Dr Xiaoran Hu & Dr Jiaqing (Kathy) Sun

Organisational behaviour (OB) is the study of human behaviour in organisations. The topics we study in this course are critical to people management in contemporary organisations, for example, leadership and team processes that enhance individual, team, and organisational performance.

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the psychological, social, and behavioural aspects of individuals and teams within the context of organizational settings. In the classes, students will engage in research questions both relating to their personal lives and future work. Some examples of the questions include: "Is conflict always detrimental to team and organisational performance?", "Can subtle changes in resumes affect hiring decisions?", "Does the type of food people consume shape different cultures?" This course aims to help students gain a science-based understanding of some of the most intriguing phenomena in organisations and societies.

It will draw upon scientific research from various disciplines, including psychology, economics, sociology, history, and anthropology, to critically examine topics such as motivation, creativity and innovation, leadership, cross-cultural differences, management and artificial intelligence.

The course aims to provide students with an understanding of current popular OB theories and cutting-edge ones. The approach taken in the course will expose students to sociological and social psychological theories that will enable them to gain insight into behaviour in organisations.