Study guide: Mastering Organizational Behavior

Organizational Behavior - Exam Revision Sheet

1. 📌 Essentials

• Organizational Behavior (OB): Study of individual, group, and system dynamics influencing workplace behavior.
• Levels analysis: Individual, group, organizational; interconnected and influence each other.
• Big Five personality traits: Extrav, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Openness.
• Hawthorne effect: Productivity increases when workers are observed.
• Conformity & Obedience: Asch (75% conformity), Milgram (65% obedience to authority).
• Lewin’s Change Model: Unfreeze → Change → Refreeze.
• Organizational culture: Shared values, norms, artifacts; created via stories, rituals, symbols.
• Formalization: High (rules, routines) vs low (autonomy, flexibility).
• Span of control: Optimal 5-6 subordinates.
• Silos: Organizational fragmentation, communication barriers.
• Locus of Control: Internals (self-driven) vs externals (external factors).
• Diversity: Surface (visible) and deep (values); managed for innovation and conflict.
• Heuristics & biases: Quick decision rules prone to errors (e.g., overconfidence, stereotyping).

2. 🧩 Key Structures & Components

• Personality Models: Big Five traits, MBTI, MMPI — measure individual differences.
• Perception: Subjective interpretation of sensory input; influences behavior.
• Organizational Culture: Shared values, norms, artifacts, stories, rituals.
• Organizational Structure:
  • Specialization
  • Departmentalization
  • Chain of command
  • Span of control
  • Formalization
  • Centralization vs decentralization
• Organizational Models:
  • Bureaucratic (rigid, rule-based)
  • Organic (flexible, adaptive)
  • Virtual (outsourced, networked)
• Change Management: Lewin’s model, resistance, driving forces.
• Group Dynamics: Conformity (Asch), obedience (Milgram), social norms (Hawthorne).
• Leadership & Motivation: Emotional intelligence, organizational citizenship.
• Power & Control: Culture as invisible influence, ethical leadership.
• Locus of Control: Internal vs external orientation.
• Diversity: Surface and deep; impacts on team dynamics.

3. 🔬 Functions, Mechanisms & Relationships

• Personality traits influence individual behavior, motivation, and team fit.
• Perception filters sensory input, affecting decision-making and interactions.
• Culture creation involves stories, symbols, rituals that embed shared norms.
• Structure design (formalization, span, centralization) shapes behavior and communication flow.
• Change processes (Lewin) address resistance by unfreezing current norms, implementing change, then refreezing.
• Group influence (Asch, Milgram) demonstrates social pressure impacts conformity and obedience.
• Diversity management leverages surface and deep differences to foster innovation.
• Biases and heuristics simplify decision-making but risk errors.
• Leadership influences organizational climate, motivation, and ethical standards.
• Observation and feedback promote lasting behavioral change.
• Norms guide expected behaviors, reducing friction and conflict.

4. 📊 Comparative Table

5. 🗂️ Hierarchical Diagram

Organizational Behavior
 ├─ Levels of Analysis
 │   ├─ Macro (organization-wide)
 │   ├─ Group (teams, departments)
 │   └─ Individual (personality, perception)
 ├─ Core Concepts
 │   ├─ Culture & Structure
 │   ├─ Decision-Making & Biases
 │   ├─ Change & Norms
 │   └─ Diversity & Leadership
 └─ Influences & Outcomes
     ├─ Motivation
     ├─ Performance
     └─ Organizational Effectiveness

6. ⚠️ High-Yield Pitfalls & Confusions

• Confusing surface diversity with deep diversity; both require different management strategies.
• Assuming personality traits are fixed; they are dynamic and context-dependent.
• Misinterpreting conformity as always negative; sometimes necessary for cohesion.
• Overlooking ethical issues in experiments like Milgram and Zimbardo.
• Believing formalization always improves performance; excessive rules can hinder innovation.
• Confusing centralization with control; decentralization can enhance responsiveness.
• Ignoring culture’s subtle influence; it’s an invisible force shaping behavior.
• Mistaking Locus of Control as solely personality; it’s also influenced by environment.
• Overgeneralizing silos as purely negative; they can protect specialized knowledge.

7. ✅ Final Exam Checklist

• Understand levels of analysis: individual, group, organizational.
• Know Big Five traits and their relevance.
• Differentiate induction (weak) and deduction (strong) reasoning.
• Recognize social influence experiments: Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo.
• Explain Lewin’s change model and resistance strategies.
• Identify elements of culture: stories, rituals, symbols.
• Describe organizational structure dimensions and types.
• Understand formalization and span of control.
• Recognize silos and their impact.
• Differentiate bureaucratic vs organic structures.
• Know power dynamics: culture as invisible control.
• Explain Locus of Control and its implications.
• Understand diversity management: surface vs deep.
• Recognize biases and heuristics affecting decisions.
• Comprehend leadership roles in motivation and ethics.
• Describe change management steps.
• Appreciate psychological safety and its importance.
• Recall experiments and their implications for behavior.
• Understand culture creation and its strategic importance.

End of Revision Sheet