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!

Please use the My Settings link (on your Bb Vista Home page), the My Profile tab, and the Edit Profile button to upload a picture of yourself, and be certain to Save the changes. In doing this, we will be able to become more familiar with each other via the Roster link on the Course Menu. This is not graded - but - it is required!

Organizational Behavior, Eighth Edition
Authors: Robert Kreitner and Angelo Kinicki
Published by Irwin McGraw-Hill
Copyright 2008
ISBN-10: 0-07-338125-X (w/ CD-ROM).
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-3338125-1 (text only).
www.mhhe.com/kreitner

NOTE: Each course participant MUST have a textbook. The textbook must be the 8th Edition, copyright 2008.

NOTE: The focus in this course will be on the learning, not the grade you earn.

Drexel University, which had traditionally utilized single letter grading (A, B, C, etc.) in the past moved to plus and minus grading (A-, B+, B-, C+, C-, etc.). This plus and minus grading was implemented in Fall 2006. The Engineering Management Program recognizes 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 they have the required prerequisites in order to be able to obtain the minimum grade required for reimbursement.

To facilitate your evaluation, the following grading scale is the one that we began utilizing in Fall 2006 for all courses in the Engineering Management Program.

This is an entirely Web-based course. The primary class activity will be facilitated learning. This will be accomplished by the instructor encouraging discussion regarding the weekly reading assignments, video cases, text case studies, exercises, and Management Practice, Organizational Encounter, and International Encounter examples located throughout the text. This will be the case in both our Threaded Discussions and Online Chats.

Everyone can expect to participate in lively, focused, revealing discussions. Topics will be timely and relevant - in most cases, bringing to the fore the participants' own workplace experiences and situations. Course participants will be expected to complete all reading assignments in the textbook, view all audio/video lectures, and read all Learning Modules (on the text Web site). Supplemental reading may be assigned as well. Course participants can expect an interactive course focused on current developments and issues in this and related fields.

In addition to the above, also available in the course are:

• Video Clips (Management in the Movies)
• Feature films (The White Mile, Office Space)
• Audio Lectures
• Printed lectures
• HR Case Studies (from the Noe textbook)
• Handouts
• Additional Resources (a recommended reading list)
• Glossary (HR and OB terms)
• Flash Cards (learning tool accompanying the Glossary)
• Crossword Puzzles
• PowerPoint Slide Galleries
• Articles
• PowerPoint slide sets
• Other Ancillary Course Materials

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. Agree and support your arguments or 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 nearly on a daily basis and always by Friday 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 in the early and middle parts of the week. Do not wait until the last minute to make your posts! Read the postings of your colleagues as this will enhance you learning and DOES factor into your grade. This specific participation element can be tracked in Blackboard Vista. (YOU can track your own level of posting and reading in the TDs as well - through the My Progress tool in the left-navigation area.)

Contributions for each week can begin on each Saturday. Your four original contributions (at least) must be made by 11:00pm (Eastern time) every Tuesday of the appropriate eight weeks. Your four response contributions (at least) must be made by 11:00pm (Eastern time) every Thursday in the weeks that we have TDs. You can check the CALENDAR for the due dates as well.

Some folks 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 thoughts in a paragraph; a few salient sentences 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, obviously, an insufficient contribution.

You cannot earn full credit in the TD area if your postings are too short or too long.

HINT - Read what others have posted, first, so that you do not repeat what someone else has already posted. (You are graded on reading them anyway.)

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.

Weekly Threaded Discussion (TD) participation requirement:
a. respond substantively to (at least) FOUR of the listed weekly topics
b. provide (at least) FOUR responses to postings by others
c. posting in (at least) EIGHT different topics
NOTE: "Topic" means the 11 that I posted in each week, including the Open topic.

NOTE: The focus in this course will be on the learning, not the grade you earn.

The 30% of your grade that threaded discussions represent will break down this way, based on doing a., b., AND c. above AND by reading as many of the postings of your colleagues as possible (i.e., most of them):

1. Week 1 participation counts for 2% of your grade and includes briefly introducing yourself to all of us, your colleagues for the next three months.

2. Week 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 participation count for 4% each. Total= 28%.

3. There is no participation requirement during the Mid Term Week-5 nor in the Final Week-10.

Any TD participation during Week-5 and -10 does not count towards your grade.

You earn no credit for late original or response postings, postings that are too short or too long, or postings that are off-topic.

Grading:

• 4 points - making at least 4 salient original comments to 4 different listed topics and at least 4 salient responses to the contributions of others in 4 different listed topics (posting in 8 different topics, overall, ONE of which can be the Open Topic), and reading 80%+ of the week's postings.
• 3.5 points - making posts in only 7 topics or making only 7 posts overall, and/or reading 70%+ of the week's postings.
• 3 points - making 6 contributions of good quality and meaning (or, only making original or response postings, or participating in only 6 topics), and/or reading 60%+ of the week's postings.
• 2.5 points - making posts in only 5 topics or making only 5 posts overall, and/or reading 50%+ of the week's postings.
• 2 points - making 4 contributions of good quality and meaning (or, only making original or response postings, or participating in only 4 topics), and/or reading 40%+ of the week's postings.
• 1.5 points - making posts in only 3 topics or making only 3 posts overall, and/or reading 30%+ of the week's postings.
• 1 points - making only 2 contributions (or, only making original or response postings, or participating in only 2 topics), and/or reading none or nearly none of the week's postings.
• 0 points - not contributing at all that particular week and/or not reading the week's postings.

Synchronous discussions are one of the key ways in which we can grow and enhance our learning community - together.

You have four assigned synchronous chat times. Each session represents fully 5% of your final grade. Hopefully that puts into perspective the considerable weight that we believe this component of our class should command. There is absolutely no make-up for a missed chat session.

These will be audio-enhanced so everyone needs a sound card in their computer along with a microphone and speakers (or, of course, a headset equipped with a microphone).

To earn full credit - at least one audio comment must be made in each OC.

That said, the main grading element is your activitry in the text chat area, using a balanced approach - to participate at the level of your peers (not attempting to "take over the discussion" and not "sitting in the back row and saying nothing").

NOTE: Once in the OC, before speaking you must activate the "hand-raising" feature and be recognized. Once I recognize you, you can offer your 1-2 minute audio comment. This will avoid individuals speaking over each other in the OC.

If I need to reschedule an assigned time, you will be notified. When you enter the online chat room at the assigned time - start the session, with or without me. If I miss the session for some reason, I will read the log later and grade the activity as if I had been there. In other words, someone take charge and guide the OC for the 90 minute timeframe, covering the assigned reading chapters. (To make it simple - just divide the number of chapters for that evening into 90 minutes - and you will know how many minutes to spend on each chapter's topics.)

The days of the week for your sessions will not vary, as you see, to enable maximum participation. Each session will be scheduled for an hour and a half. Since this is an overall exercise in constructivist learning - we will go where the discussion leads us, as long as it relates to one of the myriad topics in our text readings for those weeks, so, stay on topic! I attempt to allocate our hour and a half to include discussion segments that reflect each of the text chapters we are covering in a given week.

Thursday Chat Group: Group-1 :

1. Student 1
2. Student 2

Wednesday Chat Group: Group-2

1. Student 1
2. Student 2

Here is the Online Chat Room Schedule and Topic Focus:

NOTE: All times are Eastern time zone.

 Group-1 - The Thursday Group

Online Chat-1 - October 1, 2009 7:00pm-8:30pm. (Chapters 1-4)
Online Chat-2 - October 15, 2009 7:00pm-8:30pm. (Chapters 5-9)
Online Chat-3 - November 5, 2009 7:00pm-8:30pm. (Chapters 10-14)
Online Chat-4 - November 19, 2009 7:00pm-8:30pm. (Chapters 15-18)

Group-2 - The Wednesday Group

Online Chat-1 - September 30, 2009 7:00pm-8:30pm. (Chapters 1-4)
Online Chat-2 - October 14, 2009 7:00pm-8:30pm. (Chapters 5-9)
Online Chat-3 - November 4, 2009 7:00pm-8:30pm. (Chapters 10-14)
Online Chat-4 - November 18, 2009 7:00pm-8:30pm. (Chapters 15-18)

NOTE: The focus in this course will be on the learning, not the grade you earn.

• 5 points: Arriving on time and participating for the full session. Participating in the (text-based) discussion of the topics, staying on topic, encouraging the participation of others (reacting and probing with follow-up questions, as necessary) - at a level appropriate for the number of course participants in the OC that evening. Doing a superior, balanced job.
• Balanced job" means: participating at the level of your colleagues, i.e., not taking over the discussion or avoiding actively participating in the text-based discussion.
• To earn full credit you must participate via the voice-enabled feature of the Wimba Classroom environment, by making an audio comment at some point in the session. (NOTE: Making more than one does not boost your grade, for instance, if you do not earn full credit because you arrived late, left early, or were not present for the full session.)
• 4 points: Doing the above, but to a lesser or less appropriate extent. Doing a good, solid job. Arriving late, leaving early; being present for only 80% of the session; not making an audio comment, etc.
• 3 points: Participating in the OC, but with less insight or less interaction with fellow course participants. Doing an average job. Arriving late, leaving early; being present for only 60% of the session.
• 2 points: Offering a few salient comments or reactions, but not truly engaging with fellow course participants during the OC. Doing a below average job. Arriving late, leaving early; being present for only 40% of the session.
• 1 point: Attending the OC but not really offering comments of solid value regarding the topic(s) of discussion. Doing an unacceptable job. Arriving late, leaving early; being present for only 20% of the session.
• 0 points: Missing the OC, or, attending the OC without making a substantive, meaningful contribution.

Mid-Term and Final Assignments

The main objective of both assignments is - to demonstrate how you plan on linking the course material to a real situation at work, in your community, volunteer group, non-profit organization, etc. that represents a "problem in human relations" that needs to be addressed. It can be a problem, opportunity, process, or issue but should be important to you either professionally or personally (or both). Or, it could represent a success story.

Submit both through the Assignments link in the appropriate week. Due dates and times are shown there and on the course Calendar.

Under no circumstances will these due dates/times be extended. If you anticipate ANY extenuating circumstances, submit your work early. Late submissions will receive automatic grade reductions before they are examined - at the rate of one letter grade, per day.

PLEASE NOTE: Group work on both papers is encouraged. Example: Do a compare-and-contrast paper on two organizations vis-a-vis the same set of text topics you select.

1. Papers must in APA format. There is a Sample Paper available for you to examine, in the Auxiliary Materials area, as are APA resources. If no attempt is made to format the works in APA style, the grade will be significantly affected.
2. Page requirements: Write five good, solid, rich pages for the Mid-Term Paper (no more than 6). For the Final Paper, write seven pages (no more than 8) of your best writing, solidly linked to your experiences outside this online classroom environment, synchronous and asynchronous discussions, etc. across our course, and our text material.
   NOTE: The 5 & 7 page counts are for the content - excluding any other pages.
3. For both papers (you could use the following as an Outline, or, even as section headers in your actual paper): Select a "problem in human relations" that you are familiar with - linked to a real workplace setting or other real-world environment.
   
   DO NOT SIMPLY REITERATE TEXT TOPICS. Link text topics to a real-world setting - throughout the work!
   
   NOTE: If you ignore this specific expectation - you will risk half of the value of the Assignment. This applies to both the Mid Term and to the Final.
   
   
   1. Introduce the reader to the situation. (Introduction)
   2. State the problem in human relations that you intend to address in the work. (Problem in Human Relations)
   3. Discuss the problem vis-a-vis the material and content covered to date in our course. (Discussion)
   4. Tell the reader what you recommend be done about that situation. (Recommendations)
   5. Include how you expect things to unfold in this area, going forward. (Projection/Conclusion)
      
      I am looking for understanding of the material in your writing and a holistic approach to your topic.
      
4. Mid-Term Paper topics: Select a topic of your choice relative to a particular problem in human relations that relates to the areas covered in the first half of our text - linked to a real workplace setting or other real-world environment.
5. Final Paper topics: Again, select a problem in human relations related to the concepts covered in the second half of our text - linked to a real workplace setting or other real-world environment. However, if in your writing you need to reference some of the first-half topics as well - be certain that you do so.

1. Introduction
2. Problem in Human Relations
3. Discussion
4. Recommendations
5. Predictions / Conclusion

Mr. Jay Bhatt is a highly-dedicated, -skilled, and -credentialed member of Drexel's Hagerty Library staff. He is also enrolled in this class as a TA - available to you at any time. You can email him, post a message for him, or just look at the threaded discussion conversations he might be having with your course colleagues - or - the postings that he is making as general information.

Jay should be particularly valuable to you in working on your mid-term and final assignments, doing any necessary research, finding electronic source materials, formatting your paper in the required APA style, and helping you meet myriad other course challenges.

Welcome Jay, and, thanks for once again agreeing to be an integral and highly-valued participant in our course. (Jay has done this on a number of occasions in this course in the past.)

NOTE: The focus in this course will be on the learning, not the grade you earn.

These criteria are attached to the individual Assignments.

NOTE: If your work does not link key text topics to real workplace, etc. settings - the highest grade that can be earned is 50%.

All assignments must be submitted to TurnItIn, plagiarism-detection software that is built-in to Bb Vista.

Mid Terms and Finals are submitted only if they are in TurnItIn, on time.

TurnItIn checks every submitted assignment for originality against:

1. The TurnItIn database of papers
2. The current and archived Internet
3. Numerous online databases (e.g., electronic journals)

You will be able to return to the Assignment area to see your own Originality Report. This is the same Originality Report that I see.

Further, once I have used another TurnItIn feature, called GradeMark, to mark up your paper, you will be able to view all of my comments, corrections, recommendations, etc., right on your paper.

Printing a copy of it enables you to get a complete rubric list and indicators where this specific feedback, with or without my personal comments, are located throughout your work.

Use this feature to enhance and improve your writing, both in this course and in your future writing.

NOTE: Depending on circumstances, I may print the actual papers, mark THEM up, and then return them to you via snail mail (to your address-of-record in Banner.)

Topics for papers will not be assigned.

Drafts of papers will not be reviewed.

It is critical that course participants link the course material to a real-world setting of their own choosing where some "problem in human relations" exists. (See Note in Writing Assignment Grading Criteria section, above.)

• Contact some of your fellow class participants to work on a group paper with them.
• Examine the HR Case Studies - perhaps one of them will spark your interest or lead you to a meaningful topic.
• Watch the videos - Management in the Movies, or, the feature films that we are linked to in this course; perhaps one of them will lead you to a meaningful topic.
• Take a look through the Additional Resources page for works on our topics that you may have read in the past. Perhaps one or more of those will spark some ideas..
• Initiate a discussion with me - but - only after you have exhausted these other options.