Contemporary Management - MBA Program 

Contemporary Management
Marwan El Messiry – 01001121001 – marwan.elmessiry@eslsca.edu.eg

Course Overview

This course will help develop the knowledge and competence you need to be an effective
manager. The ability to use assets effectively and get things done through other people is
vital to the success of modern organizations and your own career. So, this course will help
you gain both the knowledge of the principles that underlie effective management as well
as the opportunity to practice in effectively applying that knowledge to demonstrate
competence in management.

Course Learning Goals

The purpose of this course is to:

1. How to properly recognize and understand the attitudes, emotions, motivations, and
values that influence you, your employees, and your organization.
2. How to use your knowledge about people to interact effectively with others and
design organizational systems in a manner that maximizes individual, team, and
organizational performance.
3. How organizational, political, and global forces in the environment shape your
decisions and your organization’s success and survival.
4. How to develop effective plans and strategies, make effective decisions, and monitor
the performance of your organization, team, employees, and self.
5. How the characteristics of leaders, followers, and situations impact the effectiveness
of leaders in organizations so you can effectively lead a team or organization to
exceptional performance and make a difference in the world
6. How to understand diversity and manage change within a context of organizational
culture
7. Setting goals and formulating strategy and mastering the planning function of the
organization

Dr. Marwan El Messiry 

Contemporary Management 1 
Eslsca School of Business MBA Program 2020 
 Contemporary Management - MBA Program  

Course Structure
The course is structured on three main learning components:
1. ​Class Sessions:​ Classes will involve a blend of lectures and case discussions. Students
are expected to contribute to the class discussions based on the course readings and their
own business experience.
2. ​Teamwork:​ Several assignments are done in teams. Although this work is done entirely
outside the classroom, these efforts are an integral aspect of the course.
3. ​Individual work:​ In addition to preparing individually for class sessions and group
activities, students will complete some assignments on an individual basis.

Teams
Teamwork is an essential component of the course. Students may assemble their own
teams prior to class, or else teams will be assigned at the end of the first class. Target team
size is 3-5 members. Teams will remain fixed throughout the course. To incentivize
participation, team members will evaluate one another’s performance after each team
assignment, which contributes to the participation grade.

Course Outline

Session Module/Chapter/Topic/Title
1 Ch (1) Introduction to Management
2 Ch (2) Decision Making
3 Ch (3) Global Management
4 Ch (4) Valuing a diverse workforce
Ch (5) Socially conscious management
5
Ch (6) Managing change
6 Mid-Term Exam
7 Ch (7) Constraints on Managers
8 Ch (8) Planning and goal setting
9 Ch (9) Managing Strategy
Ch (11)Organization design
10
Ch (13)Human resources management
11 Ch (18) Controlling activities and operations
12 Final Exam

Dr. Marwan El Messiry 

Contemporary Management 2 
Eslsca School of Business MBA Program 2020 
 Contemporary Management - MBA Program  

Readings and Text Book

The course will be delivered based on the following textbook:
▪ Management – Fourteenth Edition ​ ​- Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter
▪ Other readings will be defined across the class sessions.

Grades Structure
Item Percentage
Attendance 10%
Participation (Class and home assignments) 20%
Mid Term 30%
Final Exam 40%

Definition of Grades
Grade Points Range
A 4.0 90-100
A- 3.7 85-89
B+ 3.3 80-84
B 3.0 75-79
B- 2.7 70-74
C+ 2.3 65-69
C 2.0 60-64

EXPLANATION OF ASSIGNMENTS AND CLASS POLICIES:

1. Workload:​ ​A career in management is very demanding. To be successful in
management requires a high level of commitment. I expect everyone who takes this class to
demonstrate their commitment through hard work. In short, you are treated as
professionals in this class and are expected to act in a professional, dedicated and ethical
manner.

2. Exams:​ Cover material from class discussion including the textbook modules,
cases, videos, homework, and all other assignments. The exams are designed to evaluate
your individual knowledge of sales management theory and application. Exam format
varies and includes several questioning techniques and formats.
Missing a Test:​ Tests must be taken on the day they are scheduled. In the event of a major
emergency (e.g., illness), contact me and the department of management studies by phone

Dr. Marwan El Messiry 

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Eslsca School of Business MBA Program 2020 
 Contemporary Management - MBA Program  

or email immediately. Failure to notify me prior to the test can result in you receiving a
zero on the test.

3. Comprehensive Final Exam:​ A comprehensive final exam is given in this class

during finals week. All materials from the class are covered including articles, cases, text
chapters, etc. The final exam might be delivered in the form of a group project as per
lecturer choice.

4. Class Participation and Preparation:​ I prefer to use a discussion format in

this class (versus the straight lecture format). This puts a premium on you being prepared
for class. Class participation is designed to improve your ability to verbally answer
business questions, defend your ideas, and think on your feet. This is an important skill that
sales managers need and one that improves greatly with practice.
Participation is more than just showing up for class! You must contribute successfully! This
means you must demonstrate a mastery of the subject and answer questions correctly.
How to prepare for class discussions:​ Before class - read the assigned module or article.
Many students also find it helpful to outline the chapters and take notes on the articles or
cases (these become useful study aids). You may also find it helpful to use the online
quizzes available via the textbook website. These quiz questions are very similar to the test
questions and can really help you do better on the tests.
What to do in class:​ Take notes over what we discuss and answer the questions I ask. 90%
of what is covered on your exams is covered in class discussions. Raise your hand to
contribute to the discussion. Avoid saying an answer out loud without raising your hand
first. This is important so that everyone has a chance to contribute.
Trust in the classroom:​ To make this class work, I will strive to create an environment
where you can take a chance to answer a question, even if you aren’t 100% sure of the
answer. You are much better off in this class trying to answer a question and failing, than
sitting all class and never saying a thing. Often an incorrect answer isn’t totally wrong – just
a part of it is off base. Or, you may have one concept slightly confused with another. No big
deal. You get credit in this class for trying! You don’t’ get credit for just showing up.
What not to do in the classroom:​ Sitting there and not being involved in the discussion is a
bad idea. You can’t succeed in this class if you don’t participate. Please don’t disrupt class
by talking to the person sitting next to you, etc. It’s ok to ask the person next to you a
question, but you may be asked to leave class if you are disruptive. This goes for texting in
class too.

Dr. Marwan El Messiry 

Contemporary Management 4 
Eslsca School of Business MBA Program 2020 
 Contemporary Management - MBA Program  

5. Unannounced Quizzes:​ ​Students must come to class prepared to discuss

assigned material. Unannounced quizzes will be used regularly to assess your preparation.
Quizzes will be added into your class participation score.

6. Attendance:​ ​Attendance is required for all students. If you must miss class, you
do so at your own risk.

7. Other Assignments:​ ​I reserve the right to give you other assignments

throughout the course of the semester.

8. Extra Credit:​ ​Extra credit is not a part of this class.

11. Statement of Academic Integrity:​ ​The School of Business Administration
upholds the honor and academic integrity in all of its teaching, research, and service
activities. All business faculty, staff, and students are charged with the responsibility to
behave with personal and professional integrity and to refrain from dishonourable
conduct.

12. Cell Phones and other Technology:​ ​Cell phones should be turned off (or to
vibrate) before you enter the class and may not be used in the classroom. Text messaging
should be kept to a minimum or you may be asked to leave. Laptops are permissible and
are encouraged. However, you may be asked to close them during class discussions.
Remember, the main idea here is to not disturb the class. Students not adhering to the
technology policy will simply be asked to leave class.

Online Classroom Rules:

#1. Before posting your question to a discussion board, check if anyone has asked it already
and received a reply.
#2. Stay on topic. Don't post irrelevant comments, links, thoughts, or pictures
#3. Don't write anything angry/sarcastic, even as a joke. Without hearing your tone, others
might not realize you're joking
#4. Don't type in ALL CAPS! If you do, it will look like you're yelling at others.
#5. Respect the opinions of your classmates. If you feel the need to disagree, do so
respectfully.
#6. If you reply to a question from a classmate, make sure your answer is accurate. Do not
guess!
#7. Remember to say "Please" and "Thank you" when asking for help from your classmates.

Dr. Marwan El Messiry 

Contemporary Management 5 
Eslsca School of Business MBA Program 2020 
 Contemporary Management - MBA Program  

#8. Be brief. If you write long responses, it's unlikely anyone will spend the time to read it
all.
#9. If you ask a question and many people respond, summarize all the answers and post it
to benefit your whole class
#10. If you refer to something your classmate said, quote a few lines from their post so
others know which post you're referencing.
#11. Use “Raise your hand” options if you need to comment or ask anything. Wait for others
to finish if applies.
#12. Run a spelling/grammar check before posting. Use complete words and sentences in
all posts
#13. Be forgiving. If your classmate makes a mistake, don't badger him/her for it. Let it go -
it happens to the best of us.
#14. Before asking a question, check the course content or search the internet to see if the
answer is easy to find so you do not waste valuable class time.
#15. Reach out to your teacher if you have any questions/issues. They are still here to help,
even virtually!

Dr. Marwan El Messiry 

Contemporary Management 6 
Eslsca School of Business MBA Program 2020