CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN
ORGANIZATION
Chapter Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter you should be able to:

Define organizational behavior.
Identify the functions that comprise the management process
and relate them to organizational behavior.
Relate organizational behavior to basic managerial roles and
skills.
Describe contemporary organizational behavior.
Discuss contextual perspectives on organizational behavior.
What is Organizational Behavior?
Organizational behavior (OB) is the study of:
Human behavior in organizational settings
The interface between human behavior and the organization
The organization itself
Figure 1.1 The Nature of Organizational Behavior
The Importance of Organizational Behavior
Organizations can have a powerful influence on our
lives:
Most people are born and educated in organizations
Most people acquire most of their material possessions from
organizations
Most people die as members of organizations
Many of our activities are regulated by governmental
organizations
Most people spend most of their lives in organizations
Why Study OB?
Studying organizational behavior can clarify factors that affect
how managers manage by:
Describing the complex human context of organizations
Defining the associated opportunities, problems, challenges,
and issues
Isolating important aspects of the managers job
Offering specific perspectives on the human side of
management
The behaviors of others in the organization
Personal needs, motives, behaviors, feelings and career dynamics
Attitudinal processes, individual differences, group dynamics, inter
group dynamics, organization culture, power, and political behavior
Interactions with people outside of the organization and other
organizations
The environment, technology, and global issues
Functions of Management
Planning is the process of determining an
organizations desired future position and the best means
of getting there.
Organizing is the process of designing jobs, grouping
jobs into units, and establishing patterns of authority
between jobs and units.
Leading is the process of getting organizations
members to work together toward the organizations
goals.
Controlling is the process of monitoring and correcting
the actions of the organization and its members to keep
them directed toward their goals.
Organizational Behavior and the Management
Process
Organizational Behavior and the Managers Job

Basic Managerial Roles:

Interpersonal
Informational
Decision-Making
Important Managerial Roles
Critical Managerial Skills
Technical

Skills necessary to accomplish
specific tasks within the
organization
Interpersonal Skills used to communicate with,
understand, and motivate
individuals and groups
Conceptual Skills used in abstract thinking
Diagnostic Skills to understand cause-effect
relationships and to recognize
optimal solutions to problems
Managerial Skills at Different Organizational
Levels
Contemporary Organizational Behavior

Characteristics of the Field
Interdisciplinary in focus (Several other fields of study)
Descriptive in nature (Describe rather than predict)

Basic Concepts of the Field
Individual processes
Interpersonal processes
Organizational processes/characteristics
The
Framework
for
Understanding
Organizational
Behavior
The Systems Perspective
System
An interrelated set of elements that function as a whole
inputs are combined/transformed by managers into outputs
from the system.

Value of the Systems Perspective
Underscores the importance of an organizations environment
Conceptualizes the flow and interaction of various elements of
the organization.
The Situational Perspective
The Situational Perspective
Recognizes that most organizational situations and outcomes
are influenced by other variables

The Universal Model
Presumes a direct cause-and-effect linkage between variables
Complexities of human behavior and organizational settings
make universal conclusions virtually impossible
The Systems Approach to Organizations
Universal Versus Situational Approach
Interactionalism: People and Situations

Interactionalist Perspective

Focuses on how individuals and situations interact
continuously to determine individuals behavior
Attempts to explain how people select, interpret, and change
various situations.
The Interactionalist Perspective on Behavior in
Organizations
Managing for Effectiveness
Managers work toward accomplishing the various
goals (outcomes) that exist at specific levels in an
organization:

Individual-level outcomes (individual behavior and attitudes
and stress)
Group-level outcomes
Organizational-level outcomes (financial performance)
Managing for Effectiveness