Cite this article as:"Organizational Behavior," in The Business Professor, updated July 6, 2020, last accessed October 22, 2020, https://thebusinessprofessor.com/lesson/organizational-behavior/.
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What is Organizational Behavior?
Organizational behavior (OB) is a field of management and psychology concerning how individuals and groups behave within organizations.
The study of organizational behavior also draws from diverse academic fields, such as sociology, economics, and political science.
Managers study organizational behavior in hopes of understanding employee attitudes and the connections between attitudes, behavior, and performance.
What are the Methods of Organizational Behavior Research?
Researchers of Organizational Behavior employ the scientific method to test hypotheses concerning organizational, group, or employee behavior.
They test these hypotheses through various methods, including:
- Meta-Analysis – The research does extensive research, summary, and comparison of existing research on the given topic. This approach organizes, summarizes, and interrelates the extant research.
- Surveys – Open and Close-end questions answered by test subjects.
- Scientific Studies – Dividing test subjects into a control and experimental group. The test group is given a particular stimulus – the control group is not. The researcher measures the response of the test group to the stimulus against the control group’s response. These studies can take place within the laboratory or in the field.