SIMS-BBM-Organizational Behaviour

Unit 1 Introduction to OB
Organization behaviour is an applied science and which is constantly growing its knowledge base. It provides a useful set of tools to many levels of analysis. For example: 1. It helps managers to look at the behaviour of individuals in an organization. 2. Organizational behaviour also studies inter changing behaviour to coordinate its effects.

Meaning of OB
Organizational behaviour is a branch of special sciences that sucks to build theories that can be applied to predicting, understanding and controlling behaviour in work organizations. Organizational behaviour is the study and application of knowledge and how people as individuals and as groups act within organizations. Organizational behaviour is directly concerned with the understanding, prediction and control of human behaviour in organizations. In short it is a study of the behaviour of people to improve the efficiency of the organization.

Definition of OB
According to Robbins, Organizational Behaviour is The study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behaviour within the organization and for the purpose of applying such knowledge towards improving organizational effectiveness. According to Aldag and Brief Organizational behaviour is a branch of social science that seeks to build theories that can be applied to predicting, understanding and controlling behaviour in work organizations. From the above definition it is clear that organizational behaviour studies three determinants of behaviour in an organization, i.e. individuals, groups and structure. To sum up, OB is concerned with the study of how and why people behave in organizations and also how their behaviour affects the performance of the organization.

Navya Jain

Page 1

SIMS-BBM-Organizational Behaviour

Characteristics of OB
An applied science: OB is an applied science with an element of practical focus. The basic objective of organizational behaviour is to make application of researches to solve the organizational problems, particularly related to human behaviour. Organizational behaviour can also be called as science as well as art. Interdisciplinary approach: The study of OB has an interdisciplinary approach. Interdisciplinary approach combines the relevant knowledge drawn from different disciplines for a specific objective. The major source for OB is taken from psychology, sociology and anthropology. These disciplines have an independent existence but OB unites the required knowledge to make them applicable for organizational analysis.

OB is a Field of Study: OB is treated as a specific field of study and not a discipline. A decipline is an accepted science with a theoretical foundation that serves as the basis for research and analysis. OB because of its recent origin, and interdisciplinary orientation it is referred as a field of study and not a discipline. OB exits at multiple level: Behaviour occurs at the individual, the group, and the organizational systems levels. Thus behaviour that is attributable to each of these levels can be both identified and isolated. In other words OB involves in three levels of analysis of behaviour they are: Individual behaviour Group behaviour Behaviour of the organization itself it helps in demolishing incorrect assumption. Humanistic and Optimistic: OB focuses the attention on people from humanistic point of view, it is based on the belief that needs and motivation of people are of high concern. Holistic approach: The approach of OB is holistic to the extent that it considers the organization as a living system. In this approach, which analysing OB, people in the organization are considered as the product off socio-psychological factors. Thus in this approach human behaviour is analysed with in his psychological frame work, interpersonal orientation, group influence and socio-cultural factors. Thus organizational behaviour follows a holistic approach towards human behaviour in an organization context.

Navya Jain

Page 2

SIMS-BBM-Organizational Behaviour

Key Elements of Organizational Behaviour

The key elements in OB are People, Response/Behaviour, & Situation

People

Response/ Behaviour Situation

The key elements are unique; it deals with people, situations and responses with in the organization.

Organisational Behaviour

People

Response/ Behaviour

Situation

Individual Differences Concept of Total Individuality Individual Dignity

Mutuality of Intrest Structural Relationship

Learnt Behaviour Communication Pattern

People: The success and failure of organisation depends upon the type of people
working in the organisation. (a) Individual Differences: Person is unique with his physical appearance, attitude & intelligence; it is challenge to manage different kind of people in organization.

Navya Jain

Page 3

SIMS-BBM-Organizational Behaviour (b) Concept of Total individuality: Organization hiring individuals based on their knowledge, skill, experience and their performance. Along with the individual his likes and dislikes also enters organization, a concept of total individuality is applied individual is considered as a complete person. (c) Individual Dignity: In every organization Top, Middle and Lower level of working conditions can be found, irrespective of the level of the worker and his work, he needs to be treated as a human being and not as a machine. The study on OB tries to establish a link between individual behaviour and organizational behaviour in terms of dignity.

Example: When a worker is absent from work, there is a cause behind it. The
manager must know the cause to solve the problem. People are living, with thinking and feelings. Therefore needs to treat them with human dignity.

Navya Jain

Page 4