Organizational Behavior

Course Description

MAN3240 – Organizational Behavior is a 3-credit-hour upper-division course that examines human behavior in workplace settings, drawing on theory and research from psychology, sociology, anthropology, and management science. The course analyzes individual, group, and organizational-level dynamics to help students understand and influence behavior in modern organizations.

Students develop frameworks for analyzing workplace behavior and skills for leading, motivating, and collaborating with others. Topics include personality and individual differences, motivation, learning, perception, decision-making, group dynamics, team effectiveness, leadership, communication, conflict, organizational culture, and change management. Coursework typically incorporates case analyses, applied projects, self-assessments, and team-based assignments.

MAN3240 is a Florida common course offered at approximately 37 Florida institutions, primarily four-year universities and Florida College System institutions offering bachelor's degrees in business and related fields. As a 3000-level course, it is upper-division coursework typically taken by junior- or senior-year business administration, management, human resources, and related majors. It transfers as the equivalent course at all Florida public postsecondary institutions per SCNS articulation policy.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Define organizational behavior as a field of study and explain its multidisciplinary foundations and contributions to management practice.
• Analyze individual differences — including personality (Big Five, MBTI), values, attitudes, perceptions, and emotions — and their effects on workplace behavior and outcomes.
• Apply major theories of motivation — content theories (Maslow, Herzberg, McClelland) and process theories (expectancy, equity, goal-setting, self-determination, reinforcement) — to workplace situations.
• Analyze group dynamics and team effectiveness, including group development, role and norm formation, cohesion, groupthink, and high-performance team characteristics.
• Compare and contrast major leadership theories — trait, behavioral, contingency (Fiedler, path-goal, situational leadership), transformational, transactional, servant, and authentic leadership.
• Apply principles of effective workplace communication, including barriers, channels, nonverbal communication, listening, and the impact of digital communication.
• Analyze workplace conflict and negotiation, including sources of conflict, conflict-handling styles (Thomas-Kilmann), and integrative vs. distributive negotiation.
• Analyze power, politics, and influence in organizations, including sources of power and influence tactics.
• Examine organizational culture, including how culture is established, transmitted, and changed, and the relationship between culture and organizational effectiveness.
• Apply change management frameworks (Lewin's three-step, Kotter's eight-step) to plan and implement organizational change.
• Analyze contemporary workplace issues, including workforce diversity, work-life balance, virtual work, and ethical decision-making.
• Apply OB concepts to case analyses and real-world organizational situations.

Optional Outcomes

• Apply OB concepts in cross-cultural and international contexts using frameworks such as Hofstede's cultural dimensions, GLOBE, and Trompenaars.
• Examine positive organizational behavior (POB) and positive psychology applications in the workplace.
• Analyze emotional intelligence (Goleman) and its role in leadership and team effectiveness.
• Examine stress and well-being in organizations, including sources of stress and intervention approaches.
• Apply evidence-based management principles to organizational decision-making.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Introduction to Organizational Behavior: Definition, history, multidisciplinary foundations, levels of analysis (individual, group, organization), contemporary challenges.
• Individual Differences: Personality (Big Five, MBTI, Dark Triad), values (Schwartz, generational), attitudes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment, engagement), perception, emotions and moods.
• Motivation — Content and Process Theories: Maslow's hierarchy of needs; Alderfer's ERG; Herzberg's two-factor theory; McClelland's needs theory; Vroom's expectancy theory; Adams' equity theory; Locke's goal-setting theory; Deci/Ryan's self-determination theory; reinforcement theory; job characteristics model; designing motivating jobs.
• Decision-Making: Rational decision-making model; bounded rationality; heuristics and biases; group decision-making; ethical decision-making.
• Groups and Teams: Group vs. team; stages of group development (Tuckman); team types; team composition (Belbin roles); team effectiveness; groupthink; team-based reward systems; virtual teams.
• Communication: Communication process; channels and richness; barriers; nonverbal communication; active listening; cross-cultural communication; digital and virtual communication.
• Leadership: Trait theories; behavioral theories (Ohio State, Michigan, Blake/Mouton); contingency theories (Fiedler, House's path-goal, Hersey/Blanchard situational); transformational vs. transactional; servant leadership; authentic leadership; LMX theory.
• Power, Politics, and Influence: Sources of power (French/Raven); influence tactics; organizational politics; impression management.
• Conflict and Negotiation: Sources of conflict; functional vs. dysfunctional conflict; Thomas-Kilmann conflict styles; integrative vs. distributive negotiation; mediation and arbitration.
• Organizational Structure and Design: Mechanistic vs. organic structures; departmentalization; centralization; chain of command; spans of control; common organizational designs (functional, divisional, matrix, network).
• Organizational Culture: Definition; functions; types (clan, adhocracy, market, hierarchy — Cameron/Quinn); transmission mechanisms; ethical and innovative cultures; culture change.
• Organizational Change: Forces for change; resistance to change; Lewin's three-step model; Kotter's eight-step process; learning organizations.
• Diversity, Inclusion, and Workforce Trends: Diversity dimensions; inclusion; managing diverse teams; remote/hybrid work; gig economy.

Optional Topics

• Cross-Cultural Organizational Behavior: Hofstede's dimensions; GLOBE study; Trompenaars; expatriate management.
• Emotional Intelligence: Goleman's EI framework; applications in leadership and teams.
• Stress and Well-Being: Stressors; consequences; individual and organizational interventions; psychological safety.
• Positive Organizational Behavior: Strengths-based approaches; psychological capital (PsyCap); positive deviance.
• Evidence-Based Management: Use of scientific evidence in management practice.

Resources & Tools

• Common Textbooks: Organizational Behavior (Robbins/Judge), Organizational Behavior: Improving Performance and Commitment in the Workplace (Colquitt/LePine/Wesson), Organizational Behavior: Real Solutions to Real Challenges (Phillips/Gully), Organizational Behavior (Kreitner/Kinicki)
• Open Educational Resources: Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, Saylor Academy organizational behavior modules, Lumen Learning
• Online Platforms: MyLab Management (Pearson), Connect (McGraw-Hill), MindTap (Cengage) — typically required for homework and case analyses
• Self-Assessments: Big Five Personality (IPIP-NEO), MBTI (paid), DiSC, conflict-style inventories (Thomas-Kilmann), leadership style assessments — frequently integrated into the course
• Case Sources: Harvard Business School cases, Ivey cases, MIT Sloan Management Review cases, real-time business news (Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg)
• Professional Standards: Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Body of Competency and Knowledge; HR Certification Institute (HRCI) frameworks; Academy of Management Code of Ethics

Career Pathways

MAN3240 develops competencies foundational to management and human resources careers and is required by most Florida bachelor's-level business programs. Career paths supported include:

• Human Resources (SOC 13-1071, 13-1141) — HR generalist, HR specialist, HR manager, talent acquisition, employee relations, organization development.
• General and Operations Manager (SOC 11-1021) — Front-line, mid-level, and senior operational leadership.
• Training and Development Specialist (SOC 13-1151) — Designing and delivering organizational training programs.
• Management Analyst / Consultant (SOC 13-1111) — Internal or external consulting roles diagnosing and improving organizational effectiveness.
• Project Manager — Leading cross-functional teams; combined with PMP or similar credentials.
• Sales and Marketing Management — Team-leadership roles in sales organizations and marketing departments.
• Healthcare Administration — Healthcare management roles where understanding workforce dynamics is essential.
• Public Sector Management — Federal, state, and local government leadership roles.

Florida's diverse economy — encompassing tourism and hospitality, healthcare, financial services, technology, aerospace, and trade — creates broad demand for managers and HR professionals trained in organizational behavior. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Florida State Council and local chapters provide professional networking and continuing education.

Special Information

General Education and Transfer

MAN3240 is a Florida common course number that transfers as the equivalent course at all Florida public postsecondary institutions per SCNS articulation policy. It is a required core course in most Florida bachelor's-level business administration, management, marketing, accounting, finance, and human resources programs.

Certification Preparation

MAN3240 content aligns with knowledge domains in several professional credentials:

• SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) — Foundational HR credential; OB content aligns with the People knowledge domain.
• Professional in Human Resources (PHR) — HRCI's foundational HR credential.
• Certified Manager (CM) — Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM) credential.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) — While requiring project management experience, PMP exam content includes leadership, team management, and stakeholder engagement aligned with OB principles.

Prerequisite Considerations

As an upper-division course, MAN3240 typically requires junior standing or completion of business core lower-division coursework. Most institutions require at least one of the following: MAN3025 (Principles of Management), upper-division status, or admission to a business program. The content depth and case analysis methodology assume college-level reading, writing, and analytical skills.

Course Format Variations

MAN3240 is offered in multiple formats across Florida institutions: traditional face-to-face, hybrid, fully online (asynchronous and synchronous), and accelerated formats (8-week sessions). The fully online format is particularly common given the upper-division audience of working professionals completing bachelor's degrees.