A Theory Of Behavior In Organizations

A Theory of Behavior in Organizations develops a theory for organizational behavior, or, more accurately, a theory of individual behavior within organizations of behavior. The book begins by discussing a series of general issues involved in the theory of behavior in organizations. It then describes the theory itself in three stages: first, the general structure of the theory; second, definition of the key variables; and third, the interrelationships between the variables. Subsequent chapters show how the theory deals specifically with such issues as roles, decision making, and motivation. The theory presented is a cognitive theory of behavior. It assumes that man is rational (or at least nonrandom) for the most part, and that as a systematic or nonrandom generator of behavior, man's actions are explained best in terms of conscious, thinking acts on the part of the individual. The theory deals with why the individual chooses certain alternative courses of action in preference to others, and thus it might properly be called a theory of choice behavior. Whereas the emphasis is on the cognitive aspects of behavior, considerable attention has been devoted to external, noncognitive variables in the system that play meaningful roles in the determination of individual behavior.

This unique work bridges the gap between theory and practice in organizational behavior. It provides a practical guide to real-life applications of the 35 most significant theories in the field. The author describes each theory, and then analyzes its usefulness and importance to the successful practice of management. His analysis covers key managerial topics such as goal setting, training and development, assessment, job enrichment, influence processes, decision-making, group processes, organizational development, organizational structuring, and effective organizational operation.

Organizational Behavior: Theory and Practice covers the concepts of organizational behavior. The book discusses the foundations of modern organizational behavior and the individual or group behavior in organizations. The text then describes organizational structure and the ways in which individuals, groups, and the structure all come together in an organizational setting. In this part of the book, major consideration is given to basic factors in organizational design, contingency factors in organizational design, and job design. The organizational processes used in bringing together the individual, the group, and the structure are also considered. The book further tackles the ways in which organizations deal with behavioral problems, such as conflict and the fears that often accompany change. Behavioral psychologists and students taking behavioral courses in management will find the text useful.

This comprehensive text provides a detailed review and analysis of the building-block theories in the macro-organizational behavior field. John Miner has identified the key theories that any student or scholar needs to understand to be considered literate in the discipline. Each chapter includes the background of the theorist represented, the context in which the theory arose, the initial and subsequent theoretical statements, research on the theory by the theory's author and others (including meta-analysis and reviews), and practical applications. Special features, including boxed summaries of each theory at the beginning of each chapter; two introductory chapters on the scientific method and the development of knowledge; and detailed, comprehensive references, help make this text especially useful for every student and scholar in the field.

For many years, scholars aligned with mainstream research paradigms that make up organizational behavior (OB) have been leaning toward the more positive depiction of organizational reality. To better understand people's behavior in the workplace, they must also explore misbehavior. Organizational Misbehavior (OMB) is a term that was coined by Yaov Vardi about 10 years ago when he found out there were no models for how to predict "misconduct" at work. Thus, the purpose of this book is to delineate a new agenda for organizational behavior theory and research. Devoted to the study and management of misbehavior in work organizations, this volume is divided into three parts. Part I discusses the prevalence of these phenomena. It searches for typologies and definitions for misbehavior in the management literature using a historical perspective and proposes a general framework of OMB. Part II explores some important manifestations and antecedents of OMB at different levels of analysis--the person, the job, and the organization. Finally, Part III presents practical and methodological implications for managers and researchers. The authors offer a comprehensive and systematically developed framework for the development and management of misbehavior in organizations. The book is intended for students, scholars, and practitioners who manage OB.

This text builds a solid foundation in organizational behavior concepts needed to understand individual and group behavior in organizations. The focus is on developing effective leadership behavior beginning with discovery of your own preferences in terms of your behavioral choices, your preferred behavior in groups, and your behavioral preference for certain organizational structures. A blend of current theory, practical applications, self-assessment exercises, and case studies help explain and apply concepts in an experiential manner. Book jacket.

A less-expensive grayscale paperback version is available. Search for ISBN 9781680922875. The field of management and organizational behavior exists today in a constant state of evolution and change. Casual readers of publications like the New York Times, The Economist and the Wall Street Journal will learn about the dynamic nature of organizations in today's ever-changing business environment. Organizational Behavior is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of the introductory course on Organizational Behavior. This is a traditional approach to organizational behavior. The table of contents of this book was designed to address two main themes. What are the variables that affect how, when, where, and why managers perform their jobs? What theories and techniques are used by successful managers at a variety of organizational levels to achieve and exceed objectives effectively and efficiently throughout their careers? Management is a broad business discipline, and the Organizational Behavior course covers many areas such as individual and group behavior at work, as well as organizational processes such as communication in the workplace and managing conflict and negotiation. No one individual can be an expert in all areas of management, so an additional benefit of this text is that specialists in a variety of areas have authored individual chapters. Finally, we all made an effort to present a balanced approach to gender and diversity throughout the text in the examples used, the photographs selected, and the use of both male and female in alternating chapters when referring to generic managers or employees.