1.3 Defining Organizational Behavior
The study of individual and group behavior in organizational settings. is the study of individual and group behavior in organizational settings. OB looks at organizations as entities, the forces that shape them, and their impact on the members. The study of OB involves three levels within organizations: (1) Individual; (2) Group (or Team); and (3) Organizational.
Let's look at the components of this definition. OB examines individual and larger or macro-levels (e.g. regional, national, global or systemic) and group behavior, as well as attitudes, social climate, and performance, within an organization. Researchers examine why people (individually or in groups) behave the way they do and how to manage these behaviors so that the organization can achieve optimal performance.
Researchers in organizational behavior study such age-old questions as what are the characteristics of a good leader? How can a manager motivate workers? What are the causes of conflict in the workplace? Increasingly, questions that have social and moral relevance, such as what makes an organization "ethical" in both action and reputation, are being addressed.
OB is termed "interdisciplinary" because its principles have been borrowed from various disciplines. For instance, from psychology we draw on findings in motivation, teamwork, training, and leadership. Sociology and anthropology address such topics as roles, norms, group dynamics, gender and age differences, the changing workforce, and differences among cultures. Political science has contributed theories on power and authority, management science deals with organizational structure and dynamics, and medicine has contributed information on health and safety issues.