Learning Objectives

Organizational Behavior and Opportunity: Chapter Objectives

Chapter 1: Organizational Behavior and Opportunity: Chapter Overview

Первая мировая война. Роль России на ее разных этапах. Версальско-Вашингтонская система послевоенного устройства мира.

Опыт российского парламентаризма (I - IV Государственные Думы).

Зарождение парламентаризма в России. I-IV Государственные Думы.

Конституционные реформы, проведенные царским правительством в ходе и после революции 1905— 1907 гг., внесли ряд изменений в государственный строй России. Булыгинский проект (1905) создания высшего законосовещательного представительного органа — Государственной думы, а затем Манифест 17 октября 1905 г. заложили основы формирования этого органа власти. Члены Думы избирались сроком на 5 лет; возрастной ценз избирателей— 25 лет; голосование велось по куриям (группам избирателей), выборы не были равными: права голоса не имели женщины, военнослужащие, некоторые категории рабочих, часть “инородцев”. Верхний палатой парламента стал Государственный совет, имевший право вето. Император сохранял за собой всю полноту власти: правительство было ответственно лишь перед ним, он имел право распустить Думу, принимать указы без ее ведома. Таким образом, в России возникла новая форма государственного устройства — “думская” монархия, не являвшаяся еще конституционной в чистом виде. В 1 Государственной думе (27 апреля — 8 июля 1906 г.) большинство составляли кадеты и трудовики (крестьяне демократической ориентации). Председателем был кадет Муромцев. II Государственная Дума (20 февраля — 3 июня 1907 г) состояла из социал-демократов, кадетов и эсеров. Председателем был кадет Головин. Основная борьба разгорелась по аграрному вопросу. Оба созыва Думы, “разжигающие в народе революционные настроения”, были распущены. 3 июня 1907 г. был принят новый избирательный закон, ограничивавший права крестьян и рабочих. III Дума (1907—1912), в которой преобладали октябристы и крайне правые, проводила политику лавирования между различными политическими силами. В IV Думе (1912—1917) большинство мест получили октябристы, правые и кадеты. Первая мировая война и порожденные ею трудности и проблемы определили переход части членов IV Думы, в том числе и октябристов, в оппозицию к царскому правительству. Опыт российского парламентаризма, накопленный за годы деятельности 1—IV Государственной думы, представляет значительный интерес в условиях проводимых в наше время общественных преобразований и реформ.

After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following:

1 Define organizational behavior.

2 Identify four action steps for responding positively in times of change.

3 Identify the important system components of an organization.

4 Describe the formal and informal elements of an organization.

5 Understand the diversity of organizations in the economy, as exemplified by the six focus organizations.

6 Recognize the opportunities that change creates for organizational behavior.

7 Demonstrate the value of objective knowledge and skill development in the study of organizational behavior.

CarMax decided to enter and change the used-car businesses. © Tannen Maury/epa/Corbis View PDF

Changing the Used-Car Business…

Courtesy of CarMax

There are a variety of preconceptions and stereotypes about the used-car business in modern American mythology. Jokes about used-car salesmen have been kicked around for decades. CarMax decided to enter and change the used-car business. Many of the industry's analysts were skeptical about the ability of the new kid on the block in the early 1990s. By the late 2000s, CarMax had in fact made a positive impact, one that AutoNation attempted to replicate and failed, exiting the used-car business in 1999. CarMax has succeeded through its own unique formula rather than through intensely competitive, cutthroat tactics. They are winning the game in the used-car industry and they are winning it the CarMax way, their way.¹

The CarMax way is to emphasize ethical business dealings, no-haggle pricing, and customer service. These are the three pillars of the company's success. While most used-car dealers tell you that they do not put frame or structurally damaged cars on their lots, and most reputable dealers in fact do not, CarMax goes the extra mile in showing that it does not do so. Integrity is at the core of the

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company's ethical business practices. In addition to good used cars, CarMax does not engage in high pressure pricing or haggling. They are upfront about the pricing and explain to customers what is going to happen at every step along the path to owning that used car. The low-keyed sales approach was viewed very skeptically in the early years yet the company has done very well, with over 100 used-car superstores in their system by 2010. The low-key approach does not mean low profitability. CarMax averages $1,878 in gross profit on each used car, compared with $1,700 in gross profit for new car dealerships that sell used cars.

Customers are not going to pay extra for no reason; they are not stupid. The third leg in CarMax's three-pronged approach is to emphasize customer service. Customers walk into one of the company's superstores and most of them walk away very satisfied with the experience. They do not feel that the sales people are attempting to extract money from them. Along with the integrity of ethical business practices is the focus on the customer and the customer's needs. A satisfied customer is often a repeat customer over the long term. After more than a decade of success, however, CarMax faced a real challenge to its business model during the sharp 2008–2009 economic downturn. Would the company's three-way approach be enough to meet the challenges brought about by a weakening economy and slowing auto sales?

Human Behavior in Organizations Pages 4 to 8

Understanding Human Behavior

Interdisciplinary Influences

Behavior in Times of Change

1. Define organizational behavior.

Human behavior in organizations is complex and often difficult to understand. Organizations have been described as clockworks in which human behavior is logical and rational, but they often seem like snake pits to those who work in them.² The clockwork metaphor reflects an orderly, idealized view of organizational behavior devoid of conflict or dilemma because all the working parts (the people) mesh smoothly. The snake pit metaphor conveys the daily conflict, stress, and struggle in organizations. Each metaphor reflects reality from a different perspective—the organization's versus the individual's point of view. These metaphors reflect the complexity of human behavior, the dark side of which is seen in cases of air rage and workplace violence. On the positive side, the Gallup Organization's Marcus Buckingham suggests that people's psychological makeup is at the heart of the emotional economy.³

This chapter is an introduction to organizational behavior. The first section provides an overview of human behavior in organizations, its interdisciplinary origins, and behavior in times of change. The second section presents an organizational context within which behavior occurs and briefly introduces the six focus companies used selectively in the book. The third section highlights the opportunities that exist in times of change and challenge for people at work.⁴ The fourth section addresses the ways people learn about organizational behavior and explains how the text's pedagogical features relate to the various ways of learning. The final section of the chapter presents the plan for the book.

Organizational behavior is individual behavior and group dynamics in organizations. The study of organizational behavior is primarily concerned with the psychosocial, interpersonal, and behavioral dynamics in organizations. However,

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organizational variables that affect human behavior at work are also relevant to the study of organizational behavior. These organizational variables include jobs, the design of work, communication, performance appraisal, organizational design, and organizational structure. Therefore, although individual behavior and group dynamics are the primary concerns in the study of organizational behavior, organizational variables are also important.

This section briefly contrasts two perspectives for understanding human behavior, the external and the internal perspectives. The section then discusses six scientific disciplines from which the study of organizational behavior has emerged and concludes with a discussion of behavior in times of change.

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