Chapter I Introducing Organizational Behavior People Make the Difference Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Chapter Study Questions What is organizational behavior and why is it important? What are organizations like as work settings? What is the nature of managerial work? How do we learn about organizational behavior? Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is organizational behavior and why is it important? Study of human behavior in organizations. An interdisciplinary field devoted to understanding individual and group behavior, interpersonal processes, and organizational dynamics. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is organizational behavior and why is it important? Scientific methods models Simplified views of reality that attempt to identify major factors and forces underlying real-world phenomenon. Link presumed causes of events (independent variables) with outcomes (dependent variables). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 1.1 Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Which technique can be generalized across multiple settings? Field Studies Meta Analyses Case Studies Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Answer: “B” Meta analyses use statistical pooling from many studies. This aggregating technique allows OB researchers to generalize and apply the conclusions to many OB situations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is organizational behavior and why is it important? Scientific thinking is important to OB: The process of data collection is controlled and systematic. Proposed explanations are carefully tested. Only explanations that can be scientifically verified are accepted. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is organizational behavior and why is it important? Contingency thinking Managers must understand the demands of different situations and develop responses that best fit the circumstances and people involved. OB scientific models gather evidence of how different situations can best be understood and handled. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is organizational behavior and why is it important? Modern workplace trends Commitment to ethical behavior. Importance of human capital. Formal authority (command and control) replaced by group decisions and consensus. Emphasis on teamwork. Pervasive influence of information technology. Respect for new workforce expectations. Changing concept of careers. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What are organizations like as work settings? A collection of people working together in a division of labor to achieve a common purpose. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What are organizations like as work settings? The core purpose of an organization is the creation of goods and services. Mission statements focus attention on the core purpose. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Tom’s of Maine - Mission “Our Reason for Being: To serve our customers' health needs with imaginative science from plants and minerals; To inspire all those we serve with a mission of responsibility and goodness; To empower others by sharing our knowledge, time, talents, and profits; and To help create a better world by exchanging our faith, experience, and hope.” Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What are organizations like as work settings? Strategy Comprehensive plan that guides organizations to operate in ways that allow them to outperform their competitors. See Tom’s of Maine strategy that supports their mission. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 1.2 Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What are organizations like as work settings? Stakeholders People, groups, and institutions having an interest in an organization’s performance. Interests of multiple stakeholders sometimes conflict. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What are organizations like as work settings? Organizational culture The shared beliefs and values that influence the behavior of organizational members. Reflects the internal personality of the organization. ‘How we do things around here’ Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 1.3 Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What are organizations like as work settings? Constructive culture Members are encouraged to work together in ways that meet higher order human needs. Passive/defensive culture Members tend to act defensively in their working relationships. Aggressive/defensive culture Members tend to act forcefully in their working relationships to protect their status and positions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Your experience… Describe an organization you have worked for, or been a member of. How was the culture constructive? Defensive? Aggressive? Explain. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What are organizations like as work settings? Workforce diversity Individual differences of organizational members, based on gender, race and ethnicity, age, able-bodiedness, and sexual orientation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What are organizations like as work settings? Multiculturalism Refers to inclusiveness, pluralism and genuine respect for diversity and individual differences. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Your experience… Your professor states: “One of your assignments this term is a team project. Please select and sign up for a team project.” Do you . . . Signal your friends in the classroom, and agree to sign up together for the same team. Wait for everyone to sign up, and then decide. Just pick a team randomly. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is the nature of managerial work? Someone whose job it is to directly support the work efforts of others. Effective manager One whose team consistently achieves its goals while members remain capable, committed, and enthusiastic. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is the nature of managerial work? Task performance Quality and quantity of the work produced by the work unit as a whole. Job satisfaction How people feel about their work and the work setting. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is the nature of managerial work? The management process. Planning Organizing Leading Controlling Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 1.4 Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is the nature of managerial work? Managers work long hours. Managers are busy people. Managers are often interrupted. Managerial work is fragmented and variable. Managers work mostly with other people. Managers spend a lot of time communicating. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 1.5 Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is the nature of managerial work? Managerial skills and competencies Skill An ability to translate knowledge into action that results in a desired performance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is the nature of managerial work? Technical skill Ability to perform specialized tasks. Human skill Ability to work well with other people. Conceptual skill Capacity to analyze and solve complex and interrelated problems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is the nature of managerial work? Emotional intelligence Ability to understand and deal with emotions. Self-awareness Self-regulation Motivation Empathy Social skill Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What is the nature of managerial work? Moral Management – includes ethics in decision-making. Immoral manager Amoral manager Moral manager Practices ethics mindfulness. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 1.6 Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

How do we learn about organizational behavior? Learning An enduring change in behavior that results from experience. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

How do we learn about organizational behavior? Life-long learning Continuous learning from everyday work experiences, colleagues, mentors, and training seminars and workshops. Organizational learning Process of acquiring knowledge and utilizing information to adapt successfully to changing circumstances. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 1.7 Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.