Topic summary

Organizational behavior

Organizational behavior

Organizational behavior or organisational behaviour (see spelling differences) is the "study of human behavior in organizational settings, the interface between human behavior and the organization, and the organization itself". Organizational behavioral research can be categorized in at least three ways:

  • individuals in organizations (micro-level)
  • work groups (meso-level)
  • how organizations behave (macro-level)

Chester Barnard recognized that individuals behave differently when acting in their organizational roles than when acting independently of the organization. Organizational behavior researchers primarily study how individuals behave within these roles. One of the main goals of organizational behavior research is "to revitalize organizational theory and develop a better conceptual understanding of organizational life".