What is Organizational Behavior? Definition & Examples [2025]

Summary

In this video, viewers are introduced to the concept of Organizational Behavior (OB), a field that studies human behavior in organizational settings. The script highlights the importance of OB in improving workplace productivity, efficiency, and culture. It also explains the three levels of influence within an organization: individual, group, and organizational. The video offers practical examples, such as adapting to remote work and promoting diversity and inclusion, showing how HR policies can benefit from understanding these levels to drive positive change in organizations.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Hawthorne Effect showed that worker productivity improves when people know they are being observed.
• 😀 Organizational Behavior (OB) studies human behavior in an organizational context and is essential for HR practices.
• 😀 OB helps improve job performance, satisfaction, innovation, customer service, ethical behavior, and organizational culture.
• 😀 Understanding OB is crucial for improving efficiency and productivity within an organization.
• 😀 There are three levels of influence in an organization: individual, group, and organizational.
• 😀 At the individual level, autonomy, feedback, and recognition lead to higher job satisfaction and personal development.
• 😀 Spillover occurs when an individual’s positive behavior influences their group, inspiring others to perform better.
• 😀 At the group level, effective teams require clear roles, norms, complementary skills, and good communication.
• 😀 Organizational level focuses on aligning strategy, technology, HR systems, and culture to improve performance.
• 😀 A well-rounded intervention targeting individual, group, and organizational levels leads to more successful outcomes.
• 😀 Organizations need to address diversity and inclusivity at all three levels (individual, group, organizational) for effective change.

Q & A

What was the surprising outcome of the Hawthorne Studies in the 1920s?

The Hawthorne Studies revealed that worker productivity improved not because of environmental factors like lighting, but because the workers knew they were being observed. This led to the discovery that attention and recognition could enhance performance.

What is Organizational Behavior (OB) and why is it important?

Organizational Behavior (OB) is the academic discipline that studies human behavior within an organizational setting. It is important because it helps improve efficiency and productivity, enhances job performance and satisfaction, fosters innovation, and shapes organizational culture.

How can OB be applied in HR?

OB can be applied in HR by observing human behavior at the individual, group, and organizational levels. Understanding these behaviors can help improve workplace dynamics, job satisfaction, employee performance, and ultimately contribute to achieving organizational goals.

What are the three levels of influence in an organization?

The three levels of influence in an organization are: 1) The individual level, focusing on individual behaviors and motivations, 2) The group level, looking at team interactions and dynamics, and 3) The organizational level, examining the impact of the entire organization's structure and culture.

How does the individual level influence the organization?

At the individual level, behaviors such as autonomy, feedback, and recognition can enhance a person's job performance, job satisfaction, and professional development. These individual improvements can also have a positive 'spillover' effect on group performance and the overall organization.

What makes a team effective at the group level?

An effective team has clear roles and norms, complementary skills among its members, and a focus on building trust, resolving conflicts, and improving collaboration over time. These factors help improve team performance and output.

How does the organizational level impact an organization's success?

At the organizational level, factors such as strategy, structure, leadership, technology, and culture determine how well teams work together. By aligning these components, organizations can improve efficiency, increase profits, and enhance stakeholder satisfaction.

How can an organization apply OB principles in response to remote work?

During the shift to remote work, organizations applied OB principles by ensuring individuals had the necessary skills and tools to work from home, training managers to manage remote teams, and equipping the organization with the technology to support remote operations. This holistic approach ensured effectiveness at all three levels.

Why is it necessary to target all three levels of influence in diversity and inclusion efforts?

Targeting only one level, such as individual training, will not be sufficient to create an inclusive organization. For greater impact, diversity and inclusion efforts should involve individual training, group-level initiatives (e.g., employee resource groups), and organizational-level actions (e.g., leadership commitment to diversity).

What is the takeaway from understanding the three levels of influence in OB?

The key takeaway is that by understanding and addressing behaviors at the individual, group, and organizational levels, HR policies can be more effective in fostering a positive workplace, improving performance, and achieving organizational goals.