This is a graduate level course and students need to apply and be approved to one of the graduate programs or as a non-program School of Computing and Information Systems graduate student in order to take this course. Minimum admission requirements must be met. Undergraduate students who do not meet admission requirements will not normally be permitted to take this course.
Workload: Approximately 20–25 hours per week (readings: 7 hours/week; assignments: 7 hours/week; course discussion: 7 hours/week).
Overview
This course introduces the field of organizational behaviour (OB) and explores the connections between organizational behaviour and information technology.
Organizational behaviour is the study of behaviour by individuals and groups in organizations, and of how those individuals and groups use organizations to accomplish their objectives. OB specialists attempt to understand what and why people do, think, and feel in the work context, and how this impacts organizational effectiveness. OB topics include organizational structure, individual differences and motivation, creating and maintaining strong work teams, organizational power and politics, organizational culture, leadership, and more.
For those working in the field of information technology (IT), organizational behaviour is a critical topic. It adds to the understanding of IT issues such as technology design, implementation, and adoption. It provides theory to better understand IT organizations. Professionals implementing information systems and technology in organizations need to understand how these systems impact organizational behaviour. These connections and others are explored in this course.
Outline
Unit 1: Introduction to Organizational Behaviour: The Power of Reframing
Unit 2: Reframing: Simple Ideas, Complex Organizations
Unit 3: The Structural Frame: Organizational Structure
Unit 4: The Structural Frame: Organizing Groups and Teams
Unit 5: The Human Resource Frame: People, Organizations, and Human Resources
Unit 6: The Human Resource Frame: Interpersonal and Group Dynamics
Unit 7: The Political Frame: Power, Conflict, and Coalition
Unit 8: The Symbolic Frame: Organizational Culture
Unit 9: Integrating Frames and Reframing
Unit 10: Reframing Leadership
Unit 11: Organizational Change and Ethics
Unit 12: Change and Leadership for Organizational Sustainability
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to
explain the foundational concepts of organizational behaviour.
apply organizational behaviour theory in analyzing business problems.
apply organizational behaviour theory in analyzing information technology concepts.
explain the influence of information technology on organizational behaviour.
explain how information technology can be used to resolve organizational behaviour issues.
Evaluation
To receive credit for COMP 506, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least B– (70 percent) and an average grade of at least 60 percent on the assignments.
The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Discussions
30%
Case 1 – analyzed in groups
15%
Case 2 – analyzed individually
25%
Course Journal
30%
Total
100%
Materials
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (7th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. (eText)
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.