Organizational Behavior Terminology And Concepts

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 satisfaction that employees of the company possess. As stated by Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn (2005, p. 9), "Organi...

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By learning the terminology and concepts outlined here one will have the tools to then be able to understand organizational behavior. Understanding OB is vital for everyone within the company to become an informed, productive employee because by grasping the concept of organizational behavior an employee will be able to see exactly how individual contributions fit into the grand scheme of things within the organization.

References

Clark, D.H., Ph.D. (2005). Loving Someone Gay. Celestial Arts.

Copeland, L. (2003). Managing a multicultural workforce. California Job Journal. Retrieved: November, 12, 2006, from http://www.jobjournal.com

Schermerhorn, Jr., J.R., Hunt, J.G., & Osborn, R.N. Organizational Behavior, (9th ed.)

Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved November, 10, 2006, from University of Phoenix, Resource, MGT-331-Organizational Behavior.