Course Syllabus


PSY 812: Group Leadership and Effective Decision Making


Overview

CATEGORY INFORMATION
Credits 3
Prerequisites PSY 532 and PSY 539
Delivery Web (Canvas, https://psu.instructure.com)
Dates See the Calendar.
Instructor See the Orientation module under the Modules tab.

Description

This course examines the psychological and social factors that underlie decision making in work groups in organizational settings with an emphasis on the role that group leadership plays in decision processes. The course focuses on the development of the students’ ability to think critically about the complexity of factors that influence group decision making and the range of approaches to decision making that may be effective across various types of decisions and situational contexts. Contemporary leadership theories emphasize the importance of the leader’s role in influencing group decision making. Over the course of the semester, students will be exposed to relevant examples, exercises, and discussions that emphasize the application of psychological theory and research findings to the practice of leadership functions in work settings and that help develop effective group decision making.

Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Discuss the complexities surrounding leading groups and making decisions in the workplace.
  2. Describe and explain group dynamics.
  3. Analyze leadership and workplace situations involving group decision making.
  4. Discuss factors that limit effective group decision making.
  5. Reflect on and improve your own workplace leadership regarding groups and decision making.
  6. Recommend strategies to facilitate effective team decision making.
  7. Identify and implement best practices to increase your contributions to productive team processes.

Competencies

The assignments in this course are designed to provide opportunities to practice and demonstrate leadership competencies.

ASSIGNMENT COMPETENCIES
Journal • Critical Thinking
• Career Drive
Peer Feedback Discussions • Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Teamwork
Group Contract and
Group Status Report
• Critical Thinking
• Decision Making
• Teamwork
• Communication
Team Effectiveness Program Proposal • Critical Thinking
• Communication
• Decision Making
• Teamwork
• Execution
• Agility
• Innovation

Organization

This course is made up of 13 lessons divided into 4 units. One lesson is an introductory one at the beginning of the course.

For a typical unit, you will complete the following assignments:

  • Submit part of the Team Effectiveness Program Proposal, a semester-long group project.

For a typical lesson, you will complete the following activities and assignments:

  • Explore online course content.
  • Read a few assigned readings.
  • Submit your journal entry.
  • Discuss concepts with your group.

Online Learning and Attendance

This course has been developed to promote asynchronous learning. With one notable exception, the instructor and students do NOT meet on a designated day and time each week. For each lesson, there is a timeframe to complete all activities and assignments, and you may work at your own pace within that timeframe. However, you must adhere to the due dates outlined on the Calendar. (Due dates can also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) You should log into the course daily to check for updates, review lessons, and participate in activities.

Note on Group Project: There is a semester-long group project, plus a Group Contract assignment and a Group Status Report assignment. (Please be aware that, apart from the group project, most lessons have a graded group discussion.) To communicate with your group about your project throughout the course, use your Canvas Group, which is like a mini-course. Your group gets a calendar, a wiki, discussions, and a little bit of space to store files. You can collaborate on documents or even schedule web conferences to engage in real-time interactions (e.g., text chat, audio chat, etc.). You can use the customary Canvas Group discussion forums to collaborate on your project, but you are welcome to utilize additional communication channels, as well. More details are provided in the Team Effectiveness Program Proposal directions. Groups will be assigned near the end of the drop/add period. For more information, see the Groups Start-Up and Resources module under the Modules tab.


Materials

Texts

The following texts are required:

  • Levi, D., & Askay, D. A. (2020). Group dynamics for teams (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. [ISBN: 978-1544309699]

Other Materials

A headset with a microphone is optional but recommended. To collaborate on the group projects, your group may meet up via web conferences.

Library Services

Penn State Libraries provides a wide variety of services and resources. To learn how to take advantage, refer to the Online Student Library Guide at http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/onlinestudentlibraryguide. This guide serves as your starting point for access to all that Penn State Libraries can offer you as an online student. Use this guide if you have questions on library services offered to you, how the library can help you, how to use the library, or what resources you can access via the library! The guide will connect you to important pages and resources within Penn State Libraries and save time from you searching for the information you need.

Course Reserves

There are electronic resources on reserve for this course that can be accessed through the Penn State Libraries. To access your Course Reserves, please use the Library Resources tab in the course navigation menu. For any questions you may have about viewing or printing your Course Reserves, refer to the View and Print Electronic Course Reserves page at https://libraries.psu.edu/services/course-reserves/using-electronic-reserves/view-and-print-electronic-course-reserves.


Grading

Final letter grades will be assigned based on the scale below.

Scale

LETTER
GRADE
MINIMUM
PERCENT
MINIMUM
POINTS
A 93 372
A- 90 360
B+ 87 348
B 83 332
B- 80 320
C+ 77 308
C 70 280
D 60 240
F 0 0

Due Dates

All assignments are due by 9:00 AM Eastern Time on the date indicated on the Calendar. (Due dates can be also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) Please be aware that Canvas follows the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. Assignment due dates adhere to this time zone, and it is your responsibility to submit assignments accordingly. If you are outside of the ET time zone, you can set your Canvas account to sync to it. Refer to the Set a Time Zone article in the Canvas Guide at https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2891.

As a general rule, you will NOT be able to go back and make up missed assignments. It is your responsibility to keep up with your assignments. Students with an excused absence (e.g., hospitalization, jury duty, family emergency, or military service) may be asked to produce proper documentation in order to make up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the instructor.

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Notes

  • To Do List: Some assignments may not appear in the To Do list under the Home tab. Use the Calendar or Syllabus to ensure that you are fully aware of assignment due dates.
  • Note on Late Assignments: Late assignments will lose the point equivalent of 10 percent per calendar day, and they will not be accepted later than 10 calendar days after the due date. Given the time-sensitive, interactive nature of discussions, replies will not be accepted after a lesson ends.

Assignments

Basic information about each assignment group is provided below. For detailed directions about an individual assignment, see the assignment information under the Modules tab.

You can expect meaningful feedback on assignments within 7 days of their due date.

Method

The guidelines below apply to most assignments, but there may be exceptions. Make sure to read all assignments' directions AND rubrics in their entirety.

  • Content quality: Generally speaking, there is no right or wrong answer for these assignments, but you must make your arguments/points based on theory, concepts, research, and/or factual evidence and in a clear and concise manner. This means with clear thesis statements; detailed explanations; apparent connection between theory, concepts, etc. and behaviors/decisions; and strong organization.
  • Citations and references: Generally speaking, it is necessary to cite, quote, and reference ideas that you have used. Paraphrasing is preferred to quotes as that demonstrates your grasp of the ideas, but if you use someone else’s words, make sure to quote, cite, and reference. If you paraphrase, remember to cite and reference.
ASSIGNMENT
GROUP
POINTS
Class Discussions 20
Journal 130
Peer Feedback Discussions 60
Group Contract 15
Group Status Report 15
Team Effectiveness Program Proposal
(See the breakdown below.)
160
Total 400

Class Discussions

Value: 2 x 10 PTS, 20 PTS total

For each class-wide discussion (Course Initial Thoughts and Course Reflection), you will make an initial reply and respond to the questions in the discussion forum's directions. In addition, you will make at least one reply to a classmate or the instructor. Your initial reply is always due a few days earlier than your replies to classmates or the instructor. We encourage you to make your initial reply as early in the week as possible so that everyone else in the class has a chance to respond to your ideas. Your replies to classmates or the instructor are due at the end of the week. Reply by 9 AM ET on the dates on the Calendar.

Your discussion contributions will be graded based on the following criteria: content quality, content quantity, content timeliness, and citations and references. For more information, see the rubric in each discussion forum.

Journal

Value: 13 x 10 PTS, 130 PTS total

The purpose of the Journal is to apply course material to group leadership and decision making in your organization. Describe actual examples you have experienced. Explain what went well and what could have been improved. Cite specific concepts from course lessons and readings. Your entry should be approximately 1-2 pages in length (Times New Roman, 12 pt font, single-spaced).

Throughout the semester, you will write several entries in your journal. Therefore, this will be a running list of entries. Add a new entry to the same document and re-upload it. Put each new entry at the top of the document; therefore, all of your journal entries will be in reverse-date order (i.e. newest to oldest). Attach and submit a single text document to the correct drop box. Use one of the following file types: docx, doc, or pdf.

Your entry will be graded based on the following criteria: content quality, content quantity, content timeliness, and citations and references. For more information, see the rubric in each assignment.

Note on Final Journal: The final assignment does not relate to a specific lesson. It is a reflective assignment that relates to the entire course and your entire journal.

Peer Feedback Discussions

Value: 3 x 20 PTS, 60 PTS total

The purpose of the Peer Feedback Discussions is to give feedback to your classmates on their Team Effectiveness Program Proposals (TEPP; see details on the TEPP project below).  At three times during the semester, you will be assigned randomly to view another group’s TEPP assignment.  You will provide semi-structured feedback on strengths, improvement opportunities, and other dimensions.  These discussions will help you learn about creative strategies for enhancing team effectiveness, and obtain feedback to improve your own TEPP.

Standard discussion forum expectations apply. For each discussion, you will make an initial reply and respond to the questions in the discussion forum's directions. In addition, you will make at least one reply to a classmate or the instructor. Your initial reply is always due a few days earlier than your replies to classmates or the instructor. We encourage you to make your initial reply as early in the week as possible so that everyone else in the group has a chance to respond to your ideas. Your replies to classmates or the instructor are due at the end of the week. Reply by 9 AM ET on the dates on the Calendar.

Your discussion contributions will be graded based on the following criteria: content quality, content quantity, content timeliness, and citations and references. For more information, see the rubric in each discussion forum.

Group Contract

Value: 15 PTS

For this course, you will be assigned to a group of 3-4 students near the end of the drop/add period. In this group, you will develop a Team Effectiveness Program Proposal. It will be important for your group to establish rules and processes for its project interactions.

One group member should submit a text document with the agreed upon group rules and processes to the correct drop box. Use one of the following file types: docx, doc, or pdf.

Your group submission will be graded for completeness and timeliness.

Group Status Report

Value: 15 PTS

At about the midpoint of your group collaboration, your group will reflect on the contract you established at the beginning of the term and will recommit to and/or adjust agreed-upon rules and processes for the remainder of the term.

One group member should submit a text document with the status report to the correct drop box. Use one of the following file types: docx, doc, or pdf.

Your group submission will be graded for completeness and timeliness.

Team Effectiveness Program Proposal

Value: 3 x 30 PTS (Checkpoints 1-3), 70 PTS (Final Team Effectiveness Program Proposal), 160 PTS total

For this group project, you will participate in semester-long, small-group discussions and collaboration activities to integrate multiple course concepts to create a Team Effectiveness Program Proposal. You and your groupmates will apply theories and research from the course to propose a training program that will enable leaders to facilitate effective team decision making.

We've established checkpoints during the semester to ensure that you obtain helpful feedback prior to submitting the Final Team Effectiveness Program Proposal. For each sub-assignment, see the directions on the main assignment page, the rubric in the drop box, and the Calendar for the due date.

The Team Effectiveness Program Proposal (TEPP) is made up of the following assignments:

  • Unit 01 Assignment: TEPP Checkpoint 1 – Rationale
  • Unit 02 Assignment: TEPP Checkpoint 2 – Facilitating Productive Conflict
  • Unit 03 Assignment: TEPP Checkpoint 3 – Mitigating Destructive Psychological Factors
  • Unit 04 Assignment: Final Team Effectiveness Program Proposal

For each sub-assignment, one group member should attach and submit a single text document to the correct drop box. Use one of the following file types: docx, doc, or pdf. For the Final Team Effectiveness Program Proposal, also upload the document to the course section at Turnitin.

In addition, each student should submit an individually-completed peer evaluation form (located in the course navigation menu) with each checkpoint and the final assignment.

Note on Turnitin: Please be aware that Turnitin will produce an originality report. See the Academic Integrity section for information about the potential consequences of plagiarism and other violations of academic integrity.

Final Exam

None


University Policies

Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity, an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic sanctions, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes (see G-9: Academic Integrity).

Disability Access

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for every Penn State campus at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/campus-offices. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources website at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources.

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation described at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying-for-services. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Nondiscrimination

Penn State is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University's educational mission, and will not be tolerated. For further information, please visit the Affirmative Action Office website at https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/.

Reporting a Bias Incident

Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage at http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Penn State's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office offers residential and distance-based Penn State students non-emergency mental health services in the form of case management, community resource referrals, supportive listening, care giver support, and much more.

Students may request assistance from CAPS regarding a variety of common mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and stress. CAPS services are designed to enhance students' ability to fully benefit from the University environment and academic experience. Call CAPS at 814-863-0395 (8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday EST) or submit an inquiry online at https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/form/caps-contact-form to schedule an appointment with a mental health advocate, who can help you address mental health concerns that may interfere with your academic progress or social development. This appointment will include a one-on-one session that can be conducted via telephone, teleconference (Skype, FaceTime, etc.), or locally at Penn State University Park. For more information on services provided through CAPS, please visit the Penn State CAPS website at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/. Students enrolled at the World Campus are also encouraged to visit its Mental Health Services page at http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/student-services/mental-health-services.

Reminder: These services are for non-emergencies only. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis situation, please call your local crisis center or 911.

TEACH Act

The materials on the course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.


University Emergency Procedure

In the event of a University-wide emergency, the course may be subject to changes. Exigent circumstances may require alternative delivery methods, class materials, and interactions with the instructor and/or classmates. In addition, there may be revisions to grading policies and the Calendar, including assignments and their due dates.

In the event of a University-wide emergency, please refer to the Canvas website at https://psu.instructure.com for specific information related to the course. For more general information about the emergency situation, please refer to the Penn State website at http://www.psu.edu or Penn State News website at http://news.psu.edu.

To register with PSUAlert, a service designed to alert the Penn State community when situations arise that affect the ability of a campus to function normally, please go to the PSU Alert website at https://psualert.psu.edu/. Subscribers can receive alerts by text message to cell phones, and also can elect to have alerts sent to an email address.


Syllabus Subject to Change

The class will likely adhere to the information outlined in this Syllabus and the Calendar, but adjustments may be made based on what actually transpires during the semester. Remaining in the course after reading this Syllabus will signal that you accept the possibility of changes and responsibility for being aware of them.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due