Organizational Behavior

Session 1 – Structure

Introduction

Managers have to deal with new topics: motivation, non-hierarchical relationships, teamwork, quicker decision making …

           2 types of skills:

• Technical skills: traditional and information management
• Soft skills: people and network management

OB: interdisciplinary field for understanding and managing people at work (individuals  groups  organization)

  sociology/psychology/anthropology/management/medicine/economics

I. From modern Times to nowadays

II. Organizational structures

1. Definitions

Organizational structures: the way individuals and groups are arranged with respect to tasks they perform and the distribution of authority

Organizational design: the process of defining and operating an organizational structure. It can be vertical (hierarchy) or horizontal (according to specialization).

           goals (opposite forces):

• differentiation  specialization
• integration  coordination

2. Options of organizations

3 structures’ options:

1.   Functional design

2.   Multi-divisional design

3.   Matrix

4 symptoms indicate structural weakness:

-   delay in decision making

-   poor quality of decision making

-   lack of innovative response to changing environment

-   high level of conflict

Conclusion

The objective of organizational design is to balance differentiation and integration, which are opposite forces. There is no “best way”, each structural configuration is a balance between compromising and optimizing. Currently, the trends are dedifferentiation and flat organizations (less hierarchy).

Session 2 – Groups and teams

Introduction

Groups/teams are an intermediate between individuals and organization; it constitutes a body of its own rights, with its specific dynamics and functioning.  

Key concepts

Groups (size): a number of people who interact with one another, are psychologically aware of one another, perceive themselves as a group.

Teams (awareness, interaction, shared objectives): a small number of people with complementary skills, committed to a common mission/performance goals/approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

I. Team assets