MOB 601ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

PERSONALISED LEARNING GUIDE (PLG)

Lecturer name and contacts: Dr L J Fredericks 012-2671719, leo.fredericks@aeu.edu.my

RATIONALE
To understand the substance and relevance of Organizational Behaviour to managers

LEARNING OUTCOMES
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
1. Have a broad understanding of the scope of Organizational Behaviour (OB).
2. Understand the main aspects of OB from the perspectives of the individual,
groups and the organization itself.
3. Appreciate the relevance and utility of the major aspects of OB to managers.

SYNOPSIS
This module is structured to introduce the field of OB and its relevance to managers,
analyse the major dimensions of OB including the behaviour of the individual in the
organization, the role of groups and teams, and aspects impinging upon the behaviour of
the organization involving culture, structure and change.

MAIN REFERENCE

Stephen P. Robbins and T. A. Judge (2008). Essentials of Organizational Behaviour,

(9th Edition), Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J. (AeU Library HD 58.7
R664 2008)

e-book: J. R. Schermerhorn Jr., J. G. Hunt and R. N. Osborn (2002). Organizational

Behaviour, (7th Edition), John Wiley and Sons, Inc. AeU Library

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TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION TO OB

Topics

Learning Outcomes

a. Studying OB as a system
b. Interdisciplinary study of OB
c. Role of individuals, groups
and the organization
d. Why OB is important to
managers

a. Have a broad
understanding of the
field of OB.
b. Recognize why a
systematic approach is
needed to study OB.
c. Recognize what
disciplines have
influencedOBt.
d. Identify OBs three
major dimensions.
e. Understand OBs
importance to
managers.

Suggested Learning
Activities
a. Read Chapter 1
Robbins and Judge
and review Ch. 1
PPTs.
b. E-book Assessment
#2 A 21st Century
Manager.
c. Exercise: Think
through what major
aspects of the OB
of your company
affect your work
and that of a
group/team that
you belong to.
d. Video:
Organizational
behaviour.

TOPIC 2 FOUNDATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR

Topics

a. The foundations of individual

behaviour are a persons
ability, attitude and learning
ability.
b. Ability is linked to an
individuals capability in
undertaking the activities or
tasks involved in a job.
c. Attitudes are evaluative
statements about something
and consist of the cognitive,
affective and behavioural
components. Attitudes and
behaviour can change.
d. Attitudes influence jobs and
appear as job satisfaction,
involvement and
organizational commitment.
All these dimensions must be
considered by managers in

Learning Outcomes

Suggested Learning
Activities

a. Recognise the three

foundations of
individual behaviour:
ability, attitude and
learning.
b. Derive a basic
understanding of
ability, attitude and
learning and their
links to individual
performance.
c. Distinguish between
job satisfaction and
job attitudes

a. Read Ch. 3 and

review Ch. 3 PPTs.
b. E-book Assessment
1 Managerial
assumptions.

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evaluating workers.
e. The learning ability of a person
relates to his/her behavioural
change resulting from
experience
TOPIC 3 PERSONALITY, VALUES AND PERCEPTION

Topics

Learning Outcomes

a. An individuals personality is
reflected in the totality of
his/her actions and reactions
to others and situations.
Personality
types/traits/characteristics
can be evaluated using
different tests such as the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI) and the Big Five
Model.
b. Personality attributes that
affect OB include selfevaluation, Machiavellianism,
narcissism, self-monitoring,
risk taking and Type A/Type B
personalities.
c. Values are ones fundamental
beliefs, convictions and
principles guiding behaviour.
Values can be instrumental
or terminal in nature and can
change over time.
d. Hofstedes Framework and
the GLOBE Framework are
widely applicable in studying
cross-cultural values.
e. Of practical use to managers
is linking personality traits to
a job.
f. Perception is the process of
understanding or making
sense of the environment and
is affected by situational and
individual factors and
object/target dimensions.
g. Perception affects an
individuals decision making
which can vary from the
rational decision making
model

a. Explain the determinants

of an individuals
personality.
b. Understand some models
of personality and how
they influence work
behaviour.
c. Distinguish between
terminal and instrumental
values and their links to
work behaviour.
d. Explain perception and its
determinants in
individuals.
e. Identify the links between
perception and decision
making.
f. Relate how decisions are
made in organizations

Suggested Learning
Activities
a. Review Chs. 5
and 6 and the
PPTs.
b. E-book
Assessment 21
Your personality
type;
Assessment 5
Personal values

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TOPIC 4 MOTIVATION

Topics

Learning Outcomes

a. Motivation refers to a persons

intensity, direction and
persistence of effort toward
attaining a goal. It is a
powerful mechanism for
altering a persons behaviour
and performance.
b. Given the heterogenous
nature of the workforce,
different individuals will be
motivated by diverse factors.
Thus, there are a variety of
motivation theories including
Maslows needs hierarchy,
Theory X and Theory Y, 2
Factor Theory, Theory of
Needs, Cognitive Evaluation
Theory, Goal Setting Theory,
MBO, Self Efficacy Theory,
Equity Theory, and
Expectancy Theory.
c. The application of motivation
theory is linked to the Job
Characteristics Model,
Alternative Work
Arrangements, Employee
Involvement, and Rewarding
Employees

a. Define the concept and

process of motivation.
b. Compare and contrast
the various models of
motivation.
c. Explain how these
motivational models can
be applied in
organizations to enhance
individual or group work
performance

Suggested Learning
Activities
a. Review Chs. 7 and 8
and PPTs.
b. E-book Assessment
7 Two-Factor profile;
Assessment 8 Are
you a
cosmopolitan?
c. Video: Motivating
employees and
teams.

TOPIC 5 FOUNDATIONS OF GROUP/TEAM BEHAVIOUR

:
:
Topics
a. Organizations comprise
persons who work in groups or
teams.
b. Groups are characterised by
the roles members play, their
norms and values, status, size
and degree of cohesion which
influence their performance

Learning Outcomes
a. Describe the different
forms that groups can
take in organizations.
b. Explain the diverse
attributes of groups
roles, norms, status, size,
cohesiveness.
c. Understand the process

Suggested Learning
Activities
a. Review Chs. 9 and
10 and PPTs.
b. E-book Exercise 11
Teamwork and
motivation; Exercise
19 Work team
dynamics, Exercise
20 Identifying group

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and effectiveness.
c. Group decision making is an
important process in
organizations and can lead to
positive/negative
consequences.
d. Teams are different from groups
and comprise different types.
e. The effectiveness of teams is
dependent on the dynamics of
context, composition, work
design and process.
f. Teams to be effective must be
developed.

of group decision
making.
d. Understand different
types of work teams
compared to groups.
e. Specify how teams can
be made effective.

norms.
c. Assessment 9 Group
effectiveness.
d. Video: Power of
teamwork

TOPIC 6 COMMUNICATION
Topics

Learning Outcomes

a. Communication is a process
involving sender, receiver and
the channel of communication.
b. Communication can be directed
downwards, upwards or
laterally with different
organizational implications.
c. Communication can exist in
many forms: verbal, nonverbal, oral, written, computeraided, formal or informal.
d. Communication must be
managed in organization as
barriers exist.
e. Currently, the significant
communication issues include
communication between
genders, politically correct
communication, cross-cultural
communication, cultural
barriers, and cultural contexts.

a. Understand the nature

of the process of
communication.
b. Appreciate the formal
and informal methods
of communication.
c. Explain how
communication can be
made effective.
d. Appreciate the current
issues in organizational
communication.

Suggested Learning
Activities
a. Review Ch. 11 and
PPTs.
b. Video: The 5 great
skills of speaking
c. Video: Effective
communication
skills and tips
training
d. Video: Effective
communication
skills are vital

TOPIC 7 LEADERSHIP
Learning Outcomes

Suggested Learning
Activities

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a. There are significant

differences between leadership
and management.
b. Personal leadership forms the
basis of organizational
leadership.
c. The concept of leadership is
amplified in different clusters of
theories: Trait Theories,
Behavioural Theories,
Contingency Theories,
Inspirational Leadership
Theories.
d. How can leaders be identified
or effective leaders be trained
in organizations?

a. Compare and
contrast leadership
and management.
b. Understand personal
and organizational
leadership.
c. Appreciate the
variety of models to
explain the concept
of leadership.
d. Can leadership be
developed?

a. Review Ch. 12 and

PPTs.
b. E-book Exercise 26
Interview a leader;
Exercise 27
Leadership skills
inventory; Exercise
28 Leadership and
participation in
decision-making.
c. E-book Assessment
13 Leadership style;
Assessment 15
Empowering others;
Assessment 16
Machiavellianism;
Assessment 17
Personal power
profile
d. Video: imagine
leadership.

TOPIC 8 POWER AND POLITICS

Topics
a. The nature of power in
organizations.
b. Bases of power of an
individual.
c. Power strategies and
tactics to
influence/coerce.
d. Costs/benefits of
organizational power
and politics.

Learning objectives
a. Understand the nature
of power.
b. Explain the bases of
power.
c. Appreciate the
strategies of using
power and influence.
d. Identify and appreciate
the nature of
organizational politics
and its benefits/costs.

Suggested Learning
Activities
a. Review Ch. 13 and PPTs.
b. Video: How to survive
office politics and
conflicts
c. Video: Jeffrey Pfeffer:
Stanford University
Business School
Professor

TOPIC 9 ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Topics

Learning objectives

a. What is organizational
culture?
b. Creating and
maintaining
organizational culture.
c. Strong and weak

a. Understand the
concept, nature and
functions of
organizational culture.
b. List the methods by
which organizational

Suggested Learning
Activities
a. Read Ch. 16 and review
PPTs.
b. E-book Assessment 11
Which culture fits you?
c. Video: Organizational
culture

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organizational cultures.
d. Changing
organizational culture.

culture can be
developed and
maintained.
c. Compare and contrast
strong and weak
cultures.
d. Can organizational
culture be changed?

TOPIC 10 FOUNDATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Topics

a. The structure of
organizations.
b. Different
organizational
structures.
c. Evolving
organizational
structures.

Learning Objectives

Suggested Learning
Activities

a. Identify the attributes

of the structure of
organizations.
b. Compare and contrast
the various structural
forms that
organizations adopt and
why they do so.
c. Understand the
rationale for the
appearance of new
organizational
structures.

a. Review Ch. 15 and PPTs.

b. E-book Assessment 10
Organization design
preference

TOPIC 11 ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT

Topics

Learning Objectives

a. Organizational change
is an imperative as
business environments
are not stable. Many
forces for change exist
and must be
considered.
b. Lewins model of
organizational change .
c. The many barriers to
change opposing the
forces that facilitate
change.
d. Leading and managing
organizational change

a. Understand the concept

of change and the forces
that initiate change.
b. Summarize Lewins
basic model of
organizational change.
c. Explain the factors that
promote and constrain
change.
d. Appreciate the
complexity of the
challenge of
organizational change
and development.

Suggested Learning
Activities
a. Review Ch. 18 and PPTs.
b. E-book Exercise 24 Fast
food technology.
c. Exercise 38 Force field
analysis

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is a complex and
challenging process
that must be led by
change strategists and
change managers and
involve the whole
organization.

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