Disciplines Contributing to Organisational Behaviour (OB)

Organisational Behaviour (OB) is an interdisciplinary field that studies human behaviour within
organisations. It seeks to understand, predict, and manage human behaviour in the workplace to
improve organisational effectiveness. Various disciplines contribute to the OB field to provide
insights into how individuals, groups, and organisations function and interact.

Disciplines Contributing to Organisational Behaviour (OB)

1. Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour and mental processes. In OB, psychology
helps analyse individual behaviour within organisations, including motivation, perception, decision-
making, and stress management. Organisational behaviour uses psychological principles to design
effective training programs, assess employee satisfaction, and develop strategies for enhancing
employee well-being.
2. Social Psychology
Social psychology focuses on how individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by
the presence and actions of others. It explores topics such as group dynamics, social influence, and
leadership. In organisational behaviour, social psychology sheds light on issues, like team
dynamics, communication, conflict resolution, and leadership effectiveness. It helps organisations
create harmonious work environments.
3. Sociology
Sociology examines the structure and functioning of societies and social groups. In OB, sociology
is concerned with the organisational structure, culture, and the impact of social norms and values on
behaviour. Sociological insights help organisations understand the effects of culture on employee
behaviour, diversity and inclusion, and the role of institutions and systems in shaping organisational
practices.
4. Anthropology
Anthropology studies human societies, cultures, and behaviours across time and space. In OB,
anthropology explores the cultural aspects of organisations, including norms, rituals, and symbols.
Anthropological perspectives assist organisations in managing cultural diversity, developing cross-
cultural communication strategies, and adapting to global markets.
5. Economics
Economics analyses the allocation of resources and the behaviour of individuals and firms in
economic systems. In OB, economics helps understand how incentives, rewards, and decision-
making processes affect employee behaviour and performance. Economic principles are used in OB
to design compensation systems, incentive plans, and cost-effective HR policies.
6. Political Science
Political Science studies government, politics, and the exercise of power in society. Political
science is relevant in the context of organisational behaviour (OB) because it helps us understand
the distribution and dynamics of power within organisations, the influence of individuals and
groups in decision-making, and the political strategies employed to shape organisational policies
and actions..

According to Stephen P Robbins - “Organisational behaviour is a field of study that investigates

the impact that individuals, groups and structure have on behaviours within the organizations for the
purpose of applying such knowledge towards improving an organizations effectiveness”.

Ch-2 : Perceptual Error

A perceptual error is the inability to judge humans, things or situations fairly and accurately.
Examples could include such things as bias, prejudice, stereotyping, which have always caused
human beings to err in different aspects of their lives.

Perceptual error has strong impact in organisation and it hampers in proper decision making skill
while hiring,performance appraisal,review,feedback etc. There are many types of perceptual errors in
workplace

1.Selective Perception-People generally interpret according to their basis of interests,idea and

backgrounds.It is the tendency not to notice and forget the stimuli that cause emotional discomfort.For
example we might think that fresher graduates with above 80 % marks will exceptionally do well in
technical interviews of respective subjects

2.Halo Effect-We misjudge people by concentrating on one single behavior or trait.It has deep impact
and give inaccurate result most of the time.For example we always have an impression of a lazy
person can never be punctual in any occasion.

3.Stereotypes-We always have a tendency to classify people to a general groups /categories in order
to simplify the matter.For example-Women are always good homemakers and can do well in work life
balance

4.Contrast Effect-We again sometimes judge people in comparison to others . This example
generally found in sports,academics and performance review

5.Projection-This is very common among Perceptual errors.Projection of one's own

attitude,personality or behavior into some other person.For example- To all honest people,everybody
is honest.

6.Impression-We all know the term "first impression is the last impression" and we apply that
too .For example-During the time of hiring, thought like this "The most decent and modest person in
the interview can do very well in every roles and responsibilities " always arise.

Personality: Theories of Personality

Big Five Theory
The Big 5 Trait Theory, also commonly called the O.C.E.A.N. model of personality, is a
psychological model used to identify observable traits possessed by every individual within a
workplace to some degree. It is the most commonly accepted and used model of personality in
academic research and psychology. The five personality traits are openness to experience,
conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
O- openness to experience, C- conscientiousness, E- extraversion, A-agreeableness, and N-
neuroticism.
Type A & Type B Personality
Type A and Type B are two types of trait classification. Type A individuals are aggressive, ambitious,
controlling, highly competitive, preoccupied with status, workaholics, hostile, and lack patience. Type
B people are relaxed, less stressed, flexible, emotional and expressive, and have a laid-back attitude.

Learning
What is learning and why is it important?
Learning is a permanent change in behavior from practice or past experiences. Therefore it can be a
positive or negative change. It is essential in motivation, activation of previously gained knowledge,
and evaluation. Learning psychology is one of the daily natural human processes due to
environmental, past experiences, and emotional and cognitive factors. Therefore, the definition of
learning is any change in behavior proportionally permanent due to experience and practice. It is
important to note that behavioral change can be positive or negative. Thus, there is positive and
negative learning. Learning constitutes mental or physical activities. The learning process consists of
diverse characteristics such as change, actions, interaction, problem-solving, and experience. Learning
serves various purposes in the human life, such as:

 Conformity - A learner adopts group thinking by matching behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes.
 Discovery - Learners try new things or take risks to uncover or pursue their interests or
passions.
 Making a difference - A learner seeks to find solutions to challenging issues by tackling them
and building skills, information, and concepts out of desire. This situation makes the learner
distinct.
 Self-awareness - This is where the learner perceives their talents, interests, strengths,
aspirations, personality, and how others perceive them.

Learning also serves various functions like motivation, planning, attention, evaluation, and activation
of former knowledge. All these functions and characteristics improve survival and the quality of
human life.
Determinates of learning
 motivation,
 practice,
 environment, and
 mental group.
Learning Process
The learning process involves an interactive procedure of six different components. Memory,
attention, language, organization, processing, writing, and thinking at a higher order. The
learning process requires learning elements that collaborate with components for effective
learning. They include behavior, social skills, emotions, classroom climate, and teachers.