Organizational Behavior

This course examines the interaction of people in the context of the organizational environment along with the environmental presses that influence organizational dynamics at the macro and micro levels. Management history provides a backdrop for understanding the evolution of systems theory. This frames the exploration of macro-level organizational behavior (OB) elements of organizational design and structure; organizational environment; politics and change; organizational control; and organizational culture and the psychological dimensions of organizational life that shape organizational behavior. At the micro-level, personality and motivation theory, ethics, power and authority, conflict and negotiation, group and team dynamics, along with organizational change and organizational leadership are considered in detail. These notions are discussed in relation to leveraging leadership practices to optimize the effectiveness and efficiency of organizations in meeting changing stakeholder expectations. In addition, the course focuses on how leaders can link theory and research with actual practice; this course is taken concurrently with the student's mentorship experience.