Week 1 – Applied Business
Management
Course Introduction
What is Organizational Behaviour?
Marianne Marando
Winter 2007
MRK360 – Applied Business
Management
Our plan for today:
 A new course – why?
 Introductions
 Review course outline
 Course expectations and topical outline
Next Class:
Winter 2007
Chapter 1
What is Organizational Behaviour?
Questions for Consideration
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is organizational behaviour?
What challenges do managers and employees face
in the workplace of the 21st century?
How does knowing about organizational behaviour
make work and life more understandable?
Isn’t organizational behaviour common sense? Or
just psychology?
What are the building blocks to understanding
organizational behaviour?
Winter 2007
Organizational Behaviour
. . . a field of study that investigates
how individuals, groups and structure
affect and are affected by behaviour
within organizations, for the purpose of
applying such knowledge toward
improving an organization’s
effectiveness.
Winter 2007
Why Do We Study OB?

To learn about yourself and how to deal with
others
 You are part of an organization now, and will
continue to be a part of various organizations
 Organizations are increasingly expecting
individuals to be able to work in teams, at least
some of the time
 Some of you may want to be managers or
entrepreneurs
Winter 2007
Group Exercise
In groups of three – try to group with
people you don’t know
 Introduce yourself to each other
 The BEST job you’ve ever had
 The WORST job you’ve ever had
You will be introducing each other to the
class!
Winter 2007
Course Overview

Subject Outline/Topical Outline
Evaluation
Tests – 2 of them – 20% each
 Assignments – 4 of them – 5% each
 Business Plan – 25%
 Participation – 15%

Winter 2007
Assignments – 20%

Will be handed out and completed (usually) in
class on the day indicated in the topical outline
 Some will be completed in groups, some
individual
 If you are not in class – you won’t be in a
group – you will not be able to submit the
assignment
 Will be based on the chapters and material
covered in previous weeks – you will not be
able to complete the assignment if you have
not completed the readings!
Winter 2007
Participation – 15%

Participation DOES NOT equal
attendance – so you can attend
every single class and still score 0
on participation.

Participation is assessed by:



Winter 2007
Participation in class discussions
Bringing relevant topics/newspaper
articles to class for class discussion
Being prepared to discuss relevant
newspapers brought in by
others/professor
My Expectations
That you come to class prepared
 That you participate, question and
discuss
 That you deliver things professionally
and on time
 That you have some fun

Winter 2007
What you can expect from me

Be here and prepared
 Available as a resource - quick response
 Fair evaluation
 Open to your ideas
 Committed to your success
 Have fun!
Winter 2007
Chapter 1
Marianne Marando
Exhibit 1-1 Challenges Facing the
Workplace
Organizational Level
•
•
•
•
Productivity
Developing effective employees
Global competition
Managing in the global village
Group Level
• Working with others
• Workforce diversity
Individual Level
• Job satisfaction
• Empowerment
• Behaving ethically
Winter 2007
Workplace
Today’s Challenges in the Canadian
Workplace

Challenges at the Individual Level
Job Satisfaction
 Empowerment
 Behaving Ethically


Challenges at the Group Level
Working With Others
 Workforce Diversity

Winter 2007
Today’s Challenges in the
Canadian Workplace

Challenges at the Organizational Level
Productivity
 Developing Effective Employees

Absenteeism
 Turnover
 Organizational Citizenship

Competition From the Global Environment
 Managing and Working in a Global Village

Winter 2007
Productivity

Productivity


Effectiveness


A performance measure including
effectiveness and efficiency
Achievement of goals
Efficiency

Winter 2007
The ratio of effective work output to the
input required to produce the work
Effective Employees

Absenteeism


Turnover


Failure to report to work
Voluntary and involuntary permanent withdrawal
from the organization
Organizational citizenship behaviour
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Winter 2007
Discretionary behaviour that is not part of an
employee’s formal job requirements, but is helpful
to the organization
How Will Knowing OB Make a
Difference?

For Managers
Knowing organizational behaviour can help
you manage well and makes for better
corporations.
 Managing people well leads to greater
organizational commitment.
 Finally, managing well may improve
organizational citizenship.

Winter 2007
How Will Knowing OB Make a
Difference?

For Individuals

What if I’m not going to work in a large
organization?


What if I don’t want to be a manager?


Winter 2007
The theories generally apply to organizations of any size.
To some extent, the roles of managers and employees are
becoming blurred in many organizations.
While self-employed individuals often do not act as
managers, they certainly interact with other individuals and
organizations as part of their work.
Bottom Line: OB Is For Everyone

Organizational behaviour is not just for
managers.



The roles of managers and employees are
becoming blurred in many organizations.
Managers are increasingly asking employees to
share in their decision-making processes rather
than simply follow orders.
OB applies equally well to all situations in
which you interact with others: on the
basketball court, at the grocery store, in
school, or in church.
Winter 2007
Exhibit 1-3
Toward an OB Discipline
Behavioural
science
Psychology
Sociology
Contribution
Learning
Motivation
Perception
Training
Leadership effectiveness
Job satisfaction
Individual decision making
Performance appraisal
Attitude measurement
Employee selection
Work design
Work stress
Anthropology
Organizational culture
Organizational environment
Winter 2007
Individual
Group
Behavioural change
Attitude change
Communication
Group processes
Group decision making
Comparative values
Comparative attitudes
Cross-cultural analysis
Political science
Output
Group dynamics
Work teams
Communication
Power
Conflict
Intergroup behaviour
Formal organization theory
Organizational technology
Organizational change
Organizational culture
Social psychology
Unit of
analysis
Conflict
Intraorganizational politics
Power
Organization
system
Study of
Organizational
Behaviour
The Rigour of OB

OB looks at consistencies


What is common about behaviour, and helps
predictability?
OB is more than common sense

Systematic study, based on scientific evidence

OB has few absolutes
 OB takes a contingency approach
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Winter 2007
Considers behaviour in context
Beyond Common Sense

Systematic Study

Looking at relationships, attempting to
attribute causes and effects and drawing
conclusions based on scientific evidence

Winter 2007
This means data are gathered under controlled
conditions, and measured and interpreted in a
reasonably rigorous manner—rather than relying
on common sense.
Exhibit 1-4
The Layers of OB
The Organization
The Group
Change
Organizational culture
Decision making
Leadership
Power and politics
The Individual
Negotiation
Conflict
Communication
Groups and teams
Motivating self and others
Emotions
Values and attitudes
Perception
Personality
Winter 2007
Summary and Implications

OB is a field of study that investigates the
impact that individuals, groups, and structure
have on behaviour within an organization.
 OB focuses on improving productivity,
reducing absenteeism and turnover, and
increasing employee job satisfaction and
organizational commitment.
 OB uses systematic study to improve
predictions of behaviour.
Winter 2007