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ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

INSTRUCTOR:

DR. MÁRIA UJHELYI

Associate professor

UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN

Faculty of Economics and Business Administration

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Chapter 1 Introduction to

Organizational Behavior

Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 9/e

Stephen P. Robbins/Timothy A. Judge

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After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Define Organizational Behavior (OB).2. Explain the value of the systematic study of OB.3. Identify the contributions made to OB by major

behavioral science disciplines.4. Describe how OB concepts can help make

organizations more productive.5. List the major challenges and opportunities for

managers to use OB concepts.6. Identify the three levels of analysis in OB.

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Definition of Organizations

A consciously coordinated social unit, composed of two or more people, that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or goals

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Definition of Organizational Behavior

Studies the influence that individuals, groups and structure have on behavior within organizations.

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Chief Goal of OB

To apply that knowledge toward improving an organization’s effectiveness.

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Complementing Intuition with Systematic Study

• Improves ability to predict behavior

• Systematic study: Examining relationships Attempting to attribute causes

and effects Basing conclusions on scientific

evidence

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Contributing Disciplines to the OB Field

PsychologySocial

Psychology

Sociology Anthropology

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Challenges and Opportunities for OB

• Workers represent a large range of cultures, races, and ethnic groups

• Increased uncertainty in the world• Typical employee is getting older• More women in the workplace • Global competition is requiring employees to

become more flexible• Historical loyalty-bonds that held many employees

to their employers are being severed

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Responding to Globalization

• Increased foreign assignments

• Working with people from different cultures

• Overseeing movement of jobs to countries with low-cost labor

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Managing Diversity

Workforce diversity: organizations are becoming a more heterogeneous mix of people in terms of gender, age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation

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Diversity Implications

Managers have to shift their philosophy from treating everyone alike to recognizing differences and responding to those differences in ways that ensure employee retention and greater productivity while, at the same time, not discriminating.

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OB offers Insights to Improve

• Quality and Productivity

• Customer Service and a Customer-responsive culture

• People skills

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OB Aids Dealing with

• Stimulating Innovation and Change

• Coping with “Temporariness”

• Helping employees balance work-life conflicts

• Improving ethical behavior

• Creating a Positive Work Environment

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Three Levels of OB Analysis

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OB MODEL

• The Dependent Variables Productivity Absence Turnover Job Satisfaction

• Independent Variables Individual-Level Variables Group –Level Variables Organization System Level Variables

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Implications for Managers

• Improve people skills• See the value of workforce diversity• Improve quality and productivity• Provide suggestions for meeting

chronic labor shortages• Cope in a world of temporariness• Offer guidance in creating an

ethically healthy work environment

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Summary

1. Defined Organizational Behavior (OB).

2. Explained the value of the systematic study of OB.

3. Identified the contributions made to OB by major behavioral science disciplines.

4. Described how OB concepts can help make organizations more productive.

5. Listed the major challenges and opportunities for managers to use OB concepts.

6. Identified the three levels of analysis in OB.