WACHAMO UNIVERSITY

COLLEEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
POST GRADUATE PROGRAM

“Term paper’’
on
‘On the development of Organizational behavior thought’
Course title:Organization Behavior and Analysis

Submitted by: Mubeyin Nuriye

ID:WCU1502112

Submitted to: Tekalign Gidi (PHD)

Date of submission:01/03/2016 E.C

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 Acknowledgements
First of all I am very much thankful to Almighty of Allah to give me health and ability to analyze
and write this report.After that I am thankful to our respected lecture “ Dr. Tekalign Gidi” who
gave me this course of “Organizational Behavior”, which provide the wonderful opportunities
to learn and also opened the different dimension of thinking.

Then I would like to thank all the people who were involved in making this assignment a
success. Finally I would like to give my thanks to the staff of Wachemo University for all the
support I have been given in all the aspects. Thank you.

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 Excutive Summary

This term paper is about the brief literature on the development of Organizational Behaviors,
especially on the area of: Evolution and development of OB, the relationship between
management theories and Organizational Behavior and the great contributors’ role in developing
the discipline. In this term paper the definition of Organizational Behavior and management
theories, the evolution and development of OB with different researcher thought, the relationship
between organizational behavior with management theories with number of researchers thought
and the great contributors’ roles are mentioned.

The material which I gathered to valuable sources and is almost authenticated towards the
organization current scenario. I broadly speaking I have covered all important information
related to the development of Organizational behavior.

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 Table of Contents

Contents Page Number

1.Cover page………………………………………………………………. (1)

2.Acknowledgements………………………………………………………...(2)

3.Excutive Summary……………………………………………………………(3)

4.Table of contents……………………………………………………………(4)

4.Introduction…………………………………………………………………(5-7)

5.Literature review and conceptual framework……………………………....(8-13)

6.Methodology………………………………………………………………..(14)

7. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………(14-15)
8.Reference………………………………………………………………………(15)

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 INTRODUCTION

Organizational behaviour is a field of study which draws from various dimensions of social
systems and fields of study dealing in human behaviour. Because of its multi-disciplinary nature
and multi-dimensional focus, scholars in the field have defined it differently with all of the
definitions revolving around behavioural dynamics in organization.

Essentially, OB is an organizational (or group) phenomenon. It is both research and application

oriented (Kreitner and Kinicki, 2001). Kreitner and Kinicki (2001) state that, “it is not an
everyday job category” like professional jobs. This implies that OB is not a profession nor a
practice but a research based system for providing knowledge and understanding about human
behaviour in organization and how to manage human behaviour in consonance with
organizational goals. It is a method for understanding the causes and effects of human behaviour
in organizations.

OB is horizontal discipline that cuts across every job category, providing every job category with
a source of knowledge and expertise to handle human interaction and behaviour within the
organization. The plethora of definitions on OB cannot be exhausted in one paper, therefore this
paper only attempts to present some of the leading definitions on the subject.

Robbins (1998) defines organizational behaviour as “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.” This definition
suggests a number of things: (i) OB is distinct area of expertise with a common body of
Knowledge. (ii) OB studies three determinants of behaviour in organizations – individuals,
groups, and structure. (iii) OB applies the knowledge gained about individuals, groups, and the
effect of structure on behaviour in order to make organizations work more effectively (improve
organizational performance).

The definition specifies that the focus of OB is on three elements, viz, human behavior (this is
about the individual) in the organization; the behaviour of the organization as whole or work
groups within it; and the interactional link between the individual behaviour and organizational

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or work groups behaviour. The component of interface between the individuals’ behaviour and
the organizational behaviour indicates that the behaviour of both components affect, determine
and influence each other interchangeably.

Organizational behaviour is also defined simply as the study of the way people interact within
groups (Sekaran, 1989). Other leading definitions of OB include: (i) OB as “the study of how
people act in an organization or workplace, and what motivates them to act that way” (Blunt,
1983). (ii) OB as “the study of both group and individual performance and activity within an
organization” (Gladwin, 2016).iii) OB as “the field of study that investigates how organizational
structures affect behaviour within organization” ( Daft, 1995). (iv) OB is “the study of structures,
functioning and performance of organizations and behaviour of groups and individuals within
them” (Pugh, 1971). (v) OB is “the study of the impact that individuals, groups, and structures
have on human behaviour within organizations” ( Ogundele, 2005 ).

This paper explores and examines the scope of organizational behavior (OB) and the evolution
of OB; and the relationship between organizational behavior and management theory and
the contributors role in the development of the discipline. The objective is to provide an
understanding on how OB thought developed. Specifically, to understand and write on the
evolution and development of OB, and OBs relationship with Management theories and great
contributors role in developing the discipline.

Scope of Organizational Behaviour

The scope of organizational behaviour has widened over time from its traditional elements of
analysis to include other variables which behaviour affect the performance of an organization.
The traditional scope of organizational behaviour consists of three internal organizational
elements, viz, individuals, groups of individuals (work groups), and the organization as a whole
(Wagner and Hollenbeck, 2010). The behaviour of these elements i.e. their actions, reactions and
counter-reactions constitute organizational behaviour.

The analysis of OB has hitherto been concentrated on these elements in terms of how their
behaviour affects one another and organizational performance. Thus, attempts to understand OB

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has been based on understanding the behaviour of these elements, in terms of the underlying
causes or determinants of their behaviour.

Apparently, the traditional perspective limits the scope of OB to elements within the internal
system of the organization. It integrates three concepts or levels of behaviour – individual
behaviour, group behaviour and behaviour of the organization system as a whole. These
determine the extent to which OB can govern or influence the operations of an organization.

The contemporary perspective which presents a wider scope of OB specifies OB to include

behaviour of external variables which affect the performance of the organization and to which
the organization also reacts. In this view, the scope of OB consists of behaviour of four elements,
viz, People, Structure, Technology, and Environment (external social system).

The people consist of the individuals and groups in the organization. They are the internal social
system of the organization, and they generate behaviour through personality differences,
differences in perception, group dynamics and group conflicts..

Structure consists of the system of coordination of roles and interrelationship and hierarchy of
authority among members in the organization. It also includes the organizational culture.
Changes in the structure (structural behaviour) can affect the other components of the
organization and elicit behavior from them.

Technology imparts work environment (the physical and economic conditions within which
people work), that is the nature of technology influences the work and working conditions, and
therefore determine effectiveness and the way people behave largely.

Concept of Management Theory

Management theory is a set of interrelated principles which attempts to present in a coherent

manner, loose facts about human behavior in organizations (Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert, 2001).

Essentially management theory provides logical reasoning in the form of a set of broad principles
that provide a general frame of reference by which management practice can be evaluated and
the development of new practices and procedures are based. The most important goal of
management theory is to provide a coherent set of logical principles that form the general frame
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of reference for the evaluation and development of sound management practices (Akpor-Robaro,
2016).

LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

The evolution of Organizational Behavior (OB) can be traced through several distinct periods,
each marked by significant advances in our understanding of human behavior in the workplace.

Classical Era (the late 1800s to early 1900s):

During this period, the focus was on maximizing efficiency and productivity through scientific
management, which involved breaking down tasks into smaller parts and training workers to
perform them efficiently. Key figures during this era include Frederick Taylor, Henri Fayol, and
Max Weber.

Human Relations Era (the 1930s to 1950s):

This period saw a shift in focus toward the importance of social and psychological factors in the
workplace. Researchers such as Elton Mayo and Mary Parker Follett conducted studies that
highlighted the importance of communication, teamwork, and job satisfaction in driving worker
productivity.

Behavioral Era (the 1950s to 1970s):

During this period, researchers began to explore the psychological and behavioural factors that
influence human behaviour in organizations. Key figures during this era include Abraham
Maslow, Frederick Herzberg, and Douglas McGregor.

Systems Era (the 1970s to 1990s):

This period saw the rise of systems thinking, which emphasizes the interdependence of different
parts of an organization and the importance of considering the organization as a whole.
Researchers during this era focused on topics such as organizational culture, power and politics,
and decision-making processes.

Contemporary Era (the 1990s to present):

In recent decades, OB has continued to evolve and adapt to new challenges and trends in the
workplace. Research during this period has focused on topics such as diversity and inclusion,
work-life balance, and the impact of technology on organizational behaviour.

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Overall, the evolution of OB reflects the changing nature of work and the complex interplay
between individual, group, and organizational factors that influence human behavior in the
workplace.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MANAGEMENT THEORIES AND

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Organizational behavior (OB) is interested in and examines how to get the best behavior out of
organizational members. On the other hand, management theory focuses on the nature of organizational
tasks and functions, procedures and techniques for carrying them out, working environments (or working
conditions), and the optimal strategy for organizations to attain maximum performance. The foundation
on which OB was built was management theory. Evidently, management theory's progress is what led
to OB. In other words, OB draws ideas from management theory and its component theories.

Scientific management Theory

This theory's most fundamental tenet is that the organization should be authorized to adopt scientific
management approaches. According to this notion, pressuring subordinates may boost workplace and
individual productivity employee, but making them work hard while doing simpler tasks would
undoubtedly boost productivity and the caliber of the work produced. The question of how to accomplish
this then emerges. Taylor responds by advising team leaders to assign tasks to people based on aptitude,
and regular training also helps to raise the caliber of work production

Principles of administrative management Theory

Henri Fayol developed administrative management theory as a means of refining and defining
management principles. The primary distinction between administrative management theory and
scientific management theories is that Fayol's administrative theory focuses on task completion and
organizational efficiency.

Administrative management theory is best described as a management theory that attempts to identify
rational ways of designing an organization management theory accomplishes this by relying on a formal

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model of administration, discrete and distinct segmentation of labor, and devolution of power and
authority to administrators to ensure they operate within their scope of responsibility.

Human relations theory

Elton Mayo, who carried out experiments to increase productivity and laid the groundwork for the
human relations movement, is credited with developing this notion. His attention was on altering aspects
of the workplace, such as lighting, break times, and the length of the workday. Performance always
improved once he tested a change. In the end, he came to the conclusion that the improvements weren't
the consequence of the adjustments but rather the outcome of the researchers giving the employees' input
and making them feel appreciated.

Contingency management theory

The primary focus of this theory is that no single management approach is appropriate for every
organization. Fiedler proposed that a leader's characteristics were directly related to how effectively they
led their team. He claims that there are leadership traits that apply to all situations and that a leader must
be adaptable to a changing environment.

Systems management theory

According to this theory, businesses are made up of multiple components that must work together in
order for the larger system to function properly. The success of the organization is thus dependent on
synergy, interdependence, and interrelationships among subsystems. Employees, departments,
workgroups, and business units are all critical success factors, according to this theory.To determine
the best management approach, managers should evaluate patterns and events within the organization,
according to systems management theory. To ensure the success of programs, they must collaborate and
work together.

Bureaucracy theory

According to Max Weber, bureaucracy is the foundation upon which any organization should be built.
The association's power structure is likewise crucial to this theory's second set of assumptions. The
division of labor, rules governing the pecking order, and a lack of relationships are all that these theories'
tenets emphasize. This theory has the following traits: task specialization, progressive levels of
authority, formal choice, rules and prerequisites, interpersonal diversity, and career orientation.

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Theory X and Y

The development of McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y had a significant influence as well. They are
really dissimilar, the two theories. According to Theory X, individuals must be coerced into working
since they are essentially lazy. As opposed to Theory Y, which emphasizes the value of a positive team
dynamic, Theory Y asserts that individuals are driven to work. Of the two theories, Theory Y is more
useful and is a crucial component of the theoretical framework underlying organizational behavior.

According to this theory, corporations who are just interested in achieving organizational goals employ
TheoryX, while those that want to boost creativity employ Theory Y. Both theories, however, are
significant in their own right.

CONTRIBUTING DISCIPLINES TO ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

Organizational behavior (OB) is characterized by being a multidisciplinary discipline in nature as so OB
is contributed by various disciplines. These disciplines have developed and made organizational behavior
a strong separate field of study with its own applications to use. As the complexities are increasing, OB
has faced many complexities and assumed to use ideas of some disciplines that led it to bring success in
the organizational functions.

The major contributing disciplines to the development of organizational behavior are: Individual
Differences, organizational Structure, Psychology, Cultural Diversity, Sociology, Technology,
Globalization, Social Psychology, Anthropology, Political Science, Economics and Medicine.
Here, we will discuss all these disciplines and how they have contributed to organizational behavior to be
a better discipline.

Individual Differences: OBs research examines how individual differences, such as personality,
values, and motivation affect behavior in organizations.

Organizational Structure: OB research looks at how the structure of organization, including design
and culture shapes, behavior and decision making.

Psychology: Psychology is the behavioral science that studies human behavior (+animals) and mental
processes. It is the science of humans. It is the best tool to understand why people think, what they think,

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and how they think. It helps to know why people think and behave the way they do. Its major
perspectives are– cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, biological, socio-cultural, and
evolutionary are what let us understand human behavior in a better way.

Psychology has contributed many important concepts to OB, such as: Motivation, learning, perception,
personality, emotion, training, employee selection , attitude, work design ,job stress, etc.

Since organizational behavior is also a behavioral approach the above contributions of psychology have
made better use in organizational settings. Such as motivation, is the influencer of employees when
motivation is seen in employees the organizational performance seems to be positively boosted, and
learning on the job further enhances the skills of employees, and so forth .

Sociology: Sociology is the study of human behavior in a social setting consisting of human interaction,
social ties, growth of society, structure, and regulations. Sociology believes humans are social beings,
they are in groups. It study humans in group behavior. After psychology, sociology is one of the most
important contributing disciplines to the development of organizational behavior.

The major contributions areas of sociology are group dynamics, status, culture, status, power,
communication, socialization, organizational change, and technology. Sociologists view an
organization as a system consisting of a variety of people having different roles, statuses, power, and
authorities.

Technology: OB research considers how technology, including digitalization, automation, and artificial
intelligence, is changing the way people work and behave in organization.

Globalization: OB research examines how the increasing interconnectedness of the global economy and
cross cultural interaction shape organizational behavior.

Social Psychology: Social psychology is the combination of both psychology and sociology. It studies
the social behavior and thought of people plus how people think, feel, process, and act. It explains the
interaction, interdependence, and influence of people among one another.

Social psychologists study the behavior of people at the group level. One of the main contributions of
social psychology to the OB is how to predict, manage, and change the behavior of humans in

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organizational settings. It studies various areas combining both sociology and psychology but the most
important for organizational behavior are the concept of behavioral change, attitude change,
communication, group process, and group decision making.

Anthropology: Anthropology is the science of humans. It studies the evolution or development stages
of human beings consisting of human nature, different societies, and how different cultures are developed.

It helps to understand the society of humans and their activities. Its major contributions include
comparative values, attitude, analysis, and norms and it helps to understand cultural factors in
organizational settings such as organizational culture, environment, power, and so on.

Political Science: Political science deals with politics and its practices in different scenarios. It mainly
concerns the allocation of power, conflict resolution, group coalition, and how to manipulate power for
individual self-interest.

Its concerns in OB mainly deal with the allocation of power to the employees, manipulation, and
controlling of conflicts in the organization. The study of politics helps managers to understand the
dynamics of power and politics and help apply them in the organizational settings in a proper way.

Medicine: Medicine is the branch of health science that deals with the identification and treatment of
diseases to improve the health of people. It treats both physical and psychological diseases of people.

In organizational settings, employees also suffer from psychological diseases, and applications of medical
science help managers organize different wellness programs so that employees’ health will be improved
and they are ready again to work.

Economics: The science of economics is related to the cost. It is the study of how to minimize cost, how
to best use scarce resources, and achieve more from less.

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METHODOLOGY

The paper is a theoretical discourse. It draws from contemporary issues in the literature on OB,
evolution and development of OB, the relationship between organizational behavior and
management theory and the contributors role in the development of the discipline to explain the
connection between the three concepts; and using the current realities in work settings as a
reflection of the nexus.

Specifically, the application of OB to practical management process and its relevance as the
foundation block of organizational structure forms the background for the discussion in the
paper. The discussion was based on the information generated from the review of the relevant
literature and observed workers’ current behavioural patterns and attitudes as well as
management decision processes in organizations.

CONCLUSION

From the overview of the literature on the selected aspects of OB and the areas of practical
application to management issues discussed in this paper, it is evident that OB is an inalienable
part of management process and organizational structure. The goals of OB are quite interesting
and germane to the solutions to the problems of today’s organization, particularly with reference
to human resource management.

There is therefore the need for extensive research efforts to break new grounds for solutions to
existing and emerging problems in organizations in a world of continuous change. The
interactional relationship between management theory and OB on one hand and between OB and
organizational structure on the other hand is evidently becoming stronger and more visible in the
face of new demands in organizational Akpor-Robaro, M. O. M., & Oginni, B. O. (2018).
Organizational Behaviour, Management Theory And Organizational Structure:

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Taylor's Scientific Management Theory was the first management theory to contribute to the
development of the or ethical framework for organizational behavior. Taylor gave productivity a high
priority and strove to find the most effective methods for completing all tasks, no matter how big or
small. Each organization's productivity was impacted by Taylor's theory, which also altered the workers'
and managers' interpersonal and professional relationships. Later, the emergence of the human relations
management movement, which contributed to furthering the establishment of organizational behavior,
challenged this traditional approach to management.

The Hawthorne Studies demonstrated how crucial it was for businesses to care about their staff members
in order to boost output and lower attribution.

Overall, the evolution of OB reflects the changing nature of work and the complex interplay
between individual, group, and organizational factors that influence human behavior in the
workplace

The major contributing disciplines to the development of organizational behavior are: Individual
Differences, organizational Structure, Psychology, Cultural Diversity, Sociology, Technology,
Globalization, Social Psychology, Anthropology, Political Science, Economics and Medicine.
Here, we will discuss all these disciplines and how they have contributed to organizational behavior to be
a better discipline.

Evidently, management theory's progress is what led to OB. In other words, OB draws ideas from
management theory and its component theories

REFERENCES

Blunt, P. (1983). Organization Theory and Behaviour: African Perspective. London. Longman.

Daft, R.L.(1995).Organization Theory and Design (5th ed.). St Paul, MN: West Publishing.

Robbins, S.P. (1990). Organization Theory: Structure, Design and Application. New Jersey.
Prentice-Hall Inc.

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R.A. (1989). Organization Theory and Behaviour. New Delhi. McGraw-Hill Publishing Coy
Ltd.
Sukanta Maiti, Mechanical Engineer by profession, Blogger, and Youtuber by passion. I have
been in the engineering field since 2014

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