Week 1

CHAPTER 1. Introduction to the Field of Organizational Behaviour highlights rganizational behaviour (OB) is the study of what people think, feel, and do in and around organizations. It looks at employee behaviour, decisions, perceptions, and emotional responses. It examines how individuals and teams in organizations relate to each other and to their counterparts in other organizations. OB also encompasses the study of how organizations interact with their external environments, particularly in the context of employee behaviour and decisions. OB researchers systematically study these topics at multiple levels of analysis, namely, the individual, team (including interpersonal), and organization.2
The definition of organizational behaviour begs the question: What are organizations? Organizations are groups of people who work interdependently toward some purpose.3 Notice that organizations are not buildings or government-­registered entities. In fact, many organizations exist without either physical walls or government documentation to confer their legal status. Organizations have existed for as long as people have worked together. Massive temples dating back to 3500 BC were constructed through the organized actions of multitudes of people. Craftspeople and merchants in ancient Rome formed guilds, complete with elected managers. More than 1,000 years ago, Chinese factories were producing 125,000 tonnes of iron each year. The Hudson's Bay
Company holds the distinction of being North America's oldest commercial enterprise. Founded in 1670, the once British-­owned organization operated out of
Winnipeg as a monopoly and semi-­government over one-­quarter of the continent for almost 200 years.4
Notice that organizations are not buildings or