ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

INTRODUCTION TO OB
UNIT 1
Learning Objectives
• To learn about organizational behavior history
• To learn about management functions
• To learn about personality
• To learn about Psycho-analytical social learning
• Identify the challenges and opportunities managers have in applying OB concepts
Definitions
• An Organization as a purposeful system with several subsystems in which individuals are organized to
achieve certain predominant goals through division of labour and coordination of activities.
• Management refers to the process through which the goals of the organization are attained by
channeling the efforts of employees
• People - subsystem comprises individual employees who are expected to perform the tasks allotted to
them
• Jobs refers to the sum total of an individual assignment at the work place
• Task refers to various activities that need to performed to get the job done.
• Technology – mechanism by which the raw inputs are converted into finished products or services
• Structure refers to how the workplace is setup in terms of job positions
• Process refers to the way or manner in which things get done.
Organizational Behavior – Definition
Organizational Behavior is a field of study that investigates the
impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behavior within
organizations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward
improving an organization’s effectiveness.
Scientific Management Approach
• To increase the efficiency of the worker through efficient job design and appropriate
training.
• Fredrick Winslow Taylor is the father of scientific management approach.
• Efficiency could be obtained by finding the right methods to get the job done, through
specialization, by panning and scheduling activities, by setting standard times to do the
job, and by proper selection and training of workers and rewarding them through wage
incentives for effective performance.
Administrative Theory – Henri Fayol (14 Principles)
• Division of Work. • Scalar Chain.
• Balancing Authority and Responsibility. • Order.
• Discipline. • Equity.
• Unity of Command. • Stability of Tenure of Personnel.
• Unity of Direction. • Initiative.
• Subordination of Individual Interests to • Esprit De Corps.
the General Interest.
• Remuneration.
• Centralization.
Beyond Classical Theories – Chester Bernad
• Identified that willingness of the individual to make contribution at the workplace is
important
• The concept of “zone of indifference” was coined by Bernad to emphasise that there is
a certain limit beyond which one cannot exert authority and expect orders to be carried
out.
Neo-Classical Behavioral Science Approach
• Human Relations Era
• Hawthrone studies, which were the turning point in the thinking of management theorists
and scientists, propounded the view that worker’s perceptions, feelings, attitudes and beliefs
played a big part in their productivity.

• Human Research Approach

Management Functions
• Planning – it encompasses defining an organization goals, establishing overall strategy
for achieving those goals, and developing a comprehensive set of plans to integrate and
coordinate activities.
• Organizing – includes determining what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how
the tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who
reports to whom, and where decisions are to be made.
• Leading - management’s job to direct and coordinate the people.
• Controlling – to ensure that the things are going as they should, management must
monitor the organization’s performance.
Management Roles
• Interpersonal
• Symbolic head; required to perform a number of routine duties of legal or social nature
(Figurehead)
• Responsible for the motivation and direction of employees (Leader)
• Maintains a network of outside contacts who provide favors and information (Liaison)

• Informational
• Receives wide variety of information; serves as nerve center of internal and external information
of the organization (Monitor)
• Transmits information received from outsiders or from other employees to members of the
organization (Disseminator)
• Transmits information to outsiders to organization’s plans, policies, actions, and results; serves as
expert an organization industry (Spokesperson)
Management Roles
• Decisional
• Searches organization and its environment for opportunities and initiates projects to
bring about change (Entrepreneur)
• Responsible for corrective action when organization fakes important, unexpected
disturbances (Disturbance Handler)
• Makes or approves significant organizational decisions (Resource allocator)
• Responsible for representing the organization at major negotiation (Negotiator)
Management Skills
• Technical Skills – it encompass the ability to apply specialized knowledge or expertise.
Civil engineers or dental surgeons typically focus on their technical skills.
• Human Skills – the ability to work with, understand, and motivate other people, both
individually and in groups, defines human skills
• Conceptual Skills - managers must have the mental ability to analyze and diagnose
complex situations.
Systematic Study and EBM
• Systematic Study – Looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and effects,
and drawing conclusions based on scientific evidence.
• Evidence-based Management (EBM) - It involves basing managerial decisions on the
best available scientific evidence.
Disciplines that contribute to the OB field
• Psychology – it is the science that seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change
the behavior of humans and other animals.
• Social Psychology – it blends concepts from both psychology and sociology, though it is
generally considered a branch of psychology. It focuses on people’s influence on one
other.
• Sociology – While psychology focuses on individual, sociology studies people in relation
to their social environment or culture. It contributed to OB through their study of group
behavior in organizations.
• Anthropology – it is the study of societies to about human beings and their activities
Challenges and Opportunities for OB
• Responding to Globalization
• Increased Foreign Assignments
• Working with people from different cultures
• Overseeing Movement of jobs to countries with low cost labor
• Managing People during the war on terror

• Managing Workforce Diversity

• It means that organizations are becoming a more heterogeneous mix of people in terms of gender,
age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
• Embracing Diversity
• Changing Demographics
Challenges and Opportunities for OB
• Improving Quality and Productivity
• Improving Customer Service
• Improving People Skills
• Stimulating Innovation and Change
• Coping with “Temporariness”
• Working in Networked Organizations
• Helping Employees Balance Work-Life Conflicts
• Creating a positive work environment
• Improving Ethical Behavior
Developing an OB Model
Developing an OB Model
• A model is an abstraction of reality, a simplified representation of some real-world
phenomenon.
• Dependent Variables:
• Productivity – a performance measure that includes effectiveness and efficiency
• Absenteeism – the failure to report to work
• Turnover – Voluntary and involuntary permanent withdrawal from an organization
• Deviant workplace behavior – voluntary behavior that violates significant organizational norms and, in
so doing, threatens the well-being of the organization or its members
• Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) – Discretionary behavior that is not part of an employee’s
formal job requirements but that nevertheless promotes the effective functioning of the organization
• Job Satisfaction – A positive feeling about one’s job resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics.
Developing an OB Model
• Independent Variables:
• Individual-Level Variables
• Group Level Variables
• Organization System-Level Variables
Personality
• The sum of total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interact with others.
• Measuring Personality – A psychological test is structured technique used to generate a
carefully selected sample of behavior.
• A personality test measures those relatively enduring aspects of an individual which
distinguish them from the other people, making them unique.
• A test is based on empirical research and theoretical background
• Tests are valid, reliable and standardized. They are characterized by uniformity,
objective and interpretability.
Personality
• Three main ways in which personality is measured:
• Self-report surveys
• Observer-rating surveys
• Projective measures

• Uses of Assessments in Organizations

• Screening
• Selection
• Succession Planning
• Career Planning
• Team building
• Management Development
Personality Determinants
• Heredity – factors determined at conception, one’s biological, physiological, and
inherent psychological makeup
• Cultural Values
• Family Background
• Life experiences
• People we interact with
• Popular characteristics include shy, aggressive, submissive, lazy, ambitious, loyal and
timid. When someone exhibits these characteristics in a large number of situations we
call them personality traits.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
• It is most widely used personality assessment instrument in the world.
• It is a 100-question personality test that asks people how they usually feel or act in
particular situations.
• On the basis of their answers, individuals are classified as
• Extraverted vs Introverted- Extraverted individuals are outgoing, sociable, and assertive. Introverts are
quiet and shy
• Sensing vs Intuitive – Sensing types are practical and prefer routine and order. They focus on details.
Intuitive rely on unconscious process and look at the big picture
• Thinking vs Feeling – Thinking types use reason and logic to handle problems. Feeling types rely on
their personal values and emotions
• Judging vs Perceiving – Judging types want control and prefer their world to be ordered and
structured. Perceiving types are flexible and spontaneous
Big Five Personality Model
• An impressive body of research supports its thesis that five basic dimensions underlie
all others and encompass most of the significant variation inhuman personality.
• Extraversion – Captures one’s comfort level with relationships
• Agreeableness – Refers to an individual propensity to defer others
• Conscientiousness – is a measure of reliability
• Emotional Stability – taps a persons ability to withstand stress
• Openness to experience – addresses one’s range of interests and fascination with novelty
Personality Characteristics and Behavior at work
• Need Patterns • Machiavellianism
• Locus of Control • Self Monitoring
• Tolerance for Ambiguity • Risk Taking
• Self Esteem and Self Concept • Type A and Type B Personalities
• Authoritarianism and Dogmatism • Work Ethic Orientation
Trait Theories
• Three types of leadership behavior are
• Autocratic – either aggressive or apathetic behavior in
followers
• Laissez faire – resulted in the worst form of aggressive acts
• Democratic

• The Michigan Studies (Leadership behavior style)

• Employee centered
• Production centered

• The Ohio State Leadership Studies (Behavior based)

• Consideration – leader’s sensitivity to the feelings of others
• Initiating – leader extend to the followers by way of
explaining and clarifying the requisites of the task
Trait Theories – Contingency based theories
• There is no “one best way” to lead in all situations
• Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s Leadership Pattern
Trait Theories – Contingency based theories
• There is no “one best way” to lead in all situations
• Fielder’s Contingency Theory
Trait Theories – Contingency based theories
• Fiedler’s Cognitive Resource Theory
• The leader’s and group members abilities
• Group support for the leader
• The experience of both the leader and the subordinates and
• The type of stress experienced

• Path-Goal Theory of Leadership

Trait Theories – Contingency based theories
• Hershey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership
• This model is the “readiness” of the followers in terms of their ability and willingness to fulfill the
tasks assigned to them.
• Leadership Styles – Delegating, Participating, Selling and Telling
Person Job Fit
• A theory that identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit between
personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and turnover
Person – Organization fit
• If an organization faces a dynamic and changing environment and requires employees
who are able to readily change tasks and move easily between teams, it’s more
important that employees’ personalities fit with the overall organization’s culture than
with the characteristics of any specific job.
 Psycho- Analytical Socio learning
Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality
argued that human behavior was the result of the
interaction of three component parts of the mind: the
id, ego, and superego.
DEFINITION
 Sigmund Freud (6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939)considered
the first 5 years of a child’s life to be the most important
,because he believed that an individual’s basic character had
been formed by the age of 5.
 Freud’s personality theory can be conceptualized according to
structure of personality, topography of mind & stages of
personality development.
Freudian Components
of Personality

The Id

The Ego

The
Supereg
o
STRUCTURE OF PERSONALITY

ID
The id is the only component of personality
that is present from birth.
• The id demands immediate satisfaction and
when this happens we experience pleasure,
when it is denied we experience ‘unpleasure’
or pain. The id is not affected by reality, logic
or the everyday world.
 EGO
 The ego is the component of personality that is
responsible for dealing with reality.
 It develop between the ages of 4-6 months.
 Initially the ego is 'that part of the id which has been
modified by the direct influence of the external world'
(Freud 1923)..
 The ego has no concept of right or wrong;
something is good simply if it achieves its end of
satisfying without causing harm to itself or to the
id. It engages in secondary process thinking, which
is rational, realistic, and orientated towards
problem solving.
 SUPER EGO
Works on perfection principle.
The superego incorporates the values and morals of
society which are learned from one's parents and
others. It develops around the age of 3 – 5 during
the phallic stage of psychosexual development.
The superego provides guidelines for making
judgments.
 Two parts of
superego
The ego ideal: It includes the rules and standards for
good behaviors. These behaviors include those which are
approved of by parental and other authority figures.
Obeying these rules leads to feelings of pride, & enhanced
self esteem.
The conscience: includes information about things that are
viewed as bad by parents and society. These behaviors are
often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments
& feeling of guilt.
 ICE BERG MODEL
Psychoanalytic theory of the
conscious and unconscious
mind is often explained using
an iceberg metaphor.
Conscious awareness is the
tip of the iceberg, while the
unconscious is represented by
the ice hidden below the surface
of the water.
TOPOGRAPHY OF MIND
Conscious
THE CONSCIOUS
MIND
 It includes everything that we
are aware of. This is the aspect
of our mental processing that we
can think and talk about
rationally.
 Events & experiences that are
easily remembered or retrieved
are considered to be within one’s
conscious awareness. Example-
Telephone numbers, birthday of
self & dates of special holidays.
Preconscious
 THE PRECONSCIOUS MIND
It includes all memories that
may have been forgotten or
are not in present awareness
but with attention can be
readily recalled into
consciousness.
Example- telephone
numbers, addresses once
known but little used.
It is thought to be partially
under the control of the
super-ego, which helps to
suppress unacceptable
thoughts and behaviors.
Unconscious
 THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND
It includes all memories that one is unable to
bring to conscious awareness. It is the
largest of the three topographical levels.
 It consists of unpleasant & non essential
memories that have been repressed & can
be retrieved through therapy, hypnosis &
with other substances that alter awareness.
 According to Freud, the unconscious
continues to influence our behavior and
experience, even though we are unaware of
these underlying influences.