Organizational Behavior and Management Concepts

Organizational Behavior and Management Concepts

Organizational Behavior Defined

Generally, organizational behavior refers to the study of behavior patterns within professional business (and other) organizations (George & Jones, 2008; NAU, 2010; Robbins & Judge, 2009). It consists of three principal areas of analysis: the study of individual behavior, the study of individual behavior within a group, and the study of interrelations between and among different groups of individuals (NAU, 2010). Despite the substantial differences in the specific focus of each of those areas, all aspects of the study of organizational behavior serves the same essential purpose: to apply the knowledge gained to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability of professional business (and other) organizations (NAU, 2010). Additionally, the understanding of organizational behavior principles and practices can also be applied for the benefit of the individuals within the organizations (George & Jones, 2008; Robbins & Judge, 2009).

Components of Organizational Behavior

There are major distinctions within the study of organizational behavior, such as those pertaining to the respective realms of organizational effectiveness, process efficiency, personnel performance, and human motivation (George & Jones, 2008; Robbins & Judge, 2009). The roots of modern concepts of organizational effectiveness date back to the work of early industrial organization theorists such as Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Taylor, in particular, is considered the father of scientific business management because of the way he applied quantitative analyses to business processes. That approach involved, for one example, determining the optimal makeup of working groups and the ideal size of shovels for the most productive possible output of individual workers (George & Jones, 2008; NAU, 2010; Robbins & Judge, 2009).

The personnel performance and human motivation components of the study of organizational behavior also date back to the late 19th and early 20th century work of theorists like Max Weber and to the 20th century works of Douglass McGregor and Abraham Maslow (George & Jones, 2008; NAU, 2010). Weber outlined the most productive breakdown of organizational hierarchies, elements of working groups, and the relationship between individual employees and their supervisors. McGregor and Maslow contributed psychological theories that identified specific factors that determine levels of personal commitment and satisfaction of individual employees within organizations (George & Jones, 2008; NAU, 2010).

The Importance of Organizational Behavior to Modern Business Management