733321 Organisational behaviour and gender issues (in Eng.)

Art
Vorlesung und Übung
Semesterstunden
2
Vortragende/r (Mitwirkende/r)
Darnhofer, Ika
Organisation
Angeboten im Semester
Sommersemester 2025
Unterrichts-/ Lehrsprachen
Englisch
Lehrinhalt

Organizational behaviour is a field of research that seeks to understand and explain human behaviour in the workplace. The aim is to manage diverse people more effectively and to enhance the quality of employee’s work life. In this course we will discuss how individual behaviour is influenced by aspects such as values, perception and cognitive biases, and how these affect processes at the interpersonal level, such as the ability to communicate effectively, to engage in collaborative decision making, and to manage conflicts.
In this course we will focus on how individual behaviour, but also organisational structures, can contribute to gender (in)equality. Gender inequality in the workplace is pervasive and takes many forms, including differences during recruitment, disparity in promotion, unequal pay, biased perception of achievements, as well as incidents of sexual harassment. We will analyse how this inequality in the workplace is linked to gendered social roles. Indeed, women are still expected to carry the brunt of care work, provide emotional support, and carry the mental load. This leads to (implicit) behavioural expectations at work, as well as specific working patterns and gendered challenges to achieve work-life balance.

The course is offered in time-compressed mode, i.e. there will be 5 classes with 5 hours each. Note that attendance in the first class is compulsory.
For more information, see the Syllabus in the section 'additional information' below.
Inhaltliche Voraussetzungen (erwartete Kenntnisse)

Basic knowledge of organisational behaviour. Some experience in the workplace (incl. summer jobs) is desirable.
Lehrziel

Upon successful completion of the course, students can:
+) understand individual behaviour in organizations, especially how attitudes, emotions, personality, values, perception, and (gendered) communication styles affect group dynamics and workplace practices
+) analyse how individual behaviour, organisational processes, social structures, and cultural pressures contribute to gender (in)equality and (lack of) diversity in the workplace
+) define key concepts such as androcentrism, privilege, microaggression, benevolent sexism and sexual harassment, and apply them in a range of organisational settings
+) identify sources of systemic bias, design alternative processes, and drive organisational change towards gender equity and the needs of an increasingly diverse workplace
+) critically reflect on their own behaviour and life experiences to identify (unconscious) biases and implicit assumptions
+) develop their interpersonal and communication skills, thereby strengthening their ability to lead effectively
Noch mehr Informationen zur Lehrveranstaltung, wie Termine oder Informationen zu Prüfungen, usw. finden Sie auf der Lehrveranstaltungsseite in BOKUonline.