ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

We are all aware that the world we are living in today is

unpredictable, changing, dizzying, globalized, characterized by a plot of
complexities, changes, and uncertainties.
We are also living in asocietycomposed oforganizationsand, in these
organizations, all the activities that are implemented whether they are oriented towards
theproductionofgoodsor the provision ofservicesthey must necessarily be
planned, organized, directed, and evaluated.
On the other hand, these organizations, due to the characteristics of the current world and because they are
composed of people as the main element within astructureno son
static, on the contrary, are dynamic par excellence in which a series of
interactions.
To thisdynamicinherent to organizations we could callbehavior
[Link],behaviororganizational is a field of study in the
that investigates the impact that individuals,groupsystructuresthey have in
thebehaviorwithin organizations, with the purpose of applying this knowledge
in the improvement of theeffectivenessof such organizations.

Organizations are analyzed as a set of formal and informal elements,

built from human interaction. To understand its complexity, it is
it is necessary to understand how this interaction occurs. Following this line of analysis,
We will address the field of organizational behavior. We will start by providing
definitions from various authors, to then delve into their objectives and theories
what has developed.

For Chiavenato Idalberto:

Organizational Behavior depicts the continuous interaction and mutual influence.

among people and organizations. It is an academic discipline that emerged as a
interdisciplinary set of knowledge to study human behavior in
the organizations.
 For his part, Robbins expresses:
It is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups and
the structures on behavior within organizations, with the purpose of
apply such knowledge to improve the effectiveness of the organization

Gibson, Ivancevich, Donnelly and Konopaske say:

Field of study based on the theory, methods, and principles of various
disciplines to learn about perceptions, values, abilities of
learning of individuals while working in groups and within the organization and
to analyze the effect of the organizational environment and its human resources, missions,
objectives and strategies.

Gordon Judithen in his book 'Organizational Behavior (1999)' says:

They are the acts and attitudes of people in organizations. Behavior
organizational is the body of knowledge derived from the study of such acts and
attitudes. Their roots are in the disciplines of the social sciences, namely: Psychology,
sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science

We can say then that organizational behavior is the study and the
application of knowledge about how people behave
individually and collectively in organizations. Additionally, it tries to identify ways in
that individuals can act more effectively.

Objectives of organizational behavior

1. Systematically describe the behavior of people in response to different
situations. Achieving this goal allows managers to communicate with
a common language regarding human behavior at work.

2. Understand. It is to understand why people behave in a certain way. It

It can thus achieve explanations and improve methods.

3. Predict. As a result of the two previous objectives, there will be the ability to see what it is
what will happen in the future with employee behavior. The
entrepreneurs, administrators, and managers must acquire the ability to predict which
employees are qualified, productive, and dedicated in their work, and which ones
they are characterized by delays, absenteeism or negative behaviors in the workplace, with the
purpose of finding preventive solutions.

[Link] the activities, even if partially, of individuals within the work

to develop the outlined objectives and achieve the goals. It is also necessary to control the
teamwork, coordination of efforts, and productivity.
 Organizational Behavior Theories

Various theories have been developed within this field of study. Each of them
It will be explained in detail separately to delve into its characteristics.

Classical Theory: arises from the need to find guidelines for management
complex organizations.
Theory of Scientific Management: it was the result of extra effort for a
greater efficiency in the perfection of work techniques and the creation of standards
able to judge the efficiency of the employee in order to increase productivity
within the organization.
Theory of Human Relations: emphasizes the importance of the individual and of the
social relationships in organizational life, and suggests strategies to improve them
organizations by increasing member satisfaction and to create
organizations that help individuals achieve their potential.
Systems Theory: for this approach, management must be based on
fundamentally in systems. "The system is a set of elements
interrelated with each other that constitute an 'organized whole', where the result is
greater than the sum of its parts.
Contingency Theory: it emphasizes that there is nothing absolute in the
Organizations: everything is relative and always depends on some factor.

Organizational behavior is based on the fact that organizations

social systems, therefore if you want to work in them or lead them, it is necessary
understand their functioning. Organizations must be thought of as a cut from the
organizational fields crossed by socio-historical and political dimensions,
economic and subjective, which will lead us to a view of the topic in its
multidimensionality and complexity. Societies must understand organizations and
use them in the best possible way, because they are necessary to achieve the benefits
of the progress of civilization. Human behavior within organizations
it is unpredictable due to its origin in needs and value systems that are very
rooted in the people who are part of those societies.

Organizational behavior helps entrepreneurs observe the

behavior of individuals in the organization and facilitates the understanding of the
complexity of interpersonal relationships in which people interact.
Key factors of organizational behavior

There is a set of forces that affect companies, the same that can
classified into four areas: people, structure, technology, and the environment in which it operates
business.

People: In a company, people are part of the internal social system, which
it is made up of individuals and both large and small groups. There are groups
informal o unofficial like thishow also formal y officials.
Human groups are dynamic as they form, change, and disintegrate; the
people are living beings, thinking and with feelings, who work in a company or
organization to achieve its objectives.

It should be remembered that companies and organizations exist to serve the

people, instead of people existing to serve organizations.
The workforce is currently very diverse, which means that workers have
a wide range of educational backgrounds, talents, and goals. Therefore, the
business owners must be prepared for situations where some people want
impose their own will and work style, forgetting their commitment to the company
and its objectives.

Structure: Define the formal relationship of the functions of people with the
organizations and company. Different job positions are required to carry out all
the activities of the company.

In a company, all individuals have to be related in a way

structured so that its work is coordinated effectively; if there is no structure
These relationships can cause serious problems of cooperation, negotiation, and decision-making.
of decisions.

Technology: Technology provides the resources that people work with and influences
the tasks they perform, with their help buildings are constructed, machines are designed,
work processes are created, etc.

Technology also significantly affects labor relations, being thus

that workers in a brick factory do not relate in the same way as
the ones from a restaurant.

The great benefit of technology is to allow people to work more and better.
In a way, although it restricts them in various ways, it has both costs and benefits.

Environment: All companies operate within the context of an internal environment and another
external. No company exists in isolation; it is part of a larger system that encompasses
many other elements, such as the government, families, and other companies.

No company can escape the influence of its external environment. This affects the
attitudes of people and working conditions, in addition to generating competition
for resources and power. It is something that must be considered in the study of
human behavior in organizations.

Variables of Organizational Behavior

For the study of CO, the specialized literature and some authors including Robbins
(2004:23) and Chiavenato (2009:11) agree in recommending the following basic model,
which addresses three levels of analysis: individual, which consists of understanding and
direction of individual behavior. Group addresses the understanding and direction of
social groups and processes and the organizational lies in the understanding and direction of
organizational processes and problems. Figure 1.1.

These three levels of analysis range from a micro perspective to a perspective

macro, under the consideration of the organization as an open system, that is, embedded in
An external media all this leads us to the understanding of how they act to understand the
organizational behavior.

As we move from the individual level to the group level and from there to the organizational systems,
The behavior in organizations is systematically observed. The three
Basic levels are analogous to building blocks; each one is built upon
the previous one and each level is a consequence of the previous one. Firstly, individuals with
its own characteristics, then the group, and finally we will reach the system level.
organizational where the previous levels will unite as a unique system.
It is an extremely useful tool in thebehavioral studies
organizational, the great virtue of this model lies in the fact that as it is achieved
interrelate the set of variables at each level it is certain that
the manifestation of these in human results, which is what it all pursues
organization whether it is public or private.

Some more relevant aspects of these levels:

Individual level

Throughout history, people have been viewed from different perspectives in

especially the concepts related to the way they act or perform within the
organizations. In the CO it is based on performance-oriented approaches within
organizations, according to behavior as a result of a conscious process
individual's mental.

According to Chiavenato (2009:186), the behavior of people presents a series of

characteristics, which do not depend solely on individual characteristics, also
organizations influence, having the following basic principles:

1. Man has a limited capacity for response, but at the same time they differ from one another.
from others: responsiveness is given by the function of abilities
(innate) and learning (acquisition). However, human capacity is a
continuing. At one end, the behaviors that hardly respond to
training or experience example reaction time and on the other those who
if they respond to training or experience as skills.
2. People have different needs and try to meet them. Man
is oriented towards activity, that is, the behavior of the
people are oriented towards achieving their aspirations and satisfying their
needs. Each individual may have more than one priority need at
same time.
3. The man perceives and evaluates: the experiences of the environment accumulated by the
men serve as data to evaluate and select those that best fit
their values and needs. The expectancy theory states that people
act based on their perception of reality, which allows them to understand what
what they can do and achieve.
4. El hombre social: para que las personas se desarrollen, es necesario que exista
an interaction with other individuals, groups, or organizations, for the purpose of
maintain their identity and psychological well-being.
5. People think about the future and choose their behavior. The individual has
diverse needs: human beings have a series of needs
in different situations, which can influence behavior
people, as they can serve as a motivating factor.
6. People react emotionally: They are not neutral towards what
they perceive or experience. This evaluative response influences their behavior.
They evaluate what they like or dislike, define the importance of actions and their
results.
7. Man thinks and chooses: human behavior can be analyzed according to the
plans that are chosen, developing and executing the fight with the stimuli,
those who face challenges to achieve personal goals.
In relation to these characteristics of human behavior, the concept of seeing is born.
the man as a complex model. His orientation is clearly psychological. Not only
it is considered complex in relation to its nature, its characteristics, its multiples
needs and their potentialities, but is uniquely different from their
similar in their own structure and their own complexity.

Group Level

The concept of a group varies depending on the perspective used. For Chiavenato
(2009:272) "A group is formed by two or more people who interact with each other, from
So the behavior and performance of one is linked to what the other does.
..."It is a group of people who communicate frequently during a certain
time"... "The number of members is small enough for each person
can communicate with others face to face.. The previously mentioned concepts do not
son limitantes unos a otros sino por el contrario se complementan dando una definición
adjusted to what is required in this research.

One of the characteristic notes of organizations is the variety of groups that

they coexist within it, whose composition, functions, and other properties differ
notably. Different criteria can be considered to establish a
classification of them. Chiavenato (2009:273) indicates that they can be formal and
informal.

Formal: They are those defined by theorganizational structure, with some

job assignments designed to establish tasks. In these groups, the
behaviors that one should commit to are stipulated by and
aimed at organizational goals. Within these formal groups there
they find:
oCommand Group: It is determined by the formal relationships of authority and
defined by theorganizational chart. It is composed of subordinates who report
directly to a given manager.
oTask Groups: They are determined by the organization, representing
those workers assigned to a specific job task or
functions. However, the boundaries of the task group are limited to its
immediate superior in the hierarchy. Can cross command relationships. For
example, executives of an insurance company, human resources of a company,
maintenance and other employees, who at the time of a fire or other
the mishap would constitute a task force.
oTemporary or created 'ad hoc' groups: they are conceived to carry out tasks,
transitory projects or activities. The group has a duration
limited, dissolving once its function is complete or its objective is achieved.
It may be a research and development group, a committee of
study, an advisory committee, etc.
Informal: In contrast to formal groups, informal groups are alliances
that are not formally structured or determined by the
organization. These are natural formations in the work environment that
they appear in response to the needs of a social contact, among these
we can find:
o Interest Group: The people who may or may not be aligned with groups of
a common or task force could affiliate to achieve a specific objective with
 anyone interested. This is a group of interest. The employees who are
they come together to change their vacation schedules, to support a colleague
who has been fired or to seek better working conditions
they represent the formation of a union to promote their common interest.
oFriendship Groups: groups often develop because
individual members have one or more characteristics in common.
We call these formations friendship groups. The social alliances, the
which frequently extend outside the work situation, can
to base or not on similar age or on ethnic heritage, hobbies, preferences
policies and others.

The behavior of a group

Every human group is conceived as a social system, constituted by activities,

interactions and the feelings that arise among the members of the group. The systems
socials have two components:

The external system, constituted by activities, interactions and the

required feelings, as well as the given feelings, and by the relationship
existing between these elements.
The internal system, made up of activities, interactions and the
feelings that emerge spontaneously among group members from
of what is required and of what is given.

Consequently, these systems explain the relationship between the external system, which is the
what establishes and sets the direction and the internal system that is what emerges
spontaneously, all this in order to explain the social processes closest to
the organizations.

Organizational Level

An Organization is a group of people who act together and divide the

activities appropriately aimed at achieving a common purpose... depend on
the activities and the collective efforts of many people who collaborate in
its functioning. Human resources are made up of individuals and
groups". Chiavenato (2009:24). The study of CO must begin with Organizations,
well, behavior develops in it. These groups function as
open systems, as it is constantly interacting with its environment." Chiavenato
(2009:25).

Reciprocal relationships in Organizations

Among the stakeholders of the organization are: directors, managers,
employees, workers, unions, among others, and the organization has a strong relationship with
reciprocity, that is, the organization expects that stakeholders will do
contributions and grants them incentives, rewards to contribute more. On the other hand
stakeholders make contributions and in return they expect to receive incentives and
rewards. “Each party makes decisions about whether to continue with its
investments…. This process is important for understanding the exchanges that occur
inside and outside of the organization.” Chiavenato (2009:28). These exchange relationships
are shown in figure 1.2.

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