MGM300 thoughts on lecture 1

OB is a multidisciplinary field as it contains theories from psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc. OB considers how people think, feel and act within organizations specifically. Taking a contingency approach to OB is very important as every situation is different, and no two problems are the same. There are no guidelines as to how to deal with every single situation, especially since every person is different, and will have a different view on how to deal with certain situations. Each problem should be given as much thought as the previous one. There are no shortcuts!

Some experiences that I have had that related to concepts and theories in this course include having to work with people in a team, having to accept workplace diversity, having to take on a leadership role, and being able to communicate with both members of my team, as well as outside sources. At an individual level, I have had to face issues dealing with ethics and values, such as having to choose whether or not I should report misconduct. I have also been in situations where I have had to choose whether I was willing to risk my job to help satisfy the needs of others. In addition, I have had the pleasure of working with individuals with thoughts and opinions very different from mine; and I use the word pleasure loosely, as at times it was very difficult and frustrating, but in the end it was worthwhile as we have learned in the first lecture that conflict can be a good thing within organizations. Being able to work with individuals whose opinions are different than yours helps you to become more well rounded, and it opens up your mind to new concepts and ideas. If everyone thought the same way as you, you would never learn anything.

I look forward to this course in that I hope to learn more about myself, and learn about the various changes taking place in organizations. I hope to learn new approaches to teamwork, and what it means to be an effective leader. Finally, I hope that this class will help me become better suited for my future career for whatever it is I decide to become.

This course so far seems very different from my other courses in that it seems more guided than most university courses. The professor has helped us by giving us an idea of what to look out for in the textbook by making an outline of our “bare bone” notes. I have never had a professor put so much work into a course, and I look forward to this class because I feel that the more a professor puts into the course, the more knowledge I can get out of it.

A challenge I may face is the group work component of this course, as I am usually use to being able to chose my own groups; however I look at this not as a drawback, but a learning experience as in the real workplace, people cannot choose who they do and do not work with.