Organisational Behaviour (OB)

Lecture 3 – Learning, Concept of

learning organisations, Organisational
culture and structure.
Mode code:……………
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Always
preview/review Keep your mobile Ask only relevant
relevant materials phone switched off questions during
on Moodle or in a silent mode teaching time
before/after class

Do not interrupt the Always take a

lecturer or session laptop with you for
when you arrive Dress Appropriately
all lectures and
late tutorials
 Module learning outcomes
1.Demonstrate an understanding of organisational behaviour, drawing
on relevant theories, concepts and business-related examples.

2.Show the ability to apply concepts and frameworks from organisational

behaviour to different types of businesses.

3.Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how organisational

theories, concepts and evidence can explain the way that people
behave and interact at work at individual, group and organisational
levels.

4.Demonstrate appropriate academic writing skills, referencing and good

academic practice.
 Learning outcomes for today
By the end of the session, you should be able to:

▪ Recognise the importance of learning and learning organisation

▪ Understand the influences of organisational culture and structure.

▪ Recognise the causes of work-related stress and the importance of managing

it.

▪ Demonstrate appropriate academic writing skills, referencing and

good academic practice.
 Learning
▪ Process in which experience brings about permanent changes in
behaviour or attitudes.

▪ Acquisition of the knowledge and skills required to enable an

individual to achieve a goal or realisation.

Results in Changes in
A process behaviour
Factors Influencing the Learning
Process
Types of Learning
Processes

Learning as a Incidental
spontaneous learning
event

Learning
processes

Learning as a
formal process
 Theories of Learning
▪ Behaviourist models
➢Classical conditioning
➢Operant conditioning

▪ Cognitive
 Behaviourist - Classical
Conditioning
- Pavlov’s dogs
- Stimulus - response

Figure 5.2 Classical conditioning Mullins, Management and Organisational Behaviour, 9th edition © Laurie J.
Mullins 2011
Behaviourist - Classical Conditioning

• Classical Conditioning (in 3 minutes) – YouTube

 Behaviourist - Operant
Conditioning
▪ Concentrates on
consequences of
behaviour
▪ Rewarded (positive
reinforcement)
▪ Unrewarded
▪ Punished (negative
reinforcement)

Figure 5.3 Operant conditioning Mullins, Management and Organisational Behaviour, 9th edition © Laurie J. Mullins 2011
Behaviourist - Operant Conditioning

Watch video and discuss the subject area

CLASSICAL VS OPERANT CONDITIONING – YouTube

 Behaviourist - Operant Conditioning
▪ Thorndike’s law of effect
➢Rewarded or positively reinforced behaviour is likely to be
repeated

▪ Behaviour modification / shaping

➢Systematic attempts to alter behaviour of other people

➢Reinforcements
Limitations of Behaviourist
Approaches
▪ Focus on observable behaviour

▪ Over-simplified, ignore complexity of human learning

▪ Do not capture effects of personal goals, perceptions and motivations

▪ Impact of past experience is ignored

▪ No consideration of varying ego-states

▪ Complexities of reward and punishment systems

▪ Incidental learning or natural curiosity not taken into account

 Cognitive
Gagne’s Chain of Learning –
Double check

Motivation

Perception
Acquisition
Motivation Retention Recall

Generalisation

Performance

Feedback
Cognitive
Kolb’s Experiential Learning
Cycle

Figure 5.4 Kolb’s learning cycle Mullins, Management and Organisational Behaviour, 9th edition © Laurie J. Mullins 2011
 Learning Review Questions

▪ What are the two main models of theories of learning?

▪ What are the two cognitive theories about the process by which people acquire
and internalise new information, in interaction with their environments?
 The concept of learning organisations
▪ A learning organisation according to Senge is an organization,
“where people continuously expand their capacity to create the
results they desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking
are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where
people are continually learning how to learn together” (Mullins
2019, p. 646)

▪ Focused on lifelong learning.

▪ Learning is key to organizational performance and success.

 Organisational Structure
▪ Provides a framework within which individuals can perform
defined work roles

▪ Formal
▪ Allocation and organisation (by management) of
individual and group responsibilities in pursuit of goals

▪ Informal
▪ Patterns of social interactions
Organisational Charts

▪ Graphically represent an organisations structure

▪ Departments / sections
▪ Major positions
▪ Inter-relationship between positions / divisions
 Examples of an Organisational Chart
Marketing Director

Marketing manager Sales manager

Advertising Supervisor Research Supervisor Chief Order Clerk Chief Representative

Publicity Organiser Marketing Research Organiser Order Clerks Area Representatives

Copy writer Graphic Artist

Research Officers Junior Clerks
 Basic Principles of Coordination and Control

▪ Line and staff relationships

▪ Span of control

▪ Different types of organisational structure

 (a) Line and Staff Relationships

▪ Line management, chain of command

▪ Scalar, unity of command

Top management

Levels in the
organisation
Middle
management

Supervisors
 (b) Span of Control
▪ Number of subordinates which a given
manager directly supervises

Narrow Broad
X X

X X
X X X
X X X
X

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X
 (c) Tall and Flat Structures

Tall has many levels Horizontal/Flat

has few levels
(c) Advantages & Disadvantages
of Tall Structures
Advantages
- Clear, distinct division of
work
- Strong, clear line of
authority
Disadvantages
- Possibility of confusion in
roles and functions across
levels
- Large distance between top
and bottom
- Costly with huge
administrative snag
- Bureaucratic and rigid
Long ladder of promotion
Influences on organisational culture

• Key Influences on the Organisational Culture of a Business – YouTube

• Organizational Structure: Definition and Influence on Organizational Behavior -

Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

Watch video and discuss more influences on organisational culture and structure
Any question
•
References
Bratton, J. and Bratton, J. (2017) Introduction to Work and Organizational Behaviour. 3rd ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan

• Cartwright, J. (1999) Cultural Transformation. Financial Times: Prentice Hall

• Cunningham, I. (2005). Influencing people’s attitudes to change. Professional Manager. 14, 3, p.37

• Freidson, E. (2001). Professionalism: The Third Logic. Cambridge: Polity Press

• Freiling, J., & Fichtner, H. (2010). Organizational Culture as the Glue between People and Organization: A Competence-based View on Learning and Competence Building. Zeitschrift
Für Personalforschung / German Journal of Research in Human Resource Management, 24(2), 152-172.

• Handy, C. ( 1993). Understanding Organizations. (4th edn.) Harmondsworth: Penguin

• Knights, D. and Willmott, H. (eds) (2017) Introducing Organizational Behaviour and Management. 3rd ed. Andover: Cengage Learning.

• Mullins, L. J. (2011) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 9th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education

• Mullins, L. J. (2010) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 8th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education

• Quinn, R. E., & Rohrbaugh, J. (1983). A spatial model of effectiveness criteria: Towards a competing values approach to organizational analysis. Management Science. 29, 363–377

• Ray, C.A. (1986). Corporate culture: Last frontier of control? Journal of Management Studies.23, 3, 287-97

• Robbins, S. P and Judge, T. A (2010) Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 10th ed. Harlow: Prentice Hall.

• Schein, E. (2004). Organizational Culture and Leadership. Jossey-Bass

• Thornton, P. (2004). Markets from Culture. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press