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Learning Organisational Behaviour

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Organisational Behaviour and Analysis

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Organisational Behaviour

 

Rationale

Organizational studies, organizational behavior1, and organizational theory are related terms for the academic study of organizations, examining them using the methods of economics, sociology, political science, anthropology, and psychology. Related practical disciplines include human resources (HR) and industrial and organizational psychology.

 

Aligning business for sustained growth

 

Learning Outcomes

After completing the programme students should be able to:

1. Understand the development of early management thought. This would include an appreciation of the main contributions of Scientific Management and Classical Management approaches to the study of people and organisations. Particular reference should be given to the work of F W Taylor, H Fayol and M Weber and the behavioural limitations of their approaches.

2. Understand the concept of a behavioural approach to management and recognise the value of behavioural science in understanding organisational behaviour. Identify and evaluate developments in organisational behaviour and management thinking. Develop an awareness and understanding of the ways in which human behaviour is influenced in organisations.

3. Outline the importance of the individual’s contribution to the Organisation and factors affecting behaviour. Recognise the significance of attitudes, their functions, change and measurement with reference to the culture of the Organisation. Understand the process of perception, attribution and the problems that may arise. Differentiate between attitudes and opinions and understand problems arising from surveys and their assessment. Explain the principles and problems in the process of attitude change within the workplace and recognise the impact of behavioural issues on attitudes.

4. Appreciate the major difficulties in studying personality and approaches taken. Apply the key issues of personality studies to the Organisation. Understand the links between personality and motivation. Identify the nature and extent of the factors which create stress, assess its effects and appreciate the various types of adjustive reaction. Understand the role of the manager in stressful situations.

5. Define motivation and understand how people are motivated in different ways. Understand the basic theories of motivation and assess developments in thinking, in particular theories of expectancy, equity and an integrated model. Analyse problems of motivation in the work place and the links to effectiveness. Contrast the implications for the manager of different theories and evaluate their relevance to specific work situations.

6. Explain the nature and meaning of job satisfaction and its relationship to performance. Analyse the dimensions of job satisfaction and work performance together with the variables that affect them. Appreciate the sources of frustration and alienation at work and consider the role and effectiveness of performance appraisal. Understand and appraise the main approaches to improving job design and work organisation. Assess broader organisational approaches to job design including task/job characteristics, flexible working, involvement, empowerment, and quality circles. Understand the link between motivation, management style and job design.

7. Explain the meaning and nature of groups. Identify different types of groups and understand the process of group formation and development. Appreciate the factors influencing group cohesion and performance. Assess the determinants of group cohesiveness and effectiveness including social and interpersonal relationships. Distinguish between different functions and member roles in teams and teamwork. Assess the nature of team spirit and effectiveness. Recognise the importance of understanding the operation of work groups.

8. Understand the meaning and importance of leadership in work situations. Recognise the nature of leadership and the exercise of power and authority. Examine leadership as an aspect of behaviour and explore theories including trait, style and contingency. Appreciate the variables which determine effective managerial leadership.

9. Explain the sources and causes of conflict and the effects of conflict within the Organisation. Understand the role of the manager in the management of conflict, identifying both the positive and negative effects of conflict. Assess the managerial issues in conflict, understand different models and styles of conflict resolution and appraise their relevance for the manager in handling conflict. Analyse specific conflict situations and plan a strategy for reduction and/or resolution of conflict.

10. Specify the steps in the communication process and identify individual and organisational obstacles/barriers to effective communication. Examine the formal and informal communication systems and recognise the need for effective communication in the fulfilment of management functions. Appreciate the dimensions of non-verbal communication. Understand techniques and strategies to improve communications.

 

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Introduction to Organisational Behaviour, Learning

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An American engineer who worked his way through evening studies for his qualifications. From being an engineer in a steel company he became one of the first of a new breed of very influential management writers and theorists. He is known for defining the techniques of scientific management which is the study of relationships between people and tasks for the purpose of redesigning the work process to increase efficiency.

He was writing at a time when factories were creating big problems for management who needed new methods for dealing with the management challenges.
Taylor was one of the first to attempt to systematically analyze behaviour at work. His model was the machine therefore his ideas are often characterised as the machine model of organisations. Each task was broken down to its smallest unit to identify the best way to do each job. Then the supervisor, would teach it to the worker and make sure the worker did only those actions essential to the task.. This is why is it referred to as scientific management as Taylor attempted to make a science for each element of work and restrict alternatives to remove human variability or errors.

Taylor was not really concerned with other organisational or management issues, his focus was on efficiency.

Source: people, organisations theory models, concepts @ onepine

 

Henri Fayol (1841-1925) a French engineer. His key work was Administration Industrielle et Generale, 1916 He belongs to the Classical School of management theory and was writing and exploring administration and work about same time as F W Taylor in USA.


While both have a task focus, their approaches are quite different. Fayol was particularly interested in authority and its implementation while Taylor concentrated on work organisation (e.g. efficiency). In many ways their views illustrating some of the differences between the USA and Europe. The views and attitudes towards organisations and management are not always led by American theorists. He advocated a consistent set of principles that all organisations need to run properly.

Source: people, organisations theory models, concepts @ onepine


Sociology is a social science on the the study of the social lives of humans, groups, and societies, sometimes defined as the study of social interactions. It is a relatively new academic discipline that evolved in the early 19th century. It concerns itself with the social rules and processes that bind and separate people not only as individuals, but as members of associations, groups, and institutions. Sociology is interested in our behavior as social beings; thus the sociological field of interest ranges from the analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the street to the study of global social processes. In a broad sense, sociology is the scientific study of social groups, the entities through which humans move throughout their lives. There is a current trend in sociology to make it a more applied discipline for people who want to work in an applied setting like non-profits.

The results of sociological research aid educators, lawmakers, administrators, and others interested in resolving social problems and formulating public policy. Most sociologists work in one or more specialties, such as social organization, social stratification, and social mobility; racial and ethnic relations; education; family; social psychology; urban, rural, political, and comparative sociology; sex roles and relationships; demography; gerontology; criminology; and sociological practice.

Source: Wikipedia

 

 

Personality and Organisation. Individual Differences. Assessing Individual Differences, Stress

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Work Motivation. Motivation and Job Satisfaction

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Organisational Communication. Social Interaction. Group and Inter-Group Behaviour. Team Management. Inter-group Relations: Cooperation, Competition, and Conflict

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Leadership

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Work - The Classical Approach. Alternative Work Design. Conflict and Consent in Work. Markets and Occupations. Gender and Employment

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Structure and Control in Organizations. Structure and Performance in Organizations

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Managerial Processes and Change. Management of Change. Managing Negotiation

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What Needs to Change

 

 

Organizational Culture. Power and Organizations

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Technology in the Workplace. New Systems of Work Organization

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Recommended Text

Principles of Organizational Behaviour
Fincham & Rhodes

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Organisational Behaviour

Prof Mirza S Saiyadain
International Management Institute,
New Delhi

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Resources

What needs to change in order to get improvement?