What are Organizations?
Social Inventions for accomplishing common goals through group effort
What is Organizational Behaviour?
The attitudes and behaviours of individuals and groups in organizations
What are the main goals of OB?
- Predict Behaviour
- Explain Behaviour
- Manage Behaviour
At its core, what is OB about?
Performance
- Increasing Beneficial Behaviours
- Maxing organization effectiveness
- Maxing Individual Well-Being
What is Human Capital?
The knowledge, skills, and abilities embodied in an org’s employees
What is Social Capital?
Social resources that individuals obtain from participation in a social structure
What is internal social capital?
What is external social capital?
Internal: Relations developed in one’s own org
External: Relations developed with external constituents outside one’s org
What is the classical viewpoint of management?
High specialization of labour, intensive coordination, and centralized decision-making
What is Bureaucracy?
Weber’s “ideal type” of organization with
- strict chain of command
- promotions based on technical competence
- detailed rules
- high specialization
- centralization of power
What is Scientific Management?
Frederick Taylor’s system for using research to determine the optimum degree of specialization and standardization of work tasks
What are some contemporary management concerns?
- DEI
- employee well-being
- talent management
- alternative work arrangements
- CSR
- advanced technology & the future of work
What is Evidence-Based Management?
EBM calls for organizational practices that are based on scientific research, which involves objective & systematic data gathering
What is the Hawthorne Effect?
People change their behaviours when they know they are being observed
What are Mintzberg’s Managerial Roles
- Informational Roles
- Interpersonal Roles
- Decisional Roles
What are informational roles?
- Building relationships
Monitor: scanning environment, gathering internal & external info.
Disseminator: sharing information with subordinates/team.
Spokesperson: representing the organization to outsiders.
What are interpersonal roles?
- Managing information flow
Figurehead: ceremonial duties, symbolic leadership.
Leader: motivating, directing, staffing, managing performance.
Liaison: maintaining networks and external contacts.
What are decisional roles?
- Making choices and solving problems
Entrepreneur: initiating change, innovation, improvement.
Disturbance Handler: managing crises, resolving conflicts.
Resource Allocator: distributing resources (time, money, people).
Negotiator: bargaining with others inside and outside the organization.
What is the human relations movement?
Critique of classical management & bureaucracy, advocated for management styles that were more participative and oriented toward employee needs
What is the contingency approach?
An approach to management that recognizes there is no one best way to manage, an appropriate management style depends on the demands of the situation
What are the 4 basic types of managerial activities?
- Communication
- Management
- Networking
- HR Management
What are the levels of analysis in OB?
- Individual
- Group
- Organization
Why should managers care about OB?
Improves Ability To:
- Work with others
- Anticipate Performance Issues
- Motivate Employees
- Communicate a vision
- Negotiate Effectively
What is the difference between OB and HRM
OB studies attitudes/behaviours to understand & manage them, while HRM focuses on systems/practices (e.g., recruitment, pay, training).
