Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts
What is organizational behavior (OB)? OB is the study of how people, individual and groups, act in organizations; and how organizations respond to environmental forces. OB uses behavioral sciences to analyze and interpret the factors that affect behaviors at individual, group, and organizational levels. The outcome of this analysis is a better understanding of how each level of behavior can affect both personal and organizational goals (George & Jones, 2005).
Because an organization is a collection of individuals, much of the focus of OB is on how employees’ personal characteristics affect the way they do their jobs, get along with others in the organization, and what motivates them to improve. Group characteristics and functions are also an important part of OB. Factors that affect group behavior include levels of diversity, number of members, quality of communication, and individual characteristics of members. Cohesive groups or teams not only benefit organizations, they also influence individual behavior. The application of the knowledge provided by OB can improve the quality of group and team functions. Finally, OB studies look at how the organization as a whole affects both individuals and groups. Organizational characteristics include both the way an organization is structured, for example hierarchical or organic, and an organization’s culture (George & Jones, 2005).
In a nutshell, organizational culture is an organization’s personality. It is the values, beliefs, and norms that influence its employee’s behaviors in terms of attitude and perception to those within and outside of the organization. Just as individuals have values, so do organizations. These values are principles that guide emplo ...