HR and Organizational Behavior

Overview

MBA Specialization in HR and Organizational Behavior is one of the most useful specializations for students as it trains them to deal with human capital and leads them towards deriving competitive advantage for the organization. It offers rich insights into human behavior through a rich blend of theory and practice.

The concentration in Human Resources and/or OB train(s) the students on how to use psychological and organizational theories to improve upon employee and managerial effectiveness in various fields, including that of Public Policy, higher education and Human Resources. The inter-disciplinary courses that are covered alongside and that add value to the study of human capital generally include Sociology, Management, Economics, and Anthropology and Leadership Development. Courses such as these play a pivotal role in facilitating changes in the workplace, through the in-depth knowledge of organizational as well as personal growth. It thus helps in gaining an incisive understanding of how to manage the organization from the perspective of executive managers.

Skills needed to Excel in the field of Human Resources and Organizational Behavior
Over the past few decades, there have been dramatic changes in the way HR is understood along with Organizational Behavior. Human Resources Management has come a long way from the Personnel Management of earlier days. There has therefore, in academics too, developed a growing awareness regarding understanding the various facets of these two important sub-fields, so that the very best can be endowed in the curriculum in the optimal manner possible. Some of the skills required to make a mark in this field include:
1. People Skills
2. Effective communication skills
3. A thorough understanding of motivation and development initiatives
4. Thinking strategically about organization’s overall business strategy and its output
5. Ability to integrate the elements of processes, organization and inputs with critical understanding of each.
6. Working towards talent management, rewards, recruiting and learning.

Most importantly, it is very important to understand how in real life situations, the workforce can be motivated and galvanized. This will turn the students into strategic leaders capable of advancing the organizational goals and taking its human capital with it.

Curriculum for a concentration in HR and Organizational Behavior
The broad aspects of the curriculum include:

• Negotiations and Conflict Management:There are several conflicts and negotiation areas which continuously challenge businesses, and this course sheds light on each of them. The entire process of negotiation is understood with all its complexities and students are taught through real life case studies on how to develop the interpersonal, analytical and perceptual skills.
• Ethical Leadership: The course explains the role of values in shaping the individual as well as the organizational ethical behavior. This has a very pivotal role to play in the decision making and leadership process. The corporate, philosophical and legal practices which have an influence over the ethical behavior and discussed in great detail.
• Employee and Team Effectiveness: The course focuses on the challenges related to communication with teams and groups, as well as the important feedback procedures. One to one discussions and understanding of the managerial responsibilities is taught through real life case studies.
• Business Law:The course examines the regulatory and legal environment in which managers and corporations have to function. It reveals how important the day-to-day interactions are in this process. Specific topics such as government regulations, contracts, agency relationships and blend of other business entities are given prime important in this course.

The curriculum takes into cognizance the changing times and the entrepreneurial work culture that is fast developing. The students can choose a range of inter-disciplinary electives with these core subjects to lend further depth.

Potential career options upon graduation with MBA specialization in HR and OB
With an HR Specialization, long-term and high-end career options are open in every industry as people are strength across domains. Students can choose to be an Administrative Manager, Personnel Manager, Human Resources Manager, or Business Consultant for Human Resources. In each role they can add significant value in shaping organizational culture. With service industries growing and with it the need for people management, the growing importance of HR Professionals cannot be overstated.An MBA Specialization in HR and Organizational Behavior is therefore going to reap rich benefits by offering options in a range of top-level corporations and firms leading to a thriving career.