Course Syllabus · Fall 2026 · v2026-08-23

MGT 360 — Management & Organizational Behavior

This is an AI-native course. There is no textbook to buy — the course text is the twelve chapters, online or in Word. Use AI throughout.

Printing opens every section automatically.

Welcome to MGT 360

This course will take us on a tour to discover the magic of organizations and how we get work done with them, increasingly with the help of AI.

We’ll start at the individual level; figure out what motivates us, how to navigate politics, work in teams, lead, and make decisions. Then we’ll jump up a level to look at organizational culture, competitive strategy and structure, and how to run organizations so the humans inside it are as happy and healthy as possible.

Finally we’ll figure out how to help organizations adapt, innovate and change continuously to stay competitive indefinitely. So stay tuned for a great semester ahead!

— Dr. Zell · Message me in Canvas

Course Information

Instructor: Dr. Deone Zell · Email me in Canvas Only (will respond within 48 hours)
Office hours: Mondays and Tuesdays 1:30–3:30 PM via Zoom, and by appointment (this course is fully virtual)
Book a time: Book a 15-minute appointment with me

The Two Sections at a Glance

SectionClass #DeliveryMeeting patternWhere
Section 04 · Asynchronous13365Fully online, asynchronous (ARR)No meetings; all twelve modules open all termCanvas
Section 06 · Synchronous13619Fully online, synchronousWednesdays, 4:00–6:45 PMZoom (link on Canvas); sessions recorded

Course content, chapter sequence, grading, and assessments are identical across both sections; only the delivery mode and meeting pattern differ.

Course Description & Approach

This is an AI-native course. There is no textbook to buy — the course text is the twelve course chapters, readable online or downloadable in Word. Use AI throughout.

The one rule: never substitute AI output for your own judgment — the manager’s job you are preparing for is supervising intelligent tools while owning the decisions. This course practises that job every week.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Explain the core concepts of management and organizational behavior at the individual, group, and organizational levels, using accurate terminology.
  2. Apply those concepts to the management of people and resources toward the accomplishment of organizational goals.
  3. Practice the professional skills required to succeed in current and future organizations, including ethics, critical thinking, teamwork, communication, and the informed use of artificial intelligence.

Required Materials and Technology

  • Textbook: none to buy. The twelve course chapters on this site are the course text. Cost: $0.
  • Computer with webcam, microphone, and reliable internet. Sec 04 · Async submits recorded presentations; Sec 06 · Sync meets on Zoom.
  • AI access. Use ChatGPT Edu — available free to CSU students through the university — or another major AI assistant (Claude, Gemini). Free tiers are sufficient; no paid subscription is expected.
  • Canvas. Canvas is where you turn things in: the weekly activities, your presentation video (Sec 04 · Async), and the exams — plus grades and announcements. Everything you read lives on this site. Check that Canvas notifications are on.

The Chapters

How These Chapters Were Written

There is no textbook to buy. The twelve chapters were written for this course, with AI, using the prompt printed below.

The prompt is here for the same reason your presentation requires a process slide: the interesting part of AI work is never the output. It is the instructions, and the judgment behind them. So read this as an artifact, not as a handout.

Notice what it forbids as much as what it asks for — no fabricated citations, no citing a source you have not actually opened, no cosmetic paraphrase of someone else’s textbook, and an instruction to stop and say so if two genuinely contrasting cases cannot be found, rather than force a weak comparison. Notice that it requires every concept to include a section on where the theory breaks down.

Download the generator (.docx)

The prompt, in full

INSTRUCTIONS:(1) Upload this Guided Chapter Generator to your AI tool.(2) Type GO. The AI will ask a few questions; answer them in chat and it will create the chapter.

Guided Chapter Generator
Guided Setup
This is a conversational setup, not a form. When the faculty member types "Go," ask the questions below together in one short numbered message. Accept natural-language answers in any format. If they skip an optional question or say "use the default," apply the stated default. Do not ask them to edit this document.
Topic: What topic should the chapter cover? This is the only required answer.
Course and students: What course is this for, and who are the students? Default: infer the discipline and write for introductory-to-intermediate undergraduates.
Length: About how long should the chapter be? Default: approximately 10 pages.
Coverage: What must the chapter cover, emphasize, or avoid? Default: develop a coherent five-to-seven-section treatment.
Sources, cases, and context: Are there required sources, authors, cases, dates, industries, regions, or perspectives? Default: select strong, current evidence and two contrasting, well-documented cases or applications.
Citation and format: Any requirements different from the default? Default: APA with numbered notes, a complete reference list, black Arial, 12-point text, and one-inch margins.
Other preferences: Any tone, disclosure, or other preferences? Default: clear, concrete, engaging, analytically disciplined, evidence-based, and accessible; no AI disclaimer without approved language.
Topic-First Rule
The topic identified during guided setup determines what the chapter covers. Treat it as one chapter, not an entire textbook. Use the faculty member's answers to shape length, audience, coverage, cases, context, citations, and style. If an optional answer is omitted, apply its stated default. Create a coherent five-to-seven-section outline internally and narrow the scope only when necessary to produce a complete and teachable chapter.
Reading-Material Boundary
Produce assigned textbook reading only. Do not create learning objectives, exercises, reflection prompts, discussion questions, assignments, quizzes, answer keys, rubrics, lesson plans, lecture notes, instructor guides, LMS instructions, or a syllabus. The narrative hook, comparative case study, comparison table, analytical interpretation, and synthesis are part of the reading and must be retained.
Context
You are writing a chapter that will serve as assigned textbook reading on the topic confirmed during guided setup. The chapter must be sufficiently complete to stand alone as the reading for this part of a course.
Audience: Use the course and student audience identified during guided setup. If none is supplied, infer the discipline from the topic and use the default student audience above.
Purpose:
Make students want to engage with the material before explaining what it is.
Introduce the material comprehensively enough to stand alone as a reference.
Prepare students for in-class discussion and elaboration by the instructor.
Help students move from intuitive reactions to disciplined analysis appropriate to the course's discipline or field.
Rhetorical and Pedagogical Frame
The chapter should be organized around a central disciplinary, professional, intellectual, or practical puzzle, not around definitions alone.
Do not write the chapter as a list of concepts. Write it as a guided investigation that begins with a real situation, problem, phenomenon, text, event, or case appropriate to the field; develops tension around an unresolved question; introduces concepts and theories as tools for making sense of that question; and then tests them against contrasting evidence or applications.
The reader should experience the chapter as a movement from common sense to analysis. Each concept should help students see something they would likely miss if they relied only on intuition, opinion, or surface-level commentary.
Concepts and theories should be presented as tools for understanding and judgment, not vocabulary to memorize.
Use rhetoric strategically: create contrast, tension, ambiguity, and stakes, but do not force conclusions. Avoid melodrama, advocacy, or one-sided claims. The writing should be vivid enough to engage students and disciplined enough to function as a textbook.
Chapter Scope and Central Question
Organize the reading around the confirmed topic and the strongest central question identified for it, while honoring the faculty member's must-cover and must-avoid directions.
Use the strongest central organizing question identified from the confirmed topic and guided-setup answers.
After guided setup is complete, internally develop two or three compelling questions grounded in the topic, choose the strongest option, and use it. Do not display a preliminary planning stage or wait for approval unless the faculty member asks to review the plan first.
Examples:
Under what conditions does a central process or practice produce a desired outcome rather than a plausible risk or failure?
Why does an important phenomenon occur in some settings but not others?
When does an approach, model, or intervention help rather than create an unintended consequence?
How do competing theories or interpretations explain the same problem, text, event, or case differently?
What does systematic evidence reveal about a topic that intuition or conventional wisdom tends to miss?
When does a new technology, method, or social change alter a field-specific outcome rather than merely change its surface appearance?
Every generated section should help answer the central question without distorting the supplied topic.
Critical Constraints
Source Quality
All sources must be reputable, credible, appropriate to the course's discipline or field, and relevant to the identified students. Use:
Peer-reviewed journals
Established scholarly, professional, literary, scientific, technical, historical, or journalistic publications appropriate to the course's discipline or field
Authoritative organizational reports
Recognized professional or governmental sources
Primary sources, original documents, datasets, archives, official records, or organizational materials when relevant
Do not use blogs, content farms, questionable consulting summaries, unattributed web articles, or low-quality sources.
Source Verification, Citation Coverage, and Originality
Every material factual, empirical, numerical, historical, legal, and current claim must be traceable to a citation placed at or immediately after the claim. Do not rely on a bibliography alone.
Inspect every cited source. Do not cite a source based only on a search-result snippet, secondary citation, abstract, or another source's description when the original is reasonably available.
Never fabricate or guess a citation, quotation, DOI, URL, statistic, sample size, organization, event, or research finding. If verification is not possible, omit the claim or mark it clearly for faculty review.
Wikipedia may be used for orientation and source discovery, but not as the chapter's principal evidence base. Examine and cite suitable underlying sources.
Use original wording, explanation, narrative structure, transitions, and examples. Do not reproduce or cosmetically paraphrase a commercial textbook, article, or web source section by section.
Use direct quotations sparingly, clearly mark and cite them, and do not include third-party images, figures, tables, cases, or extended excerpts without an approved reuse basis and attribution.
For every cited source, include:
Full citation in the selected style (APA by default)
URL
DOI when available
Recency
Prioritize recent sources from the last five years for current cases, disciplinary or professional trends, technology examples, and empirical research.
Use classic or foundational sources only when they are necessary to explain established theories.
Citation Format and Coverage
Use the faculty-selected citation style. If none is specified, use APA for all sources.
Use the faculty-selected citation placement. If none is specified, use numbered footnotes or endnotes that correspond to the source list.
Place citations where the supported claim appears; do not place a single citation at the end of a long paragraph containing several unrelated claims.
Ensure that every note has a matching source-list entry and every source-list entry is cited in the chapter.
Include page or section locators for direct quotations when the source provides stable pagination or section labels.
Case Selection
Choose cases that meet all of the following criteria:
They discriminate between competing theories or reveal boundary conditions.
They show where theories make different predictions or break down.
They satisfy the recency requirement identified above; historical or foundational cases may be used when the chapter requires them.
They are well documented.
They would be understandable, interesting, or relevant to the default or faculty-identified student audience.
The cases should not merely illustrate the chapter concepts. They should test them.
Retain the two-case comparison because it is part of the chapter's reading and analytical architecture, not a student activity.
If two genuinely contrasting, recent, and fully documented cases cannot be found, stop and explain the evidence problem to the faculty member rather than forcing a weak comparison or substituting a different structure without approval.
Evidence Presentation
Integrate research findings into the narrative rather than listing them mechanically.
When discussing evidence, note when findings are:
Strong and replicated
Suggestive but limited
Mixed or contested
Based on narrow samples
Methodologically limited
More correlational than causal
Do not overstate research certainty.
Output Structure
Target length: Approximately 10 pages total unless the faculty member specifies another length. Adjust part lengths proportionally based on chapter complexity while preserving every pedagogical part.
Use the following structure.
Part 1: The Hook
Approximate length: 1.5 pages
Purpose
Create investment in a human situation before introducing theory.
The hook should create a puzzle that common sense alone cannot resolve.
Structure
1. Opening Scene
Write 2–3 paragraphs that drop the reader into a specific moment relevant to the chapter topic.
The scene should connect directly to the Part 3 case study.
Name the people involved when possible. Include concrete details such as:
What was said
What decision had to be made
What was at stake
What numbers mattered
Who disagreed
What pressure the organization faced
What outcome was uncertain
Write this like vivid, discipline-appropriate narrative nonfiction rather than generic textbook filler. The reader should be able to picture, reconstruct, or intellectually enter the situation.
Do not introduce the theory too early. Let the reader first experience the ambiguity that makes theory necessary.
2. The Unresolved Question
Write one paragraph explaining what makes the situation puzzling, contested, or consequential.
Frame it as a genuine intellectual problem, not a rhetorical setup.
Make clear what a thoughtful person might disagree about. Explain what the people involved may have misunderstood, or what they may have seen that others missed.
3. Chapter Roadmap
Write one paragraph previewing what the chapter offers.
Frame theories as tools for understanding the central disciplinary or practical puzzle, not as terms to memorize.
Part 2: Core Concepts
Approximate length: 3–5 pages
Purpose
Provide a comprehensive reference. This section is the textbook.
Organization
Create a coherent outline of five to seven numbered sections. Move from foundations to major concepts or theories, evidence and applications, limitations, and emerging questions. A possible pattern is:
1. Foundations and definitions
2. Major theories, models, or debates
3. Evidence, applications, and contrasting cases
4. Limitations, boundary conditions, and emerging questions
Infer a responsible chapter structure from the topic, using disciplinary conventions and the strongest available evidence.
Each concept should help answer the central chapter question.
Required Treatment for Each Theory or Concept
For each major theory or concept, include the following subsections.
Definition and Origin
Begin with a plain-language definition in the first sentence.
Bold key terms.
Name the originating theorist or theorists and publication date in a footnote.
Avoid jargon. If a technical term is necessary, define it immediately.
Core Components
Use bullets with bolded component names followed by clear explanations.
Each component should explain what the concept helps students, practitioners, researchers, citizens, or other relevant readers notice, interpret, diagnose, or decide.
What the Research Shows
Lead with one vivid, specific study.
Explain:
What the study examined
Who or what was studied
What the researchers found
Why the finding matters within the course's discipline or field
Then add broader context.
Use language such as:
This pattern is broadly consistent with meta-analytic evidence, though findings vary by context.
or:
The evidence is suggestive rather than definitive because much of the research is correlational.
When available, identify the scale of the evidence, such as number of studies, number of participants, industries, or countries.
Include footnotes for meta-analyses, systematic reviews, or major empirical studies.
Why It Matters
Write one paragraph connecting the concept to questions, interpretations, decisions, or practices that matter in the course's discipline or field.
Be specific about when, where, for whom, and how this concept applies.
Examples:
Professional or disciplinary judgment
Problem-solving or interpretation
Policy, design, or practice
Research or evidence evaluation
Communication or explanation
Ethical or civic judgment
Performance or outcome evaluation
Historical, cultural, or contextual interpretation
Implementation or application
Learning or behavior change
Systems-level consequences
Where It Breaks Down
Write one paragraph explaining the limitations of the theory.
Address:
What the theory does not explain
When it fails to predict outcomes
Where the evidence is weaker than often claimed
Where context, culture, history, power, incentives, institutions, or technology complicate the theory
Whether the theory risks oversimplifying real situations, texts, systems, or human experience
Part 3: Comparative Case Study
Approximate length: 2–3 pages
Purpose
Show the chapter’s theories in action through comparison.
The case study should create material for class discussion.
Use the cases not as examples, but as tests of the chapter’s theories.
Choose cases where the theories make different predictions, explain different parts of the story, or fail in instructive ways.
Structure
1. Setup
Write one paragraph framing the comparison.
Explain:
Why these two cases illuminate the chapter’s concepts
What is at stake
What makes the contrast instructive
Which theories the cases help test
2. Case A: Descriptive Subtitle
Include:
Organization, text, event, phenomenon, or situation overview with a footnoted source
Relevant timeline
Key decisions
Major actors
Specific data points
Outcomes
3–5 subsections covering key developments relevant to the chapter concepts
Use concrete evidence such as:
Quantitative indicators
Population, participant, or sample information
Performance, prevalence, or outcome data
Dates, timelines, and turning points
Measurements, observations, or documented patterns
Comparative or longitudinal evidence
Legal, policy, archival, or official records
Primary-source statements or excerpts
Verified quotations from relevant participants or authorities
Key events, interventions, publications, or discoveries
Changes in interpretation, policy, practice, or outcomes
3. Case B: Contrasting Subtitle
Use a parallel structure to Case A so students can compare directly.
Address the same topics where possible:
Situation overview
Relevant timeline
Key decisions
Major actors
Specific data points
Outcomes
3–5 subsections covering key developments relevant to the chapter concepts
Highlight where the cases diverge.
4. Comparison Table
Create a table with 4–6 rows.
Columns:
Dimension
Case A
Case B
The final row must explicitly connect to the chapter theory, such as:
Central theory or concept
Proposed mechanism or explanation
Relevant context or conditions
Evidence supporting the interpretation
Evidence complicating the interpretation
Competing interpretation
Ethical, social, or practical implications
Boundary condition or limitation
Observed outcome
Connection to the chapter's central question
Part 4: Analysis
Approximate length: 1–2 pages
Purpose
Integrate theory and evidence.
Model the kind of thinking students should develop.
Instructions
For each major theory covered in Part 2, write one analytical paragraph addressing:
How Case A illustrates, complicates, or fails to illustrate the theory.
How Case B illustrates, complicates, or fails to illustrate the theory.
What the theory would predict for each case.
What actually happened.
Where the theory succeeds as an explanation.
Where the theory falls short.
Write analytically, not descriptively.
Do not simply match each theory to the case. Show what each theory reveals, what it misses, and what a competing theory might explain better.
The goal is not to prove that one theory is “right.” The goal is to teach students how to use theory as disciplined interpretation under conditions of incomplete information.
Part 5: Synthesis
Approximate length: 0.5 pages
Purpose
Consolidate learning, resolve the chapter's analytical arc, and prepare students for later class discussion without adding discussion questions or activities.
Key Takeaways
Provide 3–4 key takeaways.
Each takeaway should be a complete thought, not a bullet fragment.
Ask:
If a student remembers nothing else from this chapter, what matters most?
The takeaways should connect back to the central chapter question.
End Matter
1. Sources and Further Reading
Provide a source list matching the citations, footnotes, or endnotes used in the chapter.
Use the faculty-selected citation style; use APA by default.
Group by section if helpful.
Each source should include:
Author
Year
Title
Publication
DOI when available
URL
2. AI Disclaimer
Include only a faculty- or institution-approved AI disclosure. Under the default settings, none is supplied, so omit this section rather than inventing language.
Omit this section under the default settings. Include it only if the faculty member supplies approved disclosure language.
Formatting Requirements
Use professional formatting.
Apply the following:
Shaded part headers
Clear section hierarchy
Formatted tables with borders
Black Arial font throughout
12-point body text
1-inch margins
Page breaks between major parts
Faculty-selected citation placement; numbered notes by default
Source list in the selected style; APA by default
Style Requirements
Write in a style appropriate for the default student audience above, adjusted when the topic or faculty message clearly indicates another audience.
The prose should be:
Clear
Concrete
Engaging
Analytically disciplined
Evidence-based
Accessible without being simplistic
Avoid:
Generic textbook filler
Overly abstract academic prose
Buzzwords without explanation
Unsupported claims
One-sided advocacy
False certainty
Long lists of disconnected definitions
Use vivid examples, but do not sacrifice accuracy.
Use concepts, theories, and evidence to illuminate the subject, not to decorate the chapter.
Final Instruction
When the faculty member writes "Go," begin the guided setup. After they answer, produce the complete textbook reading chapter according to the structure above.
Use a two-stage conversational process. Stage 1: Ask the seven guided-setup questions together in one concise numbered message. The topic is the only required answer. Accept answers in any order, accept partial answers, and apply the stated defaults when the faculty member skips a question or says "use the default." Stage 2: Treat the faculty member's response as authorization to generate the chapter without another confirmation. Define a coherent scope; create five to seven sections; identify the central puzzle, two contrasting cases, and principal sources internally; then write the chapter from narrative hook, to concepts and theory, to comparative case evidence, to analysis, to synthesis, and to complete references. Ask a follow-up question only when the required topic is missing or a genuine evidence problem prevents responsible completion.

Grading (500 points)

The point structure is the architecture of the course — each component below is a part of the weekly rhythm.

ComponentPointsWeightNotes
Before-class activities (12 × 10)12024%Lowest dropped automatically
After-class activities (12 × 10)12024%Lowest dropped automatically
Role presentation10020%Once during the term, in your assigned chapter’s week
Midterm (Oct 14; Ch. 1–6)8016%Both sections: multi-day window, multiple attempts
Final (finals week; cumulative, Ch. 1–12)8016%Window on Canvas
Total500100%Extra credit: reporting a genuine error in an exam item, via the error-report form

Pass standard for weekly work. Before-class and after-class activities are pass (10) / no pass (0). Generic answers do not pass. Late submissions are accepted for half credit (5 of 10) any time until the end of the course. This is automated in Canvas.

Grading Scale

This course uses the plus/minus grading system.

AA-B+BB-C+CC-D+DD-F
93-10090-9287-8983-8680-8277-7973-7670-7267-6963-6660-62<60

Missed a class? Your lowest before-class and lowest after-class activity are dropped automatically, no explanation needed.

Every deadline for both sections lives in the Schedule below — one table, one source.

The Before-Class Activity (24%)

Read the week’s chapter, then answer one recurring question, identical every week:

Describe one specific moment from your own experience the chapter helps you understand differently — name the concept, one concrete detail, and what you see now that you didn’t see then. 300 words minimum, no identifying people.

10 pts, complete/incomplete — lowest dropped automatically.

Section 04 · AsynchronousSection 06 · Synchronous
Due Wednesday 11:59 AM — same deadline as Sec 06. Late work earns half credit through Fri Dec 18, and since a late one is almost certainly the score that gets dropped, your first slip costs nothing.Due Wednesday 11:59 AM, before class.

Submit in Canvas — same place for both sections. Do the reading before the presentations on it; that is the whole point of going first.

Role Presentations (5 minutes)

Once during the term you present for five minutes inside one of these roles. Each is anchored to a critical-thinking skill from the APA Delphi expert consensus (Facione, 1990), and each ends the same way: with advice from a knowledgeable peer.

The five roles, in one line each

  1. The Storyteller — find one true story that makes this week’s chapter real. Interpretation + inference
  2. The Debater — find a genuine disagreement inside the chapter, argue both sides, then rule. Evaluation
  3. The Futurist — take one concept from the chapter ten years out and say what to do now. Inference
  4. The Case Analyzer — find a real case the chapter doesn’t cover and run the analysis. Analysis + inference
  5. The Deep Diver — follow one question the chapter raises but doesn’t settle, and explain what’s really going on. Explanation

Pick one. Full instructions for each are further down this section.

I want you to be a star. The culture of this class is that presenters get help. If you present next week, I will work with you — bring your draft, your half-idea, or your nerves to office hours (Mondays and Tuesdays 1:30–3:30 PM on Zoom) or book a time or message me on Canvas. Nobody needs to present cold.

Choosing your role

  • 1. Your chapter is assigned in Canvas — find your name on the Find Your Chapter page, under your section.
  • 2. Write your role next to your name in that chapter’s Presenter Doc (links in the Schedule) — first come, max three per role.
  • 3. Done by Sep 2. Full templates and rules are below.

Shared rules, all roles

  1. Everything anchors to this week’s chapter. Whatever role you chose, your story, debate, forecast, case, or dig must be built on a concept from the chapter you signed up for, named out loud. A great presentation on the wrong week’s material doesn’t pass.
  2. You are the advisor. AI made the research cheap; you did it anyway, went further, and came back with counsel. The audience hears advice from a knowledgeable peer, not a book report.
  3. Research with AI, then own it. Use any AI to gather, summarize, and stress-test (“argue against my advice”). Verify anything you’ll say out loud against a real source. Disclose the tools you used and what you overruled or corrected — that’s your judgment showing.
  4. Close with your advice, or your “so what” for the class.

The Storyteller

Skill: interpretation + inference

Find one true story — from the news, an interview, or your own workplace — that makes this week’s chapter real. AI helps you find candidates and check facts; you pick the story only you can tell well.

Answer these, in order:

  1. What happened? Tell the story with enough concrete detail that we can see it.
  2. When will your listeners need this story — what’s the “first time you ___”?
  3. Which concept from this week’s chapter unlocks the story? Name it out loud.
  4. What does the story mean once the concept is applied — what do you see that a casual observer wouldn’t?
  5. What should we do differently as managers because this story is true?

The Debater

Skill: evaluation

Find a genuine disagreement inside this week’s chapter — one experts actually have. AI builds the strongest version of each side; you judge.

Answer these, in order:

  1. What is the genuine disagreement inside this week’s chapter — stated as a question with two live answers?
  2. What is the strongest case for side A — the best evidence and the best reason?
  3. What is the strongest case for side B — argued just as hard?
  4. Where do you land, and why does your reason beat the other side’s best reason?
  5. In what specific situation would you switch sides?

The Futurist

Skill: inference

Pick one concept from this week’s chapter and take it ten years out. AI gathers predictions and where forecasters disagree; you decide who’s right.

Answer these, in order:

  1. Which concept from this week’s chapter are you projecting, and where does it stand today?
  2. What do forecasters predict about it over the next decade — and where do they disagree?
  3. What is your prediction, and what reasoning or evidence carries it?
  4. What should someone in this room start doing now, before it arrives?

The Case Analyzer

Skill: analysis + inference

Find a real case this week’s chapter doesn’t cover. AI helps you scout cases and assemble the facts; you run the analysis.

Answer these, in order:

  1. What happened in your case — one this week’s chapter doesn’t cover?
  2. Which chapter concepts explain what happened? Name them and show the fit.
  3. What would you have done differently, at what moment, and why?
  4. What warning sign should your classmates watch for in their own organizations?

The Deep Diver

Skill: explanation

Follow your curiosity into one question this week’s chapter raises but doesn’t settle. AI accelerates the dig; you decide what’s actually going on.

Answer these, in order:

  1. What question did this week’s chapter raise but not settle — and why did it hook you?
  2. What did you find when you dug — what is actually going on beneath the surface?
  3. What is your explanation, stated plainly? What evidence carries it, and how confident are you — and why that confident?
  4. What would you tell someone facing this tomorrow?

Your slide

The one rule: the slide supports your voice; it never competes with it. We’re listening to you. Anything on screen that makes us read instead of listen is working against you.

  1. One slide, one job. Yours is the backdrop for a five-minute piece, not the piece. If the slide could deliver the presentation without you, you built the wrong thing.
  2. Almost no sentences. Your name, your role, the chapter concept, maybe your final advice line. Fragments, not prose. If you’re tempted to write a paragraph, that’s your script, not your slide.
  3. One striking image beats six bullet points. The place the story happened, the chart with the one trend you’re riding, the two sides of your question facing each other. Ask: what should be on screen at the emotional peak of my piece?
  4. Big enough to read from the back of a Zoom. Nothing under 28pt. If it doesn’t fit at that size, it doesn’t belong.
  5. Your advice line deserves the screen. The moment you deliver your counsel, the text on screen should match what you’re saying. Let the last thing we see be the thing you want remembered.
  6. AI-made is fine; unexplainable is not. If AI designed your slide, you should still be able to say why every element is there.

A rough slide with a real position outscores a beautiful slide without one. Polish is not the assignment; clarity is.

What you turn in

Slide 1 — your presentation slide. The one you present with. Made with AI or not — no penalty either way.

Slide 2 — your process. Not a sources page. A short narrative of how the work got made, answering five things in one line each:

  1. Tools & moves. Which AI(s) you used, for which steps (finding, drafting, stress-testing).
  2. The overrule. One thing the AI got wrong, overstated, or missed — and what you did about it. If you found nothing, say what you checked.
  3. Verification. The 2–3 load-bearing claims in your presentation, and the real source each one rests on.
  4. Credibility test. How you judged those sources. Use SIFT: Stop; Investigate the source; Find better coverage; Trace claims to the original.
  5. Ownership. What in this presentation is yours alone — the stance, the advice, the call.

Both slides go to your chapter’s Presenter Doc, in presentation order — the Doc doubles as the week’s presenter lineup. Sec 04 (Async): due Wednesday 11:59 AM with your video. Sec 06 (Sync): due Wednesday 11:59 AM, the day you present.

Where the grade lands in Canvas. Nothing is uploaded to the Canvas assignment itself — it exists only to hold your 100 points. Your section has its own, so use the one with your section on it:
Section 04 · AsyncRole Presentation — Video. Your video goes in that chapter’s Five Minutes discussion; your slides go in the Presenter Doc.
Section 06 · SyncRole Presentation — Live. You present on Zoom; your slides go in the Presenter Doc. There is no video to post.

Presenter Docs by chapter (presentations begin Ch 2) — Sec 04 (Async): 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 · Sec 06 (Sync): 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

How presentation week runs

Section 04 · AsynchronousSection 06 · Synchronous
Presenters submitSlides 1 and 2 in the Presenter Doc, plus your five-minute video posted to the module, both due Wednesday 11:59 AM — the same day Sec 06 covers that chapter in class, so both sections watch your video that week.
Your chapter’s Presenter Doc (links above) · Post your video in Canvas (Sec 04 · Async) Voice required for the full presentation; face optional — narrated slides or a screen recording is fine.
Slides 1 and 2 in the Presenter Doc by Wednesday 11:59 AM, the day you present
Your chapter’s Presenter Doc (links above)
PresentingBoth sections watch your posted video — Sec 06 in class, Sec 04 over the following weekLive on Zoom, five minutes
Everyone’s feedbackWatch all of the week’s videos — you have a full week — and give your feedback on them, starting each thought with the presenter’s name (“Sally used a strong voice”). Then: what did you learn.All of the week’s videos are watched during class. Type your thoughts into the week’s Canvas Graded Survey as you watch, starting each thought with the presenter’s name. Then: what did you learn.
Survey dueWednesday 11:59 PM, one week after the videos posted — a full week to watch them all. It is the week’s After-Class Activity.Opens at the start of class; due 11:59 PM that same Wednesday. It is the week’s After-Class Activity and the measure of attendance.

What comes back to you

After each cycle closes, every presenter receives a private summary of the class’s feedback from the instructor via Canvas — the same three parts for everyone: what worked · the one thing to work on next time · what the class took away from your advice.

AI synthesizes the comments; the instructor reviews and owns every summary. Individual comments are never attributed.

The After-Class Activity (24%)

One survey, two questions:

1. What is your feedback for the presenters? — type your thoughts as you watch, stream-of-consciousness, starting each thought with the presenter’s name: “Sally used a strong voice.”

2. What did you learn? — your most important takeaway from this session, and why it matters to you.

When it is due, and what each section does

Section 04 · AsynchronousSection 06 · Synchronous
DueWednesday 11:59 PM, one week after that chapter’s videos were due. A full week to watch every video and comment, since there is no live session.Wednesday 11:59 PM, the night of class. The survey opens at the start of the session, and submitting it is also the measure of attendance.
Question 1
feedback for the presenters
Comment on all of the week’s videos. You have a full week to watch them.Comment on all of the week’s videos, typing as you watch them together in class.
Question 2
what did you learn
One takeaway from the session and why it matters to you. Same for both sections.
SubmitOpen the survey in Canvas (Sec 04 · Async)Open the survey in Canvas (Sec 06 · Sync)

10 pts, completion + spot-checks, lowest dropped.

The Exams (midterm 16% + final 16%)

Midterm and Final will be a combination of MC and open-ended questions. The midterm will cover Chapter 1–6; the final will cover all chapters. For both classes, both the midterm and final will be available for multiple days and allow multiple attempts.

Schedule

Fifteen sessions, twelve chapters.

Section 06 · Sync meets Wednesdays 4:00–6:45 PM on Zoom — everything is due Wednesday.
Section 04 · Async has no meetings and every module is open all term. Two things are dated: presenter videos are due Wednesday 11:59 AM, the same day Sec 06 covers that chapter in class; the After-Class survey is due the following Wednesday, 11:59 PM, giving you a full week to watch every video and comment. Before-Class Activities are due Wednesday 11:59 AM — the same deadline as Sec 06 — and earn half credit after that, through Dec 18.

Key university dates

DateWhat happens
Mon Aug 24Weekday classes begin
Sat Sep 5 – Mon Sep 7Labor Day — no instruction
Sun Sep 20Last day to drop online (undergraduate)
Wed Nov 11Veterans Day — campus closed, no classes
Thu Nov 26 – Sun Nov 29Thanksgiving recess — no classes
Fri Dec 11Last day of instruction
Sat Dec 12 – Fri Dec 18Finals week

Per the CSUN Fall 2026 academic calendar.

Weekly rhythm

  • Before-Class Activity — one recurring question, identical every week. 10 pts, complete/incomplete, lowest dropped.
    • Sec 04 · Async — Wednesday 11:59 AM weekly. Half credit if later; closes Fri Dec 18.
    • Sec 06 · Sync — Wednesday 11:59 AM, before class.
  • After-Class Activity — peer commentary on the presenters, plus your own reflection. 10 pts, completion + spot-checks, lowest dropped.
    • Sec 04 · Async — Wednesday 11:59 PM, one week after that chapter’s videos.
    • Sec 06 · Sync — Wednesday 11:59 PM, the night of class.
WkSync meetsChTopic and ChapterCase pairingDue
Wednesdays
1Wed Aug 26Overview; chapter assignments announced; choose your role in your Presenter Doc
No chapter reading this week.
BC00 — Introductions
Opens Wed Aug 26, 4:00 PM · due Wed Sep 2, 4:00 PM. No chapter Before-Class Activity this week.
2Wed Sep 21Managers and Managing · .docx
When do managers create value — and when are they just cost?
Bayer vs. WalmartBC01 · AC01
No presenters — presentations begin Ch 2
3Wed Sep 92Individual Behavior · .docx
Person or situation — what actually drives behavior at work?
Microsoft vs. XBC02 · AC02
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
4Wed Sep 163Motivation · .docx
Can you buy motivation?
Wells Fargo vs. PatagoniaBC03 · AC03
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
5Wed Sep 234Power and Politics · .docx
Where does power actually come from?
OpenAI vs. StarbucksBC04 · AC04
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
6Wed Sep 305Groups, Teams, and Communication · .docx
When is a team more — or less — than the sum of its members?
Boeing vs. ToyotaBC05 · AC05
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
7Wed Oct 76Leadership · .docx
Leadership performed vs. leadership practiced
Theranos vs. AMDBC06 · AC06
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
Async: video due Wed Oct 7; its AC falls Wed Oct 14, the midterm day
8Wed Oct 14Midterm — Chapters 1–6Both sections: window opens Oct 14, open several days, multiple attempts
9Wed Oct 217Decision-Making · .docx
How do you decide well under uncertainty — and how would you know?
Zillow vs. OpendoorBC07 · AC07
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
10Wed Oct 288Organizational Culture · .docx
The values on the wall vs. the values in the room
Uber vs. NetflixBC08 · AC08
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
11Wed Nov 49Strategy and Structure · .docx
What makes a strategy and a structure fit — and what happens when they don’t?
Intel vs. NVIDIABC09 · AC09
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
Async: AC09 moved to Wed Nov 18, 11:59 PM — its Wednesday is Veterans Day
Wed Nov 11Veterans Day — campus closedNo class, no module
12Wed Nov 1810Human Resources and AI · .docx
Bias at scale or fairness at scale?
Workday vs. UnileverBC10 · AC10
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
Async: AC due Wed Nov 25, before the Thanksgiving recess
13Wed Nov 25 (async both)11Ethics and Social Responsibility · .docx
What do good ends still owe?
FTX vs. CVSBC11 · AC11
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
Async: video due Wed Nov 25, before the Thanksgiving recess
14Wed Dec 212Change and Innovation · .docx
Change before you must — or because you must?
Adobe vs. SouthwestBC12 · AC12
Presenter Doc · 04 Async
Presenter Doc · 06 Sync
15Wed Dec 9Review and synthesisNo graded work — last day of instruction Fri Dec 11
FDec 12–18Final — cumulative, Chapters 1–12Window in Canvas, both sections

About the Class Website

This material was vibe coded using AI and published automatically to Netlify, a web hosting service, to show what is possible with AI.

Your Section at a Glance

Everything above, side by side. Find your section and read down.

Section 04 · AsynchronousSection 06 · Synchronous
MeetsNo meetings; weekly Canvas modulesWednesdays 4:00–6:45 PM on Zoom
Before-Class Activity dueWednesday 11:59 AM weekly — half credit after, through Fri Dec 18Wednesday 11:59 AM (before class)
After-Class Activity dueWednesday 11:59 PM, one week after that chapter’s videosWednesday 11:59 PM (opens in class; measures attendance)
Role Presentation (5 min)Video (voice required, face optional) due Wednesday 11:59 AM, the same day Sync covers that chapterLive on Zoom in your signed-up week
Presenter feedbackWatch and comment on all of the week’s videos — a full week to do itWatch and comment on all of the week’s videos, during class
ExamsMulti-day window, multiple attemptsMulti-day window, multiple attempts