1
Organizational Behavior
Inhoud
Lecture 1: Introduction, Learning, Personality and Motivation (Chapter 1, 5, 6, 9)................................2
Lecture 2: Culture, Communication and Perception (Chapter 4, 7, 8)....................................................9
Lecture 3: Teams and teamwork (Chapter 10, 11)...............................................................................16
Lecture 4: Individuals in Groups & Teamwork (Chapter 12, 13)...........................................................21
Lecture 5: Leadership, Change, Decision Making (Chapter 18, 19, 20).................................................25
Lecture 6: Conflict and Power (21, 22).................................................................................................33
Lecture 7: Environment, Technology (2, 3)...........................................................................................39
, 2
Lecture 1: Introduction, Learning, Personality and Motivation (Chapter 1, 5, 6,
9)
Organizational Behaviour:
- The study of the structure and management of organizations, their environments, and
the actions and interactions of their individual members and groups.
- It covers environmental (macro) issues, organizational and group (meso) issues, and
individual (micro) factors.
Organization: a social arrangement for achieving controlled performance in pursuit of
collective goals.
- Social arrangement: groups of people who interact with each other because of their
membership.
- Collective goals: shared objectives.
- Controlled performance: setting standards, measuring performance, comparing actual
with standard, and taking corrective action if necessary.
Organizational dilemma: how to reconcile inconsistency between individual needs and
aspirations, and the collective purpose of the organization.
PESTLE analysis: to understand context:
- Political
- Economic
- Social
- Technological
- Legal
- Ecological
Two sets of outcomes:
1. Organizational effectiveness: a multidimensional concept that can be defined
differently by different stakeholders.
Balanced scorecard: an approach to defining organizational effectiveness using
a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures.
2. Quality of working life: an individual’s overall satisfaction with their job, working
conditions, pay, colleagues, management style, organization culture, work-life
balance, and training, development and career opportunities.
Five factors to explain these outcomes:
1. Individual factors
2. Group factors
3. Management and organization factors
4. Leadership process factors
5. Location and time
Fundamental attribution error: the tendency to explain the behaviour of others based on their
personality or disposition, and to overlook the influence of wider contextual influences.
The goals of social science and their problems:
- Description: how people understand and interpret their circumstances.
, 3
Invisible and ambiguous variables
People change over time
- Explanation: never consistent when it comes to human behaviour.
Timing of events not always clear
Cannot always see interactions
- Prediction: cannot easily be made when it comes to social science.
Uniqueness, complexity and lack of comparability between settings
- Control: the ability to change things
Ethical and legal constraints
Explaining organizational behaviour:
- Positivism: a perspective which assumes that the world can be understood in terms of
causal relationships between observable and measurable variables, and that these
relationships can be studied objectively using controlled experiments.
- Constructivism: a perspective which argues that our social and organizational worlds
have no ultimate objective truth or reality, but are instead determined by our shared
experiences, meanings and interpretations.
- Variance theory: an approach to explaining organizational behaviour based on
universal relationships between independent and dependent variables which can be
defined and measured precisely.
- Process theory: an approach to explaining organizational behaviour based on
narratives which show how several factors, combining and interacting over time in a
particular context, are likely to produce the outcomes of interest.
Perspective
Positivism Constructivism
Description Accepts information that can be Accepts qualitative information,
observed and quantified and relies on inference; studies
consistently. local meanings and interpretations.
Explanation Uses variance theories. Relies Uses process theories. Relies
mainly on observable quantitative mainly on qualitative data and self-
data and measurements. Seeks interpretations. Develops
universal laws based on links explanatory narratives based on
between independent and factors combining and interacting
dependent variables. over time and in context.
Prediction Based on knowledge of stable and Based on shared understanding and
consistent relationships between awareness of multiple social and
variables. Predictions are organizational realities. Predictions
deterministic. are probabilistic.
Control Aims to shape behaviour and Aims at social and organizational
achieve desired outcomes by change through stimulating critical
manipulating explanatory variables. self-awareness.
Evidence-Based Management: systematically using the best available research evidence to
inform decisions about how to manage people and organizations.
Human resource management: the function responsible for establishing integrated personnel
policies to support organization strategy.
, 4
Learning: the process of acquiring knowledge through experience, leading to a lasting change
in behaviour. Two main approaches to learning:
1. Behaviour psychology: stimulus-response
2. Cognitive psychology: information processing.
Behaviourist, stimulus-response Cognitive, information processing
Studies observable behaviour Studies mental processes
Behaviour is determined by learned Behaviour is determined by memory, mental
sequences of muscle movements processes and expectations
We learn habits We learn cognitive structures
We solve problems by trial and error We solve problems with insight and
understanding
Routine, mechanistic, open to direct Rich, complex, studied using indirect
research methods
Growth mindset: the belief that you can develop your capabilities through hard work, good
methods and contributions from others.
Feedback: information about the outcomes of behaviour.
1. We cannot learn without feedback.
2. Feedback can be rewarding or punishing.
3. Intrinsic feedback (self-generated): information which comes from within, from the
muscles, joints, skin, and other mechanisms such as that which controls balance.
4. Extrinsic feedback (from external source): information which comes from our
environment.
Concurrent feedback: information which arrives during our behaviour and
which can be used to control behaviour as it unfolds.
Delayed feedback: information which is received after a task is completed, and
which can be used to influence future performance.
5. Feedforward interview.
Reinforcement regimes:
Behaviour Reinforcement Result Illustration
Positive Desired Positive Desired Confess, and stick to your
reinforcement behaviour consequences behaviour is story, and you will get a
occurs are introduced repeated shorter prison sentence
Negative Desired Negative Desired The torture will continue until
reinforcement behaviour consequences behaviour is you confess
occurs are withdrawn repeated
Punishment Undesired A single act of Undesired Fail to meet your scoring
behaviour punishment is behaviour is target and we kick you off the
occurs introduced not repeated team
Extinction Undesired Day’s work Undesired Ignore an individual’s
behaviour not counted behaviour is practical jokes used to gain
occurs towards bonus not repeated attention.
Pavlovian conditioning: a technique for associating an established response or behaviour with
a new stimulus (e.g., a dog salivating at the sight of food).
- Unconditioned responses: reflexes
Organizational Behavior
Inhoud
Lecture 1: Introduction, Learning, Personality and Motivation (Chapter 1, 5, 6, 9)................................2
Lecture 2: Culture, Communication and Perception (Chapter 4, 7, 8)....................................................9
Lecture 3: Teams and teamwork (Chapter 10, 11)...............................................................................16
Lecture 4: Individuals in Groups & Teamwork (Chapter 12, 13)...........................................................21
Lecture 5: Leadership, Change, Decision Making (Chapter 18, 19, 20).................................................25
Lecture 6: Conflict and Power (21, 22).................................................................................................33
Lecture 7: Environment, Technology (2, 3)...........................................................................................39
, 2
Lecture 1: Introduction, Learning, Personality and Motivation (Chapter 1, 5, 6,
9)
Organizational Behaviour:
- The study of the structure and management of organizations, their environments, and
the actions and interactions of their individual members and groups.
- It covers environmental (macro) issues, organizational and group (meso) issues, and
individual (micro) factors.
Organization: a social arrangement for achieving controlled performance in pursuit of
collective goals.
- Social arrangement: groups of people who interact with each other because of their
membership.
- Collective goals: shared objectives.
- Controlled performance: setting standards, measuring performance, comparing actual
with standard, and taking corrective action if necessary.
Organizational dilemma: how to reconcile inconsistency between individual needs and
aspirations, and the collective purpose of the organization.
PESTLE analysis: to understand context:
- Political
- Economic
- Social
- Technological
- Legal
- Ecological
Two sets of outcomes:
1. Organizational effectiveness: a multidimensional concept that can be defined
differently by different stakeholders.
Balanced scorecard: an approach to defining organizational effectiveness using
a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures.
2. Quality of working life: an individual’s overall satisfaction with their job, working
conditions, pay, colleagues, management style, organization culture, work-life
balance, and training, development and career opportunities.
Five factors to explain these outcomes:
1. Individual factors
2. Group factors
3. Management and organization factors
4. Leadership process factors
5. Location and time
Fundamental attribution error: the tendency to explain the behaviour of others based on their
personality or disposition, and to overlook the influence of wider contextual influences.
The goals of social science and their problems:
- Description: how people understand and interpret their circumstances.
, 3
Invisible and ambiguous variables
People change over time
- Explanation: never consistent when it comes to human behaviour.
Timing of events not always clear
Cannot always see interactions
- Prediction: cannot easily be made when it comes to social science.
Uniqueness, complexity and lack of comparability between settings
- Control: the ability to change things
Ethical and legal constraints
Explaining organizational behaviour:
- Positivism: a perspective which assumes that the world can be understood in terms of
causal relationships between observable and measurable variables, and that these
relationships can be studied objectively using controlled experiments.
- Constructivism: a perspective which argues that our social and organizational worlds
have no ultimate objective truth or reality, but are instead determined by our shared
experiences, meanings and interpretations.
- Variance theory: an approach to explaining organizational behaviour based on
universal relationships between independent and dependent variables which can be
defined and measured precisely.
- Process theory: an approach to explaining organizational behaviour based on
narratives which show how several factors, combining and interacting over time in a
particular context, are likely to produce the outcomes of interest.
Perspective
Positivism Constructivism
Description Accepts information that can be Accepts qualitative information,
observed and quantified and relies on inference; studies
consistently. local meanings and interpretations.
Explanation Uses variance theories. Relies Uses process theories. Relies
mainly on observable quantitative mainly on qualitative data and self-
data and measurements. Seeks interpretations. Develops
universal laws based on links explanatory narratives based on
between independent and factors combining and interacting
dependent variables. over time and in context.
Prediction Based on knowledge of stable and Based on shared understanding and
consistent relationships between awareness of multiple social and
variables. Predictions are organizational realities. Predictions
deterministic. are probabilistic.
Control Aims to shape behaviour and Aims at social and organizational
achieve desired outcomes by change through stimulating critical
manipulating explanatory variables. self-awareness.
Evidence-Based Management: systematically using the best available research evidence to
inform decisions about how to manage people and organizations.
Human resource management: the function responsible for establishing integrated personnel
policies to support organization strategy.
, 4
Learning: the process of acquiring knowledge through experience, leading to a lasting change
in behaviour. Two main approaches to learning:
1. Behaviour psychology: stimulus-response
2. Cognitive psychology: information processing.
Behaviourist, stimulus-response Cognitive, information processing
Studies observable behaviour Studies mental processes
Behaviour is determined by learned Behaviour is determined by memory, mental
sequences of muscle movements processes and expectations
We learn habits We learn cognitive structures
We solve problems by trial and error We solve problems with insight and
understanding
Routine, mechanistic, open to direct Rich, complex, studied using indirect
research methods
Growth mindset: the belief that you can develop your capabilities through hard work, good
methods and contributions from others.
Feedback: information about the outcomes of behaviour.
1. We cannot learn without feedback.
2. Feedback can be rewarding or punishing.
3. Intrinsic feedback (self-generated): information which comes from within, from the
muscles, joints, skin, and other mechanisms such as that which controls balance.
4. Extrinsic feedback (from external source): information which comes from our
environment.
Concurrent feedback: information which arrives during our behaviour and
which can be used to control behaviour as it unfolds.
Delayed feedback: information which is received after a task is completed, and
which can be used to influence future performance.
5. Feedforward interview.
Reinforcement regimes:
Behaviour Reinforcement Result Illustration
Positive Desired Positive Desired Confess, and stick to your
reinforcement behaviour consequences behaviour is story, and you will get a
occurs are introduced repeated shorter prison sentence
Negative Desired Negative Desired The torture will continue until
reinforcement behaviour consequences behaviour is you confess
occurs are withdrawn repeated
Punishment Undesired A single act of Undesired Fail to meet your scoring
behaviour punishment is behaviour is target and we kick you off the
occurs introduced not repeated team
Extinction Undesired Day’s work Undesired Ignore an individual’s
behaviour not counted behaviour is practical jokes used to gain
occurs towards bonus not repeated attention.
Pavlovian conditioning: a technique for associating an established response or behaviour with
a new stimulus (e.g., a dog salivating at the sight of food).
- Unconditioned responses: reflexes
