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COMMERCE 2BA3
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
Class 1
O.B. Introduction, Definition, History
Dr. Christa Wilkin
Agenda
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Introductions
Icebreaker
Course overview
Introduction to OB
Contemporary management concerns
Introductions
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About your instructor
 PhD
from Mac
 CHRP (certified human resources professional)
 Experience in HR; taught 2BA3 last spring
Icebreaker
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What do we have in common?
Break into groups of four to five people
Find two things in common with each other
 E.g., food likes, sports, music, TV shows, hobbies
Rule: The thing in common can’t be that you are a
Mac student taking 2BA3 
Pick a spokesperson who will introduce the group
members and tell the class what they have in
common
Course Overview
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Text available at the McMaster Bookstore:
Organizational Behaviour: Understanding and
Managing Life at Work (8th Edition), by Gary Johns
and Alan Saks (Prentice Hall)
New: ~ $130.75 Used: ~ $98.10
Format:
 Combination
of lectures and in-class exercises
How to find me…
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Contact info:
Email: AustinCL@mcmaster.ca
 Website:
http://www.business.mcmaster.ca/courses/com2BA3/austincl/
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Office phone: 525-9140 x 26167
 Office hours: By appointment
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How to Find Your TA...
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Chun-Hsiao (Darren) Wang
E-mail: wangc28@mcmaster.ca
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Office phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 26359
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Grading
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Group Assignment (25%) due week 6
 Random
assignment to group of 3 to 4
 Watch movie and apply three OB theories
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Mid-term (35%) in week 4
 Multiple-choice
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Final exam (35%) in week 7
 Same
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questions
format as mid-term
Participation (5%)
 Demonstrate
engagement with the course material
Course Topics
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Ch 1: O.B. Introduction, Definition, History
Ch 2: Personality & Learning
Ch 3: Perception, Attribution, Judgment
Ch 4: Values, Attitudes & Work Behaviour
Ch 5: Theories of Work Motivation
Ch 6: Motivation in Practice
Ch 7: Groups and Teamwork
Ch 8: Influence, Socialization, Culture
Ch 9: Leadership
Ch 10: Communication
Ch 11: Decision Making
Ch 12: Power, Politics and Ethics
Ch 13: Conflict & Stress
Ch 14: Organizational Structure
Ch 15: Environment, Strategy, Technology
Ch 16: Change, Development, Innovation
MID-TERM
FINAL EXAM
Expectations
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What I expect of you
 Attendance. I expect you to attend every class.
 Participation. Strongly encouraged
 Group work. Formed during the second week of classes
What to expect from me
 Lecture notes will be posted by Saturday of each week
 Exams will be based on text and lecture notes; so even if
we don’t review it in the lecture, if it is in the text, it is fair
game
 Available after class or by appt.
 Use practical examples to highlight relevance of theories
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QUESTIONS?
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CH 1: INTRODUCTION TO OB
Organizational Behavior (OB)
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The attitudes and behaviours of individuals and
groups in organizations
Why study OB?
Effective and competitive organizations
 Help you to retain the people who came up with the
good ideas
 Useful in any job, organization, industry, anywhere
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Organizational Behavior (OB)
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OB theories have widespread applications
Knowing these theories can help you to:
 Evaluate
“solutions” proposed by consultants and
managers
 Solve new problems and adapt to new situations
 Stay “current” in your field
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Evidence-based management is crucial
Evolution of OB
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Classical View (Early 1900s)
 Attempts to prescribe the “correct” way to manage
an organization and achieve its goals
 High specialization of labour (each dept tended to
its own business, and decision making was
centralized)
 Bureaucracy
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Max Weber
Strict chain of command, detailed rules, high specialization, centralized
power, and selection and promotion based on technical competence
Scientific Management
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Frederick Taylor
Use of careful research to determine degree of specialization
Evolution of OB
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Human Relations Movement
 Hawthorne Studies – research conducted at the
Hawthorne plant of Western Electric in the 1920s
that examined how psychological and social
processes affect productivity
 How physical environment affects productivity
 Effect of interest being shown in them
 Advocates management styles that are more
participative and oriented towards employee needs
Question
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Which approach (classical or human relations) is
better? Which approach would you use?
Evolution of OB
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Where are we today???
The Contingency Approach
 No
one best way to manage
 Management style depends on the demands of the
situation
What do Managers do?
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Mintzberg
 Informational Roles: Ways the manager receives and
transmits information (e.g., attend workshop)
 Interpersonal Roles: Establishing and maintaining
interpersonal relations (e.g., mentor, discipline)
 Decisional Roles: Deal with decision making (e.g,.
conflicts)
Quiz Question
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The contingency approach to management suggests
that:
A) Management style depends on the demands of the
situation.
B) The best management style depends on the size of the
organization.
C) Management style makes no difference.
D) Management styles are constantly changing.
E) One management style should work for all individuals.
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CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT
CONCERNS
Focus on Quality, Speed, and
Flexibility
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Intense competition has given rise to the need for
organizations to improve quality, speed, and
flexibility.
This requires a high degree of employee
involvement, commitment, and teamwork.
Organizational behaviour is concerned with these
issues.
Recruitment and Retention
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A major challenge facing organizations today is the
recruitment and retention of skilled employees.
Canadian organizations face severe shortages of
labour in the coming years and many are already
having trouble hiring and retaining employees.
Question: Why do you think this is the case?
Organizational behaviour can help companies
improve their recruitment and retention and become
an employer of choice.
Workplace Diversity
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More women in workforce and professions
Different needs of Gen-X/Gen-Y and babyboomers
Diversity has advantages, but firms need to adjust
Employee-Employer Relationships
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Employability
 “New
deal” relationship
 Continuously learn new skills
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Contingent work
 No
contract for LT employment
 Minimum hours of work vary
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Consequences
 Decreased
trust, lower morale, decline in job
satisfaction, increased stress, absenteeism on the rise
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QUESTIONS?
Summary
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OB has widespread applications
Evolution of OB
Classical
Human Relations
Managers have different roles
Contingency
 Receive
and transmit information
 Interact with people
 Make decisions
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Contemporary Concerns
Quality,
speed,
flexibility
Recruitment
and
Retention
Workplace
diversity
Employment
relationship
For Next Class
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Read chapters two and three
*** Remember your namecard ***