Syllabus for EDD-8600

Seminar in Organizational Psychology: Psychodynamics of Leadership, Organizational Learning, and Organizational Behavior

Course Description

Seminar in Organizational Psychology: Psychodynamics of Leadership, Organizational Learning, and Organizational Behavior explores the psychodynamic approach to management and leadership in which students will reflect upon and evaluate what motivates them to gain a better understanding of how they can improve as leaders. By becoming more aware of personality characteristics, students can understand how they respond to other leaders, colleagues in the workplace, and subordinates. By understanding themselves and their relationships with others better, students will be better prepared to become more effective leaders in their own lives and within their own organizations.

Topics

Organizational psychology.
Psychodynamics of leadership.
Organizational learning.
Organizational behavior.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, you should be able to:

CO 1 Examine organizational psychology using theoretical frameworks of the psychodynamics of leadership, organizational learning, and organizational behavior.

CO 2 Analyze organizational cultures by comparing key principles of applied organizational psychology.

CO 3 Assess the relevance and effectiveness of best practices in the psychodynamics of leadership using real-world applications.

CO 4 Examine the strategies to influence stakeholder orientation through the foundational theories and practices of learning organizations.

CO 5 Evaluate the methods and tools used to enhance organizational culture, productivity, and outcomes in the workplace.

CO 6 Analyze management of power, authority, and conflict within diverse populations in organizations.

CO 7 Evaluate organizations’ employment of strategies and models to manage rapid and discontinuous change in the workplace.

CO 8 Analyze and apply the POEVME model in organizational leadership and organizational culture.

Study Materials

You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. Please visit the following website to purchase course materials: University's textbook supplier.

Required Textbook(s)

Kouzes J., & Posner, B. (2023). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations (7th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

ISBN-13: 978-1119736127.

Schein, E., & Schein, P. (2016). The corporate culture survival guide (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

ISBN-13: 978-1119212287.

Course Structure

Seminar in Organizational Psychology: Psychodynamics of Leadership, Organizational Learning, and Organizational Behavior is a 3-credit, online course consisting of 7 modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

Module 1: Organizational Psychology.
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 5.
Module 2: Psychodynamics of Leadership Part I.
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 6.
Module 3: Psychodynamics of Leadership Part II.
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 6, CO 7.
Module 4: Organizational Learning Part I.
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 4, CO 5.

Module 5: Organizational Learning Part II.
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 1, CO 2, CO 4, CO 5.

Module 6: Organizational Behavior Part I.
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 3, CO 6.

Module 7: Organizational Behavior Part II.
Course objectives covered in this module: CO 4, CO 5, CO 7, CO 8.

Assessment Methods

You are required to participate in the following for formal work in the course:

Write online discussion forum posts.
Complete written assignments.
Complete synchronous event.
Finish a final project.

See below for details.

Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this Plagiarism Detection Tool Google document.

Discussion Forums

In addition to an ungraded Introductions Forum, you are required to complete 7 discussion forums. The discussion forums are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.

Communication with your mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online class discussions involves two principal activities: an initial post to a discussion question and at least one meaningful response to a classmate’s original post.

An initial post should articulate views supported by research, professional white papers, and evidence-based practice, moving beyond opinion to expert perspectives.

A meaningful response to a classmate's original post should be relevant to its content, add value, and advance the discussion. This entails posing questions and sharing ideas.

At the doctoral level, discourse requires a scholarly voice, careful analysis of evidence, and engagement in the academic literature. Therefore, you must support your views with published research and professional resources.

Your participation in discussion forums should be timely, constructive, mature, and respectful. All postings should be well organized, documented, carefully written, and properly proofread and edited.

Note: Be sure to review the Discussion Forum rubric located in the Evaluation Rubrics folder of the course website for grading requirements. Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete 7 written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. For specific details consult the individual course modules.

Synchronous Event

You are required to participate in 1 synchronous event. The synchronous event schedule is posted on the first day of class in the Announcements section of the course website in Moodle. To attend the event, click on the Synchronous Event Space link in the Edison Live! Section of the Moodle course space. Use the following link for technical assistance: Edison Live! For additional details, refer to the Module 3 section of the course website.

Final Project

You are required to write a final paper to align key learning from the course with the POEVME (Purpose, Positive Outcomes, Ethics and Values, Mindfulness, and Inspirational Environment) model of ethics-based and values-oriented leadership. In addition, you will discuss the importance of ethics and values in leadership, how this leadership approach can benefit organizational populations, as well as organizational growth and sustainability.

Grading and Evaluation

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

7 online discussions are worth 30% of your final grade.
7 written assignments are worth 40% of your final grade.
A synchronous event is worth 5% of your final grade.
The final project is worth 25% of your final grade.

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A is 93 to 100.
A minus is 90 to 92.
B plus is 88 to 89.
B is 83 to 87.
C is 73 to 82.
F is any grade below a 73.

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., assignments, discussion postings, projects). Graduate students must maintain a B average overall to remain in good academic standing.

Strategies for Success

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Read carefully the entire syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

Take time to read the entire Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State University.

Arrange to take your examination(s) by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Student Handbook.

Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

If you are not familiar with web-based learning, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the Course Calendar. The Course Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and submitting the final project.

Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

Using AI Ethically: A Guide for TESU Students

TESU's Academic Code of Conduct permits student AI use in support of their writing and research process—not as a replacement for original writing.

Document AI use with an acknowledgment statement at the end of each assignment, noting the tools and prompts used. Cite any AI-generated content on the References page.

Please review Using AI Ethically: A Guide for TESU Students for more detailed information.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Thomas Edison State University recognizes, values, and relies upon the diversity of our community. We strive to provide equitable, inclusive learning experiences that embrace our students’ backgrounds, identities, experiences, abilities, and expertise.

Accessibility and Accomodations

Thomas Edison State University adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990 and ADAAA, 2008) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) oversees requests for academic accommodations related to disabilities, including:

A student who is pregnant, postpartum, or parenting a newborn who is not the birth parent [as covered under NJSA18A].
Students requesting academic accommodation for a short-term or temporary illness.
TESU students requesting academic accommodation for an injury.

Information can be found on the Office of Student Accessibility Services webpage.

Questions can be sent to ADA@tesu.edu.

Academic Policies

Familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies, including those related to the following list, to ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University:

Academic integrity.
Course late submissions.
Extensions for the course.
Grading policies.

For more, see: