Organizational Behavior

Organisational Behaviour (OB) is the study of human behaviour in an organisation. It is a multidisciplinary field devoted to the understanding individual and group behaviour, interpersonal processes and organisational dynamics. OB is important to all management functions, roles and skills. Since organisations are built up levels - individual, group and an organizational system as a whole, it is important for managers to understand human behaviour in order to meet the organizations overall goals. I found several key learning areas that are meaningful, interesting and relevant to my work over the course of studying this unit. These key learning areas have not only expanded and improved my view of organisational behaviour but they also have strong practical utility in my role as a manager.

Organisational Behaviour as a field of study

There are a lot of challenges and opportunities for managers to use OB concepts, and one of these challenges is workforce diversity. Workforce diversity means that organisations are becoming more heterogeneous in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity. It also encompasses each person's uniqueness, experience and personalities that are different but have to be dealt with in the workplace. Employees do not leave their cultural values and lifestyle preferences at home when they come to work so the organisations face the challenge to accommodate diverse groups of people by addressing their different lifestyles, family needs and work styles.

Changing demographics should also be considered. More women now take on full-time employment positions; mature-age workforce is becoming a significant management issue and the difference in average weekly income for men and women in full-time employment is still lea...

... middle of paper ...

...rapy, training or a short paid leave of absence). Organisational changes have more chance of success if change resistance is overcome and reduced.

In conclusion, organisational behaviour is the study of organisations from multiple viewpoints, methods, and levels of analysis. It draws upon a diverse range of disciplines (psychology, social psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science and economics) for a systematic and integrated approach to study human behaviour.

The seven topics mentioned above are amongst many topics in this unit that I found meaningful, interesting and useful to my current role as a manager. I believe these topics have a positive impact on my behaviour and the way I manage behaviour of my staff and others in the organisation. After learning this unit, I have gained an appreciation of organisational behaviour as a field of study.