COMM 321: Management and Organizational Behaviour

COURSE INFORMATION
Course title: Organizational Behaviour and Management
Course code: COMM 321 Credits: 3
Session and term: 2025W2 Class location: HA 337
Section(s): DD3 Class times: Thurs 9:30-11am PST
Course duration: Jan 9 2025 – Apr 8, 2025 Pre-requisites: n/a
Division: OBHR Co-requisites: n/a
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Erika Wong
Email: [email protected] Office HA 391
Phone: 1-604-822-6888 Office Hours Virtual By appointment
Teaching Assistant Mercy Gakii Muthuuri Email [email protected]

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Commerce 321 is the introductory core course in Organizational Behaviour (OB). The primary objective of this course is to teach you
about the effects of organizational structures and interpersonal processes on the behaviour of individuals in organizations and the
wider implications for the effectiveness and success of organizations. You will also learn to consider the entire organization as an
actor and examine how it behaves in different types of environments. Throughout the course, an emphasis is placed on how you, as
an organizational member or consultant, might experience, interpret, and manage people, structures, and processes in
organizations.

COURSE MATERIALS
Required Textbook: Organizational Behavior
Publisher: Open Textbook Library, University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing
Available free online: https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/BookDetail.aspx?bookId=30
You can read this book online, or download in multiple formats (PDF, Kindle, e-pub, mobi)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Typical use of class time includes in-class lectures, discussions, cases, and activities.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• To understand key Organizational Behaviour concepts and how they apply to any setting.
• To improve teamwork skills by gaining an appreciation of team dynamics.
• To improve communication skills by understanding how we interpret information.
• To introduce personal leadership and apply specific lessons that fulfil your leadership potential.
• To understand how organizations are structured, and the consequences of organizational design and culture.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)

At UBC Sauder, we are committed to responsible business practices that can have transformative impacts on society.
One of the ways we are reinforcing our commitment to responsible business is by showcasing relevant content in our
course via the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In this course, we will touch on topics that
relate to the following goals, among others.

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 COMM 321: Management and Organizational Behaviour

Goal 3: Good Health and Well- Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
being
Global Examples: workplace health and safety, health equity, pandemic
response consumer, well-being, employee well-being,

Goal 8: Decent Work and Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full
Economic Growth and productive employment and decent work for all
Global Examples: economic diversification, small and medium
businesses, fair trade, access to financial services, decent job creation,
entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, meaningful work,
employment equity, income equity, labour rights, safe & inclusive
workspace, alternatives to never-ending growth

Goal 10: Reduce Inequality Reduce inequality within and among countries

Global Examples: income equality, income support, inclusive

employment policies, anti-racism, anti-discrimination, Indigenous
reconciliation, disability, religion, race, equity, diversity and inclusion,
wealth inequality, bias in AI, price discrimination, discrimination in
segmentation, Indigenous inclusion, Indigenous participation

ASSESSMENTS
Summary

Professionalism & Active Learning 15%

Chapter Quizzes 10%
Team Case Project 40%
Reflection Paper 35%

Details of Assessments
Important Note: Put your student number and not your name on any assignment submission as they will be marked
blindly by your TA to mitigate all possible biases.

Professionalism and Active Learning (15%)

Every student is expected to attend all classes in full. The experiences of students are highly useful to contextualize
theoretical ideas and to relate the concepts to real-life contexts. Active learning can be demonstrated by participating in
class discussions, completing class prep online, answering questions, providing feedback to your peers, and doing self-
evaluations.

You must be in class to complete and receive credit for the activities. No make-up classes, activities, or assignments will
be offered! Attendance alone does NOT guarantee full participation marks!

To achieve top marks for in-class participation, a student must: (1) attend the class regularly, (2) participate in the class
discussions (by asking questions or making comments), (3) complete activities in small groups, and (4) contribute
positively to the learning environment and be respectful of other students.

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Quizzes (10%)
There will be Chapter Quizzes on Canvas before each class on that chapter. The chapter quizzes will help you assess
whether you have learned the assigned material. You will have to complete the quizzes before the class on that chapter
via Canvas Quizzes. Online quizzes will be available on Sunday 8:00 closing at 23:59PST prior to each week’s lecture. You
will have one attempt for each online quiz. A missed quiz will result in a zero grade for that quiz.

Team Case Project (40%)

The goal of this assignment is to develop your teamwork skills as working with others is essential as you advance in your
career. This assignment is also structured to refine your presentation and communication skills so that you can
effectively convey information to others. You will be placed into a consulting team early into the term to complete this
assignment.

Assignment Elements Weighting

Team Charter 15%
Fantasy Project 15%
Group Report 30%
Group Video 40%
Total 100%

Team Charter
Each team will decide how they will work together on the various components of the team assignment, including team
policies or norms, group contributions, scheduling agreements, collaboration tools, conflict management plans, and
sanctions. Submit a PDF copy of the team charter to Canvas.

Fantasy Project
To assist you with a team-building process, your team will work on the Fantasy Project (see Canvas for details) including
a quick 3-minute in-class presentation.

Group Report
This is a collaborative consulting project where your team will apply OB theories and concepts to analyze a real-world or
fictional scenario. Each team is responsible for diagnosing key organizational behavior challenges and proposing
actionable recommendations. The report must include clear theoretical applications and evidence-based solutions,
formatted as a professional consulting document.

Group Video
Your team will creatively present the findings from your selected Organizational Behaviour topic. The video should be
engaging, educational, and visually appealing, demonstrating your ability to communicate complex OB concepts clearly
and effectively.

Reflection Paper (35%)

You will submit a paper describing your reflections on the course. We will have covered several topical areas related to
organizational behaviour and management by the end of the course. This assignment asks you to take a moment to
reflect on what you learned in the course. Our goal is to get you to distill down the key lessons from the course both for
your present learning and for the future. Think of this as capturing those things you learned that might be useful later in
your career.

The final Paper (PDF) file must be submitted first to the Turnitin site to check for content similarities. The final paper will
be submitted on Canvas along with the Turnitin similarity report.

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Late submissions will NOT be accepted and will receive zero grade!

COURSE-SPECIFIC POLICIES AND RESOURCES

Missed or late assignments, and regrading of assessments
Late submissions will not be accepted and will receive a score of zero. Please plan ahead. I will be enforcing this policy,
out of fairness to others who did get it in on time and to prepare you for conditions you may face in the real world.

If you find an error, omission, or mistake (against the rubric) in the grading of your assignment, email a summary of the
specific issues along with your original work to both the TA and the instructor, within 72 hours of when the assignment
was returned. If a re-grade is approved, your score may stay the same, increase, or decrease.

Each grade is considered conclusive and final one week after being released and will no longer be open for re-grading or
discussion. We are happy to discuss your work with you for educational purposes. Once we consult on an assignment or
quiz, the grade for that assignment or quiz is considered definite if you have not already had it formally re-assessed.

These guidelines are consistent with UBC appeal policies.

Academic Concessions Policy

If you experience unanticipated events or other circumstances that constitute valid grounds for academic concession as
defined by UBC’s Academic Concession Policy, complete and submit the Academic Concession Request & Declaration
Form. Concessions are time-sensitive and the online form should be submitted within 48 hours of the missed deadline.
Upon submission, your request will be recorded in the RHL and you will also receive an email with further instructions.
Please read this email carefully and be sure to also refer to the relevant course syllabus for each concession that you
have requested. Please know that you should continue to work on the coursework for the course(s) which you
submitted a concession for. You should anticipate being asked to submit work or write an exam as soon as the
circumstances affecting your ability to fulfil your academic responsibilities are resolved.

Code Plagiarism
Code plagiarism falls under the UBC policy for Academic Misconduct. Students must correctly cite any code that has
been authored by someone else or by the student themselves for other assignments. Cases of "reuse" may include, but
are not limited to:
• the reproduction (copying and pasting) of code with none or minimal reformatting (e.g., changing the name of the
variables)
• the translation of an algorithm or a script from a language to another
• the generation of code by automatic code-generations software
An “adequate acknowledgement” requires a detailed identification of the (parts of the) code reused and a full citation of
the original source code that has been reused.
Students are responsible for ensuring that any work submitted does not constitute plagiarism. Students who are in any
doubt as to what constitutes plagiarism should consult their instructor before handing in any assignments.

POLICIES APPLICABLE TO COURSES IN THE ROBERT H. LEE GRADUATE SCHOOL

Excepting extenuating circumstances, students are expected to attend 100% of their scheduled class hours. Absent
students limit their own academic potential, and that of their classmates, and cause unnecessary disruption to the
learning environment. Students missing more than 20% of the total scheduled class hours for a course (including classes
held during the add/drop period) without having received an academic concession will be withdrawn from that course.
Withdrawals, depending on timing, could result in a “W” or an “F” standing on the transcript.

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Punctuality
Students are expected to arrive for classes and activities on time and fully prepared to engage. Late arrivals may be
refused entry at the discretion of the instructor or activity lead. Students arriving later than halfway through a scheduled
class will be treated as absent for that class.

Electronic Devices
Devices such as laptops, tablets, and cell phones are not permitted to be used in class unless directed by the instructor
for in-class activities. Students who do not follow the School’s policy in this regard may be required to leave the room for
the remainder of the class, so that they do not distract others. Research shows that students’ use of laptops in class has
negative implications for the learning environment, including reducing their own grades and the grades of those sitting
around them.

Citation Style
Please use the American Psychological Association (APA) reference style to cite your sources.

Details of the above policies and other RHL Policies are available at:
http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,199,506,1625

UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND RESOURCES

UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but recognizes that sometimes
crises arise and so there are additional resources to access including those for survivors of sexual violence. UBC values
respect for the person and ideas of all members of the academic community. Harassment and discrimination are not
tolerated nor is suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate accommodation for students with
disabilities and for religious observances. UBC values academic honesty and students are expected to acknowledge the
ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest academic standards in all of their actions. Details of the policies and
how to access support are available on the UBC Senate website at https://senate.ubc.ca/policies-resources-support-
student-success.

Respect for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The UBC Sauder School of Business strives to promote an intellectual community that is enhanced by diversity along
various dimensions including Indigeneity (including identification as First Nation, Métis, or Inuit), race, ethnicity, gender
identity, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, social class, and/or disability. It is critical that students from
diverse backgrounds and perspectives be valued in and well-served by their courses. Furthermore, the diversity that
students bring to the classroom should be viewed as a resource, benefit, and source of strength for your learning
experience. It is expected that all students and members of our community conduct themselves with empathy and
respect for others.

Academic Integrity
The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity. As members of this enterprise, all students are
expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic integrity. At the most basic level,
this means submitting only original work done by you and acknowledging all sources of information or ideas and
attributing them to others as required. This also means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your
work. Violations of academic integrity (i.e., misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and
therefore serious consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed. For example, incidences of plagiarism or
cheating may result in a mark of zero on the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if the
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matter is referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. Careful records are kept in order to
monitor and prevent recurrences.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Generative AI (Including ChatGPT) Not Permitted
Any work submitted must be your own original work. Any use of generative artificial intelligence (AI), including ChatGPT,
is prohibited and constitutes academic misconduct. Any student suspected of submitting work that includes AI
generated content may be asked for preliminary work or other materials to evidence the student’s original and unaided
authorship. The student may also be asked to separately explain or support their work. AI identification methods may
also be employed by the instructor. After review, if it is determined by the instructor that submitted work likely contains
AI generated content, the work may receive a zero and may be subject to further misconduct measures set out in the
UBC Academic Calendar.

COPYRIGHT
All materials of this course (course handouts, lecture slides, assessments, course readings, etc.) are the intellectual
property of the instructor or licensed to be used in this course by the copyright owner. Redistribution of these materials
by any means without permission of the copyright holder(s) constitutes a breach of copyright and may lead to academic
discipline and could be subject to legal action. Any lecture recordings are for the sole use of the instructor and students
enrolled in the class. In no case may the lecture recording or part of the recording be used by students for any other
purpose, either personal or commercial. Further, audio or video recording of classes are not permitted without the prior
consent of the instructor.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
UBC’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm
(Musqueam) people, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history, and traditions from one generation to the
next on this site.

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COURSE SCHEDULE NOTE: Schedule is TENTATIVE as it might change during the course. Check the latest version on Canvas.

CLASS TOPICS READINGS WHAT’S DUE

Honour Pledge
Class 1
Intro to OB Cht 1: Organizational Behavior (1.2, 1.5)
Jan 9 Introduce Yourself
Discussion Post
Perception,
Cht 3: Understanding People at Work: Individual Differences and Perception (3.3,
Class 2 Personality &
3.4)
Jan 16 Emotions
Cht 7: Managing Stress and Emotions (7.4, 7.5)

Teams Assigned
Class 3 Values, Attitudes & Cht 2: Managing Demographic and Cultural Diversity (2.2, 2.3)
BIG FIVE Personality
Jan 16 Diversity Cht 4: Individual Attitudes and Behaviors (4.2, 4.4)
Test

Class 4 Movie Case

Teamwork Cht 9: Managing Groups and Teams (9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5)
Jan 23 Assigned

Class 5 Motivation & Cht 5: Theories of Motivation (5.2, 5.3)

Team Charter
Jan 30 Job Design Cht 6: Designing a Motivating Work Environment (6.2, 6.3)

Class 6 Conflict &

Cht 10: Conflict and Negotiations (10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5)
Feb 6 Negotiation

Class 7 Group Peer

Fantasy Project Group Fantasy Project Presentations & Feedback
Feb 13 Evaluation

NO CLASS READING BREAK

Class 8 Leadership, Cht 12: Leading People Within Organizations (12.2, 12.3, 12.4)
Feb 27 Power & Politics Cht 13: Power and Politics (13.2, 13.3, 13.4)

Class 9
Decision Making Cht 11: Making Decisions (11.2, 11.3, 11.4)
Mar 6

Class 10 Org. Structure, Cht 14: Organizational Structure and Change (14.2, 14.3)
Mar 13 Change & Culture Cht 15: Organizational Culture (15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5)

Class 11 Group Project due

Communication Cht 8: Communication (8.2, 8.3, 8.4)
Mar 20 Sunday Mar 23

Class 12 Feedback due

NO CLASS – WATCH VIDEOS & SUBMIT VIDEO FEEDBACK
Mar 27 Sunday Mar 30

Class 13 Group Peer

Group OB Topic Live Q&A
Apr 3 Evaluations

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