Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Instructor Bio
Eric Sourie is Instructor and Coordinator of the Master of Human Resource Studies Degree at the University of Oklahoma. As Instructor and Coordinator, Eric coordinates all aspects of the degree; teaches a variety of Human Resource courses; and serves as an advisor to students.
Prior to joining the Department of Human Relations as full-time faculty in 2015 (having served as an adjunct since 2007), Eric practiced Human Resources for ten years; serving in a variety of capacities across the HR gamut at both the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University respectively. As a committed HR professional, Eric is a member of various professional associations including the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR), where he served on the Oklahoma state board from 2008-2014. As a member of the CUPA-HR Oklahoma board, he held the positions of director, president-elect, president, and past president.
Course Details
Course Prerequisites
Students must have graduate standing in the Human Relations program.
Course Materials
Required:
- Required readings and videos are available on the Required Resources page of each module
- There are no required textbooks to purchase for this course
Recommended (not required):
- Northouse, P. (2019). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. ISBN: 9781506362311.
Course Components
Written Research Assignments
There are two written paper assignments for this course (30 points each). The paper assignments provide an evaluation of learning over the course content material that may not be adequately reflected in the standard format of an exam.
- Written Assignment One: Work is or will be a central part of life for the overwhelming majority of us. Thus, it seems reasonable to assume that we have and/or will encounter a number of management and leadership styles that we will or will not appreciate to varying degrees. But what is it about these approaches that tickle our fancy or make us downright unengaged at work? These and other questions are at the focus of our first written research assignment. Based on your own research and reading and analysis of various management, leadership, and organizational theory, write a 4-5 page paper detailing your approach to management.
Paper Guidelines are below.
- Make 10 major points in which you specify and prioritize your key principles for managing other people.
- Write in third person. While, this is expected to be your philosophy, do not write this paper in the first person. Present your ideas using the third person (e.g., “Effective managers should keep in mind the following ten principles of leadership…”). However, avoid referring to yourself (e.g., “the author believes…”). Imagine you are writing a scholarly paper to a professional audience, presenting your ideas with scholarly support.
- Do not simply list your principles. Again, imagine you are writing a scholarly paper. That means while you are “technically” listing and prioritizing your principles, this should not be a heavily bulleted or numbered document.
Written Research Assignment One Rubric- (30 points/5 pts. each):
- Clarity: Are your ideas and points clear? Is it hard to decipher what you are saying and/or where you are trying to take the reader? Is your position clearly stated (think thesis, research question, etc. and its development)? Does your paper include substance? Or, is it centered in fluff?
- Organization and Cohesion: Is your paper organized and cohesive? Is there an introduction, body (body can take many forms e.g., findings, analysis, etc.), and conclusion? Do the supporting paragraphs have topic sentences? Do all of the parts flow together? Do the parts represent the sum? Does the body and conclusion of the paper speak to the thesis or stated position(s)?
- Evidence Based: How do you go about supporting your analysis, evaluation, etc.? Can your analysis, evaluation, etc. be linked to your sources? Have you cited your sources? Are your sources solid?
- This is a scholarly centered research assignment. As such, your sources should be overwhelmingly of the book or peer reviewed/refereed scholarly journal nature. It should not be built on websites. While websites can be most informative, their inclusion should be complimentary. Papers with an over reliance on websites will be docked points. Your paper should have a minimum of 7 sources.
- Originality: Is your paper original research? Are the thoughts and ideas included in the paper your own? While your management approach will incorporate and be informed by other author’s ideas, you are to offer your own analysis. This should not be a regurgitation of the literature you consulted. That being said, it is not expected that you will be writing about something that no one else has. So, take that pressure off yourself! However, you should be adding something original to the conversation.
- Adherence to Instructions: Is it a scholarly situated paper? Does your paper follow APA style format? Is it written in the requested person tense? Does it meet the word/page count, etc.? Papers shall have 4 pts. deducted for each page omitted.
- Editing and Grammar: Have you edited your work? Is your paper grammatically sound (punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, etc.)? The expectation is not perfection. I have no desire in checking for every misspelled word, missed comma, etc. However, once grammar starts taking over your writing and impacting its readability, it is problematic. Run-on sentences, sentence fragments, misspelled words, missed punctuation, etc. should not happen consistently. I encourage proofreading your writing before submitting it.
2. Written Assignment Two: Personal Vision, Mission, and Value Statement- Vision, mission, and value statements are commonplace in organizational settings. They purport to drive organizational decision making and behavior. And, while they are not absent in personal life, they seem to be less prevalent. Nevertheless, many businesses and individuals alike affirm the potential benefits of well drafted vision, mission, and value statements. To this effect, each student will develop personal vision, mission, and value statements. The goal of the assignment is fourfold. First, to think deeply about our lives: what we want, who we want to be, and why; second, to develop the beginnings of a plan to manifest this vision and mission; third, to think about what our mission, vision, and values mean for interaction with other people in and out of the workplace, and fourth, to have something tangible that may serve as a guide for your life and assist in holding you accountable. Of course, these statements will change over the years, but at least we have something to refer to.
Each paper should include:
- Vision Statement at least a sentence and no longer than a paragraph.
- Mission Statement at least a sentence and no longer than a paragraph.
- Values Statements (5-10 values)- each value should be named and then
- An integration or synthesis of why you chose your statements and how they will assist you in organizations.
You can find a few short readings in Canvas that explore mission, vision, and value statements. In addition, examples of vision, mission, and values statement are in Canvas to help you understand what each may look like. (25 points) Due in Canvas, Sunday, November 15
Written Research Assignment Rubric- (30 points/5 pts. each):
- Clarity: Are your mission, vision, and value statements clear? Is it hard to decipher what you are saying and/or where you are trying to take the reader? Is your rationale and analysis clear? Have you clearly defined your values? Does your paper include substance? Or, is it centered in fluff?
- Organization and Cohesion: Is your paper organized and cohesive? Is there an introduction, body (body can take many forms e.g., findings, analysis, etc.), and conclusion? Do the supporting paragraphs have topic sentences? Do all of the parts flow together? Do the parts represent the sum? Do the vision and mission statements support one another?
- Evidence Based: How do you go about supporting your discussion, analysis, and rationale? Can your discussion, rationale, etc. be linked to your sources? Have you cited your sources? Are your sources solid?
- This is a scholarly centered research assignment. As such, your sources should be overwhelmingly of the book or peer reviewed/refereed scholarly journal nature. It should not be built on websites. While websites can be most informative, their inclusion should be complimentary. Papers with an over reliance on websites will be docked points. Your paper should have a minimum of 7 sources.
- Originality: Is your paper original? Are the thoughts and ideas included in the paper your own? While your mission, vision, and values statements will incorporate and be informed by other author’s and organizations ideas, you are to offer your own analysis and rationale. This should not be a regurgitation of organizational statements or other literature you consulted.
- Adherence to Instructions: Are all required elements present? Is it a scholarly situated paper? Does your paper follow APA style format? Does it meet the word/page count, etc.? Papers shall have 4 pts. deducted for each page omitted.
- Editing and Grammar: Have you edited your work? Is your paper grammatically sound (punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, etc.)? The expectation is not perfection. I have no desire in checking for every misspelled word, missed comma, etc. However, once grammar starts taking over your writing and impacting its readability, it is problematic. Run-on sentences, sentence fragments, misspelled words, missed punctuation, etc. should not happen consistently. I encourage proofreading your writing before submitting it.
Weekly Zoom Meetings
Each student will participate in weekly one- hour Zoom meetings during the semester. The primary purpose of our meetings is to assist in building community. Additionally, hopefully the meetings offer another opportunity for accountability regarding course engagement. Our Zoom meetings will be centered around our readings and other course content. Discussion along with Q & A will take most of our hour together. Our meetings will be each Monday 7-8 pm CST.
I realize we are in the middle of a pandemic and life is just straight up crazy. I am extremely sensitive to that. However, this is an online course that we have signed up for and committed to. Thus, the expectation is that we are going to be on-time and engaged throughout the Zoom meetings. 10 points each
Zoom Meeting Rubric:
- Attendance: Are you present? Are you on-time? Did you stay for the entire meeting? (5pts.)
- Quality of Engagement: Are you participating in the conversation? Is your participation substantive? Is your camera on? Refer to hypothes.is annotation rubric for “substantive” guidelines. (5pts.)
Weekly Discussion Forums:
This course is centered on the critical analysis and exchange of concepts, thoughts, and theories. As such, your participation in the weekly discussion forums is paramount (This is amplified with the online delivery of the course). The discussion forums will be based on the assigned readings and additional learning activities for that week/module. Hopefully our discussion forums assist us in building community in ways that we lose from not being in person.
Our discussions will occur via Hypothes.is Annotations. Expectations are outlined below. Stay mindful, you will not be graded on whether your submissions are “right” or “wrong”, but rather on the substance of your submission and the timing of it.
Hypothes.is Annotation Expectations:
Each week, a reading or set of readings will be selected for annotation. After or as you read, offer three annotation actions. Your annotations can take the form of multiple actions. For our purposes, an action is a question, comment, an answer, or some context you looked up and wanted to add.
Guidelines and expectations for Hypothes.is Annotations.
- Substantive- Regardless of the action, your annotations need to be substantive. Substantive will mean different things depending on the action. Below are some general guidelines for substantive.
- Questions- Good questions cannot be answered with yes or no responses; generally. Questions for clarification are certainly fine (e.g., what does this mean? Can someone help me understand this? etc.). Clarifying questions, however, should not make up the majority of your actions. Over reliance on clarifying questions will not receive full credit.
- Responses and comments- Responses and comments should have some teeth to them. What about the thought, statement, article, thesis did you like, agree with, not like or disagree with? What did you find problematic or brilliant? What about the thesis, thought, idea, statement made it confusing, unconvincing or the opposite? Short responses and comments like “I agree,” “I disagree,” and “I like that” will not count towards the minimum requirements. You are more than welcome to offer as many short annotations as you want. “I agree”, “I disagree”, “I like that”, etc. certainly have their place. They just will not count toward the minimum requirement. The same goes for “yes” and “no” responses.
- Constructive- Questions, comments, responses, context, etc. are offered in good faith to build up and add value to the discussion and reading of the text. You do not just regurgitate what others have said or what the authors have said in the reading.
- Considerate – Annotations should not target or be malicious in any way towards another student. To be sure, this is not to discourage strong disagreement and the like. Rather, lets commit to expressing that disagreement or disappointment in ways that are not personal.
- Grammaris still expected. Resist the temptation to use shorthand like we often use in text, social media, etc.
- is Resources
Discussions will occur each week unless otherwise noted. Discussions will be released in Canvas each Monday at 12:01 am and remain open until Sunday night at 11:59 PM. However, please note, your first two actions are due by Friday night at 11:59 pm. Then, your third action is due Sunday at 9:00 pm. Late action submissions will be docked points. Missing a discussion results in a forfeiture of points. (10 points each)
Course Grades
I sincerely hope that everyone realizes full success-however you define it- in this course. Personal enlightenment and development, critical thinking, increasing professional readiness and development are just a few markers of success. That all being said, grading is a reality of our experience that also demonstrates to some degree success in a course. I do realize and share some of the reservations with the concept of grading. At the same time, I realize and appreciate some of the utility grading can bring. And so, I thought I’d share some of my philosophy on grading.
In short, it all matters. Yes, you can absolutely crush the zoom meetings: exhibiting engagement and critical thinking. However, if you mail it in on the Written Research Assignment, or any other assignment- and vice versa- you can still earn a grade outside of what you wish. As previously mentioned, I understand some of the issues grading presents. Nevertheless, it is a reality of graduate school that I take seriously.
I would imagine most everyone will pass this class. It will take effort not to. That being said, you will earn your grade. Further, A’s are not our right for showing up. I do not expect or know perfection. However, A’s are synonymous-at least in this course- with giving a care; throughout the process. All this to say and reiterate, all of the assignments matter.
I am almost always open to discussing grades. However, if you earn a grade outside of what you hoped for, I ask that you question yourself prior to coming to me. Did I mail it in on an assignment(s) in a way that could have dropped my grade?
Breakdown
| Graded Assignments & Activities |
Description | Individual Points |
Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Papers | Written paper assignments | 2 papers x 30 points | 60 |
| Weekly Live Sessions | Synchronous Zoom meetings | 8 Live Sessions x 10 points | 80 |
| Hypothes.is Annotation Discussion Board | Learnin Content Hypothes.is Annotation | 8 Discussions x 10 points | 80 |
| |
Total |
220 |
Scale
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = 68% and below
Keep track of your scores for the course through the Canvas grade book.
Tentative Course Schedule
| Week |
Topics |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Human Relations Approaches & Theories of the Human Relations Movement |
| Week 2 | Theories and Concepts of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion |
| Week 3 | Social Exchange Theory; Equity Theory |
| Week 4 | Organizational Justice Theory |
| Week 5 | Theories of Motivation |
| Week 6 | Conflict Theory & Negotiation |
| Week 7 | Relational Theory |
| Week 8 | Social Influence & Feminist Theory |
Core Reading Assignments by Topic (Additional readings may be added in Resources for each module)
- Human Relations Approaches & Theories of Human Relations Movement
- Bruce, K., & Nyland, C. (2011). Elton Mayo and the deification of human relations. Organization studies, 32(3), 383-405.
- McGregor Human Side of Enterprise
- Monin, N., & Bathurst, R. (2008). Mary Follett on the leadership of ‘Everyman’. Ephemera-theory & politics in organization, 8(4), 447-461.
- Parker, L. D. (1984). Control in organizational life: the contribution of Mary Parker Follett. Academy of Management Review, 9(4), 736-745.
- Theories and Concepts of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Wiggins-Romesburg, C. A., & Githens, R. P. (2018). The psychology of diversity resistance and integration. Human Resource Development Review, 17(2), 179-198.
- Thomas, D.A., & Ely, R.J. (1996). Making differences matter: A new paradigm for managing diversity. The Harvard Business Review.
- Organizational Diversity Paradigms
- Racial Identity Development Models
- Social Exchange Theory
- Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. S. (2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of management, 31(6), 874-900.
- Equity Theory
- Adams, J. S. (1965). Inequity in social exchange. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 267-299). Academic Press.
- Theories of Motivation
- Maslow, A. H. (1943, abridged). A theory of motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370-396.
- McCllelland motivation theory
- Kreitner & Kinicki chapter Foundations of Motivation
- Organizational Justice Theory
- Colquitt, J. A., Scott, B. A., Rodell, J. B., Long, D. M., Zapata, C. P., Conlon, D. E., & Wesson, M. J. (2013). Justice at the millennium, a decade later: A meta-analytic test of social exchange and affect-based perspectives. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(2), 199.
- Greenberg, J. (1990). Organizational justice: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Journal of management, 16(2), 399-432.
- Conflict Theory & Negotiation
- Rahim, M. A. (2002). Toward a theory of managing organizational conflict. International journal of conflict management, 13(3).
- Relational Theory; Social Influence and Feminist Theory
- Fletcher_Relational Theory in the Workplace
- Nakash et al 2002_Relational-Cultural Practice_Working in a NonRelational World
- Rashotte_Social Influence
Course Policies
Communication Plan
I am available for meetings face to face (less so nowadays), phone, and zoom. Students desiring such a meeting should schedule an appointment via e-mail or phone. E-mail is the most effective and efficient mode of communication. I will make every attempt to reply no later than 48 hours from receipt.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. All official correspondence will be sent to email addresses registered in the university e-mail system unless an alternate address is initiated via e-mail correspondence.
Late Policy
All work is due on the due date. Late assignments (those without prior approval from the instructor) are subject to be penalized at least one letter grade once they are more than an hour late.
If you need to email me, I normally respond to emails within 24 hours during the week, and within 48 hours on a weekend. If you email me over a weekend, holiday break, or semester break, there may be a longer response time.
If you have questions about grades or your performance in this class, I am happy to meet with you in a Zoom conference. You may email your request to meet, and we can schedule a day and time to meet.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Online Course Resources and IT Support:
This is an asynchronous online course. Course materials will be posted on Canvas (with the exception of the textbooks). Several resources are available to assist you in successfully navigating online and blended courses.
- For general assistance and Canvas assistance and training, the College of Arts & Sciences Online Student Orientation should help.
- In addition, the College of Arts and Sciences Online and Academic Technology Services Student Information page may also be helpful.
- OU’s Information Technology website may also be helpful. Most of the info links to other places. Nevertheless, it is another place you can go for assistance.
- Finally, the University’s Learn Anywhere website can help you navigate not only this course but being a student at OU during Covid-19.
Course Catalog
Search the OU Course Catalog.
Student Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.
Online Library
Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.
Academic Misconduct
In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook.
It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.
This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch OU’s Plagiarism Tutorial Video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.
Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.
If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Graduate Student Handbook or get in touch with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.
Title IX Resources
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no-contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates at 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident.
Religious Holidays
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.
Copyright Policy
It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.
Registration and Withdrawal
If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.
Student Grievances
In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|