INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
CONCEPTS, CONTROVERSIES, APPLICATIONS
9TH CANADIAN EDITION
CHAPTER NO. 01: WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR?
CHAPTER OUTLINE
The Importance of Interpersonal Skills
Defining Organizational Behaviour
What Do We Mean by Organization?
OB Is for Everyone
Complementing Intuition with Systematic Study
Big Data
Disciplines That Contribute to the OB Field
The Building Blocks of OB
The Rigour of OB
OB Has Few Absolutes
OB Takes a Contingency Approach
Challenges and Opportunities in the Canadian Workplace
Economic Pressures
Continuing Globalization
Understanding Workforce Diversity
Customer Service
People Skills
Networked Organizations
Social Media
Enhancing Employee Well-Being at Work
Creating a Positive Work Environment
Ethical Behaviour
Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model
An Overview
Inputs
, Processes
Outcomes
Summary
OB at Work
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Demonstrate the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace.
2. Define organizational behavior (OB).
3. Demonstrate why few absolutes apply to OB.
4. Understand the value of systematic study to OB.
5. Identify the major behavioural science disciplines that contribute to OB.
6. Identify workplace challenges that provide opportunities to apply OB concepts.
7. Describe the three levels of analysis in this book’s OB model
OB AT WORK: FOR REVIEW
(Note to instructors: The answers here are starting points for discussion, not absolutes!)
1. What is the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace?
Having a broad range of interpersonal skills makes us more effective organizational participants.
Because organizations face a variety of demands in the workplace, it is important for managers
and employees to recognize that having a variety of skills will help them function better in
different situations and changing environmental demands. While it is probably true that we all
have a preferred style of operating, it is also true that we can develop new skills to meet the
challenges of the new workplace.
2. What is organizational behaviour (OB)?
OB is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on
behaviour within an organization. The chief goal of OB is to apply that knowledge toward
improving an organization’s effectiveness.
,3. What are the major behavioural science disciplines that contribute to OB?
Psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology are the behavioural sciences that
contribute to our understanding of OB.
The answers of the second question will vary depending on the students. The answer should tie
the primary learning areas of one of the behavioural sciences to typical managerial problems.
Ensure that the students indicate that knowing more about OB will make managers more
effective through either (1) a greater ability to understand and influence other people, (2) a better
design of organizations and jobs, or (3) a better understanding of group behaviours.
• Psychology: individual (micro) focus, in the areas of learning, perception, personality,
emotions, training, leadership effectiveness, needs, motivation, job satisfaction, decision-
making, performance appraisals, attitude measurements, employee selection, work design,
and job stress.
• Social Psychology: individual and group (macro) focus, in the areas of change measuring and
changing attitudes, communications patterns, building trusts, group behaviour, power, and
conflict.
• Sociology: group and organizational (macro) focus, in the areas of group behaviour,
organizational culture, organizational theory and structure, communications, power, and
conflict.
• Anthropology: group and organizational (macro) focus, in the areas of values, attitudes,
behaviours between organizations and countries. Anthropology also studies organizational
cultures and environments.
4. Why is systematic study of value to OB?
Most people learn human behaviour through their own individual observations. This method of
learning always contains the potential for error. By coupling this individual learning with the
systematic scientific study of OB and Evidence-based Management, managers benefit from the
experiences and study of thousands of social scientists, rather than just relying on their own
, limited experiences. This broader base of understanding is more likely to help the manager make
much better decisions and influence people more effectively.
5. Why do few absolutes apply to OB?
Human beings are complex and there are few universal principles that explain organizational
behavior. There are many theories about how people behave in organizations but most are not
pure cause and effect relationships. People are not all alike and therefore it is difficult to make
many generalizations. Variables such as peoples’ want, needs, values, and goals can differ
tremendously.
6. What workplace challenges provide opportunities to apply OB concepts?
OB offers managers specific insights and opportunities to improve managerial and people skills
and apply them to the changing workplace. The continuing economic challenges worldwide are
only one of the major issues of globalization facing organizations today. An added challenge is
presented by the ever expanding use of technology and networked organizations where managers
and employees rarely work in the same location. Recognizing the value of and embracing
diversity and people skills can improve productivity and customer service. Learning to empower
your people, and supporting employees’ work-life balance form steps toward creating a positive
work environment where an ethical compass can positively impact the whole organization.
7. What are the three levels of analysis in this book’s OB model?
The three levels are individual, group, and organizational systems. Common aspects are: the
study of human behaviour including decision-making, emotion, perception and motivation.
Unique aspects for each level deal primarily with the focus of the research activity: person,
group, or larger grouping (such as society, organization, or country). It should be noted that each
successive level builds on the theories and findings of the lower levels.
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
CONCEPTS, CONTROVERSIES, APPLICATIONS
9TH CANADIAN EDITION
CHAPTER NO. 01: WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR?
CHAPTER OUTLINE
The Importance of Interpersonal Skills
Defining Organizational Behaviour
What Do We Mean by Organization?
OB Is for Everyone
Complementing Intuition with Systematic Study
Big Data
Disciplines That Contribute to the OB Field
The Building Blocks of OB
The Rigour of OB
OB Has Few Absolutes
OB Takes a Contingency Approach
Challenges and Opportunities in the Canadian Workplace
Economic Pressures
Continuing Globalization
Understanding Workforce Diversity
Customer Service
People Skills
Networked Organizations
Social Media
Enhancing Employee Well-Being at Work
Creating a Positive Work Environment
Ethical Behaviour
Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model
An Overview
Inputs
, Processes
Outcomes
Summary
OB at Work
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Demonstrate the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace.
2. Define organizational behavior (OB).
3. Demonstrate why few absolutes apply to OB.
4. Understand the value of systematic study to OB.
5. Identify the major behavioural science disciplines that contribute to OB.
6. Identify workplace challenges that provide opportunities to apply OB concepts.
7. Describe the three levels of analysis in this book’s OB model
OB AT WORK: FOR REVIEW
(Note to instructors: The answers here are starting points for discussion, not absolutes!)
1. What is the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace?
Having a broad range of interpersonal skills makes us more effective organizational participants.
Because organizations face a variety of demands in the workplace, it is important for managers
and employees to recognize that having a variety of skills will help them function better in
different situations and changing environmental demands. While it is probably true that we all
have a preferred style of operating, it is also true that we can develop new skills to meet the
challenges of the new workplace.
2. What is organizational behaviour (OB)?
OB is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on
behaviour within an organization. The chief goal of OB is to apply that knowledge toward
improving an organization’s effectiveness.
,3. What are the major behavioural science disciplines that contribute to OB?
Psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology are the behavioural sciences that
contribute to our understanding of OB.
The answers of the second question will vary depending on the students. The answer should tie
the primary learning areas of one of the behavioural sciences to typical managerial problems.
Ensure that the students indicate that knowing more about OB will make managers more
effective through either (1) a greater ability to understand and influence other people, (2) a better
design of organizations and jobs, or (3) a better understanding of group behaviours.
• Psychology: individual (micro) focus, in the areas of learning, perception, personality,
emotions, training, leadership effectiveness, needs, motivation, job satisfaction, decision-
making, performance appraisals, attitude measurements, employee selection, work design,
and job stress.
• Social Psychology: individual and group (macro) focus, in the areas of change measuring and
changing attitudes, communications patterns, building trusts, group behaviour, power, and
conflict.
• Sociology: group and organizational (macro) focus, in the areas of group behaviour,
organizational culture, organizational theory and structure, communications, power, and
conflict.
• Anthropology: group and organizational (macro) focus, in the areas of values, attitudes,
behaviours between organizations and countries. Anthropology also studies organizational
cultures and environments.
4. Why is systematic study of value to OB?
Most people learn human behaviour through their own individual observations. This method of
learning always contains the potential for error. By coupling this individual learning with the
systematic scientific study of OB and Evidence-based Management, managers benefit from the
experiences and study of thousands of social scientists, rather than just relying on their own
, limited experiences. This broader base of understanding is more likely to help the manager make
much better decisions and influence people more effectively.
5. Why do few absolutes apply to OB?
Human beings are complex and there are few universal principles that explain organizational
behavior. There are many theories about how people behave in organizations but most are not
pure cause and effect relationships. People are not all alike and therefore it is difficult to make
many generalizations. Variables such as peoples’ want, needs, values, and goals can differ
tremendously.
6. What workplace challenges provide opportunities to apply OB concepts?
OB offers managers specific insights and opportunities to improve managerial and people skills
and apply them to the changing workplace. The continuing economic challenges worldwide are
only one of the major issues of globalization facing organizations today. An added challenge is
presented by the ever expanding use of technology and networked organizations where managers
and employees rarely work in the same location. Recognizing the value of and embracing
diversity and people skills can improve productivity and customer service. Learning to empower
your people, and supporting employees’ work-life balance form steps toward creating a positive
work environment where an ethical compass can positively impact the whole organization.
7. What are the three levels of analysis in this book’s OB model?
The three levels are individual, group, and organizational systems. Common aspects are: the
study of human behaviour including decision-making, emotion, perception and motivation.
Unique aspects for each level deal primarily with the focus of the research activity: person,
group, or larger grouping (such as society, organization, or country). It should be noted that each
successive level builds on the theories and findings of the lower levels.
