"What's up? I've been down."

Important Information 
Organizational Behavior BMA505
 W2004
MW 7:00-9:45

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

• Discover ways to link theory about organizational behavior with the action skills of effective organizational membership.
• Gain a clearer sense about the nature of  leadership challenges in  organizations and find some insights into your own leadership.
• Enhance your  ability to diagnose  organizational behavior  by encouraging "multi-frame" thinking and analysis.
• Strengthen your intuition and encourage greater sensitivity about what is happening around you in your organizational life.  

TEXTS

• L. Bolman and T. Deal, Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership. (3rd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003. Be sure to purchase the third ediiton

• R. Fisher and W. Ury, Getting to Yes. Second Edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1991.

• A. Lansing, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, 1986.   

THE ORGANIZING SCHEMA

The course is about leadership and "reframing" organizations.

Reframing. 

We learn about  multiple-frame thinking and action and reframing organizations.

The idea of reframing organizations has four major diagnostic points of views: the structural, the human resource, the political, and the symbolic frames.  This organizing schema, developed by Lee Bolman of our Bloch faculty and Terry Deal, is the foundation for their book, Reframing Organizations. Each frame derives from different assumptions and beliefs ("theories") about organizations and each advocates different avenues for action. These four frames encompass much of the existing theory and research about organizations and thus provide  comprehensive and integrated ways to understand behavior in organizations,  especially leadership behavior. 

The four frames provide perspectives  relevant across all kinds of organizations: churches, athletic teams, clubs, universities, sororities, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and  businesses and even this class. Many activities of the class are organized around the skills of "four-frame analysis."  

Leadership 

We apply the ideas of Reframing to  a case of leadership in action (A. Lansing, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage). 

The ideas in Getting to Yes allow us to explore more fully aspects of Reframing.

Here is a statement about reframing as I understand it.

The course is about  "reframing" organizations, a multiple-frame way to think about organizations  and to develop action and  action strategies in leading them. 

The idea of reframing organizations has four major diagnostic points of views: the structural, the human resource, the political, and the symbolic frames.  This organizing schema, developed by Lee Bolman of our Bloch faculty and Terrence  Deel is the foundation for their book, Reframing Organizations. Each frame derives from different assumptions and beliefs ("theories") about organizations and each advocates different avenues for action. These four frames encompass much of the existing theory and research about organizations and thus provide  comprehensive and integrated ways to understand behavior in organizations,  especially leadership behavior.  (The assumptions of each frame.)

The four frames provide perspectives  relevant across all kinds of organizations: churches, athletic teams, clubs, universities, sororities, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and  businesses and even this class. Many activities of the class are organized around the skills of "four-frame analysis."  

FORMAL REQUIREMENTS

• Guidelines and Grading Instructions Summary explain the expectations for the formal requirements for this course. Some of your grade is based on written work. Here are the standards:  Writing.  All deliverables are due at the start of class assigned. Grades will be reduced for late submissions. 
  
• The Schedule provides topics covered by date, required readings and things to prepare for class, downloads,  and due dates of formal requirements. A summary of dues dates  for all deliverables also appears below. 
  
• There may be changes week-by-week to the schedule of classroom activities. While I attempt to  adhere closely to the schedule of class activities, it is sometimes necessary to change them as the course progresses. Review the Schedule weekly.  You are responsible for keeping up with any changes that are made to course requirements throughout the semester.  
  
• The Bulletin Board should be checked regularly. Announcements and changes in schedule are found there. Additions to the bulletin board  are noted by date on the course Homepage. In some cases, an email may suggest that you  check the schedule and/or bulletin board, so check your email regularly. I will  use your UMKC email address. See: Email registry.
• Review Techno Stuff.
  
• Can't remember where you saw something? Try the Table of Contents.
  
• You'll  provide  a grade for your fellow classmates and they, you. See: Peer Assessment Form. See also: On Sharing Part of the Grade with Others.
• Office hours  are by appointment. Meeting with me just before class  is sometimes awkward as I'm usually making last minute class preparations.  My goal is 24 hour turnaround for e or voice mail. I prefer talking by phone or using  voice mail rather than writing long email. 

GRADE %'s and DUE DATES  

• There is no grading curve in this course.   Twenty sections of BMA505 over 15 years show a grade distribution of 24% A, 65% B, 7%C, 3%D, 1%F (N=520). Basically this means that 1 in 4 can expect an A,  2 of 3 can expect a B, and the balance, to varying degrees, either don't belong or don't want to be in graduate school. UMKC policy prohibits publicly  posting grades. Let me know anytime you'd like to know your grade status.  Call UMKC student info at 816-444-8008 at the end of the semester for your grade.  I use +/- grading. 

OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF 

• Special Notes: disabilities, weather and class cancellation, withdraw, academic honesty, grade appeal
• International Students and Cross Cultural Learning 
• Participation, Helpful Norms and Attendance
• Website and Email
• Some Helpful Sites Bloch, U. of Mo, etc
• Bloch BA Division Syllabus Supplement
• Emphasis Area: Leadership and Change in Human Systems
• Plagiarism
• What happens if you miss the assessment.