This watermark does not appear in the registered version -
http://www.clicktoconvert.com
UNIT I
INTRODUCTION TO ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
LESSON – 1
IMPORTANCE OF ORGANISATIONAL
BEHAVIOUR
Contents
1.0 Aims and Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Organization behaviour – concepts
1.2.1 Organisation
1.2.2 Management
1.3 Key elements of organisational behaviour
1.3.1 People
1.3.2 Structure
1.3.3 Mechanics form of organization
1.3.4 Organic form of organization
1.3.5 Jobs and tasks
1.3.6 Technology
1.3.7 Environment
1.4 Basic approaches to organisational behaviour
1.5 Let us Sum up
1.6 Lesson-end Activities
1.7 References
1.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
After studying this lesson, the students are able to :
i) Understand the concepts of organizational behavior and its application in
managing people
ii) Apply the different approaches to organizational behavior and enhance the
human relationships within the organization.
iii) Explore the relationships among the various components of organizational
behavior and their effectiveness.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Organizations are social systems. If one wishes to work in them or to manage them, it is
necessary to understand how they operate. Organizations combine science and people –
technology and humanity. Unless we have qualified people to design and implement,
techniques alone will not produce desirable results. Human behavior in organizations is
,This watermark does not appear in the registered version -
http://www.clicktoconvert.com
rather unpredictable. It is unpredictable because it arises from people’s deep-seated needs
and value systems. However, it can be partially understood in terms of the framework of
behavioral science, management and other disciplines. There is no idealistic solution to
organizational problems. All that can be done is to increase our understanding and skills
so that human relations at work can be enhanced
1.2 ORGNISATION BEHAVIOUR - CONCEPTS
Organizational Behavior is field of study that investigates the impact that individuals,
groups and structure have on behavior within organization. It is the study and application
of knowledge about how people act within organizations. It is a human tool for human
benefit. It applies broadly to the behavior of people in all types of organizations, such as
business, government, schools and services organizations. It covers three determinants of
behavior in organizations: individuals, groups, and structure. OB is an applied field. It
applies the knowledge gained about individuals, and the effect of structure on behavior,
in order to make organizations work more effectively. OB covers the core topics of
motivation, leadership behavior and power, interpersonal communication, group structure
and process, learning, attitude development and perception, change process, conflict, job
design and work stress.
Before studying organizational behavior, it is desirable to know the meanings of
organization and management.
1.2.1 Organization
Organization as a purposeful system with several subsystems where individuals and
activities are organized to achieve certain predetermined goals through division of labor
and coordination of activities. Division of labor refers to how the work is divided among
the employees and coordination refers to how all the various activities performed by the
individuals are integrated or brought together to accomplish the goals of the organization.
The term organizing is used to denote one aspect of the managerial activities when he or
she is preparing and scheduling the different tasks that need to be completed for the job to
be done.
1.2.2 Management
It refers to the functional process of accomplishing the goals of the organization through
the help of others. A manager is an individual who is given the responsibility for
achieving the goals assigned to him or her as part of the overall goals of the organization
and who is expected to get the job done. The terms of top management, lower
management are frequently used to indicate the hierarchical levels of those who are
engaged in the process of getting the goals of the organization accomplished.
1.3 Key Elements of Organisational Behavior
The key elements in organizational behavior are people, structure, technology and the
external elements in which the organization operates. When people join together in
an
,This watermark does not appear in the registered version -
http://www.clicktoconvert.com
organization to accomplish an objective, some kind of infrastructure is required. People
also use technology to help get the job done, so there is an interaction of people, structure
and technology. In addition, these elements are influenced by the external environment,
and they influence it. Each of the four elements of organizational behavior will be
considered briefly.
1.3.1 People
People make up the internal social system of the organization. They consist of individuals
and groups, and large groups as well as small ones. People are the living, thinking,
feelings beings who created the organizations. It exists to achieve their objectives.
Organizations exist to serve people. People do not exist to serve organizations. The work
force is one of the critical resources t hat need to be managed. In managing human
resources, managers have to deal with:
i) Individual employee who are expected to perform the tasks allotted to them
ii) Dyadic relationships such as superior-subordinate interactions
iii) Groups who work as teams and have the responsibility for getting the job
done,
iv) People out side the organization system such as customers and government
officials
1.3.2 Structure
Structure defines the official relationships of people in organizations. Different jobs are
required to accomplish all of an organization’s activities. There are managers and
employees, accountants and assemblers. These people have to be related in some
structural way so that their work can be effective. The main structure relates to power and
to duties. For example, one person has authority to make decisions that affect the work of
other people.
Some of the key concepts of organization structure are listed as below:
a) Hierarchy of Authority: This refers to the distribution of authority among
organizational positions and authority grants the position holder certain rights
including right to give direction to others and the right to punish and reward.
b) Division of Labor: This refers to the distribution of responsibilities and the way
in which activities are divided up and assigned to different members of the
organization is considered to be an element of the social structure.
c) Span of Control: This refers to the total number of subordinates over whom a
manager has authority
d) Specialization: This refers to the number of specialities performed within the
organization.
e) Standardization: It refers to the existence of procedures for regularly recurring
events or activities
f) Formalization: This refers to the extent to which rules, procedures, and
communications are written down
g) Centralization: This refers to the concentration of authority to make decision.
, This watermark does not appear in the registered version -
http://www.clicktoconvert.com
h) Complexity: This refers to both vertical differentiation and horizontal
differentiation. Vertical differentiation: outlines number of hierarchical levels;
horizontal differentiation highlights the number of units within the organization
(e.g departments, divisions)
Organizations can be structured as relatively rigid, formalized systems or as relatively
loose, flexible systems. Thus the structure of the organizations can range on a continuum
of high rigidity to high flexibility. There are two broad categories of organization: i)
Mechanistic form of organization ii) Organic form of Organization
1.3.3 Mechanistic form of Organisation
It is characterized by high levels of complexity, formalization and centralization. A
highly mechanistic system is characterized by centralized decision making at the top, a
rigid hierarchy of authority, well but narrowly defined job responsibilities especially
at lower levels, and extensive rules and regulations which are explicitly make known
to employees through written documents. In mechanistic organization, labor is divided
and subdivided into many highly specialized tasks (high complexity), workers are
granted limited discretion in performing theirs ta sks and rules and procedures are
carefully defined (high formalization); and there is limited participation in decision
making which tends to be conducted at the highest levels of management high
centralization.
1.3.4 Organic form of Organisation
A highly organic system is characterized by decentralized decision- making which allows
people directly involved with the job to make their own decisions, very few levels in the
hierarchy with flexible authority and reporting patters, loosely defined job responsibilities
for members, and very few written rules and regulations. It is relatively simple, informal
and decentralized. Compared with mechanistic organizations, employees in organic
organizations, such as design firms or research labs, tend to be more generalist in their
orientation.
1.3.5 Jobs and Tasks
Job refers to the sum total of an individual’s assignment at the workplace. Tasks refer to
the various activities that need to be performed to get the job done. The nature of tasks,
it’s executives by various individuals, nature of interdependence and inter-relatedness,
group activities etc have implication for organizational effectiveness. Thus the jobs and
tasks have to be designed and managed properly.
Core Job Characteristics: There are five job characteristics which are central to
providing potential motivation to workers. They are: Skill variety, Task identity, Task
significance, Autonomy, and Feedback from the job itself.
http://www.clicktoconvert.com
UNIT I
INTRODUCTION TO ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
LESSON – 1
IMPORTANCE OF ORGANISATIONAL
BEHAVIOUR
Contents
1.0 Aims and Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Organization behaviour – concepts
1.2.1 Organisation
1.2.2 Management
1.3 Key elements of organisational behaviour
1.3.1 People
1.3.2 Structure
1.3.3 Mechanics form of organization
1.3.4 Organic form of organization
1.3.5 Jobs and tasks
1.3.6 Technology
1.3.7 Environment
1.4 Basic approaches to organisational behaviour
1.5 Let us Sum up
1.6 Lesson-end Activities
1.7 References
1.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
After studying this lesson, the students are able to :
i) Understand the concepts of organizational behavior and its application in
managing people
ii) Apply the different approaches to organizational behavior and enhance the
human relationships within the organization.
iii) Explore the relationships among the various components of organizational
behavior and their effectiveness.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Organizations are social systems. If one wishes to work in them or to manage them, it is
necessary to understand how they operate. Organizations combine science and people –
technology and humanity. Unless we have qualified people to design and implement,
techniques alone will not produce desirable results. Human behavior in organizations is
,This watermark does not appear in the registered version -
http://www.clicktoconvert.com
rather unpredictable. It is unpredictable because it arises from people’s deep-seated needs
and value systems. However, it can be partially understood in terms of the framework of
behavioral science, management and other disciplines. There is no idealistic solution to
organizational problems. All that can be done is to increase our understanding and skills
so that human relations at work can be enhanced
1.2 ORGNISATION BEHAVIOUR - CONCEPTS
Organizational Behavior is field of study that investigates the impact that individuals,
groups and structure have on behavior within organization. It is the study and application
of knowledge about how people act within organizations. It is a human tool for human
benefit. It applies broadly to the behavior of people in all types of organizations, such as
business, government, schools and services organizations. It covers three determinants of
behavior in organizations: individuals, groups, and structure. OB is an applied field. It
applies the knowledge gained about individuals, and the effect of structure on behavior,
in order to make organizations work more effectively. OB covers the core topics of
motivation, leadership behavior and power, interpersonal communication, group structure
and process, learning, attitude development and perception, change process, conflict, job
design and work stress.
Before studying organizational behavior, it is desirable to know the meanings of
organization and management.
1.2.1 Organization
Organization as a purposeful system with several subsystems where individuals and
activities are organized to achieve certain predetermined goals through division of labor
and coordination of activities. Division of labor refers to how the work is divided among
the employees and coordination refers to how all the various activities performed by the
individuals are integrated or brought together to accomplish the goals of the organization.
The term organizing is used to denote one aspect of the managerial activities when he or
she is preparing and scheduling the different tasks that need to be completed for the job to
be done.
1.2.2 Management
It refers to the functional process of accomplishing the goals of the organization through
the help of others. A manager is an individual who is given the responsibility for
achieving the goals assigned to him or her as part of the overall goals of the organization
and who is expected to get the job done. The terms of top management, lower
management are frequently used to indicate the hierarchical levels of those who are
engaged in the process of getting the goals of the organization accomplished.
1.3 Key Elements of Organisational Behavior
The key elements in organizational behavior are people, structure, technology and the
external elements in which the organization operates. When people join together in
an
,This watermark does not appear in the registered version -
http://www.clicktoconvert.com
organization to accomplish an objective, some kind of infrastructure is required. People
also use technology to help get the job done, so there is an interaction of people, structure
and technology. In addition, these elements are influenced by the external environment,
and they influence it. Each of the four elements of organizational behavior will be
considered briefly.
1.3.1 People
People make up the internal social system of the organization. They consist of individuals
and groups, and large groups as well as small ones. People are the living, thinking,
feelings beings who created the organizations. It exists to achieve their objectives.
Organizations exist to serve people. People do not exist to serve organizations. The work
force is one of the critical resources t hat need to be managed. In managing human
resources, managers have to deal with:
i) Individual employee who are expected to perform the tasks allotted to them
ii) Dyadic relationships such as superior-subordinate interactions
iii) Groups who work as teams and have the responsibility for getting the job
done,
iv) People out side the organization system such as customers and government
officials
1.3.2 Structure
Structure defines the official relationships of people in organizations. Different jobs are
required to accomplish all of an organization’s activities. There are managers and
employees, accountants and assemblers. These people have to be related in some
structural way so that their work can be effective. The main structure relates to power and
to duties. For example, one person has authority to make decisions that affect the work of
other people.
Some of the key concepts of organization structure are listed as below:
a) Hierarchy of Authority: This refers to the distribution of authority among
organizational positions and authority grants the position holder certain rights
including right to give direction to others and the right to punish and reward.
b) Division of Labor: This refers to the distribution of responsibilities and the way
in which activities are divided up and assigned to different members of the
organization is considered to be an element of the social structure.
c) Span of Control: This refers to the total number of subordinates over whom a
manager has authority
d) Specialization: This refers to the number of specialities performed within the
organization.
e) Standardization: It refers to the existence of procedures for regularly recurring
events or activities
f) Formalization: This refers to the extent to which rules, procedures, and
communications are written down
g) Centralization: This refers to the concentration of authority to make decision.
, This watermark does not appear in the registered version -
http://www.clicktoconvert.com
h) Complexity: This refers to both vertical differentiation and horizontal
differentiation. Vertical differentiation: outlines number of hierarchical levels;
horizontal differentiation highlights the number of units within the organization
(e.g departments, divisions)
Organizations can be structured as relatively rigid, formalized systems or as relatively
loose, flexible systems. Thus the structure of the organizations can range on a continuum
of high rigidity to high flexibility. There are two broad categories of organization: i)
Mechanistic form of organization ii) Organic form of Organization
1.3.3 Mechanistic form of Organisation
It is characterized by high levels of complexity, formalization and centralization. A
highly mechanistic system is characterized by centralized decision making at the top, a
rigid hierarchy of authority, well but narrowly defined job responsibilities especially
at lower levels, and extensive rules and regulations which are explicitly make known
to employees through written documents. In mechanistic organization, labor is divided
and subdivided into many highly specialized tasks (high complexity), workers are
granted limited discretion in performing theirs ta sks and rules and procedures are
carefully defined (high formalization); and there is limited participation in decision
making which tends to be conducted at the highest levels of management high
centralization.
1.3.4 Organic form of Organisation
A highly organic system is characterized by decentralized decision- making which allows
people directly involved with the job to make their own decisions, very few levels in the
hierarchy with flexible authority and reporting patters, loosely defined job responsibilities
for members, and very few written rules and regulations. It is relatively simple, informal
and decentralized. Compared with mechanistic organizations, employees in organic
organizations, such as design firms or research labs, tend to be more generalist in their
orientation.
1.3.5 Jobs and Tasks
Job refers to the sum total of an individual’s assignment at the workplace. Tasks refer to
the various activities that need to be performed to get the job done. The nature of tasks,
it’s executives by various individuals, nature of interdependence and inter-relatedness,
group activities etc have implication for organizational effectiveness. Thus the jobs and
tasks have to be designed and managed properly.
Core Job Characteristics: There are five job characteristics which are central to
providing potential motivation to workers. They are: Skill variety, Task identity, Task
significance, Autonomy, and Feedback from the job itself.
