L1

Question 1

What is an organisation?

Answer 1

A group of people who work interdependently towards some purpose.

Question 2

Four anchors of Organisational Behaviour Knowledge

Answer 2

1. Multidisciplinary anchor
2. Multiple Levels of Analysis Anchor
3. Systematic Research
4. Contingency anchor

Question 3

1. Multidisciplinary anchor

Answer 3

It draws from many disciplines such as psychology in order to understand human behaviour at work.

Question 4

2. Multiple Levels of Analysis

Answer 4

OB knowledge includes 3 levels of analysis: individual, team and organisation.

Question 5

3. Systematic research

Answer 5

OB should study organisations using systematic research methods

Question 6

4. Contingency anchor

Answer 6

OB theory should recognise that the effects of actions often vary with the situation.

Question 7

3 Different OB perspectives

Answer 7

1. Macro-perspective - The big picture (whole company)
2. Micro-perspective - The smaller units (individual level)
3. Meso-perspective: Integration and movement between macro and micro.

Question 8

What is organisational behaviour?

Answer 8

The study of what people think, feel and do in and around organisations

Question 9

Hawthorne studies - What makes people productive?

Answer 9

Social interaction, a sense of importance and belonging, security, recognition and satisfaction is what make people more productive at work, not just money.

Question 10

Key changes - ⬆️ competition and globalisation ➡️ companies to become:

Answer 10

• more innovative in terms of customer service
• implement continuous improvement in manufacturing
• more diverse in terms of the products that they offer/produce
• Change from manufacturing to service sector
• Other changes? People are not getting as much full time work, more contractor work

Question 11

Contemporary Challenges for Organisations

Answer 11

• Networked: Emphasis on teams, systems for sharing information, cross functional involvements
• Flat: Reduced layers and empowering
• Flexible: Intensified competition, accounting for life cycles, unpredictability of external environment.
• Diverse: Career trajectories, core and peripheral workforces (multicultural)
• Global: Interactions across boarders

Question 12

Key Employment Relationship Changes

Answer 12

-Short term job security: Lifetime employment to lifetime employability?
Move from internal labour markets
-Advancement: Career streams and the changing notion of advancement
-Job titles: Changing and multi-dimensional
-Compensation: Pay for knowledge or skills, team-based pay
-Flexibility: Telecommuting, work hours, contracts and new forms of bargaining.