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Canyon College School of Business
Bachelor of Business Administration Program
Business Management Course

Welcome to Leading, Managing and Maximizing High Performance

Course Navigation Map Syllabus Information Introduction Course Description Vision Mission Goals - Assumptions Overview

Course Objectives Text Books Performance Measurement Weekly Schedule Assignments Communication-Contacting me and the group Integrity Weekly Assignments

INTRODUCTION

Instructor: Mike C. Montanari, MS E-Mail - Biography
Prerequisites: None


COURSE DESCRIPTION

This self-study course designed for an advanced bachelor level focuses on the behavior of individuals and groups within diverse organizations and on organizational structure and processes. There is heavy emphasis on leadership, change management, team development and continuous improvement practices and experiences. Topics include management, transforming business processes, leadership, motivation, team development and dynamics, teamwork, communication, conflict and process improvement structure.

Participants will be able to understand principles and practices of organizational behavior to successfully analyze organizational situations, diagnose problems, identify and evaluate alternative solutions, and recommend appropriate course of action.

COURSE VISION

What do you see yourself learning? See yourself as you want to be and you will pave the way for learning and becoming all you can be. History depicts Michelangelo salvaging a piece of marble that had been discarded by other sculptors because it was too long and narrow. The story continues as people ask "what value is that strange piece of marble?" What will you ever be able to produce from it?" "I see David" he responds. Then he put his imagination to work, chiseling, carving and learning. When finished, there stood the statue of David. The person you see yourself becoming is the person you will ultimately be.

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COURSE MISSION

As Socrates said, "I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think."

I will provide each participant with a course structure and content that contains established, proven, current and usable concepts and methods to successfully support and enhance your vision and learning goals. My long-term mission is to establish a partnership that mutually challenges, stretches and builds critical thinking and life long learning skills.

COURSE GOALS

1. Gain a well-rounded, current foundation to increase awareness and application of focused leadership and management practices for business and personal growth.
2. Provide a complete and practical system view and approach to fundamental leadership and management applications in a group or team environment.
3. Increase your understanding and working knowledge of course concepts to improve your ability to develop lasting strategies and actions to build and sustain individual and group high performance.
4. Develop and apply knowledge and skills to assess, analyze, diagnose, and successfully act within rapidly changing environments and situations to create a more direct link between job behaviors, performance, and the bottom line.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. Understand the framework and fundamentals of management as the foundation for business high performance and effectiveness.
2. Focus on "best practice " leading and managing methods as critical success factors for continuous individual and group high performance
3. Identify and apply structures, processes and methods that can improve individual and group performance and business effectiveness.
4. Increase and enhance your personal skills as a leader and manager.

COURSE ASSUMPTIONS

1. The ability to learn and apply knowledge faster and more effectively than others is your number one competitive advantage.
2. No matter what job you have, this course supports the working principle: you are a leader and a manager.
3. Leadership effectiveness is a critical determinant of individual, manager, group and organizational high performance.
4. Leaders and managers achieve their goals and objectives through skillful application of critical thinking skills and interaction with other people acting individually and in groups.

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COURSE OVERVIEW

The course begins with a brief perspective of management today and an examination of the key purpose and concepts of the management process. Then a brief overview of strategic leading and managing practices that specify what leaders and managers must do to accomplish organizational and personal plans of actions follows. This leads to:

• The definition of individual, group and organizational high performance and the development of performance improvement structure and processes.
• Key characteristics of organizational members are identified and examined to understand how these factors influence the effectiveness of organizations and their members.
• Transforming business processes using Total Quality Management (TQM) and learning strategies are examined and discussed.
• Leadership behavior as a facilitator of a high performance group or team is examined.
• The critical roles a leader and manager have in realizing change in complex organizations is examined.
• The human side of organizational change is then explored with a focus on understanding how and why people react to organizational change and identifying actions for increasing change implementation effectiveness.
• Creating high performance teams and building commitment to sustain productivity concepts, structures and techniques are explained and demonstrated.
• The process, content issues and tools of team work and work groups are explored including organizational culture, types of teams, stages of development, interpersonal/group relations, problem solving, decision making and conflict resolution.
• Finally, the course explores and demonstrates specific applications of continuous improvement as we participate in leading and managing organizations.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or Netscape Navigator 7.0 or above.

Operating System: Windows 98/NT/Me/2000/XP or Macintosh OS9+.


LEARNING RESOURCES

Required texts: - Online Book Store

1. Management: Principles and Practices for Tomorrow's Leaders, 3rd Edition, 2003/2004, by Gary Dessler. Prentice Hall (Pearson), Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. (Softcover) ISBN: 0131009923

You can purchase texts through our online bookstore link or any major retailer.

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ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments - RESTRICTED ACCESS

The course schedule identifies self-assessments, reading and discussion (chat) room assignments, weekly progress checks, and written responses for selected topics. All assignments are from the textbook(s), weekly notes, web articles and popular business publications. Weekly notes are designed to allow you to study additional or alternative theories, methods or ideas.


Guidelines:

1. Topics in the course schedule are generally related to a section in the text(s) or assigned reading.
2. Assignments will be posted by weeks and will be available each Sunday by 5:00 p.m. EDT and are do back to me for review and feedback via email by 3:00 p.m. EDT the following Saturday.
3. Submit all assignment content for a specific week together in one email.
4. Assignments more than two days overdue will not be accepted.
5. Assignments (PC) will be scheduled every week.
6. Assignment responses must include in the email subject line: your name (last, first), course title and schedule code: Example- Jones, Mary, BU480-Assignment 1, week 1
   (FYI---BU480-Assignment 1, Wk1=Leading, Managing and Maximizing High Performance-Assignment1, Week 1)
7. It is each participant’s responsibility to send e-mails properly with or without attachments. However, attachments are the preferred format

SELF-ASSESSMENTS

Self-assessment learning exercises (true/false, multiple choice, rating questions and profiles), critical thinking and application exercises will be completed weekly as part of this course. As related topics are covered, the results of your self-assessments will be available to you. The individual weekly assignments will discuss the meaning of the self-assessment results and ways to use the information to facilitate your personal learning. Individual results are for your use only and will not be shared with anyone. You may choose to share your results with others as a learning opportunity. Self-assessment profiles will measure such factors as management style, leadership style, attitudes toward change, team effectiveness, and coaching.


READINGS AND WRITTEN RESPONSES

Your ability to use the knowledge in the chapter readings and related assignments (R01-R08) will be demonstrated in written responses, on-line discussions and examinations. Written responses are based on the key textbook(s) and reading concept questions and/or mini case studies or projects, critical thinking exercise or practice situations.


DISCUSSION ROOMS

Class (Discussion) rooms have been created on the course web site for each course topic for general course discussion and for interaction with me. Discussion rooms allow you to post questions and answers or to make comments about course issues and other participant’s responses. The on-line discussion rooms organize information and course learning points from participants and make it easily accessible to all. This course feature will be used when two or more students begin the course at the same time.


INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS

There will be weekly learning assessments, two exams (mid-term and final), weekly assignments (progress checks) and independent reading exercises [R]. Progress checks (PC) may consist of a "mini case study" and/or a number of short answer and/or objective questions. Independent readings, with related questions, will be assigned per week according to the current course schedule or added according to weekly assignment postings.

You will be expected to communicate with me and your participant group (when assigned by your instructor). Class (Discussion) rooms give us the opportunity to engage in a conversation of selected topics and will assist you in clarifying, developing, generalizing, and considering the implications of key concepts. Expectations for your participation include responding individually to assigned questions, exercises or situations and responding to other participant’s responses by sharing your opinion, feeling, perspective, ideas and experiences. Both expectations must be met to earn credit.

For each week, 20 points will be awarded for participation in the group class (discussion) room (when required by your instructor). No participation points are possible if you do not take part in the discussion. You must participate at least 2 days a week. (Monday through Saturday) to earn points. Each time you participate over 2 you will receive 2 bonus points for each day. I expect you to diagnose, analyze, and respond to questions and comments from myself as well as your group participants. Routine comments and statements of agreement are not sufficient for this assignment. You must add your personal critical thinking perspective to the original discussion to be awarded points.

Since many of you will want to discuss your company and its policies, procedures and issues as they apply to the course I expect everyone to respect the confidentiality of the facts that are discussed with the group. Common courtesy and respect is expected. Although your comments will not be screened prior to posting I do reserved the option of removing any contribution that devalues this learning area or is deemed inappropriate in accordance with Canyon College or program standards.

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WEEKLY NOTES

The weekly notes are organized as a series of web pages. Each web page outlines and supports portions of the weekly course material. You may access the web pages as often as you wish and in any order. Successful completion of the course includes the understanding and application of note concepts and tools in your assignments, evaluations and examinations.


PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

Performance in this course is measured by a mid-term examination, weekly assignments (progress checks), independent readings, a team project and a final examination. Evaluation of your performance in the course will be based on a 1000-point scale. Final course grades will be based primarily on the number of points earned, although I may consider other relevant factors such as quality of on-line participation. Better quantity and/or quality participation may raise your grade. Consistently exceeding assignment response (word) ranges (quantity versus quality) will not enhance your grade and may be considered lack of conciseness.

Midterm Examination. A mid-term examination will be administered during the course: MTE. The midterm (MTE) will consist of one "mini case study and/or a number of short answer and/or objective questions. Weekly notes are posted online within the course schedule that contain material that enhances and supplement text content. You are responsible for the material contained in the notes.


Independent Readings. Other books and articles have been assigned as outside, independent readings. Further information can be found in the appropriate links in the Schedule as R01, R02, R03, R04, R05, R06, R07 and R08.


Final Examination. The final exam (FE), which will cover all key course concepts consisting of true/false, multiple-choice, personal assessments, several "mini case studies" and coaching situation activities. The first part of the final examination, (FE), has a comprehensive true-false, multiple-choice format to measure your mastery of course material. The second half of the final examination is a series of critical thinking short answer questions and activities that require you to demonstrate knowledge of the major concepts conveyed in the course along with an "real" concept tool to apply, analyze and develop recommendations related to your findings. No makeup or alternate examinations during the course will be offered. However, special situations (emergencies, business travel) will be considered in real time and alternatives discussed and approved by the instructor.


Final Grade Grades are determined by an alpha-numeric % point system:

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COURSE SCHEDULE

The following schedule identifies the weekly course topics, the activities associated with each topic, and course reading assignments. There are specific dates on this schedule for required assignments. It is your responsibility to complete all readings and assignments.


Schedule and On-Line Course Material

Week # 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. & 8.

Schedule The Management Environment-Business as Unusual Leading and Managing Commitment Transforming Business Processes The Leadership Challenge Midterm Examination - RESTRICTED The Leadership Challenge Organizational Change Management Creating High Performance Teams Continuous Improvement Final Examination - RESTRICTED

Assignments - (Due Date/Time) Review Learning Objectives Complete Registration Tasks Complete Review and Reading sections Complete Learning Assessments Complete Application Exercises Review key points Review weekly lecture notes

The schedule and online materials are subject to change. You are responsible for any changes announced using e-mail, discussion room or web postings.

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Communication

I will check e-mail at least twice weekly-each Wednesday and Saturday of each course week. I will also be available to respond "real time" to questions, comments or other issues (if requested by the student). However, I would anticipate increasing this frequency depending on the volume of communications. Please use this address, eagle1@canyoncollege.edu as the primary point of contact whenever you need to communicate with me. I will respond to you within 24 hours.

Please feel free to use the Class (Discussion) Room (when assigned and available) for any course-related communication (ie, "Does anyone know the four key concepts of system thinking?" "How can I get a copy of the two additional resource books?" Anyone have a good idea on what our team project might be?). I will communicate messages to all participants using the Discussion List as well. I will also frequently forward additional information concerning a selected topic (ie, the current Fortune Table of Contents) to the Discussion List.

If the Class Room is not an option forward all communications to my attention: canyonprof@aol.com.


E-mailing Assignments

If you are asked to e-mail assignments, you may e-mail at anytime you choose prior to the due date/time. However, your last e-mail on a certain assignment/topic will be considered your primary work for evaluation/grading purposes.

Please follow the guidelines below:

1. Send your work using attachments or within the body of all your e-mails.
2. To ensure your e-mail was sent, send a copy to yourself. Use "confirmation option" if available.
3. Save your work frequently.

Course Integrity

Academic integrity is highly valued at Canyon College. You must complete all course assignments that represents your original work. If you use any ideas or expressions that are not original, you must cite all relevant sources.

Violation of academic integrity could include:

1. Having someone complete any part of your assignments.
2. Using information from on-line information services without proper notation on the source and author.
3. Submitting work done by others.
4. Communicating private course content to others.

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Evaluation/Grading

Your evaluation/grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Assignment (Task) A 01-04 (weeks 1-4) 5-8 (weeks 1-4) 8-14 (weeks 5-8) 19-24 (weeks 5-8)

Description Registration PC1-PC4 R1-R4 Midterm Examination (MTE) PC5-PC8 R5-R8 * Team Project (TP) Final Examination (FE) * if required Total Points Offered:

Points 50 points 140 points 80 points 150 points 140 points 80 points 50 points 310 points 1000 points

The final posted grade will be calculated by:

1. Summing all points earned
2. Applying the traditional 100%-point scale:

A = B = C = D = F = INC

90% (900 points and above) 80% (800 points and above) 70% (700 points and above) 60% (600 points and above) 59% and below (Incomplete)

Performance Expectations

• A = Excellent performance; consistent and most effective application of critical thinking, insightful comments on situation recommendations, articulate, superior writing ability (concise, clear, candid), able to relate course content to previous experience and learning without difficulty, very active participant and a model for others to follow.
• B = Good performance; effective application of critical thinking, insightful comments on situation recommendations, articulate, solid writing ability (concise, clear, candid with minor errors), able to relate course content to previous experience and learning with some difficulty, active participant and consistently completes all assignments well above minimum requirements; a solid performer.
• C = Satisfactory performance; accomplishes minimum requirements; communicates at a generally acceptable level; satisfactory understanding of the basic concepts; meets requirements.
• D = Quality and quantity of work and participation is below average and barely acceptable; marginally acceptable performance
• F = Quality and quantity of work and participation is unacceptable.

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Written Assignment Expectations

Format- 12" Font, 1/2" top, bottom and regular margins.
Content - 85% of available points - factors: Critical thinking and relevance; identification of critical issues, strength and depth of analysis, innovative thought and understanding of factual information.
Technique- 15% of available points - factors: grammar, spelling, punctuation, organization and structure/flow.

Assignments are due at the end of each week as listed in the syllabus, assignments section or posted using email, unless a schedule change is approved by your instructor. All changes or modifications to assignments will be noted by the word "New". Points will be deducted for late assignments* as follows:

• 1 day late - highest possible score is 90% of total
• 2 days late - highest possible score is 70% of total
• No credit for assignments over 2 days late
  *(unless the late assignment(s) is approved by your instructor)

Your grade in progress will be communicated every two weeks upon student request during the course using your personal email.

If I decide to change an assignment date on short notice I will address any scheduling conflicts participants may have with the new date on a "case-by-case" basis. However, I anticipate changes to be minimal.

SUMMARY

On behalf of Canyon College and myself, welcome to the course.

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