Organisational Behaviour 151030025
Week 1:
Introduction to OB
&
DEI in Organisations
(Chapters 1 & 2)
Self-Introduction
Dr Helen Macnaughtan
School of Finance & Management (SFM)
SFM Undergraduate Director
Senior Lecturer in International Business & Management
Member, SOAS Japan Research Centre
SOAS Centre for Gender Studies, Centre for Food Studies
Teaching & Research Interests:
Organisational Behaviour
International Human Resource Management
Gender, Work & Employment in Japan
Gender and Corporate Sport in Japan
[email protected]
OB Classes
▪ Helen Macnaughtan is the Module Convenor
Helen runs OB lecture classes, Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00, BGLT
▪ Students are provided with textbook & video links covering
content for weekly topics, which they should self-study in
advance of lectures
▪ Lecture classes summarise & supplement textbook & video
materials, and offer opportunity to ask questions of the weekly
content & chapters
▪ Emilia Aguele is the Module Tutor
▪ Contact email:
[email protected]▪ Emilia runs OB tutorial classes, Wednesdays/Thursdays
OB Textbook & Videos
▪ This module follows a core textbook
Stephen Robbins & Timothy Judge
Organizational Behavior, 19th edition
Global Edition, Pearson Education Ltd., 2023
An electronic version of this textbook
is available to read online via the SOAS library:
https://soas.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1352790432
▪ Lecture topics cover two chapters of the textbook weekly
and students are strongly encouraged to read weekly
▪ Video resources are also provided covering weekly topics
OB Module Assessment – Summary
▪ The module has three elements of assessment
Assessment Type Weighting Date / Deadline
Multiple Choice Test 50% Wednesday 23 April 2025
(TS1) - in person, on campus
Individual Student 40% Weekly in Tutorials, Term 2
Presentation (by 22 March 2025)
(PS1)
Tutorial attendance & 10% Weekly in Tutorials, Term 2
participation (SP1) (by 22 March 2025)
Chapter 1 - Introduction to OB
▪ Defining Organisational Behaviour (OB)
▪ Behavioural Science Disciplines and OB
▪ The Role of Managers in OB
▪ Challenges in OB
▪ The OB Model
Defining Organisational Behaviour
Organisational Behaviour (OB) is a field of study
that investigates the impact that individuals, groups,
and structure have on behaviour within organisations
for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward
improving an organisation’s effectiveness
OB explores many concepts including:
motivation, decision-making, leadership,
communication, group behaviour,
change management, conflict negotiation
and culture
Defining Organisational Behaviour
▪ What we study:
▪ The psychology of individuals, the dynamics of
teams, and the structure of organisations – and their
effect on how people in organisations act
▪ Why we study it:
▪ To help people become better leaders
▪ To improve organisations’ effectiveness
▪ Key Resource:
Robbins & Judge (2023)
Introduction to OB
▪ Defining Organisational Behaviour (OB)
▪ Behavioural Science Disciplines and OB
▪ The Role of Managers in OB
▪ Challenges in OB
▪ The OB Model
Behavioural Science Disciplines & OB
OB is an applied behavioural science that is
built upon contributions from a number of
disciplines:
– Psychology
– Social Psychology
– Sociology
– Anthropology
Behavioural Science Disciplines & OB
–Psychology
seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change
the behaviour of humans
– Social psychology
blends the concepts of psychology and sociology
Behavioural Science Disciplines & OB
– Sociology
studies people in relation to
their social environment
– Anthropology
is the study of societies and
cultures to learn about
human beings
and their activities
Introduction to OB
▪ Defining Organisational Behaviour (OB)
▪ Behavioural Science Disciplines and OB
▪ The Role of Managers in OB
▪ Challenges in OB
▪ The OB Model
Managers and OB
▪ Manager: Someone who gets things done through other
people in organisations
▪ Organisation: A consciously coordinated social unit
composed of two or more people that functions on a
relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or
set of goals.
→ Planning, organising, leading, and controlling
▪ Mintzberg concluded that managers perform ten different,
highly interrelated roles or sets of behaviours attributable
to their jobs
Managerial Skills
What Skills do Managers need?
• Technical Skills – the ability to apply specialised
knowledge or expertise
• Human Skills – the ability to work with, understand,
and motivate other people, both individually and in
groups
• Conceptual Skills – the mental ability to analyse and
diagnose complex situations
Managerial Activities
Managers engage in four managerial activities:
1. Traditional Management
(decision-making, planning, controlling)
2. Communication
(information exchange, processing paperwork)
3. Human Resource Management
(motivating, disciplining and managing staff)
4. Networking
(liaising and socialising outside the organisation)
Managerial Interpersonal Skills
Interpersonal skills are important because…
▪ ‘Good places to work’ have better financial performance
▪ Better interpersonal skills result in lower turnover of
quality employees and higher quality applications for
recruitment
▪ There is a strong association between the quality of
workplace relationships and job satisfaction, stress, and
turnover
▪ It fosters social responsibility awareness
Introduction to OB
▪ Defining organisational behaviour (OB)
▪ behavioural Science Disciplines and OB
▪ The Role of Managers in OB
▪ Challenges in OB
▪ The OB Model
Challenges in OB - Employment
Increased Complexity in Employment
Challenges in OB - Economy
Responding to influencing factors & pressure…
– Understanding how to effectively reward,
satisfy, and retain employees is important
– Implementing effective management
in tough economic times
→ managing issues like stress,
decision making, new technology,
& employee wellbeing
Challenges in OB - Globalisation
Responding to Globalisation…
– Increased employee mobility
and global assignments
– Working with people from different cultures
– Overseeing movement of jobs & people
across country borders
– Adapting to differing cultural and regulatory norms
Challenges in OB - Diversity
Managing workforce diversity
– Organisations are becoming more
heterogeneous in terms of gender, age, race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, and inclusion of
other diverse groups
Challenges in OB - Customers
Organisations need to understand Customer Behaviour
– Need for a customer-responsive culture
– Service employees have substantial interaction
with customers
– Employee attitudes and
behaviour are associated
with customer satisfaction
Challenges in OB - People
OB is managing and improving people skills
– People skills are essential to organisational
and managerial effectiveness
– OB provides the concepts and theories that help
predict and manage
employee behaviour
Challenges in OB – Space & Time
Networked Organisations are proliferating
Organisations are spread over geographic, time, or
other boundaries and are connected by technology
– A manager’s job is fundamentally different in
networked organisations
– Challenges of motivating and
leading online and virtually
require different techniques
Challenges in OB - Media
OB and managing Social Media
– Utilising OB for
organisational activities
– Policies on employees
accessing social media at work
→ when, where, and for what purpose
– Impact of social media on employee wellbeing
Challenges in OB - Wellbeing
Monitoring and enhancing
employee wellbeing
– The creation of a
global & digital workforce
means work no longer sleeps
– Communication technology has provided a
vehicle for working at any time or any place
– Employees are working longer hours per week
– The lifestyles of generations & families have changed
— can create tension & conflict
– Balancing work and life demands now surpasses
job security as an employee priority
Challenges in OB - Environment
Creating a positive working environment…
– Positive organisational scholarship studies what
is ‘good’ about organisations
→ is concerned with how organisations develop
human strength, foster vitality and resilience, and
unlock potential
Challenges in OB - Ethics
Managing and improving
ethical behaviour…
– Ethical dilemmas and
ethical choices are situations
in which an individual is required to define
right and wrong (appropriate) conduct/behaviour
– organisations can distribute codes of ethics to guide
employees through ethical dilemmas
– Managers need to create an ethically healthy climate
Introduction to OB
▪ Defining organisational behaviour (OB)
▪ behavioural Science Disciplines and OB
▪ The Role of Managers in OB
▪ Challenges in OB
▪ The OB Model
OB Model: 3 key variables at 3 key levels…
1-33
Three Levels of Analysis in OB
(1) Inputs
➢ Variables like personality,
group structure, and
organisational culture
Three Levels of Analysis in OB
(2) Processes
➢ If inputs are the nouns in
organisational behaviour,
processes are the verbs…
➢ Defined as actions that
individuals, groups, and
organisations engage in
Three Levels of Analysis in OB
(3) Outcomes
➢ Key results
➢ variables that OB
attempts to explain,
encourage, monitor,
manage and predict
Robbins & Judge Textbook Layout (Ch1 p66)
Chapter 2 –
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Organisations
▪ Defining Diversity
▪ Discrimination and OB
▪ Diversity Characteristics
▪ Diversity Management in Organisations
Defining Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI)
Diversity: characteristics that make people different
Equity: fair distribution of resources, access & opportunities
Inclusion: valuing people’s differences; enabling everyone
o Good people management practice acknowledges the
benefits of diversity; ensures that people are treated
consistently equal and fair, but also flexibly and inclusively
to support business and employee needs
o An inclusive working environment is one in which
employees feel they belong without having to conform; that
their contribution, identity and difference add value
Diversity in the Workplace
Diversity Management
Surface-Level Diversity
Deep-Level Diversity
Workplace Diversity – CIPD Viewpoint
The CIPD defines managing diversity as valuing
everyone as an individual – valuing people as
employees, customers and clients.
“It is important to recognise that a ‘one-size-fits all’
approach to managing people does not achieve
fairness and equality of opportunity for everyone.”
Diversity in Organisations
▪ Defining Diversity
▪ Discrimination and OB
▪ Diversity Characteristics
▪ Diversity Management in Organisations
Discrimination and OB
Stereotyping
– Cognitive association of social groups with specific traits or characteristics
Prejudice
– Negative feelings towards a group (acknowledged or unacknowledged)
Discrimination
the differential and negative treatment of a person or group due to
their individual characteristics or social category
– result of overt or implicit stereotyping, prejudice, or ingroup preference
– workplace discrimination undermines
employee and organisational effectiveness
Diversity in Organisations
▪ Defining Diversity
▪ Discrimination and OB
▪ Diversity Characteristics
▪ Diversity Management in Organisations
Diversity Characteristics in UK Law
Equality Act, October 2010
o Equality and Anti-Discrimination legislation in UK dates back to 1970s
(Equal Pay Act, 1970 Race Relations Act, 1974 Sex Discrimination Act, 1975)
o Equality Act 2010 was to update,
streamline and simplify existing
protection under one legislative
Act (9 separate laws → 1 Act)
o Equality Act offers protection
to people under nine categories
of protected characteristics
Diversity - Gender
– Gender: either of the two sexes - female & male
with reference to social & cultural difference
(rather than biological difference)
– Broader definition refers to a range of gender identities
that do not correspond to traditional or established ideas
of male and female
– There are no consistent male-female differences in
problem-solving ability, analytical skills, competitive
drive, motivation, sociability, or learning drive
– But women often earn less than men for the same
positions and have fewer professional opportunities
Diversity – Gender Reassignment
– Gender Identity
decision made by individual that gender
at birth does not match their gender identity
– Gender Reassignment refers to individuals who
have undergone or intend to undergo
medical/surgical treatment to alter their body
– includes those who wish to live permanently in a
different gender from birth without medical
intervention
Diversity – Sexual Orientation
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
• UK law protects employees who are
discriminated against because of their
sexual orientation and identity
Diversity – Race & Ethnicity
BAME = Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic
(term widely used in UK until 2021)
– ‘Ethnic minority groups’ often found to experience
higher levels of discrimination in the workplace, and
fare worse in employment decisions
(e.g. recruitment, promotion
→ Cultural Identity → Inclusivity
A good organisation works to
embrace employees’ cultural identities
Diversity - Age
–Workforces are Aging
–Mandatory Retirement Age
rising and changing
– Mandatory Retirement Age no longer exists in UK
– Does job performance decline with increasing age?
– Studies show that turnover and absenteeism rates are lower
among older workers, and age is not associated with lower
productivity
– Managing Generational Diversity in the Workplace
Diversity - Disability
– Physical Disabilities
– Hidden Disabilities
▪ Sensory disabilities, chronic illness or pain,
cognitive or learning impairments, sleep
disorders, and psychological challenges
▪ Organisations must accommodate employees with
a very broad range of impairments
Diversity – Religion & Belief
UK Equality Act states that ‘religion means any religion’
• Interpreted as any religion with
clear structure
• Religion also includes ‘lack of religion’
• Belief: ‘any religious or philosophical belief’
- must be genuinely held; be weighty & substantial
(e.g. humanism, vegetarianism, belief in climate change)
- must NOT be incompatible with human rights
(e.g. Holocaust denial or belief in racial superiority are not protected)
Diversity – Partnership & Parenting
– Marriage & Civil Partnership
– legal marriage & partnership
between two persons
(including of the same sex)
Pregnancy, Maternity & Paternity
• Protection against unfair dismissal
• Paid leave (including antenatal care)
• Health & Safety adjustments for pregnancy
• Shared Parental Leave (includes birth/adoption)
• Return to Work
Diversity in Organisations
▪ Defining Diversity
▪ Discrimination and OB
▪ Diversity Characteristics
▪ Diversity Management in Organisations
The Social Case for Diversity
o The social justice or equality case for diversity:
o Diversity is an outgrowth of natural and environmental
trends, including demographic changes, social
progress and international (globalised) competition
o This argument for Diversity is based on the belief that
everyone should have a right to equal access to
employment and when employed should have equal
pay and equal access to training and development, as
well as being free of any direct or indirect
discrimination and harassment or bullying
o This can be described as the right to be treated fairly in
the workplace, regardless of personal characteristics
The Business Case for Diversity
The business case builds on the social justice arguments:
There are three main strands to the business case:
people issues, market competitiveness, & corporate reputation
To be competitive, organisations need everyone who works
for them to make their best contribution. Creating open
and inclusive workplace cultures in which everyone feels
valued, and respects colleagues, is recognised as key.
A diverse workforce brings greater diversity of competency
and (market) experience and can help to inform product
development and creativity within the organisation.
Corporate Reputation & CSR can be built by setting
diversity standards; the image of an organisation is
important in attracting/retaining customers & employees
Competitive Advantage through Workforce Diversity
o Marketing: Consumers/Clients are changing demographically
▪ A diverse workforce can provide a company with greater
knowledge of preferences and consuming habits in the market
▪ Diversity can give competitive edge in a global economy by
facilitating understanding of other customers, cultures, markets
o Creativity, innovation, and problem solving:
▪ Diversity promotes creativity & innovation, as people from
different backgrounds hold different perspective on issues
▪ Diverse groups have a broader base of experience from which to
approach problem; when effectively managed, they invent more
options and create more solutions than homogeneous groups do
o Flexibility: Diversity enhances organizational flexibility
because successfully managing diversity requires a corporate
culture that tolerates many different styles, approaches & change
Challenges in Managing Diversity
Diversity offers opportunities as well as challenges
o Balancing employee individuality but also promoting
shared sense of corporate identity
o Dealing with resistance to change; avoiding employee resentment
o Keeping the focus on performance, retaining valued performers,
and maximizing opportunity for all employees
o Backlash: Many organisations in UK that have instituted
diversity programs have experienced adverse reactions from
employee groups, e.g. white men
o Solution: Adopt an inclusive definition of diversity that addresses
all kinds of differences among employees, including but not
limited to race and gender
o Include, recognise and reward resistant groups (e.g. older
workers) as participants in strategy and part of the solution
How to Cultivate a Diverse Workforce
An organisation can encourage diversity via HRM…
o Attracting a diverse range of employees
▪ effective recruiting process, diversity targets, offering flexible
working, promoting the diversity of the company at recruitment
o Developing Employees
▪ providing diversity training/awareness for all employees;
ensuring equitable access to T&D programmes across workforce
o Retaining Employees
▪ ensuring a fair and equitable environment for work;
minimising/addressing potential barriers, such as prejudices and
bias, that can undermine the functioning of a diverse workforce
Diversity Management
• Diversity management is the process and programs
by which managers make everyone more aware of
and sensitive to the needs and differences of others
– Diversity is more successful when it is everyone’s
business, not just for certain groups of employees
Diversity Management
Attracting, Selecting,
Developing, and Retaining
Diverse Employees
Diversity in Groups Effective Diversity
Programs
Attracting, Selecting,
Developing, and
Retaining Diverse
Employees
Effective
Diversity Management
Diversity in
Groups Diversity
Programs
Week 1 Lecture – Resources (textbook chapters & videos)
Video: Short summary “What is OB?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnvWxZhsvKA
Chapter 1 (textbook): What is Organizational Behavior?
https://soas.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1352790432
Chapter 1 (video): Introduction to Organizational Behavior (Obenauer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDxp8n4Ryas&t=379s
Chapter 2 (textbook): Diversity Equality & Inclusion in Organizations
https://soas.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1352790432
Chapter 2 (video): Diversity in Organisations (Wilson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd_Htc8Ke9Q
Week 2 Tutorial: DEI in Organisations (Class Discussion)
Report: McKinsey “Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters” (May 2020)
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters
Report: McKinsey “Race in the Workplace: the frontline experience” (July 2022)
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/race-in-the-workplace-the-frontline-
experience
CIPD: Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace
https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/diversity-factsheet/
Video: Accenture
https://m.youtube.com/watch?sns=em&v=2g88Ju6nkcg
Video: Summary of UK Equality Act Protected Characteristics
https://youtu.be/VXLtKlmtrvM
Guidance for Tutorial Discussion:
Critically analyse the progress of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
What is the ‘business case’ for diversity and inclusion?
How can companies approach diversity and conclusion?
What are challenges & solutions?
