What Is Organizational Behavior?

1. Define organizational behavior (OB)

OB is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behavior within organizations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organization’s effectiveness. OB is a field of study, meaning that it is a distinct area of expertise with a common body of knowledge.

1. Explain the value of the systematic study of OB

Systematic study is a means to making reasonably accurate predictions. When we use the term systematic study we mean looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and effects, and basing our conclusions on scientific evidence.

1. List the major challenges and opportunities for managers to use OB concepts

- Responding to economic pressures

- Responding to globalization

- Managing workforce diversity

- Improving customer service

- Improving people skills

- Stimulating innovation and change

- Coping with “Temporariness”

- Working in networked organizations

- Helping employees balance work-life conflicts

- Creating a positive work environment

- Improving ethical behavior

1. What is current development worldwide that affect managers work in organizations?
   How does it affect perspectives to OB?

Organizations are no longer constrained by national borders. Different big companies started to expand the manufactures and recruitments through outside countries. For example all major automobile makers now manufacture cars outside their borders: Honda builds cars in Ohio, Ford in Brazil, Volkswagen in Mexico, and both Mercedes and BMW in South Africa. The world had become a global village. In the process, the manager’s job has changed.

1. Identify the three levels of analysis in this book’s OB model
2. Explain the need for a contingency approach to the study of OB, define dependent variables and independent

The dependent variable is the key factor that you want to explain or predict and that is affected by some other factor. The dependent variables in OB are: productivity, absenteeism, turnover and job satisfaction.

Productivity – An organization is productive if it achieves its goals by transforming inputs into outputs at the lowest cost. This productivity requires both effectiveness and efficiency.

Turnover – is voluntary or involuntary permanent withdrawal from an organization.

Deviant workplace behavior is voluntary behavior that violates significant organizational norms and, in doing so, threatens the well being of the organization or its members.

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is discretionary behavior that is not part of an employee’s formal job requirements but nevertheless promotes the effective functioning of the organization.

Job satisfaction is a positive feeling about your job resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics.

The independent Variables: Individual-Level Variables, Group-Level Variables, Organization System-Level Variables.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-25