MSCI 211

Organizational Behaviour
Spring 2020
Prof. Selçuk Onay
 About this course
• MSCI 211 is a “micro” OB course
– We will mostly discuss individual and group
behavior in organizational settings.
• Job Satisfaction, motivation, forming effective groups,
leadership etc.

– And not so much "macro" organizational theory

• i.e. organizations as agents, structures and strategies
of organizations, organizational ecology etc.

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 About Me
• My background:
– B.Sc. in Mathematics from Koç University, Turkey
– DEA in Economics and Statistics from ECARES, ULB,
Belgium
– Ph.D. in Management from INSEAD, France

• I do research in the areas of

– Behavioral/experimental economics
– Behavioral decision theory,
– Decision making under risk and uncertainty.

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 What Is
Organizational Behaviour?
 Outline
Defining organizational behaviour
 Goals of Organizations
 Goals of OB

How does OB make sense of behaviour?

How will knowing OB make a difference?

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 What is OB?

 Organizational behavior (OB) is the field of

study devoted to understanding, explaining
and ultimately improving the attitudes and
behaviors of individuals and groups in
organizations.

 An organization is a consciously coordinated social unit

 composed of a group of people,
 functioning on a relatively continuous basis
 to achieve a common goal or set of goals.

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 Goals of Organizations

Knowledge

Profit

Shareholder value
Eternal Salvation

Social Welfare 7
 Goal(s) of OB
Likelihood of
achieving
organizational
goals

Organizational
Effectiveness

 OB’s goal is to understand and predict human behavior in

organizations and apply that knowledge toward improving
organizational effectiveness. 8
 Goal(s) of OB
Likelihood of
achieving
organizational
goals

Organizational
Effectiveness

Two individual outcomes that contribute to the organizational

effectiveness:
• Job performance – how well employees do on the job
• Organizational commitment – how likely employees are to remain with
an organization
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How do we manage manage behavior?

Explain Predict Manage

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THE RIGOUR OF OB
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 The Rigour of OB
 OB looks “Beyond Common Sense”
 Systematic study:
– Attempts to attribute causes and effects.
– Bases conclusions on scientific evidence:
» On data gathered under controlled conditions.
» Data is measured and interpreted in a reasonably rigorous
manner.

• Can we study (human) behavior using systematic

analysis?
– Behavior is not random.
– Fundamental consistencies underlie behavior.
– These can be identified and modified to reflect individual differences.

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 The Rigour of OB
OB looks at “Consistencies”
 What is common about behaviour

 OB takes a “Contingency Approach”

 Impossible to make simple and accurate
generalizations
– Behavior is context dependent
– Human beings are complex and diverse

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 OB Has Few (if any!) Absolutes
• Since predictions about human behavior are at best
probabilistic, OB concepts must reflect situational or
contingency conditions.

– X is likely to lead to Y, but only under conditions specified

in Z (the contingency variable)

– Example: Cohesiveness is likely to lead to higher

performance only in groups with high performance norms

Contingency
variable
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 How Do We Know
 Method of Experience – People hold firmly to some belief
because it is consistent with their own experience and
observations.

 Method of Intuition – People hold firmly to some belief because

it “just stands to reason”—it seems obvious or self-evident.

 Method of Authority – People hold firmly to some belief because

some respected official, agency, or source has said it is so.

 Method of Science – People accept some belief because scientific

studies have replicated that result using a series of samples,
settings, and methods.

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The Scientific Method

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HOW WILL KNOWING OB
MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
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 Factors/ Skills Important for Successful Job
Search
Rank/ Factors/Skills Rank/ Factors/Skills
Order Order
1 Oral communication 10 Specific degree held
2 Listening ability 11 Grade point average
3 Enthusiasm 12 Part-time or summer emp.
4 Written communication skills 13 Accreditation of program
5 Technical competence 14 Leadership in campus/
community activities
6 Appearance 15 Participation in campus/
community activities
7 Poise 16 Recommendations
8 Work experience 17 School attended
9 Resume

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 Factors/ Skills Important for Successful Job
Performance

Rank/ Factors/Skills Rank/ Factors/Skills

Order Order
1 Interpersonal/ human relations 10 Poise
skills
2 Oral communication skills 11 Interviewing Skills
3 Written communication skills 12 Specific degree held
4 Persistence/ determination 13 Physical Attractiveness
5 Enthusiasm 14 Grade point average
6 Technical competence 15 Resume
7 Personality 16 School attended
8 Work experience 17 Recommendations
9 Dress/grooming
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Thank you!