Reputable Graduate

Business School for a

Sustainable Tomorrow

ADC601
MANAGING PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION
IN DIGITAL AGE

Graduate School of Business

Universiti Sains Malaysia

COURSE GUIDE
Lecturer: Dr. Noor Fareen Abdul Rahim & Dr Goh
Yen Nee
Semester: Semester 1, Academic Session 2020/2021

The information in this document is important and should be noted by all students undertaking the
Master of Business Administration Degree

Reviewed by: Approved by:

………………………………………….. …………………………………….

GSB strives to nurture responsible business leaders with the relevant knowledge and skills needed
to drive business sustainability.

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 ADC 601 (ONLINE MBA)
Managing People in the Organization in
Digital Age

Course Guide
Semester 1:2020/2021
Learning Goal and Learning Outcome:
After successful completion of this course, learners should be able to:

LG1: Develop knowledge on the specific disciplines

LO1: Demonstrate an understanding of theory and knowledge in relation to

functional disciplines of business management

LG2: Develop critical, innovative thinking and problem solving

LO1: Identify and analyse business scenario and recognise business problems

LO2: Evaluate issues through innovative thinking

LO3: Provide forward-looking solutions for business-related problems

LO4: Demonstrate the skills necessary for effective lifelong learning and
personal development

LG3: Develop effective and persuasive communication

LO1: Demonstrate a high proficiency in written communication

LO2: Demonstrate a high proficiency in oral communication

LG4: Develop ethical and responsible leadership skills

LO1: Demonstrate awareness of ethical conduct in decision making

LO2: Demonstrate understanding of responsible leadership

LG5: Develop effective teamwork

LO1: Demonstrate meaningful contribution to team-based activities

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LG6: Develop awareness on business sustainability

LO1: Comprehend business issues from the lens of sustainability

CLO1 Students will be able to analyse knowledge of organizational behavior concepts, theories,
PLO3
and phenomena concerning individuals, groups, and the organization.
CLO2 Interpret practical and technical tools for evaluating organizational factors that influence
individual and group behavior as well as human factors that influence organizational PLO7
performance.
CLO3
Propose well-developed interpersonal and communication skills by incorporating ethics,
PLO5
values, and attitudes in decision making and problem solving.
CLO4 Integrate social skills, team building, and other organizational behavior techniques by
incorporating ethics, values, and attitudes at the individual, group, and organizational PLO6
levels in actual work setting.
CLO5 Display strategic thinking, innovation and managerial skills based on previous relevant
PLO9
experience in business and management.

Duration
15 Weeks (OCTOBER 2020 – JANUARY 2021)

Teaching Panel/Consultation Hours

Lecturer Office Ext Consult hours
Dr. Noor Fareen Cabin D, Room 12 6259 By email appointment
Abdul Rahim [email protected]

Dr Goh Yen Nee L10, Room 14 5294 [email protected]

Participant’s Learning Activities

Week LEARNING ACTIVITIES

LESSON 1 introduces the FOUNDATION SECTION and covers
the basic concepts of management and organizational behavior,
its role in business organizations, and its applications in real
world cases.
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[14.10.2020]
Introduction to the course and the instructor

At the end of lesson 1, participants are expected to be able to:

1. Explain the objectives of this course.
2. Comprehend the learning outcomes of this course as well as
the learning activities for achieving each one of them.
3. Comprehend how and on which components they are being
assessed.

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 4. Explain the general rules and procedures with regard to the
course.
5. Know their instructor and course-mates.

Lesson Outcomes (LO1, LO3)

After reading this chapter, participants should be able to:
1. Define organizational behavior and organizations, and
discuss the importance of this field inquiry.
2. Compare and contrast the four current perspectives of
organizational effectiveness.
3. Debate the organizational opportunities amd challenges of
globalization, workforce diversity, and emerging
employment relationships.
4. Discuss the anchors on which organisational behaviour
knowledge is based.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 1.
2. Attempt Discussion Questions.
3. Self-study: Surf the net for the topics involved.

LESSON 2 will assist managers in understanding individual

behavior, personality and values

Lesson Outcomes
After completing Lesson 2, participants should be able to:
1. Students need to be able to describe the four factors
that directly influence individual behavior and
2 performance.
2. Summarize the five types of individual behavior in
[21.10.2020]
organizations.
3. Describe personality and discuss how the “Big Five”
personality dimensions and four MBTI types relate to
individual behavior in organizations.
4. Summarize Schwartz’s model of individual values and
discuss the conditions in which values influence behavior.
5. Describe three ethical principles and discuss three factors
that influence ethical behavior.

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 6. Describe five values commonly studied across cultures.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 2
2. Prepare for case participation – SNC-LAVALIN Group Inc.
3. Self- study: Surf the net on the related topic.

LESSON 3 exposes participants in perceiving ourselves &

others in organization.

Lesson Outcomes
After completing lesson 3, participants should be able to:
1. Describe the elements of self-concept and explain how
each affects an individual’s behavior and well-being.
2. Outline the perceptual process and discuss the effects of
categorical thinking and mental models in that process.
3. Discuss how stereotyping, attribution, self-fulfilling
3 prophecy, halo, false-consensus, primacy, and recency
effects influence the perceptual process.
[28.10.2020]
4. Discuss three ways to improve perceptions, with specific
applications to organizational situations.
5. Outline the main features of a global mindset and justify its
usefulness to employees and organizations.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 3.
2. Prepare for case participation – Hy Dairies, Inc.
3. Self-study: Surf the net on the related topic.

LESSON 4 discusses how workplace emotions, attitudes, &

4 stress, and employee motivation can affect one’s behavior and
[4.11.2020] performance in the organization.
FORUM A
Lesson Outcomes

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 After completing Lesson 4, participants should be able to:
1. Explain how emotions and cognition (logical thinking)
influence attitudes and behavior.
2. Discuss the dynamics of emotional labor and the role of
emotional intelligence in the workplace.
3. Summarize the consequences of job dissatisfaction, as well
as strategies to inclrease organizational (affective)
commitment.
4. Describe the stress experience and review three major
stressors.
5. Identify five ways to manage workplace stress.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 4
2. Prepare for case participation – Diana’s Disappointment:
The Promotion Stumbling Block
3. Self-study: Surf the net on the related topic.

LESSON 5 will assist participants in understanding how

employee motivation, and applied performance practices can
affect one’s behavior and performance in the organization.

Lesson Outcomes
After completing Lesson 5, participants should be able to:
1. Define employee engagement.
2. Explain the role of human drives and emotions in employee
motivation and behavior.
5 3. Summarize Maslow’s needs hierarchy, McCleland’s learned
needs theory, and four-drive theory, and discuss their
[11.11.2020] implications for motivating employees.
4. Discuss the expectancy theory model, including its practical
implications.
5. Outline organizational behavior modification (OB Mod) and
social cognitive theory, and explain their relevance to
employee motivation.
6. Describe the characteristics of effective goal setting and
feedback.
7. Summarize equity theory and describe ways to improve
procedural justice.
8. Students need to be able to explain employee
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 motivation, and applied performance practices which
can affects one behavior and performance in the
organization.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 5.
2. Prepare for case participation – Cincinnati Super Subs
3. Self-study: Surf the net on the related topic.

LESSON 6 will assist participants in understanding how applied

performance practices can affect one’s behavior and
performance in the organization.

Lesson Outcomes
After completing Lesson 6, participants should be able to:
1. Discuss the meaning of money and identify several
individual-, team-, and organizational-level performance-
based rewards.
2. Describe five ways to improve reward effectiveness.
3. List the advantages and disadvantages of job specialization.
6 4. Diagram the job characteristics model and describe three
[18.11.2020] ways to improve employee motivation through job design.
5. Define empowerment and identify strategies that support
empowerment.
6. Describe the five elements of self-leadership and identify
specific personal and work environment influences on self -
leadership.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 6.
2. Prepare for case participation – Yakkatech, Inc.
3. Self-study: Surf the net on the related topic.

LESSON 7 will assist participants in understanding how

7 decisions are arrived. Participants will be able to describe the
[25.11.2020] rational choice paradigm of decision making. Participants will
FORUM B be exposed to the problems encountered to arrive at a decision
as a team.

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 Lesson Outcomes
After completing Lesson 7, participants should be able to:
1. Describe the rational choice paradigm of decision making.
2. Explain why people differ from the rational choice paradigm
when identifying problems/opportunities, evaluating,
/choosing alternatives, and evaluating decision outcomes.
3. Discuss the roles of emotions and intuition in decision
making.
4. Describe employee characteristics, workplace conditions,
and specific activities that support creativity.
5. Describe the benefits of employee involvement and identify
four contingencies that affect the optimal level of employee
involvement.
6. Discuss the benefits of Business Intelligence for
Organizational decision making.

7. Describe Enterprise Connectivity Platform and Employee

Involvement in Decision Making

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 7.
2. Prepare for case participation – Employee involvement
cases.
Self-study: Surf the net on the related topic.

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MID SEMESTER BREAK

[2.12.2020]
TEST
[6.12.2020]

Lesson 8 shows participants the importance of team dynamics

in organizational settings.
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Lesson Outcomes
[9.12.2020] After completing Lesson 8, participants should be able to:
1. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of teams
2. Describe a model of team effectiveness

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 3. Explain team design elements
4. Summarise team processes
5. Explain success factors for self-directed teams
6. Debate on the merits and weaknesses of social media as
communication channels
7. Explain Virtual teams and Social Software Application
8. Students need to be able to apply the team
effectiveness models in organizational settings.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 8.
2. Prepare for case participation – Conifer Corp.
3. Self-study: Surf the net on the related topic.

Lesson 9 shows participants on how to communicate in teams

and organizations.

Lesson Outcomes
After completing Lesson 9, participants should be able to:
1. Explain why communication is important in organizations
and discuss four influences on effective communication
encoding and decoding.
2. Compare and contrast the advantages of and problems with
electronic mail, verbal communication media, and nonverbal
communication.
10 3. Explain how social acceptance and media richness
influence the preferred communication channel.
[16.12.2020]
4. Discuss various barriers (noise) to effective communication,
including cross-cultural and gender-based differences in
communication.
5. Explain how to get your message across more effectively,
and summarize the elements of active listening.
6. Summarize effective communication strategies in
organizational hierarchies, and review the role and
relevance of the organizational grapevine.
7. Discuss the benefits of Enterprise Social Media for
Workplace Communication
8. Students need to be able to evaluate effective

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 communication in teams and organization.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 9.
2. Prepare for case participation – Silver lines: Challenges
in Team Communication
3. Self-study: Surf the net on the related topic.

Lesson 10 shows participants the existence of power and

influence in the workplace. Participants will be exposed to the
five sources of power in organizations.

Lesson Outcomes
After completing LESSON 10, participants should be able to:
1. Describe the dependence model of power and the five
sources of power in organizations.
2. Discuss the four contingencies of power.
3. Explain how people and work units gain power through
social networks.
4. Describe eight types of influence tactics, three
consequences of influencing others, and three
11 contingencies to consider when choosing an influence
tactic.
[23.12.2020] 5. Identify the organizational conditions and personal
FORUM C characteristics associated with higher organizational
politics, as well as ways to minimize organizational politics.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 10.
2. Prepare for case participation - Resonus Corporation.
3. Self -study: Surf the net on the related topic.

Lesson 10 will assist managers in understanding conflict &

negotiation in the workplace.

Lesson Outcomes
After completing Lesson 10, participants should be able to:
1. Define conflict and debate its positive and negative

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 consequences in the workplace.
2. Distinguish task from relationship conflict and describe
three strategies to minimize relationship conflict during task
conflict episodes.
3. Diagram the conflict process model and describe six
structural sources of conflict in organizations.
4. Outline the five conflict handling styles and discuss the
circumstances in which each would be most appropriate.
5. Apply the six structural approaches to conflict management
and describe the three types of third-party dispute
resolution.
6. Describe the bargaining zone model and outline strategies
that skilled negotiators use to claim value and create value
in negotiations.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 11.
2. Prepare for case participation – Elaine’s Challenging
Experience
3. Self- study: Surf the net on the related topic.

Lesson 11 exposes participants to the foundations of

leadership in organizational settings

Lesson Outcomes
After completing Lesson 11, participants should be able to:
1. Define leadership and shared leadership.
2. Describe the four elements of transformational leadership
12 and explain why they are important for organizational
[30.12.20 change.
20] 3. Compare managerial leadership with transformational
leadership, and describe the features of task-oriented,
people oriented, and servant leadership.
4. Discuss the elements of path-goal theory, Fiedler’s
contingency model, and leadership substitutes.
5. Describe the two components of the implicit leadership
perspective.
6. Identify eight competencies associated with effective
leaders and describe authentic leadership.
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 7. Discuss cultural and gender similarities and differences in
leadership.

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Chapter 12.
2. Prepare for case participation – A window on life
3. Self- study: Surf the net on the related topic.

Lesson 12 points out that organizational structure and design

have always been important factors influencing the behavior of
individuals and groups that comprise the organizations.

Lesson Outcomes
After completing Lesson 12, participants should be able to:
1. Describe three types of coordination in organizational
structure

2. Discuss the role and effects of span of control,

13 centralization, and formalization and relate these elements
to organic and mechanistic Organizational Structure
[6.1.2021]
FORUM 3. Identify and evaluate six types of departmentalization
D
4. Explain the relevance of the external environment,
organization size, technology and strategy for designing an
organizational structure

To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required

to:
1. Read Ch. 13

2. Prepare for case participation – Merritt’s Bakery

3. Self-study: Surf the net on the related topic.

Lesson 13 exposes participants to the elements and

14 importance of organisational culture

[13.1.202 Lesson Outcomes

1] After completing Lesson 13, participants should be able to:
1. Summarize the elements of organizational culture
2. Decipher organizational culture through artifacts

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 3. Debate the use or overuse of corporate culture
4. Strategize for merging different organizational cultures
5. Describe the stages of organizational socialization
6. Design steps for improving socialization process
To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required
to:
1. Read Chapter 14.
2. Prepare for case participation – Hilton’s transformation
3. Self- study: Surf the net on the related topic.

Lesson 14 exposes participants Organizational change. This

15
chapter will highlight on reasons why people resist change, and
[20.1.202 why changes are needed to remain relevant.
1]

Lesson Outcomes
After completing Lesson 14, participants should be able to:
1. Describe the elements of Lewin’s force field analysis
model.
2. Discuss the reasons why people resist organizational
change and how change agents should view this
resistance.
3. Outline six strategies for minimizing resistance to change
and debate ways to effectively create an urgency to
change in IR 4.0.
4. Discuss how leadership, coalitions, social networks, and
pilot projects influence organizational change.
5. Describe and compare action research, appreciative
inquiry, large group interventions, and parallel learning
structures as formal approaches to organizational
change.
6. Discuss two cross-cultural and three ethical issues in
organizational change.
To achieve these learning outcomes, participants are required
to:
1. Read Chapter 15.
2. Prepare for case participation – Transact Insurance
Corporation
3. Self- study: Surf the net on the related topic

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*Students are required to pass for both of the assessment on coursework
and final exam.

TEXTS
PRESCRIBED TEXT
Core Text

McShane, S. L. & Von Glinow, M. A. (2020), Organizational Behavior: Emerging

Knowledge,Global Reality, 9 edition, NY: McGraw-Hill
ISBN: 978-1-259-92170-4

Additional Readings

Colquitt, J.A., Lepine, J.A. & Wesson, M.J. (2019). “Organizational Behavior: Improving
perf ormance and commitment in the workplace”, 6th Edition, New York: McGraw Hill.

George, J.M. & Jones, G.R. (2012), "Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior",
Harlow: Pearson
ISBN: 978-0-273-75379-7

Grenburg, J. (2011), "Behavior in Organizations",

Harlow: Pearson
ISBN: 978-1-4082-6430-0

Robbins, S.P. & Judge, T.A. (2011), "Organizational Behavior", Pearson

ISBN: 978-0-13-800040-0

McShane, S. L. & Von Glinow, M. A. (2010). “Organizational Behavior: Emerging Knowledge and
Practice for the Real World”. McGraw Hill, ISBN: 978-007-107866-5

Journals and Periodicals

Research in Organizational Behavior, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizat ional Behavior
and Human Decision Processes, Harvard Business Review, American Sociological Review,
Academy of Management Review, etc.

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