LOYOLA UNIVERSITY

Rome Center

Quinlan School of Business

 

TR 2:20PM-3:35PM

Fall 2016 Syllabus

 

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Instructor:     Marshall Langer

Office hours: By appointment (best times TR before 2:20pm or after 5:00pm)

Telephone:     +39 347.1763096

Email:             mlanger11@gmail.com

Background:  Corporate management, development; trained group therapist; Wall Street.

MBA, Wharton School.

 

II. COURSE INFORMATION

 

1. Course Description.  This course presents central topics in management theory, research, and application. Emphasis is placed on the role of the first line supervisor in balancing, coordinating and integrating individual and organizational needs.  It is intended that students gain a better basis for understanding, evaluating, and managing complex organizations.  Students are taught skills needed to solve management problems. Among these skills are the ability to analyze, and to develop and implement appropriate solutions.  It is intended that students become 1) more perceptive and more knowledgeable about the way in which organizational systems work (and why they may not work), 2) more conscious of the consequences of the choices one makes as a manager, and 3) more confident that they possess the skills required to succeed in a corporate setting. Other subjects covered include the development of management thought, the role of the supervisor as a decision maker and the processes of planning, organizing, leading and controlling organizational activities.

 

Course readings, lecture, exercises, role-play, and case studies present challenging managerial situations to be resolved.  All discussions emphasize a real world orientation with additional emphasis on effective analytical methods and written and oral communication skills. 

 

2. Course learning objectives.

 

1. Identify the psychological and social foundations of individual behavior in organizational settings.  And understand the impact of organizational systems in shaping its members’ behavior.

 

2. Use group psychology to unite individuals with complimentary skills and work chemistry, and to motivate those without it.  Improve the functioning of groups/teams you manage or belong to.

 

3. Apply effective negotiation and conflict resolution.  Develop more persuasive arguments.

 

4. Act more sensitively and decisively as a manager, and use better (business) judgment.

III. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

 

1. Lecture.  Class lecture is highly interactive.  Instructor prompts students for response to questions posed and solicits his/her thoughts on issues discussed.  Format is probing and direct.  Additionally, instructor provides concrete, real-world examples to illustrate concepts.  Lecture format reinforces by example appropriate methods for asking questions, gaining relevant insights, and acting persuasively and sensitively. (LO: A, B.)

 

2. Class Discussion.  Probing, highly interactive, and frequent class discussion 1) serves to demonstrate to students effective methods of facilitation and inquiry, 2) provides students with the opportunity to learn from and critique the ideas of the instructor and classmates, 3) breaks down communication barriers and inhibitions so that a cohesive group sense forms among participants.  Discussion format is open and non-judgmental, yet critical and with appropriate norms and rules established early on. (LO: A, B, C, D)

 

3. Readings.  Course pack and other assigned readings present relevant topics, which are covered in more depth in class lecture.  In class discussion of readings, the instructor highlights most relevant reading topics, and shows by example how to present data in a stimulating way, consistent with achieving learning objectives. (LO: A, B)

 

4. Case Study / Article Presentation.  Case studies and articles are used to further illustrate real-world examples of subject topics.  For all assigned cases and articles, students should be prepared to answer questions about it and be able to illustrate in class its more subtle aspects.  For select cases and articles, students will make short in-class presentations.  In-class discussion of case studies and articles serves to present analytical methods and ways to discern the most relevant focal points. (LO: A, B, C)

 

5. In-class Exercises.  In-class exercises, corresponding to the lecture and readings, are followed by probing Q&A.  Exercises include, among other things, quizzes, interpersonal group exercises in which participants reveal personal feelings, debates, and exercises in persuasion, perception, confrontation, meeting facilitation, and negotiation.  Aids such as short cases and/or scenario descriptions are used for some exercises.  Each exercise design compels students to hone their skills at understanding behavior in a business context. (LO: A, B, C, D)

 

6. Group paper assignment. Research and present a course concept applicable to current business.  Describe how the chosen business effectively implements such concept with critical analysis of methods for improvement.

 

IV. ASSESSMENT

 

1. Grades.

                       

30%     Midterm exam

35%     Final exam

10%     Case / article presentation

10%     Group paper assignment

15%     Class participation and quizzes

 

2. Exams.  Exams will be comprised of essay questions that test your ability to apply concepts discussed through the exam date. (LO: A, B, C, D)

 

3. Case / Article Presentation.  Present new, enlightening information and stimulate a meaningful, insightful discussion.  Your grade will reflect how accurately you do this.  You are not required to make a written submission for case / article presentations. (LO: A, B, C)

 

4. Group paper. See description in Section III #6. (LO: A, B, C)

 

5. Quizzes. Short, in-class quizzes test your comprehension of course materials to date. (LO: A, B)

 

6. Class Participation. You will be graded on the quality of, and demonstrated insight of, your in-class comments. (LO: A, B, C, D)

V. COURSE READING MATERIAL

 

Code	Title
Purchased by student:
OB	Robbins, Judge, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 13th Edition, Pearson, 2015
Distributed electronically by instructor:
CP	Corey, Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 6th Edition, Thomson, 2001
FM	Robins, DeCenzo, Fundamentals of Management, 5th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2005
MB	Stralser, Holt, MBA in a Day: What You Would Learn at Top-Tier Business Schools, Wiley, 2004
NE	Lewicki, Litterer, Negotiation, Irwin, 1993
TP	Yalom, The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy, Basic Books, 2005
A	Select articles distributed by instructor

 

VI. SUGGESTED ADDITIONAL READINGS

 

1. Books.

 

Gittell, The Southwest Airlines Way: Using the Power of Relationships to Achieve High Performance, McGraw-Hill, 2003

Hill, Think and Grow Rich, St. Martin’s Press, 2001.

Fombrun and Nevins, The Advice Business: Essential Tools and Models for Management Consulting, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004

Shell, Bargaining for Advantage, Penguin, 2000

Cummings, Worley, Organization Development and Change, 8^th Edition, South-Western, 2005

Freud, Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego, Norton, 1974

Jones, Bray, Steffy, Applying Psychology in Business, Macmillan, 1990

Yalom, The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy, Basic Books, 2005

Weiss, Many Lives, Many Masters, Simon & Schuster, 1988

 

2. Internet Sites. 

 

http://jom.sagepub.com/ for the Journal of Management

http://www.jstor.org/journals/08943796.html for the Journal of Organizational Behavior

http://www.obts.org for the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society

 

3. Periodicals. 

 

Wall Street Journal, Economist, Business Week, Journal of Management