ELECTIVE COURSE
COURSE CODE: MPO 722
COURSE TITLE: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AND CULTURE IN EDUCATION
CREDITS: 3 CREDITS
Lecturers: DR. STEPHEN BAFFOUR ADJEI AND DR. SAMUEL KWADWO ABOAGYE
Course Description
This course is designed to help students delve into how behaviour of individuals and groups within educational organisations and the authority structure of the organisations affect the effectiveness of teaching and learning. It specifically focuses on behaviour and performance issues in educational setups. The course covers the school as an organisation; informal relations in the school; organisational health and school climate; group dynamics; conflict resolution, stress management; decision making, change and innovation of educational establishment; motivation of teachers and non-teaching staff and organisational culture and leadership.
Course Objective/Learning Outcome
After completing this course, students should be able to:
1. Understand individual behavior in organizations
2. Understand group behavior in organizations
3. Understand the organizational system,
4. Compare and contrast theories of organizational behaviour
5. Analyze management issues as related to organizational behaviour
6. Evaluate ethical issues as related to organizational behaviour
7. Examine challenges of effective organizational communication
8. Examine the differences and similarities between leadership, power, and management
9. Assess the impact of culture on organizational behaviour
Course Content
1. Explanations of key concepts: Organisational Beliaviour (OB), systems, technology and culture
2. Characteristics of Organisational Behaviour and Culture in Education/importance of OB
3. The concept of Personality Development, traits, diversity, motives, behaviour, gender and their influences on organisational development
4. The nature of school climate, groups, teams and team building dynamics
5. Participation/Presentations (10 marks)
6. Conflicts and restoration mechanisms, stress management
7. Decision making processes in educational organisations
8. Organisational change/innovations and motivational measures to promote organisational effectiveness
9. Examine challenges of effective organizational communication
10. Revision and End of Semester Exams (60 marks)
Mode of Delivery
Lecture Discussion
Document analysis
Student Presentations
Cooperative Learning Groups
Continuous Assessment
1. Short essay (10 marks): One assignment for the course will involve a short written response to an essay question that invites students to unpack some of the complex issues covered in the course. This assignment will be due during week 4 of the course, and should not exceed 6 double-spaced pages. What is Orgnisational Behaviour and its importance to educational leadership in Ghanaian context.
2. Term paper (20 marks – Group Work): Students are required to prepare a significant term paper on a topic of their own choosing. While students are encouraged to focus their efforts on an area that they find to be of personal interest, the topic should be appropriate for a course in the Orgonisational Behaviour. Consultation with the instructor on the selection of a paper topic is welcomed. Students are required to submit a paragraph describing the proposed paper during week 7 of the course for comments and feedback from the instructor. The final product, due during week 14 of the course, should be a conceptually sophisticated and stylistically appropriate research paper (10-12 double-spaced pages).
Attendant/ Participation
In this class attendance and participation are especially important. When deciding your grade for this class, these factors will be considered: 1) Regular attendance, being on time to class and participation. Coming prepared and ready to discuss the assigned readings and work consistently. 2) Participation in class discussion. (Contribute appropriately without straying too often or dominating). 3) Turning in all written assignment on time. 4) Papers showing depth, thought and careful effort.
Reading List:
Robbins, S. P. & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational Behavior (14th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Lau, Dora C. and J. Keith Murnighan. 1998. Demographic Diversity and Faultlines: The
Compositional Dynamics of Organizational Groups. Academy of Management Review. 23(2): 325-340.
Pearsall, M.J., Ellis, A.P.J, & Evans, J.M. (2008). Unlocking the effects of gender faultlines on team creativity: Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 225-234.
Zellmer-Bruhn, M.E., Maloney, M.M., Bhappu, A.D., Salvador, R. (2008). When and how do
differences matter? An exploration of perceived similarity in teams. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 107,41-59.
Grading
- A = 100% – 80%
- B = 79% - 70%
- C = 69% - 60%
- F = 59% and below
- Teacher: Samuel Kwadwo Aboagye