Business Administration &

Economics Department

CBE6103
Managing People in
Organizations
Fall, 2014

General Information

George, J.M. and Jones, G.R. (2011)

Understanding and Managing Organizational
Behavior. Sixth Edition. London: Pearson

Course Objectives
Critical exploration of core concepts in
current organisational theory
Comprehensive analysis of the new
managerial implications and practices
Analysis of the recent developments in
HRM practices and its changing context
Critical analysis of structural changes in
orgs. of different sizes & sectors

Course Outline
Strategic pressures driving behaviour HR
Structuring the organisation & the structural
change process
Changing culture of organisations
Power & conflict in organisations
Performance management process
Emerging managerial and HRM issues

What is an organisation?
Group of 2 or more individuals
Consciously co-ordinated unit
Functions on a continual basis to achieve
common goals

What is OB
Field specialising in the study of human
behaviour in organisations
what makes employee more productive
what makes employees more satisfied in
their jobs
how can we find the best way to organise
an employees work

What is a manager?
What do managers do?
Manager: someone who achieves goals
through the efforts of others
Plan: define goals, strategize, co-ordinate etc.
Organise: determine tasks, job design, determine
authority, where decisions are made etc.

Lead: motivate, direct, communicate, resolve etc.

to get members to work toward a goal

Control: monitor/correct actions--meet goals

Strategic Pressures Driving

Developments in Managing
Behaviour & Human Resources

Views of Loyalty: (Business Week)

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

21%
2%

35%
5%

More loyal
Same

77%
60%

Company loyalty to
employee

Less loyal than five

years ago

Employee loyalty to
company

Evolution in How Organizations Have Viewed

Their Employees

Differences are good.

There are differences.
Everyone is the same.

Overview of the OB Model

Level III

Organisation Systems Level

Level II

Group Level

Level I

Individual Level
Time

Productivity
Absenteeism
Turnover
Organisational
Citizenship

The
Dependent
Variables

Job Satisfaction

Independent Variables
Individual

Group

Organisation

Biographical Traits

Communication

Culture

Personality

Other Groups

Structure

Values & Attitudes

Conflict

Design

Ability

Power & Politics

Technology

Perception

Group Structure

Work Processes

Motivation

Work Teams

Selection Processes

Individual Learning

Leadership

Training Programs

Decision Making

Decision Making

Appraisal Practices

Forces driving developments

Technological - Information Technology

Legislative / Political
Downsizing / Outsourcing
Competition -- Globalisation
Socio-Demographic & Nature of the Workforce
Ethics & Social Responsibility

Important Note
Forces pressuring change are not all bad
There is shifting in the nature of business
Jobs are being lost but also created (e.g.,
formation of new markets)

Technological Forces -Information Technology

With advances in IT orgs. generate more
info, seek more info, & send info more
quickly
Can respond quicker to customers, other
orgs, and competitors
Can alter production schedules more quickly
Use of the web and intra/inter net

IT (contd.)
Continuous improvement
e.g., 99.9% efficiency at the U.S. Postal
Service means losing 2,000 packages per
hour; 2 plane crashes per day at OHare

Need for new skills base and training on

a continual basis to keep up
IT impacts where business can be done
-- job design (e.g., on the road, at home,
or around the world)

Legislative / Political Change

Countries are more open to foreign
investment -- movement of labor & capital
New markets are opening (e.g., Soviet
Union, Asia)
Formation of the EU and its standardized
rules and regulations
Deregulation (e.g., airlines, telephone)

Downsizing & Outsourcing

A planned reduction in workforce aimed
at reducing the size or staff and middle
management to reduce costs
Org becomes more effective without
increasing costs
Downsizing has been referred to as job
shifting -- in the U.S. increases in
overall employment have offset this

Competition / Globalisation
Competitors can now come from across
the street or from around the world
Orgs need to defend against their
traditional competitors as well as
entrepreneurial firms including those on
the internet
Interest rate and foreign currency
fluctuations

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Socio-demographic
Different types of people found within an
organisation:
Generation X / Y
Senior Citizens
Baby Boomers (1945 - 1960)

Demand different training, benefits,

work-place arrangements, reward
systems etc. based on these changes

Socio-demographic (contd.)
Marriage is being delayed; 50% end in
divorce
increasing no. of single parent households

Increase in university/college attendance

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Workforce diversity
Similarities/differences in characteristics:
age
gender
ethnic heritage

race
disabilities
sexual orientation

Regional (EU) & Global diversity

In many countries minorities are the
fastest-growing segment of the population
and workforce

Workforce diversity (contd.)

Increase in professionals & knowledge
workers
Many new workforce entrants with
limited or inadequate skill sets

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Ethics & Social Responsibility

Ethics: individual beliefs about what is
right and wrong
Social Responsibility: obligation to
protect and contribute to the social
environment in which it operates
Examples: obligations to clean up the
environment (McDonalds); respond to
client needs (e.g., J&J -- Tylenol scare)

Changing employee contract

Fewer jobs for life (downsizing)
Fewer situations of a family working in a
particular org
Weaker bond between org. & employee
William Bridges: talks about no more fulltime work; only contract & part-time rent
an employee

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Some challenges & opportunities for

managing behaviour & HR

Improving quality and productivity

Improving people skills
Managing workforce diversity
Responding to globalisation
Empowering people
Stimulating change and innovation
Coping with temporariness
Declining employee loyalty
Improving ethical behaviour

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