Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

 In this class, we will examine organizations from the viewpoint of the individual employee, their psychological makeup, how those different personalities work together (or conflict) in teams, and how the way that organizations are set up affects employees and productivity.

The unique combination of these elements helps determine an employee’s job satisfaction, an important element in determining employee productivity. We will try to get into the heads/minds of employees to see how they think, how they are programmed, how they are motivated, and predict how they will react to change. We will also examine how the structure and climate of the organization (how the company is organized and led and the atmosphere it creates) impacts and is impacted by, those individuals and teams. It's a two-way street. I trust you will find this a challenging, interesting, and helpful course in your personal and professional quest for a deeper understanding of people and the success of the organizations in which they work.

Students will complete a discussion and either an assignment each week. By the end of the term, each student is required to complete an Individual Focus Paper based on a topic in this course. Choose a topic that interests you and see what you can learn that you will be able to use in your work or your life. While this is based on research, the application is personal! Your paper will include your personal reflections on what you've studied.

We will use some Open Educational Resources in this class in addition to articles from current publications and websites.

 No special software or hardware required.

 We are using an online textbook! Please don't print the book or order a printed copy. The online version is separated into small chapters and is quite easy to read! I've provided links each week so you only need to go to the sections we'll be using at the time.