Basic insights on OB and its linkage with other disciplines

1. Basic Concepts on OB
Graduate Teaching Notes on OB
(2015)
Dr Chanakya P Rijal
Nepal College of Management
In Affiliation with
Kathmandu University, School of Management
Lalitpur, Nepal
March 22, 2015 1OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

2. UNIT I: INTRODUCTION
1. Concept of human and organizational behavior
2. Basic disciplines contributing to the field of
organizational behavior
3. Model of organizational behavior study
4. Levels of organizational behavior analyses
5. The roles of institutional leadership in promoting
organizational behavior
6. Challenges facing the managerial jobs from OB
perspective in the Nepalese hospitality industry
March 22, 2015 2OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

3. Concept of Human and Organizational Behavior
 An organization is referred to as a well coordinated
set of people and other resources brought
together to accomplish a specified purpose.
 Human behavior refers to the way how people
perceive, receive and react to each other so as to
contribute collectively for personal as well as
institutional betterment.
 Organizational behavior (OB) is the study of how
people and organizational systems behave or
interact each other.
 Study of OB is precisely a learning of social science.
March 22, 2015 3OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

4. Concept …
 Study of OB also contributes to the study of –
 Organizational relations
 Industrial relations
 Industrial psychology
 Organizational psychology
 Behavioral science
 And so on …
 It precisely specializes in the study of human
dimension in an organizational setting.
March 22, 2015 4OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

5. Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Introduces to the World of Work
March 22, 2015 5OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

6. 6
Centrality of work to human existence
 In the any country today, you are what you do. Your choice of a
job/occupation determines as much about what you will be, the
status and prestige you will be afforded, what your children will do
and who they will do it with, where they go to school, as do your
choice of a spouse/partner and your own values.
 Go to a mall, your favorite bar, a construction site, etc., and ask
anybody who will talk to you, “What are you?” How many define
themselves in terms of their job or occupation?
 How does one know when one is “successful?” What is our cultural
measuring-stick?
Success = money
Success = happy
Happy = what you want
What you want requires $$$ or accomplishing goal. Goal usually is professional.
One of the first questions you ask someone: what’s your major? Or what do you do? Or
perhaps identify by religion or spouse, not as likely
March 22, 2015 OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

7. 7
Work is a source of…
1. Identity: last name ‘Smith’ ‘Cooper’
2. Relationships: outside the family.
3. Obligatory activity: Provides structure to our days
and deadlines
4. Autonomy: Independence
1. Values: in terms of money, products, and
associated dignity (women).
5. Opportunity: for developing skill competence.
6. Self-esteem: i. What would you do if you didn’t
have college or a job, ii. You can afford to be lazy
for a break, what about when no end in sight.
March 22, 2015 OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

8. 8
Implicit Themes of Work
When work is discussed, people mention--
–Good Provider: Heavily influenced by social
constructions of gender and gender identity.
–Independence: “Stand on one’s own two feet.”
• Being separate from your parents
–Success: “Hard work pays off.”
–Self Respect: Hard work of any type has dignity; a
person’s worth is reflected in work.
March 22, 2015 OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

9. OB is the study of behavioral science…
 In management, behavioral science or
organizational psychology is the science of study of
human behavior at work.
 It has dual focus-- i. efficiency/productivity of the
organizations, and ii. health/well-being of the
employees.
 It is of dual nature – i. application of the science of
psychology to the workplace, and ii. development
or discovery of scientific psychological principles at
workplace.
March 22, 2015 9OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

10. SPECIFIC AREAS OF CONCERN
 Recruiting and selecting employees for jobs.
 Training employees.
 Assessing employee performance.
 Defining and analyzing jobs.
 Determining how people feel about work.
 Determining why people act as they do at work.
 Assessing the work effects on people.
 Assessing the effects people have on one another.
 Learning about how organizations are structured and
functioning.
 Designing work.
 Designing tools and equipment for assessment.
 Employee health, safety and security.
March 22, 2015 10OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

11. 2. Basic disciplines contributing to the field of OB
 In fact, OB is an integrated study of a number of
social sciences rather than itself being a stand
alone subject of study.
 More specifically, psychology, social psychology,
sociology and anthropology are the basic
disciplines that contribute significantly in the field
of OB.
March 22, 2015 11OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

12. 2. Basic disciplines contributing to the field of OB
Behavioral Contribution Unit of Analysis Output
Sciences
March 22, 2015 12
Learning, motivation, personality,
emotions, perception, training,
leadership effectiveness, job
satisfaction, individual decision-
making, performance appraisal,
aptitude measurement, employee
selection, work design, work stress
Behavioral and attitude change,
communication, group processes,
group decision-making
Communication, power, conflict,
intergroup behavior
Individual
Study
of OB
Comparative values, attitudes and
cross-cultural diversity
Organizational culture,
environment, power and politics
Formal organizational theory,
technology, change and culture
Group
Organizational
System
OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

13. 3. Model of OB
 Needs discussion on various dependent and
independent variables at individual, group and
systems level and their collective outcomes.
 Refer the day1 class instructional discussions.
March 22, 2015 13OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

14. 4. Levels of OB Analyses
 Basically, the analyses of organizational behavior is
performed at three levels of human input and
transaction leading to organizational outcomes as
the collective results of behavioral exchanges at
each level of OB system.
 The study of individual characteristics,
interpersonal relationship, group dynamics,
intergroup behavior, and organizational systems
level operations’ analyses are the key levels of
analyses in OB.
March 22, 2015 14OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

15. 5. Roles of Leadership in Promoting OB
 Incubating organizational system
 Establishing and promoting organization’s strategic
thrusts, setting priorities and working principles
 Providing stewardship, role modeling and coaching
 Coordinating and collaborating with individuals
and work groups
 Managing diversity, conflict and work stress among
the individuals and work groups
 Establishing and promoting organizational culture
and value system
March 22, 2015 15OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

16. 6. Challenges facing managerial jobs from OB perspectives
 Managing with diversity
 Compliance with HR policy level liberalization
 Challenges created by globalization
 Dealing with the environmental uncertainty
 Managing with technological changes
 Changing culture, human interest and habit
 Responding to unionized workforce
 Changing nature of work
 Changing organizational design and structure
 Global economic crisis
March 22, 2015 16OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal

17. Pleasure learning…
March 22, 2015 17OB teaching notes by Dr Rijal