Understanding Organizational Behaviour

This essay delves into the multifaceted field of organizational behavior. It examines various theoretical perspectives, including contingency and system viewpoints, highlighting how organizations utilize inputs to generate outputs. The essay further explores the situational perspective's influence on outcomes and discusses proactive managerial interventions in addressing organizational challenges. Theories of organizational behavior are analyzed within an organizational setting, emphasizing their practical significance for managing individuals and teams effectively.

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Organizational Behavior
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The essay aims at focusing on the organizational behavior in the perspective of an
organizational setting. Organizational Behavior refers to the study of the behavior of people both
at an individual level and within formal and informal groups. The performance of every
organization depends on the motivational level of its employees and the ability and willingness
of people in working harmoniously toward a common goal. In other words, organizational
behavior acts as an interface between organization and human behavior. Each individual
contributes unique set of characteristics, personal background and experiences that they have
gathered in other organizations. Manager must consider the unique aspect of individuals and put
them forward in a work setting. The essay put forward discussion on the various theories of
organizational behavior in an organizational setting. The essay also evaluates organizational
problem situations and discusses the proactive managerial intervention based on cultural, ethical
and social concern. The essay also focuses on comparing and criticizing the findings on the
current developments of organizational behavior.
There are various theories of organizational behavior that can be applied
organizational setting. This theory includes classical organization theory, neo classical
organization theory, contingency theory and the systems theory (Gagné, Sharmaand De
Massis2014). Classical theory represents a combination of scientific management theory,
administrative theory and the bureaucratic theory. The scientific management theory represented
four basic principles. This includes the best way of performing the task, carefully matching each
worker to each task, closely supervising workers and using punishment and reward as motivators
and ensures control and planning. The theory of scientific management proved successful not in
industrialized companies but also in modernized companies. The administrative theory focused
on the establishment of universal management principles that is applicable to most organizations.
The classical theory on the other hand is mechanistic and rigid. However, the major deficiency of
this theory was the explanation of the motivation of the people in working strictly as functions of
economic reward (Miner2015).
The neoclassical organization theory tried to address many problems that were inherent to
the classical theory. This theory helps in displaying genuine concern for the needs of the human
beings. According to the neoclassical organization theory, organization is defined as a system
that helps in consciously coordinating activities (Young et al. 2014). This theory also stresses on

2ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
the role of executive in creating a cohesive environment. As per this, theory, the managers
authority defined by the acceptance of the subordinates and not by the hierarchical power
structure of any organization.
The Contingency Theory aims at focusing on the fact that conflict is manageable but
inescapable (Battilanaand Casciaro2012). A study on four large corporations of United States
proposed that organization would evolve naturally for meeting the needs of the strategy
implemented. An organization however acts in a linear, sequential and rational manner for
adapting to the environmental changes. Highly volatile organizations stresses on the importance
of managers for making decisions at all the authority level. According to this theory, managers
need to be free for making contingent decisions on the present situations.
The Systems theory puts across the fact that there is an interrelation between all
components of an organization and hence the change of a single variable might directly influence
the others (Curtain and Zwart 2012). Most organizations are open systems that encourage
continuous interaction. However, as the organization adapt to environmental changes they
remain in a dynamic equilibrium state. The system theory has a central theme that represents
existence of non-linear relationships between variables. Thus, smaller changes in one of the
variable lead to bigger changes in another. The nonlinearity concept adds complexity to the
understanding of an organization. This nonlinearity makes it difficult in understanding the
relationships between the variables.
There are various issues and dilemmas in an organizational setting. and it ranges
from simple disagreement to most complicated issues that influence the bottom line in a negative
way. Understanding various problems in workplace helps in identifying and correcting them.
Internal conflict is one the problem situations in an organization. Internal conflict may take place
because of various reasons (Fordand Richardson2013). These include denial of promotion or pay
hike, misunderstandings resulting from lack of proper communication, harassment by managers,
supervisors or peers.Problem situations in organization might result in ethical issues. These
includes, price breaks and discounts beyond the company practice and policy, unfair practices
and employee theft. Team Dynamics also plays a major role in breaking or making a project or
initiative of the business. The members of the team may try in promoting own agenda or take
credibility for the work done by the other team members. Teamwork also ensures challenges in

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the form of differing ideas and views. This might pose a hindrance in reaching a workable
solution in addition to creating distractions (Belbin2012). Problems in an organization may be
due to leadership problems where most supervisors, managers and leaders refuse to follow the
rules as most of the employees. This might have an in negative influence in the culture of the
workplace. Workplace problems might also result from absence of company handbook that put
forward procedures and policies. This results in lack of control and lack of continuity in the
workplace direction.
Formulation of Proactive Managerial Intervention helps the managers in effectively
perform their duties (Branch, Ramsayand Barker 2013). Thus, understanding organizational
behaviour help the managers in better understanding the behaviour of others in an organization.
For instance, managers in an organization are responsible directly for the work related behaviour
of other people and their subordinates. However, the typical managerial activities in this
particular realm included employee motivation for working harder, ensuring proper design of the
jobs of employees, conflict resolution, performance evaluation and helping workers for setting
goals for achieving rewards. The organizational behavioural field is abounded with research and
models that are relevant to each of the activities and ensures valuable insight.
Managers can use the knowledge of organizational behaviour for understanding their own
motives, needs, feelings and behaviour that helps them in improving the decision-making
capabilities, better communicate, ensure stress control and comprehend how the dynamics of the
career unfolds(Nielsen2013). The managers proactively intervene in dealing with the problem
situations through the process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Planning refers to
the process of determining the desired future position of an organization and the best possible
means of reaching there. Organizing refers to the process of grouping jobs in units, designing
jobs and establishing the patters of authority between the units and the jobs. Leading refers to
getting the member of the organization for working towards the goals of the organization. Lastly,
controlling refers to monitoring and correcting the actions of the organization and the members
and keeping them directed towards a common goal.
According to the current developments of organizational behaviour, researchers and
managers using the ideas and concept of organizational behaviour should be able to able to
recognize that it has a descriptive nature and interdisciplinary focus. The concept of

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organizational behaviour draws concepts from a number of other fields and attempts in
describing behaviour instead of focusing on how behaviour is changed in predictable and
consistent manner (Shin2012). The interdisciplinary focus shows how organizational behaviour
helps in synthesizing other fields of study. In this context, the greatest contribution happens from
the field of psychology referred as organizational psychology. Organizational psychology is a
field of study where psychologists deal specifically with people’s behaviour in an organizational
setting. However, this field of study also includes motivation and individual difference. Recently,
medicine plays a key role in studying the human behaviour at work that especially involves the
area of stress. Increasing amount of research has shown that controlling the consequences and
causes of stress is an organizational setting is necessary for the well-being of the organization
and the individual.
Organizational behaviour has a descriptive nature because the prevalent immaturity of the
field of study, inherent complexities in studying off the human behaviour and the lack of
reliable, valid and accepted measures and definitions. Since the behavioural processes pervade
the managerial roles and functions, therefore a proper understanding of the field significantly
helps the managers in various ways (Harmsand Luthans 2012). There are several central
concepts to the organizational behaviour categorized into individual processes, organizational
characteristics and process and interpersonal process.
There are several contextual perspectives of organizational behaviour that includes the
contingency and system perspectives and situational perspective. According to the contingency
and system perspectives, an organization is designed to receive four types of inputs that include,
material, human, informational and financial(Sageer, Rafatand Agarwal2012). The managers of
the organization then transforms and combines these inputs return them as services or products,
profits or losses and employee behaviour. The situational perspective on the other hand shows
that outcomes and situations influenced by the other variables.
The essay concludes by analysing the findings of the current development of
organizational behaviour. There are also discussions on the proactive managerial intervention
and evaluation of organizational problem situations. The essay also puts forward a discussion on
the theories of organizational behaviour on an organisational setting. Organizational behavioural
study holds an importance since it has an influence over the lives of the people. This also have a

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direct relation to the management of the organization since managers requires a better
comprehension of themselves and others at the different levels.

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