Overview of HBO 4.

Environment - It forces to institutions or forces

outside the organization that potentially affect the
MODULE 1
organization's performance. It includes suppliers,
Human Behavior-refers to the physical actions of a customers, competitors, government regulatory
person that can be seen or heard such as smiling or agencies, public pressure groups and the like.
whistling.
Benefits of Studying OB
Human Behavior in organization-is referred to as
1. Development of people skills
Organizational Behavior.
2. personal growth
Organizational Behavior-is the study of human behavior,
of the interaction between individuals and the 3. enhancement of organizational and individual
organization, and of the organization itself. effectiveness

The Goal of OB 4.sharpening and refinement of common sense

1. To explain behavior - OB needs to systematically

describe how people behave under a variety of condition
Continuation
and understand why people behave as they do.
Development of People Skills
2. To predict behavior - OB must be used to predict
behavior so, support can be provided to productive and There are 2 types of skills that a person will need to
dedicated employees, and measure could be instituted succeed in his chosen career:
to control disruptive and less productive ones
1. the skill in doing his work
3. To control behavior - OB can offer some means for
2. the skill in relating with people
management to control the behavior of employees.
A person who is much adept in the performance of
The Elements of OB
his work may be successful up to a certain extent. but he
1. People - the internal social system of the organization will require another skill to make other people believe
is composed of individual persons and groups. The that he should be more successful than his career
individual person is inducted as a member of a formal achievement.
group, but soon may become a member of an informal
Ex: a dentist who is well-trained in his discipline but
group.
is avoided by many would-be patients. It is not surprising
2. Structure - the structure defines the formal to see a number of dentists with insufficient number of
relationship of people in the organization. It describes patients. Many of these dentists would benefit from
how job task are formally divided, grouped, and acquiring people skills through the study of OB.
coordinated.
Personal Growth
3. Technology - it refers to the combination of
Personal growth makes a person highly competitive
resources, knowledge, and techniques which people
in the workplace. The chance to achieve personal growth
work and affect the task that that they perform. It
is enhanced by knowledge of OB. For example,
consists of buildings, machines, work process, and
knowledge of the behavior of others through the study of
assembled resources.
OB will help the person understand his own behavior. A
person who strives to know himself better is entering the
realm of interpersonal intelligence, which is a very useful in the workplace? These and similar behaviors in the
type of intelligence for one who wants to achieve his organization happen every now and then. Should the
personal goals. propriety of such behaviors be the concern of the
organization?
Intrapersonal thinking may be described briefly as
one possessed by a person with highly accurate If allowing such actions to become the norm rather
understanding of himself. than the exception, would it be to the best interest of
everyone especially employers and employees?
Enhancement of Organizational and Individual
Answers to the to the foregoing questions permeate a
Effectiveness
body of principles that modern man tries to consider in
Effectiveness is a major attribute of successful the pursuit of his goals.
organization, as well as individuals. When the right
Philosophers maintain the view that a society that
decision are made, effectiveness follows. In decision
has low regard for morals will disintegrate after a period
making, knowledge of OB can be very useful.
of time. To avoid chaos and destruction, and to make
For example, there are persons who perform better life in society possible, adherence to the practice of
when they work in the afternoon. It would be a mistake to moral principles regulating human relations become
make them work in the morning and expect that they will necessary.
perform better. Such errors could be avoided if the one
What is Ethics
authorized to decide on work assignment have
knowledge of OB. Ethics refers to the set of moral choices a person,
makes based on what he or she ought to do.
Sharpening and Refinement of Common Sense
Organizational Ethics-These are moral principles that the
People differ in the degree of common sense they
right or wrong behavior in organizations.
posses. Improvements in this type of ability, however,
can still be made and great benefits can be derived if this Ethical Behavior refers to behavior that is accepted as
is done. morally good and right as opposed to bad and wrong.

For instance, common sense dictates that person What constitutes right and wrong behavior in
working in hot and humid places cannot perform well. organization is determined by:
Common sense, However, cannot easily provide
1. the public
information on the exact temperature that will make them
work at optimum, levels. In those types of concerns, 2. interest group
knowledge of OB may be very useful.
3. organizations
Ethics and Organizational Behavior
4. the individual's personal morals and values
Many organizations use whatever means, fair or foul,
Ethical Issues
to achieve its objectives. Is it alright for a firm to ask its
employee to obtain confidential information through There are important ethical issues that confront
espionage regarding the operations of a competitor? Is it organizations. They consist of the following:
right for a business firm to adapt a policy of hiring only
1. conflict of interest
those who are members of a certain religious sect? Is it
right for organization to allow executives to play favorites 2. fairness and honesty
3. communication

4. relationships within the organization

A conflict of interest exists when a person is in the

position of having to decide whether to advance the
interest of the organization or to operate in his own
personal interests. For instance, the purchasing officer of
a university is in a situation where there is conflict of
interest when he owns the shop that sells office supplies
to the university.

I organizations which practices ethical behavior,

people do not accept bribes to influence the outcome of
a decision.

People in organizations are expected to be fair and

honest. Ethical behavior demands that, beyond obeying
the law, they should not knowingly harm customers,
clients, and competitors through deceptions, coercion or
misrepresentation. For example, a certain agency of the
government would not normally release documents
unless a certain amount of money is handed down to the
releasing clerk.

Within the organization, people may still be

performing unethical acts, for example, employee A
developed an idea that will be very useful to the
organization. Employee B steals the idea and presents it
to the top executive before employee A could present it
himself. This action is highly unethical, and it is to the
detriment of the organization if such actions are allowed
to flourish.