Organizational Behavior & Its Impact on Organizational Development: Roles, Knowledge, Responsibilities, Ethics, Process and Change

ABSTRACT

The study of organizational behavior and its relationship to organizational development has been receiving great attention by scholars and business practitioners alike. This organizational phenomenon (OB) holds tremendous potential for unlocking unexplained answers for the field of business and possibly opening new territories for research development. OB researchers have determined that the effectiveness of organizational managers and leaders are dependent upon the attitudes of employees and consumers. The transformation in organizational culture and business practices are experiencing some phenomenal changes with the development of new methodologies and research methods. With the advancement of new technology and growing diversity within organizations, the process of change has already shaped the culture of many organizations. The impact of technology and how it changed the environment of nonprofit and corporate organizations and behaviors, and performances and behavior changes towards fellow employees of different ethnic and religion.

Keywords: Organizational Behaviors, Leadership, Management, Ethics, Business Curriculum, Diversity, Organizational Change, Development

1. INTRODUCTION

The science of organizational behavior has been studied in academics for almost 30 years (Robbins, 2003). It was only in the last decade that the correlation between human behavior and its importance to organizational development was made apparent by OB (organizational behavior) researchers. The function of organizational behavior in organizational development is to improve organizational processes and interaction, improving the communication channel between employees and managers, and production rate and quality of the products and services offered by the organization. To date, in the majority of the literature collected, OB researchers have now determined that the effectiveness of organizational managers and leaders as well as business success is dependent on the attitudes and behaviors of employees and consumers. It is also apparent with the advancement of technology, influences from media corporations and social attitudes can create changes that are both positive and negative in an organizational culture and business practices. Although technical business skills are still vital to the success of organizational development, the impact only minutely affect the success of organizational management and leadership. This organizational phenomenon (OB) holds tremendous potential for unlocking unexplained answers for the field of business and possibly opening new territories for research development. While many researchers approach the subject of organizational behavior on a broader scale, others attempted to concentrate on a specialization within the study.

A psychologist, specializing in organizational behavior management (OBM) can become involved in human resource development, helping to improve and maintain any aspect of organizational performance or individual. OBM psychologist may participate in the areas of employee training, performance evaluation, management, and systems analysis. OBM psychologist focus on increasing the efficiency of how work/ task gets done in the organization, improving what individuals do in their jobs, developing measurement systems for various units in the organization, and assisting organizations at the top level to determine measurable goals. While many people still perceive the practice of OBM as the general term for performance management or managing organizational behaviors. It specifically refers to the application of behavioral principles in business and industry practices.

2. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR RESEARCHERS & HISTORY

In Robbins' book titled 'Organizational Behavior' (2003), he approached the study of OB (Organizational Behavior) from an organizational cultural perspective rather then a practitioner researcher, which takes on a more unbiased approach in examining the topic. This included the organization, its leaders, managers, employees, consumers, policies and any other information relating to organizational process. According to Robbins (2003), it wasn't until the late 1980s that the study of human behavior and skills were introduced into the curriculum of traditional business schools. Prior to the OB movement, traditional business programs emphasized on the technical aspects of management and its contributions to organizational success. Technical business curriculum that emphasizes more on subjects of economics, accounting, statistics and theoretical management and business principles were traditionally practiced. While technical skills provided organizations with employees that are capable of applying their specialization to work, it lacked the human skills that are needed to produce successful employee interactions. A study done by Luthans, Hodgetts and Rosenkrantz (1988) showed that communication and human resource skills were key factors in producing effective leaders and managers. While traditional management skills like decision making, planning and controlling only attributed 19% to the equation.

Many of the materials relating to OB research have focused on the production of moods and emotions of people at work, emphasizing on the causes of stress, the connections of leaders, managers, work groups, physical settings, and rewards/punishment. Other recent research materials addressed the consequences of workers' feelings, particularly relating to performance outcomes (e.g., helping behaviors and creativity). Brief (1995) explained that the thoughts, feelings, and actions of …