History of OB

 History of OB
 OB emerged as a distinct field around the early 1940s, but
organizations have been studied by experts in other fields
for many centuries.
 Greek philosopher Plato wrote about the essence of
leadership
 Chinese philosopher Confucius extolled the virtues of ethics
and leadership
 In 1776, Adam Smith discuss the benefits of job
specialization and division of labor.
 Max Weber, German sociologist, wrote about rational
organizations, work ethic, and charismatic leadership
 Industrial engineer Frederick Winslow proposed systematic
ways to organize work processes and motivate employees
through goal setting and rewards

 2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by McShane and Travaglione 1
 2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by McShane and Travaglione 2
 From the 1920s to the 1940s, Elton Mayo, Fritz
Roethlisberger, and their Harvard University
colleagues developed the “human relations” school of
management, which emphasized the study of
employee attitudes and informal group dynamics in
the workplace.
Western Electric’s Hawthorne Plant

 2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by McShane and Travaglione 3
 Political philosopher Mary Parker Follett advocated
new ways of thinking about several OB topics,
including constructive conflict, team dynamics,
organizational democracy, power and leadership.

 In the late 1930s Chester Barnard wrote about

organizational communication, coordination,
leadership and authority, organizations as open
systems, and team dynamics

 2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by McShane and Travaglione 4