Organization Behavior(OB)

Organizational behavior (OB) is an applied behavioral science that is built on contributions from
a number of behavioral disciplines. The predominant areas are psychology, sociology, social
psychology, anthropology, and political science. Psychology contributions have been mainly at
the individual or micro level of analysis, while the other four disciplines have contributed to our
understanding of macro concepts such as group processes and organization.

“Organizational behavior is directly concerned with the understanding, prediction, and control of
human behavior in organizations.” — Fred Luthans.

So we can assume that there are various types of disciplines which involve organizational behavior.
They, directly and indirectly, influence the overall activities of OB.

Contributing Disciplines (Principles) to the Organization Behavior Field are:

1. Psychology (Personality system). 6. Political Science.
2. Sociology (Social system). 7. Science
3. Social Psychology. 8. Technology
4. Economics. 9. Engineering
5. Anthropology (Cultural system). 10. Medicine

1)Psychology:

Psychology is the science that seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behavior of
humans and other animals. Psychologists concern themselves with studying and attempting to
understand individual behavior. Those who have contributed and continue to add to the knowledge
of OB are learning theorists, personality theorists, counseling psychologists, and, most important,
industrial and organizational psychologists.

More recently, their contributions have been expanded to include

• the learning process,

• motivation techniques,
• personality determinants and development,
• perceptual process and its implications,
• training process,
• leadership effectiveness,
• job satisfaction,
• individual decision making,
• performance appraisal,
• attitude measurement,
• employee selection,
• Job design and work stress.
2)Sociology:
While psychology focuses on the individual, sociology studies people in relation to their fellow
human beings. Specifically, sociologists have made their greatest contribution to OB through their
study of group behavior in organizations, particularly formal and complex organizations
Organizations are viewed by sociologies as consists of a variety of people with different roles,
status, and degree of authority.
Sociological concepts, theories, models, and techniques help significantly to understand better the
• Group dynamics,
• Organizational culture,
• Formal organization theory and structure,
• Corporate technology,
• Bureaucracy,
• Communications,
• Power,
• Conflict,
• Intergroup behavior.

3)Social Psychology:
It deals with how people are affected by other individuals who are physically present or who are
imagined to be present or even whose presence is implied. It focuses on the influence of the people
on one another. In general, sociology focuses on how groups, organizations, social categories, and
societies are organized, how they function, how they change.
The most important topics relevant to the organizational behavior field are
• Behavioral change,
• Attitude change,
• Communication,
• Group process
• Group decision making.
4)Anthropology:
Anthropology is the study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities. For
instance, anthropologists work on cultures and environments has helped us understand differences
in fundamental values, attitudes, and behavior between people in different countries and within
different organizations. Much of our current understanding of organizational culture,
organizational environments, and differences between national cultures is the result of the work
of anthropologists or those using their methods.
5)Political Science:
Although frequently overlooked, the contributions of political scientists are significantly to the
understanding of behavior in organizations. Political science studies the behavior of individuals
and groups within a political environment. Specific topics of concern here include the structuring
of conflict, allocation of power, and how people manipulate power for individual self-interest
6)Economics:
Economists study the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. Students of
organizational behavior share the economist’s interest in such areas as labor market dynamics,
productivity, human resource planning and forecasting, and cost benefit analysis.
The economic conditions of a country have long lasting impact on organizational behavior. If
psychological and economic expectations of employee are met, they are satisfied and become high
performers. Economic systems include financial, commercial and industrial activities which have
greater influences on the behavior of the people. The consumption pattern in society monitors the
behavior of employees. Consumption oriented society witnesses a different employee behavior
from that of a production oriented society.
7)Science:
Science is systematized knowledge. The scientific methods attempt to produce information that is
objective in the sense that it is certifiable and independent of a person’s opinions or preferences.
Scientific method is the backbone of organizational behavior. Organizational behavior is based on
the systematized study of facts, behavior, their relationships and predictions.
The cause and effect relationship is also established in organizational behavior like that of science.
The verification of the relationship and its quantification has added to the importance of
organizational behavior.
It becomes relatively easy to predict and mold the people at work. A researcher, in the field of OB
investigates new facts, tests theories, hypothesis and models. Personal bias are avoided in the
study. A systematized form of inquiry is used for the study of various problems.
8)Technology:
The level of technological development affects the behavior of the employees. Modern age is the
age of computerization. It has come within the framework of the model of organizational behavior.
The study of technological development is becoming essential for understanding the organizational
behavior, because people are influenced by the technological development. Human behavior
relations and environments develop as a result of technological innovations.
Technology changes consumer behavior, production activities, distribution and storage activities.
To cope up with the technological development people have to become educated and/or technically
skilled. They should have to be responsibility conscious and development oriented. Unskilled or
irresponsible will have no place in the modern innovative age. Thus, technological development
leads to effective work behavior, improved organizational culture and helpful work environment.
9)Engineering:
Engineering also influences the study of organizational behavior. Some topics are common to
engineering as well as organizational behavior e.g. work measurement, productivity measurement,
work flow analysis, work design, job design and labor relations. In fact, organizational behavior
is dependent on engineering for these technical jobs.
10)Medicine:
Nowadays, medicine has also come in connection with the study of human behavior at work. Stress
is becoming a very common problem in the organizations as well as in the people working in the
organizations. Research shows that controlling the causes and consequences of stress in and out of
organizational settings, is important for the well being of the individual as well as the
organizations. Medicine helps in the control of stress as well as stress related problems.
Thus, it can be concluded that organizational behavior has an interdisciplinary focus. It draws from
a variety of other fields and attempts to describe behavior as opposed to prescribing how behavior
can be changed in consistent and predictable ways.
The relationship of OB with other fields of study is depicted in the following diagram:

PSYCHOLOGY
SCIENCE

SOCIALOGY
ORGANIZATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
ANTHROPOLOGY BEHAVIOR

ENGINEERING
POLITICAL SCIENCE

MEDICINE
ECONOMICS