Abstract
As organizations adapt to the challenges of technology, an understanding of organizational behavior theories supports the development of new management and leadership behaviors. There has been a paradigm shift in management, calling for the use of positivity rather than negativity. This shift promotes positive organizational policies and procedures while maximizing resources. According to Bakker, negative approach-based terms influenced organizational culture undesirably, and Luthans and Avolio claim developing a positive organizational behavior framework is a source of an organization's competitive advantage. This article explores the evolving theories of organizational behavior addressing the challenges of technology and change, as well as placing the discussion within the context of seminal theories.
TopBackground
The practice of OB is multifaceted, based on multiple organizational theories, management theories, organizational disciplines, and the intersection of research and practice (Cummings, 1976; Frederick, 2014; Vasu, Stewart, & Garson, 2017). Moorhead and Griffin (1995,pg. 4) defined OB as “the study of human behavior in organizational settings, the interface between human behavior and the organization, and the organization itself.” Frederick (2014, pg. 564) discusses it as “…an applied behavioral science that involves integration of studies undertaken in behavioral disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, social psychology, and political science.” Kafi and Noori (2011, pg. 89) describe OB as “a field of study devoted to recognizing, explaining, and eventually developing the attitudes and behaviors of people (individual and group) with organizations.” Kafi and Noori further state OB is based on “scientific knowledge and applied practice.”
The goal of OB is to provide tools through theories and concepts, to aid in understanding, measuring, analyzing, describing, and managing attitudes of individuals, groups, and the organization itself. OB allows managers to make effective use of resources to meet organizational goals. Various definitions of OB reflect the multiple perspectives, disciplines, and uses of the evolving discipline. The following review of disciplines and theories applied in OB focuses on creating an understanding of the foundational constructs of the various facets supporting OB, contributing to an understanding of the evolution of OB to the current positive focus.
Organizational Behavior (OB) literature references multiple constructs, including Organizational Theories, Organizational Development, and Leadership Theories. OB tools appear in strategic decision-making, communication strategies, organizational learning, managing change, driving innovation, and accomplishing the goals of the organization through understanding and influencing individual and group behaviors within the organization. A review of a sampling of the classic theories OB evolved from follows.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Authentic Leadership: A leadership model based on follower trust earned by the leader. The leader emphasizes honesty and positivity.
Decentralization: Decision-making is distributed throughout the organization, a flat or horizontal hierarchy.
Organizational Climate: The current work environment and atmosphere of an organization, as perceived by employees.
Visible Culture: A culture expressed visible with symbols and narratives.
Practical Intelligence: An individual’s ability to unravel everyday problems and find solutions. It includes the ability to get things done effectively and collaborating with others.
Adhocracy: A highly informal organizational design that is organic rather than mechanistic. The configuration allows specialists to work in teams.
Collectivism: Cultural influencing the degree of collaboration preferences to act in groups.
Organizational Socialization: The process that introduces new employees to the organizational culture.
Change Agent: Someone who supports, promotes, and enables change within a group or organization. Sometimes called a Change Champion.
Entrepreneurial Leadership: A leadership perspective where a leader strongly exhibits characteristics and behaviors of an entrepreneur.
Positivist Organization Theories: Based on research methods from the natural sciences, positivist researchers advocate knowledge produced from an accumulation of facts.
Benchmarking: Comparing products, processes, and people with competitors in a systematic comparison to imitate and improve on them.