Shanghai Jiao Tong University

ORGNIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
Chapter 1: Introduction

Tang Weijun (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

2006-4-10 © 2006 Tang Weijun http://www.drtang.org

 ORGNIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Contact

Tang Weijun
Shanghai Jiao Tong University

E-mail:

URL:
http://www.drtang.org/

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 ORGNIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Concepts and learning objectives

Key concepts:
Organizational behavior
Organization
Controlled performance
The organizational dilemma
Learning objectives
Explain the significance of an understanding of
organizational behavior
Explain and illustrate the central dilemma of
organizational design

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 ORGNIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Get to know about the organization

Groups can achieve much more than individual

acting alone.
Human beings are social animals.
Our society is dependent on collective organized
activity.
Organizations have huge powers, i.e. MNC.
The ultimate limitation on human aspirations lies
neither in intelligence nor in technology, but in our
ability to work together effectively in our
organizations.

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 ORGNIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Definition of organizational behaviour

The study of the structure, functioning and

performance of organizations, and the behaviour of
the groups and individuals.
This is a relatively young subject.
First used in the late 1950s.
Became a recognized subject at HBS in 1962.
The term refers to the activities and interactions of
people in organizational settings.

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 ORGNIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Big trends

Globalization
International competition.
Organizational (lean and mean)
Lean production causes the a cost in terms of lack of
dynamism and loss of employee satisfaction and
commitment.
Demographics
Declining birthrates labour shortages
Ageing population public expenditure
i.e. management diversity &.customer care
figure in page 8

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 ORGNIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Definition of organization

Social arrangements for achieving controlled

performance in pursuit of collective goals.
Social arrangement: collections of people who interact
with each other in a particular way as a consequence of
their membership.
Collective goals: shared objectives.
Controlled performance: setting performance standards,
measuring actual performance, comparing actual with
standard, and taking corrective action if necessary.
Differentiation: preoccupation with performance +
need for control

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 ORGNIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Research perspective for organization

It is pointless to dispute which is the “correct” way

to define and view organization.
Peter Drucker: musician
Gareth Morgen: eight metaphors

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 ORGNIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Organization can provide…

Organizations are significant personal and social

source of
Money and physical
Meaning, relevance, purpose
Order and stability
Security, support and protection
Status, prestige, self-esteem and self-confidence
Power, authority and control

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Organizational dilemma

It concerns the question of how to reconcile the

potential inconsistency between individual needs
and aspirations on the on hand, and the collective
purpose of the organization on the other.
Create opportunities for some people to control others.
Hierarchy of authority
Work design
• It is difficult to design organizations that are efficient
both in using resources and in developing human
potential.

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The End
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THANK YOU!

© 2006 TANG Weijun

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

11 2006-4-10 © 2006 Tang Weijun http://www.drtang.org