BUS 301 - Seminar in Organizational Behavior

Credits: 3 credits in fall and winter, 4 in spring

Prerequisite: BUS 217, and at least sophomore standing. Preference to BSADM majors during the first round of registration. May vary with topic. Offered from time to time when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Spring 2018, BUS 301-01: Leading Teams (4). Prerequisite: At least sophomore standing. This course is taught at the Middle River Regional Jail in Staunton, VA. Eight W&L students and eight soon-to-be-released inmates take the course together. Students learn from the professor and from one another as they explore the interpersonal processes and psychological factors that affect the way in which individuals interact and engage with one another. Students learn to understand conflict and how to effectively manage conflict in group settings. This course is mostly comprised of team activities and cases, which is intended to give students the tools, insight, and experience to better understand and manage teams. (EXP) Schatten.

Fall 2017, BUS 301A-01: Seminar in Organizational Behavior: Leadership through Literature (3). Prerequisite: At least sophomore standing. Why are some leaders more effective than others? How are power and influence leveraged to enact change? What makes a moral leader? Drawing on some of the most compelling leaders found in literature, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, Ayn Rand, Lyndon Johnson, Phil Knight and Donald Trump, we endeavor to answer these difficult questions. Students also take part in personal leadership-development initiatives. This course is intended for future leaders and for those who are interested in grappling with the complexities of what it means to lead. Schatten.

Winter 2018, BUS-301A-01: Cross-Cultural Leadership (3). Prerequisite: At least sophomore standing. Preference to BSADM majors in first round of registration. This course satisfies the international requirement for BSADM majors. An exploration of what makes for “effective” leadership in different cultures. We draw from history and current events, leadership theory, cultural anthropology, social psychology, and political philosophy, in order to explore the successes and failures of leaders in cross-cultural contexts. Through leadership development projects, students are better equipped to venture into leadership opportunities abroad. Schatten.