Organizational Behavior

What you'll learn

• Explain what organizational behavior studies, analyze problems at the individual, group and organizational levels and evaluate evidence using research, data, expertise and stakeholder views.
• Describe personality, abilities and values, interpret Big Five profiles responsibly, compare the validity of selection methods and apply Title VII, ADEA and ADA rules to individual differences.
• Explain how perception and attribution work, identify common biases, calibrate ratings with z-scores and check selection outcomes for adverse impact, including outcomes of AI tools.
• Analyze job satisfaction, commitment and engagement, compute and interpret engagement survey statistics and eNPS, estimate the cost of turnover and explain emotional labor and emotional contagion.
• Compare needs, self-determination, goal-setting, self-efficacy, reinforcement, expectancy and equity theories of motivation, and calculate motivational force and equity ratios.
• Design motivating jobs using the job characteristics model, evaluate variable pay, recognition and flexible work, and apply state pay-transparency laws and the Equal Pay Act.
• Explain how groups develop and how roles, norms, size, cohesiveness, diversity and psychological safety affect team effectiveness, including in hybrid and virtual teams.
• Evaluate individual and group decisions, recognize biases such as anchoring and escalation of commitment, apply expected value and weighted scoring and use techniques that improve group decisions and creativity.
• Analyze bases of power, dependence, network position, influence tactics and organizational politics, and explain how US law addresses harassment and retaliation.
• Compare trait, behavioral, contingency, LMX, transformational, ethical, servant and inclusive approaches to leadership and choose leader behaviors to fit followers and situations.
• Diagnose types and sources of conflict, choose conflict-handling styles, explain third-party resolution and negotiate using BATNA, ZOPA, interests and logrolling.
• Diagnose organizational culture and structure, plan change using Lewin's and Kotter's models and integrate course tools into an evidence-based organizational diagnosis.