Chapter 1:

Welcome to the world of OB

Dr. Chen Ho
February 21, 2023
IBT@MCU
 Required Textbook

Essentials of
Organizational
Behavior
14th Edition
By Robbins & Judge

ISBN: 9781292221410
 After reading this chapter, you should
be able to know:
1. the definition of organizational behavior (OB).
2. the value of systematic study to OB.
3. the major behavioral science disciplines that
contribute to OB.
4. Why few absolutes apply to ob.
5. the challenges and opportunities managers
have in applying OB concepts.
6. the three levels of analysis in the OB model.
MCU OB 2018
 The Importance of Interpersonal Skills

 Good people skills are

important because …..
 Developing managers’ interpersonal
skills helps attract and keep high-
performing employees
 There is a strong association between
the quality of workplace relationships
and employee job satisfaction, stress,
and turnover
 “Good places to work” have superior
financial performance
 OB principles can foster social
responsibility awareness
The Field of
Organizational Behavior (OB)

 Organizational Behavior
studies the influence that
individuals, groups and
structure have on behavior
within organizations.

 Its chief goal is to apply that

knowledge toward improving
an organization’s effectiveness.
Focal Points of OB
 Complementing Intuition with
Systematic Study

Your “gut feeling”

Intuition explanation of behavior

•Examines relationships
Systematic
•Scientific evidence
Study
•Predicts behaviors

The two are complementary means of predicting behavior.

 Evidence-Based Management

 Bases decisions on the best available

scientific evidence.
 Forces managers to become more
scientific in their thinking.
 Big Data

Big data: the extensive use of

statistical compilation and analysis
 Identify persistent and predictive
statistics
 Create targeted marketing strategies

Using big data for managerial practices:

Define objectives, develop theories of causality, test the
theories to see which employee activities are relevant to the
objectives
 Contributing Disciplines to the OB Field

Micro:
The Individual

Macro:
Groups &
Organizations
 Few Absolutes in OB

 Impossible to make simple and accurate

generalizations because human beings are
complex and diverse
 OB concepts must reflect situational
conditions: contingency variables

Input “A” Condition “C” Behavior “B”

 Challenges and Opportunities for OB

1. Responding to continuing globalization

2. Understanding workplace demographics
3. Managing Workplace Diversity
4. Impact of social media
5. Employee well-being at work
6. Creating a positive work environment
7. Improving Ethical Behavior
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October 2019.
Responding to Globalization

 Increased foreign
assignments
 Working with people from
different cultures
 Adapting to differing cultural
and regulatory norms
Computer chip giant TSMC says it will more than triple its
investment in a giant US plant to $40bn (£33bn). It is one of the
largest foreign investments in American history. The announcement
came as President Joe Biden and the Taiwan-based firm's boss
opened the factory in Arizona on December 6, 2022.
Employment Options
 Managing Workforce Demographics

 Longevity
 Birth rates
 Socioeconomic conditions
 Other changes in the workplace
 Managing Workforce Diversity

Organizations are becoming a more

heterogeneous mix of people in terms of
gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual
orientation, ……etc.
 Impact of Social Media

 Use of social media by employees

 Using social media to learn about employees
 Impact of social media on employee well-being
 Enhancing Employee Well-Being at Work

The line between work and non-work has

blurred and managers are increasingly dealing
with conflicts that arise between work and life
away from work.
Creating a Positive Work Environment

• Positive organizational scholarship:

how organizations develop human
strengths, foster vitality and resilience,
and unlock potential
• Focus on what’s good about an
organization, not what’s bad
 Improving Ethical Behavior

 Managers facing ethical dilemmas or ethical

choices are required to identify right and
wrong conduct
• This can be difficult in a global economy where different
cultures approach decisions from different perspectives
 Companies promoting strong ethical missions:
• Encourage employees to behave with integrity
• Provide strong leadership that influence employee decisions to
behave ethically
 Developing an OB Model

 A model is an abstraction of reality – a simplified

version of some real-world phenomenon
 Three types of variables:

 Three levels of analysis

Three Types of Variables
Three Levels of OB Analysis

Chapters 15 - 17

Chapters 9 - 14

Chapters 2 - 8
Plan of the Book
 Implications for Managers

 Don’t rely on generalizations

 Use metrics and situational variables rather than “hunches” to
explain cause-and-effect relationships
 Increase leadership potential by improving interpersonal skills
 Improve technical and conceptual skills by staying current with
trends like big data
 Recognize the role of organizational behavior on employee work
quality and productivity
 Use organizational behavior to help design and implement change
programs, improve customer service, and address the work-life
balance conflict
QUESTIONS?
OB Group Project 1
 Instructions for Group Project 1

1.Each group selects one journal research paper to present as

scheduled.
2.Use the keywords provided, search in databases such like
EBSCO or ProQuest. Both are available through MCU library.
3.Make sure that your selection is approved by professor in the
beginning.
4.Each group has 10 minutes to present. Must include the
following elements: journal research title, author(s), key
constructs, research framework (as a diagram),
methodology, results/findings, reflection & evaluations.
For example…
Instructions for Group Project 1
Group Discussion
Next week (February 28)
National holiday, no class
Next time we meet (March 7)
Project 1 presentations begin
Keep brainstorming for Project 2 subjects.
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