Introduction

Organizational behavior (OB) is the academic study of the ways people act within
groups. Its principles are applied primarily in attempts to make businesses operate
more effectively.The study of organizational behavior includes areas of research
dedicated to improving job performance, increasing job satisfaction, promoting
innovation, and encouraging leadership. Each has its own recommended actions, such
as reorganizing groups, modifying compensation structures, or changing methods of
performance evaluation

Elton Mayo and Roithlesberger of Harvard University stressed the importance of

“Human behaviour at work places.”The study of organizational behavior includes
areas of research dedicated to improving job performance, increasing job satisfaction,
promoting innovation, and encouraging leadership. Each has its own recommended
actions, such as reorganizing groups, modifying compensation structures, or changing
methods of performance evaluation.
The study of organizational behavior has its roots in the late 1920s, when the Western
Electric Company launched a now-famous series of studies of the behavior of workers
at its Hawthorne Works plant in Cicero, Illinois.
Researchers there set out to determine whether workers could be made to be more
productive if their environment was upgraded with better lighting and other design
improvements. To their surprise, the researchers found that the environment was less
important than social factors. It was more important, for example, that people got
along with their co-workers and felt their bosses appreciated them.
Today, those and other studies have evolved into modern theories of business
structure and decision-making.
The new frontiers of organizational behavior are the cultural components of
organizations, such as how race, class, and gender roles affect group building and
productivity. These studies take into account the ways in which identity and
background inform decision-making.

Real World Examples of Organizational Behavior

Findings from organizational behavior research are used by executives and human
relations professionals to better understand a business’s culture, how that culture helps
or hinders productivity and employee retention, and how to evaluate candidates' skills
and personality during the hiring process.
Organizational behavior theories inform real-world evaluation and management of
groups of people. There are a number of components:
  Personality plays a large role in the way a person interacts with groups and
produces work. Understanding a candidate's personality, either through tests or
through conversation, helps determine whether they are a good fit for an
organization.
 Leadership, what it looks like and where it comes from, is a rich topic of
debate and study within the field of organizational behavior. Leadership can be
broad, focused, centralized or de-centralized, decision-oriented, intrinsic in a
person’s personality, or simply a result of a position of authority.
 Power, authority, and politics all operate inter-dependently in a workplace.
Understanding the appropriate ways these elements are exhibited and used, as
agreed upon by workplace rules and ethical guidelines, are key components to
running a cohesive business.

Organizational Behavior By CAROL M. KOPP Updated Jun 25,

2019 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/organizational-behavior.asp

Organisational Behaviour – 3 Levels: Individual, Group and

Organisational Level
OB can be defined as actions and behaviors of individuals and groups towards
and their impact on the organization’s overall functioning and performance.
OB can be studied at various levels within an organization, and each level has
a unique set of roles, responsibilities, and goals.
Individual Level – Deals with the concepts at the individual level. Examples of
individual-level concepts are perception, personality, learning, motivation, and
attitude.
Organisational Behaviour – Four Major Models: Autocratic,
Custodial, Supportive and Collegial
There are four major models or frameworks that organizations operate out
of-
1. Autocratic,
2. Custodial,
3. Supportive, and
4. Collegial.
1. Autocratic:
The basis of this model is power with a managerial orientation of authority.
The employees in turn are oriented towards obedience and dependence on
the boss. The employee need that is met is subsistence. The performance
result is minimal.
2. Custodial:
The basis of this model is economic resources with a managerial orientation
of money. The employees in turn are oriented towards security and benefits
and dependence on the organization. The employee need that is met is
security. The performance result is passive cooperation.
3. Supportive:
The basis of this model is leadership with a managerial orientation of support.
The employees in turn are oriented towards job performance and
participation. The employee need that is met is status and recognition. The
performance result is awakened drives.
4. Collegial:
The basis of this model is partnership with a managerial orientation of
teamwork. The employees in turn are oriented towards responsible behavior
and self-discipline. The employee need that is met is self-actualization. The
performance result is moderate enthusiasm.
http://www.economicsdiscussion.net/management/organisational-behaviour/31869
Organisational behaviour

Perception is an intellectual process of transforming sensory stimuli to meaningful

information. It is the process of interpreting something that we see or hear in our mind and
use it later to judge and give a verdict on a situation, person, group etc.
It can be divided into six types −
 Of sound − The ability to receive sound by identifying vibrations.
 Of speech − The competence of interpreting and understanding the sounds of language
heard.
 Touch − Identifying objects through patterns of its surface by touching it.
 Taste − The ability to receive flavor of substances by tasting it through sensory organs
known as taste buds.
 Other senses − They approve perception through body, like balance, acceleration, pain,
time, sensation felt in throat and lungs etc.
 Of the social world − It permits people to understand other individuals and groups of their
social world. Example − Priya goes to a restaurant and likes their customer service, so she
will perceive that it is a good place to hang out and will recommend it to her friends, who
may or may not like it. Priya’s perception about the restaurant is good.

Perceptual Process
Perceptual process are the different stages of perception we go through. The different
stages are −
 Receiving

 Selecting

 Organizing

 Interpreting
Receiving
Receiving is the first and most important stage in the process of perception. It is the initial
stage in which a person collects all information and receives the information through the
sense organs.
Selecting
Selecting is the second stage in the process. Here a person doesn’t receive the data
randomly but selectively. A person selects some information out of all in accordance with his
interest or needs. The selection of data is dominated by various external and internal factors.
 External factors − The factors that influence the perception of an individual externally are
intensity, size, contrast, movement, repetition, familiarity, and novelty.
 Internal factors − The factors that influence the perception of an individual internally are
psychological requirements, learning, background, experience, self-acceptance, and
interest.
Organizing
Keeping things in order or say in a synchronized way is organizing. In order to make sense
of the data received, it is important to organize them.
We can organize the data by −
 Grouping them on the basis of their similarity, proximity, closure, continuity.
 Establishing a figure ground is the basic process in perception. Here by figure we mean
what is kept as main focus and by ground we mean background stimuli, which are not given
attention.
 Perceptual constancy that is the tendency to stabilize perception so that contextual
changes don’t affect them.
Interpreting
Finally, we have the process of interpreting which means forming an idea about a particular
object depending upon the need or interest. Interpretation means that the information we
have sensed and organized, is finally given a meaning by turning it into something that can
be categorized. It includes stereotyping, halo effect etc.
Importance of Perception in OB
We need to understand what the role of perception in an organization is. It is very important
in establishing different role of perceptions like −
 Understanding the tasks to be performed.

 Understanding associated importance of tasks allotted.

 Understanding preferred behavior to complete respective tasks.

 Clarifying role perceptions.

For example, every member in a group has to be clear regarding the role allotted to them.
Programmer writes the code, tester checks it, etc.

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/organizational_behavior/organizational_behavior_perception.
htm

Attitude is manner, disposition, feeling and position with regard to a person or

thing, tendency or orientation especially in the mind.
Frank Freeman said, “An attitude is a dispositional readiness to respond to certain
institutions, persons or objects in a consistent manner which has been learned and
has become one’s typical mode of response.”
Thurstone said, “An attitude denotes the sum total of man’s inclinations and feelings,
prejudice or bias, preconceived notions, ideas, fears, threats, and other any specific
Thus the two main elements of attitude are this tendency or predisposition and the
direction of this predisposition.
It has been defined as a mental state of readiness; organize to through experience
which exerts a directive or dynamic influence on the responses.

These can also be explicit and implicit.

Explicit attitudes are those that we are consciously aware of and that clearly influence
our behaviors and beliefs. Implicit attitudes are unconscious, but still, have an effect
on our beliefs and behaviors.

topic.”

Characteristics of Attitude are;

1. Attitudes are the complex combination of things we tend to call personality,

beliefs, values, behaviors, and motivations.

2. It can fall anywhere along a continuum from very favorable to very

unfavorable.

3. All people, irrespective of their status or intelligence, hold attitudes.

4. An attitude exists in every person’s mind. It helps to define our identity,

guide our actions, and influence how we judge people.

5. Although the feeling and belief components of attitude are internal to a

person, we can view a person’s attitude from his or her resulting behavior.

6. Attitude helps us define how we see situations, as well as define how we

behave toward the situation or object.

7. It provides us with internal cognitions or beliefs and thoughts about people

and objects.

8. It can also be explicit and implicit. Explicit attitude is those that we are
consciously aware of an implicit attitude is unconscious, but still, have an effect
on our behaviors.
 9. Attitudes cause us to behave in a particular way toward an object or person.

10. An attitude is a summary of a person’s past experience; thus, an attitude is

grounded in direct experience predicts future behavior more accurately.

11. It includes certain aspects of the personality as interests, appreciation and

social conduct.

12. It indicates the sum total of a man’s inclinations and feelings.

13. An attitude is a point of view, substantiated or otherwise, true or false which

one holds towards an idea, object or person.

14. It has aspects such as direction, intensity, generality or specificity.

15. It refers to one’s readiness for doing Work.

16. It may be positive or negative and may be affected by age, position, and
education.

Attitudes are simply expressions of much we like or dislike various things. Attitudes
represent our evaluations, preferences or rejections based on the information we
receive.

Barriers to Change Attitudes are; (can be flipped to answer last part of the question)

 Prior Commitment.

 Insufficient Information.

 Balance and Consistency.

 Lack of Resources.

 Improper Reward System.

 Resistance to Change.

Prior Commitment
When people feel a commitment towards a particular course of action that has
already been agreed upon and thus it becomes difficult for them to change or accept
the new ways of functioning.

Insufficient Information
It also acts as a major barrier to change attitudes. Sometimes people do not see a
reason why they should change their attitude due to unavailability of adequate
information.

Sometimes people do not see a reason why they should change their attitude due to
unavailability of adequate information.

Balance and Consistency

Another obstacle to a change of attitude is the attitude theory of balance and
consistency.

That is human beings prefer their attitudes about people and things to be in line with
their behaviors towards each other and objects.

Lack of Resources
If plans become excessively ambitious, they can sometimes be obstructed by the lack
of resources on the part of a company or organization.

So, in this case, if the organization wants to change the attitude of the employees
towards the new plan, sometimes it becomes impossible for the lack of resources to
achieve this.

Improper Reward System

Sometimes, an improper reward system acts as a barrier to change attitude.

If an organization places too much emphasis on short-term performance and results,

managers may ignore longer-term issues as they set goals and formulate plans to
achieve higher profits in the short term.

If this reward system is introduced in the organization, then the employees are not
motivated to change their attitude.

Resistance to Change
Another barrier is resistance to change.

Basically, change is a continuous process within and outside the organization to

achieve the set goal.
When the authority changes a plan of the organization the employees have to
change themselves.

But some of them do not like this. If their attitude regarding the change of plan
cannot be changed, the organization will not be successful.

Ways of Changing Attitude

 New information will help to change attitudes.

 Negative attitudes are mainly formed owing to insufficient information.

 Attitudes may change through direct experience.

 Another way in which attitudes can be changed is by resolving discrepancies

between attitudes and behavior.

 Change of attitude can come through the persuasion of friends or peers.

 Attitudes may change through legislation.

 Since a person’s attitudes are anchored in his membership group and

reference groups, one way to change the attitude is to modify one or the other.

 Fear can change attitude. If low levels of fear are used, people often ignore
them.

 Changing the attitude differs with reference to the situation also.

https://iedunote.com/attitude-definition-characteristics-types

Uday Pareek said perception can be defined as “the process of receiving, selecting,
organizing, interpreting, checking, and reacting to sensory stimuli or data.”

Importance of perception

1. Perception is very important in understanding human behavior because

every person perceives the world and approaches life problems differently.
Whatever we see or feel is not necessarily the same as it really is. When we buy
something, it is not because it is the best, but because we take it to be the best.

2. If people behave on the basis of their perception, we can predict their

behavior in the changed circumstances by understanding their present
perception of the environment. One person may be viewing the facts in one
way which may be different from the facts as seen by another viewer.
 1. With the help of perception, the needs of various people can be determined,
because people’s perception is influenced by their needs.

2. Perception is very important for the manager who wants to avoid making
errors when dealing with people and events in the work setting. This problem is
made more complicated by the fact that different people perceive the same
situation differently. In order to deal with the subordinates effectively, the
managers must understand their perceptions properly.

3. Perception can be important because it offers more than objective output; it

ingests an observation and manufactures an altered reality enriched with
previous experiences.

4. Perception builds character (not necessarily good or bad character) that

defines different roles individuals fall into the clown, the hypocrite, the self-
righteous, the victim, etc..

5. It is vitally important if we want to get along with others to try to see things
from their perspective or walk in their shoes for a while. If we walk in their
shoes we will gain a new perspective about things and in that understand the
other and also can love and help the other more appropriately.
https://iedunote.com/perception

Managerial Implications of Perception:

A manager is primarily concerned with the achievement of organisational
objectives. Perception affects the behaviour of employee. So facts necessarily
may not always be accepted. Thus understanding human perception is
important in understanding and controlling the behaviour. There are five
major areas which require special attention so far as the perceptual accuracy
is concerned.
(1) Interpersonal Working Relationship:
Managers in the organization need to know whether or not members share
similar or at least compatible perceptions. If people are not misunderstanding
each other, if they are not working with preoccupied minds and having
positive approach then the interpersonal relations can be strengthened.
Misperceptions usually lead to strained relations and may even result in open
conflict among people.
(2) Selection of Employees:
Selection is based on tests, interviews and review of the applicants
background. Managers perception should not be biased. Selection of the
employees also depends upon how a candidate is taking the question. His
answers will be accordingly.
If the candidate is taking the questions in the same manner as it is asked then
he will be in a better position to answer it in a positive manner. Perceptual
difference totally changes the meaning of the response which sometimes re-
sults in major problems.
(3) Performance Appraisal:
Appraisal is highly affected by the accuracy of a managers perception. In most
of the cases promotions, transfers, increments, continuation of the employees
etc. depends upon the perceptual process of the boss. Performance appraisal
is related with the performance of the employees and must be based on
objective criteria. But irrespective of this fact, it is dependent upon the
subjective criteria e.g. personal likes and dislikes of superior.
(4) Level of Efforts:
While judging the level of effort of a person the manager appraises the
qualitative aspect of an employees performance. If he perceives them as
putting in sufficient efforts and being sincere then he would rate them high in
spite of their not achieving targets and vice versa. Manager must be careful
while judging this aspect.
(5) Increase in Loyalty Level:
With proper application of perception the loyalty level can be increased. If the
employees think that management is not taking any undue advantage from
them, management is understanding them, then they will perceive it as their
own organization and switching over of jobs will be decreased.

https://www.economicsdiscussion.net/organisation/organisational-behaviour-
perception/31606

Attitude is a mental and neutral state of readiness organized through experience, exerting a
directive or dynamic influence upon individual’s response to all objects and situations with
which it is related.

G.W. Allport

attitude” is an individual’s way of looking or an individual’s point of view at something

Importance of attitude in organisational behavior

Employees with a positive attitude will create a healthy atmosphere in the organization,
develop positive relations with sub-ordinates, their supervisors, managers and top
management. A positive attitude has significant benefits for an individual in many aspects.
 Importance of Attitude in an Organization

Following are the aspects related to the importance of attitude:

1. Career success
2. Productivity
3. Leadership
4. Teamwork
5. Decision making
6. Motivation
7. Interpersonal relations

8. Stress management

Career success
Performance is a parameter to measure employees‘ success in the workplace. Performance
leads to success either through promotion or increased compensation. A positive attitude of
an employee will help him to think of ways to accomplish their task in a well-defined manner

Productivity
An employee with a positive attitude tends to take more interest and responsibility and will

provide better work, which in turn will improve productivity.

Leadership
Managing a diverse workforce is a crucial task for achieving the objective of an organization.
Positive attitude demonstrated by leaders or employee will result in proper communication

between the subordinate which will lead to efficient work.

Teamwork
A positive attitude of employees helps to appreciate each other‘s competencies and work as a

team for achieving common objectives.

Decision making
An employee with a positive attitude and mindset will help employees to make better
decisions, in an objective manner. It will enable employees to choose wisely and logically

and avoid them to take an unambiguous decision.

Motivation
Motivation is an important factor for efficient work. An employee with a positive attitude
will always be mentally prepared to face any obstacle in a job. The moment they are

successful in overcoming obstacles, they are motivated to move forward.

Interpersonal relations
Customers prefer to make relation with someone who is positive in nature. A positive attitude

helps in establishing valuable customer loyalty.

Stress management
Positive attitude and thinking will reduce the stress of an employee and with reduced stress
employee can take a better decision and increase their productivity which results, employees,
to enjoy better health and take fewer sick leaves.

https://www.geektonight.com/what-is-attitude-meaning-functions-types-importance-
components/#.XtectCZRWDY

Functions of Attitude
Four important functions of attitude which are crucial in organizational behavior viewpoint
are:

1. Adjustment Function
2. Ego-Defensive Function
3. Value-Expressive Function

4. Knowledge Function

Adjustment Function
Attitudes often help individuals to adjust to their work environment.

Example: Well-treated employees tend to develop a positive attitude towards their

management or job.

Ego-Defensive Function
Attitudes help people to retain their self- image and dignity.

Example: Older faculty might feel somewhat threatened by a young and new faculty member

who is full of fresh ideas and enthusiasm

Value-Expressive Function
Attitudes provide individuals with a basis for expressing their values.
Example, a manager who values honest and sincere work will be more vocal against an

employee who is having a very casual approach towards work.

Knowledge Function
Attitudes provide frames of reference or standard that allow individuals to understand and
perceive the world around him.

Example, If a student has a strong negative attitude towards the college, whatever the college
does, the student will be perceived as something ‘bad’ and as actually against them.

For the last part

Attitude Formation
The question often arises, ‘how are the attitudes and subsequent behaviors formed?’ While
attitudes are basically learned over the years, some inherited characteristics do affect such
attitudes

Some of the learned characteristics responsible for attitude formation are:

  Experiences: Our personal experiences with people and situations develop our
attitude towards such persons and situations.

Through job experience, people develop attitudes towards working conditions, salaries,
supervision, group dynamics and so on.

 Perceptual biases: Perception is the result of a complex interaction of various senses

such as feelings, seeing, hearing and so on and plays an important part in our attitude
and behavioural formation.

For example, if a manager perceives a subordinate’s ability as limited, he will give him
limited responsibility. Similarly, we lose many good friends due to our changed
perception about them.

 Observation of the other person’s attitude: When we like someone, we try to emulate
that person’s attitude.

For example, when we are impressed by someone keeping calm under stressful
circumstances and we appreciate such calmness, we might try to do the same.

 Association: Our association with the group we belong to strongly influences our
attitude. Our close association with a group would encourage us to be consistent with
the attitude of the group.

 Personality: Personality is a set of traits and characteristics, habit patterns and

conditioned responses to certain stimuli that formulate the impression that a person
makes upon others and this impression is a function of a person’s attitude

How to Change Perceptions at Work

 Small Business
 |
 Business Planning & Strategy
|
 Making Business Decisions
ByTia Benjamin

Employee perceptions and attitudes directly impact the bottom line. In a small, close-
knit business, unfavorable perceptions about a decision you have made can quickly
spread through the organization as workers gossip, negatively impacting morale and
affecting productivity. Although it can be difficult to change perceptions, such
change can be achieved through persistence. Managers of small businesses should
actively take steps to change misguided employee beliefs so that workers
understand the logic behind the company's actions.
1

Survey employees to find out what the perceptions of the workforce actually are.
Don't assume you already know. Staff members are unlikely to be completely honest
with management, particularly if employees already perceive a threat to job security.
2

Communicate constantly with employees. Use a variety of methods -- such as formal

memos, emails, in-person staff meetings and the company newsletter -- so that you
reach all staff members. The more information you give employees about a process
they consider unfair, the more likely you are to change that perception.
3

Include employees in the decision-making process. Help workers to understand the

issues surrounding the available options and the ultimate reason the decision was
made. This will result in greater acceptance of the choice and will positively
influence employees' perceptions about the decision and resulting business actions.
4

Enlist the support of supervisors within the organization. Encourage supervisors to

discuss the issues with staff to correct the perceptions of employees. Workers are
more likely to trust the opinion of their direct supervisor than the opinion of a high
level manager with whom they rarely interact.
5

Don't expect immediate results. Recognize that the employee's perceptions and
beliefs were built gradually over time. Modifying or reversing those perceptions takes
sustained effort over an extended period.

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/change-perceptions-work-35301.html