Organizational Behavior

Instructor Information

• Instructor: Dr. Simone Ferris (Assistant Professor of Management)
• Email: sferris@university.alkimi.ai
• Office: Tidewell Hall 324
• Office Hours:
  • Tuesday & Wednesday: 9:30–11:00 a.m. (In person, Tidewell Hall 324)
  • Friday: 2:00–3:00 p.m. (Virtual via Zoom; link posted in Canvas)
  • Also available by appointment.

Course Description

Individual and group behavior in organizations: personality, perception, motivation, job attitudes, team dynamics, power and politics, organizational culture, and evidence-based management. MGT 320 provides a comprehensive, research-based exploration of human behavior in organizational settings across individual, interpersonal, and systemic levels. Students examine how personality, emotional intelligence, job attitudes, and perceptual biases influence managerial decision-making and workplace performance. Moving from individual dynamics to group processes, the course investigates team development, psychological safety, leadership paradigms, negotiation strategies, organizational culture, and change management through evidence-based managerial research and real-world corporate case studies.

Prerequisites

MGT 301.

Measurable Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of MGT 320, students will be able to:

1. Evaluate Individual Differences and Attitudes: Analyze how personality traits, cognitive biases, values, and emotional intelligence impact employee motivation, job satisfaction, and ethical decision-making.
2. Apply Work Motivation Theories: Design motivating jobs and compensation structures using content, process, and self-determination theories of motivation to improve retention and productivity.
3. Diagnose Team Dynamics and Functioning: Assess stages of team development, evaluate sources of social loafing, and cultivate psychological safety to optimize high-performance team collaboration.
4. Analyze Power, Politics, and Conflict: Differentiate bases of power, apply ethical influence tactics, and negotiate integrative solutions to functional and dysfunctional organizational conflict.
5. Lead Cultural and Organizational Change: Examine organizational culture formation, diagnose resistance to change, and apply evidence-based change frameworks to navigate structural transitions.

Required Course Materials & Approximate Costs

1. Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge. Organizational Behavior. 19th ed., Pearson, 2023. Approx. $60 digital rental, $130 print purchase.
2. Alkimi Organizational Behavior Case Packet. Free digital case materials provided on Canvas.
3. Total estimated cost: $60 to $130.

Generative AI Policy (AI Level 2: AI Permitted with Disclosure for Specified Tasks)

In accordance with Alkimi University Academic Policies (Student Handbook §5.8), MGT 320 operates under AI Level 2.

• What is permitted: You may use generative AI tools to brainstorm organizational behavior case perspectives, review behavioral definitions, and check the grammar or formatting of draft case analyses.
• What is prohibited: You may not use AI tools during examinations, nor may you submit AI-generated diagnostic case analyses, team evaluation memos, or personal reflection essays as your own work.
• Disclosure: Any case brief or term project submitted with AI assistance must include an explicit disclosure statement explaining which AI tools were consulted and how their contributions were adapted.

Grading Components and Weights

• Midterm Examination 1: 20% (In class, Thursday, September 24)
• Midterm Examination 2: 20% (In class, Thursday, October 29)
• Organizational Diagnostic Case Project: 20% (Due Friday, November 20 at 11:59 p.m.)
• Behavioral Case Briefs: 15% (Three written case analysis briefs submitted via Canvas on Fridays at 11:59 p.m. in weeks 4, 8, and 12)
• In-Class Team Simulations & Discussions: 5% (Active participation in weekly behavioral simulations, structured debates, and team exercises)
• Comprehensive Final Examination: 20% (Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 1:30–3:30 p.m.)

Grading Scale (Alkimi University Standard)

• A: 93–100% | A-: 90–92%
• B+: 87–89% | B: 83–86% | B-: 80–82%
• C+: 77–79% | C: 73–76% | C-: 70–72%
• D+: 67–69% | D: 60–66% | F: Below 60%
• Extra credit: No extra credit assignments are available in MGT 320. Evaluation is based strictly on performance in assigned case briefs, the diagnostic project, class discussions, and examinations.

Course Schedule (Fall 2026)

Course Policies

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance in Tidewell Hall 130 is required. Class meetings are structured around experiential exercises, case discussions, and team simulations that cannot be replicated outside class. Missing more than two unexcused sessions will adversely impact your participation grade. Inform Dr. Ferris promptly of any excused absences. Students who miss the first two class meetings without notifying the instructor may be dropped. Students may miss class for religious observance without penalty if they notify the instructor in writing within the first two weeks of the semester (by Wednesday, September 9, 2026). Absences for university-sponsored activities (athletics, performances, conferences) are excused with a letter from the sponsoring office at least one week in advance.

Late Work Policy

Case briefs and the Organizational Diagnostic Case Project incur a 10% penalty for each calendar day late and are not accepted after three days past the deadline. In-class simulation exercises cannot be made up without an approved excused absence.

Final Exam Policy

The final examination (Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 1:30–3:30 p.m.) is scheduled by the University Registrar and can't be moved without the Dean's written approval (Faculty Handbook §5.5). A student with three or more final exams on the same calendar day may reschedule one of them. Requests go to the instructor of the middle exam by the last day of classes. For this term, send the request by Wednesday, December 9, 2026 (Student Handbook §6.4).