Unit 1 Flashcards
Define organizational behaviour and organizations, and discuss the importance of this field of inquiry.
Organizational behaviour is the study of what people think, feel, and do in and around organizations. Organizations are groups of people who work interdependently toward some purpose. OB theories help us (a) comprehend and predict work events, (b) adopt more accurate personal theories, and (c) influence organiza- tional events. OB knowledge is for everyone, not just managers. OB theories and practices are highly beneficial for an organization’s survival and success.
Debate the organizational opportunities and challenges of technological change, globalization, emerging employment relationships, and workforce diversity.
Technological change has improved efficiency, interactivity, and well-being, but it has also been a disruptive force in organizations. Information technology has altered communication patterns and power dynam- ics at work, and has affected our nonwork time, attention span, and techno-stress. Globalization, which refers to various forms of connectivity with people in other parts of the world, has become more intense than ever before because of information technology and transportation systems. It has brought more complexity and new ways of working to the workplace, requiring additional knowledge and skills. It may be an influence on work intensifica- tion, reduced job security, and lessening work–life balance.
An emerging employment relationship trend is the blurring of work and nonwork time and the associated call for more work–life balance (minimizing conflict between work and nonwork demands). Another employ- ment trend is remote work, particularly telework (also called telecommuting), whereby employees work from home one or more workdays per month rather than commute to the office. Telework potentially benefits employees and employers, but there are also disadvantages and its effectiveness depends on the employee, job, and organization. An organization’s workforce has both surface-level diversity (observable demographic and other overt differences in people) and deep-level diversity (differences in personalities, beliefs, values, and attitudes). Diversity may improve creativity and decision making, and provide better awareness and response to diverse communities. However, diversity also poses challenges, such as dysfunctional conflict and slower team development.
Discuss the anchors on which organizational behaviour knowledge is based.
The multidisciplinary anchor states that the field should develop from knowledge in other disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology, economics), not just from its own isolated research base.
The systematic research anchor states that OB knowledge should be developed using sound research methods, which is consistent with evidence-based management. The contingency anchor states that OB theories gener- ally need to consider that there will be different consequences in different situations. The multiple levels of analysis anchor states that OB topics may be viewed from the individual, team, and organization levels of analysis.
Compare and contrast the four perspectives of organizational effectiveness.
The open systems perspective views organizations as complex organisms that “live” within an exter- nal environment. They depend on the external environment for resources, then use organizational subsystems to transform those resources into outputs that are returned to the environment. Organizations receive feedback from the external environment to maintain a good “fit” with that environment. Fit occurs by adapting to the environment, influencing the environment, or moving to a more favourable environment. Effective transforma- tion processes are efficient, adaptable, and innovative. The organizational learning perspective states that organi- zations are effective when they find ways to acquire, share, use, and store knowledge. Intellectual capital consists of human capital, structural capital, and relationship capital. Knowledge is retained in the organizational memory; companies also selectively unlearn
The high-performance work practices (HPWP) perspective identifies a bundle of systems and structures to leverage workforce potential. The most widely identified HPWPs are employee involvement, job autonomy, devel- oping employee competencies, and performance/skill-based rewards. HPWPs improve organizational effective- ness by building human capital, increasing adaptability, and strengthening employee motivation and attitudes. The stakeholder perspective states that organizations are more effective when they understand, manage, and satisfy stakeholder needs and expectations. Leaders manage the interests of diverse stakeholders by relying on their per- sonal and organizational values for guidance. Ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are natural varia- tions of values-based organizations. CSR consists of organizational activities intended to benefit society and the environment beyond the firm’s immediate financial interests or legal obligations.
