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Instructors: Nina Smidt
Event type:
Seminar
Displayed in timetable as:
HRM_WPe14
Hours per week:
2
Credits:
6,0
Language of instruction:
German/English
Min. | Max. participants:
10 | 32
Comments/contents:
Course overview and objectives
This course serves as an introduction to fundamental concepts of behavior in organizations. The course focuses on nonprofit organizations, although most of the topics covered apply similarly to the for-profit sector. The course offers concepts, theories and tools for analyzing each participant’s own and others’ cognitive, behavioral, and emotional responses to challenges emerging from the complexity of organizational settings.
The themes of the course will be familiar to most participants: perception, motivation, feedback, leadership, conflict, teams and change. During the course, we will systemize existing experiences of class participants and link these to findings from disciplines that contribute to the field of organizational behavior: psychology, social psychology, sociology, economics, political science, and anthropology.
The course starts with the participants’ development of a deeper understanding of how individuals influence and are influenced by the organizations they join. The class will then look at behavior within and between groups in organizational settings.
Finally, the course will take into account practitioners’ perspectives from the non-profit sector: representatives of larger German and international foundations as well as leadership coaches and change consultants will provide their personal insights.
The course will be taught in two intensive block sessions on Campus and one virtual kick-off session:
Session 1 (via ZOOM): December 16, 2022, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Session 2 + 3 (on Campus): January 13/14 and January 27/28
Friday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Teaching method
During the course, we will use a number of approaches to facilitate learning. The basic concepts of each session will be explained at the start of each session. Participants’ own experiences, thoughts and ideas will contribute to the discussion and critical analysis of readings and findings of evidence-based tools.
Readings listed in the course overview should be completed before the sessions for which they are assigned.
We will use one main textbook, “Essentials of Organizational Behavior” by Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge.
There are 10 copies of the book available at the „Fachbibliothek Wirtschaftswissenschaften“:
Signature: LBS QP 342 R636 E78
https://kataloge.uni-hamburg.de/DB=1/XMLPRS=N/PPN?PPN=1631318268
In addition, you have access to the electronic version:
https://beluga.sub.uni-hamburg.de/vufind/Record/897376463
Participant’s evaluation
Class participation
Active class participation in course discussions, group work and preparation of readings is expected.
Individual assignment
The assignment will include an analysis of a personal challenge. Participants will apply the class learning in their analysis and present the findings.
Submission deadline: Presentation on last day of course
Didactic concept:
Session breakdown
1. Individuals in organizations: Personality, values and abilities
After a brief introduction of the course, we will explore the differences among individuals in organizational structures and the impact of these differences on their work and working relationships.
NEO-FFI Instrument: With the help of this tool we will explore the topic of different personalities.
Readings: Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge, “Essentials of Organizational Behavior”, 13th edition: Chapters 1 - 5
2. Individuals in organizations: Individual leadership development session
This session will consist of an individual leadership development session led by Nina Smidt and Andreas Bernhard.
Optional Reading: Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, Konstantin Korotov, Elizabeth Florent-Treacy: Coach and Couch. The Psychology of Making Better Leaders, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
3. Individuals in organizations: Perception and the power of emotions
This session will look at the importance of emotions, moods and non-rational behavior in organizations. It will also explore how managers perceive other people, tasks and situations and how critical stakeholders in organizations perceive them.
Readings: Robbins, Chapters, 4, 6, 7, 8
4. Organizational Systems: Group behavior and teams at work
This session explores the principles behind behavior of people in groups and the consequences for organizations.
Details for the individual assignment will be handed out in this session. The submission deadline is X.
We will start to work on the organizational impact plan.
Readings: Robbins, Chapters 10 - 14
5. Organizational Systems: Managing diverse organizations
This session will take a look at how to manage diverse organizations (gender, culture, religion e.g.). We take a close look at how structures influence behavior of people at work.
Readings: Robbins, 15 and 16
6. Organizational Systems: Leadership as coping with change and social networking
In this session we will look at the challenges of leading in today’s world and dealing with uncertainty.
We will also explore how participants can make effective and long-lasting use of social networks. The session will introduce the concept of the favor economy as a fun tool to exchange ideas, expertise and contacts.
Readings: Robbins, Chapters 12 and 17
7. Presentation of organizational impact plan and individual challenge
This session will consist of group presentations of the organizational impact plans and individual challenge.
8. Presentation of favor economy & wrap-up
This session consists of a group presentation of the favor economy concept.
We will end this course with a short wrap-up and hand out for course evaluations.
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