Organizational Behaviour

General characterization

Prerequisites

n/a

Bibliography

Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2017). Organizational behavior: Bridging science and practice. University of Minnesota Libraries. (available online on Moodle)

Neck, C.P., Houghton, J.D., & Murray, E.L. (2019). Organizational Behavior: A skill-building approach (2 Ed.). nd Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 

Teaching method

Dynamic lectures. Written and interactive case study materials. Written assignments Group presentations. Practical exercises. 

Evaluation method

Exam (50%): There will be a written exam with questions focusing on the topics discussed in classes. The structure of the exam will be defined depending on whether it will take place online or on campus.

Group Assignment (40%): Each team (4/5 students) will work on a topic for the group assignment from a list provided by the instructors. They have to find a sample of 20 individuals (if possible from the same company and/or industry) willing to respond to two surveys (one on motivation and another on leadership) spread across three to four weeks. Based on the total sample from all the students, each team will then analyze the resulting data with SPSS, and write a brief report (15-20 pages max.) describing their findings, main conclusions, and practical recommendations (we will provide some guiding questions). Each team is expected to do additional research on the constructs involved in the project. Each group has to prepare a presentation (10 min max) and submit it on Moodle together with the final report. The final grade of the group assignment will be calculated as follows: 80% written report + 10% presentation + 10% individual reflection on contribution to the group assignment.

Practical classes case studies (10%): In every chapter, you will be given a case study to discuss at the end of each practical class (starting on PC #3). The goal is to put you in the shoes of a professional handling a specific business scenario related to OB. A member of each group will be randomly selected to participate in the discussion, and the group will be graded on the following criteria: 1) ability to incorporate theoretical concepts to solve a practical situation, 2) awareness of the 2nd-degree consequences of a given course of action, and 3) evaluation of different possible choices and perspectives.

Subject matter

• Theme 1. Introduction / Management practices and beliefs in OB/HR;
• Theme 2. Human behavior: The interaction of personality and situation;
• Theme 3. Job satisfaction and work motivation (definitions, founding theories);
• Theme 4. Job satisfaction and work motivation (engagement, self-determination, and meaning);
• Theme 5. Emotions and stress;
• Theme 6. Leaders, followers, and situations: The leadership process (history, definitions, and styles);
• Theme 7. Leaders, followers, and situations: The leadership process (situational and ethical models);
• Theme 8. Working in teams;
• Theme 9. Organizational culture;
• Theme 10. Innovation Organizations and change;
• Theme 11. New topics in OB (Systems, Complexity, and Future of Work).

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: