Organizational Behaviour

Organizational Behaviour

The topic of discussion of the present essay consists of describing organizational behaviour (OB). Indeed, psychology and business intersect in a branch known as industrial psychology, also sometimes attributed the appellation organizational psychology. Further, organizational behavior is an introductory level course often taken by business students as a requirement for a Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) or Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. While psychology students may choose to specialize in industrial psychology research, OB is usually a mandatory course for commerce undergraduates.

Behaviour in organizations includes many elements, from business communication, to organizational socialization, employee relations and satisfaction with one’s work environment. Alternatively, to look at the topic from the perspective of another social science, namely sociology, every person juggles several roles as both part of one’s job duties, as well as, one’s personal life. Sociologists call these social roles or functions. For example, a person may be a sister, a history major, a swimsuit model, a friend and also a fashionista. Moreover, role related exhaustion or role strain, may occur when role demands exceed one’s capacities. On an organizational level, eventual occupational burnout may occur in extreme cases.

Working toward a common goal. Photo by Elena

Naturally, organizational behaviour theory has a lot to say on teamwork and other attributes inherent to relations in the workplace. Certainly, education and experience are useful in the modern job market; however, today’s employers likewise highly value soft skills, such as teamwork. Indeed, the ability to work in a team is among the most sought after qualities on job postings. In fact, some Scandinavian countries, even emphasize team work and the ability to work with others above education. But what constitutes team work? Psychologists say that a team is different from a group, in that a team means a group of two or more individuals working towards a common goal. Thus, the above conversation aims at presenting some of the key descriptors of organizational behaviour theory or behaviour in organizations.