Global BBA

Organizational Behaviour

Nikos Bozionelos
e-mail: bozionelos@em-lyon.com
 Who I am
• Name: Nikos Bozionelos
• Nationality: Greek/British
• Studies
• Mathematics/Theoretical Physics
• Psychology
• Management

• Previous positions (some):

• Professor at Strathclyde & Durham (UK)
• Visiting positions at Carnegie Mellon (USA) & Renmin (PR China)
• Served in the armed forces

• Current (pre)occupations : joined as Professor in EMLyon in October

2016 (office: 213c, email: bozionelos@em-lyon.com)

• Human Resource Management

• Organizational Behaviour
• Research Methodology
• International Management/HRM
 Global BBA

Organizational Behaviour

Nikos Bozionelos
EMLyon Business School

Session 1: Introduction to the Course

3
Organizational Behaviour - Overview

Course Overview

Assessment

What Organisational Behaviour is

 Topics to Cover in this Course

1. Approaches to Organizational Behaviour

2. Individual differences in the workplace,
and their relationship with work outcomes
3. The motivation to work
4. Emotions, Stress and Conflict in the
Workplace
 How to Maximise the Learning
Outcomes from the OB course
1. Lectures’ overheads and notes
2. Watch the relevant videos from
Brightspace
3. Actively work and participate in the in-
class case studies
4. Chapters from N. Bozionelos’ book
5. Other relevant available readings from the
reading list (you need to be selective)
 Assessment of the OB Module
Two modes of assessment

a 2,500 words group assignment – 40%

of the final mark
( report on a case study)
an online exam – 60% of the final mark
( essay-style answers)
Definition
[Organisational Behaviour] is the study of
individuals and groups in organizations
(Buelens et al., 2006; French et al., 2008)

[Organisational Behaviour] refers to the

understanding, prediction and
management of human behaviour in
organizations
(Luthans, 2010)
Organisational Behaviour
it is a discipline on its own, but draws
from a number of Social Sciences,
including Sociology, Anthropology,
Political Science, Economics and,
especially, Psychology
Organizational Behaviour does not consist
an everyday profession (unlike, for
example, accounting, marketing or
finance)
however, it cuts virtually across every
job category, profession and business
function…
Organisational Behaviour
closely related disciplines:
 Approaches to OB
PRE-SCIENTIFIC PERIOD (pre-1900)
Chinese & the Mesopotamians
• specialization of labour and hierarchy
Romans (2nd century BC – 3rd Century
AD
• Army: structures, communication and
Venetians
careers – (16th century AD)
• assembly line system, work breaks,
performance-
 Approaches to OB
PRE-SCIENTIFIC PERIOD (pre-1900)
the Arsenal at Venice:

shipyards with around 5,000 workers

 Approaches to OB
SCIENTIFC MANAGEMENT (1900-
1945)
“Taylorism” or “Fordism”
Key management idea: “Rationalization”
• skill minimization
• specialization
• standardization
• centralization
• efficiency
• unity of command
 Approaches to OB
SCIENTIFC MANAGEMENT (1900-
1945)

first moving assembly line in Ford’s factory

 Approaches to OB
HUMAN RELATIONS (1924 – 1960s)

triggered by the
Hawthorne Experiments
key principle:
social interactions at work
play additional role
beyond structures, formal
hierarchies and
prescriptions of tasks/roles
 Approaches to OB
HUMAN RELATIONS (1924 – 1960s)

key management idea:

effective management of work
behaviour requires paying attention at
the cognitive (e.g., interests, need to
learn) and social needs of people
(for example, the theory of Herzberg)
 Approaches to OB
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM (late 1960s)

triggered by Weick’ book (1969)

key idea:
what counts beyond facts (e.g.,
monetary rewards) is the perceptions
of individuals about facts, events and
others’ behaviour
Key management idea:
the importance of considering perceptions,
values, and attitudes in the work place
 Approaches to OB
CONTINGENCY APPROACH/VIEW

key idea:
human behaviour is very complex and
the result of an interplay between
individual qualities and the
environment - structural, social,
cultural and physical
Key management idea:
the conditions determine behavioural
outcomes and, hence, optimal techniques
 Approaches to OB

all approaches have value

hence, it is important to be aware of

all major principles and systems
 Approaches to OB
all approaches have value
for example, Scientific Management has
been severely criticized

however, some extremely successful

contemporary organizations heavily
utilize principles of Scientific
Management
 Approaches to OB
all approaches have value
however, some extremely successful
contemporary organizations heavily
utilize principles of Scientific
Management
 Tasks before the next session

• Watch the Videos

• Read the Book Chapter

END (for today!)