IB715-10 Organisational Behaviour
Introductory description
The module provides students with an understanding of the antecedents and consequences of behaviour in organisations, with particular emphasis on the management process.
Module aims
The module has both intellectual and practical aims. Intellectually, the module takes a broad view of organisational behaviour and explores the links between psychology, organisational psychology, organisational sociology and management science as an aid to an understanding of people’s behaviour and experience of work in organisations.
At a practical level, the module examines current organisational practices such as motivation and team working. This reflects the fact that the vast majority of students taking the module are pursuing careers in management and/or in public agencies concerned with work and employment. It is in these very organisations where familiarity with, and expertise in, these areas are of key importance.
An understanding of the interaction between people and the organisations in which they work is key to the development of the analytical, problem-solving, and management skills which are the key focus of the Warwick MBA degree.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
1: What is Organizational Behaviour? Key Concepts, Approaches and Implications
2: Motivation
3: Groups and Teams
- Organisational Culture
5: Organisational Structure
6: Power
7: Ethics
8: Institutions
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of how organisational behaviour has evolved as a field, including its foundations in individual and collective action, and the roles of culture, power and ethics
- Demonstrate critical familiarity with the literature, both theoretical and practical, located within its historical and methodological context
- Demonstrate a critical appreciation of how ethical considerations are central to managerial decision making in the broader socio-political context
- Critically reflect upon the main challenges organisational behaviour faces today, on how these relate to current organisations, and on how organisational behaviour can underpin our understanding of what management and leadership entail
Indicative reading list
Knights, D. and Willmott, H. (2022) Introducing Organizational Behaviour and Management (4th edn) Hampshire: Cengage Learning EMEA
Bolman, L. and Dear, T. (2021) Reframing Organisations – Artistry, Choice, and Leadership (7th edn) Hoboken, NJ: Wiley
King, D. and Lawley, S., 2022. Organizational behaviour. (4th Ed). Oxford: Oxford University
Subject specific skills
Evaluate the different research methods used in the study of organisational behaviour and their practical implications for management
Evaluate concepts, models and perspectives for understanding the paradoxical nature of organisations as embodying characteristics of stability and change, clarity and ambiguity, planning/design and emergence, certainty and open-endedness
Evaluate and apply theories learnt to specific complex organisational contexts, and think through the implications of a chosen policy for a particular organisation, anticipating possible outcomes and how these might be dealt with by management
Transferable skills
Written communication
Leadership skills
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 27 sessions of 1 hour (27%) |
| Private study | 43 hours (43%) |
| Assessment | 30 hours (30%) |
| Total | 100 hours |
Private study description
Private Study to include preparation for lectures.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A2
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
|||
| Individual Assignment (10 CATS) | 80% | 24 hours | Yes (extension) |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| Group Presentation (20 mins) | 20% | 6 hours | No |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
Feedback via myWBS, plus verbal for group work
Post-requisite modules
If you pass this module, you can take:
- IB811-10 Managing People for the Future of Work
- IB9S3-10 Leading and Managing Change
- IB822-10 Leading and Managing Change
- IB9PQ-10 Leading Global Organisations
There is currently no information about the courses for which this module is core or optional.