Managing People and Organizations

Module 1 - Introduction to Organizational behavior (OB)

Lecture Sequence 2 - Challenges and Opportunities in OB

BITS Pilani
Pilani | Dubai | Goa | Hyderabad
Dr. Annapoorna Gopal
Learning Objectives

• After studying this lecture sequence, you should be able to:

– Identify the major behavioral science disciplines that contribute to OB.
– Demonstrate why few absolutes apply to OB.
– Identify the challenges and opportunities managers have in applying OB
concepts

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Contributing Disciplines

Many behavioral sciences have

contributed to the development
of Organizational Behavior
Psychology

Social
Psychology

Sociology Anthropology

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Few Absolutes in OB

Situational factors that make the main relationship between two

variables change—e.g., the relationship may hold for one condition
but not another.

Contingency Independent Dependent

Variable (Z) Variable (X) Variable (Y)

In American Boss Gives

Understood as
“Thumbs Up”
Culture Sign
Complimenting

In Iranian or Boss Gives Understood as

Australian “Thumbs Up” Insulting - “Up
Sign Yours!”
Cultures

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Review

1. Situations would turn chaotic without the use of ______________________

variables that moderate the relationship between the independent and
dependent variables.

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Challenges and Opportunities for OB

The major challenges and opportunities are:

• Responding to Economic Pressures
• Responding to Globalization
• Managing Workforce Diversity
Some other challenges and opportunities include:
• Improving Customer Service
• Improving People Skills
• Stimulating Innovation and Change
• Coping with “Temporariness”
• Working in Networked Organizations
• Helping Employees Balance Work-Life Conflicts
• Creating a Positive Work Environment
• Improving Ethical Behavior

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Summary and Managerial Implications

• Managers need to develop their interpersonal skills to be effective.

• OB focuses on how to improve factors that make organizations more
effective.
• The best predictions of behavior are made from a combination of systematic
study and intuition.
• Situational variables moderate cause-and-effect relationships, which is why
OB theories are contingent.
• There are many OB challenges and opportunities for managers today.

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Review

1. Organizational behaviour deals in making an organization more

a) Efficient
b) Effective
c) Both a and b

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Pause and Ponder

1. Which demographic forces will shape India’s labor force in this decade?
Why?

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Organizational Effectiveness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvB-NumufG0

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M1_L2 : Assessment Time

1. Many organizations look for ways to promote diversity through family-friendly policies. Look
for three companies who are incorporating family-friendly policies into their HRM strategy. On a
separate paper answer the following questions:
– Who are the companies? (Be sure to list their Web address, too.)
– What are their policies?
– How do these policies attract and keep people?
– Do these policies interest you? Why?
– How might they make their policies more attractive to workers?
– If they make the changes you suggest, what results would you expect? (Is there
evidence to back up your opinion? If it is just your opinion, say so, but later look for
studies that back up or refute your opinion today.)

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BITS Pilani, Deemed to be University under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956