OBR250 - Organizational Behaviour

Subject Title
Organizational Behaviour

Subject Description
This subject introduces the student to fundamental concepts and theories concerning the behaviour of people in workplace organizations. The emphasis is on identifying questions and problems typically encountered by new employees and developing practical strategies and solutions. Contemporary issues and challenges in society are analyzed in terms of their impact on the workplace, on relations between individuals, and on the individual. The course draws on a variety of structured experiential exercises and case studies to apply the concepts of organizational behaviour to practical business issues and situations.

Credit Status
One credit.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject the student will be able to:

Individual Behaviour and Processes:

1. Explain the contemporary Canadian business environment and the context of organizational behaviour.
    
2. Apply theories of personality attributes, values and perceptual process to evaluate individual job behaviour.
    
3. Recognize and describe workplace emotions, attitudes and stress as key influencers of an individual's job behaviour and productivity.
    
4. Recognize how principles and theories of motivation are applied in the workplace and describe their impact on individual and group behaviour and productivity.
    
5. Identify decision-making strategies and describe the importance of creativity in this process.
    

1. Identify and describe the main concepts related to how the individual functions in groups, and how groups and teams accomplish tasks.
    
2. Identify and illustrate the communications process, the points of breakdown and resulting sources of conflict and conflict management techniques.
    
3. Describe the nature and role of power and politics within organization.
    
4. Define and describe leadership in the organizational setting and identify contemporary issues related to leadership.
    

1. Identify and illustrate organizational culture and its importance to organizational structure and culture.

Essential Employability Skills

    •  Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken and visual form that fulfils the purpose and meets the needs of the audience.

    •  Respond to written, spoken, or visual messages in a manner that ensures effective communication.

    •  Apply a systematic approach to solve problems.

    •  Use a variety of thinking skills to anticipate and solve problems.

    •  Locate, select, organize, and document information using appropriate technology and information systems.

    •  Analyze, evaluate, and apply relevant information from a variety of sources.

    •  Show respect for diverse opinions, values, belief systems, and contributions of others.

    •  Interact with others in groups or teams in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and the achievement of goals.

    •  Manage the use of time and other resources to complete projects.

    •  Take responsibility for one's own actions, decisions, and consequences.

Academic Integrity
Seneca upholds a learning community that values academic integrity, honesty, fairness, trust, respect, responsibility and courage. These values enhance Seneca's commitment to deliver high-quality education and teaching excellence, while supporting a positive learning environment. Ensure that you are aware of Seneca's Academic Integrity Policy which can be found at: http://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/about/policies/academic-integrity-policy.html Review section 2 of the policy for details regarding approaches to supporting integrity. Section 2.3 and Appendix B of the policy describe various sanctions that can be applied, if there is suspected academic misconduct (e.g., contract cheating, cheating, falsification, impersonation or plagiarism).

Please visit the Academic Integrity website http://open2.senecac.on.ca/sites/academic-integrity/for-students to understand and learn more about how to prepare and submit work so that it supports academic integrity, and to avoid academic misconduct.

Discrimination/Harassment
All students and employees have the right to study and work in an environment that is free from discrimination and/or harassment. Language or activities that defeat this objective violate the College Policy on Discrimination/Harassment and shall not be tolerated. Information and assistance are available from the Student Conduct Office at student.conduct@senecapolytechnic.ca.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
The College will provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities in order to promote academic success. If you require accommodation, contact the Counselling and Accessibility Services Office at ext. 22900 to initiate the process for documenting, assessing and implementing your individual accommodation needs.

Camera Use and Recordings - Synchronous (Live) Classes
Synchronous (live) classes may be delivered in person, in a Flexible Learning space, or online through a Seneca web conferencing platform such as MS Teams or Zoom. Flexible Learning spaces are equipped with cameras, microphones, monitors and speakers that capture and stream instructor and student interactions, providing an in-person experience for students choosing to study online.

Students joining a live class online may be required to have a working camera in order to participate, or for certain activities (e.g. group work, assessments), and high-speed broadband access (e.g. Cable, DSL) is highly recommended. In the event students encounter circumstances that impact their ability to join the platform with their camera on, they should reach out to the professor to discuss. Live classes may be recorded and made available to students to support access to course content and promote student learning and success.

By attending live classes, students are consenting to the collection and use of their personal information for the purposes of administering the class and associated coursework. To learn more about Seneca's privacy practices, visit Privacy Notice.