Organizational Behaviour
INTRODUCTION
Organization Defined
Organizations are complex systems which rely on people, structures and technology to achieve their goals and objectives. They are created to serve the needs of the societies or communities in which they operate and are influenced by both their internal environment (culture) and their external environment. As defined by Robins “an organization is a continuously co-ordinated social unit of two or more people that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals” (Robins 2005).
Organizational Behaviour Defined
Behaviour on the other hand, he defines simply as “the actions of people (Robins 2005). Organization behaviour (often referred to as OB) is the behaviour (actions) of individuals and groups within organizations and the interaction between organizations and their external environment. It constitutes a behavioural science field of study that borrows its core concepts from other disciplines, principally psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology and political science (Coffey, Cole and Hunsaker, 1996).
The Goals of Organizational Behaviour
For organizations to be effective (doing the right things) and efficient (doing things right), those persons (managers) charged with the responsibility of planning, organizing, directing and controlling the affairs of organizations must have an understanding of and appreciation for the dynamics which result when people and technology are brought together for a common purpose. They must be able to:
1. Describe systematically how people behave under a variety of conditions.
2. Understand why people behave as they do.
3. Predict future employee behaviour.
4. Control (partially) some of the human activity at work.
SCOPE
This essay seeks to demonstrate why OB is a multi-disciplinary subject by examining the contribution made to this field of study by disciplines such as:
1. Psychology. Psychology focuses directly on
Organization Defined
Organizations are complex systems which rely on people, structures and technology to achieve their goals and objectives. They are created to serve the needs of the societies or communities in which they operate and are influenced by both their internal environment (culture) and their external environment. As defined by Robins “an organization is a continuously co-ordinated social unit of two or more people that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals” (Robins 2005).
Organizational Behaviour Defined
Behaviour on the other hand, he defines simply as “the actions of people (Robins 2005). Organization behaviour (often referred to as OB) is the behaviour (actions) of individuals and groups within organizations and the interaction between organizations and their external environment. It constitutes a behavioural science field of study that borrows its core concepts from other disciplines, principally psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology and political science (Coffey, Cole and Hunsaker, 1996).
The Goals of Organizational Behaviour
For organizations to be effective (doing the right things) and efficient (doing things right), those persons (managers) charged with the responsibility of planning, organizing, directing and controlling the affairs of organizations must have an understanding of and appreciation for the dynamics which result when people and technology are brought together for a common purpose. They must be able to:
1. Describe systematically how people behave under a variety of conditions.
2. Understand why people behave as they do.
3. Predict future employee behaviour.
4. Control (partially) some of the human activity at work.
SCOPE
This essay seeks to demonstrate why OB is a multi-disciplinary subject by examining the contribution made to this field of study by disciplines such as:
1. Psychology. Psychology focuses directly on