National Law University, Orissa

Cuttack

Semester IV: B.A. LL.B

Organizational Behaviour

Course Coordinator
Dr. Arjyalopa Mishra
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Management
National Law University, Orissa
E-mail: arjyalopa@nluo.ac.in

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Course Description

In today’s working environment, individuals can no longer continue to work in isolation or by

dictum. The flattening of organizations has made it necessary for employees to work with a
broader group of colleagues. These colleagues come from a variety of disciplines and culture,
and carry a number of needs. They have different values, attitudes, perception, and learning
process. They also represent a number of assets that they can share or retain depending on their
relationships with other people in the organization.

In any organization one can assume that the main goal of that business is to succeed; what
exactly does being a winning organization mean and what does it take to get there? In the past
companies placed a great amount of emphasis on the numbers and how to achieve those
numbers. The people who actually helped achieve those numbers were graded on their technical
skills, productivity, and budgets. Employees were moneymaking machines and how they
achieved those numbers was not a concern of their managers as long as the numbers were being
met. Organizational behavior studies have become more important today than in previous years
because corporations must learn to adapt to the rapidly changing business that have stemmed
from a competitive and fast-paced market.

Managerial psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology that was created for
corporations and organizations that needed more structure. Industrial psychology is able to
provide this structure by evaluating employee behavior for the good of the company. It is often
referred to as Organizational Psychology/ Organizational behaviour because of its emphasis on
analyzing individuals who work for various organizations.

This course in itself is a rare combination of Organizational Studies as well as Managerial

Psychology where students will see through variety of lenses through which the discipline views
human interaction; OB-based skills may be highly useful in confronting a range of organizational
dysfunctions, including those with repercussions both large and small-scale. After successful
completion of this course students will be most effective in addressing their concerns if they are
able effectively to analyze the power dynamics and interpersonal relationships that exist within
their organizations.

The tool kit of Organizational Behavior along with insights from Managerial Psychology can
help managers convert the lessons of organizational change into real organizational learning.

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These tools are essential as companies work to reshape them to be more equitable and effective
producers of goods and services and better contributors to society.

Course Objects:

The course of Organizational Psychology is aimed at providing students an edge over others by
specializing in human behavior in the work place. These students will be trained to appreciate
and apply the advanced principles of individual, group and organizational behavior. The
rationale for the development of this course is to prepare students for managerial work in the
industry, governmental agencies, and universities. The uniqueness of the programme comes from
combining the core areas of management with areas of Applied Psychology, which will result in
theoretical preparation with a practical orientation. Students will add value to any organization as
they serve the needs of the market that would not be met by graduates with a pure Management
background or a pure psychology background. This is because the addition of the psychological
perspective enhances the management of human relations and organizational effectiveness.

Course Objectives:

After successful completion of this course, the student will have the opportunity to

 Understand employees and relate to them in a sensitive way that will enhance their job
performance and encourage their own personal development. This includes elements of
life coaching.
 Facilitate change in individuals, groups, and organizations as a means to improve their
effectiveness.
 Use Research Methods that are used in areas such as selection, training, evaluation and
attitude surveys.
 Design training programs; develop selection systems and performance criteria.
 Utilize methods of measuring and evaluating individuals based on appraisals geared
towards improving performance.
 Understand consume preferences, attitudes and buying habits and patterns.
 Understand Ethical, Legal and Professional Contexts such as negotiated labour contracts,
and issues related to human subjects and organizational participants and the fair and
equitable treatment of workers, and issues in corporate social responsibility.

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  Get familiar with major labour related legislation and contractual obligations that affect
human resource policy implementation. Students will also be familiar with resolving
conflicts in a labor/ management relation’s environment.

Contribution to Learning Objectives.

Current trends, issues and innovations can be used to identify the application of organizational
behavior to different types of organization in the private or public firms. In addition, case studies,
assignments and visits to organizations could be used where appropriate to give practical
relevance.

The module is based on active learning, with faculty acting as facilitators rather than traditional
lectures. A major feature of the module is student leadership in the form of oral presentations,
experiential role-playing exercises, and case analysis.

The reading is assigned as pre-reading, with opportunities for group and class discussion to make
sure that it is understood and cab be applied to new problems.

Learning Outcomes :

To achieve each outcome a student must demonstrate the ability to:

 Define, discuss, and recognize important terminology, facts, concepts, principles, analytic
techniques, and theories taught in this organizational behavior course.
 Identify and apply appropriate terminology, facts, concepts, principles, analytic
techniques, and theories from the organizational behavior course when analyzing factual
situations with organizational behavior problems.
 Develop reasonable solutions to organizational behavior problems against appropriate
criteria, including organizational constraints.
 Discuss the relevance and application of the concepts, principles and theories used in
organizational behavior to contemporary events.
 Identify and discuss the interrelationships among the concepts, principles and theories
used in the different areas of organizational behavior.

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Measurement of learning outcomes:

Some discussion questions will be assigned to the students as a quick way of finding out if the
students have learned the basic concepts and ideas of consumer behavior in the discussed areas/
industries/products.

Mini-cases on some of the latest developments in the global market will be used in the class to
gauge students’ understanding of the key concepts and ideas.

Some full-length cases will be used in this course. Students will be divided into seven groups,
with each group working on one case. Students will work in team to answer case questions using
what they learn in the course, and present their analysis in the class.

A final essay- type examination regarding some real-world situations / issues will be conducted
to evaluate the overall learning outcome of the students.

Class Participation:

1. Active class contribution is a must because your learning depends on it. Active
participation involves: (I) preparation – regarding and understanding the assigned
materials before arriving in the class and developing a well- informed opinion on the
content, (ii) participation – actively expressing and defending your opinion (succinctly)
during the class discussion, (iii) respect- listening and responding constructively to your
peers in class. Your class participation grade will be based on (a) evidence of careful
preparation of the case and the readings assigned, (b) the clarity, and (c) the conciseness
of your recommendations based on convincing qualitative and quantitative thought and
analysis. Quantity does not equate to quality. It is crucial that your participation be
consistent and thought for each class. This includes reviewing the assigned readings,
cases and case questions before class.
2. Reading Assignments: Class reading material appears on the syllabus. Read each day’s
material before you come to class. Periodically, additional assignments will be made.
Also, you will be responsible for awareness of current issues. The Economic Times,
McKinsey Quarterly Journal, Journal of Organizational Behaviour, American Journal of
Psychology are suggested as sources for current business and economic news. You are to

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 browse the Internet using search engines such as Yahoo, Google and others for research
information on business and economic activity.
3. Class Discussions: You are required to actively participate in our class sessions. It will
be rewarding for you to do so intellectually.
4. Class Attendance is mandatory and will be recorded.

Team Project

You will be required to submit a written term project (and give a presentation of the project to
the class – time and schedule permitting). The term project due date will be decided in advance,
usually during the last two weeks of class. The project is an oppurtunity to use and apply the
concepts discussed in the course to rreal – life situations / issued facing a company of your
choice. For example, you may wish to report on the changing behavioural patterns for a new
product line by a company or on a organizational culture of a company.

The analysis should focus on applying the concepts presented in the course to a company /
product. The goal of the project is to facilitate learning by applying the concepts dscussedin the
class to a real world example that is of interest to you. The experience should allow you to use
your skill of analysis and integration to develop a paper and presentation that reveals your
understanding of the concepts covered in the course. The write up will be limited to no more than
10 pages in length(not including exhibits or attachment). It is recommended that students use the
case format as a template for the write –up.

Criteria for evaluation

AS PER UNIVERSITY GUIDELINES

Criteria for evaluation for assignments include:

Content: Clear statement of the purpose/ problem/ issue being addressed; how does the author
convince the reader that the papeer is worth reading? Presentation of data/ evidence. Evidence of
data/ material collected and analyzed on the company/ product reviewed. A clear presentation of
the relevant issues facing the company will be evaluated. An adequate focus on the chosen
problem has to be identified. Information provided to familiarize the reader with the problem. Is
the presentation easy to follow and well organized? Does the author summarize adequately? Is
the case conclusion/ summary directly related to the question posed in the introduction?

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Connection to the class: Evidence that class materials have been read and understood. Clear
application of concepts discussed in class or found in the assigned readings and cases.

Form: Spelling and grammar. Are the ideas presented in a coherent order? Are the exhibits,
footnotes etc. consistent and relevant to the content?

Because this is a team project, I will also ask everyone on the team to assess the relative
contributions of each team member.

Readings :

Harold J. Leavitt and Homa Bahrami’s Managerial Psychology: Managing Behavior in

Organisations (5th edition, 1998), also published by the University of Chicago Press.

Celeste M. Brotheridge, Raymond T. Lee “Journal of Managerial Psychology: The emotions of

managing”

Industrial Psychology & Organizational Psychology 8th Edition – Errest Mc Cormick, Daniel II
Gen

Introduction to Industrial Psychology 5th Edition – Ronald Riggio

Industrial Psychology – H. L. Kalia

Organizational Behavior – Stephen Robbin

Schedule of Class Lectures

Module I: Concepts and Theoretical Foundations: (6hrs):

Psychology as a discipline and theoretical field has been at the core of Organizational Behaviour
and People Management since their emergence in the first half of the last century. Managerial
Psychology positions itself at the leading edge of developments in Psychological knowledge as
applied to managing and organizing. It encourages novel discourse an the application of theory,
aiming to provide a bridge to practice based on solid foundations of credible research. While
practicing the applied scholarship of psychology, it welcomes input from aligned disciplines
such as sociology, anthropology and the health sciences which help highlight psychologically
related issues applied to management.

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Hours Topic Teaching Case / Readings
of Class Instruments Exercise
2 hrs  Concept of Interactive NA Brief historical
Managerial Lecture method perspective- Debra
Psychology L.Nelson & James
 Chronological Campbell Quick
events in OB
hundred years
of progress
1hr  Principles of Interactive NA Introduction to the
Psychology in Lecture Method experiments of
Management & Audio Visual illumination- Fred
 Scope and Clippings of Luthans
importance of Charlie
Psychology Chaplin’s
Modern Times
and Gold Rush
1hr  Concept of OB Case Method Lying in Organizational
Relations with business- Behaviour-
Management Journal of Stephen Robbins
 Fundamental Applied
Concept of Studies of
Organizational Spontaneous
Behaviour Expression
2hrs  Organizational Use of PPT and Experimental Organizational
Behavioural Critical thinking Exercise in Behaviour –J.W
Model groups Newstrom
 Challenges and
Opportunities
of OB

Module II: The Individual Dynamics: (21hrs)

Individuals vary in their ability to process information of an emotional nature and in their ability
to relate emotional processing to a wider cognition. This ability is seen to manifest itself in
certain adaptive behaviors. Everybody brings their emotions to work. You bring your brain to
work. You bring your emotions to work. Feelings drive performance. They drive behaviour and
other feelings. Think of peopleas emotion conductors. Employees’ moods, emotions and overall
dispositions have an impact on job performance, decision making creativity, turnover, team
work, negotiations and leadership.

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Hours Topic Teaching Case / Exercise Readings
of Instruments
Class
3hrs  Values and Interactive Think and Do Personal Values
Personality Lecture Methods Exercise and corporate
Usage of (Exploring Your Strategy
Psychological Own
Tools Personality)
3hrs  Perception and Interactive Perception Teaching Smart
learning Lecture Method Leading to people how to
and Case Decision learn
method Making Perceptual
Mc Donald in Processes
Controversy
3hrs  Individual Lecture method Review of Long Hours,
Attitude and Job and Group Measurements Hundreds of E-
Satisfaction Discussion on of Job Mails, and No
the topic “Myth Satisfaction Sleep: Does this
or Science: Forms Sound like a
Happy workers satisfying job
are productive
Workers
3hrs  Motivation: Discuss OB in Paying Praise Motivates
From Concepts News. Lecture Employees not Bulling Bosses
to Application on case to work
incidents and
Feedback from Fun at
students workplace

2hrs  Emotions and Lecture method Cathy Pacific Managing Oneself

Moods and Smile Strike
Application At Case method
Work Place Crying at work
Gains
Acceptance
2hrs  Emotional Interactive Psychometric EQ And
Intelligence Lecture Method tests Leadership-
Father P. Joseph
2hrs  Employee Interactive The Ten C’s of HBR: Keeping
Engagement Lecture Method Employee Employees
Engagement Engaged
2 hrs  Power and Interactive Strike in Space Power is a great
Politics Lecture Method Motivator
 Impression and Case The Politics of

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 Management Method Back Stabbing

Module III : The Group Behaviour (9hrs)

Groups have properties of their own that are different from the Properties of the individuals who
makeup the group. This is similar to the physical situation in which a molecule of salt (Sodium
Chloride) has different properties from the sodium and chlorine elements that form a “group” to
make it. The special propertioes of groups are illustrates by a simple lesson in mathematics.
Suppose we say “one plus one equals three”, in the worlds of mathematics that is a logical error,
and rather elementary one at that. But in the world of group dynamics it is entirely rational to say
“one plus one equals three”. In a group there is no such thing as only two people, for no two
people can be understood without examining their relationship, and that relationship is the third
element in the equation.

Hours Topic Teaching Case / Readings

of Instruments Exercise
Class
3hrs  Foundations of Interactive The Dangers Organizational
Group Behaviour Lecture method of Group Behaviour -
 Stages of Group Group Think Stephen Robbins
Development Discussion: “
 Group Decision Group think for
Making an ENRON
 Group Behaviour: Jury”
An Asian
Perspective
3hrs  Interpersonal Interactive Interpersonal Six habits of
Orientation Lecture orientation merely effective
 Interpersonal Method and inventory to Negotiators
Effectiveness and Exercises be filled
performance before
management coming to
 Interpersonal class
Negotiation
3hrs  Communication Interactive Am I a Organizational
Process Lecture and gossip? Behaviour- Mc
 Direction of Exercise Shane
Communication

 Interpersonal
Communication How good are

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  Organizational my Listening
Communication Skills

Module IV: Organizational System and Dynamics (18hrs)

Organizational behaviour is a mismnomer. IT is not the study of how organizations behave, but
rather the study of individual behaviour in an organizational setting. This includes the study of
how individuals behave alone, as well as how individuals behave in groups. The purpose of
organizational behaviour is to gain in greater understanding of those factors that influence
individual and group dynamics in an organizational asetting so that individuals and the groups
and organizations to which they belong may become more efficient and effective. The filed also
includes the analysis of organizational factors that may have an influence upon individual and
group behavior. Much of organizational behavior research is ultimately aimed at providing
human resource management professionals with the information and tools they need to select,
train and retain employees in a fashion that yields maximum benefit for the individual employees
as well as for the organization.

Hours Topic Teaching Case / Exercise Readings

of Instruments
Class
3hrs  Foundations of Interactive Structural Cases from India
Organizational Lecture Method Considerations
Structure and Case method in
 Organizational Multinationals
Designs
 Organizational
Designs and
Employee
Behaviour
3hrs  Organizational Interactive NA Organizational
Learning Lecture Method Learning- Chris
Argyris
2hrs  Organizational Interactive NA The past, present
Development Lecture Method and future of
 Innovations In organization
OD Techniques development:
Taking the long
view
4hrs  Basic Interactive Development Why Should
lecture method, Of Leadership Anyone be led by
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 Approaches to Case method and Pipeline in 5 top you?
Leadership exercises Indian
 Theoretical Companies- The Hidden Traps
Foundation HBR in Decision
 Decision What is my Making
Making LPC Score?
3hrs  Organizational Interactive Change Cisco Managing people
Change lecture method, in Mergers and
 Managing OC Case method and How well do Acquisitions
 OC in Indian exercises you respond to
Business change?
Exercise
3hrs  Organizational Interactive Mergers Don’t Workplace
Culture and lecture Method always lead to spirituality and
climate and case method culture clashes organizational
 Sustaining Performance
culture
 How employees
learn Culture
 Spirituality at
work place
 Organizational
Climate

Module V: The Contemporary Areas: (10 Hrs)

This module focuses on the Past, Present and possible future of Positive psychology Movement,
Relates to the diffenr areas of research in POP ie POB and POS. The introduction of this module
aims to make the readers realize the significance of POB as an important catalyst for repairing
the worst and building positive qualities.

Hours Topic Teaching Case / Readings

of Class Instruments Exercise
2hrs  Positive Interactive NA The need for
Organizational Lecture and the
Behaviour Method meaning
of POB
2hrs  Managing Interactive Exercise on The
Technological Lecture designing the Management
Innovations Method and organizational of
Group Exercise structure Technological
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 involving Innovations-
humanoids Mark
and humans Dodgson,
David Gann
and Ammon
Salter
2hrs Work Life Balance Interactive NA Work Family
Lecture Conflict-
Method Joseph and
Adam
2hrs Stress Management Interactive NA Your Innate
Lecture Asset of
Method Combating
Stress
2hrs Conflict Management Interactive NA Conflict in
Lecture Work Groups-
Method Karen.A.Jehn

Plagiarism

There is ZERO tolerance for academic dishonesty and plagiarism in this classroom. Students are
expected to do all of their own work and cite all references / sources used for assignments. Any
student caught cheating or passing off someone else’s work as their own will receive a zero for
the assignment.

Procedural Matters
This course will observe the following procedural guidelines:

1. This is a course in which,a as indicated earlier, an important part of the learning takes
place in class and where each class builds upon previously discussed materials. Because
of this, attendance in class is very important. Please schedule other activities ( for
example, projects, presentations preparations) at times other than my class. If , for some
unavoidable reason, you have to miss a class during the semester, I expect you to let me
know in advance of that class.
2. I will be prepared for each class and expect you to do the same. Since I will call on
individuals whose hands are not raised, you should let me know before the start of class if
some emergency has made it impossible for you to be adequately prepared for that class.

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3. We will be happy to discuss the course, your progress, your contributions in the class, or
any other matters of interest to you, on an individual basis. Please come by during office
hours or email me to make an appointment.
4. For purposes of general case preparation, group work is encouraged. I expect you to work
in study groups. Although it is unlikely, if you have actually had one of these cases
previously, you are certainly free to use your own prior notes on that material

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