Week 1 Chapter 1-4
Lecture 1 Introduction
Book structure
Organisation A system of consciously coordinated activities or forces of two
or more persons.
Four common 1. Coordination of effort
characteristics 2. Common goal
3. Division of labour
4. Hierarchy of authority
Organisational behaviour An interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding and
managing people at work.
- More multi-disciplinary
Historical perspective on - Scientific Management
organizational behaviour - Human Relations Movement
- Quality Movement
- The internet and social media movement
Diversity A characteristic of groups that consist of 2 or more individuals
- Usually refers to demographical differences between
group members.
- Gender, Nationality, Religion, social status
Diversity represents the multitude of individual differences
and similarities that exist among people.
,Four layers of diversity 1. Personality
2. Internal (surface-level) dimensions
3. External (secondary) dimensions
4. Organizational dimensions
Why diversity? 1. Business case: Diversity is a smart thing to do -> It can
lead to better performance, productivity and creativity
2. Moral case: Diversity is the right thing to do -> Equal
opportunities for all individuals.
Mixed blessing:
Positive effects:
- Higher performance
- More creativity
- More flexibility
- Different perspectives, backgrounds and approaches
Negative effects:
- Less satisfaction, commitment
- Less trust
- More conflicts
- Categorization processes
Information/ decision- Diversity leads to better task-relevant processes and decision-
making theory making because diverse groups:
- Are better at early stages of problem solving by using
their diverse backgrounds to generate a more
comprehensive view of a problem
- Uncover more alternatives during problem-solving
activities
- Enhance the number of contacts they have available
which provides access to information and expertise
Social categorization Diversity leads to categorizing the self and others into groups,
theory resulting in negative outcomes for groups.
, Similarities and differences create ingroup (us) vs. outgroup
(them):
- Liking of ingroup members, ingroup favoritism
- Disliking of outgroup members, outgroup derogation
- Conflict between ingroup and outgroup
Minimal group paradigm Two group are formed based on an arbitrary criterium.
- For example, preference for painters.
- Group members are then asked to divide outcomes
among ingroup versus outgroup members
Fault line Hypothetical dividing line that splits groups into
demographically based subgroups:
Categorization
- Altering the categorization process can reduce
intergroup bias and conflict.
- Superordinate can be an organization
- Subordinate can be a division in an organization
- Individual is the person that is part of all the levels
Re-categorization - One-group, superordinate categorization, common
ingroup identity, dual identity
- Responses to former outgroup members become more
positive -> less outgroup derogation
, De-categorization - Separate individuals, personal identity
- Responses to former ingroup members become less
positive -> Less ingroup favoritism
Culture A set of shared, taken-for-granted implicit assumptions that a
group holds and that determines how it perceives, thinks
about and reacts in various environments
Societal culture A set of believes and values about that is desirable and
undesirable in a community of people, and a set of formal and
informal practices to support values.
- High and low context cultures
- Individualism and collectivism
Organizational culture Shared values and beliefs that underlie company identity.
- It impacts our behavior at work -> motivation,
satisfaction turnover
- Passed on through socialization process
Layers of organizational OB has 3 fundamental layers
culture 1. Observable artifacts
2. Espoused values
3. Basis assumptions
Book Chapter 1-4
Total quality An Organisational culture dedicated to training, continuous
management (TQM) improvement, and customer satisfaction
Human capital The productive potential of one’s knowledge and actions.
- Intelligence
- Creativity
- Motivation/ commitment
Social capital The productive potential of strong, trusting, and cooperative
relationships
- Shared values
Lecture 1 Introduction
Book structure
Organisation A system of consciously coordinated activities or forces of two
or more persons.
Four common 1. Coordination of effort
characteristics 2. Common goal
3. Division of labour
4. Hierarchy of authority
Organisational behaviour An interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding and
managing people at work.
- More multi-disciplinary
Historical perspective on - Scientific Management
organizational behaviour - Human Relations Movement
- Quality Movement
- The internet and social media movement
Diversity A characteristic of groups that consist of 2 or more individuals
- Usually refers to demographical differences between
group members.
- Gender, Nationality, Religion, social status
Diversity represents the multitude of individual differences
and similarities that exist among people.
,Four layers of diversity 1. Personality
2. Internal (surface-level) dimensions
3. External (secondary) dimensions
4. Organizational dimensions
Why diversity? 1. Business case: Diversity is a smart thing to do -> It can
lead to better performance, productivity and creativity
2. Moral case: Diversity is the right thing to do -> Equal
opportunities for all individuals.
Mixed blessing:
Positive effects:
- Higher performance
- More creativity
- More flexibility
- Different perspectives, backgrounds and approaches
Negative effects:
- Less satisfaction, commitment
- Less trust
- More conflicts
- Categorization processes
Information/ decision- Diversity leads to better task-relevant processes and decision-
making theory making because diverse groups:
- Are better at early stages of problem solving by using
their diverse backgrounds to generate a more
comprehensive view of a problem
- Uncover more alternatives during problem-solving
activities
- Enhance the number of contacts they have available
which provides access to information and expertise
Social categorization Diversity leads to categorizing the self and others into groups,
theory resulting in negative outcomes for groups.
, Similarities and differences create ingroup (us) vs. outgroup
(them):
- Liking of ingroup members, ingroup favoritism
- Disliking of outgroup members, outgroup derogation
- Conflict between ingroup and outgroup
Minimal group paradigm Two group are formed based on an arbitrary criterium.
- For example, preference for painters.
- Group members are then asked to divide outcomes
among ingroup versus outgroup members
Fault line Hypothetical dividing line that splits groups into
demographically based subgroups:
Categorization
- Altering the categorization process can reduce
intergroup bias and conflict.
- Superordinate can be an organization
- Subordinate can be a division in an organization
- Individual is the person that is part of all the levels
Re-categorization - One-group, superordinate categorization, common
ingroup identity, dual identity
- Responses to former outgroup members become more
positive -> less outgroup derogation
, De-categorization - Separate individuals, personal identity
- Responses to former ingroup members become less
positive -> Less ingroup favoritism
Culture A set of shared, taken-for-granted implicit assumptions that a
group holds and that determines how it perceives, thinks
about and reacts in various environments
Societal culture A set of believes and values about that is desirable and
undesirable in a community of people, and a set of formal and
informal practices to support values.
- High and low context cultures
- Individualism and collectivism
Organizational culture Shared values and beliefs that underlie company identity.
- It impacts our behavior at work -> motivation,
satisfaction turnover
- Passed on through socialization process
Layers of organizational OB has 3 fundamental layers
culture 1. Observable artifacts
2. Espoused values
3. Basis assumptions
Book Chapter 1-4
Total quality An Organisational culture dedicated to training, continuous
management (TQM) improvement, and customer satisfaction
Human capital The productive potential of one’s knowledge and actions.
- Intelligence
- Creativity
- Motivation/ commitment
Social capital The productive potential of strong, trusting, and cooperative
relationships
- Shared values
