CSS Business Administration Organizational Behaviour Syllabus

Organizational Behaviour syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Organizational Behaviour in CSS Business Administration, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Foundations of Organizational Behaviour

   4 topics

   • Scope and Importance of OB
   • Levels of OB Analysis
   • Contributing Disciplines
   • Challenges and Opportunities for OB
2. 2

   Individual Behaviour

   4 topics

   • Personality and Values
   • Perception and Attribution
   • Attitudes and Job Satisfaction
   • Emotions and Moods
3. 3

   Group Behaviour and Teams

   4 topics

   • Stages of Group Development
   • Group Properties
   • Building Effective Teams
   • Group Decision Making
4. 4

   Power, Politics and Conflict

   4 topics

   • Bases of Power
   • Organizational Politics
   • Conflict Process and Types
   • Negotiation Strategies
5. 5

   Organizational Culture and Development

   4 topics

   • Creating and Sustaining Culture
   • Organizational Development Interventions
   • Stress and Well-being at Work
   • Work-Life Balance

Organizational Behaviour flashcards for CSS Business Administration

23 of 51 cards from the Organizational Behaviour deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Define Organizational Behaviour (OB).

   OB is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behaviour within organizations, applying that knowledge to make organizations work more effectively.

2. What are the three determinants of behaviour that OB studies?

   Individuals, groups, and structure.

3. What are the three goals of studying organizational behaviour?

   To explain, predict, and control (influence) human behaviour at work.

4. What is the scope of OB?

   It covers the study of individual behaviour, group behaviour, and organizational structure/processes, integrating insights to improve performance, satisfaction, and effectiveness.

5. Why is the study of OB important to managers?

   It develops people skills, helps predict and manage behaviour, improves productivity and job satisfaction, reduces turnover and absenteeism, and aids in managing a diverse workforce and change.

6. What is meant by 'systematic study' in OB, and how does it differ from intuition?

   Systematic study examines relationships using scientific evidence and data to attribute causes and effects, whereas intuition relies on gut feelings about behaviour; OB favours evidence-based management.

7. What are the three levels of analysis in OB?

   The individual level, the group level, and the organizational systems level.

8. Describe the OB model's 'building block' structure across the three levels.

   It builds upward like blocks: the individual level forms the foundation, the group level is added on top, and the organization systems level is layered on top of groups.

9. Give examples of topics studied at the individual level of OB.

   Personality, values, perception, attribution, attitudes, job satisfaction, emotions, moods, motivation, and individual decision making.

10. Give examples of topics studied at the group level of OB.

    Group dynamics, communication, leadership, power and politics, conflict, negotiation, work teams, and group decision making.

11. Give examples of topics studied at the organizational systems level of OB.

    Organizational structure and design, organizational culture, human resource policies and practices, and organizational change.

12. Which behavioural science disciplines contribute to OB?

    Psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology (with some contributions from political science).

13. What does psychology contribute to OB and at what level?

    Psychology contributes mainly at the individual level: learning, motivation, personality, emotions, perception, training, leadership effectiveness, job satisfaction, decision making, attitudes, and stress.

14. What does social psychology contribute to OB?

    It blends psychology and sociology, focusing on people's influence on one another: behavioural change, attitude change, communication, group processes, and group decision making.

15. What does sociology contribute to OB?

    Sociology studies people in relation to their social environment: group dynamics, work teams, communication, power, conflict, intergroup behaviour, organizational culture, and formal organization theory/structure.

16. What does anthropology contribute to OB?

    Anthropology studies societies to learn about humans and their activities: comparative values and attitudes, cross-cultural analysis, organizational culture, and organizational environment.

17. List major challenges and opportunities for OB managers today.

    Responding to economic pressures and globalization, managing workforce diversity, improving customer service and people skills, working in networked/virtual organizations, enhancing employee well-being, creating a positive work environment, and improving ethical behaviour.

18. What is workforce diversity and why is it an OB challenge/opportunity?

    Workforce diversity is the heterogeneity of organizations in terms of gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other differences; managing it well leverages varied talents and viewpoints while requiring fairness and inclusion.

19. What is positive organizational scholarship (positive OB)?

    An area of research that studies how organizations develop human strengths, foster vitality and resilience, and unlock potential, emphasizing what is good rather than only fixing what is wrong.

20. Define personality in OB.

    Personality is the sum total of the ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others; the relatively stable set of characteristics that influence behaviour.

21. What two factors primarily determine personality?

    Heredity (genetic factors) and environment, moderated by the situation.

22. What are the Big Five personality dimensions?

    Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability (vs. Neuroticism), and Openness to Experience.

23. Which Big Five trait is the best overall predictor of job performance?

    Conscientiousness.

See more Organizational Behaviour flashcards →

Planning Organizational Behaviour for CSS Business Administration

Organizational Behaviour (CSS Business Administration) FAQ