Unit- 1
Introduction to Organizational
Behavior
Concept of organizational behavior
• OB is the study of human behavior in organizational
settings, of the interface between human behavior and
the organization, and of the organization itself.
• The study of how people behave in and around an
organization and how their behavior affects
organizational performance
• Concerned with analyzing, understanding, predicting,
and managing human behavior for improving
organizational effectiveness
• It involves many activities which is essential for
improving job performance, increasing job
satisfaction, promoting innovation and encouraging
leadership
Definitions
• “OB can be defined as the understanding, prediction and management
of human behaviour in organisations” – Luthans
• “OB is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals,
groups and structure have on behaviour within organisations for the
purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an
organisation’s effectiveness” - Robbins
Organizational Behavior System
Inputs
1. Individual Inputs
§ Ability
§ Skills
§ Mental Condition
§ Age
§ Gender
§ Physical Condition
2.
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•
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Group Inputs
Group Status
Group Role
Unman Relations
3. Organizational Inputs
• Organizational Structure
• Culture
Processing
1. Individual Process
• Motivation
• Perception
• Learning
• Participation
2. Group Process
• Communication
• Leadership
• Conflict
• Power and Politics
3. Organizational Process
• Design of formal
organization
• HR Policies &
Practices
• Interaction with
external Environment
Feedback
1.
•
•
•
Outputs
Individual Outputs
Productivity
Satisfaction
Turnover less
Absenteeism
2.
•
•
•
Group Outputs
Group Productivity
Group Satisfaction
Cooperation
3. Organizational
Output
• Organizational
Citizenship
• Goal Achievement
• Social Effectiveness
Basic Assumptions of Organizational Behavior
1. The Assumption about Nature of People
a. Individual Differences: perception, attitude, intelligence, physique, personality,
learning capability, communicative ability etc.
b. A Whole Person: every individual involves special skills, likes and dislikes, pride
and prejudices.
c. Motivated Behavior: financial and non-financial
d. Value of the Person: all the employees have feeling dignity and respect, fair
and equitable treatment, opportunity to use skills and knowledge, open
trusting and communication, opportunity to make decisions, adequate and fair
compensation and safe and healthy work environments
e. Selective Perception: every individual has a unique ways of sensing, collecting,
organizing, and interpreting information received from environment
f. Desire for Involvement: want to show their creativity, skills and efficiency
2. The Assumption about Nature of Organization
a. Social System: organizations are the part of social system
b. Mutuality of Interest: both the organization and people need each
other
c. Ethical Treatment: set of moral principles and rules guiding
individual behavior
Levels of OB analysis
1. Individual level analysis: learning, perception,
creativity, motivation, personality, turnover, task
performance, cooperative behavior, ethics and value
2. Group level analysis: group dynamics, group
performance, intra-group and intergroup conflict
and cohesion, leadership, power and politics,
norms, interpersonal communication
3. Organizational level analysis: organizational
culture, structure, cultural diversity, cooperation
and conflict, change, technology
Contributing Disciplines to the field of OB
1. Psychology: it is a science that wants to measure and
explain the change in human behavior
2. Sociology: it is the study of a people in relation to their
fellow human beings
3. Social-psychology: it focuses on the influence of the
people on one another
4. Anthropology: it is the science of human being
especially of their environment and social relations and
their culture
5. Political science: it focuses on conflict, intraorganizational politics and power
Contributing disciplines
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7xoWDKCqW8
Challenges for Managers
1. Responding to globalization
2. Managing workforce diversity
3. Improving quality and productivity
4. Improving people skills
5. Improving customer service
6. Empowering employees
7. Managing change
8. Improving ethical behavior
9. Managing information technology
10. Coping with temporariness
Assignment
1. What is organizational behavior? Explain the assumptions of
organizational behavior.
2. Discuss about the organizational behavior system.
3. Describe the contributing disciplines of organizational behavior.
4. Explain any five challenges for the managers of organizational
behavior.