Organizational BehaviorDr. Amjad Idries

Organizational Behavior (OB)• It is the study and application of knowledge about

how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations.

• It interprets people-organization relationships in terms of the whole person, whole group, whole organization and whole social system.

• Its purpose is to build better relationships by achieving human objectives, organizational objectives and social objectives.

Elements of OB• The organization's base rests on management's

philosophy, values, vision and goals.

• This in turn drives the organizational culture which is composed of the formal organization, informal organization and the social environment.

• The culture determines the type of leadership, communication, and group dynamics within the organization.

Models of OB• There are four major models or frameworks

that organizations operate out of, Autocratic, Custodial, Supportive, and Collegial (Cunningham, Eberle, 1990; Davis ,1967)

Autocratic

Custodial

Supportive

Collegial

Organizational culture

What is the culture?• Culture is the conventional behavior of a society

that encompasses beliefs, customs, knowledge, and practices.

• It influences human behavior, even though it seldom enters into their conscious thought.

• People depend on culture as it gives them stability, security, understanding and the ability to respond to a given situation.

Perspectives on culture:

• Managerial.

• Social.

Managerial perspective• It is functional perspective;

• Something objective and acquired;

• With clear set of values, norms and beliefs;

• Integrated single culture;

• Organizations could be classified based on that;

• Consensus is common;

Managerial perspective• Conflicts could be managed by better

communication;

• Culture could be managed and modified,

• Emphasized role of leaders/mangers to make

changes happened

Social perspective• Something subjective with symbolic and shared

things,

• Can’t be measured;

• Continuous process,

• Consider differentiation with many subcultures;

• Interests played important role;

Social perspective• Focus on understanding and study the interactions;

• Oppose groups naturally exits;

• Focus on power distribution;

• More dynamic influence of individuals;

• Reduction of variability of employee behavior

through control (bureaucratic or humanistic

control)

Types of culture• 1/ Power: central power, influence,

functionality and specialty small political

organizations, leaders’ role and power,

personal communication, central control,

web picture

Types of culture• 2/ Role: in bureaucracies, logic and

rationality, specialty, procedures and

rules, job description and hierarchies,

small group take the decisions, position

power, temple picture

Types of culture• 3/ Task: job or project oriented, strength

vary, powers and influences were

distributed, e.g. matrix organization,

right things together, expert power,

flexibility, net picture.

Types of culture• 4/ Person: individuals centered,

structure serve the individuals,

consensus about management system

and hierarchies, autonomy, personal

power for influence, cluster picture

What are the implications

of organization design on

the organizational culture?