Midterm

Midterm Exam

BUS520/Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Question 1

• Define organizational behavior and discuss the various academic disciplines associated with the field. Of the aforementioned disciplines, which do you think is the most important and why? What are the primary goals/objectives of Organizational Behavior and where does the subject stand in the “people vs. process” argument?

Organizational Behavior (OB) is defined as actions and attitudes of individuals and groups toward one another and towards the organizations as a whole, and its effect on the organization’s functioning and performance (businessdictionary.com). Organizational behavior specifically focuses on how to improve productivity, reduce turnover and increase job satisfaction. In addition to the focus on people, it is essential to understand that technical skill combined with human and conceptual skills. These skills are important to facilitate communication and motivation in the workplace.

Organizational behavior is an interdisciplinary body of knowledge with strong ties to the behavioral sciences of psychology, sociology, and anthropology (Schermerhorn, Osborn, Uhl-Bien, and Hunt 2012). Psychology is the study of the human mind and human behavior (businessdictionary.com). Sociology is the study of human social activity (businessdictionary.com). Anthropology is the study of humans, past and present (aaanet.org).

I feel that psychology is the most important discipline in the study of Organizational behavior. Psychology studies groups and teams in the workplace. Psychology helps to influence organizational behavior by understanding the behaviors of people especially when and organization is changing. In today’s world, the environment of business is changing constantly. As a result, businesses must become flexible enough to respond to the changes in order...