Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior

Course Description:

Human Resources Specialists need a fundamental understanding of the interactions that occur among people in the workplace. This Social Science course provides the student with the tools to understand and evaluate individual, group and organizational processes. The student will also gain an appreciation of the relevance of the study of organizational behavior to the practice of human resource management. It is a study of behavior of individuals and groups within organizations and of the organization itself. Intended to develop in managers a greater awareness of the problems and opportunities in managing human resource in organizations.

It covers the impact of different management practices and leadership styles on worker satisfaction and morale, organizational effectiveness, productivity, and profitability. Topics include a discussion of formal and informal organizations, group dynamics, motivation, and managing conflict and change. Specific emphasis is placed on the development of managerial skills.

Course Learning Outcomes:

Successful management requires knowledge of people’s behavior in organizational settings. This course is designed to provide you with an overview of the managers’ role in organizational settings and an introduction to the concepts and theories that can be useful in facilitating effective leadership.

The course will promote learning outcomes directed at achieving four primary goals:

• Gaining an appreciation of theories and concepts of organization and management so that you understand basic behavioral theory and its application to modern-day organizations.
• Gaining an understanding of group functioning and dynamics and the role of communication within those functions in order to successfully enter the business world and society after the classroom.
• Developing skills to become a diagnostician of organizational systems, structure, and processes using conceptual and analytical frameworks derived from behavioral and management theories.
• Gaining introspective understanding of yourself from a management and leadership perspective and developing ways to use this information to be more successful.