MAN

262

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

FALL 2018

Syllabus

Instructor Jacques N. Couvas, Senior Lecturer

Classroom Amphitheatre V 02
Time Section 01 Mon 13:40 – 15:30 Wed 15:40 –

17:30
Office Consultations by appointment only.
Room AZ 20A

Contact Information Telephone: 290 1939

e-mail: jacques.couvas@gmail.com
T/A TBA

e-mail: TBA


Managing an organisation, large or small, and leading it to success is the ultimate aspiration of every
student of management and of every entrepreneur—or, at least, it should be. But managing a firm
requires a good understanding of its raison d’être, its complex structure, and of its component parts.
Such parts can be static—capital, infrastructure—or dynamic—e.g., people. Without proper
preparation for dealing with these issues, a future manager is bound to be frustrated and to achieve
limited results.

This course aims at addressing many of these issues, not only in their historical and academic contexts,
but also in the light of recent findings and of the changing needs of society, companies and of their
respective stakeholders.

The activities of an enterprise are strongly interrelated, as we shall see during this course. No function
may sustain good results in the long term, unless it supports, and is supported by other functional areas
of the firm, which must act as a living entity and behave effectively—thus the notion of Organisational
Behaviour (‘OB’).

The prolonged global economic crisis, which began ten years ago, has put additional emphasis on
organisational performance in times when resources are becoming scarcer while shareholders expect
better returns to their investments. These demands have put additional pressure on companies to
implement techniques that maximize the productivity of their assets—and particularly their human
capital—while reducing costs. Since all companies competing in the same industry sectors and
markets have the same opportunities and constraints, the way of managing organisational behaviour

Copyright © 2015-2018 Jacques N. Couvas

has become an important differentiator that can lead to the formation of a competitive advantage. We
shall explore in this course the conditions under which new OB techniques and practices may create
such differentiation.

The first part of the course addresses the most recent challenges organisations have been facing,
mainly because of the economic crisis. Emphasis is put upon understanding the impact of the
individual in balancing stakeholder relations and achieving harmony in the work place. Personality,
emotional intelligence, values and ethics, motivation, diversity of the work-force, work-related stress,
continuous learning, and performance appraisal methods will be discussed in detail, both from a
theoretical and from an empirical point of view.

The second part deals with the rapidly growing need for organisations to operate as groups and teams,
both at local and global levels. Such behaviour, coupled with the use of new technologies, is necessary
for achieving better and faster results and for paving the way towards knowledge-sharing, knowledge-
management and innovation. With groups and teams being, however, increasingly dispersed
geographically and cross-cultural in nature, as well as cross-disciplinary, harmony in human relations
becomes difficult to accomplish. Thirst for power and internal politics often end up in conflict, which
the management must resolve through effective negotiations and mediation. Competent managers
should be able to prevent conflict, which is often the result of poorly designed goals and of lack of
good communication in all directions. Weak or inappropriate decision-making techniques also have
negative impact on team management and on collective results. We shall see how these obstacles may
be overcome through better understanding of OB theory.

The third part focuses on the processes necessary for creating and managing an effective organisation.
There is a variety of choices in designing an organisation that is appropriate for its specific industry
environment, so we shall examine the parameters for choosing the right design. External factors--such
as culture, society, the economy, and competition intensity—are also important for corporate success.
In recent years, ethics have emerged as an element that can make-or-break the reputation (and,
therefore, the brand value) of a firm. Ethic deficiencies may be internal (employees, management) or
external (government, society, national culture in the country of operations). The discussion on ethics
will, therefore, occupy a large chunk of this part and will include notions of modern trends in
corporate governance worldwide, following unethical OB practices observed in the past twenty years.

In addition to studying the theoretical aspects of OB and the latest research findings on the subject, the
course is designed to transfer knowledge to the students through company cases, real-life examples,
discussion and debate on the more ambiguous or controversial issues and concepts, and hands-on
application of the course concepts through individual and team field work and simulations.

Although OB sounds distant, old-fashioned and rigid, it reflects the reality of the business world, as
both investors and managers now place more emphasis on the human side of organisations.

The textbook for this course is:

George, J., Jones, G. Understanding and Managing International Behavior (6 ed., Pearson 2012).
th

Additional reading material will be distributed during the course by the instructor.

Instructor Expectations

The focus of the course will be on applying concepts and ideas to real-world examples – both our case
discussions and to your own companies’ and work situations, if you are already employed. The success
of the course, in terms of individual and collective learning, depends on your input into class

Copyright © 2015-2018 Jacques N. Couvas

 discussion. This requires adequate preparation for class and willingness to take responsibility for the
quality and constructiveness of interaction with peers.

Preparation for each class is critical, including careful reading of the assigned case, consideration of
the assignment questions, and familiarity with the relevant textbook chapter or other reading. Each
case will require about three hours of preparation.

Class Participation

Active and thoughtful class participation will be critical to your learning and the learning of your
classmates. I will ‘cold call’ students throughout the discussion. In evaluating class participation, I
will consider the quality rather than the frequency of contributions. In assessing quality, I consider
the following types of issues:

• Does the comment simply repeat facts from the case/textbook, or does it provide analysis that adds
to our understanding of the case/text and its broader implications?

• Does the comment fit well into the flow of the discussion? Is it linked to the comments of others?

• Is the comment presented in a clear, concise, compelling manner or is it confusing, repetitive or

contradictory to itself?

• Is the argument used to challenge someone else’s opinion clearly structured, backed by theory or
facts, and expressed in a persuasive manner?

The most important criterion in my assessment of class participation will be: “How
significantly did this student’s participation contribute to the learning of the section as a
whole?”

Outline of the Course

Module 1 - What is Organisational Behaviour (‘OB’)?
- Challenges and Opportunities for Organisations in the 21 Century
st

Module 2 - Individual differences: Personality and Ability

- Values, Attitudes, Moods and Emotions
- Perception, Attribution, and Management of Diversity
- Learning and Creativity
- The Learning Organisation

Module 3 - Motivation on the job

- Motivation theories
- Creating a Motivating Work Setting
- Job Design Models

Copyright © 2015-2018 Jacques N. Couvas

 - Setting Goals and their Impact on Motivation

Module 4 - Careers and Employment Relationships

- Psychological Contracts
- Performance Appraisal
- Diagnosing and Managing Stress
- Work-Life Balance

Module 5 - The Nature of Work Groups and Teams

- Roles, Rules and Norms in Group Formation and Management
- Effective Work Groups and Teams
- Task Characteristics and their Impact on Group Performance

Module 6 - What Is Leadership?

- Leadership Theories—Traditional and Contemporary Thinking
- Do Leaders Really Affect an Organisation’s Success?
- Charisma in Leadership: Myth or Prerequisite?
- Women Leaders: Catalysts for Corporate Change?

Module 7 - Power Games and Politics in the Workplace

- Organisational Conflict
- Conflict Resolution: Theoretical Models
- Resolving Conflict through Negotiation and Mediation

Module 8 - What Is Communication?

- The Importance of Communication for Effective Management
- Media, Practices and Techniques for Good Communication
- Persuasion as Means of Communication

Module 9 - Decision Making in the Organisation

- Individual v Group Decision Making: Theories and Techniques
- Ethics and Decision Making
- Creating the Learning Organisation: From Theory to Practice

Module 10 - Designing a Dynamic Organisation

- Functions, Structures and Trends in Organisational Design
- IT, Big Data, AI as Enablers of Organisational Design

Module 11 - Organisational Culture: Fact or Fad?

- Shaping Organisational Culture: Main Factors
- The Role of National Cultures in Multinational Organisations

Module 12 - Corporate Governance Models around the World

- Drivers for Governance Change and Recent Trends
- Ethical Culture Creation in an Organisation: Externally or Internally Driven?

Module 13 - The Power of Organisational Change and Development

- Resistance to Change
- Theories and Types of Change
- Managing Change and Organisational Development

Module 14 - Ethics in a Cross-Cultural Environment

- Types of Unethical Behaviour in the Global Arena

Copyright © 2015-2018 Jacques N. Couvas

 - Effective OB and Company Sustainability
- Review of the Concepts of the Course

Note: The
subject duration
details of each module
and chronology is approximately
are subject three depending
to adjustments, class-lecture
on hours. Programme
progress is
and specific
subject to adjustments depending on the needs and progress of the class.

Copyright © 2015-2018 Jacques N. Couvas

Assessment (Total = 100 points)
Student activity Evaluation criteria Score
Class attendance Absence in one of the two sessions of each class will 15
also result in point reduction.
Class participation (qualitative) Command of English, Communication skills, 10
Contribution to the class’ knowledge-development,
attitude/behaviour/conduct in class, ethical
awareness.
Conduct (Expectation: perfect conduct (=0). Deviations, such as 0 to -15
disruptive behaviour, chatting with class neighbours,
unauthorised use of electronic devices, late arrival or late
return from breaks, bad manners, etc., will result in point
deduction).
Course-work, in-class tests and Individual exercises, tests, case analysis skills, critical 20
Case-analysis skills thinking, individually and in class, and argumentation
techniques.
Oral presentation & Presentation skills, quality of presentations, 5
communication skills negotiation/argumentation skills, handling questions
Mid Term Exam Thorough understanding and use of course concepts; 20
command of the English language; analytical and
integrative thinking; creativity and innovative thinking.
Final examination and project Understanding and application of course concepts, 30
analysis and synthesis skills, integrative thinking,
argumentation, use of course tools and frames; use of a
variety of sources, command of the English language;
ability to identify the cause of a problem, to develop
and recommend options for its solution using
arguments, and to evaluate the implications of the
solution favoured on the company’s goals and strategy.
Total 100

Grading Scale and Meaning
A 94-100
A- 88-93.99
B+ 85-87.99
B 80-84.99
B- 75-79.99
C+ 70-74.99
C 65-69.99
C- 60-64.99
D+ 55-59.99
D 50-54.99
F <50

• A, A- Earned by work whose excellent quality indicates a full mastery of the subject and, in the case of the
grade of A, is of extraordinary distinction.

• B+, B, B- Earned by work that indicates a good comprehension of the course material, a good command of the
skills needed to work with the course material, and the student’s full engagement with the course
requirements and activities.

Copyright © 2015-2018 Jacques N. Couvas

• C+, C, C- Earned by work that indicates an adequate and satisfactory comprehension of the course material
and the skills needed to work with the course material and that indicates the student has met the basic
requirements for completing assigned work and participating in class activities.

• D+, D, D- Earned by work that is unsatisfactory but that indicates some minimal command of the course
materials and some minimal participation in class activities that is worthy of course credit toward the
degree.

• F Earned by work which is unsatisfactory and unworthy of course credit towards the degree.

Notes :

1. A student who does not attend 25 percent or more of the classes shall be excluded from the exams and may fail the
course, upon proposal by the instructor and decision by the Dean of the Daculty.
2. Absences from classes and exams shall be tolerated for the following reasons only : serious medical reasons
complying with the University’s regulations, death of an ascedant, descendant or sibling of the student, or
imprisonment of the student only. In all cases, a valid official certificate must be produced within 48 hours of the
absence.
3. Late arrival to class, late return to class from breaks and early departures shall be subject to deduction of presence
points.
4. Lack of discipline in class, chatting with other students during lectures and presentations, unauthorised use of
computers, mobile phones and any and all electronic devices shall result in deduction of points in the ‘ class
participation’ or ‘conduct’ grading rubriques above.
5. Make up exams shall be granted to students fulfilling the conditions under (2) above only. The Faculty reserves the
right to collect a fee from the student for make-up exams and assignments.
6. No make up exams or assignents shall be granted for improvement of grades and scores of mid-term, final exam or
assignments, or for absence from class.
7. Requests for mid-term exam and final grade revision found baseless may result in a decrease of the mid-term or
final grade, as applicable.
8. All regulations and practices of the University in respect to Discipline and Academic Honesty apply in full to this
course.

Copyright © 2015-2018 Jacques N. Couvas

Copyright © 2015-2018 Jacques N. Couvas

 Your Instructor

Jacques N. Couvas is Senior Lecturer of Strategic Management at Bilkent University

since 2005-6. He has also been Adjunct Professor with Koç University Graduate
School of Business, Clinical Professor with Ozyegin University, Istanbul and with the
Law School of the University of Santa Clara, CA, U.S.A. In the business world, he is a company director and an
international consultant and jurist, advising U.S. and European multinationals on corporate and business strategies
for entering the regional markets of Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East and for dealing with State regulators.
He has extensive experience in modern Information and Communications Technologies (‘ICT’), the media and the
hospitality industries.

Couvas has held CEO, COO, CMO, acting CFO, and executive officer positions with public and private
companies, such as Service 800 (a joint investment by AT&T, Krupp Industries, Adia International, and Stanford
Research Institute), Skytel Inc. (a subsidiary of Verizon-MCI), Glenayre Technologies, Kepner Tregoe, Global
Crossing, and Hyatt Corporation. He has also held directorships on the boards of corporations in Europe, the U.S.,
Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, and has led M&A, JVs, Strategic Alliances, and private and public initial finance
and refinance projects at U.S. stock exchanges.

He has served on various committees of the International Telecommunications Union of the United
Nations (‘ITU’), the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (‘ETSI’), the European Conference of Posts
and Telecommunications (‘CEPT’), and as corporate and industry representative and advocate (lobbyist) at the
European Commission, the Federal Communications Commission (U.S.), and the World Economic Forum. He was
elected Chairman and CEO of the European Mobile Messaging Association from 1994 through 2005 and is
currently its President Emeritus. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Directors of the UK, 1980-2004. He has lived in
nine different countries and has managed operations in five continents.

He is Associate Editor of the International Business and Diplomacy Exchange Magazine (London), an
editorial contributor to Pearson’s higher education books, business and political analyst with two international press
agencies, and member of the European Corporate Governance Institute (Brussels), the Chartered Institute of
Arbitrators (London) and the International Political Science Association (Montréal). He is also involved in a number
of initiatives on Social Entrepreneurship sponsored by the United Nations Development Program, European
universities and the University of California at Berkley.

Couvas holds degrees of Master in Business Administration and of Master in European Union Law, post-
graduate diplomas and certificates in Executive Management, Financial Strategy, Italian Literature, European
Marketing Management (INSEAD), and on International Negotiations (Harvard Law School, Yale). He is fluent in
English, French, Italian, and Greek, and has good knowledge of Spanish, German and Dutch. His fields of interest
and research are strategy, globalisation, leadership, start-up ecosystems, international negotiations, political
marketing, Constitutional Law, and Middle Eastern history, affairs and corporate governance. He is a frequent
keynote speaker, chairman, and guest lecturer at international conferences and at European, Turkish and U.S.
universities. His publications include journal and media articles, cases for academic use, and three books on EU Law
and on contemporary European politics.

Copyright © 2015-2018 Jacques N. Couvas


Copyright © 2015-2018 Jacques N. Couvas