Course 2025-2026 a.y.

30465 - ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Department of Management and Technology

Course taught in English

Student consultation hours
13
BESS-CLES (8 credits - I sem. - OB  |  SECS-P/08)
Course Director:
TATIANA BALUSHKINA

Classes: 13 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 13: TATIANA BALUSHKINA


Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

To understand economic and social phenomena, students in Economics and Social Sciences apply a combination of economic, quantitative, and social science tools. However, success in professional environments also depends on the ability to collaborate with others, report to supervisors, lead teams, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics. A solid understanding of the human side of management is, therefore, an essential complement to expertise in economics. This course introduces the field of organizational behavior - the study of what people think, feel, and do in and around organizations - as well as to the application of social psychology to human behavior in organizational contexts. It explores interactions among individuals and teams and explains how employees and organizations engage with their external environments. Topics are discussed at multiple levels of analysis: individual, team, and organization. Examples consider both profit and non-profit organizations. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to enter their careers as proactive, self-motivated professionals who work effectively with others and contribute to organizational effectiveness.

CONTENT SUMMARY

  • Introduction to Organizational Behavior
  • Individual Behavior, Personality, and Values
  • Workplace Emotions, Attitudes, and Stress
  • Motivation
  • Team Dynamics
  • Communication
  • Power and Influence
  • Leadership
  • Organizational structure
  • Organizational culture
  • Human resource management
  • Organizational change

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

  • Describe and understand organizational behavior and social psychology concepts and theories

  • Understand the functioning of an organization as a system and the connections between individual, team, and organizational levels of analysis

  • Discuss best practices used by organizations to manage human resources

  • Demonstrate the self-awareness, knowledge, and proficiency necessary to be effective organizational citizens

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

  • Apply organizational behavior and social psychology concepts and theories to real-world problems faced by employees and managers

  • Analyze practices used by organizations to manage human resources

  • Apply and further develop teamwork, communication, and leadership skills


Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Collaborative Works / Assignments
  • Interaction/Gamification

DETAILS

Classes consist of theoretical modules and practical applications, including a guest talk, case study discussions, and other individual and team-based exercises.


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
   x x
  • Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Attending students must:

  1. Reach the attendance threshold and actively participate in class sessions.

  2. Complete the group project (30% of the grade).

  3. Take partial exams or the general exam for attending students in the designated exam slots (70% of the grade).

Group project: the goal of this assignment is to analyze and apply theoretical concepts to a real organization. Groups should consist of around 8–9 people, with a maximum of 12 groups in total. Group composition will be at the students’ discretion. The instructions will be provided in the detailed course syllabus.

Exams: students may choose either (1) the 1st partial exam (35%) and the 2nd partial exam (35%), or (2) the general exam (70%). The exams include true/false and multiple-choice questions based on the material discussed in class. They are closed-book, with no penalty for incorrect answers. The exams are graded on a scale from 0 to 31 points, following the standard Bocconi undergraduate grading policy, where scores between 0 and 17 are considered failing.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Final general exam: accounts for 100% of the grade for non-attending students. The exam includes true/false and multiple-choice questions covering both purely theoretical topics and applications of concepts, models, and theories from the textbook. It is closed-book, with no penalty for incorrect answers. The exam is graded on a scale from 0 to 31 points, following the standard Bocconi undergraduate grading policy, where scores between 0 and 17 are considered failing.


Teaching materials


ATTENDING STUDENTS

The materials for this course consist of (1) slides, (2) supplementary materials (e.g., case studies, exercises, papers, etc.), and (3) the textbook.

Textbook: McShane, S., & Von Glinow, M. (2023). Organizational Behavior: Emerging Knowledge. Global Reality, 10th Edition. McGraw-Hill Education: New York (selected chapters).

 


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Textbook: Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2023). Organizational behavior (19th ed., Global ed.). Pearson International

Last change 03/06/2025 22:21