Organizational Behavior
David McClelland and his associates proposed McClelland’s theory of Needs / Achievement Motivation Theory. This theory states that human behavior is affected by three needs – Need for Power, Achievement and Affiliation. Need for achievement is the urge to excel, to accomplish in relation to a set of standards, to struggle to achieve success. Need for power is the desire to […]
OB becomes more complex when we move to the organizational level of analysis. Just as groups are not just the sum of individuals, organizations are not the sum of individuals and groups. There are many more interacting factors that place constraints on individual and group behaviour. In Chapter 10 we look at organizational culture, which
The behaviour of people in a group is more than the sum total of all the individuals acting in their own way. People’s behaviour when they are in a group differs from their behaviour when they are alone. Therefore, the next step in developing an understanding of OB is the study of group behaviour. This topic lays the foundation for
In an organizational world characterized by cutbacks, expectations of increasing worker productivity, and tough competition in the marketplace, it’s not altogether surprising that many employees feel pressured to cut corners, break rules, and engage in other forms of questionable practices. The Enron scandal in the United States illustrated how casually some people treat the subject of ethics. Enron executives
At the same time that managers are being held responsible for employee satisfaction and happiness, they are also being asked to share more of their power. If you read any popular business periodical nowadays, you will find that managers are referred to as coaches, advisers, sponsors, or facilitators, rather than bosses. Employees’ responsibilities are similarly increasing. In many
An Angus Reid survey showed that 29 percent of employees do not feel they receive fair or reasonable rewards for the work that they do.6 To address this concern, Chapter 4 discusses the importance of rewards in motivating employees, rewards that can be used in the workplace. You may find the discussion of motivation and rewards particularly interesting in Case
Employees are increasingly demanding satisfaction out of their jobs. As we discuss in Chapter 3, overall job satisfaction in the Canadian workplace is relatively high. The belief that satisfied employees are more productive than dissatisfied employees has been a basic assumption among managers for years. Although some evidence questions that causal relationship, it can be argued that society should be concerned not
People enter groups and organizations with certain characteristics that influence their behaviour, the more obvious of these being personality characteristics, perception, values, and attitudes. These characteristics are essentially intact when an individual joins an organization, and for the most part, there is little that those in the organization can do to alter them. Yet they have a very real
At the individual level, managers and employees need to learn how to work with people who may be different from themselves on a variety of dimensions, including personality, perception, values, and attitudes. This point is illustrated by the employee situation at ICR, where employees have a variety of experiences and come from several cultures. Individuals also have different
It might seem natural to think that the study of OB is for leaders and managers of organizations. After all, they often set the agenda for everyone else. However, many organizations also have informal leadership opportunities. As employees are asked to move beyond their traditional function of providing labour and play a more proactive role in achieving organizational
