OB = Organisational Behaviour (meaning: behaviour within organisations): focuses on the description & explanation of the causes and effects of individual and group behavior within an organisation. (micro)

Definition OB (Book) Organisational Behaviour is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behaviour within organisations for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organisation’s effectiveness (Robbins, 1998: 7).

Because Managers need OB knowledge! What Managers do Management Functions Managerial Roles Management Skills

What Managers Do Gets things done through other people Make decisions, allocate resources, and direct the activities of others to attain goals Do their work in an organization

Management Functions Planning: Includes defining goals, establishing strategy, and developing plans to coordinate activities. Organizing: Determining what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and where decisions are to be made. Leading: Includes motivating subordinates, directing others, selecting the most effective communication channels, and resolving conflicts. Controlling: Monitoring activities to ensure they are being accomplished as planned and correcting any significant deviations

Mintzberg’s Managerial Roles

Why Study OB? Because the effectiveness of a Manager depends for a large part on his/her understanding of, and skills in the interaction with other people, i.e., people skills (interaction with higher- level management, management team, subordinates, and customers)!

What are the goals of OB? Description: What do employees do / think / feel? Explanation: Why do employees do / think / feel something? Prediction: What are employees going to do / think / feel? Prescription: How can one make an employee do / think / feel something?

Explanation definition OB Organisational Behaviour is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behaviour within organisations for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organisation’s effectiveness (Robbins, 1998: 7).

Explanation definition OB Field of study Individuals, Groups, Organisation ? Behaviours ? Organisation’s effectiveness

Contributors to Field of Study Psychology Social Psychology Sociology Anthropology Political Science

Contributors: Psychology Unit of Analysis: Individual Contribution: –Learning, training –Personality, perception, attitudes –Leadership, decision making –Motivation, satisfaction, stress –Selection, appraisal, –Work design

The ABC of Psychology ABC: Affects, Behaviours, Cognitions Affects (feelings): Meaning (‘Verstehen’) of observables, Psychodynamics, Existential Problems Behaviours (actions): Observables, Conditioning, Rewards and Punishment Cognitions (thoughts): Unobservables (‘Black Box’), Mental processes, Perception and Attribution

Contributors: Social Psychology Unit of Analysis: Group Contribution: –Group processes –Behavioral and attitude change –Communication and decision making

Psychology Psychology is the science that seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behavior of humans and other animals. –Early industrial/organizational fatigue, boredom, and other factors relevant to working conditions that could impede efficient work performance. –More recently, learning, perception, personality, emotions, training, leadership effectiveness, needs and motivational forces, job satisfaction, decision-making processes, performance appraisals, attitude measurement, employee selection techniques, work design, and job stress

Contributors: Sociology Unit of Analysis: Group and Organisation Contribution: –Group dynamics and communication –Work teams and intergroup behavior –Power and conflict –Organisation theory (technology, change, culture)

Sociology Sociologists study the social system in which individuals fill their roles; that is, sociology studies people in relation to their fellow human beings. –Their greatest contribution to OB is through their study of group behavior in organizations, particularly formal and complex organizations

Social Psychology Social psychology blends the concepts of psychology and sociology. It focuses on the influence of people on one another. –Major area—how to implement it and how to reduce barriers to its acceptance.

Contributors: Anthropology Unit of Analysis: Group and Organisation Contribution: –Comparative values and attitudes –Cross-cultural analysis –Organisational culture and environment

Anthropology Anthropology is the study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities. Anthropologists work on cultures and environments; for instance, they have helped us understand differences in fundamental values, attitudes, and behavior among people in different countries and within different organizations.

Contributors: Political Science Unit of Analysis: Organisation Contribution: –Power and Conflicts –Intraorganisational politics

Political Science Frequently overlooked Political science studies the behavior of individuals and groups within a political environment.

How can you Benefit from OB? Skill development Personal growth through insight in OB Enhancing Organisations’ effectiveness Sharpening and refining common sense

Individual Group Organization OrganizationalBehavior Social Psychology Political Science Anthropology Psychology Sociology Discipline Unit of Analysis Output Contributions to the Study of Organizational Behavior

WHAT IS AN ORGANIZATION? ENTERPRISE LEVEL? GROUP LEVEL? INDIVIDUAL LEVEL?