FW: BUS 101 OER

[Harmon, Sarah]

Heyyas OER folks!

 

I have Business faculty who are looking to see what other resources are being used by Business faculty for Intro to Human Relations. So far, they have been ok with the OpenStax Organizational Behavior text, but feel it’s lacking a few things. They had been using the Laura Portolese-Días text from Saylor (through LibreTexts), but also feel like it’s not quite enough.

 

I’m attaching the course outline of record to this email, but the SLOs are:

1. Examine the historical movement of human relations studies and theories and apply those to contemporary situations in personal and organizational practices.
2. Understand how basic psychological principles and increasing self-knowledge affects behavior to relationships with others in the social and organizational settings.
3. Define and explain the sender-receiver communication model, and barriers and filters to effective communication.
4. Analyze how paraphrasing, empathetic listening, feedback, and reflecting response affect interpersonal communications.
5. Describe the communication style model and identify individual communication styles based on behavior.
6. Describe the various techniques and styles for dealing with conflict. Discuss the appropriate style for diverse situation.
7. Evaluate and analyze traditional and contemporary motivational theories affecting human behavior in diverse groups.
8. Describe the importance of self-concept, self-efficacy, and self-fulfilling prophecy to individual and group performance and employ proven techniques for self-improvement.
9. Explain the importance of values and ethics to the success of an organization.
10. Describe the different leadership theories and practices that have evolved throughout history and the effects on individual and group behavior.
11. Explain the impact of organizational change and culture in the global business environment.
12. Examine workforce issues regarding diversity, socialization, and stress.
13. Evaluate how modern technology impacts human relationships with oneself, with others and with groups.

So far, I’ve noticed the following texts being used:

• OpenStax:
• Organizational Behavior
• LibreTexts:
• OpenStax Organizational Behavior
• Human Relations (Saylor; Laura Portolese-Días)
• Organizational Behavior Human Relations (Lumen)
• The History of Human Resources in the United States: A Primer on Modern Practice (Lloyd and Aho)
• LT Remixes:
• Sacramento City College: Human Relations and Organizational Behavior
• Open Oregon:
• Canvas Commons: Human Relations in Business OER from Velma Arnaud and Rockal Newston
• Skyline College:
• Soledad McCarthy's OER reader

Is there anything else that I’m missing out there? Any other recommendations?

 

Best,

--s

_____________________________________________________

Sarah Harmon, Ph.D.

OER/ZTC Program Manager

Adjunct Professor of Linguistics

Cañada College

Office: Building 13, Room 346

Email: har...@smccd.edu

Office phone: 650-306-3426

To schedule an appointment with me, please use my Calendly Scheduler

 

From: Nance, Candice <nan...@smccd.edu>
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2026 9:44 AM
To: Harmon, Sarah <har...@smccd.edu>
Subject: BUS 101 OER

 

Good morning, Sarah,

 

I was wondering if you could do a deeper dive into OpenStax and Human Relations. In your earlier email from last fall, many of the resources were Human Resources (HR) which is different than Human Relations in the Workplace. 

 

Would you be able to look deeper into OpenStax for something comparable so we could try to move away from Saylor? All I can find is the OpenStax Organizational Behavior book and insufficient results in the OER Commons database.

 

College COR’s list the following as possible textbooks:

 

Cañada:

• Reece, B., & Reece, M.. Human Relations: Interpersonal and Organizational Applications, 14th ed. Cengage, 2025

• Lussier, R.. Human Relations in Organizations: Applications and Skill Building, 12th ed. McGraw Hill, 2022

• B. McCann, V.. Human Relations: The Art and Science of Building Effective Relationships, 2 ed. Pearson, 2021

 

CSM:

• Saylor Academy. Human Relations, ed. The Saylor Foundation, 2024

• Portolese, L.. Human Relations: Career, Relationships and You, 4.0 ed. Boston, MA: Flatworld, 2023

 

Skyline:

• Lamberton, L. & Minor-Evans, L. Human Relations: Stategies for Success, 7th ed. McGraw Hill, 2022

• ZTC Reader. Introduction to Human Relations, 1 ed. ZTC, 2020

 

This is what the course should cover:

1. COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:

Catalog Description:

This course reviews the behavioral science principles used to understand organizational behavior and interpersonal relations. Topics include self-knowledge, perception, self-image, self-management, communications, motivation, conflict resolution, leadership, diversity, ethical choices, and their effects on today's multicultural and highly diverse organizational and social groups. Human relations competencies are developed through theoretical knowledge and group scenarios.

 

2. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOME(S) (SLO'S):
   Upon successful completion of this course, a student will meet the following outcomes:
1. Differentiate the principles of human relations theory and practices to various organizational situations.
2. Compare and contrast how interpersonal competencies, such as attitude, self-esteem, team building, leadership style, and positive reinforcement, impact an organization’s culture and promote career success.
3. Explain how theories of motivation and human behavior such as leadership style, ethical behavior, team building, conflict resolution, and a positive attitude impact strategies of stress reduction, worker productivity and change management.

 

3. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:
   Upon successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:
1. Examine the historical movement of human relations studies and theories and apply those to contemporary situations in personal and organizational practices.
2. Understand how basic psychological principles and increasing self-knowledge affects behavior to relationships with others in the social and organizational settings.
3. Define and explain the sender-receiver communication model, and barriers and filters to effective communication.
4. Analyze how paraphrasing, empathetic listening, feedback, and reflecting response affect interpersonal communications.
5. Describe the communication style model and identify individual communication styles based on behavior.
6. Describe the various techniques and styles for dealing with conflict. Discuss the appropriate style for diverse situation.
7. Evaluate and analyze traditional and contemporary motivational theories affecting human behavior in diverse groups.
8. Describe the importance of self-concept, self-efficacy, and self-fulfilling prophecy to individual and group performance and employ proven techniques for self-improvement.
9. Explain the importance of values and ethics to the success of an organization.
10. Describe the different leadership theories and practices that have evolved throughout history and the effects on individual and group behavior.
11. Explain the impact of organizational change and culture in the global business environment.
12. Examine workforce issues regarding diversity, socialization, and stress.
13. Evaluate how modern technology impacts human relationships with oneself, with others and with groups.

 

4. COURSE CONTENT:

Lecture Content:

1. Understanding Behavior, Human Relations, and Performance
1. Development of Human Relations Management
1. Investigate behavioral themes throughout history through inquiry-based learning
2. Exploring and analyzing human relations through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens
2. Examine Major Themes in Human Relations   

1. Communication
2. Self-awareness
3. Motivation
4. Conflict resolution 
5. Ethics

2. Personal Values and Self-Image

1. Sources of personal values
2. Values and perception
3. Sources and consequences of self-image
4. Editing our dysfunctional programming

3. Intimate Relations

1. Intimacy as a productive connection
2. Relationship as the "Acid Test" of skill

4. Work and Career

1. The fit between who we are and what we do
2. Inner versus outer directed    

5. Creative Self-Management

1. The importance of both discipline and awareness
2. Personality attributes of peak performers
3. Managing priorities (Time)
4. Managing stress

6. Attitudes, Self-concept, Values, and Ethics

1. Importance of attitudes in the workplace
2. Attitudes valued by employers
3. How values influence ethics

7. Analyzing the American Work Ethic

1. Role of work ethics in society
2. Impact of corporate social responsibility on

1. Employees
2. Customers
3. The community
4. The government
5. The environment    

8. Interpersonal Communication Theories

1. Sender-receiver model
2. Listening
3. Congruence
4. Barriers and gateways

9. Organizational Structure and Communication

1. Formal
2. Informal
3. Vertical
4. Horizontal

10. Dealing with and Managing Conflict

1. Conflict as a source of productive connection
2. Conflict response choices
3. Collaborative problem solving
4. Restorative, collaborative, and innovative practices   

11. The Challenge of Change

1. Resistance to change
2. The role of habit
3. The challenge of perception

12. Motivating performance

1. Complex nature of motivation
2. Influential motivational theories

1. Content theories
1. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
2. Herzberg's Two Factory Theory
3. McClelland's Three Needs Theory
4. McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y
2. Process theories

1. Taylor's Motivation Theory
2. Vroom's Expectancy Theory
3. Locke's Goal Setting Theory

3. Motivating generations
4. Self-motivation strategies     

13. Networking and negotiation

1. Developing a professional presence
2. Resolving conflict assertively
3. Negotiating effectively

14. Team dynamics and leadership

1. Empowerment
2. Influence
3. Creative problem solving and decision making in teams

15. Applying human relations competencies

1. Responding to work-related stress
2. Building stronger relationships

16. Workforce Diversity

1. Understanding diversity through a range of characteristics

1. Gender
2. Religion
3. Race
4. Age
5. Ethnicity
6. Sexual orientation
7. Education
8. Other attributes

2. The benefits of diversity in the workplace

1. New perspectives
2. Wider talent pool
3. More innovation
4. Better employee performance

3. The challenges of diversity in the workplace

1. Aligning diversity practices with unique organizational goals
2. Moving from the design phase to the implementation and control phases
3. Training management
4. Overcoming bias
5. Internal resistance

4. Different forms of discrimination

1. Age discrimination
2. Disability discrimination
3. Sexual orientation
4. Status as a parent
5. Religious discrimination
6. National origin
7. Pregnancy
8. Sexual harassment

 

Any guidance would be much appreciated! Eek!

 

Sincerely,

Candice

From: Harmon, Sarah <har...@smccd.edu>
Date: Monday, March 16, 2026 at 2:43 PM
To: Nance, Candice <nan...@smccd.edu>
Cc: Kumar, Jai (Bookstore Manager) <ku...@smccd.edu>
Subject: RE: Summer 2026...ZTC?

Done! Looping in Jai accordingly.

Thanks!

--s

 

___________________________________________________________________________

Sarah Harmon, Ph.D.

OER/ZTC Program Manager

Adjunct Professor of Linguistics

Cañada College

Office: 13-346

Email: har...@smccd.edu

Phone: 650-306-3426

Sign up for office hours/appointments via my Calendly Scheduler

 

From: Nance, Candice <nan...@smccd.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2026 2:42 PM
To: Harmon, Sarah <har...@smccd.edu>
Subject: Re: Summer 2026...ZTC?

 

Ok, thank you. And yes, let’s proceed with the OERs you included below.

 

Sincerely,

Candice

From: Harmon, Sarah <har...@smccd.edu>
Date: Monday, March 16, 2026 at 2:31 PM
To: Nance, Candice <nan...@smccd.edu>
Subject: RE: Summer 2026...ZTC?

Sweet! I gave you the links and the information in the original email (see below). I will note that we’re trying to move away from Saylor Academy texts in their website, since there are significant accessibility and printing issues. I think Sara was using that Saylor text as reference only, but the real text was the OpenStax one.

 

Let me know, and I’ll have your courses marked accordingly.

Best,

--s

 

___________________________________________________________________________

Sarah Harmon, Ph.D.

OER/ZTC Program Manager

Adjunct Professor of Linguistics

Cañada College

Office: 13-346

Email: har...@smccd.edu

Phone: 650-306-3426

Sign up for office hours/appointments via my Calendly Scheduler

 

From: Nance, Candice <nan...@smccd.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2026 2:05 PM
To: Harmon, Sarah <har...@smccd.edu>
Subject: Re: Summer 2026...ZTC?

 

Hi Sarah,

 

Thanks for following up. I’ve been meaning to get back to you. I’d like to adopt the OER’s that Sara Dykes has been using. I believe it was a combination of two texts, correct?

 

For BUS 125 - do you know if Janet Laurin was using the OER at all? 

 

My goal is to adopt OERs for both courses, but let me know about the BUS 101 with Dykes/Lewall.

 

Thanks!

 

Candice

From: Harmon, Sarah <har...@smccd.edu>
Date: Monday, March 16, 2026 at 2:01 PM
To: Nance, Candice <nan...@smccd.edu>
Subject: RE: Summer 2026...ZTC?

Heyyas Candice!

Just trying to close a loop. Could you please let me know as soon as you can?

Thanks,

--s

 

___________________________________________________________________________

Sarah Harmon, Ph.D.

OER/ZTC Program Manager

Adjunct Professor of Linguistics

Cañada College

Office: 13-346

Email: har...@smccd.edu

Phone: 650-306-3426

Sign up for office hours/appointments via my Calendly Scheduler

 

From: Harmon, Sarah
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2026 3:01 PM
To: Nance, Candice <nan...@smccd.edu>
Subject: Summer 2026...ZTC?

 

Heyyas Candice!

As we’re submitting our Summer 2026 book orders, I’m reaching out in my role as OER/ZTC Program Manager to everyone that has used ZTC/LTC materials. For Summer 2026, I believe you’re slated to teach the following courses:

55745	BUS.	101	101	OLH	Human Relations Workplace
55748	BUS.	125	125	OLH	International Business

 

In the past, you and/or your colleagues have used the following materials for these courses:

• ·         BUS 101: Open Stax Organizational Behavior; Saylor Academy (2012) Human Relations (not ideal for printing, but ok for reference)
• ·         BUS 125: International Business Remix (LibreTexts)

Are you planning on using these materials for Summer? If so, please let me know, and I’ll have your courses marked appropriately in WebSchedule.

Remember: If you’re requiring students to use course materials that are free for them to use—be they open-source textbooks, library subscription-based articles and videos, instructor-created materials, or any other digital resources—then your course can be labeled as ZTC. If your required course materials total to less than $40 new at the Bookstore, then your course can be labeled as Low Textbook Cost (LTC). There’s more information on the TAS Textbook Adoption website. By law, we’re required to mark all of our courses that are ZTC or LTC—we need to make course materials costs transparent to our students.

A couple of important notes:

• A reminder that all book adoptions are due 10 March 2026—and getting book orders in on-time is crucial to keeping costs as low as possible for students. This includes ZTC/LTC courses; materials that can be set up as print-optional need to be prepared ahead of time by the Bookstore, so early adoption of materials is crucial. You can find out more information on the TAS Textbook Adoption website.
• Curious about ZTC course materials for your course? If you’re looking to move to completely free-for-students course materials and you want some help with this, please let me know!
• Using Library-based resources, or looking to use more? Make sure to use the Library’s OneSearch bar on their homepage to find e-books, journal articles and other library-based materials. If you’re looking to include streaming videos, please fill out the Streaming Video Request Form as soon as possible; Carlos and Adriana need at least 2 months of lead time to make sure that everything is ready for you when you need it.

If you have any questions, please let us know:

• Textbook Adoption: Jai Kumar
• Open educational resources and other related questions: Sarah Harmon
• Library-based resources, including eBooks and subscriptions: Diana Tedone-Goldstone
• Integrating materials into your Canvas shell: Lindsey Irizarry

On behalf of the Academic Senate Textbook Affordability Subcommittee,

--s

_____________________________________________________

Sarah Harmon, Ph.D.

OER/ZTC Program Manager

Adjunct Professor of Linguistics

Cañada College

Office: Building 13, Room 346

Email: har...@smccd.edu

Google Text: 650-260-5338

To schedule an appointment with me, please use my Calendly Scheduler