Robbins Fob 2ce Ch01

Chapter 1, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Chapter 1

What is Organizational

Behaviour?


What is Organizational Behaviour?

1. What is organizational behaviour?2. What challenges do managers and employees face

in the workplace of the 21st century?3. How does knowing about organizational behaviour

make work and life more understandable?4. Isn’t organizational behaviour common sense? Or

just psychology?5. What are the building blocks to understanding

organizational behaviour?

Questions for Consideration


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.


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


Exhibit 1-1 Challenges Facing the Workplace

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


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


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


Productivity

• Productivity– A performance measure including

effectiveness and efficiency

• Effectiveness– Achievement of goals

• Efficiency– The ratio of effective work output to the

input required to produce the work


Effective Employees

• Absenteeism– Failure to report to work

• Turnover– Voluntary and involuntary permanent withdrawal

from the organization

• Organizational citizenship behaviour– Discretionary behaviour that is not part of an

employee’s formal job requirements, but is helpful to the organization


Exhibit 1-2 Companies Respected for their HR

Management

1.RBC Financial Group

2.Dofasco Inc.

3.Magna International Inc.

4.IBM Canada Ltd.

5.BMO Financial Group

6. WestJet Airlines Ltd.

7. BCE Inc.

8. Scotiabank Group

9.Bombardier Inc.

10.General Electric Canada Inc.

Location

Toronto

Hamilton, ON

Aurora, ON

Markham, ON

Montreal

Calgary

Montreal

Toronto

Montreal

Mississauga, ON

Industry

Financial services

Steelmaker

Automotive

Computers

Financial services

Air transportation

Telecommunications

Financial services

Transportation

Electroniccontrols/instruments

Rank on FinancialPerformance

1

10

3

n/a

9

n/a

7

4

n/a

n/a

Rank onInvestment Value

1

9

5

n/a

n/a

n/a

4

8

2

n/a

Source: Adapted from R. Bloom,“RBC Reclaims Top Spot in Survey,”The Globe and Mail, January 20, 2003, pp. B1, B5.


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.


How Will Knowing OB Make a Difference?

• For Individuals– What if I’m not going to work in a large

organization? • The theories generally apply to

organizations of any size.

– What if I don’t want to be a manager? • 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.


Contributing Disciplines to the OB Field

• Psychology

• Sociology

• Social Psychology

• Anthropology

• Political Science


Exhibit 1-3 Toward an OB Discipline

Social psychology

Psychology

Behavioural science

Contribution Unit ofanalysis

Output

Anthropology

Sociology

Political science

Study ofOrganizational

Behaviour

Organizationsystem

LearningMotivationPerceptionTrainingLeadership effectivenessJob satisfactionIndividual decision makingPerformance appraisalAttitude measurementEmployee selectionWork designWork stress

Group dynamicsWork teamsCommunicationPowerConflictIntergroup behaviour

Formal organization theoryOrganizational technologyOrganizational changeOrganizational culture

ConflictIntraorganizational politicsPower

Organizational cultureOrganizational environment

Behavioural changeAttitude changeCommunicationGroup processesGroup decision making

Group

Comparative valuesComparative attitudesCross-cultural analysis

Individual


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

– 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•This means data are gathered

under controlled conditions, and measured and interpreted in a reasonably rigorous manner—rather than relying on common sense.


Exhibit 1-4The Layers of OB

The Organization

NegotiationConflictCommunicationGroups and teams

Power and politics

The Group

EmotionsValues and attitudesPerceptionPersonality

Motivating self and others

The Individual

ChangeOrganizational cultureDecision makingLeadership


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.


OB at Work


For Review1. Define organizational behaviour.2. What is an organization? Is the family unit an organization? Explain.3. “Behaviour is generally predictable, so there is no need to formally

study OB.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?4. What are some of the challenges and opportunities that managers

face as we move into the 21st century?5. What are the three levels of analysis in our OB model? Are they

related? If so, how?6. Why is job satisfaction an important consideration for OB?7. What are effectiveness and efficiency, and how are they related to

organizational behaviour?8. What does it mean to say OB takes a contingency approach in its

analysis of behaviour?


For Critical Thinking

1. “The best way to view OB is through a contingency approach.” Build an argument to support this statement.

2. “OB is for everyone.” Build an argument to support this statement.

3. Why do you think the subject of OB might be criticized as being “only common sense,” when one would rarely hear such a criticism of a course in physics or statistics? Do you think this criticism of OB is fair?

4. On a scale of 1 to 10 measuring the sophistication of a scientific discipline in predicting phenomena, mathematical physics would probably be a 10. Where do you think OB would fall on the scale? Why?


Learning About Yourself

Scoring Key

• Director: 1, 2, 3 Mentor: 13, 14, 15• Producer: 4, 5, 6 Facilitator: 16, 17, 18• Coordinator: 7, 8, 9 Innovator: 19, 20, 21• Monitor: 10, 11, 12 Broker: 22, 23, 24


Learning About Yourself Exercise

1. Taking initiative2. Goal setting3. Delegating effectively4. Personal productivity and

motivation5. Motivating others6. Time and stress management7. Planning8. Organizing9. Controlling10. Receiving and organizing

information11. Evaluating routine information12. Responding to routine

information

13. Understanding yourself and others

14. Interpersonal communication15. Developing subordinates16. Team building17. Participative decision making18. Conflict management19. Living with change20. Creative thinking21. Managing change

22. Building and maintaining a power base

23. Negotiating agreement and commitment

24. Negotiating and selling ideas


Breakout Group Exercises

Form small groups to discuss the following topics:

1. Consider a group situation in which you have worked. To what extent did the group rely on the technical skills of the group members vs. their interpersonal skills? Which skills seemed most important in helping the group function well?

2. Identify some examples of “worst jobs.” What conditions of these jobs made them unpleasant? To what extent were these conditions related to behaviours of individuals?

3. Develop a list of “organizational puzzles,” i.e., behaviour you’ve observed in organizations that seemed to make little sense. As the term progresses, see if you can begin to explain these puzzles, using your knowledge of organizational behaviour.


Working With Others Exercise

This exercise asks you to consider the skills outlined in the Competing Values Framework to develop an understanding of managerial expertise. Steps 1–4 can be completed in 15–20 minutes.

1. Using the skills listed in “Learning About Yourself,” identify the 4 skills that you think all managers should have.

2. Identify the 4 skills that you think are least important for managers to have.

3. In groups of 5–7, reach a consensus on the most-needed and least-needed skills identified in Steps 1 and 2.

4. Using Exhibit 1-4, determine whether your “ideal” managers would have trouble managing in some dimensions of organizational demands.


From Concepts to Skills


Exhibit 1-5 Competing Values

FrameworkFlexibility

Control

Inte

rnal

Fo

cus E

xternal F

ocu

s


Competing Values Framework

• Internal-External Dimension– Inwardly toward employee needs and concerns and/or production

processes and internal systems– or

– Outwardly, toward such factors as the marketplace, government regulations, and the changing social, environmental, and technological conditions of the future

• Flexibility-Control Dimension– Flexible and dynamic, allowing more teamwork and participation;

seeking new opportunities for products and services– or

– Controlling or stable, maintaining the status quo and exhibiting less change


Exhibit 1-6 Skills for Mastery in the New

WorkplaceFlexibility

Internal External

Control

Mentor Innovator

1. Understanding yourself and others2. Interpersonal communication3. Developing subordinates

1. Team building2. Participative decision making3. Conflict management

1. Receiving and organizing information2. Evaluating routine information3. Responding to routine information

1. Planning2. Organizing3. Controlling

1. Taking initiative2. Goal setting3. Delegating effectively

1. Personal productivity and motivation2. Motivating others3. Time and stress management

1. Building and maintaining a power base2. Negotiating agreement and commitment3. Negotiating and selling ideas

1. Living with change2. Creative thinking3. Managing change

Facilitator

Monitor

Director

Producer

Broker

Coordinator

Source: R.E. Quinn. Beyond Rational Management. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., 1988, p. 48.


Supplemental Material

Slides for activities I do in my own classroom


Exercise

• In groups of 6– Introduce yourselves

– Pick an interviewer

– Decide on questions or topics you want interviewer to ask me

• The interview– Introduce interviewer to me and the class

– Ask one question from your list (we will go around the groups with one question at a time)

Robbins Fob 2ce Ch01

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