Unit 1: Individual behaviour foundations
Organizational Behaviour & Design notes · PTU syllabus (MBA 301-18)
On this page
- Unit summary
- Meaning of organisational behaviour
- Contributing disciplines
- Challenges and opportunities for OB
- Foundations of individual behaviour and learning theories
- Reinforcement schedules
- Behaviour modification (OB Mod)
- Emotions, moods and emotional intelligence
- Key terms
- Quick revision
- Important questions
Unit summary
Organisational behaviour explains why people act as they do at work so that managers can predict and influence behaviour. This unit covers the meaning and contributing disciplines of OB, its challenges and opportunities, foundations and determinants of individual behaviour, learning theories and reinforcement schedules, behaviour modification, and emotions, moods and emotional intelligence.
After this unit you can
- Explain the meaning, contributing disciplines, challenges and opportunities of OB
- Explain the foundations and determinants of individual behaviour
- Apply learning theories, reinforcement schedules and behaviour modification
- Explain emotions, moods and emotional intelligence at work
PTU syllabus topics
- Meaning and contributing disciplines of OB
- challenges and opportunities
- foundations and determinants of individual behaviour
- learning theories and reinforcement schedules
- behaviour modification
- emotions/moods and emotional intelligence
Continuous
After every correct behaviour
Fast learning, fast extinction
Fixed interval
After a set time
Monthly salary: effort dips after payday
Variable interval
After varying times
Surprise audits: steady effort
Fixed ratio
After a set number of responses
Piece-rate pay
Variable ratio
After a varying number
Sales commissions: highest, most persistent
Topic 1
Meaning of organisational behaviour
Organisational behaviour is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups and structure have on behaviour within organisations, in order to improve organisational effectiveness (Stephen Robbins). It works at three levels: individual, group and organisation system. Relevance: understanding and predicting behaviour, improving motivation and productivity, managing change and conflict, building effective teams and leaders, and reducing absenteeism and turnover.
Topic 2
Contributing disciplines
Psychology
Learning, perception, personality, motivation — individual level
Social psychology
Attitudes, group behaviour, change
Sociology
Groups, communication, formal organisations
Anthropology
Culture and values
Political science
Power, conflict, politics
Topic 3
Challenges and opportunities for OB
- Globalisation and managing people from different cultures.
- Workforce diversity in gender, age, ethnicity and ability.
- Improving quality and productivity and customer service.
- Technology and remote/hybrid work.
- Ethical behaviour and employee well-being.
- Managing change, innovation and the gig economy.
Topic 4
Foundations of individual behaviour and learning theories
Individual behaviour depends on biographical characteristics (age, gender, tenure), ability (intellectual and physical), personality, perception, attitudes, values and learning. Learning is a relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a result of experience.
Classical conditioning (Pavlov)
An association between a neutral stimulus and a response
Staff tense up when the boss's car arrives, after past criticism
Operant conditioning (Skinner)
Behaviour is shaped by its consequences: rewards and punishments
Sales bonus increases selling effort
Social learning (Bandura)
Learning by observing others (models)
A trainee copies a successful senior
Topic 5
Reinforcement schedules
Continuous
Every correct behaviour rewarded — fast learning, fast extinction
Fixed interval
Reward after a fixed time — monthly salary
Variable interval
Reward after varying time — surprise inspections, random bonuses
Fixed ratio
Reward after a fixed number of responses — piece-rate pay
Variable ratio
Reward after a varying number of responses — sales commission, lottery
- Partial (intermittent) schedules produce behaviour that lasts longer; variable ratio gives the highest and most persistent response rates.
Topic 6
Behaviour modification (OB Mod)
OB Mod applies operant conditioning to change work behaviour in five steps.
- 1Identify critical behaviours
- 2Measure the baseline
- 3Analyse antecedents and consequences
- 4Intervene
Reinforce desired behaviour
- 5Evaluate performance improvement
Types of reinforcement: positive (give a reward), negative (remove something unpleasant), punishment and extinction (no reinforcement). Schedules: continuous and intermittent (fixed or variable, interval or ratio).
Topic 7
Emotions, moods and emotional intelligence
- Emotions: intense, short-lived feelings directed at someone or something (anger at a colleague). Moods: less intense, longer-lasting feelings without a specific object.
- Affect is the broad range of feelings; emotional labour is displaying organisationally desired emotions (cabin crew smiling); emotional dissonance arises when felt and displayed emotions differ.
- Affective events theory: workplace events cause emotional reactions that influence performance and satisfaction.
Self-awareness
Knowing one's emotions and their effects
Self-regulation
Controlling impulses and moods
Motivation
Drive to achieve beyond money or status
Empathy
Understanding others' feelings
Social skills
Managing relationships and building networks
- OB applications: selection (EI tests), leadership, customer service, negotiation, conflict handling, safety.
Key terms
- Organisational behaviour
- Study of human behaviour in organisations
- Operant conditioning
- Learning through consequences of behaviour
- Variable-ratio schedule
- Reward after an unpredictable number of responses
- Emotional labour
- Displaying emotions required by the job
- Emotional intelligence
- Ability to recognise and manage one's own and others' emotions
Quick revision
- OB: individual, group, organisation levels; contributing disciplines.
- Challenges: diversity, globalisation, gig work, ethics, well-being.
- Learning: classical, operant, social learning.
- Schedules: continuous; fixed and variable interval and ratio; OB Mod steps.
- Emotions vs moods; emotional labour; Goleman's five EI components.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Define organisational behaviour.
- Q2.Name four disciplines contributing to OB.
- Q3.Distinguish classical and operant conditioning.
- Q4.What is a variable-ratio schedule?
- Q5.Distinguish emotions and moods.
- Q6.List Goleman's components of emotional intelligence.
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the meaning, contributing disciplines, challenges and opportunities of OB.
- Q2.Explain the theories of learning and their application in organisations.
- Q3.Explain reinforcement schedules and behaviour modification.
- Q4.Discuss emotions, moods and emotional intelligence at work.
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