Organizational Behavior (OB) A field of study that investigates the impact

that individuals, groups, and structure have on behavior within organizations,

for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organization’s
effectiveness.

1. Systematic study:
This means studying behavior using scientific methods – looking at
causes and effects, collecting data, and drawing logical conclusions.
Example: Instead of guessing why employees are unhappy, a company
surveys them and analyzes the results.
2. Evidence-Based Management (EBM):
Managers should make decisions using the best available evidence, just
like doctors use research before treating patients.
Example: Before introducing a new work policy, managers should check
studies on how it affects employee motivation.
3. Intuition vs. Evidence: Intuition (gut feeling) is not always wrong, but it
should not be the only guide. Evidence makes intuition stronger and more
reliable.
Example: A manager may “feel” employees are satisfied, but a survey
might reveal many are unhappy.

Behavior is not random—it can be studied and predicted. Managers should not
depend only on gut feelings or fads but should use systematic study and
evidence-based management to make better decisions and improve
organizational behavior.
Psychology
Psychology studies how people think, feel, and behave. In OB, psychologists
study learning, personality, emotions, motivation, leadership, stress, job
satisfaction, decision-making, and work design. Early psychologists focused on
fatigue, boredom, and work conditions that affected productivity.
Social Psychology

Social psychology is a mix of psychology and sociology. It studies how people

influence each other. A key focus is change—how to bring it in and overcome
resistance. Social psychologists also help in understanding and improving
attitudes, communication, trust, group behavior, power, and conflicts.
Sociology

Sociology studies how people behave in groups and within their culture. In OB,
sociologists have helped us understand group behavior, organizational culture,
and how organizations are structured. They also study communication, power,
conflict, and technology in organizations.

Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures. Anthropologists help

us understand how values, attitudes, and behaviors differ across countries and
organizations. Their work is important for studying organizational culture,
environments, and differences among national cultures.

CHAPTER 02 DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATION

Levels of Diversity
Surface-level diversity
These are differences we can see easily like age, gender, race, religion, ethnicity,
or disability.
Example: A young male graduate and an older female employee look different
because of their age, gender, and background.
These differences may cause stereotypes in the beginning, but they don’t tell us
how the person thinks or feels.
Deep-level diversity
These are differences in values, personality, attitudes, and work styles that
become important once people get to know each other.
Example: Two people from very different backgrounds may realize they both care
about family, teamwork, and problem-solving. This helps them bond despite
surface differences.

Discrimination
What it means:
• Noticing differences is normal (e.g., one employee is more skilled than
another).
 • Unfair discrimination happens when we judge people based only on
stereotypes about their group instead of individual ability.
• Example: Assuming all older workers are slow, or all women are
bad at leadership.

TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION IN ORGANIZATIONS

[Link] policies or practices
Rules or decisions that give unequal opportunities.
Example: Laying off older workers just because they are highly paid.
[Link] harassment
Unwanted sexual comments, actions, or behaviors that make the workplace
uncomfortable.
Example: Making offensive jokes or comments about someone’s body or
appearance at work.
[Link]
Threats, bullying, or scaring people because of their group.
Example: African American workers finding nooses at their desks.
[Link] and insults
Jokes or negative stereotypes about someone’s background.
Example: Asking Arab-American workers if they are terrorists.
[Link]
Leaving certain people out of opportunities, discussions, or mentoring.
Example: Women in finance being given small, unimportant tasks that block
promotions.
[Link]
Being rude, disrespectful, or ignoring others.
Example: Male lawyers cutting off female lawyers during meetings.
BIOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Personal characteristics—such as age, gender, race, and length of tenure—that
are objective and easily obtained from personnel records. These characteristics
are representative of surface-level diversity.

Biological Characteristics in Organizational Behavior

These are personal traits people are born with or have naturally. Some of the main
biological characteristics are:
Age:
Age plays an important role in organizations. Younger employees are often seen
as energetic and open to new technology, while older employees are considered
more experienced and dependable. However, sometimes older workers face age
discrimination when companies prefer younger staff for promotions or new roles.
Gender:
Gender differences also affect workplace behavior. Although men and women can
perform equally well, women are often underrepresented in leadership positions
and may face pay gaps or stereotypes. This unfair treatment can limit
opportunities and create inequality in organizations.
Disability:
A physical or mental condition may limit activities, but with support like
accessibility and flexibility, disabled employees can perform equally.
Discrimination occurs when they are unfairly seen as less capable.
Religion:
Religion shapes values and practices; respecting needs like prayer time or
holidays promotes inclusion, while ignoring them can cause conflict.
ABILITY
An individual’s capacity to perform the various tasks in a job.
INTELLECTUAL ABILITIES
The capacity to do mental activities—thinking, reasoning, and problem solving.
PHYSICAL ABILITIES
The capacity to do tasks that demand stamina, dexterity, strength, and similar
characteristics.

TYPES OF ABILITIES
[Link] Aptitude
→ Ability to do quick and accurate calculations.
Example: An accountant calculating sales tax on items.
[Link] Comprehension
→ Ability to understand written or spoken words and how they relate to each
other.
Example: A plant manager following company hiring policies.
[Link] Speed
→ Ability to notice similarities and differences in things quickly.
Example: A fire investigator spotting clues for arson.
[Link] Reasoning
→ Ability to see a pattern or logical order in something and solve it.
Example: A market researcher predicting demand for a product.
[Link] Reasoning
→ Ability to apply logic and judge the results of an argument.
Example: A supervisor choosing between employee suggestions.
[Link] Visualization
→ Ability to imagine how something would look if its position or shape was
changed.
Example: An interior decorator rearranging furniture in a room.
[Link]
→ Ability to remember past experiences or information.
Example: A salesperson recalling customer names.
CHAPTER 03 ATTITUDES AND JOB SATISFACTION
ATTITUDES: Evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects,
people, or events.
In Organizational Behaviour (OB), attitude is usually explained through its three
main components (called the ABC Model of Attitude):
Affective Component (Feelings)
This is the emotional part of an attitude — how a person feels about something.
Example: “I enjoy working in my team.” (positive feeling) or “I hate long
meetings.” (negative feeling).
Behavioural Component (Actions/Intentions)
This is how the attitude influences a person’s actions or intentions to act.
Example: “I plan to put extra effort into this project.” or “I avoid attending
unnecessary meetings.”
Cognitive Component (Beliefs/Thoughts)
This is what a person believes or thinks about an object, person, or situation.
Example: “I believe my manager is fair.” or “I think this policy is unfair.”
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE means a state of discomfort or tension a person
feels when their beliefs, attitudes, or values don’t match with their behavior.
When what we think or believe is different from what we do, we feel uneasy.
To reduce this discomfort, people usually try to change their attitude, belief, or
behavior so everything matches.
Example in daily life:
A student believes “cheating is wrong. “But during an exam, the student cheats.
Now, the student feels uncomfortable because their belief and action don’t match.
To reduce this tension, the student may say: “Everyone cheats a little, so it’s not
that bad.” (changing belief) or decide not to cheat again (changing behavior).
In Organizational Behavior: An employee may believe “my job is important”
but feels bored with repetitive tasks. This mismatch creates dissonance, and to
reduce it, the employee might:
Convince themselves the job still gives good benefits (adjusting attitude), or Look
for a new job (changing behaviour).

MAJOR JOB ATTITUDES

Job Satisfaction means How happy or unhappy a person feels with their job. If
someone likes their job, they feel positive about it (high job satisfaction).If
someone dislikes their job, they feel negative about it (low job satisfaction).
Example: A teacher who enjoys teaching and feels respected by students will
have high job satisfaction.
Job Involvement means How much a person mentally and emotionally connects
with their job. A highly involved person sees their job as a big part of who they
are.
Example: A doctor who feels proud of saving lives and sees their work as part of
their identity is highly involved in their job.
Psychological Empowerment means The belief that employees have control and
importance in their work.
It includes four things:
Influence → “I can make a difference at work.”
Competence → “I’m skilled and good at my job.”
Meaningfulness → “My job is important and valuable.”
Autonomy → “I can make some decisions on my own.”
Example: A manager lets nurses decide how to manage patients, making them
feel trusted, skilled, and important.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT
How much an employee feels loyal and connected to their organization, supports
its goals, and wants to stay a part of it.
Example: An employee who is proud of their company and doesn’t want to leave
shows strong organizational commitment.
PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT (POS)
How much employees believe their organization values their work and cares
about them.
Example: If an employee thinks, “My company will support me if I face a family
problem or forgive me for an honest mistake,” that’s high POS.
Why it matters: Employees with strong POS →
✓ Work harder
✓ Help others at work (organizational citizenship)
✓ Come late less often
✓ Give better customer service

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
How much employees are involved, satisfied, and enthusiastic about their work.
Highly engaged employees → love their work, feel connected, and give their
best.
Disengaged employees → just “show up” and do the minimum.
Research shows that Engaged employees are higher productive, better customer
satisfaction, fewer accidents, lower quitting rates.
Problem: Only about 17–29% of employees are highly engaged.
Debate: Some say “engagement” is just a broad buzzword. But recent studies
show it’s a separate concept from job satisfaction or job involvement.
1. How Do I Measure Job Satisfaction?
Job satisfaction can be measured by asking employees how they feel about their
job. Surveys, questionnaires, and interviews are common methods. These usually
ask about pay, promotion opportunities, work itself, coworkers, and supervision.
2. How Satisfied Are People in Their Jobs?
Most studies show that many people are fairly satisfied with their jobs, but not
completely happy. Satisfaction levels often depend on factors like job type,
culture, and personal expectations.
3. What Causes Job Satisfaction?
Job satisfaction is caused by many things, such as:
✓ Fair pay and rewards
✓ Good relationship with supervisors and coworkers
✓ Interesting and meaningful work
✓ Opportunities for growth and promotion
✓ Supportive and safe working environment
[Link] of Job Satisfaction
When employees are satisfied, they usually work better, stay longer, and show
positive behaviour. High satisfaction can lead to less turnover, lower absenteeism,
more productivity, and better teamwork. On the other hand, low satisfaction may
cause stress, quitting, or poor performance.
ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR (OCB):
It means the extra helpful actions employees do at work that are not part of their
official job duties but improve the organization such as Helping a coworker, being
polite, or volunteering for extra tasks.