So you may ask, "What is organizational behavior"? According to Shermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn (2003), "organizational behavior-OB for short-is the study of individuals and groups in organizations." Sounds simple enough, but this study is divided into numerous subdivisions. Among these subdivisions include: organizational culture, diversity, communication, organizational effectiveness and efficiency, and organizational learning. I will provide brief definitions for each of these terms as well as real-life examples that can be related to them.
             The primary concern of OB is with people, what they do and how their behavior affects individual, group and organizational performance. The goal is to improve organizational effectiveness. "Learning about OB will help you develop a better work-related understanding of yourself and other people," as stated by Shermerhorn et al. (2003). In these times the corporate world is changing from day to day. To be successful, one must stay current with how an organization functions productively and socially. The drastic changes that have been occurring in recent decades within organizations are displayed in the following text: Progressive workplaces today look and act very differently from those of the past. They have new features, they approach work processes in new ways, and they serve different customer and client markets. The last decade of the twentieth century was especially dramatic in both the nature and pace of change. One observer called it a "revolution that feels something like this: scary, guilty, painful, liberating, disorienting, exhilarating, empowering, frustrating, fulfilling, confusing, and challenging.(Shermerhorn et al.,2003)
             "Organizational or corporate culture is the system of shared actions, values, and benefits that develops within an organization and guides the behavior of its members"(Schermerhorn, ch. 13, p.2) People usually think of culture when referring to different ethnic ...