Organizational Behavior Chapt 1

Psychology

Science of human behavior

Sociology

Science of society

Engineering

Applied science of energy and matter

Anthropology

Science of human learned behavior

Management

Study of overseeing activities and supervising
people in organizations

Medicine

Applied science of healing or treating
diseases

Steps for Adapting to Change

have a positive attitude, ask questions, listen to answers, be committed to success

Formal Organization

Official, legitimate, and most visible part of the system

Informal Organization

Unofficial and less visible part of the system

Elements of Formal Organization

Goals & objectives, policies & procedures, job descriptions, financial resources, authority structures, communication channels, product & services

Elements of Informal Organization

Beliefs & assumptions, perceptions & attitudes, values, feelings, group norms, informal leaders

Diversity of Organizations

Private sector, manufacturing sector, service sector, government sector, nonprofit sectorare the various types of organizations that differ in purpose, structure, and function.

Phases for tackling problems

measure, analyze, improve, control

Challenges to Managing Organizational Behavior During Changing Times

Increasing globalization of organizations’ operating territory, increasing diversity of organizational workforces, continuing demand for higher levels of moral and ethical behavior at work

Necessary Skills Identified by the US Dept of Labor to be successful in the workplace

Resource management, information management, personal interaction, systems behavior and performance, technology utilization

In evaluating quality improvement ideas for people at work, three key questions should be asked:

(1) Does the idea improve customer response? (2) Does the idea accelerate results? (3) Does the idea increase the effectiveness of resources? A “yes” answer means the idea should be implemented to improve quality.

learning about organizational behavior includes at least three activities

Objective knowledge, skill development, application of knowledge and skills

Organizational behavior

the study of an individual’s behavior and group dynamics within an organization.