Penn State Lehigh Valley Campus
Course Syllabus
MGMT 301 Basic Management Concepts
Instructor:
Office:
Kent Zimmerman
Adjunct Faculty Offices
Office Hours: Mon 5:30-6:30 pm in Classroom 207 or by appointment.
Email:
kbz1@psu.edu
Class Hours: 6:30-9:00 PM Mondays August 23-December 6, 2010
Location:
Room 207 Saucon Campus
COURSE DESCRIPTION: MGMT 301 Basic Management Concepts (3) Study of fundamental principles and
processes available to the understanding of management. Not available to students who have taken B A 304.
Emphasis is on organizational design, management processes, leadership, motivation, and managing teams and
individuals in a global business environment. Understanding these principles and concepts is extremely important for
students preparing for and entering the business profession. Managers plan, organize, lead, and control. These
functions provide a foundation for MGMT 301 and are included in all course topics and modules. Typical
modules include: An Overview of Management; Strategy and Structure; Organizational Behavior; and
Group/Organizational Dynamics. The overview of management focuses on the manager’s role and function,
decision making, ethics, and managerial oversight. Topics covered in a strategy and structure module will
include culture, environmental influences, strategy, organizational structure, globalization, and
innovation. Organizational Behavior focuses on how decision making is influenced by various stakeholders who
have formal and informal authority and control in a business. What motivates individuals and who are leaders in
an organization is discussed along with group dynamics. Understanding team processes, conflict, adaptation to
change, and various levels of group and one-on-one communication is important and will be covered by
reviewing traditional management strategies and structures along with discussions on current and evolving
management issues.
TEXT: This course utilizes the Aplia online course management system using the digital version of the text
Management, Richard L. Daft, 9e, South-Western Cengage Learning. Students are required to register for Aplia
access. Students have the option of purchasing the hardcopy textbook any time during the semester at a discounted
bundle price. The registration and purchasing instructions are attached to this syllabus. The Aplia packet alone
or the bundle may also be purchased from the campus Bookstore. Check the prices.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Students are expected to adhere to the academic standards of conduct in the Student Guide to University Policies and
Procedures (http://www.sa.psu.edu/ja/pdf/disc_procedures.pdf).
Definition and expectations: Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and
responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania
State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle.
Consistent with this expectation, the University's Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal
integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which
all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts. Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or
tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical
principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others. Any breach of this
shall result in failure of this course.
PROFESSIONAL CLASS BEHAVIOR It is important that you maintain a professional demeanor in the class at
all times. Penn State expects this from you, as do future employers. The classroom is the perfect place to practice
interacting in a manner appropriate to a professional setting. Cell phones must be turned off before class begins. Inclass discussion should be related to the course material. If you feel it necessary to bring your laptop to take notes,
please discuss with me in advance. Using your laptop for surfing the ‘Net, reading email, working on other projects,
and IM’ing during class is not acceptable.
MGMT 301-020
Fall 2010
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance and active participation are crucial for success in this course. Your attendance and participation
will affect your final grade. We will adhere to the following University Policy 42-27 on Attendance: ‘A student
should attend every class for which the student is scheduled and should be held responsible for all work covered in
the courses taken. In each case, the instructor should decide when the class absence constitutes a danger to the
student's scholastic attainment and should make this fact known to the student at once. A student whose irregular
attendance causes him or her, in the judgment of the instructor, to become deficient scholastically, may run the risk
of receiving a failing grade or receiving a lower grade than the student might have secured had the student been in
regular attendance.
Instructors also should provide, within reason, opportunity to make up work for students who miss classes for other
legitimate but unavoidable reasons. Legitimate, unavoidable reasons are those such as illness, injury, family
emergency, or religious observance. If an evaluative event will be missed due to an unavoidable absence, the student
should contact the instructor as soon as the unavoidable absence is known to discuss ways to make up the work. An
instructor might not consider an unavoidable absence legitimate if the student does not contact the instructor
before the evaluative event. Students will be held responsible for using only legitimate, unavoidable reasons for
requesting a make-up in the event of a missed class or evaluative event. Requests for missing class or an evaluative
event due to reasons that are based on false claims may be considered violations of the policy on Academic Integrity
(Policy 49-20)’.
If a work responsibility conflicts with the class time, students are expected to notify the instructor as soon as
possible. All assignments are still due on the designated due date.
Lateness: Students are expected to arrive to class on time. Important announcements will be made at the beginning
of class followed by a short assessment (quiz). Students arriving late to class are also a distraction for others and run
the risk of missing important information as well as the attendance check.
COMMUNICATION:
Course information is posted on ANGEL including the latest syllabus, announcements, additional assignment
information, and news. I will also send important messages and announcements to you by email. It is imperative
that you check ANGEL and your Penn State email regularly since this is how I will be communicating with you
outside of class. Please use your Penn State email address to email me (so that it is recognized and not deleted or
transferred to junk mail) and title it appropriately. It is your responsibility that I receive any emails you send to me.
DISABILITY ACCESS STATEMENT:
Students with disabilities who require accommodations should consult with the instructor to address modifications
that are needed to complete course requirements. Consistent with University policy, any student requesting an
accommodation must provide documentation from the Office of Disability Services. Linda Remfield, Learning
Center Coordinator, is the liaison for Disability Services at Penn State Lehigh Valley.
GRADING:
Assessment
Active Group Participation/Leadership in Case
Discussions, Analyses and Topical Synopsis
Homework Assignments (Aplia)
Other Homework Assignments
Tests or Quizzes Assessing Concept Knowledge
Final Paper (Comprehensive)
Total
% Grade
20%
10%
5%
40%
25%
100%
Extra Credit will be provided to those students
who provide in-depth presentations on a timely
topic or specific organization. This advanced
work is particularly useful for those students
who have completed a similar course at
community college or are presently working in
the business world. Such assignments must be
approved and arranged well ahead of time with
the instructor.
Grade Scale: A= 93-100%, A-= 90-92.9, B+= 87-89.9, B= 83-86.9, B-= 80-82.9, C+= 77-79.9, C= 73-76.9, C-= 70-72.9, D= 60-69.9
8/23/2010
MGMT 301-020
2010 DATE
Mon. August 23
Mon. August 30
Mon. September 6
Mon. September 13
Mon. September 20
Mon. September 27
Mon. October 4
Mon. October 11
Mon. October 18
Mon. October 25
Mon. November 1
Mon. November 8
Mon. November 15
Mon. November 22
Mon. November 29
Mon. December 6
Sun. December 12
10PM
Fall 2010
TOPICS
Syllabus Review, Course Objectives
The Nature of Management
The Evolution of Management Thinking
Discussion: Ethical Dilemma ‘The Supervisor’
NO CLASS - Labor Day
Ch 2 Quiz & Review
Environment & Corporate Culture
Discussion: ‘Rio Grande Supply Co.’
Ch 3 Quiz & Review
Managing Ethics & Social Responsibility
Ethics & Social Responsibility: Toyota
Discussion: Ethical Dilemma ‘Should We Go
Beyond the Law?’
Ch 5 Quiz & Review
Planning & Goal Setting
Discussion: Ethical Dilemma ‘Inspire Learning’
Strategy Formulation & Implementation
Ch 6, 7 Quiz & Review
S.W.O.T. Analysis Discussion
Managerial Decision Making
Corporate Decision Making: BP
Ch 8 Quiz & Review
Designing Adaptive Organizations
Discussion: Ethical Dilemma ‘A Matter of
Delegation’
Managing Change & Innovation
Ch 9, 10 Quiz & Review
Managing Human Resources
Discussion: ‘Commonwealth Worldwide
Chauffeured Transportation’
Managing Diversity
Ch 11, 12 Quiz & Review
Dynamics of Behavior in Organizations
Discussion: ‘Reflex Systems’
Video: Numi Organic Tea Organization
Dynamics
Ch 13 Quiz & Review
Leadership
Discussion: Ethical: ’Too Much Good Thing?’
Ch 14 Quiz & Review
Motivating Employees
Discussion: ‘Kimbel’s Dept. Store’
Ch 15 Quiz & Review
Managing Communication
Discussion ‘Hunter-Worth’
Introduction to Teams, Teamwork &
Conflict
Ch 16 Quiz & Review
Managing Quality & Performance
Quality Initiatives
Discussion: ‘Lincoln Electric’
Ch 18 Quiz & Review
Managing Value Chain
Ch 19 Quiz & Review
READING DUE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2 and
Ch 2 Ethical Dilemma
Chapter 3 and
Ch. 3 Case for Critical
Analysis
ASSIGNMENT DUE
Aplia Problem Set - Practice
Chapter 2 Problem Set - Graded
Chapter 3 Problem Set – Graded
Chapter 5 and
Ch. 5 Ethical Dilemma
Chapter 5 Problem Set – Graded
Chapter 6 and
Ch. 6 Ethical Dilemma
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 6 Problem Set – Graded
Chapter 7 Problem Set - Graded
S.W.O.T. Analysis Due
Chapter 8 Problem Set - Graded
Chapter 9 and
Ch 9 Ethical Dilemma
Chapter 10
Chapter 11 and
Ch 11 Case for Critical
Analysis
Chapter 12
Chapter 13 and
Ch. 13 Case for Critical
Analysis
Chapter 14 and
Ethical Dilemma
Chapter 15 and
Ch 15 Case for Critical
Analysis
Chapter 16 and
Ch 16 Case for Critical
Analysis
Ch. 17 pps.503-509,
517-523
Chapter 18 and
Ch 18 Case for Critical
Analysis
Chapter 9 Problem Set – Graded
Chapter 10 Problem Set - Graded
Chapter 11 Problem Set – Graded
Chapter 12 Problem Set - Graded
Chapter 13 Problem Set – Graded
Ch. 13 Experiential Myers-Briggs
Exercise
Chapter 14 Problem Set – Graded
Chapter 15 Problem Set – Graded
Chapter 16 Problem Set – Graded
Chapter 18 Problem Set – Graded
Chapter 19
Chapter 19 Problem Set – Graded
Final Paper Due (email
attachment to kbz1@psu.edu)
8/23/2010