Learn about the importance of teamwork and what makes it so important for organisations and their employees.
Organisational
Behaviour
BUSINESS COLLECTION

Intro
Organisational behaviour is about life. It’s about people. It’s about how we behave. I bet you sometimes wonder why some people behave differently to others. Have you ever pondered things like:
- Why do some people seem to get along with everyone?
- Why do some people leave things to the last minute?
- Why do some of us love social media while others avoid it?
- How can we manage people effectively?
In this collection, we’re going to ask a lot of questions about people. This is because people matter. You can’t run a business without people. There is no such thing as an organisation without people, and how effective an organisation will be is largely down to the behaviours and decisions that people make.
Tracks
View micro lessons
Introduction
View micro lessons
Leadership
View micro lessons
Groups and Teams
View micro lessons
Communication
View micro lessons
Motivation
View micro lessons
Personality and Identity
View micro lessons
Decision-Making
View micro lessons
Organisational Structure
View micro lessons
Workplace Culture
View micro lessons
Organisational Change
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Power and Politics
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Technology and Behaviour
Micro-Lessons: Introduction
View
Welcome to the Collection
View
Are skills the key to success?
View
Would you like to be a manager?
View
Video Feature: What about managing people?
View
Test your knowledge!
View
Should we be ‘critical’ of management?
View
What's coming up in this collection?
Micro-Lessons: Leadership
View
What is leadership?
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Video Showreel: What do leaders say?
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Test your knowledge!
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Video Feature: Leadership in theory
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Trait Theory: How would you describe a leader?
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Test your knowledge!
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Are you task or people oriented?
View
Styles: Tell, involve or chillax?
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Test your knowledge!
View
Can organisations train and develop leaders?
View
Contingency theory: Is context everything?
View
Path-goal theory: Is your road clear ahead?
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Transformational leadership: The route to influence?
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Test your knowledge!
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Charisma: inspiring by passion?
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Ethics: are leaders always good?
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Authentic leadership: Can we just be?
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Why is building trust incredibly important?
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Will being a good follower develop your leadership?
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Distributed leadership: can everyone lead?
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The Global Leader
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Leadership: Summary
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Leadership: References
Micro-Lessons: Groups and Teams
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What Will This Track Cover?
View
Video Case: Teamwork at PWC
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Groups and Teams and How They Develop
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Video Case: Is Psychological Safety the Key?
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Test your Knowledge!
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Is Teamwork Important in Practice?
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Social Identity Theory: Why Belonging Matters
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Early Research: The Hawthorne studies
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What Do People Tell You When You Join a New Group?
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Group Norms: Can Shared Expectations Help?
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Why Groups Can be Insidious
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Video Feature: The Psychology of Conformity
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Why Do People Conform in Groups?
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Groupthink: Why Do People Go Along with the Crowd?
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Social Loafing: Fancy a Lazy Day?
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De-individuation: It's Nothing to Do with Me
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Balancing Roles: Does Belbin's Theory Work?
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Summary: Key Points to Take Away
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Reference List
Micro-Lessons: Communication
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Communication: Introduction
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Video Case Study: Communication at L’Oreal
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Why is Communication Important?
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Types of Communication
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Models of Communication
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Communication Processes
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Media Richness
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Communication Barriers
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Cultural Differences
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Organisational Communication
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Structures and Communication
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Employee Voice
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Why do people engage in conflict?
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Disputes and Conflict
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Resistance and Consent
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Conflict Resolution
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Communication Methods
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Procedures on Conflict
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Mediation
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Key Issues
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Communication: Summary
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Communication: References
Micro-Lessons: Motivation
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Introduction to the Track
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Video Case: Motivation at Anglia Water
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Motivation: A Long Time Coming?
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What are the key theories of motivation?
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Maslow: Can I just have a bit more?
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Existence + Relatedness + Growth
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Two-factors: Does satisfaction matter?
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Self-determination: make it your own!
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Expectancy theory: Does effort count?
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Equity Theory: Does fairness matter?
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Goal-setting Theory
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The Job Characteristics Model (JCM)
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Putting Theories into Practice
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Workplace Motivation
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Summary
Micro-Lessons: Personality and Identity
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Introduction
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Why is it important?
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Identity - Who am I?
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Social Identity Theory: Who are we?
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Understanding Personality
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Personality Descriptions: Types vs Traits
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Humanist Perspectives
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Perception: Be careful of bias
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How Do We Perceive?
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Are Personalities Informed by the Environment
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Making Sense of Things
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Artificial Intelligence?
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Implications for Businesses
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Measuring Personality
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Stereotyping & Bias
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Your Life: Now vs Future
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References
Micro-Lessons: Decision-Making
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What is Decision-Making all about?
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Video Case: Decision-Making at Aviva
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Why is Decision-Making important?
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Decision-Making in Organisations
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Prescriptive Models of Decision-Making
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Descriptive Models of Decision-Making
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Explanatory Models of Decision-Making
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Understanding Trade-Offs and the Decision-Making Process
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Making Decisions as an Individual
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Management Decision-Making
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Group Decision-Making
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Organisational Decision-Making
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What are the Challenges of Decision-Making?
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Skills Advice
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Summary
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References
Micro-Lessons: Organisational Structure
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Case Study: Facebook
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Introduction to Organisational Structure
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Why is Organisational Structure Important?
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What is Organisational Structure?
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Video Feature: Work Specialisation
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Are Structures Important?
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Should we specialise employees' work?
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Departmentalisation and Hierarchies
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Tall or flat? Does authority matter?
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Centralisation and Decentralisation
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Types of Organisational Structure
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Simple Structures: How do startups do it?
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The Bureaucracy: Does it work?
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Matrix Structure: Two bosses?
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The Network Structure
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Outsourcing
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Choosing Structures: Part 1
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Choosing Structures: Part 2
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Summary
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Reference List
Micro-Lessons: Workplace Culture
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Introduction
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Video Case Studies: Comparing Workplace Cultures?
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Types of Organisational Culture
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What is Organisational Culture
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Why is Organisational Culture Important?
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Organisation Founders & Leaders
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Video Feature: Dysfunctional Culture
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Models of Organisational Culture
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Schein's 3 Level Framework: Level 1
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Schein's 3 Level Framework: Level 2
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Schein's 3 Level Framework: Level 3
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Misalignment of Levels
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Culture as a Management Tool
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How does Disney socialise new staff?
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Inappropriate Cultures
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Can organisational culture be toxic?
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Conclusions
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References
Micro-Lessons: Organisational Change
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Introduction
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Video Case: Vodafone and Coronavirus
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External Drivers of Change
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Internal Drivers of Change
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Types of Change
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Change Analysis: Micro, Meso and Macro
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Planned vs Emergent Change
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Hard vs Soft Approach
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Do people love or hate change?
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Organisational Readiness
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How do you feel about change?
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Summary
View
References
Micro-Lessons: Power and Politics
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Introduction
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Can Building a Network Give you Influence?
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Power, Influence and Authority
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Sources of Power at Work
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Centres of Power in the Workplace
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Power in Relationships
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Organisational Politics
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Organisational Controls
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Standards and Conduct
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Misuses of Power: When power use goes wrong
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Bullying and Harassment
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Relationship Structures and Spheres of Influence
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Conflict
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Toxicity, Power, Influence and Politics
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Knowledge or Influence (K/I)
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Summary
View
References
Micro-Lessons: Technology and Behaviour
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Introduction
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Why is it Important?
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Organisations: Contexts for Technology
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Industrial Revolutions and Progress
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Delivering Progress and Value
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Social and Psychological Issues
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Behavioural Approach
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Organisational and Workplace Relationships
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Changing Work Patterns
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Service Design and Delivery
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Technology Ethics
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Conformity and Dissonance
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Changing Habits
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Sustainability
View
Valuing Technology
View
Technology and Development
View
Summary
View
References
Intro
Welcome to the collection on organisational behaviour!
Intro
How does university life relate to organisational behaviour?
Intro
Do you want to become a manager? Discover the key skills managers have.
Intro
How would you like to manage a team of people?
Intro
Test your knowledge!
Intro
Discover the importance of critical thinking, and how you can use it throughout this collection.
Intro
Find out what you’ll be learning in this collection.
Intro
Leadership is one of the most admired qualities in organisations. Understand what it is and how developing leadership skills can boost your career.
Intro
Discover ideas about what makes someone an effective leader.
Intro
Discover ideas about what makes someone an effective leader.
Intro
Discover ideas about what makes someone an effective leader.
Intro
Which traits determine a leader, and are they universal? Find out more in this micro-lesson.
Intro
Discover ideas about what makes someone an effective leader.
Intro
This micro-lesson focuses on behavioural theory, which suggests leadership behaviour can be learned and developed.
Intro
Learn more about the main leadership styles and their pros and cons.
Intro
Discover ideas about what makes someone an effective leader.
Intro
Leadership development is a big industry that keeps on growing. Find out why in this micro-lesson.
Intro
Contingency refers to the ability to adapt leadership styles to the situations. See how in this micro-lesson.
Intro
This micro-lesson covers Path-Goal Theory, which states that employee expectations have to be attended by their leaders.
Intro
A transformational leader sees beyond the bigger picture, inspiring motivation and commitment amongst followers.
Intro
Discover ideas about what makes someone an effective leader.
Intro
Charismatic leaders have a powerful effect on employees. Understand why in this micro-lesson.
Intro
There’s potential for transformational and charismatic leaders to have a ‘dark side’, making discussions around ethics important.
Intro
There are many theories about authentic relationships, some of which are explained in this micro-lesson.
Intro
Trust plays an important role in building relationships. Learn how it impacts on leadership.
Intro
A good leader will probably also know how to be a good follower. Discover the importance of followers in this micro-lesson.
Intro
In this micro-lesson, we learn about leadership where decision-making power is shared among a group. How do you think this works?
Intro
What does a global leader look like? Read this micro-lesson to find out more.
Intro
A summary of everything you’ve learned about leadership in this track.
Intro
A list of the references used in this track.
Intro
Intro
Intro
Being able to work with people as part of a team is a core management skill involving new behaviours and attitudes which this micro-lesson explores in detail.
Intro
Here you will see a case study from Footprint Digital, which discusses the importance of Psychological Safety.
Intro
Intro
In this micro-lesson, we will discuss the numerous benefits to group and teamwork in the workplace and why teamwork is important.
Intro
There are a whole host of different phenomena that influence individual behaviour, perceptions and performance when within a team, and one of these is Social Identity Theory.
Intro
The studies discussed in this micro-lesson identifies the importance of group values and norms in the workplace.
Intro
Social representation theory identifies representations of values, beliefs and practices that are created and transformed through social knowledge and communication.
Intro
Group norms are the expected or assumed standards of behaviour required within a group, and in this micro-lesson, we look at the positives and negatives of Group Norms.
Intro
Here we explore the darker side of organisational behaviour, including the Stanford Prison and Milgram experiments.
Intro
Intro
Social conformity refers to the change in an individual’s attitude, belief or behaviour in response to real or imagined group pressure.
Intro
Groupthink is when the norm for consensus overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action.
Intro
Social loafing, also known as ‘free-riding’, refers to when individuals do less in a group than they would normally do on their own.
Intro
Individuals stop seeing themselves as individuals and therefore stop taking responsibility for themselves. This is known as De-individuation and will be explored in this micro-lesson.
Intro
The Belbin Team Roles are used by businesses to understand how to get the most out of their employee’s ability to work successfully in a group.
Intro
Summary for Teamwork.
Intro
References for Teamwork
Intro
This track will explore the main principles of workplace communication.
Intro
In this case study video, employees at L’Oreal discuss why good communication is so important.
Intro
Considering examples of what happens when communication is poor helps us to see why communication is so important.
Intro
Communication is as much about listening as it is about speaking or sending information.
Intro
How does information pass from one person to another, and how is the information received? There are several basic models which attempt to explain this process.
Intro
If you have a good understanding of the communication process, you will be able to communicate more effectively.
Intro
What makes a particular medium rich, and are rich media always better for communicating?
Intro
Why does communication fail? Learn about the different kinds of barriers that stop messages getting through effectively.
Intro
There are many communication aspects that can differ between cultures. Find out what they are in this micro-lesson.
Intro
Find out the difference between downward and upward communication flow, the way organisational communication is planned, and the way informal communication is used in organisations.
Intro
In this micro-lesson we discuss the ways in which organisational structure has a significant impact on communication.
Intro
Communication is essential to understanding organisational behaviour; methods and processes of communication have noticeable effects on the functions and performance of an organisation.
Intro
Conflict can occur between individuals, groups and departments within an organisation regarding issues such as work goals, tasks and how to perform them, wages and bonuses, conduct and interpersonal issues.
Intro
When we hear of ‘workplace conflict’ there is a tendency to assume it is involving an individual; it can be much wider than that.
Intro
Manifest conflict within organisations is less common than we’d expect, with employee resistance to management attempts to control and influence them representing the majority of conflict scenarios within organisations.
Intro
Conflict can be managed through a range of resolution approaches that aim to end the disagreement between the conflicting parties.
Intro
Communication strategies can keep staff informed of changes and strategies, staff engagement and providing updates on policies and procedures.
Intro
There are some organisational strategies for resolving employee conflict which usually are referred to as disciplinary or grievance issues.
Intro
In addition to the organisational approaches for conflict resolution, mediation, ACAS and employment tribunals can play a part in resolving workplace disputes.
Intro
There are a number of issues related to communication and conflict in the workplace which prevent organisations from successfully implementing strategies and approaches.
Intro
A summary of everything you’ve learnt about communication in this track.
Intro
Find the references used in this track here.
Intro
Motivation is a fundamental building block in understanding employees at work, and how to manage them.
Intro
Intro
Motivation: A Brief History.
Intro
Key theories of motivation, how they work and how they could be used by management.
Intro
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Why do we keep aiming for more and more?
Intro
Alderfer’s (ERG) model
Intro
Why do some people love their job, but dislike their employer?
Intro
Why do we sometimes start out not wanting to do something, but end up really enjoying it?
Intro
Why do people put different efforts into the same task?
Intro
Equity and fairness as important motivators because employees place value upon experiencing both in the workplace.
Intro
Goal-setting theory is widely used in businesses today as a technique for motivating employees.
Intro
The Job Characteristic Model (JCM) links the work context with employees’ psychological states.
Intro
Who do you think is responsible for motivation at work: the organisation, managers, or employees themselves?
Intro
Changing models for work and work structure.
Intro
Summary of this track.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Discover what makes us psychologically unique and uniting.
Intro
Learn what is part of the decision-making process, how different people deal with it in different ways and what is the impact at the workplace.
Intro
Intro
Why the decision-making process can be important at the workplace
Intro
Within organisations, decisions are made at all levels and have varying degrees of complexity. This micro-lesson covers the different types of decisions and who makes them.
Intro
This micro-lesson covers Prescriptive models which include Rational Model of Decision-making and classical decision theory.
Intro
This model focuses on how individuals actually make decisions. It explores a range of factors that affect decisions made by individuals and groups.
Intro
The Explanatory Models, explores how individuals, groups and organisations make decisions.
Intro
This micro-lesson covers when you have to deliberate over a range of choices that can lead to difficult trade-offs and alternatives.
Intro
Personal circumstances and desires within the workplace may influence organisational decision-making. Individual decision-making considers how this can affects decision at work.
Intro
Decision-making is synonymous with management. Management follows a process of stating and analysing a problem, identifying a course of action, evaluating and deciding the path to travel.
Intro
In this micro-lesson, we cover Group decision-making, including the benefits and the possible issues when making decisions in a group.
Intro
Decisions in organisations involve power and conflict between individuals and groups in an organisation. It also has a lot to do with the Organisations Culture.
Intro
Here we discuss the challenges of decision-making and how these challenges can affect an organisation.
Intro
This micro-lesson covers the skills required for good decision-making in the workplace.
Intro
Summary of Decision-making
Intro
References for Decision-making
Intro
Discover how Facebook’s structure changed as it went from a start-up to one of the world’s leading companies.
Intro
What is organisational structure and why is it so important?
Intro
Discover why organisational structure is an important matter for any organisation.
Intro
Understand what the core components of organisational structure are in this micro-lesson.
Intro
Intro
Learn why organisational structures have a huge impact on business and people.
Intro
Discover how work specialisation has gone from being an innovation in factory work to a standard feature of most modern organisations.
Intro
Grouping a series of aligned job roles together is called departmentalisation. Discover more in this micro-lesson.
Intro
What’s the difference between ‘tall’ and ‘flat’ hierarchies, and which is more commonly used today?
Intro
Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of centralised and decentralised decision-making in organisations.
Intro
Understand the different types of organisational design, and their advantages and disadvantages.
Intro
As the name suggests, the simple structure is the simplest type of organisational structure. Discover its features in this micro-lesson.
Intro
Bureaucracy means ‘the power of office’. Find out more about bureaucratic structures in this micro-lesson.
Intro
Understand the distinctive features of the matrix structure, which emerged as an alternative to the problems associated with bureaucracy.
Intro
Discover the network structure, which involves teams managing themselves.
Intro
Outsourcing is when an organisation externalises part of its activities to another organisation. What are the pros and cons?
Intro
What factors should organisations consider when deciding which structure to use?
Intro
Find out more about how organisations decide which structures to use.
Intro
A summary of the key concepts we have looked at in this track.
Intro
The list of references used in this track.
Intro
What is workplace culture and what makes it important?
Intro
Intro
Different organisations have different cultures. Find out more in this micro-lesson.
Intro
What are the main definitions of culture? Find out in this micro-lesson.
Intro
Understand the importance of culture in organisations and its influence in important decisions that teams make.
Intro
Learn more about what influences culture and the legacy founders leave to organisations.
Intro
Intro
Learn more about the different models and how they view culture at varying levels.
Intro
Level 1: Surface manifestations-artefacts and behaviours.
Intro
Level 2: Espoused Values.
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Level 3: Basic assumptions.
Intro
When Schein’s levels are aligned then culture is successful, but what happens when they don’t align?
Intro
Understand how culture can be useful for managers to deal with their teams.
Intro
Socialisation plays a big part in signing up for the culture. Is this process always easy?
Intro
Culture is not always positive. Learn more about inappropriate cultures in organisations.
Intro
In this micro-lesson, we’ll explore how a companies culture can become dysfunctional.
Intro
Final thoughts about workplace culture and how managers can embed positive and ethical cultures.
Intro
The list of references used in this track.
Intro
How changes happen in organisations.
Intro
Intro
This micro-lesson reflects on how the external environment is a key driver for organisational change.
Intro
Internal factors can also drive organisations to change.
Intro
Learn the main kinds of change there are.
Intro
Learn more about the units of change analysis: micro, meso and macro.
Intro
Find out the differences between implementing a planned change and an emergent change.
Intro
The benefits and criticisms of different approaches to change.
Intro
What are the skills you must have to be able to promote change in your workplace.
Intro
Understand how people’s reactions to a change can impact the outcomes of it.
Intro
The context of change and how these different aspects can be managed.
Intro
When engaging in change, leaders first need to understand their organisation’s internal situation and the external environment.
Intro
Find out which sources have helped to create this track
Intro
Set up the importance of power and politics in the organisational structure.
Intro
Types of networks
Intro
How influence, power, and authority play an important role in relationships and decision making at the workplace.
Intro
Find out why certain people or roles hold power in organisations.
Intro
Learn more about key aspects that influences relates to the centre of power.
Intro
Different relationships have different levels of power. Find out how that works in the workplace.
Intro
Understand the politics behind many organisation’s decisions.
Intro
How organisations keep control of behavioural aspects within the company.
Intro
Hoe organisations set ethical controls and punish those who do not follow their rules
Intro
Not everyone knows how to deal with power and it is common to misuse. Learn the most common types of misuses at work.
Intro
Bullying and harassament are practices that organisations are seeking to abolish but still possible to find in many places.
Intro
Learn more about how spheres of influence work in the workplace.
Intro
Conflicts are common in human interactions and it would not be different in the workplace. Learn more about their nature and how to deal with them.
Intro
Learn about what toxicity means in the workplace.
Intro
What is more important: knowledge or influence?
Intro
Understanding how power and politics work will prepare you for unexpected situations.
Intro
The list of references used in this track.
Intro
The socio – technological foundations of business, management, leadership and entrepreneurship.
Intro
It is essential that all students of business, management, leadership and entrepreneurship know and understand how the environment of business works in practice.
Intro
Organisations are made of more than the physical structure. There are many intangible assets that are part of the composition of a company.
Intro
Industrial revolutions have shaped the world to what it is nowadays. Learn about how they have affected the way we work and their differences.
Intro
Having goals and setting up strategies to achieve them are important in the workplace. Find out more about them in this micro-lesson.
Intro
There are social and psychological issues to be considered while working.
Intro
A behavioural approach to product and service development, marketing and selling: defining and applying the ‘Packard’ Needs and Wants.
Intro
Organisational and workplace relationships are delivered as the result of technology; and they are changed as the result of technology.
Intro
How technology has changed the way we work and interact with our colleagues at the workplace.
Intro
Product and service design technology delivers service levels and production processes that are as repeatable and assurable as has ever been possible.
Intro
What are the challenges ethics face with the use of technology in organisations?
Intro
Learn how conformity and dissonance conundrum are important in protecting the organisation’s reputation.
Intro
Technology has pushed workers and teams into relevant changes.
Intro
One most the most popular terms in the business has more meanings than many know. Find out more in this micro-lesson.
Intro
It is important to understand the value of technologies for organisations.
Intro
How technology can support company’s development of procedures and workflow.
Intro
By the end of this track, we should understand the importance of technology in the workplace and everything around it.
Intro
List of references for this track.
The Academic Team
Dr Ivan Mitchell
Vision Editor
University of East Anglia
Dr Sarah Warnes
Vision Editor
University College London
Rachel Nayani
Academic Contributor
University of East Anglia
Nicholas Jackson
Academic Contributor
University of Leeds
Richard Pettinger
Academic Contributor
University College London
Nina Sepalla
Academic Contributor
University College London
Marijana Baric
Academic Contributor
University of East Anglia
Hannah Newbury
Academic Contributor
University of Exeter
Jason Macvaugh
Academic Contributor
University of Liverpool
Jan Wilcox-Blake
Academic Contributor
University of Reading
Fran Hyde
Academic Contributor
University Campus Suffolk
Chris Parkin-Hughes
Academic Contributor
University of Exeter
Noelia-Sarah Reynolds
Academic Writer
University of Essex