Introduction to the Field of Organizational Behavior

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Google and OB

AP/Wide World Photos

Google has leveraged the power of organizational

behavior to attract talented employees who want to make a difference in the Internet world.
McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

What are Organizations?

AP/Wide World Photos

Groups of people who work interdependently toward some purpose Structured patterns of interaction Coordinated tasks Have common objectives (even if not fully McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008) agreed)

Why Study Organizational Behavior

Understand organizational events

Influence organizational events

Why study organizational behavior

Predict organizational events

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Trends: Globalization

Economic, social, and cultural connectivity (and interdependence) with people in other parts of the world Effects of globalization on organizations:

New organizational structures Different forms of communication More diverse workforce. More competition, mergers, work intensification and demands McShane S L andflexibility for work Von Glinow, M
A (2008)

Trends: Changing Workforce

Workforce has increasing diversity along several dimensions

Primary categories

gender, age, ethnicity, etc.

Secondary categories

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

some control over (e.g. education, marital status)

Trends: Changing Workforce

Current trends

Increased racial and ethnic diversity More women in workforce Generational diversity New age cohorts (e.g. Gen-X, Gen-Y) Leverage diversity advantage Adjust to theMcShane SworkforceM new L and Von Glinow,
A (2008)

Implications

Trends: Employment Relationships

Work-life balance Number one indicator of career success Priority for many young people looking for new jobs
Employability New deal employment relationship Continuously learn new skills Contingent work No explicit or implicit contract for long-term employment, or minimum hours of work can vary in a nonsystematic way
McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Trends: Virtual Work

Using information technology to perform ones job away from the traditional physical workplace.

Telecommuting (telework) working from home, usually internet connection to office Virtual teams operate across space, time, and organizational boundaries with members who communicate mainly through electronic technologies

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Values-based Leadership in Dubai The Department of Economic

Development (DED) in the Emirate of Dubai recently devoted several months to identifying the agencys core values: accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement. DED also organized a series of workshops (shown in photo) to help employees recognize valuesconsistent behaviors.

Department of Economic Development, Government of Dubai

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Trends: Values/Ethics Defined

Long-lasting beliefs about what is important in a variety of situations

Department of Economic Development, Government of Dubai

Define right versus wrong --guide our decisions

Ethics

Study of moral principles or values that determine whether actions are right or wrong and outcomes are good or bad

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Trends: Why Values are Important

1.

Need to guide employee decisions and actions

Globalization increases awareness of different values Increasing emphasis on applying ethical values

2.

3.

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility

Organization's moral obligation toward its stakeholders Shareholders, customers, suppliers, governments etc. Economic, social & environmental
McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Stakeholders

Triple bottom line philosophy

Organizational Behavior Anchors

Multidisciplinary Anchor
Systematic Research Anchor

Open Systems Anchor

Organizational Behavior Anchors

Multiple Levels of Analysis Anchor

Contingency Anchor

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Organizational Behavior Anchors

Multidisciplinary anchor

Many OB concepts adopted from other disciplines OB develops its own models and theories, but also needs to scan other fields for ideas OB researchers rely on scientific method OB also adopting grounded theory and similar qualitative approaches to knowledge
McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Systematic research anchor

Organizational Behavior Anchors (cont)

Contingency anchor

A particular action may have different consequences in different situations Need to diagnose the situation and select best strategy under those conditions

Multiple levels of analysis anchor

OB issues can be studied from individual, team, and/or organizational level Topics usually relate to all three levels
McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Open Systems Anchor

Need to monitor and adapt to environment

External environment -- natural and social conditions outside the organization

Receive inputs from environment; transform them into outputs back to the environment Stakeholders anyone with a vested interest in the organization Organizations consist of interdependent parts (subsystems) that need to coordinate
McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Open Systems Anchor

Environment
Feedback Feedback

Feedback

Feedback

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Knowledge Management Defined

Any structured activity that improves an organizations capacity to acquire, share, and use knowledge for its survival and success
McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Intellectual Capital
Knowledge that people possess Human Capital and generate

Structural Capital

Knowledge captured in systems and structures

Relationship Capital

Value derived from satisfied customers, reliable suppliers, etc.

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Knowledge Management Processes

Knowledge acquisition
Hiring talent Acquiring firms Individual learning Experimentation

Knowledge sharing
Communication Communities of practice

Knowledge use
Awareness Freedom to apply

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)

Organizational Memory

The storage and preservation of intellectual capital

Retain intellectual capital by:

Keeping knowledgeable employees Transferring knowledge to others Transferring human capital to structural capital

Successful companies also unlearn

McShane S L and Von Glinow, M A (2008)