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2012/2013  BA-HA_HU04  Organisational Behaviour

English Title
Organisational Behaviour

Course information
Language English
Exam ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration Summer
Course period NOTE: The course schedule is at the moment ONLY available at www.cbs.dk/summer.
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Faculty - Kinga Könczey, Corvinus University of Budapest
    Patricia Plackett - Department of Operations Management
Main Category of the Course
  • Organization
Last updated on 23-04-2012
Learning objectives
At the end of the course students should be able to:
  • Understand and acknowledge the major organisational behaviour theories and models as they apply to various business and management settings, and be able to apply these theories to the analysis of problems, situations and develop effective problem solving strategies.
  • An understanding of the concept of organisation and organisational behaviour
  • A grasp of the history of the field and the main schools in the field;
  • A thorough understanding of the notion of contingency: the fact that in organisations one touches one system or function and everything reacts;
  • A deep understanding of how organisations function - through the use of metaphors;
  • An improved awareness of their own and others’ behaviours, perceptions, attitudes;
  • Identified and described the various motivations;
  • Recognised the various group functions and understood the various group behaviours;
  • Effectively dealt with various conflict and problem situations by having had first hand experiences in class simulations;
  • Developed and deepened their understanding of what leadership is, what power bases leaders use and how, and recognised the various leadership approaches;
  • Onderstood the concept of corporate culture and comprehended how it underlies every organisational function;• Identified the various traditional and contemporary organisational designs and their features; • Strengthened their communication skills and learned how to apply specific management tasks, like communication, leadership or negotiation in an organisational setting;
  • Developed critical thinking by consciously interpreting and employing findings of traditional and alternative organisational studies.
Prerequisite
Students must be proficient in English
Examination
Organisational Behaviour
4 hour written exam :
Type of test Written Exam
Marking scale 7-step scale
Second examiner No second examiner
Exam period Summer Term
Aids Closed Book
Duration 4 Hours
Closed book exam: The exam includes a combination of test questions, short essay questions and complex case study analysis.
 
Exam aids: dictionaries (English- other language only) may be used

Course content
The course is intended to introduce theories and practices of different areas and functions that are necessary to understand how business and other organizations work.  The subject covers 3 levels of the study of Organisational Behaviour: first the individual level, second the group level and finally the whole organisational level.  Important issues of management will be discussed, such as motivation, leadership, group processes, decision making, conflict handling, organisational structure and design, corporate culture, etc. The major aim of the subject is not only to teach the relevant theoretical background of the above issues, but to focus on their inter-relatedness, and discuss how this knowledge can be applied in organisations.
 
  •  Understanding organisations;
  • Managing diversity
  • The individual in the organisation – attitudes, abilities, skills;
  • Employee motivation – how to get people to do their best at work;
  • Work groups – how they function, their structure, intergroup relations
  • Decision making in the organisation
  • Leadership
  • Conflict and conflict management
  • Organisational culture
  • Organisational structure and design
  • Organisational change
 
 
The course’s development of personal competences:
On completion of this subject, students should
  • Have an understanding of what organisational behaviour is;
  • Have an understanding of different work related behaviours and their consequences to the workplace;
  • Have an understanding of  different management theories and be able to determine how these concepts might be applied in the workplace;
  • Build up a knowledge on how to identify, analyse and solve problems individually and in groups.
Teaching methods
Class sessions will consist of a variety of activities including lectures, team work and discussions, and in-class exercises. There will be significant emphasis on experiential learning processes including small group discussions, problem solving exercises, games, case studies, role plays, along with home assignments designed to apply concepts to work situations. Small groups will be formed in the first class, and these groups will have an important role in achieving the course objectives. Since most students will in the future work as part of a team, the ability to work in groups on different kinds of tasks is very important. Students will learn in the process how to listen to each other, how to argue and defend their own opinion, how to solve problems, and handle difficulties, how to allocate tasks, how to make themselves and others work towards a goal, how to manage themselves. Different tasks (problem solving exercises, case studies, etc.) will be assigned to groups, and continuous feedback given on group work.
Expected literature

Ian Brooks: Organisational Behaviour. Prentice Hall, 4th ed,  2009 (ISBN: 978-0-273-71536-8)

A  selection of articles on recent developments in the field will be also provided in the beginning of the course: one article per topic area (class) – about 8-10 recent articles in total.

Case studies will be handed out throughout the course.
Last updated on 23-04-2012