ORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOUR (OB)
UNIT I

What is OB?
• A field of study that investigates the impact that
individuals, groups, and structure have on behaviour
within organizations, for the purpose of applying such
knowledge toward improving an organization's
effectiveness
• OB "studies three determinants of behaviour in
organizations: INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND STRUCTURE
• OB applies the knowledge gained about individuals,
groups, and the effect of structure on behavior in order
to make organizations work more effectively"

Contributing Disciplines
• Organizational Behaviour is an applied
behavioural science that is built upon
contributions from a number of behavioural
disciplines
– Behavioural science is the systematic analysis and
investigation of human and animal behaviour
through controlled and naturalistic observation,
and disciplined scientific experimentation.
• The predominant areas are psychology,
sociology, social psychology, anthropology,
and political science

Contribution of Psychology
• The Science that seeks to measure, explain, and
sometimes change the behaviour of humans and
other animals
• Psychologists concern themselves with studying
and attempting to understand individual
behaviour
• Those who have contributed and continue to
add to the knowledge of OB are learning
theorists, personality theorists, counselling
psychologists, and, most important, industrial
and organizational psychologists

Contribution of Sociology
• The study of people in relation to their fellow
human beings
• Whereas psychologists focus their attention
on the individual, sociologists study the
social system in which individuals fill their
roles
– Sociology studies people in relation to their
fellow human beings

Contribution of Social Psychology
• An area within psychology that blends
concepts from psychology and sociology and
that focuses on the influence of people on
one another
• An area within psychology, blending
concepts from both psychology and sociology

Contribution of Anthropology
• The study of societies to learn about human
beings and their activities
• Anthropologists’ work on cultures and
environments, has helped to understand
differences in fundamental values, attitudes,
and behaviour among people in different
countries and within different organizations

Contribution of Political Science
• The study of the behaviour of individuals and
groups within a political environment
– Areas of concern here include structuring of
conflict, allocation of power, and how people
manipulate power for individual self-interest

Challenges for OB
• Responding to Globalization
• Managing Workforce Diversity
• Improving Quality and Productivity
– Re-engineering
– Total Quality Management
• Improving People Skills
• Empowering People
• Coping with temporariness
• Stimulating Innovation and Change
• Inculcating an Ethical Code of Conduct &
Improving Ethical Behaviour

Employee Characteristics affecting
Behaviour
– Age
– Gender
– Marital Status
– Tenure (Duration of stay in an organization)
– Ability (Capacity)
– Intellectual Abilities (number aptitude, verbal
comprehension, perceptual speed, inductive reasoning,
deductive reasoning, spatial visualization, and Memory)
– Physical Abilities (specially for successfully doing less skilled
and more standardized jobs)
– Ability-Job Fit (Directing attention at interaction of both -
the employee's abilities and the ability requirements of the
job)