P A R T 1 UNDERSTANDING THE WORKPLACE
CHAPTER 1
What Is
Organizational
Behaviour?
An organization decides it will hire people
with few skills and job experience. What
challenges might its managers face?
1 What is organizational behaviour?
Isn’t organizational behaviour common sense?
2 Or just like psychology?
How does knowing about organizational
3 behaviour make work and life more
understandable?
4 What challenges do managers and employees
face in the workplace of the twenty-first century?
,W
innipeg-based Inner City
Renovation (ICR) does renova-
tion and construction work on
rundown inner city residential and com-
mercial buildings, with the aim of revital-
izing the area.1 As part of its mission, the
company employs and trains low-income
residents of the inner city. ICR is a for-
profit company that was created by five
not-for-profit joint venture partners: North
End Housing Project (NEHP), Winnipeg
Partners in Housing (WPH), Spence
Neighbourhood Association (SNA), West
Broadway Development Corporation
(WBDC), and Community Ownership
Solutions (COS). ICR has completed over
50 residential and commercial projects
since opening its doors in August 2002.
Because ICR hires a number of employees who have The challenges that the managers at ICR face in
few skills and little job experience, managers must teach running a successful organization and getting people
the employees how to perform the role of employee. to work well together illustrate several concepts you
Managers must also teach employees about teamwork will find as you study the field of organizational behav-
and leadership while working side by side with them on iour. Let’s take a look, then, at what organizational
construction projects. Can a company like ICR survive as behaviour is.
well as a company not as committed to social values?
DEFINING ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR 1 What is organizational
Organizational behaviour (often abbreviated as OB) is a field of study that investi- behaviour?
gates how individuals, groups, and structure affect and are affected by behaviour within
organizations. Behaviour refers to what people do in the organization, how they per- organizational behaviour A field
of study that investigates the impact
form, and what their attitudes are. Because the organizations studied are often business
of individuals, groups, and structure
organizations, OB is frequently applied to address workplace issues such as absenteeism, on behaviour within organizations;
turnover, productivity, motivation, working in groups, and job satisfaction. Managers the aim is to apply such knowledge
often apply the knowledge gained from OB research to help them manage their organ- toward improving organizational
izations more effectively. effectiveness.
OB IS FOR EVERYONE
Why do some people do well Do you know what a Does job satisfaction really Are you ready to assume
in organizational settings “typical” organization make a difference? more responsibility at
while others have difficulty? looks like? work?
What people-related Why should you care about
challenges have you understanding other
noticed in the workplace? people?
3
,4 Part 1 Understanding the Workplace
OB Is for Everyone
It may seem natural to think that the study of OB is for lead-
* Why do some
people do well in
ers and managers of organizations. After all, they often set
the agenda for everyone else. However, OB is for everyone.
organizational For instance, many employees have informal leadership
settings while others roles. They are often expected to move beyond simply pro-
have difficulty? viding labour to playing a more proactive role in achieving
organizational success. As well, managers are increasingly
Inner City Renovation asking employees to share in their decision-making processes rather than simply follow
www.mts.net/~icri/ orders. For instance, employees in some retail stores can make decisions about when to
accept returned items on their own, without involving the manager. Thus, in many
organizations, the roles of managers and employees have become blurred.2
OB is not just for managers and employees. Entrepreneurs and self-employed indi-
viduals may not act as managers, but they certainly interact with other individuals and
organizations as part of their work. In fact, much of OB is relevant beyond the workplace.
OB applies equally well to all situations in which you interact with others. In fact, OB
is relevant anywhere that people come together and share experiences, work on goals,
or meet to solve problems. The study of OB can shed light on the interactions among
family members, the voluntary group that comes together to do something about
reviving the downtown area, students working as a team on a class project, the parents
What is organizational behaviour?
It’s a field of study that focuses on
three levels of behaviour in organ-
izations. One level is the individ-
ual, such as the Wal-Mart greeter
handing out smiley balloons.
Another level is the group, such
as the three employees of Praxair,
a distributor of bottled industrial
gases, who meet to discuss their
work. The third level is structure,
which is depicted here by
employees working in cubicles at
Bloomberg, a financial media
company.
, Chapter 1 What Is Organizational Behaviour? 5
who sit on the board of their child’s daycare centre, or even the members of a lunchtime
pickup basketball team. Throughout the textbook, a feature called OB in the Street will
help you understand these broader connections.
What Do We Mean by Organization?
An organization is a consciously coordinated social unit, made up of a group of people, organization A consciously
who work together on common goals on a relatively continuous basis. Manufacturing and coordinated social unit, made up of a
service firms are organizations, and so are schools, hospitals, churches, military units, group of people, that functions on a
relatively continuous basis to achieve
retail stores, police departments, volunteer organizations, start-ups, and local, provin-
common goals.
cial, and federal government agencies. Inner City Renovation, which we discussed in the
opening vignette, is a for-profit organization, but its partners are nonprofit organiza-
tions. Thus, when we say “organization” throughout this textbook, we are referring not
only to large manufacturing firms but also to small mom-and-pop stores, as well as to the
variety of other forms of organization that exist. Small businesses make up a significant
part of the economy.3 Businesses that employ no more than 20 people are responsible for
about one-quarter of all Canadian jobs. Small businesses employing 50 or fewer people
make up 24 percent of Canada’s gross national product. Microbusinesses (companies
with 5 or fewer employees managed by an owner/operator, often as sole proprietor-
ships) account for about 8 percent of the employment in this country.
The examples in this textbook present various organi-
zations so that you gain a better understanding of the
* Do you know
what a “typical”
many types that exist. Though you might not have con-
sidered this before, the college or university you attend is
organization looks every bit as much a “real” organization as is Hudson’s Bay
like? Company or Air Canada or the Toronto Raptors. A small,
for-profit organization that hires people with limited skills
to renovate and build in the inner city of Winnipeg is as
much a real organization as is London, Ontario-based EllisDon, one of North America’s
largest construction companies. Therefore, the theories we cover should be considered
in light of the variety of organizations you may encounter. We try to point out instances
where the theory may be less applicable (or especially applicable) to a particular type of
organization. For the most part, however, you should expect that the discussions in this
textbook apply across the broad spectrum of organizations. Throughout, we highlight
applications to a variety of organizations in our feature OB in the Workplace.
OB: MAKING SENSE OF BEHAVIOUR IN
ORGANIZATIONS
The managers at Inner City Renovation (ICR) quickly noticed that some of their employees had
special challenges, such as their unemployment rates, their inconsistent job records, and their
low education levels.4 Managers interviewed employees about their career interests and their
needs for skill development. In addition, employees have had one-on-one meetings with the ICR
president and the employee support worker. Interviews and meetings are ways to collect data
about employee behaviour. While ICR managers are not researchers, they understand the need
for doing some research on their employees. How is OB research carried out, and in what sit-
uations does it apply?
We have thus far considered why OB can be applied in a variety of settings. In this next 2 Isn’t organizational
section, we consider the other fields of study that have contributed to OB and discuss the behaviour common
fact that OB is a scientific discipline, with careful research that is conducted to test and sense? Or just like
evaluate theories. psychology?
CHAPTER 1
What Is
Organizational
Behaviour?
An organization decides it will hire people
with few skills and job experience. What
challenges might its managers face?
1 What is organizational behaviour?
Isn’t organizational behaviour common sense?
2 Or just like psychology?
How does knowing about organizational
3 behaviour make work and life more
understandable?
4 What challenges do managers and employees
face in the workplace of the twenty-first century?
,W
innipeg-based Inner City
Renovation (ICR) does renova-
tion and construction work on
rundown inner city residential and com-
mercial buildings, with the aim of revital-
izing the area.1 As part of its mission, the
company employs and trains low-income
residents of the inner city. ICR is a for-
profit company that was created by five
not-for-profit joint venture partners: North
End Housing Project (NEHP), Winnipeg
Partners in Housing (WPH), Spence
Neighbourhood Association (SNA), West
Broadway Development Corporation
(WBDC), and Community Ownership
Solutions (COS). ICR has completed over
50 residential and commercial projects
since opening its doors in August 2002.
Because ICR hires a number of employees who have The challenges that the managers at ICR face in
few skills and little job experience, managers must teach running a successful organization and getting people
the employees how to perform the role of employee. to work well together illustrate several concepts you
Managers must also teach employees about teamwork will find as you study the field of organizational behav-
and leadership while working side by side with them on iour. Let’s take a look, then, at what organizational
construction projects. Can a company like ICR survive as behaviour is.
well as a company not as committed to social values?
DEFINING ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR 1 What is organizational
Organizational behaviour (often abbreviated as OB) is a field of study that investi- behaviour?
gates how individuals, groups, and structure affect and are affected by behaviour within
organizations. Behaviour refers to what people do in the organization, how they per- organizational behaviour A field
of study that investigates the impact
form, and what their attitudes are. Because the organizations studied are often business
of individuals, groups, and structure
organizations, OB is frequently applied to address workplace issues such as absenteeism, on behaviour within organizations;
turnover, productivity, motivation, working in groups, and job satisfaction. Managers the aim is to apply such knowledge
often apply the knowledge gained from OB research to help them manage their organ- toward improving organizational
izations more effectively. effectiveness.
OB IS FOR EVERYONE
Why do some people do well Do you know what a Does job satisfaction really Are you ready to assume
in organizational settings “typical” organization make a difference? more responsibility at
while others have difficulty? looks like? work?
What people-related Why should you care about
challenges have you understanding other
noticed in the workplace? people?
3
,4 Part 1 Understanding the Workplace
OB Is for Everyone
It may seem natural to think that the study of OB is for lead-
* Why do some
people do well in
ers and managers of organizations. After all, they often set
the agenda for everyone else. However, OB is for everyone.
organizational For instance, many employees have informal leadership
settings while others roles. They are often expected to move beyond simply pro-
have difficulty? viding labour to playing a more proactive role in achieving
organizational success. As well, managers are increasingly
Inner City Renovation asking employees to share in their decision-making processes rather than simply follow
www.mts.net/~icri/ orders. For instance, employees in some retail stores can make decisions about when to
accept returned items on their own, without involving the manager. Thus, in many
organizations, the roles of managers and employees have become blurred.2
OB is not just for managers and employees. Entrepreneurs and self-employed indi-
viduals may not act as managers, but they certainly interact with other individuals and
organizations as part of their work. In fact, much of OB is relevant beyond the workplace.
OB applies equally well to all situations in which you interact with others. In fact, OB
is relevant anywhere that people come together and share experiences, work on goals,
or meet to solve problems. The study of OB can shed light on the interactions among
family members, the voluntary group that comes together to do something about
reviving the downtown area, students working as a team on a class project, the parents
What is organizational behaviour?
It’s a field of study that focuses on
three levels of behaviour in organ-
izations. One level is the individ-
ual, such as the Wal-Mart greeter
handing out smiley balloons.
Another level is the group, such
as the three employees of Praxair,
a distributor of bottled industrial
gases, who meet to discuss their
work. The third level is structure,
which is depicted here by
employees working in cubicles at
Bloomberg, a financial media
company.
, Chapter 1 What Is Organizational Behaviour? 5
who sit on the board of their child’s daycare centre, or even the members of a lunchtime
pickup basketball team. Throughout the textbook, a feature called OB in the Street will
help you understand these broader connections.
What Do We Mean by Organization?
An organization is a consciously coordinated social unit, made up of a group of people, organization A consciously
who work together on common goals on a relatively continuous basis. Manufacturing and coordinated social unit, made up of a
service firms are organizations, and so are schools, hospitals, churches, military units, group of people, that functions on a
relatively continuous basis to achieve
retail stores, police departments, volunteer organizations, start-ups, and local, provin-
common goals.
cial, and federal government agencies. Inner City Renovation, which we discussed in the
opening vignette, is a for-profit organization, but its partners are nonprofit organiza-
tions. Thus, when we say “organization” throughout this textbook, we are referring not
only to large manufacturing firms but also to small mom-and-pop stores, as well as to the
variety of other forms of organization that exist. Small businesses make up a significant
part of the economy.3 Businesses that employ no more than 20 people are responsible for
about one-quarter of all Canadian jobs. Small businesses employing 50 or fewer people
make up 24 percent of Canada’s gross national product. Microbusinesses (companies
with 5 or fewer employees managed by an owner/operator, often as sole proprietor-
ships) account for about 8 percent of the employment in this country.
The examples in this textbook present various organi-
zations so that you gain a better understanding of the
* Do you know
what a “typical”
many types that exist. Though you might not have con-
sidered this before, the college or university you attend is
organization looks every bit as much a “real” organization as is Hudson’s Bay
like? Company or Air Canada or the Toronto Raptors. A small,
for-profit organization that hires people with limited skills
to renovate and build in the inner city of Winnipeg is as
much a real organization as is London, Ontario-based EllisDon, one of North America’s
largest construction companies. Therefore, the theories we cover should be considered
in light of the variety of organizations you may encounter. We try to point out instances
where the theory may be less applicable (or especially applicable) to a particular type of
organization. For the most part, however, you should expect that the discussions in this
textbook apply across the broad spectrum of organizations. Throughout, we highlight
applications to a variety of organizations in our feature OB in the Workplace.
OB: MAKING SENSE OF BEHAVIOUR IN
ORGANIZATIONS
The managers at Inner City Renovation (ICR) quickly noticed that some of their employees had
special challenges, such as their unemployment rates, their inconsistent job records, and their
low education levels.4 Managers interviewed employees about their career interests and their
needs for skill development. In addition, employees have had one-on-one meetings with the ICR
president and the employee support worker. Interviews and meetings are ways to collect data
about employee behaviour. While ICR managers are not researchers, they understand the need
for doing some research on their employees. How is OB research carried out, and in what sit-
uations does it apply?
We have thus far considered why OB can be applied in a variety of settings. In this next 2 Isn’t organizational
section, we consider the other fields of study that have contributed to OB and discuss the behaviour common
fact that OB is a scientific discipline, with careful research that is conducted to test and sense? Or just like
evaluate theories. psychology?
