The Concept of Organizational Behavior

Evaluating the Statement

Evaluating the statement presented above means examining its efficacy in defining the concept of OB. Efficacy means how well the statement describes the OB and the extent to which the constructs are integrated. As mentioned earlier, OB is concerned with how people behave within an organization and how their behavior influences organizational performance (Foerster-Metz et al., 2018). A more comprehensive definition includes details such as the examination of the group and individual behavioral patterns and other complex interactive issues within the workplace. Additionally, OB also seeks to predict and control employee behaviors to maximize corporate success (Mullins & Christy, 2016). The statement, therefore, presents a comprehensive definition of the OB concept incorporating the key constructs: behaviors, organization, and performance.

Other frameworks tied to the term OB can be used to examine the efficacy of Mullins’ (2016) statement. For example, motivation used in the OB context as a predictor of performance entails changing actions, attitudes, and conducts to improve employee efficiency (Kanfer & Chen, 2016). As such, the control of behaviors to achieve corporate success is a key defining feature of OB. Additionally, the primary elements in OB are the people and their interactions within a structure provided by the company. The internal environment explains those conditions determining how the employees interact (Foerster-Metz et al., 2018). Therefore, the statement provides a true and concise explanation of what OB entails.

Theories of Management

The management theories are critical in examining OB considering that managerial practices determine employee behaviors and the corporate culture. There are three distinctive schools of thought under which the theories of management can be classified: classical, neo-classical, and modern theories. The classical theories are founded on scientific methods, bureaucratic structure, and administrative approaches to management practices. The neo-classical theories focus on human needs, behavioral aspects, relationships, and motivation. Lastly, the modern school of thought emphasizes that there is no fit method for all situations (Hussain et al., 2019). The five theories and their impacts on OB discussed here are scientific management theory, general administrative theory, contingency theory, systems theory, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory.

Scientific Management Theory

Scientific management is a classical theory proposed by philosophers such as Frederick Taylor. The theory posits that there should be a scientific way of managing people in an organization. It is based on a philosophy founded on four major principles. The first one is the establishment of true management science that determines the best approach to performing each task. Secondly, the selection of workers should be scientific so that each employee is tasked with responsibilities they are best suited to. Thirdly, the education and development of the staff are done scientifically. Lastly, intimate and friendly relations between the managers and laborers should be established (Paramboor et al., 2016). The last principle examined above has the most impact on OB. The managerial practices determine behaviors and interactions within the workplace. The rest of the principles in the theory pay little attention to relationships and interactions as their primary focus is efficiencies that can be achieved through scientific methods. Transactional dealings can be associated with such a theory considering that the company members will be interacting only when needed.

General Administrative Theory

The general administrative theory is also a classical theory developed by Henry Fayol who defined 14 principles of management. Described as the father of modern management, Fayol is among the theorists who believed that management is a dynamic process of performing organizational activities. The 14 principles are division of work, authority, discipline, unity of command, subordination of individual interests, unity of direction, degree of centralization, order, equity, remuneration, initiative, esprit de corps, scalar chain, and stability of tenure (Uzuegbu & Nnadozie, 2015). These principles explain how managers treat employees and how workers behave and interact within the company. As such, it can be argued that the adoption of the general administrative theory of management means defining the right behaviors to be instilled upon the staff. Rather than study them, the theory proposes a framework for developing those behaviors that maximize organizational productivity.

Contingency Theory

The contingency theory also focuses on the employee and managerial deeds in specific situations.