ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

Program: MBA (Academic year 2023-24)

Trimester: 1

Syllabus
Faculty Name: Dr. Manish Gupta
Cabin: SOM 1st Floor, No. 50 | +91 8712316252 | manish.gupta@.mahindrauniversity.edu.in
Consultation hour: Wednesday common hour

Course Objectives: The objectives of this course are to:

• Provide a strong conceptual framework of Organizational Behavior and its applications

• Deliver the significance of individual, group, and organization level factors and how they
help in managing human resources effectively

• Discuss the specific behavioral competencies that make the managers more effective with
the human aspect of management

Learning Outcomes: At the end of the course a student is expected to:

• Compare the behavioral differences at individual, group, and organizational levels

• Demonstrate effective interpersonal and conceptual skills to increase the leadership

potential and improve managerial abilities

• Apply the knowledge of organizational behavior towards attaining organizational

effectiveness

Recommended Textbook

• Robbins, Stephen. P., Judge, Timothy. A. & Vohra, N. (2019). Organizational

Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson Education Inc.
Reference books

• Luthans, F. (2010). Organizational Behavior. (12th ed.). Noida, McGraw Hill Education
India.

• Griffin, R. W. & Moorhead, G (2014). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and

Organizations (11th ed.). New Delhi, Cengage Learning India Pvt. Ltd.

Page 1 of 9
 Course Outline
# Session Topic / Area Covered Learning Outcomes Readings

1 1-3 Introduction to Organizational Behavior
(OB):
Nature of OB: Definitions, Assumptions and
Significance of OB
Basic OB Model: Situation-Organism-
Behavior Model, Diversity, Biographical
characteristics and Foundations
Contribution of other Disciplines to OB
The student should be able to: Amazon as an
Employer
• Know what organizational [HBS:
behavior is. W16106]
• Learn the way managers
perform and the extent of which
people’s skill contributes to
organizational behavior.
• Explore the challenges of OB
and future possibilities

Challenges and Opportunities for OB

2 4-5 Individual Learning and Behavior: The student should be able to: Google's
Project
Significance of Learning • Understand the importance of Oxygen: Do
learning in shaping an Managers
Learning Theories (Classical and Operant individual’s behavior Matter? [HBS:
Conditioning, Cognitive Theory, and Social • Apply the different theories of 9-313-110]
Learning Theory) learning to instill and maintain
desired behavior in employees
Positive and Negative Reinforcement and that contribute to an
Schedules organization’s well-being and
performance
OB Mod Process and its Application

3 6-7 Attitudes, Values and Job Attitudes:
Concept of Beliefs, Values and Attitudes
Categories of Values (Terminal and
Instrumental Values)
Hofstede’s Value Dimensions of National
Culture
Sources and Components of Attitudes
The student should be able to: Managing Up
(A): Grace
• Understand how individuals [HBS:
differ from each other based on W15269]
different attitudes and values
• Understand the relationship
between values, beliefs, attitude
and behavior
• Understand the importance of
job satisfaction in employees for
enhanced performance

Major Job-related Attitudes (Job Satisfaction

and its outcomes, Job Involvement,
Organizational Commitment, Perceived
organizational support and Employee
engagement)

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Page 2 of 9
# Session Topic / Area Covered
4 8-9 Perception:
Meaning and Importance of Perception: Sub-
processes of Perception, Perceptual
Selectivity, Factors influencing Perception
Social Perception: Attribution Theory,
Stereotyping and Halo effect
Decision Making in Organizations: Rational
Decision-making model and Bounded
rationality
Linkage between Perception and Individual
Decision-making
Common Biases and Errors in decision-
making
Ethics in Decision-making
5 10-12 Personality:
Meaning of Personality: Big Five
Personality Traits and Personality
Determinants
Other Personality Attributes at Work: Locus
of Control, Machiavellianism, Self-esteem,
Self-monitoring, Risk taking, Self-efficacy,
Type-A Personality, Core self-evaluation
Self-Evaluation and Narcissism
Matching Personalities with Jobs: Holland’s
Typology: Person-Job Fit and Person-
Organization Fit
Emotions: Basic Emotions and their Sources,
Functions, and Applications, Emotional
Labor and Emotional Intelligence
6 13-15 Motivation:
Meaning of Motivation
Page 3 of 9
Learning Outcomes Readings
The student should be able to: Medplus Ltd.
(A), (B), (C)
• Understand how and why [HBS: A00404]
different people perceive the
same situation differently
• Understand various perceptual
errors individuals make which in
turn impact our decision-making
ability
• Apply the rational model of
decision making while
contrasting it with bounded
rationality and intuition
The student should be able to: Big-5
Personality Test
• Identify different personality [Activity]
types individuals can be
categorized into
• Learn how a match between
one’s personality and a job can
lead to better performance
• Analyze how different
personality types predict
behavior at work
The student should be able to: Why People
Lose
• Know the effect of motivation on Motivation -
employee performance and What
Managers Can
# Session Topic / Area Covered Learning Outcomes Readings

Classification of Motives: Primary, General • Identify various factors that Do to Help

and Secondary Motives motivate different individuals in [HBR Article]
an organization
Content Theories of motivation: Maslow’s • Analyze how various Leading Words:
hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s two factor organizational practices can be How to Use
theory and Alderfer’s ERG Theory influenced by various theories of Stories to
motivation Change Minds
Process Theory of motivation: Vroom’s and Ignite
Action [HMCL
Expectancy Theory
article]
Contemporary Theories of motivation:
Engstrom Auto
Equity Theory /Organizational Justice and Mirror Plant:
Goal Setting Theory Motivating in
Good Times
Motivating by Job Design: The Job and Bad [HBS:
Characteristics Model 2175]

7 16-18 Groups and Teams: The student should be able to: Making Dumb
Groups Smarter
Definition of Work-Groups, Nature of • Analyze the growing popularity [HBR Article]
Groups of teams in organizations
• Understand the factors that Teaming at
Types of Groups and their dynamics: Formal contribute to effective team Disney
and Informal functioning Animation
• Understand how individuals [HBS: 9-615-
Stages of Group Development: The Five interact and behave in groups 023]
stage model: Forming, Storming, Norming,
Performing and Adjourning

Group Structure: Roles, Norms, Status, Size,

Composition and Cohesiveness

Group Decision-making: Group-think,

Group shift and Group decision-making
techniques namely Brain-storming, Nominal
Technique and Electronic meeting

Work-teams in the modern work-place

Difference between Work-Groups and

Work-Teams

Types of Work-Teams: Problem solving,

Quality circles, Self-managed, Cross-
functional and Virtual Teams

Page 4 of 9
# Session Topic / Area Covered Learning Outcomes Readings

Creating Effective Teams: Team

Effectiveness Model-Context, Composition
and Process

8 19 Communication: The student should be able to: The X-Caliber

Project Case
Role of Communication: Objectives and • Appreciate the importance of (A): Giving and
Communication Process communication as a means of Receiving
exchanging information Feedback -
Types of Communication: Written, Oral, • Analyze the ideal Confidential
Non-verbal, Downward, Upward, Lateral communication channel most Instructions for
and Interactive (Network and Grapevine) effective to be used in a Diane [HBS:
particular situation IN1129]
and Electronic Communication
• Understand the barriers to
Barriers to effective communication: effective communication
Filtering, Selective Perception, • Demonstrate how to overcome
potential problems in cross-
Defensiveness and Language
cultural communication.
9 20-22 Leadership: The student should be able to: Ricardo
Semler: A
Understanding Leadership, Difference • Understand the characteristics Revolutionary
between a Leader and a Manager that distinguish a manager from Model of
a leader Leadership
Leadership Styles (Transactional, • Understand and identify the [HBS: INS517]
Transformational, and Charismatic various styles of leadership
Leadership) and Determinants of Leadership • Analyze which leadership style Leadership and
will be most effective in a Team
Theories: Trait Theory, Behavioral Theories particular situation Simulation:
(The Ohio state studies, University of • Undertake leadership roles for Everest V3
effectively influencing people to [HBS:
Michigan studies, Managerial grid and Simulation]
work productively
Scandinavian studies), and Contingency
Theories (Fiedler’s Model. Situational
Leadership Theory, Leader-Member
Exchange Theory and Path-Goal Theory)

10 23-24 Power, Authority & Politics: The student should be able to: Blake Sports
Apparel and
Definition of Power, Distinction between • Understand the various types of Switch
Power, Authority and Influence power sources in an Activewear:
organization and how this can Bringing the
Bases (Types) of Power: Coercive, Reward, be used effectively to influence Executive
Legitimate, Expert and Referent Power employee behavior Team Together
• Understand why some people or [HBS: 9-417-
Power Tactics certain roles are more powerful 048]
over the others

Page 5 of 9
# Session Topic / Area Covered Learning Outcomes Readings

Organizational Politics- Definition and • Understand the detrimental

nature of politics and Politicking consequences of political
behavior in organizations
Factors relating to political behavior:
Individual and Organizational Factors

Ethics of Power and Politics

11 25-26 Conflict & Collaboration: The student should be able to: Job Offer
Negotiation
Definition and Sources of Conflict • Understand and apply different Exercise B:
conflict resolution techniques Maximum
Classification of Conflicts: Intrapersonal, which will equip them to handle Motivation
Interpersonal and Intergroup Conflicts various conflict situations as Representative
managers Instructions
Organizational Conflict and its Categories • Identify and apply effective [HBS: 12228]
and Conflict Process negotiation techniques that can
be used in bargaining
Negotiation: Definition of Negotiation,
Approaches and Process

Approaches to Conflict Management

Basic Concept of Collaboration

12 27-29 Organizational Structure:
Organizational Structure: Concept of
Organizational Structure, Max Weber’s
Bureaucratic Model, Centralization,
Decentralization, Span of control, Tall and
Flat Structure, Departmentalization and
Formalization
Organizational Designs: Simple structure,
Matrix structure, Project Design, Network
Design, Virtual organizations, Horizontal
and Boundary-less organizations
Organizational Culture:
The Nature of Organizational Culture:
Definition, Characteristics and Functions of
Organizational Culture and Strong Vs Weak
Culture
The student should be able to: Tony Hsieh at
Zappos:
• Understand the designs of Structure,
different types of organizational Culture and
structures and assess their Radical Change
impact on organizational [HBS: IN1249]
behavior.
• Understand which Design
organizational structure best Thinking
enables an organization to Comes of Age
achieve its strategic [HBR Article]
goalsUnderstand what
organizational culture is.
• Understand the process of how
the culture of an organization is
formed and is maintained.
• Understand the importance of
how organizational culture
enables effective functioning of
an organization
• Identify the forces that stimulate
change in an organization

Page 6 of 9
# Session Topic / Area Covered Learning Outcomes Readings

Uniformity of Culture: Dominant culture, • Analyze how the transition of an

Sub-culture and Formalization
Beginning of Culture in an organization:
Selection, Top Management and
Socialization
organization undergoing change
can be done smoothly based on
theories of change

Learning Culture: Stories, Rituals,

Ceremonies, Material Symbols and
Language

Building a positive organization culture

Organizational Change:

Forces for Change, Managing Planned

Change and Resistance to Change

Approaches to Manage Organizational

Change

Organization Development: Definitions and

Concept

OD Interventions

13 30 ROLE-PLAY VIDEO PRESENTATIONS AND Q&A

Expectations

• You will be given a name plate with a seat number. You are required to sit as per your
seat number. You must carry and display your name plate on your desks to help award
the case discussion participation marks.
• You are encouraged to read business newspapers and magazines regularly.
• You must report to the respective sessions well before the announced time. Latecomers
will not be permitted to join the class after the scheduled time.
• Come prepared with the reading material along with the respective textbook chapter prior
to the class discussion.
• During the class discussions, you are expected to participate actively and contribute to
individual and group learning. Case discussion participation marks are based on the value
you contribute to the class knowledge.
• Your conduct should be ethical and cordial.

Page 7 of 9
 Evaluation Components

S. No. Particulars Weightage (%)

1. Quiz 1 (Regular) 20
2. Quiz 2 (One-time surprise) 10
3. Group Project/ Seminar (refer description in Appendix A) 30
4. Case Discussion Participation 20
5. Minor (Mid-term) Examination 20
Total weightage 100

Page 8 of 9
 Appendix A
(Group Project/Seminar Detail)
The students are required to do an application-oriented video project, which is a group
activity. Every group has to prepare a video of a role play based on a relevant topic from the
Organizational Behavior syllabus, displaying their managerial skills, roles and functions, and
make a final presentation of the video. For this, there are number of milestones as described
subsequently. Group leader should email the group’s work at
manish.gupta@mahindrauniversity.edu.in by the deadline clearly stating the group members and
their Student ID numbers. The evaluation pattern for the project is given below:

S. No. Components of Evaluation Submit by Marks

1. Proposal (Group level) 10th session 05
2. Interim Report (Group level) 20th session 05
3. Individual Assignment (Individual level) 25th session 10
4. Role play Video (Group level) 30th session 10
Total Marks 30

Proposal: Comprehensive blue-print

Interim Report
• Clear and concise summary of the role play and its relevance to the topic.
• Logical flow and organization of the presentation.
• Demonstration of understanding of managerial concepts and theories.
• Quality of supporting visuals, such as slides or handouts.
• Clarity and effectiveness of writing.
Individual Assignment
• Reflection on the student's contribution to the group project.
• Analysis of the chosen topic from their perspective.
• Application of relevant managerial concepts and theories.
• Structure, coherence, and clarity of the written assignment.
• Proper citation and referencing, following the required format (e.g., APA, MLA).
Role Play Video
• Relevance to the chosen topic from the syllabus.
• Demonstration of managerial skills, roles, and functions.
• Creativity and originality in presenting the role play.
• Effective communication and engagement of all group members.
• Overall quality of the video (audio, visual, editing).

Page 9 of 9