Unit Title: Organisational Behaviour

Unit Reference Number: H/502/4794

Guided Learning Hours: 160
Level: Level 5
Number of Credits: 18

Unit objective and aim(s):
This unit aims to give learners a comprehensive understanding of:
the importance of organisational behaviour
the individuals contribution to the organisation
motivation theories and job design
job satisfaction and dissatisfaction
groups in organisations
leadership theories
conflict and conflict resolution
communication processes

Learning Outcome 1
The learner will: Understand the importance of organisational behaviour in successfully
managing a dynamic environment.


Assessment Criteria
The learner can:


Indicative Content


1.1 Compare the primary
roles, functions and
activities of different
management levels
including their interface
with organisational
behaviour.


1.1.1 Identify the primary roles, functions and activities of
different management levels. Apply this to top, middle and first
line management and consider the skills needed for each.

1.1.2 Discuss the concept of organisational behaviour and its
interface with management. Review the various influences on
behaviour in organisations and the interface with management
in integrating and balancing these.


1.2 Explore the concepts
of organisation and
behaviour and explain the
characteristics of
organisational culture.


1.2.1 Define organisation and behaviour. Define an
organisations goals and characteristics. Define behaviour in
terms of people, the processes of management, the
organisational context, organisational processes and
environmental interactions.

1.2.2 Explain the characteristics of organisational culture and
identify four main types. Consider the meaning, origins and
characteristics of culture. Discuss, with examples, the nature
of organisational culture. Explain the four cultural types
(Handy) together with rational and excellence models (Peters
and Waterman). Explain the link between organisational
culture and organisational climate. Specify the characteristics
of a healthy/unhealthy climate. Discuss the importance of
culture in successful organisations.

1.2.3 Develop an awareness and understanding of the various
ways in which behaviour is influenced in organisations.
Examine the syllabus approach to Organisational Behaviour
including an overview of individual, interpersonal, group and
organisational processes and the integrating role of



management. Students (either singly or in groups) should
consider and report on the psychological contract at work in
terms of their expectations of the organisation and the
organisations expectations and requirements of them.






Learning Outcome 2
The learner will: Understand the individuals contribution to organisational behaviour and
performance by recognising the importance of personality, perception,
attitudes and learning.


Assessment Criteria
The learner can:
Indicative Content


2.1 Identify individual
contribution and assess
alternative approaches to
personality and its
measurement.


2.1.1 Identify the individuals contribution to the organisation
and the factors affecting behaviour. Underline the need for
balance between the potentially conflicting advantages of
individuality and the need for co-operation and conformity with
organisational objectives. Identify the source of individual
differences and its significance for management, motivation and
change.

2.1.2 Compare and contrast the various approaches to
personality. Encourage students to identify the criteria that
differentiate personality, e.g. gender/traits/abilities/physique/
motivation/attitudes/development. Explore the dynamics and
interaction of these factors and the influence of early social,
cultural, educational and family experiences as well as more
educational ones and recent work. Consider and contrast the
major psychoanalytical and traits approaches to personality and
summarise how they apply to organisational behaviour e.g. the
defence mechanisms of Freud.

2.1.3 Recognise the major difficulties in studying personality.
Look at the inability to observe directly and weaknesses of
assessment.

2.1.4 Examine the various measures of personality. Look at
Jung, Cattell, Steers and Eysenck as well as self measurement.


2.2 Explain the process of
perception and any
distortions that may arise.


2.2.1 Explain the process and principles of perception and the
problems and distortions that may arise. Explore the process of
perception and its key principles. Students should look at
examples of the factors that affect our perception and apply
them to interpersonal perceptions in the work situation.
Consider the importance of attribution of characteristics and
how individuals judge behaviour and intentions. Underline the
importance of communication (the importance of verbal and non
verbal signals). Recognise the main sources in perceptual
distortion. These would include: selectivity; stereotyping; the
halo effect; labelling, and perceptual defence. Look at internal



and external locus of control.


2.3 Examine the concept
of attitudes and the
problems of attitude
change including solutions
like the learning process
and its key theories.


2.3.1 Examine the significance of attitudes, their formation,
functions and measurement. Distinguish the meaning of
attitudes and their functions for individuals. Students, either
singly or in small groups, should explore their own attitudes as
distinct from values or beliefs. They might classify them using
Katzs knowledge, expressive, instrumental and ego-defensive
functions. Groups should consider the implication of shared
attitudes at work. Consider the role and effectiveness of attitude
surveys.

2.3.2 Explain the principles and problems associated with
attitude change and recognise the impact of behavioural issues
on attitudes. Identify the process involved in attitude change
and the key variables that apply. Consider the characteristics of
the change agent, presentation and implementation factors,
audience characteristics, group influences and perceptions of
likely outcomes. Recognise the link between attitudes and
learning as well as perception.

2.3.3 Identify the internal and external factors relevant to the
learning process. Compare classical and operant conditioning.
Appreciate the internal and external factors relevant to the
process of learning. Compare classical conditioning, operant
conditioning and behaviour modification.

2.3.4 Examine chain and cyclical theories of learning and
consider their effectiveness. Examine the chain of learning
(Gagne), the learning cycle (Kolb) and consider their
effectiveness. Apply these learning concepts and recognise the
importance of a learning culture. Recognise that learning might
be cross referenced with the communication process.




Learning Outcome 3
The learner will: Understand motivation, the various content and process theories and their
implications for management, and job re-design approaches to improve
motivation.


Assessment Criteria
The learner can:


Indicative Content


3.1 Compare and contrast
need theories, behavioural
models and process
approaches.


3.1.1 Define motivation and examine early developments. Use
experience at work/in class to develop a simplified model
including needs/expectations, driving force/behaviour,
achievement of desired goals and resulting fulfilment, and
feedback loop. Examine what early theorists had to say (or did
not say) about motivation.

3.1.2 Analyse individual behaviour through need theories
(Maslow, McClelland, Alderfer), motivation and hygiene
(Herzberg) and other behavioural models (McGregor, Schein).



Identify needs and expectations in intrinsic/extrinsic/social
terms. Classify and critically examine the main content
theories and their explanation of what motivates workers.

3.1.3 Compare and contrast content with process theories,
including expectancy, equity and goal setting approaches.
Examine the main process theories of motivation and their
explanation of the actual process of motivation. Give particular
attention to: expectancy models of Vroom, Porter and Lawler;
equity theory of Adams; goal theory of Latham and Locke.
Encourage students to represent these processes
schematically.


3.2 Examine the problems
of motivation and the
implications for
management of the
different theories.


3.2.1 Discuss the implications for management of different
theories (including job design). Consider the implications of
motivation theory for leadership and managing people
effectively. Relate motivation to different levels of the
managerial hierarchy and how the theories might be applied in
practice.

3.2.2 Analyse the problems of motivation and the links to job
satisfaction, morale and effectiveness. Provide examples of
effective and ineffective motivation and consider the reasons
for the outcome. Recognise and explore overlaps with other
parts of the syllabus.


3.3 Explain the main
approaches and recent
developments in improving
job design.


3.3.1 Examine the main approaches to improve job design
and the principles involved. Define the term job design and
underline its importance to job satisfaction and performance.
Distinguish between the basic methods of job rotation, job
enlargement and job enrichment. Develop a model of job
enrichment using core job dimensions to produce critical
psychological states and desired outcomes. Assess the
effectiveness of job content approaches.

3.3.2 Consider recent developments in the re-designing of the
working environment. Students, either singly or in groups,
should widen their perception of job design to employee
participation/involvement, flexible working arrangements; self
managed groups; multi-skilling, tele-working, quality circles
and empowerment, and comment on these. Other valuable
tasks would involve specifying the characteristics of a
satisfying job and the organisational context in which such
jobs should be developed e.g. personnel and payment
policies. Assess the nature/importance of a quality working life
and practical ways forward in securing a satisfied and high
performing worker.




Learning Outcome 4
The learner will: Understand about job satisfaction and its relationship to job performance
together with stress, frustration reactions and the necessary management
action to overcome them.





Assessment Criteria
The learner can:
Indicative Content


4.1 Examine the concepts
of morale and job
satisfaction and their
relationship to
performance.


4.1.1 Explain the concept of morale: its nature, measurement,
consequences and the means of achieving it. Distinguish
between the concepts of motivation, morale and job
satisfaction. Use grids to compare low and high morale and
their impacts. Recognise overlap with esprit de corps and team
spirit. Examine the characteristics of a committed workforce and
the role of management in its creation.

4.1.2 Analyse the concept of job satisfaction and its relationship
to performance. Use motivation theories to explore this linkage.
Identify, classify, assess the diverse factors affecting job
satisfaction.

4.1.3 Review the characteristics of staff morale and employee
commitment. Consider the critical indicators that management
should monitor in assessing staff morale and commitment.
Consider what would make them feel committed to an
organisation and how this would affect their behaviour.
Examples might be drawn from business, the voluntary sector
and armed forces.


4.2 Explain the sources of
and reactions to frustration
and alienation at work.


4.2.1 Identify sources and reactions to frustration and alienation
at work. Distinguish constructive and negative frustration
reactions when achievement of desired goals is blocked and
give examples of displacement, aggression, regression, fixation,
withdrawal. Consider the impact of new technology and
possible alienation.


4.3 Analyse stress,
appreciate its links to
personality and recognise
how best to handle
stressful situations.


4.3.1 Identify the nature and causes of stress and understand
the links with personality. Consider the significance of stress
arising in the context of organisational change. Define the
meaning and sources of stress and its relationship to
personality. Identify the comfort zone. Recognise the positive
and negative consequences of stress and how to cope with it.
Examine the type of situations where stress might arise using
the analysis of Cooper and Handy.

4.3.2 Develop the role of the manager in handling stressful
situations. Discuss how management can tackle stress at the
personal and organisational level.

4.3.3 Recognise the problems of individuals in work roles, the
conflicts that might arise and the means available to realise
expectations and improve performance. Examine organisational
and personal goals and potential conflicts between them.
Identify problems arising at work, in particular alienation and
anomie. Discuss the importance of individual role relationships
within the organisation/group and identify the individuals role
set and associated expectations. Classify the role problems that
may arise, e.g. role incongruence/ overload etc. and the
potential for role conflict. Consider how resulting role stress may
be alleviated. Students should be encouraged to relate their



own experience of stress at work and at college to their studies.




Learning Outcome 5
The learner will: Understand the nature, skills, significance and effectiveness of groups in
organisations.


Assessment Criteria
The learner can:
Indicative Content

5.1 Distinguish formal and
informal groups and their
effects on behaviour.


5.1.1 Explain the nature of a group and distinguish formal and
informal types. Define the nature and organisational importance
of groups and their key characteristics. Reflect on the groups
individuals belong to, why they join and how the group
influences them. Students should be encouraged to consider
their own membership of groups both at work, at college and
socially. They should report back on their reactions to working
in a group, rules and norms that might apply in these situations
and the factors that make for cohesive and high or low
performing groups. Reference should be made to factors such
as membership, group awareness and perceptions, shared
values/sense of purpose, interaction and interdependence as
well as a capability for unified action.


5.2 Identify the key
characteristics and
functions of effective
workgroups and the
process of group
development.


5.2.1 Explain the process of group development and its impacts
on individual behaviour. Explain the patterns of formal and
informal groups within organisations and the reasons for their
formation. Recognise the stages in group development:
forming, storming, norming and performing.

5.2.2 Identify the key characteristics of effective and ineffective
workgroups (e.g. norms, cohesion, conformity, synergy and
deviance). Refer back to Mayo and the Hawthorne studies
regarding the importance of group norms and values. Consider
the acquisition of norms and their role and purpose.
Systematically analyse the factors leading to group
cohesiveness and performance. Explain each element and
consider the process of group development.

5.2.3 Identify the task and maintenance functions that effective
workgroups fulfil. Produce a star chart and discuss the factors
influencing group behaviour. Identify the general functions that
groups perform for both the formal organisation and the
individual within the group. Distinguish between Scheins task
and maintenance functions performed by the group in the
building and performance of effective teams.


5.3 Examine the roles or
skills associated with
effective teams and
explore the nature of team
spirit.

5.3.1 Use the work of Belbin to examine the roles/skills
essential for effective team performance. Use the Belbin
typology to consider the membership of effective teams and the
key roles and skills to include. Recognise the characteristics
and contribution of each of the nine roles. Consider whether



groups produce better decisions and summarise the factors that
determine effective groups.

5.3.2 Discuss the nature of team spirit and the characteristics
associated with effective and ineffective teams. Investigate the
nature of team spirit in organisations by using the analogy of a
sports team. Relate team spirit to the concept of morale
considered in Learning Outcome 4. Summarise the
characteristics of effective and ineffective groups.




Learning Outcome 6
The learner will: Understand leadership theories and examine the key variables that
determine the effectiveness of leadership in practice.


Assessment Criteria
The learner can:
Indicative Content

6.1 Distinguish leadership
from management and the
exercise of power as
distinct from authority.


6.1.1 Define leadership and compare and contrast the idea of
leadership with that of management. Identify the role of
leadership, making clear the similarities and differences with
management. Utilise the hard and soft Ss in Watsons
organisational framework to assist this distinction.

6.1.2 Explain the nature of leadership and the exercise of power
and authority. Outline the sources of both power and authority
in the leader-subordinate relationship and the nature of this
relationship. Produce examples of power/authority in action.


6.2 Compare and contrast
leadership theories based
on traits, styles and
situation.


6.2.1 Compare and contrast leadership theories based on traits
and styles. Establish a framework for analysing leadership and
consider the nature, strengths and weaknesses of the various
approaches: traits; functional; behavioural; style; contingency.
The continuum of leadership behaviour should be explored in
some depth with consideration of the factors determining the
given leadership style.

6.2.2 Examine situational theories including contingency and
path-goal models. The situational approach should be
thoroughly treated considering: Fiedlers model of the
leadership situation; situational leadership (Hersey and
Blanchard); path-goal theory (House); normative leadership
model (Vroom).


6.3 Explain the variables
driving leadership
effectiveness.


6.3.1 Summarise the variables affecting leadership
effectiveness. Students, either singly or in groups should be
encouraged to distil the key functions of the leader and provide
examples of each from their own work or social experience.
They could report to the rest of the group on their analysis of
effective and ineffective leaders of whom they had experience.







Learning Outcome 7
The learner will: Understand the nature of conflict and various approaches to securing conflict
resolution.


Assessment Criteria
The learner can:
Indicative Content

7.1 Explain the nature and
causes of conflict between
individuals, groups and the
organisation.


7.1.1 Explain the nature and types of conflict between
individuals, groups and the organisation. Classify types of
conflict and its positive and negative outcomes.

7.1.2 Examine the causes of conflicts. Identify and explain the
primary sources or causes of conflict at the individual, group
and organisational levels.


7.2 Examine the role of
leaders/ managers in
managing conflict and
identify strategies or
techniques for its resolution.


7.2.1 Explain the role of the manager in the management of
conflict and its positive and negative implications. Focus on
the importance of managing conflict, avoiding its harmful
effects and channelling it in positive directions. Review the
conflict handling strategies (Thomas).

7.2.2 Identify different strategies for resolving conflict
including interpersonal techniques. Discuss alternative
strategies to deal with conflict, drawing on material
considered in previous lectures. Consider a variety of
strategies including some of the following: reconciling goals
and objectives; clear definition of roles; changing situational
factors; various procedures for conflict resolution e.g.
disciplinary procedures/appraisal/arbitration and mediation;
non-monetary rewards e.g. job design/flexible working/perks;
develop group and interpersonal skills through training;
leadership style e.g. participative and supportive; improve
group effectiveness and overall organisation; balance social
and technical systems.


7.3 Identify specific conflict
situations and compare
alternative procedural
arrangements for preventing
or reducing conflict.


7.3.1 Recognise specific conflict situations and compare and
contrast alternative procedural arrangements for reducing or
resolving conflicts. Conflict situations may be between
different workers (e.g. over role or lack of communication), or
workers and supervisors (e.g. conflicting goals), or workers
and the organisation itself (e.g. over pace of change).
Procedural arrangements include negotiation, third party
mediation/conciliation/arbitration, disputes procedures.




Learning Outcome 8
The learner will: Understand formal and informal communication processes and networks,
and examine the potential barriers to effective communication.





Assessment Criteria
The learner can:
Indicative Content

8.1 Examine the nature and
importance of formal and
informal communication and
communication processes in
organisations.


8.1.1 Examine the nature and scope of communication in
organisations. Recognise its characteristics and importance to
management. Explain the communication process and the
use of verbal communication and non-verbal behaviours.
Form a multi-perspective model of the process and discuss
each element and its significance.

8.1.2 Specify and evaluate the main forms of communication:
written (e.g. text, reports, figures, e-mail); oral (e.g. meetings,
team briefings); non-verbal (e.g. voice, physical distance,
body language).

8.1.3 Demonstrate understanding of formal and informal
communication within and between organisations and the
techniques to improve them. Consider the effectiveness of
various organisational channels/structures/networks for
communicating information. Evaluate how the manager can
best improve the effectiveness of communications. Outline
alternative informal communication networks (grapevine)
within groups and their impact on effectiveness.


8.2 Compare group networks
and recognise the
importance to management
of networking.


8.2.1 Compare alternative patterns of group communication
(networks) and consider the meaning and importance to
management of networking. The concept of networking
should be thoroughly explored in terms of its meaning and
importance. Students should be encouraged to consider who
should be included in such networks and why. Comparisons
might be made with their own networks of contacts.


8.3 Analyse barriers to
effective communication and
techniques to reduce them.


8.3.1 Analyse the various barriers to effective communication.
Identify organisational/semantic/perceptual barriers to
communication: imprecise objectives, poor organisation,
receptivity, relationships, perceptions, receiver assumptions,
distortion, noise, jargon, filtering etc. Students, either singly or
in groups, should be encouraged to look at communication
barriers in their own workplace and college. They should
develop strategies to improve the communication processes
and report back to the rest of the group.




Assessment:
Assessment method: written examination (unless otherwise stated).
Written examinations are of three hours duration.
All learning outcomes will be assessed.


Recommended Reading:
Organisational Behaviour ABE Study Manual.
Please refer to the Tuition Resources section of the Members Area of the ABE
website (www.abeuk.com) for further recommended reading.