Chapter 1 Introduction to Organizational Behavior

Why is OB important for managers?

It helps them improve, enhance, and change behavior so that employees, groups, and the whole organization can better achieve their goals

Top-Management Teams

High-ranking executives who plan a company's strategy so that the company can achieve its goals.

Active Listening

1. Self-Awareness about thoughts and feelings (to control) 2. Becoming aware of your body (Face-Hands) 3.Thinking of things to say when its your turn to speak (Trying to find your understanding)

The Nature of (OB)

1.Cultural Anthropology (Group Culture) 2.Psychology (Studies individuals and their rationals in behaving certain ways) 3.Social Psychology (Studies the minds of a group) 4.Political Science (Studies interests of people that want different things) 5.Communication (sending messages) 6.Sociology (Study of group norms)

Challenges of (OB)

1: Changing Social/Cultural Environment 2: Evolving Global Environment 3: Advancing Information Technology 4: Shifting Work/Employment Relationships

Team

A group in which members work together intensively and develop team specific routines to achieve a common group goal.

Virtual Team

A group whose members work together intensively via electronic means, and who may never actually meet.

Organizational procedure

A rule or routine an employee follows to perform some task in the most effective way.

Role

A set of behaviors or tasks a person is expected to perform because of the position he or she holds in a group or organization. (Figurehead, Leader, Liaison. Monitor, Disseminator, Spokesperson, Entrepreneur, Disturbance handler, Resource allocator, Negotiator)

Group

Two or more people who interact to achieve their goals.

Open systems

an organization takes in resources from its external environment and converts or transforms them into goods and services that are sent back to that environment, where they are bought by customers.

Advancing Information Technology

Organizational Learning, Creativity, Innovation, Information, Knowledge, Information Technology

Organizational Behavior

The study of factors that affect how individuals and groups act in organizations and how organizations respond to their environments.

Managers

Persons who supervise the activities of one or more employees.

Scientific management

is the systematic study of relationships between people and tasks for the purpose of redesigning the work process to increase efficiency

Technical Skills

refer to job-specific knowledge and techniques.

Conceptual Skills

refer to the ability to analyze and diagnose a situation and distinguish between cause and effect.

Human Skills

refer to the ability to understand, work with, lead, and control the behavior of other people and groups.

Evolving Global Environment

understanding global differences, global learning, global crisis management

Levels of (OB)

-Individual level -interpersonal level -group-team level -inter-group level -organizational level

Changing Social/Cultural Environment

(national culture, org. ethics and well being, diverse workforce)(fairness and justice, decision making and performance, flexibility)

Managerial Skills

-Conceptual Skills -Human Skills -Technical Skills

Skills

An ability to act in a way that allows a person to perform well in his or her role.

The four managerial functions

Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling

Organizational Effectiveness

The ability of an organization to achieve its goals.

Shifting Work/Employment Relationships

downsizing, Empowerment and Self-Managed Teams, Contingent Workers, Outsourcing