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2013/2014  BA-HA_HU4D  Organizational behavior principles in practice - Understanding and predicting workers’ behaviour in businesses

English Title
Organizational behavior principles in practice - Understanding and predicting workers’ behaviour in businesses

Course information
Language English
Exam ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration Summer
Course period Summer
Please check www.cbs.dk/summer for the course schedule.
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Course instructor - Christian Bosau, International University of Applied Sciences, Bad Honnef
    Patricia Plackett - Department of Operations Management (OM)
Main academic disciplines
  • Business psychology
  • Organization
Last updated on 22-07-2013
Learning objectives
At the end of the course students should be able to show that they have understood the main technical terms, the different ideas and underlying assumptions of organizational behaviour
They should furthermore be able to apply this knowledge to practical problems in business situations.

In particular, they
  • will have an understanding of the important aspects that influence the behaviour of individuals in organizations
  • know how the theories of organizational behaviour have developed over time
  • will be able to understand and reflect their own and others’ behaviour in organizations
  • can differentiate different kinds of motivation
  • understand how leadership works according to the classical leadership models
  • can identify and analyse organizational problems that are caused by people
  • can critically reflect the relationship of individual and organizational processes
  • can apply theories of individual psychology, group studies and organisational studies to business problems
Course prerequisites
No prerequisites are necessary because it will be an introduction to organizational behaviour. However, basic knowledge of psychological aspects as motivation, learning theory, etc., might help to get a better understanding of the course content.
Prerequisites for registering for the exam
Requirements about active class participation (assessed approved/not approved)
Mandatory Mid-term Assignment: Students have to prepare a short presentation, in which they discuss a classical short case that reflects on the behaviour of employees in organizations.
Examination
4 hour written exam:
Examination form Written sit-in exam
Individual or group exam Individual
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration 4 hours
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Summer Term
Aids allowed to bring to the exam Limited aids, see the list below and the exam plan/guidelines for further information:
  • Allowed dictionaries
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
If the number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination warrants that it may most appropriately be held as an oral examination, the programme office will inform the students that the make-up examination/re-take examination will be held as an oral examination instead.
Course content and structure
This course provides an introduction to all important topics of organizational behaviour. Therefore, it focuses on the three distinct levels in organizations: a) the individual, b) the group and c) the organization.
 
The course focuses on topics like motivation, learning, leadership, stress, group processes, decision making, etc. In the lectures we deal with questions like 'what role does personality play in businesses?', 'what is the best leadership approach for different types of employees?', 'what is the survivor syndrome?'. These questions will be answered during the seminar based on theories of organizational behaviour. The theoretical ideas will then furthermore be transferred to prototypical situations of the business environment.
 
The course covers in particular the following topics:
  • What are organizations and what is management
  • Personality of employees
  • Learning in the business environment
  • Motivation of the workforce
  • Individual aspects in the business – perception, attitudes, attribution, dissonance, reactance
  • Leadership in organizations
  • Group processes and teamwork
  • Decision making
  • Organizational structure
  • Organizational culture

The course's development of personal competences:
 
As a result of doing the course students will:

  • Understand the theories of organizational behaviour
  • Be able to differentiate between different ideas and theories of organizational behaviour
  • Be able to debate and discuss the different ideas of why employees show specific behaviour in business situations
  • Be able to relate the theoretical issues to practical problems encountered in business
  • Understand the importance of organizational behaviour for the effectiveness of businesses
  • Be able to transfer organizational theories to the business environment
  • Be able to identify and solve problems regarding the individual, group and organizational level in organizations
Teaching methods
The lectures will combine general teaching with interactive seminar-like discussions, also including an analysis of prototypical cases. Group discussions and teamwork in small groups will enable the students to solve issues of organizational behaviour by integrating different ideas of different people. Discussing the topics in small teams will create a deeper understanding of business issues that are related to the behaviour of people in organizations.

Preliminary Assignment: To help students get maximum value from ISUP courses, instructors provide a reading or a small number of readings to be read before the start of classes with a related task or tasks in the first two classes in order to 'jump-start' the learning process.
Preliminary Assignment:
A short introductory text as well as a short prototypical case description of an organization have to be read. Using this text and this case students should reflect on their own experiences when dealing with organizations or while working for an organization. This reflection provides the basis for the theoretical discussion and reflection in class.
Students have to read the first chapter of the book by John Martin (“Organizational Behaviour and Management, 4th edition”), i.e., pages 3-36. The chapter includes a short case study about a large muti-national service organization, i.e. page 33-35. Students have to read the case and answer the following questions in relation to the case:
a) What is management?
b) What does being an employee mean?
c) How do managers manage?
d) What signal does that kind of management’s behaviour send to other employees?
Expected literature
The course is based on the following textbook:
 
MARTIN, J. (2010). Organizational Behaviour and Management (4th edition). London: Cengage Learning
Each student is supposed to have access to a copy of this textbook. While the main topics will be discussed in class additional reading in this textbook is necessary.
 
Additional articles may be handed out in class to highlight up-to-date developments in specific areas.
Last updated on 22-07-2013