This section provides and overview of key issues in individual, group and
organizational behavior using information learned from research into the
topic of human behavior from several social science disciplines. Topics
include motivation, learning, feedback, perception, personality,
attribution, identity, decision-making, communication, job satisfaction,
team work, organizational culture, conflict management, negotiations,
leadership and change management. The course is designed to keep the
language simple while acknowledging that human behavior is very complex. Our
intent here is to assist you in distinguishing the situations in which your
intuitive hunch will be your best guide, from situations where you may be
more effective using guidance based in systematic research.
This module presents the principles and concepts
underlying human behavior at three levels: the individual, the group, and
the organization. Using an interdisciplinary social science approach
presented in a jargon-free format, learners move easily from their “comfort
zone” into their “learning zone” as they acquire (1) the basic guidelines
for assessing behavior accurately, and (2) the levels of analysis available
for identifying and resolving individual, group, and organizational
problems. These concepts form a foundation for the text and methods of the
sections that follow..
Human
Behaviour in Organizations – Introduction
This section presents the basic components of motivation
through a comparison of widely accepted theories related to individual needs
and their consequent outcome-seeking behaviors. Relevant elements from these
theories are used as a springboard for identifying one’s motivational
profile in a work context.. Motivation
Employee
Learning and Development: In the Information Age, where knowledge is valued
for its effective advantage, individual and organizational learning are
critical components of success. This section focuses on different ways
individual employees learn in response to motivation, expectations,
observation, experience, context, reinforcement, and feedback..
Learning and Feedback
Perception
and personality affect how people relate to each other and their work.
Managers will learn how selective attention, stereotypes, and other
attitudinal distortions are formed and may contribute to group dynamics,
interpersonal conflict and inequity in the workplace. Understanding the
fundamentals of social identity theory, perception and personality can
assist managers in managing and maximizing diversity, coaching employees and
teams, and reducing stress in the workplace..
Perception and Personality in
Organizations
Employee
job satisfaction involves a complex set of personal and situational
variables. Equipped with an understanding of the personality traits,
interests, abilities, skills, and values of employees, managers can design
jobs and practices that enhance performance and maximize job satisfaction..
Job Satisfaction
There has
been much discussion in project/programme purpose organizations and academic
literature on the changing nature of the employer-employee relationship.
This section explores the fundamentals of relationship management based on a
knowledge of unwritten psychological contracts and an overview of the trends
that are currently redefining the employment relationship.
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Employee-Employer Expectations
This section presents a conceptual framework for
understanding the elements of organizational culture as well as the internal
and external forces that shape its evolution. A discussion of the pitfalls
of evaluating and diagnosing an organizational culture are followed by a
basic diagnostic tool (qualitative). The uses and strategies of employee
socialization are discussed as one way to manage organizational culture..
Organizational Culture and Employee
Socialization
Teams are
widely recognized and used to solve complex problems in organizations. This
module introduces the elements of team effectiveness and the design factors
that “make a difference.” Gender differences that produce different
assumptions about the nature of teamwork are examined..
Team Use, Design, and Effectiveness
The types
of task and process management needed to maximize team effectiveness are the
focus of this module. Stages of team development, team timing, task and
process management activities are listed. Particular attention is given to
three specific types of team process issues: team norms, minority influence
and groupthink. Strategies for managing each process are suggested..
Working Effectively in Teams
In this
module we examine the dynamics of leading, following, and managing. The
origins, nature, and styles of leadership are summarized and contrasted with
those of management. Overviews of gender-related leadership styles and
leadership pitfalls are also provided..
Leading and Managing
This
module focuses on organizations as political systems, beginning with the
possible types of underlying ruling systems. The relationship between
interests, conflict, and power is then explored in the context of positional
and personal sources of power. The module concludes with an overview of how
to manage political behavior in organizations..
Politics, Power, and Influence
All
organizational members make decisions. Managers, in particular must make
decisions in response to problems or opportunities by making choices among
alternatives in relation to a desired outcome. The elements of the
decision-making process, the characteristics of decisions, decision-making
tools, and three approaches to decision making are the focus of this module..
Decision-Making in Organizations
This
module examines the dynamics of conflict in an organizational setting. The
reader will learn how to prevent, limit, or diagnose conflict; how to
identity levels of conflict and conflict-escalations behaviors; and multiple
conflict resolution skills and approaches..
Organizational Conflict and
Negotiation
Communication facilitates knowledge sharing, decision making, and work
performance. Effective communications engage employees in the culture and
the objectives of the organization. It promotes teamwork and understanding.
This module presents a model of effective communication and describes types
of communication breakdowns..
Communication in Organizations
The rate
of change in the project/programme purpose environment is rapid due to
globalization, technology, competition and changing demographics. These
external forces for change challenge organizations to respond and adapt
quickly on both organizational and individual levels. This module provides
an overview of these two levels of change and describes ways to enhance the
change process at both levels..
Organizational and Individual Change