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Understanding organizational behavior is important for everyone involved in an organization, not just the leadership and management teams. By gaining and understanding this knowledge each employee should be able to realize how their individual actions contribute to the big picture of the company. In order to understand this there are some key concepts and terminology that must be explained to make the learning process more manageable.
Organizational Behavior
What is organizational behavior? According to Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn (2005, p. 3) it "is the study of individuals and groups in organizations." OB, as organizational behavior is called in short, is multidisciplinary. This means it does not only understand the individuals and groups of an organization but how interpersonal processes and dynamics relate to organizational behavior.
OB has four basic keys of scientific foundation. First, it is an "interdisciplinary body of knowledge" (2005, p.4), meaning it encompasses both behavioral and social sciences. Second, it uses scientific methods such as field studies, meta-analysis, survey studies, case studies, and laboratory studies. Third, it has a focus on applications that can produce measurable improvements of the organization as well as the performance of the people working in the company. Fourth is contingency thinking, meaning there is more than one "best" way to achieve a specific, desired outcome.
Organizational Culture and Diversity
The culture of an organization along with the diversity within the organization can speak volumes as to how a company operates, not to mention the level of satisfa ...