Module Writing Template

Course Code: Prof. Elect C1

Course Title: Human Behavior in Organization
College: CBMA
Authors: Roberto G. Medina, Ph.D
Title of the learning resource: Human Behavior in Organization

Topic outline of the entire course

Module 1: An overview of Human Behavior in Organization

Module 2: Individual Differences, Mental Ability, and Personality
Module 3: Learning, Perception, and Attribution
Module 4: Values, Attitudes, and Job Satisfaction
Module 5: Motivation
Module 6: Communication
Module 7: Work Teams and Groups
Module 8: Leadership
Module 9: Performance Management and Rewards
Module 10: Foundations of Organizational Structure
Module 11: Conflict and Negitiation

MODULE 1: AN OVERVIEW OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN

ORGANIZATION
 OUTLINE
AN OVERVIEW OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN ORGANIZATION
1. Human Behavior
2. Organizational Behavior
3. The benefits of studying organizational behavior
4. Brief history of organizational behavior
Ethics and organizational behavior

OUTCOMES
At the end of the unit, the student should be able to:
 Definition of human behavior;
 Identify Organizational goal;
 Explain the benefits of studying organizational behavior (OB);
 Brief history of Organizational Behavior; and
 Explore on the Ethics and organizational behavior

OVERVIEW
For so long, manmade serious attempts to be productive, economic or otherwise.
He did it either individually or in group. In his quest for fulfilling his dreams, he is
always confronted with the risk of failure, and the risk is most often associated with th e
human factor, i.e., him and the others. Even if it was a machine that disrupted the production
process, the person who decided to buy or use the machine faces the risk of placing
his character under suspicion.
It has become clear that the quality and quantity of the output of the individual,
the group, or the organization depend heavily on the actions of the person. It follows
that those who have knowledge of human behavior are better equipped to interact with
individuals, groups, or organization.

LESSON PROPER: Getting started (Pre-assessment, activating prior

knowledge, and/or review), Discussion, activities/tasks, assessment

WHAT IS HUMAN BEHAVIOR

Human behavior refers to the physical actions of a person that can be seen or heard such as
smiling or whistling. With his thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sentiments, the person exhibits
behaviors similar or different when he is in or out of organizations.
Human behavior in organizations is more appropriately referred to as organizational behavior
(OB).
WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Organizational behavior or OB may be defined as the study of human behavior in
organization, of the interaction between individuals and the organization, and of the organization
itself.

The Three Goals of OB

1. To explain behavior
2. To predict behavior
3. To control Behavior

The
Person
With his thoughts,
feelings, emotions, Sentiments

Behavior

IN THE OUT OF THE

ORGANIZATION ORGANIZATION

Figure 1
The Places Where the Person Exhibit His Behavior

In explaining behavior as a goal, OB needs to systematically describe how people behave under a variety of
conditions, and understand why people behave as they do.
OB must be used to predict behavior so support can be provided to productive and dedicated employees,
and measures could be instituted to control the disrupted and productive ones.
OB can offer some means for management to control the behavior of employees. As control is an important
component of effective performance, the usefulness of OB must have overlooked.

The Elements of OB
1. people
2. structure
3. technology
4. environment

The internal social system of the organization is composed of people consisting of

individual persons and groups. The individual person is inducted as a member of a formal group, but
soon, he or she may become a member of an informal group.
The structure defines the formal relationship of people in the organization. It describes how job
tasks are formally divided, grouped and coordinated.

Technology refers to the combination of resources, knowledge and techniques with which people
work and affect the task that they perform. It consists of buildings, machines, work processes, and
assembled resources.

Environment refers to institutions or forces outside the organization that potentially affect the organization's
performance. It includes suppliers, customers, competitors, government regulatory agencies, public pressure groups,
and the like.

The benefits of studying organizational Behavior

The study of OB offers certain benefits. They are as follows:
1. development of people skills;
2. personal growth;
3. enhancement of organizational and individual effectiveness; and
4. sharpening and refinement of common sense.
Development of People Skills
There are two types of skills that a person will need to succeed in his chosen career:
1. the skill in doing his work; and
2. the skill in relating with people.

A person who is much adept in the performance of his work may be successful up to a certain extent, but he
will require another skill to make other people believe that he should be more successful than his current achievement.

An example is the dentist who is well-trained in his discipline but is avoided by many would-be patients. It is not
surprising to see a number of dentists with insufficient number of patients. Many of these dentists would benefit from
acquiring people skills through the study of OB.

Another example is the group of highly productive employees who complain that they are always bypassed in
promotions. Studying OB may help them find answers to their queries.

Personal Growth
Personal growth makes a person highly competitive in the workplace. The chance to achieve personal growth is
enhanced by knowledge of OB. For instance, knowledge of the behavior of others through the study of OB will help the
person understand his own behavior. A person who strives to know himself better is entering the realm of intrapersonal
intelligence, which is a very useful type of intelligence for one who wants to achieve his personal goals.

Intrapersonal thinking may be described briefly as one possessed by a person with highly accurate understanding of
himself or herself.

Enhancement of Organizational and Individual Effectiveness

Effectiveness is a major attribute of successful organizations, as well as individuals. When the right decisions are
made, effectiveness follows. In decision making, knowledge of OB can be very useful.
For instance, there are persons who perform better when they work in the afternoons. It would be a mistake to
make them Work in the morning and expect that they will perform better. Such errors could be avoided if the one
authorized to decide on work assignments have knowledge of OB.

Sharpening and Refinement of Common Sense

People differ in the degree of common sense they possess. Improvement in this type of ability, however, can still
be made and great benefits can be derived if this is done.
For instances common sense dictates that persons working in hot and humid places cannot perform well.
Common sense, however, cannot easily provide information on the exact temperature that will make them work at optimum
levels. In those types of concerns, knowledge of OB may be very useful.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (OB)

History tells us that behind every major accomplishment of man
is some sort of organization? Thousands of years ago, the pyramids of Egypt and the temples in Central
and South America were built by workers recruited from among the populace. Whether or not there were
attempts to make these types of workers perform better can be the subject of inquiry.

It is modern history, however, that provide us with records of how concerned scientists and experts
made studies which have direct or indirect bearing to OB.
The origins of OB can be traced to the following:
1. the human relations approach
a. the scientific management approach by Frederick W. Taylor
b. the human relations approach by Elton Mayo and others
2. the personality theories
a. Freud's model
b• the behaviorist approach by Watson and Skinner
c. the humanist approach by Carl Rogers, Fritz Perls, and Abraham Maslow
 Frederick W. Taylor was the well-known disciple of the scientific management movement. The primary
purpose of scientific management was the application of scientific methods to increase the individual worker s
productivity. Taylor used scientific analysis and experiment to increase worker output. He did it by regarding
individuals as equivalents of machine parts and assigned them specific repetitive tasks.

Elton Mayo and his research team conducted the Hawthorne studies in 1920 to determine what effect hours of
work, periods of rests and lighting might have on worker fatigue and productivity. It was discovered that the social
environment has an equivalent if not greater effect on productivity than the physical environment. Mayo concluded that social
interaction is a factor for increased productivity.

Another group of researchers espoused the personality theories and made significant contributions to the development
of OB.

A great contributor is the psychologist Sigmund Freud who brought the idea that people are motivated by far
more than conscious logical reasoning. Freud believed that irrational motives make up the hidden subconscious mind,
which determines the major part of people's behavior.

Through an approach called behaviorism, another eminent psychologist, J.B. Watson, formulated the theory
about learned behavior. This theory indicates that a person can be trained to behave according to the wish of the trainer.
B.F. Skinner extended Watson's theory with his own theory of behavior modification. Skinner concluded that when
people receive a positive stimulus like money or praise for what they have done, they will tend to repeat their behavior. When
they are ignored and receive no response to the action, they will not be inclined to repeat it.

The humanist movement is another important aspect in the development of OB. It is composed of a group of
psychologists and three prominent contributors — Carl Rogers, Fritz Perls, and Abraham Maslow.

Rogers focused on the person as an individual instead of adhering to a rigid methodology. He believes that people should
acquire their own values and attitudes rather than be committed to a fixed set of prescribed goals. The more self-directed
and aware people are, the better they are able to develop their own individual values and adapt to a changing environment.

Fritz Perls' contribution is the Gestalt psychology wherein the person is seen as being plagued by
numerous split, or conflicting desires and needs, which dissipate energy and interfere with that
person's ability to achieve his potential. The object of Gestalt psychology is to integrate conflicting needs
into an organized whole, in which all parts of a person work together towards growth and development.
For his part, Abraham Maslow forwarded his model which espouses the idea of developing the
personality toward the ultimate achievement of human potential. This process is referred to as self-actualization. To
achieve this objective, the person must work his way Up the succeeding steps of a hierarchy of needs.

ETHICS AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

May an organization use whatever means, fair or foul, to achieve its objectives? Is it alright for a firm
to ask its employee to obtain confidential information through espionage regarding the operations of a
competitor? Is it right for a business firm to adapt a policy of hiring only those who are members of a certain
religious sect? Is it right for organizations to allow executives to play favorites in the workplace? These and
similar behaviors in the organization happen every now and then. Should the propriety of such behaviors be
the concern of organization?
If allowing such actions become the' norm rather than the exception, would it be to the best interest of
everyone especially employers and employees? Answers to the foregoing questions permeate a body of principles
that modern man tries to consider in the pursuit of his goals.
Philosophers maintain the view that a society that has low regard for morals will disintegrate after a period of
time. To avoid chaos and destruction, and to make life in society possible, adherence to the practice of moral
principles regulating human relations become necessary.

What is Ethics
 Ethics refers to the set of moral choices a person makes based on what he or she out do
Organizational Ethics. This are moral principles that define right or wrong behavior in organization.
Ethical Behavior. This refers to behavior that is accepted as morally “good” and “right” as opposed to
“bad” and “wrong”
What constitute right and wrong behavior in organization is determined by:
1. The public
2. Interest groups
3. Organization
4. The individual’s personal morals and values

Ethics Issues
There are important ethical issues that confront organizations. They consist of the following:
1. Conflict of interest
- When a person is in the position of having to decide whether to advance the interest of the organization or to
operate in his or her own personal interests.
2. Fairness and honesty
- People in organizations are expected to be fair and honest.
3. Communication
4. Relationship within the organization

Activities/Task/Assessment
Questions for Review and Discussion
1. Why is the prediction of behavior an important goal of OB?
2. What are the components of the internal social system of the organization
3. How may technology be described as an element of OB.
4. What benefits may be derived from studying OB?
5. What is the specific contribution of Frederick Taylor to the development of OB.
6. In Freud’s opinion, what determines the major part of people’s behavior?
7. What may be expected of a society with low regard for morals?
8. When does “conflict of interest’ exist?

For Research
Prepare a five-page report on the contribution of Abraham Maslow to OB

Case Study
Case 1. STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF REGENTS: What Am I Living For?
Mr. Francisco Bundoc is a successful businessman who operates a chain of restaurant in Central Luzon. He resides in
the capital city of his province and is the current president of the local chapter of a civic organization. He has been recently
appointed member of the board of regents of a state university representing the community as prominent citizen. The university has
campuses in various towns of the province where he lives.
In the meetings held monthly by the board of regents, Mr. Bundoc acted as the champion of the students' cause. When
the university president, Dr. H.C. Agao, proposed an increase in tuition, Mr. Bundoc opposed it, even tried to personally convince
the other members of the board to do the same. The proposal was rejected by a majority vote.
Not accustomed to accepting defeat, Dr. Agao devised a way to make Mr. Bundoc submit to his wishes. He befriended
the wife of Mr. Bundoc and insinuated to her that she can do business with the university through catering services. Mrs. Bundoc
agreed and soon she became the sole food caterer to most of the meetings and parties held at the university. The arrangement
proved to be a lucrative source of income for Mrs. Bundoc.
Every time that she had the opportunity, she told her husband - the importance of maintaining good relationship with Dr.
Agao. Soon, Mr. Bundoc's stand as opposition in the board softened. He became more accommodating to the proposals presented
by Dr. Agao.

Question: Is there anything wrong with the actions of the three personalities in this case? Elaborate your answer.
 SUMMARY
People exhibit certain behavior in and out of organizations. The realization of individual,
group, or organizational goals will depend on the human factor, specifically human behavior.

The goals of OB are to explain, predict, and control behavior.

The elements of OB are people, structure, technology, and environment.

The benefits of studying OB are: (1) the development of people skills; (2) personal growth;
(3) enhancement of organization and individual effectiveness; and (4) sharpening and refinement of
common sense.

OB is not an instant invention of man. Instead, it is a product of several stages of inquiry

into how people behave and how they can be managed to be more productive. Personalities, great
and small, contributed to the development of OB. Taylor, Mayor, Freud, Maslow, are only some of
the more prominent names in the field of OB. The development of OB has not stopped, however, and
the process is still ongoing.

If the organization is expected to survive, its actions must be in consonance with ethical
behavior.

READINGS AND REFERENCES

READINGS
Lesson An overview of human behavior in organization
1

REFERENCES
Lesson https://www.slideshare.net/rajasshrie1/chapter-1-ob-38248150
1