Organizational Behavior: People, Groups, and Organizations

Organizational Behavior Foundations

Organizational behavior (OB) is the interdisciplinary study of how individuals, groups, and entire organizations behave in organizational settings. It examines the relationship between human behavior and organizational structures, with research commonly organized into micro-level individual behavior, meso-level group behavior, and macro-level organizational behavior. Its central goals include improving understanding of organizational life, employee performance, motivation, job satisfaction, decision-making, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. The field has been shaped by sociology, psychology, economics, anthropology, and management theory. Historical influences include Weber's analysis of bureaucracy, Taylor's scientific management, Fordist production, the Hawthorne Studies, and the work of Fayol, Barnard, Follett, and Simon. Contemporary OB studies topics such as organizational culture, diversity and inclusion, leadership, motivation, employee mistreatment, organizational citizenship, occupational stress, work-family conflict, and counterproductive work behavior. Researchers use quantitative, qualitative, and computer-simulation methods, while consultants apply OB knowledge to diagnose organizational problems and recommend improvements.

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Micro-, Meso-, and Macro-Level Analysis

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