what is organizational behavior ob 
organizational behavior is the academic study of how people interact within groups the principles of ob are applied primarily in attempts to help businesses operate more effectively theresa chiechi investopediaunderstanding organizational behavior ob the study of organizational behavior includes areas of research dedicated to improving job performance increasing job satisfaction promoting innovation and encouraging leadership each has its own recommended actions such as reorganizing groups modifying compensation structures or changing methods of performance evaluation the study of organizational behavior has its roots in the late 1920s when the western electric company launched a now famous series of studies of the behavior of workers at its hawthorne works plant in cicero il 1researchers there set out to determine whether workers could be made to be more productive if their environment was upgraded with better lighting and other design improvements to their surprise the researchers found that the environment was less important than social factors it was more important for example that people got along with their co workers and felt their bosses appreciated them those initial findings inspired a series of wide ranging studies between 1924 and 1933 1 they included the effects on productivity of work breaks isolation and lighting among many other factors the hawthorne effect which describes the way test subjects behavior may change when they know they are being observed is the best known study of organizational behavior researchers are taught to consider whether or not and to what degree the hawthorne effect may skew their findings on human behavior organizational behavior was not fully recognized by the american psychological association as a field of academic study until the 1970s 2 however the hawthorne research is credited for validating organizational behavior as a legitimate field of study and it s the foundation of the human resources hr profession as we now know it the leaders of the hawthorne study had a couple of radical notions they thought they could use the techniques of scientific observation to increase an employee s amount and quality of work and they did not look at workers as interchangeable resources workers they thought were unique in terms of their psychology and potential fit within a company over the following years the concept of organizational behavior widened beginning with world war ii researchers began focusing on logistics and management science studies by the carnegie school in the 1950s and 1960s solidified these rationalist approaches to decision making 3today those and other studies have evolved into modern theories of business structure and decision making the new frontiers of organizational behavior are the cultural components of organizations such as how race class and gender roles affect group building and productivity these studies take into account how identity and background inform decision making organizational behavior is no different than other forms of psychological behavior analysis it simply emphasizes how individuals operate and work together within a business setting learning organizational behavioracademic programs focusing on organizational behavior are found in business schools as well as at schools of social work and psychology these programs draw from the fields of anthropology ethnography and leadership studies and use quantitative qualitative and computer models as methods to explore and test ideas depending on the program one can study specific topics within organizational behavior or broader fields within it specific topics covered include cognition decision making learning motivation negotiation impressions group process stereotyping and power and influence the broader study areas include social systems the dynamics of change markets relationships between organizations and their environments how social movements influence markets and the power of social networks organizational behavior study methodsorganizational behavior can be studied using a variety of methods to collect data surveys are a popular research method in organizational behavior research they involve asking individuals to answer a set of questions often using a likert scale the goal of the survey is to gather quantitative data on attitudes behaviors and perceptions related to a particular topic in a similar manner companies may perform interviews to gather data about individuals experiences attitudes and perceptions companies can also gather data without directly interacting with study subjects observations involve watching individuals in real life settings to gather data on their behaviors interactions and decision making processes meanwhile a company can perform case studies to perform an in depth examination of a particular organization group or individual in situations where there isn t really precedent companies can study organizational behavior by running experiments by manipulating one or more variables at a time to observe the effect on a particular outcome a company can get the best sense of how organizational behavior tweaks change employee disposition organizational behavior data can be quantitative or qualitative organizational behavior and hrorganizational behavior is an especially important aspect to human resources by better understanding how and why individuals perform in a certain way organizations can better recruit retain and deploy workers to achieve its mission the specific aspects of organizational behavior relating to hr are listed below organizational behavior research is used to identify the skills abilities and traits that are essential for a job this information is used to develop job descriptions selection criteria and assessment tools to help hr managers identify the best candidates for a position this is especially true for roles that may have technical aspects but rely heavier on soft skills organizational behavior can be used to design and deliver training and development programs that enhance employees skills these programs can focus on topics such as communication leadership teamwork and diversity and inclusion in addition organizational behavior can be used to be better understand how each individual may uniquely approach a training allowing for more customized approaches based on different styles organizational behavior is used to develop performance management systems that align employee goals with organizational objectives these systems often include performance metrics feedback mechanisms and performance appraisal processes by leveraging organizational behavior a company can better understand how its personnel will work towards common goals and what can be achieved organizational behavior is used to develop strategies to improve employee engagement and motivation these strategies can include recognition and rewards programs employee involvement initiatives and career development opportunities due to the financial incentives of earning a paycheck organizational behavior strives to go beyond incentivizing individuals with a paycheck and understanding ways to enhance the workplace with other interests organizational behavior research is used to develop and maintain a positive organizational culture this includes devising strategies that supports employee well being trust and a shared vision for the future as each individual may act in their own unique manner it is up to organizational behavior to blend personalities integrate backgrounds and bring people together for a common cause organizational behavior vs organizational theoryorganizational behavior and organizational theory are related fields of study but they have some important differences while organizational behavior is concerned with understanding and improving the behavior of individuals organizational theory is concerned with developing and testing theories about how organizations function and how they can be structured effectively organizational theory draws on concepts and theories from economics sociology political science and other social sciences it aims to understand how organizations are structured and how they operate in some aspects organizational behavior can be considered a subset of organizational theory both fields are important for understanding and improving organizational performance and they often overlap in their research topics and methods however organizational theory is often much broader and does not focus on individuals examples of organizational behaviorfindings from organizational behavior research are used by executives and human relations professionals to better understand a business s culture how that culture helps or hinders productivity and employee retention and how to evaluate candidates skills and personality during the hiring process organizational behavior theories inform the real world evaluation and management of groups of people there are several components 