You know that you will have a lot of work due throughout the term (particularly toward the end). Plan ahead to get your work completed on time. Feel free to complete assignments as early as possible. Note: this does not mean they will be graded early.

Never allow anything important to you to possibly go wrong. Therefore, plan in advance for automobile and computer breakdowns, broken legs, ailing relatives, out-of-town travel, etc. My policy for assignments is:

• Typed (unless otherwise noted) using a 12-point font
  
• Use 1-inch margins all the way around
  
• Double space
  
• Do not right justify (no smooth, straight end on right side)
  
• Use proper spelling and grammar (see COB Communication Standards)
  
• Practice effective writing (see COB Communication Standards)
  
• Only provide citations/references for non-textbook material
  
• Do not type your name, my name, the class, the date, or page numbers on any page
  
• Do not number paragraphs or include headings of any kind
  
• Do not include a title
  
• No cover page, folder, or binder -- simply staple the pages together (applies only to hard copy submissions)
  

On February 4 and 6, you will watch the designated movie in class. As you watch, engage in focused viewing. You will analyze this movie in relation to general course topics (provided in advance of the movie). I strongly recommend taking detailed notes as you watch. You will write a journal addressing these topics as directed.

McFarland, USA (click this link for the IMDB page for the movie)

Develop a paper of no more than three pages addressing the required items (click here for journal guidelines: 12:00 Section or 1:30 Section).

Journals will be evaluated for how thoroughly the topic(s) associated with each item are covered (i.e., your ability to recognize concepts), demonstration of concept knowledge, quality/richness of movie examples provided to illustrate your concepts, and clarity of writing. Highest scores will be assigned to journals that demonstrate considerable thought. Do not waste space summarizing the movie.

You may receive up to 50 points for the Movie Journal.
 

Behavioral Observation Project (Deadline: April 14)

One of the goals for this course is to help you better observe, interpret, and respond to behavior in organizations and other contexts. For example, if you saw two employees arguing, you should be able to recognize that it is conflict and then know how to resolve it (based on material covered in Chapter 10). The Behavioral Observation Project is intended to help you practice and develop your observation/interpretation skills. Do not collaborate with students from your section or my other section as you work on this project. I want independent observations and interpretations. Working with someone else might bias your experience.

Note: This project only requires you to do things that you already do.

Part A. Take three walks on campus. You may take one walk in the area bounded by North Congress (on the west) and College Street (on the east) from State Street (south) to Washington Street (north). Vary the day, time, and location of each walk. Walks should last 10-15 minutes. Select your route and time to maximize the chances of observing many individuals. If people are walking in pairs or groups, do not observe them -- focus only on individuals. These walks should allow you to CASUALLY observe other pedestrians around campus. Your goal should be to observe at least 10-25 individuals per walk. Observe individuals that are walking TOWARD you. Again, casually observe their behavior, looking for consistent patterns (in terms of behavior) across the individuals you encounter (i.e., what are they doing as they walk toward you). DO NOT BE CREEPY ABOUT THIS! It is okay to make eye contact, but do not stare or give the individuals any reason to be concerned about you.

Part B. Select a high-traffic area outside (someplace on campus proper) and find an appropriate place to sit and observe for 15-20 minutes. Observe individuals (not pairs or groups) walking in the area you can see. Again, DO NOT BE CREEPY! Just casually observe their behavior. Look for consistencies in what they are doing.

Prepare a 2-page report with an appendix as the third page. You can view an example here. The appendix should be single-spaced, with a title, and contain nothing more than descriptive statistics for the three walks and your sitting observation. List the starting point and the ending point, the date and time of the walk, and the approximate number of people observed. For the sitting observation, tell me where you sat, the date and time of your observation, and the approximate number of people observed. The report itself should be an analysis of what you observed. At a minimum address the following:

• Describe behaviors that were consistent/common for most of the individuals
  
• Draw conclusions about these behaviors (i.e., why individuals did what they did)
  
• Did (and, if so, how did) these behaviors affect the way individuals interacted with you and/or others
• Are there any implications for what you observed (i.e., what do you think this means, do you have any concerns)
• Will you (and, if so, how will you) be influenced by what you learned
  

Projects will be evaluated for completeness, quality of analysis, and clarity of writing. Thought and effort should be clearly evidenced.

You may receive up to 30 points for completing the Behavioral Observation Project.
 

Content produced by Robert L. Holbrook, Jr.

Printable pages (e.g., topic schedules, syllabi) have been optimized for printing with half-inch margins and no headers or footers. These pages have been carefully screened for inaccuracies, but content may not be consistent with that presented in class. When inconsistencies arise, please feel free to contact Dr. Holbrook or stop by 308 Copeland Hall.