Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Organization Behaviour

Organization Behaviour
3
14565
2
First semester
op
Main language of instruction: English

Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish

Teaching staff

Introduction

Corporations are like living bodies:  it is all about people, whether at individual or group level.  This course provides an analysis of Organizational Behavior in the context of contemporary business - both locally and globally. Student will review factors that affect how individuals and groups act in organizations and how organizations affect their internal culture and respond to their environments. The course will be broadly divided into three parts: (a) individuals in organizations, (b) group or team processes, and (c) organizational processes. The course also incorporates an appraisal of current challenges for managers considering the impact of today's rapidly changing socio-cultural environment, globalization, evolving technology and shifting employment relationships.

The interaction between the Individual and the Group is at the basis of collective behavior, the management of which is somewhere between ethology and science – we call it management.   The study of structures, growth, adaptation, communication, motivation, ethics and many other components contribute to a better understanding of the very behavior of organizations.

Pre-course requirements

Not applicable.

Objectives

The course has the following objectives:

•                to provide an in-depth analysis of the relevant features and characteristics of organizational behavior;

•                to analyze the most salient factors in employee-management relations regarding micro (individual) and macro (groups and teams) dimensions;

•                to gain a critical insight into the organizational processes and the impact of management decision making on employee behavior, motivation and performance;

•                provide a deep understanding of the role of organizational behavior in formal organizational settings;

•                to provide tools for developing, at the micro level, self-awareness and self-assessment, and at the macro level, methods for assessing the impact of group behavior on the relevant socio-cultural context of employee performance.

to develop students’ ability to master a freedom of the mind that will allow them to work in multiple reference systems, one of which one’s own.

Syllabus

  1. Introduction to Organizational Behavior
    1. Why organizational behavior matters? The main goals of organizational behavior
    2. Main Organizational Behavior models
    3. Systems thinking
    4. Systems dynamics
  2. 2.     Organizational Culture
    1. 1.     Mission and Purpose
    2. 2.     Vision
    3. 3.     Principles and Values
    4. 4.     Organizational Culture
    5. 5.     Types of Organizational Cultures
    6. 6.     Model connecting a company’s Mission with its Culture
  3. 3.     Organizational Setting
    1. Organizational structures and performance
  4. 4.     Individual dimension of behavior
    1. Perception
    2. Personality
    3. Values
    4. Attitudes
    5. Emotions
    6. Stress and Burnout
    7. Motivation
    8. Engagement
    9. Research models
    10. Rewards management
    11. Job satisfaction
  5. 5.     Team dimension of behavior
    1. Types of teams
    2. Conditions for effective self-managed teams
    3. Conditions for effective remote and hybrid teams
    4. Team effectiveness model
    5. How teams should be staffed
    6. Personality tests
    7. Cultural tests
    8. Team processes
    9. Stages of Team Building
  6. 6.     Leadership, Power, Politics, Conflict & Negotiation
    1. Leadership
    2. Trait theories and leadership
    3. Leadership styles
    4. Leader’s role
    5. The three bases of power
    6. Causes and consequences of abuse of power
    7. Politics in organizations
  7. 7.     Coaching, Mentoring, Emotional Intelligence
    1. Coaching 1-1 skills
    2. The Thought Model
    3. Coaching styles
    4. Emotional intelligence
    5. Presence when Coaching
  8. 8.     Current trends
    1. Leadership in digital age
    2. Resilience
    3. Constant change

Teaching and learning activities

In person



  • Lectures
  • Case studies
  • Presentations by ‘practitioners’ (CEOs / experts)
  • Articles and their discussion

Evaluation systems and criteria

In person



Final Grade:

  • Wednesday September 21st - Guest speaker Xavi Ginesta – content to final exam
  • Wednesday November TBA - Guest speaker Michele Nevanez – content to final exam
  • 40% Random class presentation  
  • 60% Final Exam. Minimum 5/10 for the continuous evaluation to be counted.

 

 

2n evaluation, the student has to get a passing grade (5/10) on the resit exam in order for the continuous evaluation grade to count:

  • 20% - course continuous evaluation obtained grade
  • 80% Resit exam

Bibliography and resources

  • Mullins, Laurie J. (2016), Management and Organizational Behaviour, 11th Edition Pearson Education
  • Ashforth, B. E., Rogers, K. M., Pratt, M. G., & Pradies, C. (2014). Ambivalence in organizations: A multilevel approach. Organization Science, 25, 1453-1478.
  • Grant, A., Berg, J., & Cable, D. (2014). Job titles as identity badges: How self-reflective titles can reduce emotional exhaustion. Academy of Management Journal, 57, 1201–1225.
  • Kerr, S., & Jermier, J. M. (1978). Substitutes for leadership: Their meaning and measurement. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 22, 375-403.
  • Derfler-Rozin, R., Moore, C., & Staats, B. R. (2016). Reducing organizational rule breaking through task variety: How task design supports deliberative thinking. Organization Science, 27, 1361-1379.