AB 1601
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND DESIGN
Course Description and Scope
People are at the heart of all organizations. The finest hardware, systems, policies, etc., can only
function as effectively as the people implementing them. Thus, ‘heart-ware’ plays a pivotal role in
providing organizations with the edge to not only survive but to thrive amidst the increasing global
competition that pervades the business world in the 21st century. People are a precious resource in any
organization, and if well nurtured and led, will form the cornerstone upon which success can be built.
To stay ahead of the competition, it is imperative that organizations leverage on their people by
developing a committed, confident, cohesive, motivated, engaged and resilient workforce. To achieve
these, leaders must understand behavior in organizations; how people perceive things, what shapes
their attitudes and drives their behavior and how to motivate them to strive for both personal and
organizational goals. Only then can leaders begin to develop human capital, to influence and inspire
their people to achieve organizational excellence.
This course is designed to provide a strong grounded understanding of behavior in organizations.
Through the science of Organizational Behavior, participants will acquire the body of knowledge to
develop key managerial, and leadership competencies required to interact and work effectively with
superiors, peers, and sub-ordinates. The course is also designed with the intent to develop and apply
the various soft skills that are key to the future of work. Amongst other things, the course will provide
insights on:
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Understanding personality and working with people with diverse backgrounds.
The influence of organizational culture on shaping Values, Attitudes, and Behavior.
How to develop and lead effective teams.
How to motivate oneself and others.
How to manage conflict and to cope with change and stress.
Understanding the foundations of leadership
How to manage/negotiate power dynamics.
The antecedents & consequences of organizational commitment, employee engagement, and
job satisfaction.
Course Learning Objectives
This course is designed to achieve the following objectives:
(a)
Provide an understanding of the fundamentals of Organizational Behavior.
(b)
Demonstrate how various theoretical frameworks and concepts can be applied to better
understand real-life situations.
(c)
Develop critical and creative Thinking Skills in tandem with NTU’s learning competency
framework. The former will facilitate the analysis of ideas, evaluation of options and the synthesis of
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diverse arguments. The latter is important for the generation of novel ideas for complex problems that
are not easily resolved via traditional tried and tested methods.
(d)
Apply OB theories to real-life situations so that the learners are preparing for the future of work
from year 1 onwards.
(e)
Develop interpersonal competencies to motivate self and inspire others.
(f)
Develop teamwork skills needed to build high-performing teams.
Course Assessments
Allocation of Marks Remarks
Components
Creative Thinking Assignment
Critical Thinking Assignment
Competency-based Assessment
Quizzes
Class Participation & Participation in Research
Peer Appraisal
Team Presentation
Total
20
20
20
20
10
5
5
100
Individual
Individual
Individual
Individual
Individual
Individual
Team
Textbook
A customized version of Kreitner, R. & Kinicki, A. 2013. Organizational Behavior and Design.10th
Edition. McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Proposed Weekly Schedule
Week
Week 1
Topic
Organizational Behavior: The Quest for People-Centered Organizations and
Ethical Conduct
Week 2
Thematic Study:
 Creativity & Innovation
 Critical Thinking
Week 3
Organizational Culture, Socialization, and Mentoring
Week 4
Individual Differences and the Road to Success
Week 5
Values, Attitudes, Job Satisfaction & Counter-productive Work Behaviors
Week 6
Social Perception & Attributions
Week 7
Foundations of Motivation
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Week 10
Recess Week
Group Dynamics
Developing and Leading Effective Teams
Managing Conflict and Negotiation
Week 11
Technology-Enable Learning: Influence, Empowerment, and Politics
Week 12
Leadership
Week 13
Managing Change and Stress
Week 9
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