Principles
of
Management
FOR 360/560
Fall Semester 2008
Instructor
René Germain
Office: 316 Bray Hall
315-470-6698
rhgermai@esf.edu
Office Hours:
Open door policy or by appointment
Principles
of Management is an important course for ESF students
who are preparing for professional careers.
Professionals must understand the scientific basis of their field and be
able to practice the technical skills of their profession. Most of undergraduate study at ESF is focused
on basic and applied sciences and on technical skills including measurement,
analysis, design, and planning. Few
professionals, however, practice in isolation for their entire career. They work with others, report to supervisors,
and (sooner or later) facilitate and direct the work of other people. All of these relationships require the skills
and knowledge of management.
The purpose of Principles of Management is to provide students with an
understanding of management and the basic skills of managing people and
organizations in the context of natural resources and environmental
values. The course covers:
·
definitions and
principles
·
problem solving and
leadership skills
·
organizational policy
and environmental relationships
·
case studies and
activities to illustrate concepts and facilitate learning
Personalize this course! I ask that you try to personalize this course by using the
class assignments to apply management concepts to your field of study whenever
possible. Regardless of your field and professional objectives, at some point
in the near future your profession will demand of you the ability to function as
a manager, whether it is implied in the job description or not. Though many of the case studies we discuss
are from the business and environmental fields, the concepts we cover are
broadly applicable to almost all types of organizations.
Common management definitions include:
·
Management is getting
work done through others
·
Management is setting
goals and measuring progress toward them
·
Management is
identifying and solving problems
·
Management is
decision-making
·
Management is planning
and controlling against plans
·
Management is
organizing and leading
Each of these simple statements provides
only a partial definition of management; together they provide a good starting
point for understanding and practicing management. Our study of management will
cover many historic and current approaches to management, but the recurring
themes will be:
·
Leadership
·
Problem solving
·
The functions of
management
·
The managerial
environment
Learning
Outcomes
1. Students will understand the principles of effective
leadership.
2. Students will learn how to systematically approach
problem solving.
3. Students will understand the functions of
management, especially as they relate to environmental professions in for
profit and non-profit corporations/organizations and government agencies.
4. Students will understand how environmental
management systems influence the managerial environment.
Attendance
Attendance is required at all sessions.
Excuses for late work and absences due to illness or personal reasons must be approved
by ESF Career & Counseling Services. Planned absences for academic field
trips or legitimate extracurricular events must be pre-approved by the
instructor at least one week in advance of the absence. If you miss class you
will need to rely on fellow students for notes and handouts.
Resources
Textbooks
Required:
(JG)
Jones, G. and J. George. 2008. Essentials of Contemporary Management. McGraw
Hill.
(MSB)
Miller, S.E, C.W. Shinn, and W.R. Bentley. 1994. Rural Resource Management: Problem Solving for
the Long Term.
(COV) Covey, S. 1989. Seven Habits of Highly Effective
People. Simon and
All three books are available at the
The Jones-George textbook is available on-line at www.coursesmart.com as an e-book at a reduced price. You can download the e-book at the same price at the following: www.textbooks.vitalsource.com
Additional
Textbook
readings will be supplemented by various articles and case studies from primary
management and business journals, as well as from popular media. These
materials will be available to you online or, when not available online, will
be provided in hard copy or as an email attachment.
Lecture
Sessions
The lectures will both integrate the
readings directly and draw on a variety case studies and examples not covered
in the readings to illustrate management concepts in different ways. Though many of the case studies covered will
incorporate natural resource and environmental issues, examples will be drawn
from a wide variety of business, public agency and non-profit situations to
demonstrate specific ideas and points. Required case study readings will be
provided in advance. Please come to class prepared. Cell phones must be turned
off prior to class.
Power Point
Slides and Lecture Notes
I will post power point slides from the lectures
on my website. Please be advised that power point slides are not the same as lecture notes. Exams and quizzes will include material that
is discussed in class, but does not appear explicitly on the power point
slides. In addition, posted slides will
have gaps in information related to class activities, including material
presented by your peers. If you are
unable to attend a lecture, please get the notes from a classmate. Do not assume that the session is adequately
represented by the posted slides.
Course Website
The course schedule
that accompanies this syllabus is a DRAFT schedule and subject to change. The updated schedule, along with class
assignments and some resources, will be posted on my website. You are
responsible for keeping up-to-date with the schedule and checking the website
frequently for new reading assignments, due dates and materials. The course website address is:
http://www.esf.edu/for/germain/courses.htm
Course Assignments
Quizzes
We will have quizzes requiring you to apply
the knowledge derived from the lectures, activities and readings. As long as
you come to the lectures and keep up with the reading assignments, you will be
equipped to do well on the quizzes. There are no make-up quizzes or exercises.
Performance
Criteria for Written Assignments
Clear communication is important for all
professionals, but essential for managers.
We expect correct spelling, correct grammar, and well-written, clear
sentences. Always double-space and use a 12 font size. Use the spell check and grammar check
functions, and read your assignment aloud to yourself.
Late
assignment policy: Unless notified otherwise, all
assignments are due by the beginning of class (8:25am) on the day the
assignment is due. For each hour the
assignment is late, 5 points will be deducted from the final grade.
Hard
copy submission of papers and assignments: Due
to the high enrollment in this course, all assignments must be submitted in hard copy, either at the beginning of
class or, if the assignment is late, in person in 316 Bray Hall or in the
instructor’s mailbox in 320 Bray Hall. DO NOT email completed assignments to the
instructor or the graduate assistants.
See “Attendance” guidelines if your work is late for acceptable personal
or academic reasons and you must email it due to extenuating
circumstances.
Exams
We will have three exams: two exams
during the semester and a final exam (date to be determined – check the
SUNY-ESF Registrar website).
Exam
1: September 26
Exam
2: October 29
Final
Exam: TBD
Assignment
Weights
|
Quizzes Exercises/Case Studies Total Exams
Exam 1
Exam 2 Final
examination Total
GRAND TOTAL: |
10% 40% 50% 15% 15% 20% 50% 100% |
Grading Scale A 93 – 100 A- 90 – 92 B+ 87 – 89 B 83 – 86 B- 80 – 82 C+ 77 – 79 C 73 – 76 C- 70 – 72 D 60 – 69 F 59 or lower |
Introduction to Management and Organizations
|
Lectures |
|
Assignments |
|
1. 8/25—Introduction: “Principles of Management” |
(Note: readings must be completed prior
to the day of the corresponding lecture) |
|
|
2. 8/27—Overview
of Management |
JG pp. 1 – 26 Frederick
2000 – “Making Sense of Management” Functions
of a Manager |
|
|
3. 8/29—Overview
of Management |
JG pp. 1 – 26 Drucker
“Theory of Business” |
Homework Exercise Managerial Skills Due 9/5 |
|
4. 9/3—Evolution
of Management |
JG
pp. 32 – 39 Rodrigues
2001 – “Fayols 14” |
|