Organizational Behavior MBA B600

1. Organizational BehaviorMBA B600 Class 1

2. Agenda Handouts Course outline Overview of the course Introductions Organizational Citizenship Behaviors Impression Management

3. What is Organizational Behavior? The study of how people think, feel, and act; together and in groups We will learn: Why do some people get promoted even though they are stupid or unproductive? How can you motivate someone to work harder? How can you make decisions that are fair to everyone? Why do employees lie, cheat, or steal? Can you tell if they are lying? How should you confront them? What makes a good negotiator? How can you get a better deal? What makes a good leader? What makes a fantastic leader?

4. Why is Organizational Behavior useful? If you know why people behave a certain way, then you can predict what they will do Implement your best ideas Understand office politics Have better working relationship with your colleagues Be a better leader and manager

5. How to find me… Contact info: Email: connell@mcmaster.ca Website:  http://elm.mcmaster.ca Office phone: 525-9140 x 23954 Office: DSB 418 Office hours: Wednesday 2:30 – 3:30 or by appointment Classes Tuesdays 2:30 DSB AB 103 Tuesdays 7:00 DSB B105 Thursdays 8:30 KTH B105 1 other section is taught by Dr. Medcof

6. Course Texts Available at the McMaster Bookstore: Stephen P. Robbins & Nancy Langton (2007). Organizational Behaviour: Concepts, Controversies, Applications. 4th Canadian edition, Pearson Prentice Hall: Toronto. Courseware If unavailable, buy a “rain check” from the customer service desk in the bookstore

7. Introduce yourself to the class… Name? Educational background? e.g., psychology, economics, engineering, kinesiology, fine arts, etc. Have you taken an OB or HR course before? Current or most recent job? Intended discipline (e.g., finance, accounting, etc.) and industry (e.g., health services, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, etc.)

8. One-Page Reports (5 x 2%) Work by yourself or with a friend Summarize five articles in your courseware Answer the following five questions: What is the article saying? What do I agree with? What do I disagree with? What else should the author(s) have included? What is my overall recommendation?

9. One-page Summaries Purpose: Become familiar with evidence-based management concepts Learn “cutting edge” ideas Get a different perspective than the textbook Sharpen your critical thinking and writing skills Have some “homework” that you can do throughout the course, that will help you to prepare for your final project

10. One-Page Summaries Do NOT: Worry too much about the statistics – this isn’t Q600! Worry if you don’t understand everything. Look for the big picture and write down any questions Feel you have to agree with the article – you can be as critical as you like IF you don’t like one of the articles (they are all very different) Wait and do another one (you only have to do 5) Find another article to summarize and submit instead (check with me first but I will probably say ok)

11. Project #1: 15% Work by yourself or with a partner. Watch a movie that dramatizes an organization or an individual’s work experience (e.g., Boiler Room, Monsters Inc., The Devil Wears Prada). Write an essay that identifies and defines three organizational behavior topics and explains how they apply (or do not apply) to the events depicted in the film.

12. Project#2: 25 + 5 + 5% I will assign you a group of 4 or so people. Read a popular-press management book and evaluate how the ideas it expresses compare to the concepts we have covered in class. Is the book congruent with established management research? Are there any questionable or unsupported claims? Is any advice potentially harmful? Would you recommend it? Presentations will take place the last two weeks of class (5%) Self-Assessment is due after your presentation (5%)

13. Final Exam: 35% December – date TBA all material covered in the course NO multiple choice We will do some practice questions together beforehand

14. Participation (5%) Demonstrate that you are engaged with the course material Always be professional Convince me that you are putting effort into your learning Check with me if you are worried about your participation grade

16. Questions?

17. Extra-Role Behaviors

18. Question When it comes to employees’ productivity, the only thing that really matters is whether or not they do what’s in their job descriptions. True? False? What do you think? Why?

19. Desirable Employee Behaviors Less absenteeism Lower turnover Less “counterproductive” behavior More “organizational citizenship” behavior

20. Individual Exercise Think back to your favorite job. Did you ever do something particularly helpful for your organization, that wasn’t really in your job description? What did you do? Why? Write down a short description of what it was (choose something you don’t mind sharing)

21. Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs) Discretionary behaviour that is not part of an employee’s formal job requirements (Robbins & Langton, 2007) Entirely up to the employee if they do it or not Must be intended to help the organization Must actually help the organization

22. Loyal Boosterism Promotion of the organizational image to outsiders (Moorman & Blakely, 1995) Defends the organization when other employees criticize it Defends the organization when outsiders criticize it Actively promotes the organization’s products and services to potential users

23. Interpersonal Helping Helping co-workers in their jobs when such help is needed (Moorman & Blakely, 1995) Goes out of his/her way to help co-workers with work-related problems Voluntarily helps new employees settle into the job Shows genuine concern and courtesy toward co-workers, even under the most trying business or personal situations

24. Personal Industry Performance of specific tasks above and beyond the call of duty (Moorman & Blakely, 1995) Rarely misses work even when he/she has a legitimate reason for doing so Performs his/her duties with unusually few errors Always meets or beats deadlines for completing work

25. Individual Initiative Communications to others in the workplace to improve individual and group performance (Moorman & Blakely, 1995) Encourages others to try new and more effective ways of doing their job For issues that may have serious consequences, expresses opinions honestly even when others may disagree Often motivates others to express their ideas and opinions

26. Questions?

27. Group Activity Form groups of 5 or 6 people Classify each person’s earlier paragraph as Individual initiative Personal industry Loyal boosterism Interpersonal helping Choose your best example; be prepared to report back to the class How did this help your organization? Why did you do this?How did this help your organization? Why did you do this?

28. Benefits of worker OCBs Firm performance Job descriptions can’t be exhaustive Cooperation vs. compliance Coordinate group actions Enhance workers’ productivity Enhance managers’ productivity Decrease turnover Alert organization to opportunities and threats

29. Impression Management “The process by which individuals attempt to control the impression others form of them” (Robbins & Langton, 2007, p. 300) Looking good instead of doing good 5 different dimensions Different than OCBs Not altruistic Not always positive Goal is to benefit the individual, not the organization

30. Ingratiation Individuals seek to be viewed as likable Theory of reciprocity “I do personal favors for other people in the organization to show them that I am friendly” Waxing your boss’s car, buying people presents “I compliment other workers so that they will see me as likeable” “Have you lost weight?, you’re a great golfer!” Advantages? Disadvantages?

31. Self-promotion Individuals seek to be viewed as competent “I let other workers know that I am a valuable member of the organization” “I am so great. I did this and this and this. You wouldn’t last five minutes without me… “ “I talk proudly about my past accomplishments that might help the organization to be successful” “I am really good at this. I went to Harvard. I won the Nobel prize in economics… I also have a Fields medal… I’m an Olympic triple jump champion… blah blah blah…” Advantages? Disadvantages?

32. Exemplification Individuals seek to be viewed as dedicated “I try to appear like I have been very busy working on my tasks” e.g., conveying urgency and importance “I let others know that I have been putting in a lot of effort into my work” e.g., bragging, pretending to be at work Advantages? Disadvantages?

33. Supplication Individuals seek to be viewed as in need of assistance “I pretend not to understand how to do some things in order to avoid having to work on undesirable tasks” E.g., note-taking, coffee-making “I act like I know less than I really do so that other workers will help me out.” Advantages? Disadvantages?

34. Intimidation Individuals seek to appear dangerous or threatening “I let other workers know that I am not willing to be pushed around or dictated to.” Can be related to body language, choice of language, tone, etc. “I speak strongly or forcefully to get other group members to agree to do things the way I think they should be done” Advantages? Disadvantages?

35. Outcomes of impression management Workers May be rewarded (goal attainment) May be punished (targets react with disdain) Managers Difficulty accurately measuring attitudes and behaviors of subordinates Interpersonal conflict between subordinates

36. Questions?

37. Summary Many desirable behaviors are not in an employee’s job description (e.g., absenteeism, turnover, OCBs, etc.) Organizational citizenship behaviors Discretionary individual actions that assist the organization in some way Impression management behaviors Individual actions that are intended to alter the way other people view them The best managers will find ways to encourage OCBs, and discourage impression management and other undesirable behaviors

38. Next Class First one-page report homework is due Article about the NHL players if you are doing it *** Remember to bring your nameplate AND your photo card***