Changes in the world of work and organisations increasingly indicate the growing importance of the human dimension in creating, employing and sustaining a firm’s competitive advantage. In the new organisations the manager’s role shifts from devising ways to control behaviour to that of understanding organisations so people’s potential contribution can be maximised.
Most experienced managers will acknowledge that it is not a deficit in rational planning which often scuppers plans, but the complexities of human behaviour intervening when attempting to put schemes into action. An effective manager is able to motivate people from different backgrounds and to act as a catalyst in creating and implementing change.
This course is designed to introduce you to selected topics in the field of organisational behaviour. We hope to do so in a way that provokes you to reflect on yourself and your experiences of working with others and on the important subject of managing people in organisations.
You will be asked to actively reflect on the group process and the models and theories using the QOIT process.
The OBIC programme is fundamentally about people and so most of the material we shall cover can assist in your personal and professional development, as well as having applications post MSc.
AIMS OF COURSE:
· To provide an introduction to the individual and the group in the organisation – how and why people differ and to introduce frameworks that aid interpersonal understanding, communication and relationships.
· To introduce the idea that different forms of learning are possible.
· To introduce the importance of feedback.
· To introduce the notion of personality and its application.
· To introduce the concept of psychological and cultural diversity in organisations.
· To consider the importance of relationships at work.
· To introduce the concept of group dynamics and effective teams, and allow you to experience and reflect on group processes.
· To enable an exploration of different leadership styles.
· To provide an introduction to power, politics and influence in organisations.
· To provide an opportunity to use the assessment process to reflect on the materials covered in the module.
This assignment should be supported by our MBTIs, BELBINs and learning styles of my team members and how we interacted during our work together.
BACKGROUND READING:
Belbin, R.M. (2010), Team Roles at Work (2nd Edition), Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.
Kwiatkowski, R. (2008), ‘Do we love team decisions too much?’, Springboard, p. 46.
Bayne, R. (1996), ‘Why Psychological Type?’, In: The Myers Briggs Type Indicator: A Critical Review and Practical Guide, Chapman & Hall, London, pp. 1-16.
Bayne, R. (2004) Psychological Types at Work: An MBTI ® Perspective, pp. 151-164, Thompson Learning: London.
Huczynski, A.A. and Buchanan, D.A. (2007), ‘Personality’ (Chapter 5), In: Organizational Behaviour (6th Ed.), Pearson Education Limited, Harlow, pp. 136-173.
Baddeley, S. and James, K (1987), ‘Owl, Fox, Donkey or Sheep: Political Skills for Managers’, Management Education and Development, 18(1), pp. 3-19.
Buchanan, D.A. (2008), ‘You Stab My Back, I’ll Stab Yours: Management Experience and Perceptions of Organization Political Behaviour’, British Journal of Management, 19(1), pp. 49-64.
Morgan, G. (1986) ‘Interests, Conflict, and Power: Organizations as Political Systems’. Images of Organization, Sage Publications: London, pp. 141-198
Gabriel, Y. (1999), ‘Work Groups’, Organizations in Depth, Sage Publications, London, pp.112-138.
You may wish to focus on the summary of Bion’s work (p. 119). (Please note that it is possible to observe patterns of behaviour occurring without necessarily having to ‘buy into’ a particular philosophical or psychological position or theory concerning their origin).
Argyris, C. (1999), ‘Tacit Knowledge and Management’, On Organizational Learning, Blackwell Publishers Limited, Oxford, pp. 54-66.
You may wish to focus on ‘Model 1’ (p. 57) organisational defensive routines (p. 58) and use a case based approach to illustrate the model (p. 61).
You may wish to look at Shapiro, D.L. (2006), ‘Teaching Students How to Use Emotions as They Negotiate’, Negotiation Journal, January, pp. 105-109. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1571-9979.2006.00088.x/abstract
For a short critique of the Fisher and Ury position from a practitioner perspective, you may wish to read: Kennedy, G. (1997), ‘Shake attack’, Supply Management, 2(25), pp. 32-34.
Balogun, J and Hope Hailey, V (1999), Exploring Strategic Change. Prentice Hall Europe.
Turnbull James, K. and Ladkin, D. (2008), ‘Meeting the Challenge of Leading in the 21st Century: Beyond the ‘Deficit Model’ of Leadership Development’. In Turnbull James, K. and J. Collins (Eds.), Leadership Learning: Knowledge into Action, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 13-35.