Organizational Behavior – MGT 312
Organizational Behavior – MGT 312
Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course
Common Course ID: MGT 312
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait
Abstract: This open textbook is being utilized in a Management course for undergraduate or graduate students by Rida Elias at California State University, Dominguez Hills. The open textbook provides comprehensive coverage of individual, team, and organizational behavior with embedded cases and diverse perspectives. The main motivation to adopt an open textbook was to increase student access to quality materials and reduce textbook costs. Most students access the open textbook in digital format via the OpenStax website and Canvas.
Organizational Behavior – MGT 312
Brief Description of course highlights: Causes and consequences of individual and group behavior in business, organizational communications, interpersonal relations, and conflict resolution; cases and role-playing.
Student population: The course is taken primarily by undergraduate business students. Prerequisite: MGT 310. Most students are juniors or seniors majoring in business disciplines, many of whom are first-generation college students from diverse backgrounds, including Black and Latino communities.
Learning or student outcomes:
1. Identify principles and challenges related to organizational behavior at the levels of individual, team, and organization.
2. Utilize OB theories, frameworks, and tactics to prevent and address problems using critical thinking.
3. Evaluate the benefits and challenges of alternatives to achieve high performance.
4. Make recommendations to improve performance at different organizational levels.
5. Create a plan to improve their own personal leadership skills.
Textbook or OER/Low cost Title: Organizational Behavior by J. Stewart Black et al. – OpenStax
Brief Description: This OpenStax textbook covers key OB concepts such as perception, learning, motivation, leadership, power, culture, and teams. It uses real-world scenarios, built-in review questions, and accessible language. Instructor supplements include lecture slides, test banks, and case questions. It aligns well with course learning outcomes and allows flexibility in instruction methods (lecture, discussion, projects).
Please provide a link to the resource https://openstax.org/details/books/organizational-behavior
Authors: J. Stewart Black, Richard Steers, Jason Lambert, Laura M. Leduc, Eva Hartmann, David S. Bright, et al.
Student access: Materials are accessed online via OpenStax and embedded in Canvas LMS. A printed version is available for a low cost through the campus bookstore or OpenStax print partners.
Supplemental resources: Canvas site includes discussion forums, workshop prompts, contribution rubrics, midterm and final exams. The instructor uses case studies, videos, and interactive exercises to supplement the readings.
Provide the cost savings from that of a traditional textbook. Traditional OB textbooks typically cost $70–$100. This OER adoption saves each student that full amount, totaling ~$2,400 savings per 30-student enrollment.
License: Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0)
OER/Low Cost Adoption Process
Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option. My motivation was to save students money, make course materials more accessible, and ensure all students have access from the first day. It also allowed me to customize content and supplement it with relevant contemporary case studies.
How did you find and select the open textbook for this course? I consulted with the campus OER librarian namely Hallie, explored OER repositories (including OpenStax and MERLOT), and evaluated peer reviews and alignment with my learning objectives. OpenStax’s OB book stood out for its clarity, contemporary relevance, and alignment with course topics.
Sharing Best Practices: Start early in exploring OERs and don’t hesitate to combine multiple resources. Canvas integration is key to streamlining access. Supplementing OERs with engaging multimedia and real-world cases improves effectiveness..
Describe any key challenges you experienced, how they were resolved and lessons learned. Initially, the lack of case studies tailored to my class population was a concern, but I supplemented with my own and adapted others. Also, I found that guiding students through the digital version early on helped avoid tech issues.
Instructor Name - Rida Elias
I am an Assistant Professor of Management at California State University, Dominguez Hills
Please provide a link to your university page
https://www.csudh.edu/cbapp/contact-us/faculty/ridaelias
Please describe the courses you teach
MGT 310 (Management Theory)
MGT 312 (Organizational Behavior)
MGT 490 (Strategic Management)
Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching.
I believe in creating engaging, accessible, and meaningful learning experiences. I emphasize discussion, real-life application, and culturally relevant teaching to promote critical thinking and leadership. My research focuses on strategic leadership, organizational behavior, CEO identity, and power dynamics in corporate governance.