Introduction to

Organizational
Behavior

S. D, Weerawardane
B.B. Mgt (HRM)(Kel’ya)
MBA (PIM)
What is Organizational Behavior?

Organizational Behavior is a field of study that investigate the impact of individuals, groups

and structures have on behavior within organizations for the purpose of applying

knowledge towards improving organizational effectiveness

• Individuals (employees) impact Behavior of the

• Groups (departments, teams) organization
• Structures (organizational
hierarchy, culture)

Improve organizational effectiveness

OB and other fields of study
 Contributing disciplines to the OB field
Psychology
The science that seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behavior of humans
and other animals.
•Unit of Analysis:
• Individual
•Contributions to OB:
• Learning, motivation, personality, emotions, perception
• Training, leadership effectiveness, job satisfaction
• Individual decision making, performance appraisal, attitude measurement
• Employee selection, work design, and work stress
 Contributing disciplines to the OB field
Sociology
The study of people in relation to their fellow human beings.
•Unit of Analysis:
• Organizational System
•Contributions to OB:
• Group dynamics
• Work teams
• Communication
• Power
• Conflict
• Intergroup behavior
• Formal organization theory
• Organizational technology
• Organizational change
• Organizational culture
 Contributing disciplines to the OB field
Social Psychology
An area within psychology that blends concepts from psychology and sociology and that
focuses on the influence of people on one another.
• Unit of Analysis:
• Group
• Contributions to OB:
• Behavioral change
• Attitude change
• Communication
• Group processes
• Group decision making
 Contributing disciplines to the OB field
Anthropology

The study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities.

• Unit of Analysis:
• Organizational System

• Contributions to OB:
• Organizational culture
• Organizational environment
• Comparative values
• Comparative attitudes
• Cross-cultural analysis
Why study Organizational Behavior
• OB helps to understand yourself and manage other relationships

• Understanding organization factors and how it will affect work

• Manage the team properly

• It will help to build a positive work environment

• It will help to increase organizational productivity

Challenges and Opportunity for OB
• Economic Pressure
• Globalization
• Outsourcing jobs to foreign countries
• Workforce diversity
• Network organization
• Social media
• Building a positive work environment
A Basic OB model
Thank You!