Organisationalbehaviouristhestudyofwhatpeoplethink,feelanddoinandaroundorganisations.Lookingatemployeebehaviour,decisions,perceptionsandemotionalresponses.Organisationsaregroupsofpeoplewhoworkinterdependentlytowardssomepurpose.

Technologicaldevelopments,consumerexpectations,globalcompetitionandmanyotherfactorshaveunprecedentedpressureonprivate/publicsectorandnot-for-profitorganisationstosurviveandthrive.Thethreemajorchallengesfacingorganisations:

1. Globalisation–economic,socialandculturalconnectivitywithpeopleinotherpartsoftheworld.Itoffersentity’smanybenefitsintermsoflargermarkets,lowercostsandgreateraccesstoknowledgeandinnovation.However,themostimportantissueishowcorporateleadersandemployeesalikecanleadandworkeffectivelyinthisemergingreality.

2. Increasingworkforcediversity–

Surfaceleveldiversity:Theobservabledemographicorphysiologicaldifferencesinpeople,suchastheirrace,ethnicity,gender,ageandphysicaldisabilities.Deep–leveldiversity:differencesinthepsychologicalcharacteristicsofemployees,includingpersonalities,beliefsandvalues.

Diversitypresentsopportunitieslikediverseknowledge,potentiallyimprovingdecisionmakinganddiscoveryofnewopportunities.However,diversityhaslittleornoeffectoninnovationandsomeotherorganisationaloutcomes.Employeesfromdifferentbackgroundstakelongertoperformeffectivelyastheyincurcommunicationproblemsandconflict,thusreducinginformationsharingandmorale.Butdiversityisstillimperative.3. Emergingemploymentrelationships–globalisation+increasingworkforce

diversity+developmentsininformationtechnology(IT).Oneofthemostimportantemploymentissuesoverthepastdecadehasbeendealingwithemployeesunabletohaveawork-lifebalance–creatingworkplacestress.

AnchorsofOrganisationalbehaviourknowledge:Systematicresearchanchor Studyorganisationsusingsystematicresearch

Multidisciplinaryanchor Importknowledgefromotherdisciplines,notjustcreateitsownknowledge

Contingencyanchor Recognizethattheeffectivenessofanactionmaydependonthesituation

Multiplelevelsofanalysisanchor

UnderstandOBeventsfromthreelevelsofanalysis:individual,team,organisational

Systematicresearchanchor

- SRistheanchorforevidence-basedmanagement(makingdecisionsandtakingactionsbasedonresearchevidence).Oneofthereasonsleadersanddecisionmakersdon’tapplyitisbecausethere’sanoverflowofideasfromreports,articlesandothersources,makingithardtofigureoutwhichonesarebasedonevidence.OBresearchisgeneric,makingithardtofindtheoriesthatarerelevanttotheiruniquesituation.dWaystocreatemoreevidencebasedorganisations:1. Beskepticalofhype–considerthenew,revolutionaryandprovenideas.2. Companiesshouldembracecollectiveexpertiseratherthanrelyonwell-knownstars3. Takeaneutralresponsetowardspopulartrends.Managersoftengetcaughtupin

whattheircompetitorsaredoingwithoutdeterminingwhetheritspracticalorvalid.TheMultidisciplinaryanchor

- Thefieldshouldwelcometheoriesandknowledgeinotherdisciplines,notjustfromitsownisolatedresearchbase.E.g.psychologistshavehelpedusunderstandindividualbehaviorsandsociologistshavecontributedtoourknowledgeofaspectsofthesocialsystemliketeamdynamics.OrganisationshaveanintersectionbetweenOBanddisciplinesthatstudypeople.

TheContingencyanchor

- Peopleandtheirworkenvironmentsarecomplex,OBhasrecognizedaparticularactionhasdifferentconsequences.Whenfacedwithaparticularproblemoropportunity,weneedtounderstandandanalysethesituationandselectthestrategymostappropriate.

Themultiplelevelsofanalysisanchor

OBhasplacedwhatgoesoninanentityinto3levelsofanalysis;individual,teamandorganisation.Butmostvariablesarebestunderstoodbythinkingofthemfromall3levelsofanalysis.E.g.communicationisclassifiedasateam(interpersonal)process,butitalsoincludesindividualandorganisationalpurposes.

Self-fulfillingprophecy

- Occurswhenourexpectationsaboutanotherpersoncausethatpersontoactinawaythatisconsistentwiththoseexpectations,ourperceptionscaninfluencereality.

- Theprocessbeginswhenthesupervisorformsexpectationsabouttheemployee’sfuturebehaviourandperformance.Theseexpectationsaresometimesinaccurate,becausefirstimpressionsareusuallyformedfromlimitedinformation.

Otherperceptualeffects–Perceptualerrors

3waysofimprovingperceptions1) Becomingawareofsomeone’sexistence,makingyoumoremindfuloftheirthoughts/

actions.2) Becomemoreawareofbiasesinourowndecisions.Self-awarenessisincreased

throughformaltestslikeIATandbyapplyingtheJohariWindow.3) Meaningfulinteraction,peoplewillbelessperceptuallybiasedtowardsoneanother.

Meaningfulinteractionisstrongestwhenpeopleworkcloselyandfrequentlywithrelativelyequalstatusonsharedtasksthatrequirescooperationandrelianceononeanother.

Haloeffect Ourimpressionofaperson,usuallybasedononeprominentcharacteristic,coloursourperceptionoftheirothercharacteristics.

False-consensuseffect Whereweoverestimatetheextenttowhichothershavebeliefsandcharacteristicslikeourown.

Primaryeffect Wherewequicklyformanopinionofpeoplebasedonthefirstinformationwereceiveaboutthem.

Recencyeffect Wherethemostrecentinformationdominatesourperceptionofothers.

Modelofemotions,attitudesandbehaviourBeliefs:Establishedperceptionsabouttheattitudeobject,whatyoubelievetobetrue.Yourbeliefsareperceivedfactsthatyouacquirefromexperienceandotherformsoflearning.Feelings:representconsciouspositiveornegativeevaluationsoftheattitudeobject.Feelingsarecalculatedfromyourbeliefsabouttheeventandtheassociatedfeelingsaboutthosebeliefs.Howeveryourfeelingscanalsocauseyoutochangeyourbeliefs.Behaviouralintentions:representsyourmotivationtoengageinabehaviourregardingtheobject.Forexample,iftherewasamerger,yourfeelingstowardsthemergermotivatesyourbehaviouralintentionsandwhichactionsyouchoosedependsonyourexperience,personalityandsocialnorms.