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Organisational psychology lecture notes – SOW-PSB3BE50E, Radboud University, 2026/2027 Updated. Lecture notes

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Comprehensive week-by-week lecture notes covering core organisational psychology topics: organisational theory, leadership and power, groups and teams, motivation and job design, structure and coordination, communication and culture, learning, change and innovation. Concise summaries of key models and theories, practical examples, and interactive-lecture case material for seminar use and exam revision. Optimized for bachelor-level study and assignment preparation.

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Organisational psychology lecture
notes (SOW-PSB3BE50E)




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,INHOUD
Lecture 1: Introduction to Organisational Psychology...................................................................................................... 2
Interactive lecture 1: Bureaucracy ................................................................................................................................ 5
Lecture 2: Leadership, Power and conflict........................................................................................................................ 6
Interactive lecture 2: Female Leaders and Quotas ..................................................................................................... 11
Lecture 3: Teams and decisionmaking in organisations ................................................................................................. 12
Work groups and their characteristics ........................................................................................................................ 12
Group performance .................................................................................................................................................... 13
Decision making in organisations ............................................................................................................................... 14
Lecture 4: Motivation and Behaviour in Organisations .................................................................................................. 16
Motivation .................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Creating a motivating work environment ................................................................................................................... 17
Deviant behaviour/Counterproductive work behaviour (CWB) ................................................................................. 17
Organisational Citizenship Behaviour ......................................................................................................................... 18
Interactive lecture 3: Case study ................................................................................................................................ 20
Lecture 5: Organisational Structure and Design ............................................................................................................. 21
Organisational structure ............................................................................................................................................. 21
Coordination ........................................................................................................................................................... 22
Organic vs. Mechanistic structures ............................................................................................................................. 22
Interactive lecture 4: Rewards and Motivation .......................................................................................................... 23
Lecture 6: Communication & culture.............................................................................................................................. 25
Communication .......................................................................................................................................................... 25
Organisational culture ................................................................................................................................................ 25
Lecture 7: Learning and organisational change .............................................................................................................. 27
Learning in organisations ............................................................................................................................................ 27
Organisational change ................................................................................................................................................ 29




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,LECTURE 1: INTRODUCTION TO ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Lecture 1: Introduction to Organisational Psychology Topics:
• Definition of Organisational Psychology
• Definition of organisations
• Types of organisational theory

Definition and images of organisations
What is an organisation: many different images and definitions of organisations
- Machine: rational structure of activities, objectives
- Organism: biological synergy
- Brain: information processing, learning
- Political system: power dynamics
The image of organisations: determines our perception -> determines how we process info -> determines our
thoughts and ideas -> determines the alternatives that are available when making a decision -> determines our
expectations + convictions -> determines actions we undertake (repeat)
Components of organisations: Mintzberg: 6 basic parts of the organisation (fly)
- Ideology, strategic apex, support staff (cleaners etc.), technostructure (planning, rules,
IT etc.), middle line (middle management), operating core (people who do the ‘work’)
Definition of organisation: a collection of people who work together and coordinate their
actions in order to achieve individual and organisational goals

Definition of Organisational Behaviour (OB)
Organisational behaviour (OB): examining the factors that influence how individuals and
groups act in organisations and how organisations respond to their environment
Helps answer questions like:
- Why do people want to work for one particular organisation and not for another?
- Why do some teams work effectively while others do not?
- How do you ensure that employees are motivated to do their work?
- Which structure is best suited to an organisation?
Why should we study OB:
- In order to understand behaviour in organisations
- In order to learn how to apply concepts, theories and techniques that can improve or change behaviour
- In order to enable managers to direct and supervise the activities of their employees
Levels of analysis: individual level -> group level -> organisational level (all influence each other)

External influences that pose a challenge to organisations
Stages of an organisation: input stage (ingredients), conversion stage (baking the cake), output stage (selling the
cake) – continuing cycle, needs to adapt to environment
Challenges for organisations:
- Changing social and cultural environment
o National culture: e.g. now both men and women work
o Ethics and well-being within organisations
o Diversity: disabled, old, young, gender, SES, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race
- Changing global environment
o Understanding global differences:
▪ Difference in values, beliefs, attitudes (if you work globally)
▪ Coordination becomes more complex
▪ Outsourcing to low-wage countries (sweatshops)
o Global learning
- Developments in information technology
o Effect on organisational effectiveness:
▪ Straightforward exchange of knowledge and problem solving
▪ Changing work content
▪ Faster response to customer needs
o Creativity and organisational learning, can make it more interesting/boring
- Shifting working relationships
o Downsizing
o Empowerment and self-managed teams
o Tempts/contract workers/ freelancers
o Outsourcing: hire other companies to do tasks for them
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, Summary:
- Different definitions of organisations, but all emphasize ‘working together’
- Different images of organisations à these influence our perceptions and actions
- Organisations function in changing environment à they have to adapt
- Knowledge of how OB expands the possibilities for understanding events in a work setting and how one
should respond to them

Organisational theory
Classical (bureaucracy, scientific management, Fordism) -> human relations -> systems -> contingency -> post
modern

Classical approach: objective = to improve the organisational structure in order to increase efficiency
- Before industrial revolution, organisations were small, now they were bigger so needed more efficiency
- Normative approach: gives clear guidelines of how an organisation should be/look/behave
- Mooney & Reiley principles:
o Principles of coordination – act together, exercising authority, need for discipline
o Scalar principle – vertical division, hierarchy, chain of command
o Functional principle – horizontal division
o The difference between line (core tasks) and staff (supporting functions)
- Taylorism:
o In accordance with which principles did Taylor believe work needed to be classified?
▪ Make work as efficient as possible
▪ Responsibility for the organisation of work from the employee to the manager ->
Employee should only do simple tasks
▪ Use of scientific methods to determine the most efficient way of working
▪ Scientific selection, training and development of employees
▪ Monitoring job performance
o What was his concept of man?
▪ He saw people as part of the machine
▪ Thought everyone was busy thinking how slow they could work
▪ Thought they were motivated by financial gain
o What do these principles mean for the employee?
▪ Work wasn’t fun anymore, not even allowed to smile/talk, allow unions
▪ People were easily replaceable
▪ Assembly belt pace was too fast
o Criticism: storn division of labour (deskilling), little/no opportunity for employees to exercise
control over their work
▪ However: contribution to knowledge, higher earnings/ less physical stress
- Fordism: inspired by taylor
o Mass production (assembly line)
o Standardised products
o Low costs
o Strong division of labour
o Standard salary (enough to be able to buy products)
o Paternalistic (education, homes, healthcare)
- Bureaucracy (weber) -> equal treatment, no favouritism
o Characteristics: specialisation (of function, not employee)
o Division of labour -> Hierarchy
o System of rules and regulations
o Impersonality
- Objections to classical approach:
o Ignores the psychological and social processes of employees
▪ Limits the psychological growth of the employee
• Boredom (need of variety), limited development and use of skills etc.
o Inflexibility
▪ Rules must be followed obediently
▪ Ignores the external environment of the organisation




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Table of contents

  1. 01 Lecture 1: Introduction to Organisational Psychology 2
  2. 02 Interactive lecture 1: Bureaucracy 5
  3. 03 Lecture 2: Leadership, Power and conflict 6
  4. 04 Interactive lecture 2: Female Leaders and Quotas 11
  5. 05 Lecture 3: Teams and decisionmaking in organisations 12
  6. 06 Work groups and their characteristics 12
  7. 07 Group performance 13
  8. 08 Decision making in organisations 14
  9. 09 Lecture 4: Motivation and Behaviour in Organisations 16
  10. 10 Motivation 16
  11. 11 Creating a motivating work environment 17
  12. 12 Deviant behaviour/Counterproductive work behaviour (CWB) 17
  13. 13 Organisational Citizenship Behaviour 18
  14. 14 Interactive lecture 3: Case study 20
  15. 15 Lecture 5: Organisational Structure and Design 21
  16. 16 Organisational structure 21
  17. 17 Coordination 22
  18. 18 Organic vs. Mechanistic structures 22
  19. 19 Interactive lecture 4: Rewards and Motivation 23
  20. 20 Lecture 6: Communication & culture 25
  21. 21 Communication 25
  22. 22 Organisational culture 25
  23. 23 Lecture 7: Learning and organisational change 27
  24. 24 Learning in organisations 27
  25. 25 Organisational change 29
  26. 26 Outsourcing: hire other companies to do tasks for them 3
  27. 27 Ignores the external environment of the organisation 4
  28. 28 Managers can choose ideas from a whole range of ideas in order to find those that best suit the problem 5
  29. 29 Can be viewed as the organisation of values 6
  30. 30 His model is heavily criticized, but he did help the field moving forward 7
  31. 31 Just like fiedler’s theory, empirical evidence is very weak 8
  32. 32 contextual is more about extra things (you won’t get rewarded for that) 9

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