Robbins, Judge, and Vohra

Organizational Behavior
15th Edition

What Is Organizational Behavior?

Kelli J. Schutte
William Jewell College
Copyright © 2014 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd
Authorized adaptation from the United States edition of Organizational 1-1
Behavior, 15e
Chapter Learning Objectives
 After studying this chapter you should be able to:
– Define organizational behavior (OB).
– Evolution of OB as a discipline
– Identify the major behavioral science disciplines that
contribute to OB.
– Demonstrate why few absolutes apply to OB…..
– Identify the challenges and opportunities managers have in
applying OB concepts.

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What is OB?

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 Organizational Behavior

This area of academic study which

examines human behavior in a
work environment and determines
its impact on organizational
outcomes (job structure,
performance, productivity,
communication, motivation,
leadership, negative behaviors,
leadership styles and impacts)

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Level of analysis in OB
Individual
– Biographical characteristics, personality and emotions,
values and attitudes, ability, perception, motivation,
individual learning, and individual decision making
Group
– Communication, group decision making, leadership and
trust, group structure, conflict, power and politics, and work
teams
Organization
– Organizational culture, human resource policies and
practices, and organizational structure and design,
organizational learning.

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Evolution of OB as a discipline:

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Hawthorne findings that led to managers’
attention to productivity through building human
relations
 Individual workers cannot be treated in
isolation, but must be seen as members of a
group. Monetary incentives and good working
condition are less important to the individual
than the need to belong to a group. Informal
groups formed at work have a strong influence
on the behavior of those workers in a group.
Managers must be aware of these 'social
needs' and cater for them to ensure that
employees work in the best interest of their
organizations.

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Contributing Disciplines

Many behavioral sciences

have contributed to the
development of
Organizational
Behavior

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Psychology
The science that seeks to measure, explain, and
sometimes change the behavior of humans.

Unit of Analysis:
– Individual
Contributions to OB:
– Learning, motivation, personality, emotions, perception
– Training, leadership effectiveness, job satisfaction
– Individual decision making, performance appraisal, attitude
measurement
– Employee selection, work design, and work stress

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Social Psychology
Social psychology is the study of how individual or
group behavior is influenced by the presence and
behavior of others.
Unit of Analysis:
– Group
Contributions to OB:
– Social interactions
– Social relationships
– Attitude change
– Communication
– Group processes
– Group decision making

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Sociology

The study of people in relation to their social

environment or culture. .
Unit of Analysis:
-- Organizational System
 Contributions to OB:

– Culture
– Practices
– Group dynamics
– Work teams
– Communication
– Power
– Conflict
– Intergroup behavior

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 Anthropology

 Anthropologists take a broad approach to

understanding many different aspects of the human
experience, 

Unit of Analysis:
-- Organizational System

 Contributions to OB:
– Organizational culture
– Organizational environment

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Few Absolutes in OB…..lots of contingencies

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 Challenges and Opportunities for OB…human
behavior is complex
The Dynamic Changes in Organizations:
 Responding to Economic Pressures???

 Responding to Globalization

 Managing Workforce Diversity……..

 Technology

 Changing work practices

 Working women

 Group work

 Work life balance…….stress, strain, fatigue, illnesses

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Challenges and Opportunities for OB

Where OB can help:

 Improving Customer Service

 Improving People Skills

 Stimulating Innovation and Change

 Helping Employees Balance Work-Life Conflicts

 Improving Ethical Behavior

 Improving interpersonal behaviors

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Interesting OB Variables
 Productivity
– Transforming inputs to outputs at lowest cost. Includes the concepts
of effectiveness (achievement of goals) and efficiency (meeting
goals at a low cost).
 Absenteeism
– Failure to report to work – a huge cost to employers.
 Turnover
– Voluntary and involuntary permanent withdrawal from an
organization.
 Deviant Workplace Behavior
– Voluntary behavior that violates significant organizational norms
and thereby threatens the well-being of the organization and/or any
of its members.

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More Interesting OB Variables
 Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)
– Discretionary behavior that is not part of an employee’s
formal job requirements, but that nevertheless promotes the
effective functioning of the organization.
 Job Satisfaction
– A general attitude (not a behavior) toward one’s job; a
positive feeling of one's job resulting from an evaluation of
its characteristics.
 Motivation
 Group behavior
 Job design
 Group behaviors

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