According to Stephen P. Robbins, "Organisational Behaviour (OB) is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups and structure have on behaviour within organisations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge towards improving an organisation's effectiveness". According to Aldag and Brief, " Organisational Behaviour (OB) is a branch of social science that seeks to build theories that can be applied to predict, understand and control behaviour in a work organization". According to Larry Cummings, "Organisational Behaviour (OB) is the systematic study of behaviour and attitudes of both individuals and groups within organisations.". Thus, OB is a total systems approach which takes into account the variables like people, structure and technology, affecting organisational functioning.
It's SIGNIFICANCE :
To get the productive work from employees, manager must know, how the people in the organizations behave. OB offers several ideas to management as to how human factor should be properly emphasised to achieve organizational objectives. Thus, the significance of OB is explained in three heads.
1. Understanding Human behaviour
2. Controlling and Directing Behaviour
3. Organizational Adaption
1. Understanding Human Behaviour:
Human factor is not merely an instrument in the organization but the very core of organisational existence. Managers must understand the behaviour pattern of the people. OB provides this opportunity by analysing human behaviour for understanding and prescribing means for shaping human behaviour to a particular direction.
OB provides a way for understanding human behaviour in the organization. For shaping human behaviour in definite direction for achieving certain predetermined objectives, managers must know how the people in organization behave. OB provides the basis for understanding human behaviour in all the directions in which human beings interact. A human behaviour is a complex phenomenon and is affected by a large number of factors i.e. psychological, social, cultural etc. OB studies individual behaviour in respect of these factors at four levels which are as follows.
1.1. Individual Level: Individual behaviour
1.2. Interpersonal Level: Behaviour with other people
1.3. Group Level: Group behaviour in a group
1.4. Intergroup Level: Interaction between two groups.
2. Controlling and Directing Behaviour:
Once the manager understands why a person is behaving in a particular manner, he should also know the technique of controlling his employees' behaviour so that the organisational goals can be achieved. For this purpose, OB helps managers to use any of these tools to control employees, which are as follows
2.1. Use of Power and Sanctions: Power is the capacity of an individual to take certain actions only under given authority. Sanctions are certain restrictions on the actions of employees which can be employed using power.
2.2. Leadership: It is the managerial trait inherent in the manager which can greatly influence the behaviour of employees. A manager can adopt different leadership styles keeping in view the kind of people, an organisation is having and the situations.
2.3. Communication: Managers spend considerable time in communicating with internal as well as external world. Communication is a tool by which any one can influence the behaviour of other person. It is through counselling and advice that various personal problems of employees can be sorted out.
2.4. Organisational Climate: A climate conductive to the growth and well being of people makes the organization more efficient. Climate does not mean only physiological conditions and facilities. A good organizational climate is made up of effective supervision, opportunity for realisation of personal goals, congenial relations with peers and subordinates at work place and a sense of our organisation. Such climate can make the employees behave confirming to organisational norms.
3. Organisational Adaption
An organisation never works in isolation. It will continually interact with environmental changes i.e. changing standards of living, way of thinking, technological changes etc. An organization has to adapt itself to such changes. A manager has to find out the need for changes, than he has to face resistance from employees to these changes.