1 study guide | | Key Questions and Answers | | What is organizational behavior and why is it important? | | • | Organizational behavior is the study of individuals and groups in organizations. | • | OB is an applied discipline based on scientific methods. | • | OB uses a contingency approach, recognizing that management practices must fit the situation. | • | Shifting paradigms of OB reflect a commitment to ethical behavior, the importance of human capital, an emphasis on teams, the growing influence of information technology, new workforce expectations, changing notions of careers, and concern for sustainability. | | | | What are organizations like as work settings? | | • | An organization is a collection of people working together in a division of labor for a common purpose. | • | Organizations are open systems that interact with their environments to obtain resources and transform them into outputs returned to the environment for consumption. | • | Key stakeholders in the external environments of organizations include customers, owners, suppliers, regulators, local communities, employees, and future generations. | • | The organizational culture is the internal “personality” of the organization, including the beliefs and values that are shared by members. | • | Positive organizational cultures place a high value on workforce diversity and multiculturalism, emphasizing respect and inclusiveness for all members. | | | | What is the nature of management and leadership in organizations? | | • | Managers directly support the work efforts of others; they are increasingly expected to act more like “coaches” and “facilitators” than like “bosses” and “controllers.” | • | An effective manager is successful at helping others, working individually and in teams, reach high levels of both performance and