Organizational behavior analyzes individuals, work groups, and organizations at micro, meso, and macro levels.
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.
Organizational behavior analyzes individuals, work groups, and organizations at micro, meso, and macro levels.
The field draws on multiple disciplines and has been influenced by bureaucracy, scientific management, the Hawthorne Studies, motivation theories, and bounded rationality.
Major research areas include leadership, motivation, decision-making, organizational culture, job attitudes, diversity and inclusion, employee mistreatment, stress, and work-family conflict.
OB research uses quantitative methods, qualitative inquiry, computer simulation, and consulting applications to understand and improve organizational functioning.
Organization theory complements OB by examining organizational structures, processes, bureaucracy, and interactions with wider society.
The study of human behavior in organizational settings, including interactions among individuals, groups, and organizations.
The study of individuals and their behavior within organizations.
The study of work groups, teams, and interpersonal relationships in organizations.
The study of organizations as complete systems and how they function and interact with society.
The tendency for employee behavior or productivity to change when workers know they are being observed.
The idea that decision-makers have limited information, time, and cognitive capacity, causing them to choose satisfactory rather than optimal solutions.
The shared values, beliefs, assumptions, rituals, and behaviors that characterize an organization.
The set of processes that arouse, direct, and sustain behavior toward achieving a goal.
The process of influencing and guiding people to achieve organizational objectives.
Voluntary employee behavior that exceeds formal job requirements and supports organizational well-being.
Employee behavior that harms or is intended to harm an organization or its members.
A formal organizational system based on hierarchy, rules, functional specialization, technical qualifications, and rational-legal authority.
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