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Core Concepts of Organizational Behavior

Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn

Chapter 1 Organizational Behavior Today


Study questions. What is organizational behavior and why is it important? How do we learn about organizational behavior? What are organizations like as work settings? What is the nature of managerial work? How do ethics influence human behavior in organizations?
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What is organizational behavior and why is it important?


Organizational behavior. Study of individuals and groups in organizations. Emphasizes high performance organizations. Occurs in a global context. Dimensions of individual and group behavior. Nature of organizations. Core processes.
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What is organizational behavior and why is it important?


Shifting paradigms of organizational

behavior.
Demise of command-and-control.

Emergence of new workplace expectations.


Critical role of information technologies. Belief in empowerment.

Emphasis on teamwork.
Concern for work-life balance.
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What is organizational behavior and why is it important?


Organizational behavior and diversity. Workforce diversity is the presence of differences based on:
Gender.
Race and ethnicity. Age.

Abel-bodiedness.
Sexual orientation.

Core Concepts of Organizational Behavior: Chapter 1

What is organizational behavior and why is it important?


Organizational behavior and diversity

cont.
Valuing diversity is a core OB theme.
Interpersonal and cultural sensitivity.

Glass ceiling effect.


Women and minorities as managers and

executives.
Earnings of women and minorities.
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How do we learn about organizational behavior?


Organizational behavior and the learning

imperative.
Organizational learning is the process of

acquiring knowledge and utilizing information to adapt successfully to changing circumstances. Necessity of life-long learning.

Core Concepts of Organizational Behavior: Chapter 1

How do we learn about organizational behavior?


Scientific foundations of organizational

behavior.
Interdisciplinary body of knowledge. Use of scientific methods. Focus on application. Contingency thinking.

Core Concepts of Organizational Behavior: Chapter 1

What are organizations like as work settings?


An organization is a collection of people

working together in a division of labor to achieve a common purpose.


Applies to:
A wide variety of clubs, institutions, agencies,

businesses, and other organized entities.


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What are organizations like as work settings?


Purpose, mission, and strategies.
Core purpose of an organization. Mission and vision. Mission statements.

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What are organizations like as work settings?


People and work systems.
Intellectual capital
The sum total of knowledge, expertise, and

dedication of an organizations workforce.

Human resources.

Material resources.

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What are organizations like as work settings?


Organizations as open systems. Organizations obtain resource inputs from the environment. Organizations transform resource inputs. Organizations return transformed inputs to the environment as outputs in the form of goods and services.

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What is the nature of managerial work?


Managers:
Perform jobs that involve directly supporting

the work efforts of others.


Help other people get important things done in

timely, high-quality, and satisfying ways.


Assume roles such as coordinator, coach, or

team leader.
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What is the nature of managerial work?


The nature of managerial work.
Managers work long hours. Managers are busy people. Managers are often interrupted. Managers work mostly with other people.

Managers are communicators.

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What is the nature of managerial work?


The management process. An effective manager is one whose organizational unit, group, or team consistently achieves its goals while its members remain capable, committed, and enthusiastic. Key results of effective management:
Task performance. Job satisfaction.
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What is the nature of managerial work?


Functions of management. Planning.
Defining goals, setting specific performance

objectives, and identifying the actions needed to achieve them.

Organizing. Creating work structures and systems, and arranging resources to accomplish goals and objectives.
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What is the nature of managerial work?


Functions of management cont. Leading.
Instilling enthusiasm by communicating with

others, motivating them to work hard, and maintaining good interpersonal relations.

Controlling. Ensuring that things go well by monitoring performance and taking corrective action as necessary.
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What is the nature of managerial work?


Managerial roles. Interpersonal roles.
Figurehead. Leader. Liaison.

Informational roles. Monitor. Disseminator. Spokesperson.


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What is the nature of managerial work?


Managerial roles cont. Decisional roles.
Entrepreneur.

Disturbance handler.
Resource allocator. Negotiator.

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What is the nature of managerial work?


Managerial networks.
Task networks.
Specific job-related contacts.

Career networks.
Career guidance and opportunity resources.

Social networks.
Trustworthy friends and peers.

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What is the nature of managerial work?


Managerial skills and competencies.
A skill is an ability to translate knowledge into

action that results in a desired performance.


Categories of skills:
Technical.

Human.
Conceptual.
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What is the nature of managerial work?


Managerial skills and competencies

cont.
Technical skills are relatively more important

at entry levels. Human skills are consistently important across all managerial levels. Conceptual skills are relatively more important at top management levels.
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What is the nature of managerial work?


Managerial skills and competencies

cont.
Technical skills.
An ability to perform specialized tasks. Derives from knowledge of expertise gained from

education or experience.
Proficiency at using select methods, processes, and

procedures to accomplish tasks.


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What is the nature of managerial work?


Managerial skills and competencies

cont.
Human skills. An ability to work well with other people. Emerges as a spirit of trust, enthusiasm, and genuine involvement in interpersonal relationships. Self-awareness. Capacity for understanding and empathizing. Engages in persuasive communication. Deals successfully with conflicts.
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What is the nature of managerial work?


Managerial skills and competencies

cont.
Conceptual skills. An ability to see and understand how the system works, and how the parts are interrelated. Used to:
Identify problems and opportunities. Gather and interpret relevant information. Make good problem-solving decisions.
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How do ethics influence human behavior in organizations?


Ethical behavior. Good and right as opposed to bad or wrong in a particular setting. Ways of thinking about ethical behavior.
Utilitarian view. Individualism view.

Moral rights view.


Justice view.
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How do ethics influence human behavior in organizations?


Ethical dilemmas in the workplace. Nature of an ethical dilemma. Ethical dilemmas occur in relationships with:

Superiors. Subordinates. Customers. Competitors. Suppliers. Regulators.


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How do ethics influence human behavior in organizations?


Ethical dilemmas in the workplace cont. Rationalizations for unethical behavior:
Pretending the behavior is not really unethical or

illegal. Saying the behavior is really in the organizations or persons best interest. Assuming the behavior is acceptable if others dont find out about it. Presuming that superiors will support and protect you.
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How do ethics influence human behavior in organizations?


Organizational social responsibility. The obligation of organizations to behave in ethical and moral ways as institutions of the broader society. Managers should commit organizations to:
Pursuit of high productivity.

Corporate social responsibility.

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How do ethics influence human behavior in organizations?


Work and the quality of life. Quality of work life (QWL).
The overall quality of human experience in the

workplace.

QWL commitment reflects an endorsement of

Theory Y assumptions. Work-life balance.


Job demands should fit personal life and nonwork

responsibilities.
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