Deck 1: Introduction to the Field of Organizational Behavior

Question 1

Define organizational behavior and organizations, and discuss the importance of this field of inquiry.

Answer 1

Organizational behavior is the study of what people think, feel, and do in and around organizations. Organizations are groups of people who work interdependently toward some purpose. OB theories help people to (a) make sense of the workplace, (b) question and rebuild their personal mental models, and (c) get things done in organizations. OB knowledge benefits everyone who works in organizations, not just managers. It is also very important for the organization's financial health.

Question 2

Compare and contrast the four current perspectives of organizational effectiveness as well as the early goal attainment perspective.

Answer 2

The goal attainment perspective, which states that organizations are effective if they achieve their stated objectives, is no longer accepted because (a) the goals set may be too easy, (b) goals may be too abstract to determine their accomplishment, and (c) achievement of some goals may threaten the company's survival.
The open systems perspective views organizations as complex organisms that "live" within an external environment. They depend on the external environment for resources, then use organizational subsystems to transform those resources into outputs, which are returned to the environment. Organizations receive feedback from the external environment to maintain a good "fit" with that environment. Fit occurs by adapting to the environment, managing the environment, or moving to another environment. According to the organizational learning perspective, organizational effectiveness depends on the organization's capacity to acquire, share, use, and store valuable knowledge. Intellectual capital consists of human capital, structural capital, and relationship capital. Knowledge is retained in the organizational memory; companies also selectively unlearn.
The high-performance work practices (HPWP) perspective identifies a bundle of systems and structures to leverage workforce potential. The most widely identified HPWPs are employee involvement, job autonomy, developing employee competencies, and performance/ skill-based rewards. HPWPs improve organizational effectiveness by building human capital, increasing adaptability, and strengthening employee motivation and attitudes.
The stakeholder perspective states that leaders manage the interests of diverse stakeholders by relying on their personal and organizational values for guidance. Ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are natural extensions of values-based organizations because they rely on values to guide the most appropriate decisions involving stakeholders. CSR consists of organizational activities intended to benefit society and the environment beyond the firm's immediate financial interests or legal obligations.

Question 3

Debate the organizational opportunities and challenges of globalization, workforce diversity, and emerging employment relationships.

Answer 3

Globalization, which refers to various forms of connectivity with people in other parts of the world, has several economic and social benefits, but it may also be responsible for work intensification, reduced job security, and work-life balance. Workforce diversity is apparent at both the surface-level (observable demographic and other overt differences in people) and deep-level (differences in personalities, beliefs, values, and attitudes). There is some evidence of deep-level diversity across generational cohorts. Diversity may be a competitive advantage by improving decision making and team performance on complex tasks, yet it also brings numerous challenges such as team "faultlines," slower team performance, and interpersonal conflict. One emerging employment relationship trend is the call for more work-life balance (minimizing conflict between work and nonwork demands). Another employment trend is virtual work, particularly working from home. Working from home potentially increases employee productivity and reduces employee stress, but it may also lead to social isolation, reduced promotion opportunities, and tension in family relations.

Question 4

Discuss the anchors on which organizational behavior knowledge is based.