Organizational Behaviour & Opportunities: Chapter 1 Flashcards
organizational behaviour
study of individual behaviour, group processes and structural dimensions of organizations
organizational variables
- organizational structure and design
- work design
- performance appraisal
- jobs
- communication
understanding behaviour through external and internal perspectives
external: events, environmental forces, behavioural consequences
internal: thoughts, feelings, past experiences and needs, personal history, and value system
contingency perspective
- any prescriptions depend on the particular situation
- must be analyzed carefully
- NO UNIVERSALS in OB
negative and positive behaviour in times of change
negative: people often experience change as a threat and become rigid and reactive
positive: look for the opportunity in change by seeing it as positive and by remaining open and responsive
forms of organizations
- corporations
- religions
- military
- family
components of organizations
- structure
- technology
- task
- people
what is structure?
systems of communication, authority and work flow
what is technology?
tools, knowledge, techniques used to transform inputs into outputs
what are people in the context of an organizational component?
human resources of the organizations
what is a task?
the organization’s mission, purpose, or goal for existing
informal vs formal
informal: unofficial, less visible part of the system
formal: official, legitimate and most visible part of the system
diversity in economy
- private and public organizations
- small, medium, and large companies
- non-profit sector
- Canada’s largest trading partner is the USA
- shift from manufacturing to the service sector
- 45% of Canada’s GDP = foreign trade
drivers of change
- globalization
- workforce diversity
- ethics of character
- technological innovation
challenges of global competition
- pressure on all categories of employees
- demand for increased productivity and value
- need to be customer-focused
- create a focus on quality
