What is Organizational Behaviour?

Organizational Behaviour as Scientific Disipline

Organizational behavior (OB) is a multidisciplinary field of study that examines the behavior of individuals, groups, and structures within organizations. It combines principles and insights from various social sciences such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and economics to understand and predict human behavior in the workplace. In essence, organizational behavior is concerned with how people interact with each other and their environment in the context of work.

The primary objective of OB is to understand the dynamics of behavior in organizations and to use this understanding to develop effective management practices. Organizational behavior aims to help managers and leaders enhance employee productivity, job satisfaction, and overall organizational effectiveness. It also involves the study of the impacts of organizational structures, cultures, and processes on employee attitudes and behavior.

OB research focuses on a wide range of topics, including motivation, leadership, communication, power and influence, decision-making, group dynamics, job satisfaction, and organizational culture. It also examines the impact of diversity, ethics, and globalization on organizational behavior.

One of the key assumptions of organizational behaviour is that people are complex and diverse, and their behavior is influenced by a multitude of factors such as personality, perception, cognition, and emotion. OB also recognizes that people have different needs, motivations, and goals, and that these factors influence their behavior in the workplace.

There are several theories and models in OB that provide insights into human behavior in organizations. For example, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests that people have a hierarchy of needs that motivates their behavior, including physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs. The expectancy theory posits that people’s behavior is determined by their expectations about the outcomes of their actions.

Overall, OB is a crucial field of study that helps organizations create a positive and productive work environment by understanding the complexities of human behavior in the workplace. By applying the principles and insights from OB research, managers and leaders can develop effective strategies to enhance employee motivation, job satisfaction, and organizational effectiveness.

Main Inquiry Areas of Organizational Behaviour

OB scholars inquire on a wide range of topics related to human behavior in organizations. Some of the main topics that OB scholars study include:

1. Motivation: The study of what drives and sustains human behavior in the workplace, including theories of motivation, rewards, and job design.
2. Leadership: The study of the behavior of leaders and how their actions influence the performance and behavior of their followers.
3. Communication: The study of how information is shared, received, and interpreted in the workplace, including interpersonal communication, team communication, and organizational communication.
4. Power and Influence: The study of how individuals and groups gain, use, and lose power in the workplace, including sources of power, political behavior, and conflict management.
5. Decision-Making: The study of how individuals and groups make decisions in the workplace, including rational decision-making models, biases, and group decision-making processes.
6. Group Dynamics: The study of how individuals interact with each other in groups, including group formation, communication patterns, norms, and decision-making processes.
7. Organizational Culture: The study of the shared beliefs, values, and practices that shape the behavior of individuals in organizations, including the impact of culture on performance, innovation, and change.
8. Job Satisfaction: The study of employee attitudes and perceptions about their jobs and work environment, including the factors that influence job satisfaction, such as pay, recognition, and work-life balance.
9. Diversity and Inclusion: The study of how differences in gender, race, ethnicity, age, and other dimensions of diversity impact organizational behavior, including the effects of diversity on performance, teamwork, and organizational culture.
10. Globalization: The study of how globalization affects organizational behavior, including the challenges and opportunities associated with managing diverse, geographically dispersed teams and cross-cultural communication.

Overall, these topics reflect the multidisciplinary nature of OB and the diverse perspectives and theories that inform the field. OB scholars use a range of research methods, including surveys, experiments, field studies, and case analyses, to generate insights into human behavior in organizations and to inform management practice.