Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management
Academic Year 2019-20
Course Code MBA 12
Course Title Organization Behavior-I
Instructors Prof. Priya Nair Rajeev
Course Credit 1.5
Session Duration 2 hours and 30 minutes (Total Duration: 15 hrs)
Quarter/Term 1st /1st
Year 2019-20
Core/Elective/Workshop Core
Area OB & HR
Course objectives and scope
Effective management of human resources within organizations requires an understanding of
various behavior and processes. Managers need to know why people behave as they do in
relation to their jobs, their work groups and their organizations. This knowledge of individuals'
perceptions, motivations, attitudes and behavior will enable managers to not only understand
themselves better, but also to adopt appropriate managerial policies and leadership styles to
increase their effectiveness. Further the course aspires to go beyond the immediate objectives
mentioned above and wishes to ignite the aspiration of participants towards self development and
hence transform to unique organizational assets.
Pedagogy
This course follows the method of education and not training ( 1O'Toole, 1999); emphasis will be
on 'why' and not 'how'. Training focuses on how to do something, providing cookbook recipes
for achieving specific predictable outcomes. Education, on the other hand, focuses on why
people do something, helping you learn to ponder why people like to achieve various outcomes,
so that you can yourself identify, if and when needed, the appropriate means for achieving those
outcomes. Education is thus not application-oriented and immediate usefulness is not the main
objective. It focuses on developing your capacity to think independently and thereby reach your
own solutions to various problems.
The learning method shall involve interactive discussions that evolve out of questions and
answers drawn from a thorough reading of the assigned materials for every session. In an e-
classroom context where the visual access between the instructor and the participants is limited,
1
O’Toole, J. (1999). Leadership A to Z: A guide for the appropriately ambitious. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
1
it thus becomes everybody’s responsibility to get into a constructive dialogue instead of
expecting a particular individual to be the provider of ‘solutions’. Skimming through the
readings in a superficial manner will not help in this regard. It is expected that you will come
fully prepared to every session to engage in a fruitful deliberation. Our role in this interaction is
that of a guide and facilitator, inserting useful additional material at times, but seldom
interpreting the readings for you or lecturing about them.
In addition to above points, the participants are expected to adhere strictly to the rules laid down
by the EPGP office.
References and readings
Organizational Behavior (18th Ed., 2018) by Stephen P. Robbins, Timothy A. Judge,
Neharika Vohra shall be the primary reference text for this course. Articles for additional
reading can be accessed through Moodle and must be read in preparation for class.
Evaluation Components
1. Quizzes (Session 3 and Session 5) 35%
2. Case analysis & discussion on readings 15%
3. End Term Examination 50%
Session Plan
Module 1: Introduction to Behavior in Organizations
Session 1:
Overview of Organizational Behavior
Perception and Attitudes
Readings: What Makes Work Meaningful - Or Meaningless, Catherine Bailey; Adrian Madden
(2016), Product #: SMR564-PDF-ENG
Activity: Have your stereotypes misled you while judging others?
Module 2: Understanding Individual Behavior
Session 2:
Personality,
Emotions and Moods
Reading: Could Your Personality Derail Your Career? Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic (2017)
Product #: R1705M-PDF-ENG
Activity: Personality assessment and feedback
Session 3:
Values: understanding what we stand for
2
Motivation: the force what drives thought and action
Reading: The Ordinary Heroes of the Taj, Rohit Deshpande; Anjali Raina (2011), Product #:
R1112J-PDF-ENG
How to Motivate Your Problem People, Nigel Nicholson; (2003), Product #: R0301D-PDF-ENG
Activity: Value hierarchy: creating a statement of your identity
Module 3: Group Dynamics
Session 4: Building and Leading Teams
Readings: Teamwork on the Fly, Amy C. Edmondson (2012) Product #: R1204D-PDF-ENG
Discussion: The Lucifer Effect
Session 5: Understanding and managing Power and Politics
Case: Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis
W. Earl Sasser Jr.; Heather Beckham ( 2008) Product #: 2095-PDF-ENG
Session 6: Leadership: its essence and execution
Case: Cambridge Consulting Group: Bob Anderson, Jay W. Lorsch; John J. Gabarro ( 1995)
Product #: 496023-PDF-ENG
End Term Examinations
