SUMMARY COURSE 3.5:
ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
BY ROWAN MOELIJKER
YEAR 2018/2019
POSITIVE & ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
ERASMUS SCHOOL OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
,THEME 1: ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
LEARNING GOALS
Problem 1a: The birth and early life of "GORG"
What are the determinants of organisatonal structure?
What is the best way to structure an organisaton?
What is organisatonal strategy?
What are the determinants of organisatonal strategy?
What is the interacton between structure, strategy and culture?
Problem 1b: Our sacred values
What is organisatonal culture?
What is the efect of organisatonal culture?
How does organisatonal culture change over tme?
Problem 1c: Images of GORG
What images and metaphors can be used to describe organisatons?
GENERAL LITERATURE
BOOK CHAPTER 1: JEX, S. M., & BRITT, T.W. (2014). CHAPTER 13. IN ORGANIZATIONAL
PSYCHOLOGY : A SCIENTIST-PRACTITIONER APPROACH (PP. 453–485). WILEY.
What is an organisatonal theory?
Organisatinal theiry deals with diferent ways if irganising human actiity. Unfirtunately, irganisatins
cannit be easily subjected ti labiratiry iniestgatins. Giien these cinstraints, irganisatinal theirists haie
been firced ti use mire indirect methids if iniestgatin.
Metaphor: a type if fguratie language; using wirds ir phrases ti cimmunicate simething ither than their
literal meaning.
The metaphor of a biological organism: these irganisatins are in cinstant interactin with the eniirinment
ariund them, just as any biiligical system must interact with the larger ecisystem in which it liies.
Organisatins that ignire their larger eniirinment (e.g. custimers, public ipiniin) may risk ettnctin.
A secind majir implicatin if this metaphir is that irganisatins cinsist if a series if subsystems that must
wirk tigether in irder fir the irganisatin ti functin iptmally.
The metaphor of a machine: like machines, irganisatins take eniirinmental input, transfirm the input in
sime fashiin, and return that input, in an altered firm, back inti the eniirinment. An additinal implicatin if
the machine metaphir, is the impirtance if making sure that the “cimpinents” if the machine (i.e., peiple
and pricesses) are perfirming priperly.
Althiugh these twi metaphirs haie the lingest histiry, ither metaphirs may alsi be useful ti irganisatinal
theirists. Organisatins can be likened ti the brain, with all its cimplet intercinnectins’, and ti families with
their cimplet relatinships, and ti pilitcal arenas, with all if their cinsttuents and piwer dynamics.
Major organisatonal theories
Three general types if irganisatinal theiries haie been deieliped iier the years.
Classical organisatonal theories. The best kniwn classical theiries are scientfc management, ideal
bureaucracy and administratie management.
, Scientic management
Thise whi design the wirk wiuld be separate frim thise whi actually perfirm the wirk. This implies
that there shiuld be distnct status ir hierarchical diferences aming empliyees. An irganisatin that
is designed frim a scientfc management perspectie has many leiels and many ways ti distnguish
aming thise leiels.
An irganisatin shiuld be briken diwn inti the smallest and simplest cimpinents pissible. This
implies that an irganisatin shiuld be structured such that empliyees perfirming iery similar tasks
shiuld be griuped tigether. An irganisatin shiuld cinsist if a large number if departments, with
each perfirming a highly specialized functin.
A scientfcally managed irganisatin will haie a great number if rules and pricedures fir empliyees
ti filliw. The underlying assumptin behind this is that there is “ine best way” ti di any jib ir
accimplish any task.
Ideal bureaucracy
One if the primary assumptins behind ideal bureaucracy is that rewards shiuld be based in ine’s
cintributins ti the irganisatins, as ippised ti sicial ir familial cinnectins. Therefire there is
string reliance in rules and pridures. Anither hallmark is iery clise superiisiin if empliyees.
Bureaucratc irganisatins typically are characterized by iery narriw spans if cintril; each superiisir
dies nit superiise a large number if empliyees. This makes it easier fir superiisir ti meet the needs
if their subirdinates. This has led many ti cinclude that bureaucracy is based in the assumptin that
empliyees wil nit wirk unless their behaiiiur is tghtly minitired.
Anither guiding principle if ideal bureaucracy is unity if cimmand. In a bureaucratc structure, each
empliyee has ine (and inly ine) direct superiisir.
A third impirtant principle if ideal bureaucracy is unity if directin. This means that infirmatin
fliws in ine directin, typically frim the tip if the irganisatin diwn ti liwer leiels. This increases
predictablity and stability.
Administratve management
Deieliped by Fayil whi siught ti deielip a relatiely uniiersal set if irganising principles fir
managers ti apply in irganisatins. He presented them in the cintett if management functons.
Many principles are similar ti ideal bureacracy, but 3 that are added are nit: stability if persinnel,
enciuring peiple ti take initaiie, and haiing a high leiel if cihesiin and camaredarie aming
empliyees.
ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
BY ROWAN MOELIJKER
YEAR 2018/2019
POSITIVE & ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
ERASMUS SCHOOL OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
,THEME 1: ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
LEARNING GOALS
Problem 1a: The birth and early life of "GORG"
What are the determinants of organisatonal structure?
What is the best way to structure an organisaton?
What is organisatonal strategy?
What are the determinants of organisatonal strategy?
What is the interacton between structure, strategy and culture?
Problem 1b: Our sacred values
What is organisatonal culture?
What is the efect of organisatonal culture?
How does organisatonal culture change over tme?
Problem 1c: Images of GORG
What images and metaphors can be used to describe organisatons?
GENERAL LITERATURE
BOOK CHAPTER 1: JEX, S. M., & BRITT, T.W. (2014). CHAPTER 13. IN ORGANIZATIONAL
PSYCHOLOGY : A SCIENTIST-PRACTITIONER APPROACH (PP. 453–485). WILEY.
What is an organisatonal theory?
Organisatinal theiry deals with diferent ways if irganising human actiity. Unfirtunately, irganisatins
cannit be easily subjected ti labiratiry iniestgatins. Giien these cinstraints, irganisatinal theirists haie
been firced ti use mire indirect methids if iniestgatin.
Metaphor: a type if fguratie language; using wirds ir phrases ti cimmunicate simething ither than their
literal meaning.
The metaphor of a biological organism: these irganisatins are in cinstant interactin with the eniirinment
ariund them, just as any biiligical system must interact with the larger ecisystem in which it liies.
Organisatins that ignire their larger eniirinment (e.g. custimers, public ipiniin) may risk ettnctin.
A secind majir implicatin if this metaphir is that irganisatins cinsist if a series if subsystems that must
wirk tigether in irder fir the irganisatin ti functin iptmally.
The metaphor of a machine: like machines, irganisatins take eniirinmental input, transfirm the input in
sime fashiin, and return that input, in an altered firm, back inti the eniirinment. An additinal implicatin if
the machine metaphir, is the impirtance if making sure that the “cimpinents” if the machine (i.e., peiple
and pricesses) are perfirming priperly.
Althiugh these twi metaphirs haie the lingest histiry, ither metaphirs may alsi be useful ti irganisatinal
theirists. Organisatins can be likened ti the brain, with all its cimplet intercinnectins’, and ti families with
their cimplet relatinships, and ti pilitcal arenas, with all if their cinsttuents and piwer dynamics.
Major organisatonal theories
Three general types if irganisatinal theiries haie been deieliped iier the years.
Classical organisatonal theories. The best kniwn classical theiries are scientfc management, ideal
bureaucracy and administratie management.
, Scientic management
Thise whi design the wirk wiuld be separate frim thise whi actually perfirm the wirk. This implies
that there shiuld be distnct status ir hierarchical diferences aming empliyees. An irganisatin that
is designed frim a scientfc management perspectie has many leiels and many ways ti distnguish
aming thise leiels.
An irganisatin shiuld be briken diwn inti the smallest and simplest cimpinents pissible. This
implies that an irganisatin shiuld be structured such that empliyees perfirming iery similar tasks
shiuld be griuped tigether. An irganisatin shiuld cinsist if a large number if departments, with
each perfirming a highly specialized functin.
A scientfcally managed irganisatin will haie a great number if rules and pricedures fir empliyees
ti filliw. The underlying assumptin behind this is that there is “ine best way” ti di any jib ir
accimplish any task.
Ideal bureaucracy
One if the primary assumptins behind ideal bureaucracy is that rewards shiuld be based in ine’s
cintributins ti the irganisatins, as ippised ti sicial ir familial cinnectins. Therefire there is
string reliance in rules and pridures. Anither hallmark is iery clise superiisiin if empliyees.
Bureaucratc irganisatins typically are characterized by iery narriw spans if cintril; each superiisir
dies nit superiise a large number if empliyees. This makes it easier fir superiisir ti meet the needs
if their subirdinates. This has led many ti cinclude that bureaucracy is based in the assumptin that
empliyees wil nit wirk unless their behaiiiur is tghtly minitired.
Anither guiding principle if ideal bureaucracy is unity if cimmand. In a bureaucratc structure, each
empliyee has ine (and inly ine) direct superiisir.
A third impirtant principle if ideal bureaucracy is unity if directin. This means that infirmatin
fliws in ine directin, typically frim the tip if the irganisatin diwn ti liwer leiels. This increases
predictablity and stability.
Administratve management
Deieliped by Fayil whi siught ti deielip a relatiely uniiersal set if irganising principles fir
managers ti apply in irganisatins. He presented them in the cintett if management functons.
Many principles are similar ti ideal bureacracy, but 3 that are added are nit: stability if persinnel,
enciuring peiple ti take initaiie, and haiing a high leiel if cihesiin and camaredarie aming
empliyees.
