SMU · Organizational Behaviour

The course showcase

OBHR101 · G11 Cohort · Tuesdays 19:00–22:15

The whole semester, before it starts

What students do each class, what they learn about themselves from their own AURA results, what Dr. Kumar Abhishek sees, and how he hands the insight back to the room. Every figure here is invented — 47 fabricated students, no real result.

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Week 1 · The spineStudent sees this1 / 42

It starts with one email and one tap

You add the class list once. Every student gets a personal link — no account to create, no password on the first run.

Inbox

Before our first class — 12 minutes, just about you

Hi Priya — before Tuesday, take the AURA assessment. It's not graded and there are no right answers. What comes back is a read on how you work: what you move toward, what you avoid, and where that will help or cost you this term.

Start my AURA

— Dr. Kumar Abhishek, OBHR101-G11

Week 1 · The spineStudent sees this2 / 42

One question at a time, saved as they go

Twelve minutes on a phone between classes. They can stop anywhere and pick it up where they left off.

Question 14 of 40
Saved

I say the uncomfortable thing in a group, even when it slows us down.

Not me
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Very me
Week 1 · The spineStudent sees this3 / 42

The moment they finish, they get themselves back

No waiting. Their archetype, a read on each trait, and two honest watch-fors — the benchmark stays sealed until you open it.

Your snapshot

Bold Challenger

You go at the hard version on purpose — the easy one bores you. Contribution is the need sitting just underneath — it shows up when the first one is already met.

What each read means
Achievement37

Your need for achievement sits mid-range — it shows up in some situations and not others.

Adventure32

Your need for adventure sits low — it rarely drives your choices.

Appreciation44

Your need for appreciation sits mid-range — it shows up in some situations and not others.

Authenticity57

Your need for authenticity sits mid-range — it shows up in some situations and not others.

Belonging25

Your need for belonging sits low — it rarely drives your choices.

Watch for
  • · Your need for Choice is quiet. Others may read its absence as indifference — say the thing anyway.
  • · Your need for Belonging is quiet. Others may read its absence as indifference — say the thing anyway.
Where you sit against the class unlocks when Dr. Kumar Abhishek releases reports.
Week 1 · The spineStudent sees this4 / 42

When you release it, the comparison appears

Same screen, one thing added: where they sit against an anonymous class curve. It needs at least five results per need, and it appears the moment the group is large enough.

Released · you against the room
Achievementn=47

middle third of this class (n=47) on achievement

Adventuren=47

bottom third of this class (n=47) on adventure

Appreciationn=47

middle third of this class (n=47) on appreciation

Authenticityn=47

middle third of this class (n=47) on authenticity

Belongingn=47

bottom third of this class (n=47) on belonging

What this means for your term

    Nobody is named, nobody is ranked. Thirds only — upper, middle, lower — and never below 5 results.

    Week 1 · The spineDr Kumar sees this5 / 42

    Your view of the room, ready to project

    The distribution, the spread, the archetype mix and the teaching notes that come out of them — before you've read a single individual report.

    Class distribution · n=47
    Achievementmean 51 · spread 25
    Adventuremean 44 · spread 23
    Appreciationmean 50 · spread 23
    Authenticitymean 53 · spread 25
    Belongingmean 50 · spread 23
    Archetype mix
    Careful Analyst · 8Warm Connector · 7Principled Voice · 6Driven Achiever · 6Free Spirit · 5Natural Organiser · 5Open Explorer · 3Bold Challenger · 3Generous Contributor · 3Independent Creator · 1
    Teaching notes for this room
    • · Skill splits the room — pair the extremes and the discussion writes itself.
    • · Achievement splits the room — pair the extremes and the discussion writes itself.
    Week 1 · The spineDr Kumar sees this6 / 42

    And one card per student, when you need it

    What to say to this person, what to watch, and the switch that opens their full report.

    Divya Das

    Bold Challenger · AURA 180 · student4@example.edu

    Report released
    Choice

    Choice barely registers for this student. Don't assume it motivates them — check what does before you assign the role.

    Belonging

    Belonging barely registers for this student. Don't assume it motivates them — check what does before you assign the role.

    Challenge

    Challenge is one of this student's strongest drivers. Give them work that feeds it, and name it when it runs the room.

    From their full AURA
    Challenge · Growth72
    Contribution · Connection64
    Control · Safety61
    Authenticity · Freedom57
    Intimacy · Connection47
    Class 2 · Personality and ValuesStudent sees this7 / 42

    What you value at work

    25 Aug · Your AURA profile shows what drives you. These ten reads add the values you optimise for when a job forces a trade-off.

    1 · Guess the room first

    Before you answer for yourself: what will most of this class pick as the thing they'd protect in a first job?

    A high salary
    Freedom over how they work
    A team they like
    Work that means something

    Why we asked · Hold that guess. Dr Kumar will put the room's real split on screen — the gap between what we assume everyone wants and what they say they want is the whole point of Chapter 5.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    Two internship offers land in the same week. Same pay, same length, and you can only take one.

    Which do you take?

    The one where you'd run a small project alone, sink or swim
    The one with a big brand name on the certificate
    The one where two friends from your course also got in
    The one at a small outfit doing work you actually care about

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 10 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    Your first job will not give you everything. One of these you get; the rest you hope for.

    Protect exactly one:

    The money
    The freedom
    The people
    The meaning
    Class 2 · Personality and ValuesStudent sees this8 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    The Self-Director

    Being trusted with the how matters more to you than being told the what. Achievement is your second gear. Impact is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    Achievement69
    Autonomy73
    Security62
    Belonging45
    Impact38
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · loose briefs and unowned problems

    Costs you in · structured graduate schemes and managers who check in daily

    You lean least on Impact — which is what mission-led work where you can see who it lands on runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a openness to the unfamiliar, but in these situations you went further toward autonomy than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    • Consistent
      Your AURA conscientiousness and your achievement here point the same way. That's a stable pattern — expect it under pressure, not just on a good day.
    Try this before next class

    Ask for one decision to be yours outright, and accept the accountability with it.

    What they gain · They learn which of the five things they would actually trade away, and that the answer isn't the one they'd say out loud in an interview.

    Class 2 · Personality and ValuesDr Kumar sees this9 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Person–organisation fit, terminal vs instrumental values

    The situation

    Which do you take?

    The one where you'd run a small project alone, sink or swim22 · 47%
    The one with a big brand name on the certificate10 · 21%
    The one where two friends from your course also got in8 · 17%
    The one at a small outfit doing work you actually care about7 · 15%
    The situation

    What do you do?

    Follow the template. It's what's being graded.20 · 43%
    Ask for permission to do it your way12 · 26%
    Do it your way and show the result7 · 15%
    Check with the group first — it's their grade too8 · 17%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    A high salary20 · 43%
    Freedom over how they work12 · 26%
    A team they like11 · 23%
    Work that means something4 · 9%
    Land it in class

    Put the prediction beside the real split. The room almost always guesses 'high salary' and almost never picks it — that gap is the lecture. Ask the two students furthest apart what their first job has to protect, and fit stops being a diagram.

    Class 3 · Perception and Individual Decision MakingStudent sees this10 / 42

    How you decide

    1 Sep · Four decision styles, read across tolerance for ambiguity and how you weigh people against data. Answer for how you actually decide under time pressure.

    1 · Guess the room first

    What will most of this class say is going on?

    They don't care about the project
    They're overloaded with something else
    They're avoiding one person in the group
    Something is wrong at home

    Why we asked · Most rooms pick the first one. That jump — their character, not their situation — is the fundamental attribution error, and you'll see the class distribution on screen.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    It's 11pm. The submission is at 9am. A teammate's section has numbers that don't match the rest of the deck.

    What do you do first?

    Fix it yourself and tell them in the morning
    Pull the source data and work out which version is right
    Message them, ask what they used, decide together
    Flag it in the deck as a range and move on

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 12 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    A decision is due Friday and you can only buy one of these.

    Protect exactly one:

    Speed — decide now, correct later
    Evidence — one more week of data
    Options — find a third route nobody named
    Buy-in — everyone affected agrees first
    Class 3 · Perception and Individual Decision MakingStudent sees this11 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    The Analyst

    You buy confidence with evidence — which is powerful right up until the evidence stops arriving. Behavioural is your second gear. Bias awareness is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    Directive53
    Analytical75
    Conceptual38
    Behavioural69
    Bias awareness24
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · high-stakes, data-rich decisions

    Costs you in · windows that close while you're still gathering

    You lean least on Bias awareness — which is what anywhere a first number or first impression is doing the deciding runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a conscientiousness, but in these situations you went further toward analytical than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    • Consistent
      Your AURA warmth toward people and your behavioural here point the same way. That's a stable pattern — expect it under pressure, not just on a good day.
    Try this before next class

    Set a decision deadline before you start gathering. Analysis expands to fill the time you give it.

    What they gain · They see their own default explanation for someone else's failure, and how fast an anchor moved their number.

    Class 3 · Perception and Individual Decision MakingDr Kumar sees this12 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Attribution error, anchoring, availability, bounded rationality

    The situation

    What do you do first?

    Fix it yourself and tell them in the morning15 · 32%
    Pull the source data and work out which version is right19 · 40%
    Message them, ask what they used, decide together11 · 23%
    Flag it in the deck as a range and move on2 · 4%
    The situation

    Twenty minutes later the team is debating a plan. What are you doing?

    Arguing about whether 40% is high or low19 · 40%
    Asking where the 40% came from before anyone builds on it8 · 17%
    Proposing we test it cheaply this week7 · 15%
    Watching who's nodding, because that decides this anyway13 · 28%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    They don't care about the project10 · 21%
    They're overloaded with something else13 · 28%
    They're avoiding one person in the group10 · 21%
    Something is wrong at home14 · 30%
    Land it in class

    Reveal the split on the late-teammate scenario first. Most of the room explains the behaviour by the person, not the situation — name it as fundamental attribution error while the choice is still warm on screen.

    Class 4 · Understanding Your Motivation in Work ContextStudent sees this13 / 42

    What actually drives you

    8 Sep · Herzberg split work into motivators — the things that create satisfaction — and hygiene factors, which only create dissatisfaction when they're missing. Find out which side moves you.

    1 · Guess the room first

    What will most of this class say makes them work hardest on something that isn't graded?

    Someone will notice
    They're getting better at it
    It's theirs — nobody else owns it
    It's just interesting

    Why we asked · Herzberg's claim was that money doesn't appear on this list at all — it only shows up when it's missing. Watch whether this room agrees.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    You're four weeks into an unpaid internship. The work is dull, the team is warm, and the manager keeps saying you're doing well.

    What happens to your effort?

    Stays high — the praise carries me
    Drops — dull is dull, however nice they are
    Stays high only if I'm learning something transferable
    Drops — I'm working for free and that starts to grate

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 10 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    Same job, four versions. One thing is upgraded; the rest stay average.

    Protect exactly one:

    The pay and the conditions
    How much you'll learn
    How much is yours to own
    How visible your work is
    Class 4 · Understanding Your Motivation in Work ContextStudent sees this14 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    Driven by growth

    You stay for the slope, not the salary. A flat month reads as a wasted month. Intrinsic drive is your second gear. Recognition is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    Growth86
    Recognition33
    Responsibility75
    Hygiene sensitivity46
    Intrinsic drive81
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · steep roles, rotations, anything unfamiliar

    Costs you in · plateaus, and the two years where a job is mostly repetition

    You lean least on Recognition — which is what visible work and managers who notice runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a openness to the unfamiliar, but in these situations you went further toward growth than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a openness to the unfamiliar, but in these situations you went further toward intrinsic drive than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    Try this before next class

    Job-craft: swap one routine task for one you're not yet good at.

    What they gain · They find out whether the thing that gets them started is the same thing that keeps them going. For most students it isn't.

    Class 4 · Understanding Your Motivation in Work ContextDr Kumar sees this15 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Self-determination, Herzberg's two factors, McClelland's needs

    The situation

    What happens to your effort?

    Stays high — the praise carries me12 · 26%
    Drops — dull is dull, however nice they are19 · 40%
    Stays high only if I'm learning something transferable10 · 21%
    Drops — I'm working for free and that starts to grate6 · 13%
    The situation

    Which do you claim?

    Owning one deliverable end to end, name on it18 · 38%
    The part you've never done before9 · 19%
    The presenting slot in front of the class15 · 32%
    The bit you find genuinely fun, whoever sees it5 · 11%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    Someone will notice14 · 30%
    They're getting better at it15 · 32%
    It's theirs — nobody else owns it4 · 9%
    It's just interesting14 · 30%
    Land it in class

    Run the trade-off split. When the room splits between money and mastery, ask the money side what they'd need to stay in a job that paid the same for three years — hygiene and motivators separate themselves.

    Class 4 · Motivation: ApplicationsStudent sees this16 / 42

    How you respond to goals and rewards

    Same theory, applied: how you react to targets, feedback, money and recognition. This is the one that tells a manager how to manage you.

    1 · Guess the room first

    What will most of this class say actually happens to their effort?

    It goes up — you can't let the group down
    It goes down if others are coasting
    No change — I work the same either way
    Depends entirely on who's in the group

    Why we asked · This is equity theory in a room of 44. Adams' point wasn't that people want more — it's that they compare, and adjust effort to restore the ratio.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    Your professor offers two versions of the final task: a safe one you'd likely get a B+ on, and a hard one where the range is A to C.

    Which do you take?

    The hard one — I'd learn more even if it costs me
    The safe one — the grade is what's on the transcript
    The hard one, after asking exactly how it'll be marked
    Whichever most of my friends pick

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 10 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    A manager can give you exactly one of these next year.

    Protect exactly one:

    A bonus you can count on
    A target that's clear and public
    Honest feedback every month
    A stretch project you might fail
    Class 4 · Motivation: ApplicationsStudent sees this17 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    Fairness-sensitive

    You do the comparison whether or not you mean to, and it moves your effort. Feedback seeking is your second gear. Learning orientation is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    Learning orientation25
    Performance orientation40
    Feedback seeking46
    Extrinsic pull38
    Equity sensitivity68
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · spotting unfairness early, for yourself and others

    Costs you in · effort, when the comparison goes against you and nothing can change it

    You lean least on Learning orientation — which is what new domains and hard feedback runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Consistent
      Your AURA sensitivity to pressure and your equity sensitivity here point the same way. That's a stable pattern — expect it under pressure, not just on a good day.
    • Consistent
      Your AURA sensitivity to pressure and your feedback seeking here point the same way. That's a stable pattern — expect it under pressure, not just on a good day.
    Try this before next class

    When something feels unfair, check the inputs, not just the outcomes.

    What they gain · They see how they respond to unfairness when they can't change it, and whether they chase the goal or the scoreboard.

    Class 4 · Motivation: ApplicationsDr Kumar sees this18 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Goal-setting, equity theory, expectancy, job design

    The situation

    Which do you take?

    The hard one — I'd learn more even if it costs me18 · 38%
    The safe one — the grade is what's on the transcript9 · 19%
    The hard one, after asking exactly how it'll be marked8 · 17%
    Whichever most of my friends pick12 · 26%
    The situation

    What do you do in the next 48 hours?

    Book time with the marker to hear the full version12 · 26%
    Compare marks with two friends first18 · 38%
    Rewrite it immediately, no conversation needed8 · 17%
    Put it down for a few days — it stings9 · 19%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    It goes up — you can't let the group down18 · 38%
    It goes down if others are coasting13 · 28%
    No change — I work the same either way5 · 11%
    Depends entirely on who's in the group11 · 23%
    Land it in class

    Use the unequal-credit scenario. The room's split between renegotiating, absorbing it and disengaging is equity theory in three moves — ask each group what they believed the other two would do.

    Class 5 · Attitudes and Job SatisfactionStudent sees this19 / 42

    Where your satisfaction comes from

    15 Sep · Job satisfaction isn't one number. Score the facets separately and you find the one worth changing first.

    1 · Guess the room first

    What will most of this class say is the number one reason people quit their first job within a year?

    The pay
    The manager
    The work being boring
    No path upward

    Why we asked · The class split is the lecture. Exit-survey data across decades keeps landing on one of these far more than the others — see how close the room gets.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    Six months in. Good pay, work you find dull, a manager who never gives feedback, and three colleagues you genuinely like.

    What's the first thing you'd change?

    The work — ask to move onto something with more in it
    The manager relationship — ask for a monthly check-in
    Nothing. The people make it fine.
    Start looking elsewhere quietly

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 10 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    Four facets of a job. Three are ordinary; one is excellent.

    Protect exactly one:

    The work itself
    Your manager
    Your team
    The organisation's mission
    Class 5 · Attitudes and Job SatisfactionStudent sees this20 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    Held by the work

    The content of the job carries you. Protect it — it's the hardest facet to replace. Supervision is your second gear. Coworkers is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    The work itself83
    Supervision75
    Coworkers38
    Engagement47
    Commitment40
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · roles chosen on content, not title

    Costs you in · the admin half of any job

    You lean least on Coworkers — which is what teams you'd choose again runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a openness to the unfamiliar, but in these situations you went further toward the work itself than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a sensitivity to pressure, but in these situations you went further toward supervision than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    Try this before next class

    Guard the tasks that hold you; delegate before they get crowded out.

    What they gain · They learn their standing response when work stops being satisfying, and what that response costs them by week six.

    Class 5 · Attitudes and Job SatisfactionDr Kumar sees this21 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Job satisfaction, engagement, exit–voice–loyalty–neglect

    The situation

    What's the first thing you'd change?

    The work — ask to move onto something with more in it20 · 43%
    The manager relationship — ask for a monthly check-in12 · 26%
    Nothing. The people make it fine.8 · 17%
    Start looking elsewhere quietly7 · 15%
    The situation

    What comes out of your mouth?

    "We're doing X" — I talk about it as us15 · 32%
    I describe what I personally do, not the company17 · 36%
    I mention my team before I mention the job11 · 23%
    I change the subject4 · 9%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    The pay16 · 34%
    The manager6 · 13%
    The work being boring13 · 28%
    No path upward12 · 26%
    Land it in class

    Map the split onto exit, voice, loyalty and neglect on the board. Nearly every student is somewhere on that grid already, from a CCA or a part-time job — ask for one 30-second story per quadrant.

    Class 6 · Group Behaviour and TeamsStudent sees this22 / 42

    Your role in a team

    22 Sep · Two things decide how you show up in a group: what you contribute, and what you do when the group disagrees. Answer for a real team you've been on.

    1 · Guess the room first

    What will most of this class say about themselves?

    I'm usually the one carrying it
    I do my part properly, no more
    I keep the group functioning socially
    I've coasted at least once

    Why we asked · Almost every room over-claims the first option. That gap is social loafing plus self-serving bias — and the class distribution makes it undeniable.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    Forty minutes into a group meeting, nothing has been decided and two people are re-arguing the same point.

    What do you actually do?

    Cut in and propose a decision
    Offer a completely different framing of the problem
    Name the tension out loud and ask the quiet ones what they think
    Write down the three open items so we leave with something

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 12 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    Your group can be excellent at exactly one of these. The other three will be average.

    Protect exactly one:

    Deciding fast
    Coming up with better ideas
    Everyone still speaking to each other
    Actually finishing
    Class 6 · Group Behaviour and TeamsStudent sees this23 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    The Driver

    Teams move when you're in them — and stall on detail when you're not watching. Finisher is your second gear. Harmoniser is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    Driver72
    Ideator50
    Harmoniser46
    Finisher58
    Challenger52
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · stalled groups and real deadlines

    Costs you in · detail, and the people who needed one more minute to speak

    You lean least on Harmoniser — which is what keeping a team intact through pressure runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Consistent
      Your AURA outward energy and your driver here point the same way. That's a stable pattern — expect it under pressure, not just on a good day.
    • Consistent
      Your AURA conscientiousness and your finisher here point the same way. That's a stable pattern — expect it under pressure, not just on a good day.
    Try this before next class

    Partner with a Finisher. Your speed plus their close rate is the strongest pair on this grid.

    What they gain · They get named as a role, see how many others share it, and understand why their group projects keep failing the same way.

    Class 6 · Group Behaviour and TeamsDr Kumar sees this24 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Team roles, psychological safety, social loafing, norms

    The situation

    What do you actually do?

    Cut in and propose a decision20 · 43%
    Offer a completely different framing of the problem12 · 26%
    Name the tension out loud and ask the quiet ones what they think10 · 21%
    Write down the three open items so we leave with something5 · 11%
    The situation

    Your first move:

    Reassign their section to someone who'll do it17 · 36%
    Message them privately and ask what's going on14 · 30%
    Raise it with the whole group so it's on the record8 · 17%
    Quietly cover it yourself and say nothing8 · 17%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    I'm usually the one carrying it13 · 28%
    I do my part properly, no more12 · 26%
    I keep the group functioning socially11 · 23%
    I've coasted at least once11 · 23%
    Land it in class

    Show the role split next to the free-rider scenario. Rooms full of finishers and short on challengers is the most common shape — ask what that team gets right and where it walks off a cliff together.

    Class 7 · Power and Politics in TeamsStudent sees this25 / 42

    How you influence

    29 Sep · Influence is a skill, not a character flaw. These reads show which tactics you reach for — and which one you probably overuse.

    1 · Guess the room first

    What will most of this class say the word 'office politics' means?

    Something dishonest people do
    Normal, unavoidable, sometimes useful
    A skill worth learning deliberately
    Something I'd rather stay out of

    Why we asked · Most students pick option A or D. The research reads politics as influence without formal authority — which is most of what any junior person has.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    You want your CCA committee to fund a new event. The president is unconvinced and the vote is next Tuesday.

    What do you do between now and Tuesday?

    Build the numbers — cost, turnout, precedent
    Pitch what it could become for the club
    Speak to three members individually first
    Offer to run their event in return

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 10 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    You have one hour before a decision meeting you care about.

    Protect exactly one:

    Perfect the argument
    Sharpen the story
    Call two people who'll be in the room
    Offer something to the person most likely to object
    Class 7 · Power and Politics in TeamsStudent sees this26 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    The Case-Builder

    You win on the argument — which works beautifully with people who are already listening. Inspirational appeal is your second gear. Exchange is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    Rational persuasion74
    Inspirational appeal63
    Coalition building50
    Exchange38
    Political skill51
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · rooms that are already listening

    Costs you in · rooms that aren't — a strong case rarely wins attention on its own

    You lean least on Exchange — which is what resource-scarce places runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a conscientiousness, but in these situations you went further toward rational persuasion than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    • Consistent
      Your AURA outward energy and your inspirational appeal here point the same way. That's a stable pattern — expect it under pressure, not just on a good day.
    Try this before next class

    Before the case, buy the attention. Nobody reads a deck they didn't ask for.

    What they gain · They learn which influence move they reach for first, and that their least-used one is usually the one the situation needed.

    Class 7 · Power and Politics in TeamsDr Kumar sees this27 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Bases of power, influence tactics, political skill

    The situation

    What do you do between now and Tuesday?

    Build the numbers — cost, turnout, precedent18 · 38%
    Pitch what it could become for the club9 · 19%
    Speak to three members individually first9 · 19%
    Offer to run their event in return11 · 23%
    The situation

    How do you work with that?

    Keep going through my manager. That's the process.14 · 30%
    Get the analyst's input early, then bring it as a joint view12 · 26%
    Make the case so strong it doesn't matter who decides12 · 26%
    Do them a favour first and bank it9 · 19%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    Something dishonest people do17 · 36%
    Normal, unavoidable, sometimes useful16 · 34%
    A skill worth learning deliberately10 · 21%
    Something I'd rather stay out of4 · 9%
    Land it in class

    Reveal the influence-tactic split. Students who chose the rational appeal and students who went to a coalition can argue it live — that argument is the difference between position power and personal power.

    Class 9 · LeadershipStudent sees this28 / 42

    Your leadership style

    13 Oct · The classic grid — how much you lead through the task and how much through the relationship — plus the four transformational behaviours. Answer for how you lead now, not how you'd like to.

    1 · Guess the room first

    What will most of this class say makes someone a leader in a student group?

    They do the most work
    They're the most confident speaker
    People trust them
    They organise everyone else

    Why we asked · Emergent leadership research says confidence predicts who gets picked, and trust predicts who succeeds. Those are two different people surprisingly often.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    You're leading a five-person project. Two weeks in, quality is slipping and nobody is saying why.

    What do you do first?

    Reset the standard and the deadlines in writing
    Talk to each person one-to-one before changing anything
    Re-explain why this project matters
    Hand the weakest area to the person who could grow into it

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 12 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    Your team will describe you in one line after the project ends.

    Protect exactly one:

    "Nothing slipped."
    "I could tell them anything."
    "I understood why we were doing it."
    "I got better working for them."
    Class 9 · LeadershipStudent sees this29 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    The Coach

    Your teams get better while they're with you — the compounding kind of leadership. Vision is your second gear. Integrity under pressure is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    Task focus60
    Relationship focus60
    Vision70
    Developing others84
    Integrity under pressure29
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · teams that get better while they're with you

    Costs you in · this quarter — teaching is slower than doing

    You lean least on Integrity under pressure — which is what the bad quarter, which is the only real test runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a warmth toward people, but in these situations you went further toward developing others than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    • Consistent
      Your AURA openness to the unfamiliar and your vision here point the same way. That's a stable pattern — expect it under pressure, not just on a good day.
    Try this before next class

    Delegate one thing you're good at, not just one you dislike.

    What they gain · They see the leader they default to under time pressure, and which situations that leader is wrong for.

    Class 9 · LeadershipDr Kumar sees this30 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Task vs relationship, transformational leadership, situational fit

    The situation

    What do you do first?

    Reset the standard and the deadlines in writing22 · 47%
    Talk to each person one-to-one before changing anything6 · 13%
    Re-explain why this project matters12 · 26%
    Hand the weakest area to the person who could grow into it7 · 15%
    The situation

    Which do you do?

    Do it myself — the deadline is real14 · 30%
    Teach them — that's the point of a team14 · 30%
    Do it together so it ships and they learn13 · 28%
    Ask them which they'd prefer6 · 13%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    They do the most work16 · 34%
    They're the most confident speaker15 · 32%
    People trust them8 · 17%
    They organise everyone else8 · 17%
    Land it in class

    Put the split against the struggling-teammate scenario. The room divides into 'protect the deadline' and 'protect the person' — that's the task–relationship trade-off with a face on it, not a 2×2.

    Class 10 · Organizational CultureStudent sees this31 / 42

    The culture you'd build

    20 Oct · Culture is what a place rewards when nobody is watching. These reads show which culture you'd thrive in — and what you'd hold onto when it costs you.

    1 · Guess the room first

    Two firms make the same offer. What will most of this class say decides it?

    Which one their friends rate
    Which one promotes fastest
    Which one felt right at interview
    Which brand looks better on LinkedIn

    Why we asked · "Felt right" is culture doing the deciding without being named. Schein's point: culture is the set of assumptions you only notice when you break one.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    First week at a new place. Which detail tells you the most about how it really works?

    Pick the one you'd read hardest:

    Whether people eat lunch together
    How fast a new idea gets tried
    Whether the numbers are on a screen in the office
    How many approvals a small spend needs

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 10 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    A place can only really be excellent at one of these.

    Protect exactly one:

    Looking after its people
    Trying new things
    Winning
    Doing things properly
    Class 10 · Organizational CultureStudent sees this32 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    The Insider

    You do your best work somewhere that knows your name and keeps its people. Integrity under pressure is your second gear. Build-and-experiment culture is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    People-first culture96
    Build-and-experiment culture38
    Results culture75
    Process culture44
    Integrity under pressure81
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · places with low turnover and real loyalty

    Costs you in · the moment loyalty and performance disagree

    You lean least on Build-and-experiment culture — which is what ambiguity and early-stage everything runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a warmth toward people, but in these situations you went further toward people-first culture than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a conscientiousness, but in these situations you went further toward integrity under pressure than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    Try this before next class

    Ask a prospective employer how long their team has been together. The answer tells you more than the values page.

    What they gain · They identify the kind of organisation they'd thrive in and the kind that would quietly grind them down.

    Class 10 · Organizational CultureDr Kumar sees this33 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Competing values framework, socialisation, ethical climate

    The situation

    Pick the one you'd read hardest:

    Whether people eat lunch together17 · 36%
    How fast a new idea gets tried13 · 28%
    Whether the numbers are on a screen in the office11 · 23%
    How many approvals a small spend needs6 · 13%
    The situation

    What do you do?

    Flag it immediately, whatever it costs16 · 34%
    Tell my manager and let them decide15 · 32%
    Fix it in the next version, no announcement7 · 15%
    Ask the team how we've handled this before9 · 19%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    Which one their friends rate17 · 36%
    Which one promotes fastest16 · 34%
    Which one felt right at interview9 · 19%
    Which brand looks better on LinkedIn5 · 11%
    Land it in class

    Show the culture-type split, then ask the room which culture SMU itself runs on. Watching them disagree about a culture they all live in is the fastest route to understanding artefacts versus assumptions.

    Class 11 · HR Trends, Ethics and InclusionStudent sees this34 / 42

    Where you stand

    27 Oct · Chapter 16 territory: ethics, sustainability and who gets to lead. These reads are about your stance, not your knowledge — answer as the manager you'd actually be.

    1 · Guess the room first

    What will most of this class say it should do?

    Cut the emissions
    Cut them only if competitors do
    Protect profit, cut later
    It depends who bears the cost

    Why we asked · What the room says in public and what it picks under pressure diverge — that gap is the espoused-versus-enacted values distinction you'll see again in culture.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    In a group meeting, one person's idea is ignored, then repeated by someone louder ten minutes later and praised.

    What do you do?

    Say "that's what she said earlier" in the moment
    Message her afterwards to check she's okay
    Credit her when I write the minutes
    Nothing — it's not my place

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 10 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    You'll be the manager. One of these survives the pressure of a bad quarter.

    Protect exactly one:

    Your stated principles
    The least total harm
    Someone junior being heard
    The ten-year view
    Class 11 · HR Trends, Ethics and InclusionStudent sees this35 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    The Voice

    Most bad outcomes were visible to someone junior first. You're the one who says it. Principled is your second gear. Outcome-weighing is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    Principled70
    Outcome-weighing38
    Speaking up81
    Inclusion in practice50
    Long-horizon60
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · catching problems while they're still cheap

    Costs you in · political capital, spent one raise at a time

    You lean least on Outcome-weighing — which is what trade-offs where somebody has to weigh the harm runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a outward energy, but in these situations you went further toward speaking up than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    • Consistent
      Your AURA conscientiousness and your principled here point the same way. That's a stable pattern — expect it under pressure, not just on a good day.
    Try this before next class

    Give someone quieter the credit next time you carry their point up.

    What they gain · They learn whether they reason from rules or from outcomes, and what actually stops them saying the thing in a room.

    Class 11 · HR Trends, Ethics and InclusionDr Kumar sees this36 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Principle vs consequence reasoning, voice, psychological safety

    The situation

    What do you do?

    Say "that's what she said earlier" in the moment20 · 43%
    Message her afterwards to check she's okay15 · 32%
    Credit her when I write the minutes5 · 11%
    Nothing — it's not my place7 · 15%
    The situation

    Your recommendation:

    Change supplier. Some things aren't a cost question.15 · 32%
    Model who is hurt either way, then decide16 · 34%
    Stay and push the supplier to improve on a deadline11 · 23%
    Raise it and let people above me decide5 · 11%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    Cut the emissions17 · 36%
    Cut them only if competitors do10 · 21%
    Protect profit, cut later8 · 17%
    It depends who bears the cost12 · 26%
    Land it in class

    Reveal the speak-up split last, after the anonymous count is on screen. Most rooms find far more people would speak up than anyone predicted — the gap between that and what happens in real meetings is the whole session.

    Class 12 · Change, Conflict and NegotiationStudent sees this37 / 42

    How you handle change and conflict

    3 Nov · The last read of the course, and the one most likely to show up in your first management job. Answer for what you do under pressure, not what you'd like to do.

    1 · Guess the room first

    What will most of this class say people resist most?

    The change itself
    Losing status or control
    Not being consulted
    Extra work

    Why we asked · Kotter's finding is that people rarely resist the change — they resist the loss inside it. Watch where the room lands.

    2 · A situation they've actually been in

    Two days before submission the professor changes the brief. Half your work no longer fits.

    Your first hour:

    Re-plan against the new brief immediately
    Email to ask if the old brief can still be accepted
    Get the group together and rebuild the plan jointly
    Wait a day — the details usually settle

    3 situations like this, then one hard choice, then 10 quick self-reads. Six minutes.

    3 · You can only protect one

    A disagreement that matters, with someone you'll work with for a year.

    Protect exactly one:

    Getting the outcome you wanted
    The relationship
    A solution neither of you had drafted
    Getting it settled today
    Class 12 · Change, Conflict and NegotiationStudent sees this38 / 42

    What they get back — read against their own AURA

    Not a bar chart. A pattern with a name, the place it pays, the place it charges them, and the line only their AURA baseline can produce.

    Your pattern

    The Contender

    You don't fold, which serves you well when the issue genuinely matters. Collaborating is your second gear. Avoiding is where you lean least — worth knowing before it costs you.

    Change readiness35
    Collaborating81
    Competing86
    Avoiding29
    Negotiation prep47
    Where this works, where it costs

    Works in · the three issues a year that genuinely matter

    Costs you in · the relationship, on the other forty

    You lean least on Avoiding — which is what heat that will pass on its own runs on.

    Next to your AURA baseline
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a warmth toward people, but in these situations you went further toward competing than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    • Tension
      Interesting: AURA reads a warmth toward people, but in these situations you went further toward collaborating than that would predict. Either you've learned to stretch here, or these choices cost you more energy than they look.
    Try this before next class

    Pick your three battles for the term. Spend nothing on the rest.

    What they gain · They see whether they claim value or create it, and how they behave when a change is done to them rather than with them.

    Class 12 · Change, Conflict and NegotiationDr Kumar sees this39 / 42

    The room split — and how you land it

    Anonymous counts only, never below 5 responses. This is what goes on the projector at the start of the session.

    Theory this makes concrete

    Resistance to change, Kotter, distributive vs integrative bargaining

    The situation

    Your first hour:

    Re-plan against the new brief immediately24 · 51%
    Email to ask if the old brief can still be accepted9 · 19%
    Get the group together and rebuild the plan jointly9 · 19%
    Wait a day — the details usually settle5 · 11%
    The situation

    What actually happens?

    I raise it properly this week18 · 38%
    I hold my position until they move13 · 28%
    I let it go to keep things easy11 · 23%
    I work out what they actually need and propose a swap5 · 11%
    What they predicted the room would do

    Put this beside the real split above. The gap is the reveal.

    The change itself18 · 38%
    Losing status or control14 · 30%
    Not being consulted11 · 23%
    Extra work4 · 9%
    Land it in class

    Run the negotiation trade-off. Competing versus collaborating splits nearly evenly; ask both sides to predict the other's outcome, then show what integrative bargaining would have produced for both.

    The loopBoth40 / 42

    The semester, end to end

    Tuesdays 19:00–22:15, LKCSB Seminar Room 3-7. One read per class, each building on the AURA baseline from week 1.

    1

    What is Organizational Behaviour and how does it help manage people at work?

    18 Aug · AURA baseline

    2

    Personality and Values: understanding your fit to the organization

    25 Aug · What you value at work

    3

    Perception and Individual Decision Making

    1 Sep · How you decide

    4

    Understanding your motivation in a work context

    8 Sep · What actually drives you

    5

    Attitudes and their linkage to job satisfaction

    15 Sep · Where your satisfaction comes from

    6

    Understanding group behaviour and working with teams

    22 Sep · Your role in a team

    7

    Navigating power and politics in teams

    29 Sep · How you influence

    9

    Leadership

    13 Oct · Your leadership style

    10

    Organizational Culture: integrity, inclusion and long-term sustainability

    20 Oct · The culture you'd build

    11

    Latest corporate trends in HR: ethics, sustainability and women in management

    27 Oct · Where you stand

    12

    Mastering organizational change and managing conflict and negotiation

    3 Nov · How you handle change and conflict

    The loopBoth41 / 42

    What builds over fifteen weeks

    Each class read is scored against the same baseline, so by the end a student has an arc, not eleven unrelated results.

    For the student
    • · One personality baseline, taken once, that every later class reads against.
    • · Eleven concrete records of what they'd actually do — in group projects, internships and CCAs, not in a boardroom they've never sat in.
    • · A running list of tensions between who they say they are and what they choose under pressure. That list is the coursework.
    • · A view of how far they sit from the room, without ever being named or ranked.
    For Dr. Kumar Abhishek
    • · A cohort read before the session, so the case discussion is aimed at this room.
    • · A split per case, ready to project, with the theory it demonstrates attached.
    • · A short list of students worth a direct word — missed reads, high sensitivity ahead of presentation week.
    • · Completion by class, by topic, and the topics the cohort struggles with most.
    The loopDr Kumar sees this42 / 42

    Three controls, that's the whole job

    Everything else runs itself.

    1

    Publish the chapter

    Students see a class's content only when you open it. Nothing runs ahead of the room.

    2

    Send the class read

    One tap sends a topic-specific invite to the roster, with a link that drops each student straight into the right assessment. Reminders go on their own.

    3

    Release the reports

    Individually or for the whole class. Before you do, students have their own result; after, they also have the anonymous benchmark.

    Every figure in this walkthrough is fabricated — 47 invented students. No real result appears here.

    SMU Organizational Behaviour · Powered by Aura by Atriverse

    Instructors: the live version of these screens is at /admin.