ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (OB)

UNIT I: FOUNDATIONS OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Objectives:
The objectives of this unit are to:
 introduce the concept of Organisational Behaviour;
 outline the evolution of Organisational Behaviour;
 analyze the relationship between Organisational Behaviour & other allied
fields;
 examine the difference between Organisational Behaviour and Management;
and
 explain the dimensions of Organisational Behaviour

Structure:
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Definitions
1.3 Significance
1.4 Evolution
1.5 Contributing Disciplines to the field of Organisational Behaviour
1.6 Organisational Behaviour & Other Allied Fields
1.7 An Organisational Model
1.8 Research in Organisational Behaviour: Types & Methods
1.9 In nutshell
1.10 Self Assessment Questions
1.11 Key Concepts
1.12 Further readings
1.1 INTRODUCTION

P
eople are the most valuable asset held by an organisation today. It is a unique and
elusive asset. The people, whom we prefer to call human resources (HR),
simultaneously represent the single greatest potential asset and the single greatest
liability that an organisation acquires as it goes about its business. According to the resource-
based view of the firm (Barney, 1996, p. 469), the strategic assets of a firm are mostly confined
to the intangibles, mainly the human capital. The human capital cannot be replicated and hence
serves as the vital factor for providing sustainable competitive advantage to a firm. While there
are other intangible assets in an organisation, HR is the only intangible asset that can be
influenced, but never completely controlled, invested in wisely, or wasted thoughtlessly, and
still have tremendous value (Weatherly, 2003). The human capital theory proposed by Schultz
(1961) regards people as assets and stresses that investment by organisations in people will
generate worthwhile returns (Baron & Armstrong, 2007, p.10). It is well accepted by the
management that people are the critical differentiators of a business enterprise. People are the
profit lever, and this is indisputable. All the assets of an organisation, other than people, are
inert. They are passive resources that require human application to generate value. The key to
sustaining a profitable company is the productivity of the human capital (Fitz-enz, 2000, p.1).
Considering the importance of the human factor in the organisations, it is imperative that we
study their behaviours. In organisational behaviour (OB) we will study the behaviour of the
people in the organisations. This chapter intends to introduce you to the field of organisational
behaviour. The reasons for studying OB will be enumerated so that one realizes the importance
of studying it. The contribution of other disciplines to the field of OB will be discussed. In
brief, we will trace the evolution of organisational behaviour. At the end, we shall explain the
OB model proposed by Robbins.

1.2 DEFINITIONS

Generally, the definition of a field of study identifies its scope, and the themes, questions,
issues, and problems that it seeks to address and to explain (Buchanan & Huczynski, 2004,
pp.2). In this section we will introduce you to various definitions proposed by eminent
behavioural scientists.
 • According to Derek Pugh, organisational behaviour is “the study of the structure,
functioning and performance of organisations, and the behaviour of groups and
individuals within them.” (1971, pp.9)
• Sorge and Warner have defined OB as “the interdisciplinary body of knowledge and
field of research, concerned with how formal organisations, behaviour of people within
organisations, and salient features of their context and environment, evolve and take
shape, why all these things happen and the way they do, and what purposes they serve.”
(1997, pp.xii)
• According to S.P Robbins, OB is a “field of study that investigates the impact that
individuals, groups and structure have on behaviour within organizations, for the
purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organization’s
effectiveness.” (2005, pp.9)
• Fred Luthans has defined OB “as the understanding, prediction, and management of
human behaviour in organizations.”(2005, pp.21)
• According to McShane, Glinow, and Sharma, OB is the “study of what people think,
feel, and do in and around organisations.” (2006, pp.4)
• In the words of Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, OB is “the study of human
behaviour in organisations. It is multidisciplinary field devoted to understanding
individual and group behaviour, interpersonal processes, and organisational dynamics.”
(2005, pp.3)
• Greenberg and Baron have defined organisational behavior as a “multidisciplinary
field that seeks knowledge of behaviour in organisational settings by systematically
studying individual, group and organisational processes.” (2003, pp.4)
• According to Newstrom, OB is the “systematic study and careful application of
knowledge about how people—as individuals and as groups—act within organisations.
It strives to identify the ways in which people can act more effectively.”(2007, pp.3)

These definitions highlight certain characteristics of the field which are mentioned below.
 OB deals with the systematic study of human behaviour in organisations. The
people in the organisations are considered from three distinct level of analysis-
individual, group and organisational.
 OB has a micro perspective, since it does not study the whole organisation. It
only focuses on the human side of management.
  OB is multidisciplinary in nature since it draws on a wide variety of social
science disciplines. Some of the contributing disciplines to the field of
organisational behavior are- psychology, sociology, socio-psychology,
anthropology, and political science.
 OB seeks to improve organisational effectiveness and the quality of life at work
(Greenberg & Baron, 2003, pp.5).
 The four goals of OB are to describe, understand, predict and control human
behaviour at work. (Newstrom, 2007, pp.4)
 The key forces affecting organisational behaviour are—people (individuals and
groups); structure (jobs, relationships); technology; and environment
(government, competition, societal pressures).
 The field of OB is guided by two straight-forward assumptions- first, OB
recognizes that organisations are dynamic and always changing, second, there
is no one single best way to behave in organisations and those different
approaches are called for in different situations (Greenberg & Baron, 2003,
pp.8).

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE

Basically, we all know how to study the behaviour of people. But that is based on intuition.
The study of organisational behaviour helps us to replace the intuition based study with a
systematic study. The concepts and theories of OB have been developed through scientific
researches. The cause and effect relationship among the variables have been empirical tested
before arriving at conclusions.
The study of OB helps us to know ourselves and others with whom we have to deal. Since we
are a part of an organisation and we will continue to be a part of various organisations, we
should study OB. The knowledge of OB helps us to adopt a systematic and scientific approach
towards the study of human behaviour.
Organisations are social arrangement in which people strive to achieve control over resources
in order to produce goods and services efficiently. Now, if the people don’t function effectively,
the very basic organisational goal of “survival” will be at stake. The proper functioning of the
people at work can only be ensured through apt understanding, prediction and control of their
behaviour. “Since all that happens in organisations is ultimately traceable to human action,
those who manage organisations need to take account of those factors that affect human
behaviour; not, however to manipulate humans, but to better understand their behaviour”
(Rollinson, 2005, pp.6). Finally, the proper knowledge of organisational behaviour can help a
person to build a career in management.

1.4 EVOLUTION

The systematic study of behaviour in organisations is less than 100 years old. If we trace the
evolution of management, we will know that it is just one stage of the evolving body of
knowledge of management. Until the 1940s, organisational behaviour was regarded as part of
the management studies. The early studies mainly dealt with the formal aspects of
organisations. However, there are few classical contributions which are much older to the
contributions which we are referring to. We shall discuss the evolution of organisational
behaviour in four phases, as specified by Rollinson. He has phrased the first phase as the ‘early
formative work’; second phase as the ‘precursor phase’; third one as the ‘maturity phase’; and
finally, the ‘current phase’.

Early Formative Work

There are several contributors whose works have inspired the later workers. Here we have
mentioned the works of the most influential scholars. “Among the earliest was an economist,
Adam Smith (1776), whose classic description of pin making in Redditch illustrated the effects
of specialization of labour on the economic efficiency of production and this had a lasting
impact on theories of organisational structure and the design of jobs. Another economist, David
Ricardo (1817), expanded on the work of Smith and developed the concept of ‘distinctive
competences’, that is, the skills and capabilities that an organisation has over and above its
competitors.” Another economist, Alfred Marshall (1891) worked on Ricardo’s concept of
‘distinctive competences’ to explore the competitive advantages of organisations under
different market conditions. Karl Marx (1894) explained how the “organisation structures and
work designs were used as the primary mechanisms for subjugating and exploiting workers”
(Rollinson, 2005, pp.8-9). Max Weber, a social scientist, developed the concept of bureaucracy
as a “formal system of organization and administration designed to ensure efficiency and
effectiveness.” According to him,” bureaucracy is an ideal, intentionally rational, and very
efficient form of organisation founded on the principles of logic, order, and legitimate
authority.” During the early part of the twentieth century, ‘systematic management movement’
was formed. The most influential set of ideas to emerge from this movement came to be known
as ‘scientific management’. The best known of the scientific management theorists was
Fredrick Winslow Taylor (1911), who is frequently referred to as the “father of scientific
management.” Scientific management is very different from anything that we would now call
organisational behaviour. Though Taylor’s ideas were technical oriented, they are still very
influential, and his work contains a number of behavioural assumptions. (Rollinson, 2005,
pp.9)

Precursor Phase: The Hawthorne Studies & Human Relations Movement

The findings of the Hawthorne studies diverted the attention of the management practitioners
and researchers away from the technical and structural aspects of the organisation toward the
social and human aspects. The social and human issues were started to be considered as the
major issues influencing the productivity of an organisation. It was observed that the feelings
of the people, attitude and relationships among the coworkers affected their performance. The
Hawthorne studies contributed to the emergence of the human relations movement, which
influenced management thinking during the 1950s and 1960s. This movement was largely
based on the viewpoint that “managers who used good human relations in the workplace would
achieve productivity.” The human relations movement coupled with related developments in
the social sciences was responsible for the evolution of a new discipline called organisational
behaviour. “The human relations model views the employee as socially motivated and operates
from the assumption that a satisfied worker is a productive worker.” (Rollinson, 2005, pp.8-9)

Maturity Phase: The Behavioural Movement

From the 1950s onwards organisational behaviour rapidly emerged as a mature field of study.
The early contributions during this phase was made by the psychologists, but shortly after this
other academic disciplines, like sociology, anthropology, political science, became involved
and it is probably true to say that every aspect of human behaviour in organisations has received
some attention, often from several different disciplinary perspectives.
The focus of the human relations movement was on the interpersonal relations at work, where
as the behavioural movement puts emphasis on the individual and group behavioural processes
in the workplace. The behavioural movement was stimulated by the contributions of some
eminent writers and theoretical movements. “Those contributing to the behavioural science
movement stressed the need to conduct systematic and controlled field and laboratory studies
of workers and their motivation, attitudes, and behaviour. These ideas contributed significantly
to the rise of organisational behaviour as a discipline. Behavioural scientists consider both the
rational-economic model and the social model of the employee to be incomplete
representations of the individual as an organisational member. They present a model that
suggests that employees have a strong need to explore, to know and to understand, to grow, to
develop, to feel competent and efficacious relative to their environment, and to maintain a high
level of self-regard. Among the major contributors to behavioural management philosophy or
practice are Abraham Maslow, Douglas McGregor, Chris Argyris, Rensis Likert, and Raymond
Miles” (Pierce, Gardner & Dunham, 2002, pp.54).
The contribution of Hugo Munsterberg (1863-1916), a renowned German psychologist,
concentrated on applying psychological concepts to industrial settings. He suggested that
psychologists could make valuable contributions to managers in the areas of employee
selection and motivation. Munsterberg is considered as the “father of industrial psychology.”
Another early advocate of the behavioural approach to management was Mary Parker Follett.
The works of Follett clearly anticipated the behavioural management perspective, and she
appreciated the need to understand the role of behaviour in organisation. Oliver Sheldon
(1894-1951) stressed the social obligation of business to treat its worker fairly. Chester I.
Barnard (1886-1961) argued that the needs and goals of a business organisation must be
balanced with the needs and goals of its individual members.
In 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed a theory on human motivation that has had a incredible
impact on the current views of the organisation, the practice of management, and the
relationship between the organisation and its employees. Maslow suggested that there are five
types of human needs—physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization, and they
arranged in hierarchical order based on their motivational importance to the individual.
Another contributor to behavioural approach to management, Douglas McGregor presented
Theory X and Theory Y which reflect two extreme sets of assumptions that different managers
hold regarding their employees. Theory X is a set of negative assumptions about workers and
is consistent with the views of scientific management. Theory Y is a set of positive assumptions
about the workers.
The works of Chris Argyris concentrated on how organisational and management systems
affect employees’ attitudes and behaviours. In the 1960s, Rensis Likert developed four
systems of management which described the relationship, involvement, and roles between
management and subordinates in industrial settings. Professor Raymond Miles proposed the
human resource model which is based on the belief that “through employee involvement in
organisational decision making performance would be enhanced, leading to employee
satisfaction, commitment and motivation for further involvement.” (Pierce, Gardner &
Dunham, 2002, pp.58). Dale Breckenridge Carnegie (1888-1955) was an early proponent of
what is now called ‘responsibility assumption’, although there is little reference about this
assumption in his written work. “Responsibility assumption is a doctrine in the personal growth
field holding that each individual has substantial or total responsibility for the events and
circumstances that take place in their life.” Carnegie preached that it is possible to change other
people’s behaviour by changing one’s reaction to them.
Since the behavioural scientists focused on the importance of personal and social
considerations, the managers were literally forced to rethinking about the employees and to
design organisations which are open and flexible (Pierce, Gardner & Dunham, 2002, pp.60).

Current Phase
During the current phase, various studies are being carried out and further refinements are being
made in the existing concepts and theories. Due to the emergence of more number of
internationalized organisations, there has been a growing awareness that the body of knowledge
based on American and British studies should not be regarded as the last word on matters.
There is an increasing tendency to try to incorporate an element of comparative work into topics
that are studied in OB, and a cross-cultural perspective is also becoming an important
dimension of this field of study. However, this work is still in its infancy and much remains to
be uncovered. (Rollinson, 2005, pp.7-21)

1.5 CONTRIBUTING DISCIPLINES TO THE FIELD OF OB

Organisational behaviour is multidisciplinary in nature. The body of knowledge in

organisational behaviour draws heavily from the disciplines like—psychology, sociology,
social psychology, anthropology and political science.
The contributions of psychology have been mainly at the individual or micro level of analysis.
Psychology is the “science that seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behaviour
of humans and other animals.” The contributions of the psychologists include areas like
learning, motivation, personality, emotions, perception, training, leadership effectiveness, job
satisfaction, decision-making processes, performance appraisal, attitude measurement,
employee selection techniques, work design and work stress.

While psychology focuses on the individual, sociology studies people in relation to their social
environment or culture. Sociologists have contributed to the field of OB through their study of
group behaviour in organisations, particularly formal and complex organisations. Sociology
has contributed to research on organisational culture, formal organisation theory,
organisational structure, organisational technology, communications, power and conflict.
(Robbins & Judge, 2007, pp.13)

Social psychology is an area within psychology that blends the concepts from psychology and
sociology. It mainly focuses on the influence of people on one another. The social
psychologists have made significant contribution in the areas of behavioural change, attitude
change, communication, and group decision making.

Anthropology is the “study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities.” It
has contributions in the areas like comparative values, comparative attitudes, and cross-cultural
analysis, organisational culture and organisational environment (Robbins & Judge, 2007,
pp.12-14).

Political science is the “study of behaviour of individuals and groups within a political
environment.” The contributions of the political scientists are in the areas like conflict, intra-
organisational politics and power.

Industrial psychology applies the theories and principles of psychology to the organisational
context. Industrial psychology is defined as the study of human behaviour in the work-related
aspects of life and the application of knowledge of human behaviour to the minimization of
human problems (McCormick). Schultz and Schultz have defined industrial psychology as the
“application of the methods, facts, and principles of psychology to people at work.” It has
contributed to OB by providing various attitude measurement techniques, selection devices,
and concepts for understanding the individual differences.

The major contributions of some of the disciplines to the study of organisational behaviour are
shown in Figure 1.1.
Figure: 1.1 Toward an OB Discipline

Behavioural Contribution Unit of Output

science Analysis
Learning
Motivation
Perception
Training
Leadership effectiveness
Job satisfaction
Psychology Individual decision making
Performance appraisal
Attitude measurement
Employee selection
Work design
Work stress
Individual

Group dynamics
Work teams
Communication
Power
Conflict
Intergroup behaviour
Sociology

Formal organization theory Study of

Organizational technology Group Organizational
Organizational change Behaviour
Organizational culture

Behavioural change
Attitude change
Social psychology Communication
Group processes
Group decision making
Organization
Comparative values system
Comparative attitudes
Cross-cultural analysis
Anthropology
Organizational culture
Organizational environment

Conflict
Political science Intraorganizational politics
Power

Source: Organizational Behavior, S. P. Robbins, 8th Edition, 1998, PHI, pp.19

1.6 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR & OTHER ALLIED FIELDS

In this section, we intend to discuss the relationship of organisational behaviour and other allied
fields like organisation theory, organisation development and human resource management.
The relationship of OB to other closely related disciplines is shown in Fig. 1.2

Figure 1.2 The relationship of OB to other closely related disciplines

 Organisation Organisational
THEORETICAL Theory Behaviour
(OT) (OB)

Human
Organisation Resource
APPLIED
Development Management
(OD) (HRM)

MACRO MICRO

Source: Organizational Behavior, 10th Edition, Fred Luthans, McGraw Hill, 2005, pp.20

From the above figure we can see that OB tends to be theoretically oriented and focuses at the micro
level of analysis. The body of knowledge of OB draws from many theoretical frameworks of the
behavioural sciences that are focused on understanding and explaining individual and group behaviour
in organisations. The lines of distinction for the related fields are becoming increasingly blurred and
there is no universal agreement of what belongs to what among academics or practitioners, most people
in the field would generally agree with what is shown in Fig. 1.1. The OT topics are included in the
study and application of OB. OT is theoretical in nature and it focuses on the macro level analysis of
the organisation. Organisation Development (OD) tends to be more macro and more applied than OB.
Human resource management is micro in nature but it more applied than OB (Luthans, 2005, pp. 21).

OB & Management: Organisational behaviour represents the human side of management, not the
whole of management. Other recognized approaches to management include the process, quantitative,
systems, and contingency approaches. In other words, OB does not intend to portray the whole of
management. OB helps the managers to develop their conceptual and human skills (Luthans, 2005, pp.
21).
1.7 AN ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOURAL MODEL

A model is an “abstraction of the reality, or we can say that it is a simplified representation of

some real world phenomenon.” In this section, we shall discuss the OB Model which has been
proposed by S. P. Robbins.
The basic OB model proposed by Robbins represents the skeleton on which the main model of
OB is constructed. It proposes that there are three levels of analysis—individual level, group
level and organisational level, in OB and that, as we move from the individual to the
organisational level, we add systematically to our understanding of behaviour in organisations.
The three basic levels are like the building blocks; each level is constructed on the previous
level (Robbins & Judge, 2007, pp.26).
The main model, shown in Figure 1.3, contains sets of dependent and interdependent variables.
The dependent variables are the key factors that we want to explain or predict and which are
affected by some other factor.

 Productivity (a performance measure that includes effectiveness and

efficiency);
 Absenteeism (the failure to report to work);
 Turnover (the voluntary and involuntary permanent withdrawal from work);
 Organizational citizenship (discretionary behaviour that is not a part of an
employee’s formal job requirements but that nonetheless it promotes the
effective functioning of an organisation);
 Job satisfaction (a general attitude toward ones’ job); and
 Deviant workplace behaviour (also known as antisocial behaviour or workplace
incivility, is the voluntary behaviour that violates the organisational norms and,
in doing so, threatens the well-being of organisational members.) (Robbins &
Judge, 2007, pp.27-31)

These dependent variables are affected by the independent variables. “An independent variable
is the presumed cause of some change in the dependent variable.” In the OB model, the
independent variables have been categorized on the basis of the level of analysis as—
individual-level variables, group-level variables and organisation system- level variables.
Individual-Level Variables: The people in the organizations have certain characteristics
which will influence their behaviour at work. The more obvious of these are the personal or
biographical characteristics such as age, gender, and marital status; personality
characteristics; an inherent emotional framework; values and attitudes; and basic ability
levels. There is little management can do to alter them, yet they have a very real impact on
employee behaviour. There are four other individual-level variables— perception, individual
decision making, learning, and motivation, which affect employee behaviour (Robbins
&Judge, 2007, pp. 32).

Group-Level Variables: The behaviour of people in groups is more than the sum total of all
the individuals acting in their own way. The people behave differently in groups than they do
when alone. The behaviour of the group members are influenced by factors like—acceptable
standards of behaviour by the group members; degree of attractiveness among the group
members; design of work teams; communication patterns followed by the group; leadership;
power and politics; and levels of conflict (Robbins &Judge, 2007, pp. 32).

Organisation System-Level Variables: Organizational behaviour reaches its highest level of

sophistication when we add formal structure to our previous knowledge of individual and
group behaviour. The design of the formal organization, internal culture of the
organisation, work processes & jobs, the organization’s human resource policies &
practices, all have an impact on the dependent variables (Robbins &Judge, 2007, pp. 32).
Figure 1.3 An OB Model (proposed by S. P. Robbins)
Human resource
policies & practices

Organizational Organization Work design

culture structure and
& design technology

Organization
Systems Level
Group
Decision
Change & making Leadership
stress Productivity

Group Work
Communication structure teams Absence

Turnover
Other Conflict Power & Group
groups Politics Human
Level
Output
Satisfaction

Biographical Organizational
characteristics
Citizenship

Personality
Perception
Deviant
Behaviour
Motivation Individual
Values &
decision making
attitudes
Human
input Individual
Ability
learning
Individual Level

Source: Organizational Behavior, 12th Edition, Robbins & Judge, 2007, pp.33

1.8 RESEARCH IN ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

The body of knowledge in organisational behaviour has been developed behavioural

researches. The behavioural research “contributes to our knowledge of organisational
behaviour by enabling us to make observations, formulate theories to explain our observations
and then test the application of theories.”
Prior to the detailed discussion on the research in organisational behaviour let us acquaint
ourselves with the research terminologies like hypothesis, methodology, variable and model.
In a research study, hypothesis is a “formal question that is intended to be resolved.”
Hypothesis may be defined as a “proposition or a set of propositions set forth as an explanations
for the occurrence of some specified group of phenomena either asserted merely as a
provisional conjuncture to guide some investigation or accepted as highly probable in the light
of established facts.: We can also say that a “research hypothesis is a tentative explanation
about the relationship between two or more variables.”
Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be
termed as a “science of studying how research is done scientifically.” Here we must remember
that research methodology and research method are not same. Research method refers to those
techniques that are used for carrying out the research. Methodology explains why a particular
method or technique is used.
A variable is “any quantity or character which may possess different numerical values or
categories.” Examples of variables in OB are-attitude, ability, skill, personality, work stress
etc. The variables are of three types- dependent variable, independent variable and moderating
variable. A dependent variable is a response that is affected by an independent variable. In
OB researches the dependent variables are productivity, absenteeism, job satisfaction, etc. An
independent variable is a variable the value of which determines the value of the dependent
variable. Typical independent variables in OB researches are motivation, leadership styles,
organisation design, etc. A moderating variable “abates the effect of the independent variable
on the dependent variable.”
A model is an “abstraction of the reality, or we can say that it is a simplified representation of
some real world phenomenon.”

Types of research: The main types of research are as flows: (Khanka, 2009, pp.30)
1. Applied vs. Fundamental: Research carried out to generate a body of
knowledge about some phenomena of interest to the researcher, is known as
fundamental research. It is also known as basic or pure research. The research
which is carried out to find out a particular solution to a specific real life
problem is known as applied research.
2. Descriptive vs. Analytical: In case of a descriptive research, the researcher
finds out the present state of affairs that exists with respect to the research topic.
It is also known as ex post facto research. In case of analytical research, the
researcher makes analysis of the facts and figures already available to make a
critical evaluation of the matter.
3. Conceptual vs. Empirical: In conceptual research, the researcher tries to
develop new concepts or to interpret the existing ones. Empirical research relies
 on the observation or experience of the researcher. Empirical research enables
the researcher to prove the relationship among the variables.
4. Quantitative vs. Qualitative: Quantitative research is based on the
measurement of the quantity. So it is applicable to phenomena that can be
expressed in terms of quantity. Qualitative research is concerned with
qualitative phenomena relating to some quality or kind.

Process of Research: For carrying out a scientific research, the following steps should be
followed: (Khanka, 2009, pp.31)
1. Identification and selection of a research problem
2. Review of literature to identify the gaps in the existing knowledge
3. Concept clarification
4. Preparation of research design consisting of objectives, hypotheses, scope of the study,
and the plan of the study.
5. Selection of research methodology
6. Collection of data
7. Processing of data involving coding, tabulation, and preparation of tables, diagrams and
charts
8. Analysis of data
9. Drafting of report

Research Methods: The research methods which are commonly used in carrying out
researches in behavioural sciences are as follow: (Khanka, 2009, pp.31-33)
1. Case Studies: Case study is a very common method of research in organisational
behaviour. In the case study method, the researcher observes what happens in an
organisation and reports the observation.
2. Laboratory Experiments: the laboratory experiments are carried out to “measure the
impact of independent variables on the dependent variables by isolating and controlling
the important variables in an artificial environment, designed by the experimenters.” In
short, it is used to identify the cause-effect relationship between the variables.
3. Field Experiments: Field experiments are basically laboratory experiments conducted
in the actual organisations, where the events are actually occurring.
 4. Survey research: It is a very popular research method in organisational behaviour. In
case of survey research, a questionnaire is designed to collect the required information.
The responses are collected from the select sample. The responses are then analysed to
arrive at conclusions.
5. Simulation: Simulation is the “approximating of a real-life situation, by developing a
model composed of the important variables in the situation. This involves, obtaining an
understanding of how the real-world system operates and then developing a model,
often physical or mathematical, that captures the dynamics of the actual situation.”

1.9 IN NUTSHELL
Organisational behaviour is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups
and structure have on behaviour within organizations, for the purpose of applying such
knowledge toward improving an organization’s effectiveness. OB is a multidisciplinary
subject, and the contributing disciplines to the field of OB are psychology, sociology, social
psychology, anthropology, political science, and industrial psychology. We have also seen the
relationship between OB and other allied fields like organisation theory, organisation
development and human resource management. The Robbin’s OB model consists of sets of
dependent and independent variables and the proper understanding of their relationship helps
to understand OB better. There are nine steps to be followed in a sequential manner to carry
out a scientific research. The research methods in organisational behaviour are case studies,
laboratory experiments, field experiments, survey research, and simulation.

1.10 SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

1. Define organisational behaviour.
2. State the important characteristics of organisational behavior.
3. What is the relationship between OB and management?
4. Why is it important to study organisational behaviour?
5. Outline the evolution of organisational behaviour.
6. “Organisational behaviour is multidisciplinary in nature.” Elucidate this statement.
7. Explain the relationship between OB and other allied field of studies.
8. Describe the OB model based on a set of independent and dependent variables as
proposed by Robbins.
9. What are the different types of research methods in OB?
 10. Explain the steps to be followed in carrying out scientific researches in behavioural
sciences.

1.11 KEY CONCEPTS

o Organisational behaviour: The study of human behaviour in organisations.

o Psychology: The science that seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change
the behaviour of humans and other animals.
o Sociology: Studies people in relation to their social environment or culture.
o Social Psychology: An area within psychology that blends the concepts from
psychology and sociology, and mainly focuses on the influence of people on
one another.
o Anthropology: Study of societies to learn about human beings and their
activities.
o Political science: Study of behaviour of individuals and groups within a
political environment.
o Industrial psychology: Study of human behaviour in the work-related aspects
of life and the application of knowledge of human behaviour to the
minimization of human problems
o Model: An abstraction of the reality, or we can say that it is a simplified
representation of some real world phenomenon.

1.12 FURTHER READINGS

1. Robbins & Judge: Organizational Behavior, 12th Edition, 2007, PHI

2. Robbins & Sanghi: Organizational Behavior, 2005, Pearson
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