Course Syllabus

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Southern Utah University

Fall Semester 2025

Management and Organizations (Online)

MGMT 3180-33I

Course:	MGMT 3180-33I
Credits:	3
Term:	Fall Semester 2025
Department:	MHRH
CRN:	33875

Course Description

Management is a set of dynamic and complex activities that all organizations must master if they are to survive in the long run. MGMT 3180 is the introductory course to the study of managing people, resources, and processes, with an emphasis on understanding the behavioral and administrative theories and concepts needed to succeed in contemporary organizations. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): None

Introduction to the world of a manager, the concepts needed by a manager, the process of managing, and the adjustments that must be made to meet changes that are occurring in the modern business world.

Effective managers are called upon daily to exhibit strong leadership, make informed decisions, build teams, train and motivate employees, familiarize themselves with complex technical and legal issues, and plan for an increasingly uncertain future. Managers do all this and more, making it important for them to be familiar with a variety of disciplines. I think you’ll find this course applicable to almost any occupation you choose. No matter what your college major is or what your field of study or work is, at some point in your career you’ll find yourself managing people and other resources – that’s almost guaranteed.

This course is designed to help you learn the vocabulary, principles and logic of management. Everything you do this semester will, either broadly or narrowly, relate to improving your understanding of and critically thinking about management principles, theories, tools, practice and application. The primary goal is for you to come to think as a manager would think.

Required Texts

(NOTE: Our book is accessed by going to the "Inclusive Access Course Materials" menu in our Canvas course).

We will be using Management: An Integrated Approach (Second Edition) by Ranjay Gulati, Anthony J. Mayo and Nitin Nohria.

Our textbook will be a very important part of the course, so study it thoroughly. A significant portion of the exam questions will be based on material from this source. We will be using the textbook each week, beginning the first week of the semester.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the context for management, including the global business environment and the role of ethics and corporate social responsibility.
Discuss the strategic perspective of management, including an overall understanding of business strategy and the different roles of business-level and corporate-level strategies.
Describe the organizational perspective of management, and be able to discuss organizational design, organizational culture, human capital management, performance management and how to approach organizational change.
Discuss the many elements of the individual perspective of management, including leadership in organizations, personal leadership, power and influence, decision making, conflict and negotiation, leading teams, motivation, communication and networking.

Course Requirements

We will measure the extent to which you achieve the desired learning outcomes based on your performance on the assessment vehicles outlined below. Below is a brief description of the assessment vehicles:

Study Assistance Folder in Canvas: If you go to Files, and then to the Study Assistance folder, you'll find several things that will help you prepare for exams including study guides for each of our exams. Check out this resource!

Discussion Topics (4 total) - 85 total points
Throughout the semester, you will engage in discussion topics about the materials we are learning about in the textbook. These discussion topics provide an opportunity for you to both engage with your fellow classmates (since this is an online-only course) and practice critical thinking skills on the topics at hand. Think of this also as your "attendance or participation" points for the class.

These discussion topics will consist to the following:

First Discussion: please take a few minutes and introduce yourself to the class so we can get to know one another through the Discussions area. Requires just one post per student, with the appropriate details as listed in the Assignments page, to get full credit (10 points).
Second - Fourth Discussion: I will insert a topic into the Discussions area at the start of each month (September, October, and November), and each student is expected to post at least three responses or thoughts on this topic per month for full credit. There are three criteria for full credit on these discussion posts: 1) you must post on different days and these days cannot be sequential (e.g., posting three times on the last day of the month will be counted as only one post, if you didn't post other times of the month, and posting only on Sept 28, 29, 30 will count as only two posts for September). Thus, for full credit, my recommendation is that you post once between the 1st - 10th days of the month, once between the 11th - 20th, and once between the 21st - end of month. 2) your post has to keep the conversation going, either by asking a question on your post or posting your response/thought in such a way for others to be able to comment on your post and/or the original topic, and 3) each post must be approximately 2-3 sentences or a small paragraph, where I can see you can be both concise but also put some good thought in the response/thought (25 points each).

Individual Zoom Presentation - 65 points
During the first week of the semester, I will randomly assign a specific section of a chapter for each student to cover from the textbook, and you will record and upload a 6-8 minute presentation on that topic via Zoom video conferencing. These presentations will also be shared with your classmates, as these presentations can be used to assist in your individual study towards exams (beyond the reading and study guides I have provided, and these presentations allow a different way to learn). This assignment also provides students with a formal presentation opportunity (even if it's only on Zoom), with typical guidelines you'll find in the business world for covering a topic, which is a skill all managers and employees need.

Go to this assignment itself to see the Zoom presentation deadline (which is the same for all of you), and the specific topic from the textbook you have been assigned. I will provide you a PowerPoint template you can use, as well as a sample recorded presentation within the Files section so you know what the expectations are, but know you can supplement the PowerPoint with other resources beyond the textbook (e.g. examples of the principle in modern business, a short YouTube clip on the topic, etc.) to help yourself and the class understand your assigned presentation material from the book.

My basic grading rubric for your presentation consists of the following categories:

Content coverage. Did you stay focused on the topic and create an in-depth learning experience?
The slide presentation itself. Did you follow the PowerPoint rubric and stay within the allotted time frame?
Your individual presentation/speaking qualities. As any student who has sat through a presentation - - especially a slide presentation - - can tell you, simply reading off the slides word-for-word is not an effective way to teach. Presenters should consider using more of an extemporaneous presentation approach - minimal content on the slides themselves, and you defining and/or teaching what the few words on the slides mean. Having notes available separately, to refer to, is okay if you need some prompting.

Exams (5 total) - 400 total points
To demonstrate your understanding and mastery of the management principles that we will be studying, you will complete 5 exams. The fifth exam is NOT comprehensive and will cover only the last four chapters of our textbook.

All exams will consist of 50 multiple choice and True or False questions (100 points per exam) and will cover all the material in the chapters of the textbook assigned for that period. I have provided STUDY GUIDES for all the exams. Please go to the Files menu in Canvas and you'll see the study guides for each exam.

Late exams will not be accepted and makeup exams are not usually permitted, except in extraordinary circumstances, and only if arrangements are made in advance. If arrangements are not made in advance, you will receive a score of 0 for a missed exam. After the fourth exam, I will drop your lowest exam score from consideration towards your grade, meaning only your top three exam scores between #1 - #4 will count towards your grade, plus whatever you score on your final exam (exam #5). All exams will be taken using Honorlock, the university's online exam proctoring solution.

Please note the dues dates for each of the 5 exams. The exams are open from the first day of class, so you can take each exam as early as you like, but my STRONG RECOMMENDATION is that you take the exams in order and over the course of the entire semester (e.g. either the week before or the week they are due), particularly Exams 2-5 (based on the Individual Zoom Presentation assignment output) so you digest the information and be best prepared for each exam.

Establishing a Family Culture Using Our Management Text (Writing Assignment) - 100 points
Over time, educated people begin to realize that true principles and effective practices are often transferable from one field of study to another. For example, what could NASA - - an organization that takes individuals into outer space - - teach business people about starting a new business venture? Or, what could a successful business leader teach a new high school basketball coaching about leadership? What do gardening and forging a specific corporate culture have in common?

Assignment instructions: Write a 5+ page (double-spaced, Times New Roman font size 12) paper explaining how you would use our textbook - - Management: An Integrated Approach (2nd ed.) - - to build a strong family culture. Paper quality is more important than length. You can define "family" in just about any way you want to - - the only rule is that it must involve more than just you. As you think about the culture you might want to establish, you should probably first think about some values you'd like to target - - - education? service/charity? work ethic? problem-solving/making decisions and counseling together? health practices and physical activity? art appreciation? faith and/or spirituality? responsible citizenship? integrity and other virtues? etc., etc. Having a long list of specific cultural elements is not essential for this paper.

Multiple astute observations as to how you would apply the culture-shaping principles from our text are essential to getting an excellent grade. Your paper should be loaded with the vocabulary and probably some quotes from the text. Where appropriate, make sure that you use the proper text book vocabulary from the appropriate chapters. Through your paper, clearly demonstrate that you understand the principles and practices explained in the text and/or articles you may choose to cite. In your paper, you do not need to use the exact practices listed in Management, but you should discuss how the practices found in the text inspired you. In other words, feel free to tweak the basic ideas found in our text.

Format is not important (MLA, APA, etc.), but please be consistent throughout the paper. You are welcome to cite other sources (e.g., articles about family culture, etc.), and please cite these sources appropriately. However, if Management: An Integrated Approach is your only source, that's fine as well.

Your paper should be well-written, interesting and easy to understand and follow.
Grammar, spelling and punctuation are important on all writing assignments.

Course Outline

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late work is not accepted in this course, since you have access to nearly all assignments from the start (only the discussions are time-sensitive per month), so I expect you to calendar your time accordingly to meet the associated deadlines if you want credit.

Late exams will not be accepted and makeup exams are not usually permitted, except in extraordinary circumstances, and only if arrangements are made in advance. If arrangements are not made in advance, you will receive a score of 0 for a missed exam.

This is a course designed for business students. As I anticipate that you intend to enter the professional world following your glorious SUU student experience, I’d suggest it’s time (if you haven’t already) for you to think about the professionalism that will define you in the working world. When people hear your name, what do they think? Are you a consistent, reliable, and purposeful contributor? Do you give your best effort in a timely manner and are proud to submit the work that carries your name? Or are you unreliable, problematic, or contentious? Marketers call the process of developing reputations “building a brand.” To help guide you in your development of a professional brand while still in school, think WWIDITWARJ (“What would I do if this were a real job?”).

You may ask yourself, what does WWIDITWARJ mean for us in this class/course environment? A few examples may suffice. First, please note that late work, absent an extreme emergency, is not accepted. Part of this is to encourage you to meet your professional obligations, part of it is for your own benefit (to help you keep on track), and part of it is out of courtesy to me (grading) and your classmates (fairness). To use some extreme examples, things like “my father died” would qualify as emergencies that could justify late work; things like “I waited until the last minute and now I can’t find the materials I need” do not. Also, consider the timing of the notice: it is much better to say, “I was diagnosed with COVID this morning and I’m worried about being able to complete this week’s reading quiz on time”, than it is to email, “I was sick last week and couldn’t do the work” after the deadline has passed. Put yourself in the position of a manager; what would justify your employee coming in and offering late work?

Second, I am more than happy to communicate with you through the course and will endeavor to do so promptly. However, I do have a few requirements:

Contact me by email - I prefer direct email rather than Canvas (my email address is above) because it helps me keep track of our discussions, though Canvas email does work. I don’t get notifications of other types of communications (like comments on assignments or announcements), and I can’t respond if I don’t see them.
I do not respond to email that is unprofessional, rude, or demanding. Before you send me an email on any topic, please ensure that you have taken care to use appropriate tone, punctuation, and spelling. Note that if you’re trying to meet these obligations, you almost certainly have.
I respond most promptly to emails during the workweek (Monday - Friday, 8 am – 5 pm), so this is when you should also be communicating with me if you need something. I will occasionally check my emails over the weekend, but this is rare and is not the expectation. Thus, if you are struggling with questions about an assignment that is due Sunday at 11:59 pm, an email sent to me on Saturday or Sunday will likely not get you the help you need in the timeframe you need it in, so plan accordingly to ask your questions and/or communicate with me during regular University business hours.
You should ensure that you have read the syllabus so that you have consumed the information I’ve already provided. Again, what would you do if you were a manager and someone asked a question you’ve already addressed, or did so rudely?

Attendance Policy

As an online-only course, there is no required attendance. The main difference between an online course and an in-person course is the extent to which the student is taking responsibility for how they get work done. In an in-person class, the student would see me (instructor) multiple times per week, which would allow me to help students manage their work. In an online environment, this rests entirely on the student's shoulders. Thus, an online class allows you the flexibility to complete your work when you want, but if you try to do it all at the last minute, it's unlikely that you would be as successful than if you were more disciplined.

I STRONGLY ADVISE that students rely on the “To Do List” or the “Calendar” in Canvas for this course, as this will keep you on target with the various due dates. I also advise the student to complete their textbook reading each week; the tests are scattered approximately three weeks apart from each other throughout the semester, meaning approximately 1.5 chapters will need to be read per week in order to be adequately prepared for exams by the due dates outlined.

Since all assignments and materials (other than the discussion topics) are given to students at the beginning of the semester, students should look at the syllabus in advance and make sure the student is aware of major conflicts and navigate them accordingly. For instance, if a student is getting married the week an exam is due, carefully consider how the student will complete the exam during the open time frame. Similarly, if the student is getting married the week the writing assignment is due, the student should work ahead so that it can be submitted on time.

Course Fees

N/A

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

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