Study organizational behaviour at Western Continuing Studies

Gain valuable insights into how people behave at work.

By Nicole Laidler

Have you ever wondered why some organizations flourish while others flounder? Chances are good that an examination of organizational behaviour can reveal some important clues.

Broadly speaking, organizational behaviour is the study of how individuals interact within groups, says Melanie Molnar, who teaches Organizational Behaviour at Western Continuing Studies. “People are the most important part of an organization,” she explains. “So, understanding what makes them tick is really important in order to keep them motivated and interested in the work that they’re doing.”

Why understanding organizational behaviour matters

In addition to keeping employees happy, having an understanding of organizational behaviour can help companies boost productivity and performance, spur innovation, and cultivate leadership within their workforce. 

Formal research into how people interact at work began in the 1920s with a study of workers at the Western Electric Company in Illinois. Surprisingly, it found that having a good relationship with co-workers and feeling appreciated by management had the greatest positive impact on employee productivity.  

Today, the academic study of organizational behaviour continues to focus on four key factors: people, structure, technology, and the environment. 

Four factors that influence how people interact at work

People

“Everyone is different. We all bring our own background to a workplace,” notes Molnar, who holds a Doctor of Educational Leadership from Western University.  Understanding that people come with different personalities, values, and communication styles is an important first step to cultivating a positive work environment. 

Structure

Structure includes everything from job descriptions and compensation to organizational structure. Most companies are hierarchical or pyramid-shaped, while others may have a horizontal or even circular organizational structure.

Technology

The type of resources, tools, and machinery provided to employees can make a big difference in how a workplace functions. 

Environment

This includes both the internal environment – office space, furniture and lighting etc. – and external factors like customers, the economy, and politics.    

Learn organizational behaviour at Western Continuing Studies

The organizational behaviour course at Western Continuing Studies can be taken as a stand-alone credit or applied toward the Professional Certificate in Business Management or the Professional Certificate in Project Management. 

Taught online with real-time learning, the 13-week course covers topics including leadership, decision-making, conflict negotiation, organizational structure, and change. 

“We take a broad approach to organizational behaviour,” notes Molnar. “We look at individual work, team or group work, employee motivation, performance, productivity, and communication.” The course also explores cultural diversity in the workplace and how companies can recruit, retain and deploy workers to achieve their goals, she says. “We examine each component and then bring everything together.”

Students should expect to spend about six hours every week on course requirements and are expected to attend a one-hour virtual lecture. “I prefer to call it a discussion,” Molnar says. “I encourage students to share their own experiences and how they have shaped their view of the world or their own organization. Hearing other perspectives and how that aligns with the theory we’re talking about really enriches the classroom environment.” 

MELANIE MOLNAR

Teaches Organizational Behaviour at Western Continuing Studies and holds a Doctor of Educational Leadership from Western University.

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