LECTURE NO.

NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Organisational Behaviour – Nature:

A Separate Field of Study and Not a Discipline Only, An Interdisciplinary
Approach, An Applied Science and a Few Others
Organizational behaviour has emerged as a separate field of study.
The nature it has acquired is identified as follows:
1. A Separate Field of Study and Not a Discipline Only:
By definition, a discipline is an accepted science that is based on a theoretical
foundation. But, O.B. has a multi- interdisciplinary orientation and is, thus, not
based on a specific theoretical background. Therefore, it is better reasonable to call
O.B. a separate field of study rather than a discipline only.
2. An Interdisciplinary Approach:
Organizational behaviour is essentially an interdisciplinary approach to study
human behaviour at work. It tries to integrate the relevant knowledge drawn from
related disciplines like psychology, sociology and anthropology to make them
applicable for studying and analysing organizational behaviour.
3. An Applied Science:
The very nature of O.B. is applied. What O.B. basically does is the application of
various researches to solve the organizational problems related to human
behaviour. The basic line of difference between pure science and O.B. is that while
the former concentrates of fundamental researches, the latter concentrates on
applied researches. O.B. involves both applied research and its application in
organizational analysis. Hence, O.B. can be called both science as well as art.
4. A Normative Science:
Organizational Behaviour is a normative science also. While the positive science
discusses only cause effect relationship, O.B. prescribes how the findings of
applied researches can be applied to socially accepted organizational goals. Thus,
O.B. deals with what is accepted by individuals and society engaged in an
organization. Yes, it is not that O.B. is not normative at all. In fact, O.B. is
normative as well that is well underscored by the proliferation of management
theories.
5. A Humanistic and Optimistic Approach:
Organizational Behaviour applies humanistic approach towards people working in
the organization. It, deals with the thinking and feeling of human beings. O.B. is
based on the belief that people have an innate desire to be independent, creative
and productive. It also realizes that people working in the organization can and will
actualise these potentials if they are given proper conditions and environment.
Environment affects performance or workers working in an organization.
6 A Total System Approach:
The system approach is one that integrates all the variables, affecting
organizational functioning. The systems approach has been developed by the
behavioural scientists to analyse human behaviour in view of his/her socio-
psychological framework. Man’s socio- psychological framework makes man a
complex one and the systems approach tries to study his/her complexity and find
solution to it.

Organisational Behaviour – 6 Important Characteristics

According the Keith Davis, ‘Organisational behaviour is an academic discipline
concerned with understanding and describing human behaviour in an
organisational environment’. It seeks to shed light on the whole complex human
factor in organisations by identifying causes and effects of that behaviour.
Another definition provided by Joe Kelly states, ‘Organisational behaviour is the
systematic study of the nature of organisations, how they begin, grow, develop,
and their effect on individual members, constituent groups, other organisations and
larger institutions’.
Modern organisational behaviour is characterised by the acceptance of a human
resource model. It takes a more positive view of human beings. People are
accepted as they are and not prejudged using stereotypes.
Some of the important characteristics of organisational behaviour are
discussed as follows:
1. Organisational behaviour is a rational thinking, not an emotional feeling about
people. The major goals of organisational behaviour are to explain and predict
human behavioural in organisations. It is action-oriented and goal-directed.
2. Organisational behavioural seeks to balanced human and technical values at
work. It seeks to achieve productivity by building and maintaining employee’s
dignity, growth and satisfaction, rather than at the expense of these values.
3. Organisational behaviour integrates behavioural sciences. Many of its core
concepts are borrowed from others fields and discipline like social psychology,
sociology, and anthropology, etc.
4. Organisational behaviour is both a science and an art, the knowledge about
human behaviour in organisations leans towards being science. Modern
organisational behaviour is, at once, empirical, interpretative, and critical. It is an
interpretative science in the pursuit of knowledge and meaning.
The basic purpose is to make meaningful the facts of organisational life. Modern
OB is an optic perspective; a process for looking at events, a way of life. It has
empirical facts, and interesting interpretations and powerful paradigms.
However it is an inaccurate science to provide specific answers to specific
organisational problems. As such very little can be prescribed to consistently
predict relationships between a variable on broad scale. The skills in applying the
knowledge clearly lean towards being art.
5. Organisational behaviour exists at multiple like levels. Behaviour occurs at the
individual, the group, and the organisational systems levels. Behaviour that is
attributable to each of these levels can be both identified and isolated but at the
same time these three levels interact with each other and OB-being affected by the
behaviour of individuals, group level behaviour is affected by the organisational
level phenomena and so on.
6. Organisational behaviour does not exist in vacuum. Organisations are made up
of both social and technical components and therefore characterized as social-
technical systems. The operational implication of this is that any approach of
looking at behaviour must also take into account the technical component of
organisation especially such issues as the nature of work and the technology.
Organisations at the same time, must take into account the constructs of the
working environment, for example, the extent to which the market and the product
is changing.