.png){kind=logo}
Chapter 1 – Introduction The aim of this chapter is to introduce you to the analytical framework that you will encounter throughout the textbook and the course as a whole. Course text As stated in the course information, this is not a typical organizational behaviour (OB) course, so it is important that you understand how and why it is different. The main point of difference is that each chapter comprises an overview of key contributions to the mainstream study of its topic, followed by a reappraisal of those contributions from a more critical perspective. What is organizational behaviour? OB draws upon a range of social scientific disciplines.  Sociology examines behaviour in relation to social, political, psychological and economic conditions that affect it, but in turn are reproduced or reproduced by it.  Psychology concentrates on how individuals think and behave.  Politics focuses on competitive struggles for political power andinfluence.  Economics examines how wealth is produced and distributed. Each discipline produces a distinctive way of understanding organizations and the behaviour of people in them. Most OB textbooks are dominated by a psychological perspective, which means that core OB topics have tended to focus on individual and group processes (motivation, leadership, teamwork, etc.). The textbook for this course incorporates the psychological view but draws more heavily on sociological and political perspectives than typical OB courses. This gives an appreciation of how seemingly ‘psychological’ factors are shaped by and embedded in social relations that stretch beyond organizational members and the boundaries attributed to organizations. For example, when considering a topic such as motivation, which draws heavily from psychology, we are also invited to consider the economic and political conditions of work that shape an individual’s motivation, as well as any relevant historical and cultural forces. A common reaction to introductory courses in OB is it’s all just ‘common sense’. For instance, it is
.png)