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The Dynamics of People and OrganizationsUnderstanding Organizational BehaviorOrganizational Behavior is the systematic study and careful application of knowledge about how people- as individuals and as groups- act within organizations.Goals of Organizational BehaviorDescribe. To describe, systematically, how people behave under a variety of conditions.Understand. Understand why people behave as they do.

Predict. Predicting future employee behavior. Ideally, managers would have the capacity to predict which employees might be dedicated or productive or which ones might be absent, tardy, or disruptive on a certain day (so that managers could take preventive actions).

Control. Control, at least partially, and develop some human activity work. Managers need to be able to improve results through the actions they and their employees take.Forces of Organizational BehaviorThese forces can be classified into four areaspeople, structure, technology, and the environment in which the organization operates.People. People make up the internal social system of the organization. The system consists of individuals and groups, and large groups as well as small ones. Diversity- which means that employees bring a wide array of educational and ethnic and cultural and religious and gender and economic backgrounds, talents and perspectives to their jobs.Structure. Defines the formal relationship and use of people in organizations.Technology. Provides the resources with which people work and affects the tasks they perform.Environment. Environments can be internal or external, and all organizations operate within them

Organizational Behavior has emerged as an interdisciplinary field of value to managers. It builds on an increasingly solid research foundation, and it draws upon useful ideas and conceptual models from many of the behavioral sciences to make managers more effective.Interdisciplinary OB draws from the field of: psychology sociology social psychology group dynamics anthropologyThree keys to success

Theories- offer explanations of how and why people think, feel, and act they do.

Research- process of gathering and interpreting relevant evidence that will either support a behavioral theory or help change it.Practice- conscious application of conceptual models and research results in order to improve individual and organizational performance at work.Fundamental ConceptsThe Nature of PeopleIndividual Differences- each person is different from all others.Perception- the unique way in which a person sees, organizes, and interprets things.A Whole Person- people function as total human beings.Motivated Behavior- from psychology, we learn that normal behavior has certain causes. These may relate to a persons needs or the consequences that result from acts. In the case of needs, people are motivated not by what we think they ought to have but what they themselves want.Desire for Involvement- many employees today are actively seeking opportunities at work to become involved in relevant decisions, thereby contributing their talents and ideas to the organizations success.Value of the Person- people want to be treated with caring, respect and dignity.The Nature of OrganizationsSocial Systems- From sociology, we learn that organizations are social systems; consequently, activities therein are governed by social laws as well as psychological laws. Just as people have psychological needs, they also have social roles and status.Mutual Interest- Organizations need people and people need organizations.

Ethics- is the use of moral principles and values to affect the behavior of individuals and organizations with regard to choices between what is right and wrong.Basic Approaches in OBHuman Resources (Supportive) Approach- concerned with the growth and development of people toward higher levels of competency, creativity, fulfillment, because people are the central resource in any organization and any society.Contingency Approach- different situations require different behavioral practices for greatest effectiveness.Results-Oriented Approach- outcomes of OB programs are assessed in terms of their efficiency.Systems Approach- All parts of an organization interact in a complex relationship.Limitations of OBBehavioral Bias- a narrow viewpoint that emphasizes satisfying employee experiences while overlooking the broader system of the organization in relation to all its publics.Law of Diminishing Returns- the concept implies that for any situation there is an optimum amount of a desirable practice. When that point is exceeded, a decline in returns occurs.Unethical Treatment of People and Use of Resources- knowledge and techniques can be used to manipulate people unethically or without regard for human welfare.Ethical managers will not manipulate people. Ethical Leadership will recognize such principles as the following:Social ResponsibilityOpen CommunicationCost-benefit analysisContinuing ChallengesSeeking Quick Fixes and Using Old SolutionsVarying EnvironmentsDefinitional Confusion