Organizational Behavior
Organizational behavior (OB) is a field of study that looks at the behavior of individuals, groups and the overarching structure within an organization in an effort to improve organizational effectiveness. The field draws from several different disciplines in the behavioral sciences, and is often broken down into different levels of analysis within an organization:
-Individuals
-Groups
-Structure (organization systems)
Contributing Disciplines
Organizational behavior is an applied science drawing on numerous disciplines in the behavioral sciences mainly:
-Psychology
-Social psychology
-Sociology
-Anthropology
Major Topics in Organizational Behavior
Individuals:
- Attitudes and Job Satisfaction
- Emotions and Moods
- Personalities
- Perception and Decision Making
- Motivational Concepts
Groups:
- Group Behavior
- Work Teams
- Communication
- Leadership
- Politics
- Conflict and Negotiation
Organization Structure:
- Organizational Culture
- Human Resource Policies and Practices
- Organizational Change
Research Methods
Commonly Used research methods in OB include both qualitative research and quantitative research approaches including:
- Interviews
- Phenomenological study
- Multilevel modeling
- Structural equation modeling
- Time series analysis
Submitted by Will Loker
