1.

Identify the Major Behavioral Science Disciplines That Contribute to OB

Organizational behavior is an applied behavioral science that is built upon
contributions from a number of behavioral disciplines.
The most significant social sciences are psychology, sociology, social
psychology, anthropology, and political science.
A. Psychology
Psychology is an applied science, which attempts to measure, explain and
sometimes change the human behavior in a particular situation and
predicts actions of individuals.
This area of study contributes to OB as:
Learning, motivation, personality, emotions, perception
Training, leadership effectiveness, job satisfaction
Individual decision making, performance appraisal, attitude
measurement
Employee selection, work design, and work stress
B. Social Psychology
Social psychology, generally considered a branch of psychology that
blends concepts from both psychology and sociology to focus on
peoples influence on one another.
It looks primarily at change, communication, and group interactions.
This area of study contributes to OB as:
Behavioral change
Attitude change
Communication
Group processes
Group decision making

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C. Sociology
Sociology looks at the relationship between individuals and their
environment.
Sociology studies the impact of culture on group behavior..
One key area that sociologists contribute to in OB is culture, a key factor in
OB studies.
D. Anthropology
The study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities.
They help us understand the differences between different groups in terms
of their values, attitudes, and behaviors.
2. Few Absolutes Apply to OB
There are few absolutes in organizational behavior.
Situational factors that make the main relationship between two variables
changee.g., the relationship may hold for one condition but not another.
When making decisions, you must always take into account situational
factors that can change the relationship between two variables.
For example, one message from a boss in an American culture can mean a
completely different thing in another culture.
It is always important to take context into account.

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