letter grading (A, B, C, etc.) in the past has moved to plus and minus grading (A-, B+, B-, C+, C-, etc.). This plus and minus grading was implemented in Fall 2006. We recognize that your employer uses specific final grade criteria in determining cutoffs at, or below which, tuition and fees will NOT be reimbursed. Please review your respective employer's latest criteria for minimum required grades for tuition reimbursement. We further urge all students considering enrollment in this course to be certain that that have the required prerequisites in order to be able to obtain the minimum grade required for reimbursement."

To facilitate your evaluation, Drexel began using the following grading scale in Fall, 2006, and continues using today for all courses:

Grading Levels

Grading Breakdown

60% - Threaded Discussion Participation (in Week-2 through Week-9)
Frequency, variety, and substance are the grading criteria.
Insights and engagement relevant to the week's topics at hand.
Make (at least) four original postings (in four different topics for the respective week) by 11:00pm (Eastern time) each Tuesday.
Make (at least) four response postings to those of your colleagues by 11:00pm (Eastern time) each Thursday, in four other topics.
To earn full credit - post in at least eight different topics each week where Threaded Discussion postings are required.
Week-2 = 4%.
Week-3 through Week-9 = 8% each.
Total = 60%.
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40% - Reflection Papers (all are due at 5:00pm (Eastern time) on the respective Saturday of that week.

• Week-2 (5%) - due at 5:00pm Eastern time, 10-4-08
• Week-4 (5%) - due at 5:00pm (Eastern time) 10-18-08
• Week-6 (10%) - due at 5:00pm (Eastern time) 111-08
• Week-8 (10%) - due at 5:00pm (Eastern time) 11-15-08
• Week-10 (10%) - due at 5:00pm (Eastern time) 12-6-08

Weekly Reading Assignments
It is expected that we will read everything that is assigned here. This text is rich with salient topics, up-to-date examples, useful self-diagnostics, links to additional resource, reading, and Internet materials, timely Mini-cases, articles, exercises, clarifying diagrams, skills relevant to the readings, key terms, questions, and related activities.

We will find interesting, enriching, and applicable information and the like - in every nook and cranny of this text. The subject matter in Leadership and Leading Effective Organizations is multi-dimensional and meaningful. We will NOT be disappointed that we took the requisite time to work through the following:

Week-1 Review of the entire Syllabus, the elements of the course Web site, review of the entire text layout and content.
Week-2 Chapters 1 and 2
Week-3 Chapters 3 and 4
Week-4 Chapters 5 and 6
Week-5 Chapters 7 and 8
Week-6 Chapters 9 and 10
Week-7 Chapters 11 and 12
Week-8 Chapter 13
Week-9 Part-5 Leadership Skills: Basic and Advanced

Threaded Discussions
Threaded Discussions (TDs) are the asynchronous component of our course. However, even though they are not done in real time - the exchanges can (and should) get quite lively. Support your arguments and/or agree with those of others, as you think appropriate. If you disagree with someone's thoughts, or have experienced something in your past or present organization(s) that conflict with what others have related - we want to hear your insights.

I will view all threaded discussions on a daily basis and always by Saturday evening. I will respond as required or as I deem appropriate to questions or topics, where necessary, across the entire course timeline.

You will have eight weeks in which you are expected to participate in the TDs, as outlined below. Attempt to participate early. Do not save all of your thoughts until just prior to the due dates/times!

Contributions for each week can begin on each Saturday. Original contributions must be made by 11:00pm (Eastern time) every Tuesday (of those weeks when we have TDs) and response contributions must be made by 11:00pm (Eastern time) every Thursday (of those weeks when we have TDs). You will not earn any credit for contributions made after those times, though you will still be able to exchange thoughts and information.

Some individuals find it easier to type their thoughts in MS-Word or some other application first, then cut-and-paste them into the TD. Your choice.

I am NOT looking for page-long offerings here. Give us your thought in a paragraph; a few sentences or so will suffice - as long as you have made your point. However, simply saying that "I agree" or "I think that I disagree with that" is clearly an insufficient contribution. I review all contributions, and will update the Gradebook in a timely manner so you can see how you are doing, as our course goes along.

You cannot earn full credit for posts that are too short (thin) or too long (verbose).

Weekly Threaded Discussion (TD) participation requirement:

• respond substantively to (at least) four topics on the weekly list,
• read the postings of your course colleagues, AND
• provide responses to (at least) four postings by others in four different topic areas each week.

NOTE: I can track the item b. participation, above. You can do the same using the My Progress tool in Blackboard Vista.

That is, you must contribute (at least) a total of eight times, in eight different topics, each week that we have TDs.

The 60% of your grade that threaded discussions represent will break down this way, based on doing BOTH a. and b. above:
1. Week 2 participation counts for 4% of your grade and includes (as one of your posts) briefly introducing yourself to all of us, your colleagues for the next several weeks. So, in Week-2, you should post in that Introductions topic as well as in seven others as described above.
2. Week-3 through -9 participation counts for 8% each week. Total= 56%.
3. There is no graded participation requirement during Week-1 nor -10. However, everyone needs to respond in all topics in Week-1.

Grading (assuming posts are made on time):

• 100% of the available points - salient original comments, of an appropriate length and depth, in (at least) four different topics in the week and salient responses to the contributions of others in (at least) four different topics in the week
• 75% of the available points - participation, as outlined above, in only six different topics - or - participating in the appropriate number of topics but not at the appropriate length or to an appropriate depth
• 50% of the available points - participation, as outlined above, in only four different topics - or - participating in more topics but not at the appropriate length or to an appropriate depth
• 25% of the available points - participation, as outlined above, in only two topics - or - participating in more topics but not at the appropriate length or to an appropriate depth 
• 0 points - not contributing at all in a particular week

Writing Assignments

Writing Assignments - Reflection Papers

These are to be experience-based reflection papers that link the text topics to real-world settings.

1. All Writing Assignments are due by 5:00pm (Eastern time) on the Saturday of the respective week (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10). The papers must be submitted via the dropbox for the respective week. They will be accepted via this method only (e.g., do not attach them to emails)!
2. Late submissions will receive automatic grade reductions (one per day) before they are examined.
3. Papers must be double-spaced using 12 font please. Leave the default margins, as they are.

Page requirements:

Write two or three good, solid, rich pages for each Reflection Paper. Do not submit more than three pages of actual content, i.e., excluding title and references pages, if any. (Please make sure that your name is in the header or in the footer, if you do not use a title page.) 

NOTE: In past terms, I limited these RPs to two pages, max. Some course participants recommended allowing longer papers; hence, in this term, two full pages will suffice, but, if you want to use the third - you have that opportunity because of that input from your predecessors.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT you link your work (in all Reflection Papers) to a real-world setting and leader, if applicable. These are experiential papers - not research papers.

Topics:

Select a topic of your choice from the areas covered in our text. Be certain that you base your work on a real workplace, personal, or civic organizational setting. 

1. The first paper uses Chapters 1 and 2 as a base.
2. The second uses Chapters 3-6.
3. The third uses Chapters 7-10.
4. The fourth uses Chapters 11-13.
5. The last paper uses Part-5 of our textbook.

Other Topic Sources and Resources for the Reflection Papers:

• the reading assignments themselves (your reflections / action plans)
• our TDs (expanding on a particular topic)
• our TDs (the postings of colleagues)
• Additional Reading and Resources (outside reading related to the text)
• Case Studies (available in the respective assignment weeks)
• Video Cases
• Webliography

Grading Scheme for Writing Assignments
40% - content focused on leadership - and - linked to text topics
40% - content related to real workplace, personal, volunteer, or civic organizations and situations (past, present, or future)
10% - reflectiveness
10% - creativity (uniqueness)

Communication Links

The course Web site itself will be our main communication link, naturally. Let's attempt to do most of our communicating via our site. If necessary for other reasons, these are the other ways that you can reach me:

1. My course e-mail: use Mail in Bb Vista ONLY.
2. My work phone 215-895-0244. 7:30am-4:30pm weekdays
3. My work fax 215-895-6777.  Be certain to use a cover sheet
4. My home phone 609-804-8894
   1. only until 8:30pm on weeknights
   2. 8:30am-8:30pm only, on weekends
   3. Leave a message for me on my answering machine if I am not home when you call.

Instructor Bio
Leader, facilitator, educator, trainer, coordinator, management and organizational practitioner with substantial experience across enterprises in designing team and delivering programs, both formal and informal teaching and training, supervising and managing both union and non-agreement employees in a variety of work settings including both headquarters and field.  Dedicated to adding value while operating with a high degree of integrity.

EDUCATION
Ph.D. Education, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. 2005. Major Field of Study: Nontraditional Students
M.S. Organizational Dynamics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. 1998.
B.S. Management, Rosemont College, Rosemont, PA. 1994.

DISSERTATION
Title: "Perceptions of Nontraditional Students and Their Educators Regarding the Collaborative Teaching and Learning Mode and the Socialized Expectations Students Bring from the Workplace into the Undergraduate Classroom." The dissertation was a mixed-design study of educators and undergraduate students using an online survey, faculty interviews, and student focus groups.

TEACHING AND RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Areas of research interest include online learning and nontraditional students.
• Teaching interests include leading effective organizations, problems in human relations, organizational behavior, leadership and professional development, business statistics, and business research.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Adjunct Professor, Engineering Management program, Drexel University, January 2003-present. Problems in Human Relations. Develop online course. Develop all materials. Design and conduct all interactions. Remain available to students online.

Adjunct Professor, Executive MBA, One Year MBA, Online MBA, and MBA in Pharmaceutical Management programs, Drexel University, March 2001-present. Organizational Theory. Leading High Performance Organizations, Leadership and Personal Development. Develop online courses. Develop materials. Design and conduct interactions. Remain available to students online.

QUALIFICATION SUMMARY
Lead a highly multi-dimensional Online Learning Team in their coordinated training, support, demonstration, and outreach initiatives at Drexel as well is College of Medicine and five partner schools in an ASP model. Train and assist fellow faculty members on online learning strategies, course management systems, and ancillary as well as emerging technologies. Support content management system end users, in F2F, hybrid, and fully online courses. Teach completely online graduate, and some undergraduate, courses.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Doctoral Research, Drexel University, August 2004-June 2005.
Conducted an online survey with instructors and students, one-on-one interviews with instructors, and face-to-face focus groups with students.

PUBLICATIONS
Organizational Behavior, 8th Ed., 2008, Kreitner & Kinicki, Irwin McGraw-Hill. (Reviewer, October, 2007.)

Leading Effective Organizations, ORGB-631, Online MBA course, for CoBA, Drexel University, Winter, 2005-06.

Tips from the Pros: Teaming Up with Librarians, Online Cl@ssroom: Ideas for Effective Online Instruction, January 2005, Magna Publications.

Course Quality and Instructor Workload, Distance Education, January 1, 2005, Magna Publications, Volume 9, No. 1.

Problems in Human Relations, EGMT-581, online course, for Engineering Management, Drexel University, Winter, 2002-03.

Organizational Behavior, ORGB-E311, Online MBA course, for CoBA, Drexel University, Winter, 2000-01.

PRESENTATIONS
Report on a Longitudinal Study – 2004 to 2007: Synchronous or Asynchronous Course Elements? Why Choose? Use Both! Presented at the international S.I.T.E. Conference, Las Vegas, NV, March 6, 2008.

Report on a Longitudinal Study – 2004 to 2007: Synchronous or Asynchronous Course Elements? Why Choose? Use Both! Presented at the initial Wimba Conference, Orlando, FL, March 4, 2008.

Report on a Longitudinal Study – 2004 to 2007: Synchronous or Asynchronous Course Elements? Why Choose? Use Both! Presented at the NEWUG Conference, at Villanova University, Villanova, PA, November 30, 2007.

Report on a Longitudinal Study – 2004 to 2007: Synchronous or Asynchronous Course Elements? Why Choose? Use Both! Presented at eLearn 2007, in Quebec City, Canada, October 16, 2007.

The Vista SWAT Community of Practice. Co-presented at Bb World-07, in Boston, July 11, 2007.

No Faculty Member Left Behind. Poster session at Bb World-07, in Boston, July 10, 2007.

LMS 2.0 More Than Just for Faculty and Students. Presented at eLearning 2.0 Conference, in Philadelphia, March 29, 2007.

No Faculty Member Left Behind. Presented at eLearning 2.0 Conference, in Philadelphia, March 29, 2007.

Maintaining Online Course Quality – While Managing the Faculty Workload, conducted as a half-day tutorial at the E-Learn 2005 World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education conference in Vancouver, B.C., October 24, 2005.

Leveraging an Untapped Resource: Utilizing Library Experts in Online Courses. Presented as an Audio Conference, for Magna Publications, on September 29, 2005.

The Vista SWAT Community of Practice. Co-presented at Bb World-07, in Boston, July 11, 2007.

No Faculty Member Left Behind. Poster session at Bb World-07, in Boston, July 10, 2007.

Transforming WebCT Training through Certification. Co-Presented at the 7th Annual WebCT Users Conference in San Francisco, July 21, 2005.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Course Elements? Why Choose? Use Both! Presented at the 7th Annual WebCT Users Conference in San Francisco, July 20, 2005.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Course Elements? Why Choose? Use Both! Presented at the EDUCAUSE Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference in Baltimore, January 13, 2005.

No Adult Left Behind - Ensuring Meaningful Academic Experiences for Nontraditional Students in Distributed Learning Settings, presented at the E-Learn 2004 World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Educatio  conference in Washington, D.C., November 2, 2004.

Maintaining Online Course Quality – While Managing the Faculty Workload, conducted as a "cracker barrel" roundtable discussions at the 20th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning in Madison, WI, August 3, 2004.

Managing Your Discussions and Chat Tools While Maintaining Course Quality, co-presented at the national WebCT Conference in Orlando, FL, July 2004.

Developing a Viable ASP Model for Distributed Learning, presented at the CUMREC Conference in Austin, TX, May 17, 2004.

No Adult Left Behind: Ensuring Meaningful Academic Experiences for Nontraditional Students in Distributed Learning Settings, presented at the 2004 SITE Conference in Atlanta on March 3, 2004 and at the Northeast US WebCT Conference, Philadelphia, PA, April 19, 2004.

Leveraging Adult Learner Experiences and Expectations in Distance Learning Settings, half-day pre-conference workshop conducted at the EDUCAUSE 2003 Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA, November 4, 2003.

Pedagogical Issues Related to Redesigning and Delivering Web-enhances or Web-based Courses, co-presented at the Slice of Life International Conference, Philadelphia, PA, June 25, 2003

Reengineering Pedagogy with Technology, presented at the Faculty of the Future: Learning and Leading conference in Newtown, PA. June 20, 2003.

Leveraging Adult Student Value in E-Learning Environments - a Pedagogical Shift, presented at the International SITE Conference, Albuquerque, NM, March 29, 2003

Multidimensional Faculty Support for Distance Learning Initiatives, developed for colleagues to present at the NERCOMP Regional Conference, Worcester, MA, March 18, 2003.

Workplaces Are Evolving Quickly - Is Adult E-Learning Keeping Pace?, presented at the E-Learn 2002 World Conference, Montreal, Canada, October 16, 2002.

The Significant Challenge that Distance Learning Represents to Educators, presented at the AACE, International SITE Conference, Nashville, TN, March 19, 2002.

FUTURE CONFERENCE PRESENTATION SUBMISSIONS / ACCEPTANCES

Blackboard World - 2008, July, 2008 in Las Vegas, NV

MERLOT Conference - August, 2008, in Minneapolis, MN

S.A.L.T. Conference - August, 2008, in Arlington, VA

EDUCAUSE Conference - October, 2008, in Orlando, FL

Sloan-C Conference- November, 2008, in Orlando, FL

A.E.S.M. Conference - November, 2008, at West Point, NY

ELearn 2008 Conference - November, 2008, in Las Vegas