Course Syllabus
HR 5003 - Theoretical Foundations
Faculty Contact Information
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.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage of Points |
|---|---|---|
| Participation | Weekly Synchronous Live Session Attendance | 10% |
| Discussion Board | Asynchronous Discussion Topics | 25% |
| Written Assignment | Theory Paper | 40% |
| Guest Speaker(s): Webinars | Written Reflections | 25% |
| Total |
100% |
Scale
| Percentage of Points | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Keep track of your scores for the course through the Canvas grade book.
Course Components
Participation
Each week, we will meet for Live Sessions online. Attendance/participation in the Live Session is highly encouraged and will be graded. There are two ways in which you can earn points for the Live Session:
- Participate Live: This option should be your preferred choice. When possible, you should attend and participate in the Live Sessions in real-time. To get credit for your attendance, type in the date and time of the session you attended by clicking on the red "Start Assignment" button at the top of the Live Session page. Your self-reported attendance log will be cross-checked against the attendance tracker in Zoom.
- Make-Up (Watch Recording-Submit Written Summary): In the event that your time zone, work or personal schedule makes it impossible for you to attend, you will need to review the recording of the Live Session and write a paragraph summarizing the Live Session from your perspective. Click on the "Start Assignment" button to type (or copy/paste) your paragraph into the text field. Don't worry if the system indicates your submission is late. You will have until Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Central to submit your paragraph summary.
Note: Be sure to utilize option 1 or 2 for each of the Live Sessions to receive full points. Regardless of when the session occurred, you must post your response based on option 1 or 2.
Discussion Board
There will be eight threaded discussion board topic assignments (15 points each).
To receive full credit for a weekly Threaded Discussion assignment, students must answer all of the questions posed, as well as comment on the response of at least two other classmates for each question posted. Additional expectations regarding original and response Threaded Discussion posts follow.
Students will participate weekly in the online discussion board on Canvas. Questions will be based on assigned readings. For example, discuss the main features of each theory and identify two strengths and two weaknesses of each theory.
- Original posts must:
- Fully address the question(s) posed;
- Be written in complete sentences and at least 200 words in length;
- Include reference information for any unassigned learning resources cited; and
- Draw connections with observations and/or experiences while transitioning theory to practice, when possible.
- Response posts must:
- Be written in complete sentences and at least 100 words in length;
- Be reasonable and courteous;
- Include reference information for any unassigned learning resources cited; and
- Go beyond the general sentiments of “I disagree” or “I agree,” and specifically address why, for example, another’s post differs from or resonates with previous experiences and/or observations.
Written Assignment
There is one written theory paper assignment for this course (100 points). The paper assignment provides an evaluation of learning over the course content material that may not be adequately reflected in the standard format of an exam.
The focus will be on management theory, leadership theory, and organizational theory.
-
- Based on your reading of the management and leadership articles on Canvas, and scholarly references that you select from articles for class or other scholarly sources, (e.g., professional journal articles, academic books), write a paper detailing your theoretical approach to management.
- You should make at least 5 major points in which you specify and prioritize key principles for managing others.
- Note: I want you to outline your perspective, but 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.
- Include at least 7 scholarly (i.e., professional journal articles and books) citations to support your ideas.
Formatting
For this paper, follow APA-style formatting, 7th ed. This assignment should be approximately 10-pages long, double-spaced (not counting title page and references) (No Wikipedia or online sites).
Pay close attention to writing style and carefully edit your papers. Please, submit on the appropriate assignment page in Canvas.
Guest Speaker(s): Webinars
For this assignment, in either a live/ or pre-recorded webinar, you will hear from current practitioners in the field (e.g., Inclusive Leadership/ or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) from various industries. Each of the conversations will highlight content in the modules being covered. This will be your opportunity to better understand critically, the relationship between theory and practice in a real-world context. In other words, what about this presentation helps shape your perspective as a current/or future practitioner?
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 |
Course Policies
Communication
Please address me as (name/ title here).
I will attempt to respond to all emails within 48 hours. If your message is urgent and you would like a more immediate response, please indicate "urgent" in the subject line. If you have not heard back from me within 48 hours, please do not hesitate to reach back out.
Feedback
I will aim to provide you feedback on assignments within one week. This timeline may be longer if unfrozen circumstances arise, but the general expectation will be one week.
Late Policy
All late work will receive a penalty. Work handed in after the deadline will receive a daily ten-point deduction, or a single point daily deduction if your grade is out of ten.
Holiday Policy
Beginning Summer 2021 Zoom LIVE sessions that occur on Monday holidays will be held as usual. Students who are unable to attend can view the recorded session in Canvas that is available the next day.
Note: While we require/offer classes on holidays, if a faculty member cannot teach on the holiday, the expectation is that the class content for that week will be taped and made available to students. As for students, our existing policy applies: if a student cannot attend class on a holiday, they will have access to the taped class lesson/session and be required to complete class assignment(s) as instructed.
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 this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|