PDF versionModule Leader
Lecturer
Dr C Rook
Timing and Structure
Michaelmas term. 8 lectures.
Aims
The aims of the course are to:
- Provide students with a broad and critical understanding of the key issues and concepts in Organisational Behavior.
- Stimulate both appreciation and critical consideration of current Organisational Behaviour research.
- Allow students to reflect on their own experience, extrapolate and develop better people skills.
- Prepare students for future roles in which they need to work with individuals and groups in organisations.
Objectives
As specific objectives, by the end of the course students should be able to:
- Understand the central issues in work organizations.
- Understand how these issues have changed over time.
- Understand how these link to practical situations.
- Understand the nature and problems of organizational change.
Content
3E6: Organisational Behaviour is an eight-lecture course delivered in the Michaelmas term. Organisational behaviour (OB) studies the psychology and work-related activities of employees and workgroups in an organisational context. Employees in organisations experience various issues related to the field of OB and should be aware of how these issues affect their working lives. The topics in this course include organisational culture, attitudes, perceptions, motivations, leadership, team dynamics, creativity, innovation, understanding personalities and more.
Students enrolled in this course will become familiar with theories and research in OB and will learn to think critically about the research in OB. I encourage you to think of yourself not as a student but as a “manager in training” to get the most out of this course.
Because your organisational experience may be somewhat limited at this stage, I will do my best to create in-class activities that enable you to apply your learning to the real world. My goal is that you will learn as much as possible about organisational behaviour and will be able to exploit its practical applications.
1. Introduction to OB
2. Personality
3. Decision Making
4. Motivation
5. Group Dynamics
6. Leadership
7. Culture
8. Stress and Health in Organisations
Note 1: The topical order of the eight lectures may change. The order is not important at all because each topic is independent of the others.
Coursework
You may choose to submit coursework. This may be used to contribute to the coursework part of your portfolio; it does not form part of the assessment for this module. The coursework consists of an essay of maximum 2,000 words (excluding titles, footnotes, figures, references).
Assessment criteria for essays are:
- clear, accurate and relevant to the question set and supported by appropriate use of a business case;
- effective organisation and prioritisation of material; usually, on the basis of a theme or argument (a collage of information with no coherent argument should be avoided);
- clear and logical analyses with theory and a business case used to advance the analysis;
- knowledge of relevant lecture material and related literature;
- creativity in discussion and analyses.
You must submit your essay by Monday, 15th December 2025, 5pm via Moodle. Late submissions will be penalized.
The Topic of Course Work (Case Study)
Why should organisations invest in employee mental health and well-being? Critically examine the organisational, ethical, and performance-related reasons for supporting employee mental health, drawing on relevant theories, and build a case for this. In your response, consider:
- The relationship between mental health, employee engagement, and productivity
- Organisational culture and leadership’s role in supporting well-being
- Ethical responsibilities
- The long-term impact of neglecting employee mental health
- Relevant Organisational Behaviour theories
Booklists
Please refer to the Booklist for Part IIA Courses for references to this module, this can be found on the associated Moodle course.
Examination Guidelines
Please refer to Form & conduct of the examinations.
Last modified: 26/09/2025 16:57