GRA 2205 Organisational Behaviour
GRA 2205 Organisational Behaviour
Organizational behaviour (OB) is a field of study focused on understanding, explaining, and improving how individuals and groups behave within an organizational context. It is a discipline that draws heavily from the behavioral science disciplines, notably psychology, social psychology, and sociology. Through the study of OB, we can better explain, predict, and influence individual and group behavior in organizations, and manage others – and ourselves – more effectively in these contexts.
This course is designed to give an overview of the most important topics and concepts within the field of OB. It provides a foundation for many of the specialization courses in the Leadership and Organizational Psychology programme.
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Describe and critically assess important OB theories and research
- Explain and anticipate individual and group behavior in organizational settings, and identify the implications of this behavior, using relevant OB theories and models
- Understand and anticipate one’s own behavior in organizational settings, and identify the implications of this behavior, using relevant OB theories and models
Students completing the course should be able to:
- Communicate and discuss main theories and research from the field in both academic and professional contexts
- Apply knowledge gained in the course to analyze individual/group behavior in organizational settings as well as diagnose and address problems arising in this context
- Monitor and mold their own behavior in work settings to become a more effective colleague, team member, or leader
As a result of this course, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a broad understanding of how and why different forms of behavior unfold in organizational settings
- Critically evaluate and challenge processes/methods used in organizations to influence the behavior of individuals and groups, and contribute to improvement in this area
- Develop a deeper awareness of one’s own organizational behavior and how it could affect others
Topics covered in the course include:
- Work performance and organizational misbehavior
- Perceptions and individual differences
- Motivation and engagement
- Learning and self-management
- Workplace stressors, stress-related outcomes, and coping
- Team formation and functioning
- Decision making and conflict management
- Leadership and influence processes
- Organizational culture and climate
- Organizational change and development
The course is structured as a combination of lectures, discussions, activities, and assignments. It requires preparation ahead of class (e.g., reading), active involvement during the semester (e.g., contributing to class discussions, participating in group activities), and work outside of class (e.g., working on hand-in assignments). Class attendance is not compulsory, but the learning and academic performance of students who do not attend class will be hindered by missing these interactive sessions. Is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.
All parts of the assessment must be passed in order to get a grade in the course.
All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have spesific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.
| Assessments |
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Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Weight: 60 Grouping: Individual Duration: 48 Hour(s) Comment: This 48-hour, take-home examination will require students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts, theories, and examples from the course through their response to a set of short-answer questions. Exam code: GRA22052 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Multimedia production Weight: 40 Grouping: Group (2 - 5) Duration: 1 Semester(s) Comment: In this assignment, students will work in groups to identify, analyze, and develop a plan for resolving a key OB problem that a self -selected organization is facing. The assignment consists of a report and video "pitch" of the proposed solution. Exam code: GRA22053 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.