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Rationale

Learning Outcomes

Teaching and Learning Resources

Introduction to Organisational Behaviour
Individual behaviour and processes
Team processes
Organisational processes

Related Workshops

Learner Support

Case Studies

Recommended Texts

Resources

Assignments, Assessments

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Organisational Behaviour - Pacific Rim

Rationale

The workshops have been designed as an integrated basic learning package, providing students with a practical approach to the learning environment and some of the knowledge and skills required for successful completion of the programme.

The real-life approach of the each workshop and the source books is enhanced by the up-to-date reading material and the documents provided in each tutorial. The assignment and tests completed during the induction week will be assessed by the course tutors who will also provide appropriate feed-back to each students. However, the outcomes of the induction assignments do not affect the module or course grades in any way.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

This is a non-taught unit designed for self-directed study by those intending to enhance their professional or managerial competence, knowledge, understanding, and skills in business finance.

Knowledge

After completing the course, student will understand:

1. a number of established theories and studies relating to organisational behaviour

2. work motivation and its effects on individual behaviour and processes in organisations

3. team conflict and their solutions

Skills

After completing the course, student will be able to

1. evaluate the key processes on which behaviour in organisations is currently managed and assess the affect of these ideas on employee relations, attitudes and actions

2. apply problem solving and critical thinking abilities to analyse the choices available for alternative organisational behaviour approaches in the workplace

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Teaching and Learning Resources

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Introduction to Organisational Behaviour

Tutorials

Introduction to the Field of Organisational Behaviour

Readings

Organisational behaviour is the study of individuals and their actions within the context of the organization in a workplace setting. It is an interdisciplinary field that includes sociology, psychology, communication, and management; and it complements the academic studies of organisational theory (which is more macro-level) and human resource studies (which is more applied and business-related). It may also be referred to as organisational studies or organisational science. The field has its roots in industrial and organisational psychology.

See also

Individual behaviour and processes

Tutorials

Readings

Introduction to Individual Behaviour

What is behaviour?

Behaviour is the pattern of how a person responds to a stimulus.

Responses can be influenced by

Culture: the shared patterns of behaviours and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group.

Attitude: a hypothetical construct that represents an individual's like or dislike for an item; mental position relative to a way of thinking or being. The current popular usage of attitude implies a negative mindset, a "chip on the shoulder" behaviour, and an inner anger toward the prevailing majority of thought. Emotion: a feeling that is private and subjective; a state of psychological arousal an expression or display of distinctive somatic and autonomic responses.

Values: beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment (either for or against something)Ethics: response based on what is right; the process of determining how one should hold the interests of various stakeholders, taking into account moral values/principles

Authority: the power or right to give orders or make decisions Coercion: obtaining a response by use force; compelling a person to behave in an involuntary way (whether through action or inaction) by use of threats/intimidation Persuasion: obtaining a response by convincing a person; the process of guiding people toward the adoption of an idea, attitude, or action by rational and symbolic (though not always logical) means. It is strategy of problem-solving relying on "appeals" rather than force.

Genetics: inherited from parents; pertaining to genes or any of their effects.

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External links

Individual behaviour in organisations

Work ethic is a set of values based on hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in the moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character. An example would be the Protestant work ethic. A work ethic may include being reliable, having initiative, or pursuing new skills.

Workers exhibiting a good work ethic in theory should be selected for better positions, more responsibility and ultimately promotion. Workers who fail to exhibit a good work ethic may be regarded as failing to provide fair value for the wage the employer is paying them and should not be promoted or placed in positions of greater responsibility.

See also

External links

Workplace Ethics: The High Cost of Compromise

Employee Motivation: Theory and practice

The job of a manager in the workplace is to get things done through employees. To do this the manager should be able to motivate employees. But that's easier said than done! Motivation practice and theory are difficult subjects, touching on several disciplines.

In spite of enormous research, basic as well as applied, the subject of motivation is not clearly understood and more often than not poorly practiced. To understand motivation one must understand human nature itself. And there lies the problem!

Human nature can be very simple, yet very complex too. An understanding and appreciation of this is a prerequisite to effective employee motivation in the workplace and therefore effective management and leadership.

These articles on motivation theory and practice concentrate on various theories regarding human nature in general and motivation in particular. Included are articles on the practical aspects of motivation in the workplace and the research that has been undertaken in this field, notably by Douglas McGregor (theory y), Frederick Herzberg (two factor motivation hygiene theory,) Abraham Maslow (theory z, hierarchy of needs), Elton Mayo (Hawthorne Experiments) Chris Argyris Rensis Likert and David McClelland (achievement motivation.)

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Team processes

Tutorials

Readings

Team Process

In 1965, Bruce Tuckman developed a simple four-stage model of team development that has become an accepted part of thinking about how teams develop. In his article, "Developmental Sequence in Small Groups," Tuckman outlines four stages of team development: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. A successful team knows which stage they are in, and manages transitions between the different stages adeptly.

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Group decision making (also known as collaborative decision making) is a situation faced when individuals are brought together in a group to solve problems. According to the idea of synergy, decisions made collectively tend to be more effective than decisions made by a single individual. However, there are situations in which the decisions made by a collection of individuals are riddled with error, or poor judgment. For example, groups high in cohesion have been noted to have a negative effect on group decision making and hence on group effectiveness.^[1] Risky-shift phenomenon, group polarization, and groupthink are just three examples of the negative consequences that may result from group decision making.^[1] Moreover, when individuals make decisions as part of a group, there is a tendency to exhibit a bias towards discussing shared information (i.e., shared information bias), as opposed to unshared information.

See also

Organisational communication is a subfield of the larger discipline of communication studies. Organisational communication, as a field, is the consideration, analysis, and criticism of the role of communication in organisational contexts.

See also

External links

European Public Relations Education and Research Association
International Communication Association
National Communication Association
Association for Business Communication
International Association of Business Communicators
Basics in Internal Organisational Communications by Carter McNamara
Multi-Axial Modular Organisational Survey (open source)
Association of Teachers of Technical Writing
Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication
IEEE Professional Communication Society
Technical Communicators Association of New Zealand
Tekom (pages available in English) Professional organization for technical communication, Germany
Elephant (pages available in English) Professional organization for Technical Writers, Israel
FTI (in Swedish) Professional organization for Technical Writers, Sweden

A team leader or team lead is someone (or in certain cases there may be multiple team leaders) who provides guidance, instruction, direction, leadership to a group of other individuals (the team) for the purpose of achieving a key result or group of aligned results. The team lead reports to a project manager (overseeing several teams). The team leader monitors the quantitative and qualitative result that is to be achieved. The leader works with the team membership.

The team membership may not directly report or answer to the team leader, (who is very often a senior member of the organization but may or may not be a manager) but would be expected to provide support to the team leader and other team members in achieving the team's goals.

A good team leader listens constructively to the membership and to the customer(s) of the results that the team is charged with delivering.

The responsibilities of a team lead vary greatly between organizations, but usually includes some responsibility for team building and ensuring teamwork. The term is used to emphasize the cooperative nature of a team, in contrast to a typical command structure, where the head of a team would be its "commander". Some of the roles/responsibilities of a team leader are as follows:

1. Prepare reports and maintain records of work accomplishments and administrative information, as required, and coordinate the preparation, presentation, and communication of work-related information to the supervisor.

2. Report to the supervisor periodically on team and individual work accomplishments, problems, progress in mastering tasks and work processes, and individual and team training needs.

3. Intercede with the supervisor on behalf of the team to inform the supervisor of performance management issues/problems and to recommend/request related actions, such as assignments, reassignments, promotions, tour of duty changes, peer reviews, and performance appraisals.

4. Coach, facilitate, solve work problems, and participate in the work of the team

5. Observe training needs and relay training needs and requests to supervisor

Team conflict is conflict within a team.

External links

Organisational processes

Tutorials

Readings

The Organisational Process

Organizing, like planning, must be a carefully worked out and applied process. This process involves determining what work is needed to accomplish the goal, assigning those tasks to individuals, and arranging those individuals in a decision-making framework (organisational structure). The end result of the organizing process is an organization — a whole consisting of unified parts acting in harmony to execute tasks to achieve goals, both effectively and efficiently.

A properly implemented organizing process should result in a work environment where all team members are aware of their responsibilities. If the organizing process is not conducted well, the results may yield confusion, frustration, loss of efficiency, and limited effectiveness.

In general, the organisational process consists of five steps (a flowchart of these steps is shown in below ):

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Organization design can be defined narrowly, as the process of reshaping organization structure and roles, or it can more effectively be defined as the alignment of structure, process, rewards, metrics and talent with the strategy of the business. Jay Galbraith and Amy Kates have made the case persuasively (building on years of work by Galbraith) that attention to all of these organisational elements is necessary to create new capabilities to compete in a given market. This systemic view, often referred to as the "star model" approach, is more likely to lead to better performance.

Organization design may involve strategic decisions, but is properly viewed as a path to effective strategy execution. The design process nearly always entails making trade-offs of one set of structural benefits against another. Many companies fall into the trap of making repeated changes in organization structure, with little benefit to the business. This often occurs because changes in structure are relatively easy to execute while creating the impression that something substantial is happening. This often leads to cynicism and confusion within the organization. More powerful change happens when there are clear design objectives driven by a new business strategy or forces in the market that require a different approach to organizing resources.

The organization design process is often defined in phases. Phase one is the definition of a business case, including a clear picture of strategy and design objectives. This step is typically followed by "strategic grouping" decisions, which will define the fundamental architecture of the organization - essentially deciding which major roles will report at the top of the organization. The classic options for strategic grouping are to organize by:

Behaviour
Function
Product or category
Customer or market
Geography
Matrix

Each of the basic building block options for strategic grouping brings a set of benefits and drawbacks. Such generic pros and cons, however, are not the basis for choosing the best strategic grouping. An analysis must be done completed relative to a specific business strategy.

Subsequent phases of organization design include operational design of processes, roles, measures and reward systems, followed by staffing and other implementation tasks.

The field is somewhat specialized in nature and many large and small consulting firms offer organization design assistance to executives. Some companies attempt to establish internal staff resources aimed at supporting organization design initiatives. There is a substantial body of literature in the field, arguably starting with the work of Peter Drucker in his examination of General Motors decades ago. Other key thinkers built on Drucker's thinking, including Galbraith (1973), Nadler, et al. (1992) and Lawrence & Lorsch (1967).

Organization design can be considered a subset of the broader field of organization effectiveness and organization development, both of which may entail more behaviourally focused solutions to effectiveness, such as leadership behaviours, team effectiveness and the like. Many organisational experts argue for an integrated approach to these disciplines, including effective talent management practices.

An organisational structure consists of activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organisational aims.^[1] It can also be considered as the viewing glass or perspective through which individuals see their organization and its environment.^[2]

Organizations are a variant of clustered entities.

An organization can be structured in many different ways, depending on their objectives. The structure of an organization will determine the modes in which it operates and performs.

Organisational structure allows the expressed allocation of responsibilities for different functions and processes to different entities such as the branch, department, workgroup and individual.

Organisational structure affects organisational action in two big ways. First, it provides the foundation on which standard operating procedures and routines rest. Second, it determines which individuals get to participate in which decision-making processes, and thus to what extent their views shape the organization’s actions.^[2]

See also

References

External links

Organization Structure and Work Processes Designed for High Performance

Matrix Organizational Structure - History and Styles

Entrepreneurial Structure (Small Business)

A Functional Structure (Bureaucratic Structure)

The traditional approach was to divide an organisation into functional areas such as marketing, production and finance. Each has many layers of hierarchy to reflect the distribution of responsibility and authority.

Organisational culture is the collective behaviour of people that are part of an organization, it is also formed by the organization values, visions, norms, working language, systems, and symbols, it includes beliefs and habits.^[1] It is also the pattern of such collective behaviours and assumptions that are taught to new organisational members as a way of perceiving, and even thinking and feeling.^[2] Organisational culture affect the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients, and with stakeholders. ^[3]

Ravasi and Schultz (2006) state that organisational culture is a set of shared mental assumptions that guide interpretation and action in organizations by defining appropriate behaviour for various situations. At the same time although a company may have "own unique culture", in larger organizations, there is a diverse and sometimes conflicting cultures that co-exist due to different characteristics of the management team.^[4] The organisational culture may also have negative and positive aspects.^[4]

Schein (2009), Deal & Kennedy (2000), Kotter (1992) and many others state that organizations often have very differing cultures as well as subcultures.

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See also

External links

Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:

"A person in the service of another under any contract of hire, express or implied, oral or written, where the employer has the power or right to control and direct the employee in the material details of how the work is to be performed."

Black's Law Dictionary page 471 (5th ed. 1979).