1.

Over the past two decades, business schools have added required courses on
people skills to many curricula. Why have they done this?
A
B
C
D

managers no longer need technical skills in subjects such as

economics behaviour in the workplace
there is an increased emphasis in controlling employee behaviour the
the workplace
managers need to understand human behaviour if they are to be
effective
these skills enable managers to effectively lead human resources
departments

REASONS :

The study of organizational behavior relates to the expected

behavior of an individual in the organization. No two individuals are likely to
behave in the same manner in a particular work situation. It is the
predictability of a manager about the expected behavior of an individual.
There are no absolutes in human behavior. It is the human factor that is
contributory to the productivity hence thestudy of human behavior is
important.

2. Which of the following is most likely to be a belief held by a successful manager ?

A
B
C
D

Technical knowledge is all that is needed for success

It is not essential to have sound interpersonal skills
Technical skills are necessary, but insufficient alone for success
Effectiveness is not impacted by human behaviour

REASONS : Technical skill involves the ability ofemployees to know

the technical aspect and operation and maintenance of machine,
toolsand allied fixture they work with, so it is clearly not enough to
utilized this type of skill. In order to be a successful manager, we need
to know all the human skill, technical skill, conceptual skill, and
leadership all in one package.
3.Which of the following would not be considered an organization?
A

A University

A church

C
D

A Military Unit
All adults in a given community

REASONS : Organization is hierarchical in nature, with people at

each level having their own objectives, which contributes towards
fulfillment of overall organizational objectives. All adults in a given
community are not considered as an organization because they might
have different goals and structure.
4. Which of the following is best defined as a consciously coordinated social unit,
composed of two or more people, which functions on a relatively continuous basis to
achieve a common goal or set of goals?

A
B
C
D

Party
Unit
Team
Organization

REASONS :
-

A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for

the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation.
Unit is an individual thing or person regarded as single and
complete but which can also form an individual component of a
larger or more complex whole.
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common
purpose.

5. Which of a manager's primary roles requires the manager to define an organization's

goals, establish an overall strategy for achieveing these goals and develop a
comprehensive hierarchy of plans to integrate and coordinate activities?

A
B
C
D

Controlling

Planning
Staffing
Coordinating

REASONS :

Controlling is the part of management that helps to check the errors

and to take the corrective action so that deviation from standards
are minimized and stated goals of the organization are achieved in
a desired manner.
Staffing is the process of acquiring, deploying, and retaining a
workforce of sufficient quantity and quality to create positive
impacts on the organizations effectiveness.
Coordinating is is the act of organizing, making different people or
things work together for a goal or effect to fulfill desired goals in an
organization.

6. Determining how tasks are to be grouped is part of which management function?

A
B
C
D

Planning
Leading
Controlling
Organizing

REASONS :
-

Planning is the process of thinking about and organizing the

activities required to achieve a desired goal.
Leading is a continuous process of setting objectives and trying to
achieve them through the efforts of other people.
Controlling is the part of management that helps to check the errors
and to take the corrective action so that deviation from standards
are minimized and stated goals of the organization are achieved in
a desired manner.

7. Mitzberg concluded that managers perform 10 different, highly interrelated roles.

Which of the following is one of the broad categories into which these roles could be
grouped?

A
B
C
D

Interpersonal
Institutional
Decisional
Affective

ANSWER : C

REASONS : The 10 roles are then

Category

Role

divided up into three categories, as follows:

Interpersonal

Figurehead
Leader
Liaison
8. An OB study would be least likely to be used to focus on which of the following
problems?
Informational
Monitor
A. an increase in absenteeism
Disseminatorat a certain company
B. a fall in productivity
in one shift of a manufacturing plant
Spokesperson
C. a decrease in sales due to growing foreign competition
D. an increase in theft by employees at a retail store
Decisional
Entrepreneur
Disturbance Handler
Resource Allocator
REASONS : The study of OB
Negotiator
is related to individuals, group of
people working together in teams.
The study becomes more challenging when situational factors interact. The
study of organizational behavior relates to the expected behavior of an
individual in the organization. Meanwhile the sales problem and the market
competition is in the study of marketing.

9. _______ is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and
structure have on behaviour within organizations for the purposes of applying such
knowledge towards improving an organization's effectiveness.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Organizational Development
Human Resources Management
Organizational Behaviour
People Management

REASONS :
-

Organization development (OD) is a deliberately planned,

organization-wide effort to increase an organization's effectiveness
and/or efficiency.
Human Resource (HR) management deals withthe design of formal
systems in an organization to ensure the effective and efficientuse
of human talent to accomplish organizational goals.
People management study is not exist.

10.
Which of the following is a reason that the study of organizational behaviour is useful?
A.

C.
D.

Human behaviour is notHuman

randombehaviour does not vary a great
deal between individuals and situations
Human behaviour is not consistent
Human behaviour is rarely predictable

REASONS :

Firstorganizational behaviour is an investigative study of individuals

and groups, second, theimpact of organizational structure on human
behaviour and thethird, the application ofknowledge to achieve
organizational effectiveness. These factors are interactive in natureand
the impact of such behaviour is applied to various systems so that the
goals areachieved. The nature of study of organizational behaviour is
investigative to establishcause and effect relationship which means
that it is not a random study.

11. A manager wishes to know how members of her team will react to layoffs in other
departments. Which of the following is least useful in predicting her team's
behaviour?

A. Knowing what are the organizational goals of her team

B. Knowing what is important to each member of the team
C. Knowing how the team perceives layoffs
D. Knowing how the team has reacted to similar situations in the past

REASONS : The organizational goals are not represent the feelings,

behavior, and thoughts of the employees. The goals are originally set
out by the top management without having any discussion and paying
attention of the employees thoughts.

12. Organizational behaviour is constructed from all of the following disciplines except
__________.

A.
B.
C.

physics
psychology
anthropology

REASONS : Physics is the natural science that involves the study of

matter and its motion through space and time, along with related
concepts such as energy and force.
13. How is the science of organizational behaviour different from sciences such as physics and
chemistry?
A. OB accepts intuitive explanations of phenomena it studies
B.Much of the data used in OB is collected by scientists working in different, but related, fields
C. OB does not seek unifying underlying principles for the phenomena it studies.
D. Most people have preconceived notions about the phenomena studied by OB.
REASONS : The differentiation of science of organizational behavior from science
(physics and chemistry) is science of OB is applied in nature, it is the study and
application of knowledge about human behavior, it also can use our logic to explain it.
Conversely, science like physics and chemistry is discussed about the intellectual and
practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure through the
experiment, to explain it we should base on the theory, we cannot explain it with our
logic.
14. Psychology' major contributions to the field of organizational behaviour have been primarily
at what level of analysis.
A.
B.
C.
D.

The level of the group

The level of the individual
The level of the organization
The level of the culture
REASONS : Psychology is one of field that contributed in organizational behavior.
Psychology is an applied science, which attempts to explain human behavior in particular
situation and predicts individual actions. Studies of this theory can improve personal
skills, bring change in attitude and develop positive approach to organizational systems.
This theory can also use to select the employee, measure the personality and aptitude of
an individual.

15. The study of group processes in the organizational behaviour has largely been derived from
what field of study?
A.
B.
C.

Psychology
Sociology
Anthropology

D.

Social Studies
REASONS :Psychology is the study of individual behavior and how to improve
individual personality, personal skill and individual attitude. Sociology is the study of
culture impact in group behavior. Anthropology is the study that relate to human activities
in various cultural and environmental frameworks. Social study is the study which blend
psychology and sociology concept to achieve better human behavior in organization.
16. In order to predict human behaviour with any degree of accuracy, what sort of variables must
be taken into account?

A.
B.
C.
D.

global
general
dependent
contingency
REASONS :Global variable is is a variable that is accessible in every scope. Interaction
mechanisms with global variables are called global environment (see also global state)
mechanisms.Dependent variable is in an experimental setting, any variable whose values
are the results of changes in one or more independent variables.Contingency variables are
variables that moderate the relationship between two or morevariables. Because humans
are somewhat unpredictable, all organizational behavior studies must have contingency
variables.
17. Given the climate of "temporariness" in modern organizations, employees must _______.

A. Continually update their knowledge and skills

B. Be prepared to stay in the same position for longer periods of time
C. Make closer connections to their peers
D. Foster friendship within the work environment
REASONS :Nowadays, the organization keep change their structure, rule, policy and
programs that conducted by the organization because of the strict competition. This
condition can be said as temporariness climate which influence the employee and the
employee should improve their knowledge and skill continuously so they able to compete
with the others employee and can perform as what organization expect them to do.
18. Group behaviour, power, and conflict are central areas of study for _________.
A.
B.
C.

Archaeologists
Sociologist
Anthropologists

D.

Social Psychologists
REASONS : Archeologists is an anthropologist who studies prehistoric people and their
culture. Sociologist is the study of the culture impact on group behaviorand has
contributed to a large extent to the field of group dynamics. Anthropologist is the study
that related to human activities in certain environmental frameworks. Social psychologist
is the study that contributed to manage change, group decision making, communication
and ability of people in the organization, and to maintain social norms.
19.

A.
B.
C.
D.

At its root, productivity involves concern for both ________.

Dependance and Independence

Motivation and Distraction
Absenteeism and Motivation
Effectiveness and Efficiency
REASONS :: An organization is productive if it achieves its goals by transforming inputs
into outputs at the lowest cost.Transforming inputs into outputs with the lowest cost is the
part of effectiveness and efficiency. Effectiveness means do the right things and
efficiency means do things right.So, productivity requires both effectiveness and
efficiency.
20. Which of the following is an example of being an efficient company?

A. Operating at the lowest possible cost while yielding a higher output.

B. Creating the highest customer satisfaction ratings.
C.
Meeting production schedules
D.
Obtaining the highest market share
REASONS : Efficiency describes the ratio of effective output to the input required to
achieve it. Therefore, a company operating at the lowest possible cost while still making
a high profit, is considered efficient.
21. Which of the following statements is true about the term "ability", as the term is used in
organizational behaviour?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Motivation
Capacity
Experience
Intellect

REASONS : Ability means an individuals capacity to perform the various tasks in a job.
Motivation is a psychological feature that arouses an organism to act towards a desired
goal and elicits, controls, and sustains certain goal-directed behaviors. Experience is the
knowledge or skill acquired by experience over a period of time, esp. that gained in a
particular profession by someone at work. Intellect is the understanding or mental powers
of a particular person.
22. Research has found tests that measure specific dimensions of intelligence are strong
predictors of which of the following?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Job Satisfaction
Turnover
Job Performance
Ability to work with others
REASONS : Intellectual Abilities are those that are needed to perform mental activities.
Mental activities can be measured by intelligent quotient (IQ) tests, that are designed to
ascertain one's general mental abilities. Generally speaking, the more information
processing is required in a job, the more general intelligence and verbal abilities will be
necessary to perform the job successfully. Of course, a high IQ is not a prerequisite for
all. In Fact, for many jobs in which employee behavior is highly routine and there are
little or no opportunities to exercise discretion, a high IQ may be unrelated to
performance. Therefore, tests measure specific dimensions of intelligence have been
found to be strong predictors of future job performance.
23. Which of the following statements is true about the term "ability", as it is used in the field of
organizational behaviour?

A. It refers to an individual's willingness to perform various tasks

B. It is a current assessment of what an individual can do
C. It refers exclusively to intellectual skills
D. It refers exclusively to physical skills
REASONS : Ability refers to an individuals capacity to perform the various tasks in a
job. It is a current assessment of what one can do. An individuals overall abilities are
essentially made up of two sets of factors: intellectual and physical abilities. Intellectual
abilities are those needed to perform mental activities. Physical abilities are important for
successfully performing less-skilled and more-standardized jobs.
24. Recent evidence suggests that intelligence can be better understood by breaking it down into
four sub-parts. Which one of the following is not one of those subparts?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Cognitive
Social
Emotional
Physical
REASONS : The four parts of intelligence are cognitive, social, emotional, and cultural.
Cognitive intelligence encompasses the aptitudes that have long been tapped by
traditional intelligence tests. Social intelligence is a persons ability to relate effectively
to others. Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, understand, and manage
emotions. And cultural intelligence is awareness of cross-cultural differences and the
ability to successfully function in cross-cultural situations.
25. Which type of intelligence encompasses the aptitudes that have long been tapped by
traditional intelligence tests?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Cognitive Intelligence
Social Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence
Cultural Intelligence
REASONS : Cognitive intelligence encompasses the aptitudes that have long been tapped
by traditional intelligence tests. Social intelligence is a persons ability to relate
effectively to others. Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, understand, and
manage emotions. And cultural intelligence is awareness of cross-cultural differences
and the ability to successfully function in cross-cultural situations.
26. A company is looking for a manager to liaise between its home office in the United States, its
manufacturing plants in Poland and Germany, and its suppliers in the Middle East and South
Asia. A good candidate would likely score highly in what subpart of intelligence?
A. Cognitive
B. Social
C. Emotional
D. Cultural
Reason:

In today's increasingly global and diverse contexts (work and non-work), it is

importance to be aware of Cultural Intelligence. This includes awareness of your own
Cultural Intelligence and awareness of the Cultural Intelligence of others. Cultural
Intelligence (CQ) is a person's capability to function effectively in situations
characterized by cultural diversity. CQ is a critical capability that enhances employee,
manager, and organizational effectiveness. It also enhances interpersonal interactions
in a wide range of social contexts.

27. What will be the largest demographic change in the U.S. workforce in the next decade?
A. Increasing Ethnic Diversity
B. A fall in Married Workers
C. Increasing Age of Workers
D. Decreasing Tenure
Reason:

With the aging of the baby-boom generation, the older age cohorts are expected to
make up a larger proportion of the labor force in the next two decades. The 55 and
older age group, which made up 13 percent of the labor force in 2000, is projected to
increase to 20 percent by 2020. It is anticipated that, by 2050, the group will make up
19 percent of the labor force.

28. Which of the following is not a biographical character?

A. Political Affiliation
B. Age
C. Sex
D. Tenure
Reason: Biographical characteristics are;
1. Age: there are two distinct age group younger and older,
2. Gender: male and female.
3. Race: individual favor race which affect employment decision.
4. Social Groups: focus for scheduled cast , tribes and backward
classes( Reservation benefits)
5. Tenure: duration of time in the job.
6. Religion: people of different religion faith conflict, so manger need to be
sensitive.
7. Sexual orientation: inter-sexual, gay, lesbians
8. Gender identity: focus on employees who change gender, i.e. transgender.
29. Which of the following statements concerning tenure is not true?

A. Recent evidence demonstrates a positive relationship between seniority and job productive.
B. Tenure does not appear to be a good predictor of employee productivity.
C. Tenure is a potent variable in explaining turnover
D. Tenure and satisfaction are positively related.
Reason:

TENURE

If we define seniority as time on a particular job, we can say that the most recent
evidence demonstrates a positive relationship between seniority and job
productivity. So tenure, expressed as work experience, appears to be a good
predictor of employee productivity.
The research relating tenure to absence is quite straightforward. Studies
consistently demonstrate seniority to be negatively related to absenteeism.
Tenure has consistently been found to be negatively related to turnover and has
been suggested as one of the single best predictors of turnover.
The evidence indicates that tenure and satisfaction are positively related. In fact,
when age and tenure are treated separately, tenure appears to be a more consistent
and stable predictor of job satisfaction than is chronological age.

30. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the higher absentee rate of women in
the workplace?
A. Women tend to have more illnesses that keep them from work than do men.
B. Traditionally, women have had the responsibility of caring for home and family.
C. Women tend to be less satisfied with their jobs than men.
D. Women generally have jobs for which temporary replacement can be hired
Reason:

The evidence consistently indicates that women have higher rates of

absenteeism that men do. The most logical explanation for this finding is that the
research was conducted in North America, and North American culture has
historically placed home and family responsibilities on the woman.

31. Studies indicate that which of the following tends to decrease with increased tenure?
A. Job Satisfaction
B. Productivity
C. Absenteeism

D. Raises and Promotion

Reason: TENURE

If we define seniority as time on a particular job, we can say that the most recent
evidence demonstrates a positive relationship between seniority and job productivity.
So tenure, expressed as work experience, appears to be a good predictor of employee
productivity.

The research relating tenure to absence is quite straightforward. Studies

consistently demonstrate seniority to be negatively related to absenteeism.

32. All of the following are true about learning except that it _________.
A. Involves change.
B. Can have a very short duration.
C. Requires a change in behaviour.
D. Affects Aptitude.
Reason:

Learning is any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs in

individual a result of experience, besides that learning must focus on changing the
behavior, the change must be permanent and individual should experience change. So,
learning cannot be done in short time.

33. Classical conditioning would view which of the following as most likely to be a conditioned
response?
A. Winching when you stub your toe.
B. Driving on the right side of the road.
C. Flinching when startled by a loud noise.
D. Looking for shelter when the sky turns grey.
Reason:

Classical Conditioning: A type of conditioning in which an individual

responds to some stimulus that would not ordinarily produce such a response.
Classical conditioning is passive. Something happens and we react in a specific way. It
is elicited in response to a specific, identifiable event. As such, it can explain simple
reflexive behaviors. But most behavior particularly the complex behavior of

individuals in organizations is emitted rather than elicited. It is voluntary rather than

reflexive.
34. In Pavlov's experiment, the bell was a _________.
A. Unconditioned Stimulus
B. Unconditioned Response
C. Conditioned Stimulus
D. Conditioned Response
Reason:

Classical conditioning: This theory of learning is developed by Ivan Pavlov

(1900). He tried to prove it through an experiment: Teach dog to salivate in response to
the ringing of bell.
In this experiment:

First Pavlov showed a piece of meat which elicited salivation in the dog.

Secondly he rang a bell which did not elicit salivation in the dog.

Thirdly he linked the meat and ring of bell before giving the meat for number of
times.

Lastly he rang the bell, but didnt provide any meat, now the dog began to salivate
to the sound of the bell.

Now, the dog has responded to salivate to the ringing of the bell.

Result: Conditioned or artificial stimulus (CS): (bell) which resulted in conditioned

response (CR) (salivation in the dog), after the bell was paired with meat.
35. According to operant conditioning, when a behavior is not reinforced, what happens to the
probability of that behavior occurring again?
A. It increases
B. It declines
C. It remains the unchanged
D. It becomes zero
Reason:

Operant conditioning was developed by B.F. Skinner who focused that the
behavior is the function of its consequences. I.e. Behavior=f (consequences),
Behavior= f (to get something individual want OR to avoid something they dont

want). His theory is based on boar concept of behaviorism, which states:

Behaviorism is primarily concerned with observable behavior, as opposed to
internal events like thinking and emotion. Skinner believed that reinforcement or
lack of reinforcement will determine the tendency to repeat such behavior. Thus
continuation of behavior is dependent upon the reinforcement factor.

People are most likely to engage in desired behavior if they are positively
reinforced or rewarded
People are less likely to repeat the behavior which are not rewarded or
punished.

36. What do we call the view that we can learn both through observation and direct experience?
A.

Situational Learning Theory

B.

Classical Learning

C.

Social Learning Theory

D.

Hands-on Learning Experience

Reason: Characteristics of social learning are:

Focus on change in behavior through observation and direct experience

It is extension of operant conditioning. I.e. behavior= f(consequences+
observational learning and importance of perception (ability to analyze and
understand)in learning.

37. Social Learning Theory is an extension of

A. Classical Conditioning
B. Operant Conditioning
C. Shaping
D. Pavlovian Theory
Reason: Characteristics of social learning are:

Focus on change in behavior through observation and direct experience.

It is extension of operant conditioning. I.e. behavior= f(consequences+
observational learning and importance of perception (ability to analyze and
understand)in learning.

38. Which of the following statements about positive and negative reinforcement is not true?

A. They both result in learning

B. They both strengthen a response and increase the probability of repetition.
C. They tend to weaken behaviour and decrease its subsequent frequency.
D. They are effective shaping tools
Reason:

Positive reinforcement is providing a reward for a desired behavior. Negative

reinforcement is removing an unpleasant consequence when the desired behavior
occurs.

Reinforcement
(behavior increases)

Punishment
(behavior decreases)

Positive
(something added)

Positive Reinforcement:
Something added increases behavior,
reward
Negative Reinforcement
Something removed increases behavior,
unfavorable situation

Negative
(something removed)

Positive Punishment
Something added
decreases behavior
Negative
Punishment (extinction)
Something removed
decreases behavior

39.
An employee is frequently late for work. Every time he is not tardy the
manager compliments him for being on time. What form of reinforcement is the
manager using?
A.
Continuous schedule
B.
Negative
C.
Intermittent Schedule
D.
Repetitious
REASONS :
Continuous schedule the desired behavior is reinforced every single time it occurs.
Generally, this schedule is best used during the initial stages of learning in order to
create a strong association between the behavior and the response. Negative

reinforcement, a response or behavior is strengthened by stopping, removing or

avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus. The intermittent schedule is
reinforced only part of the time. Learned behaviors are acquired more slowly with
partial reinforcement, but the response is more resistant to extinction. Therefore,
the suitable answer is A.
40.
In general, ______ reinforcement schedules
performance than ______ reinforcement schedules.
A.
Variable; Fixed
B.
Fixed; Intermittent
C.
Fixed; Variable
D.
Variable; Ratio

tend

to

lead

to

higher

REASONS :
Ratio schedules involve reinforcement after a certain number of responses have
been emitted. The fixed ratio schedule involves using a constant number of
responses. Ratio schedules involve reinforcement after an average number of
responses have occurred. And of course the variable reinforcement tends to lead to
higher performance. Therefore, the answer is A.
41.
Which of the following answer choices is the best definition of attitude?
A.
Attitudes indicate how one will react to a given event.
B.
Attitudes are the yardstick by which one measure's one's actions.
C.
Attitudes are the emotional part of an evaluation of some person, object or
event
D.
Attitudes are evaluative statements of what one believes about something or
someone.
REASONS :
Attitudes are evaluative statementseither favorable or unfavorableabout
objects, people, or events. They reflect how we feel about something. Therefore, the
answer is D.
42.
The ______ component of an attitude is the emotional feeling component of
that attitude.
A.
Affective
B.
Cognitive
C.
Behavioural
D.
Evaluative
REASONS :
Cognitive is the opinion or belief segment of an attitude. Affective is the emotional
or feeling segment of an attitude.
Behavioral is an intention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something.
While evaluative is not mentioned as one of the component in attitude. Therefore,
the answer is A.
43.
The belief that "violence is wrong" is a evaluative statement. Such an opinion
constitutes the ______ component of an attitude.
A.
Cognitive
B.
Affective

C.
D.

Reflective
Behavioral

REASONS :
Cognitive is the opinion or belief segment of an attitude. Affective is the emotional
or feeling segment of an attitude.
Behavioral is an intention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something.
While reflective is not mentioned as one of the component in attitude. Therefore,
the answer is A.
44.
A.
B.
C.
D.

Which of the following is an example of an attitude?

Satisfaction with a job well done.
The observation that most dogs have four legs.
The opinion that it is never acceptable to steal.
Anger at being unfairly accused of a wrongdoing.

REASONS :
Attitudes are evaluative statementseither favorable or unfavorableabout
objects, people, or events. They reflect how we feel about something. And D choice
is the best to describe an example of attitude.
45.
Which of the following is explained by self-perception theory?
A.
"I think it's wrong to steal, so I never have taken as much as a paper clip from
my office"
B.
"I wouldn't want an office job, all my life Ive worked outdoors, even as a child
growing up on a farm."
C.
"I may have cut a few corners when I wrote that new contract, but it was
more important to get it on time than worry about a few typos."
D.
"I am deeply religious person, so I do not want to work on any of the holy
days my faith holds dear"
REASONS :
Self Perception theory is an account of an attitude formation that was developed by
the psychiatrist Daryl Bem. It reasons that people develop their own behaviors be
observing their own, and developing towards them. And here the suitable statement
which describes the self perception is statement B. Therefore, B is the correct
answer.
46.
Which of the following is not true concerning diversity programs?
A.
They almost always include a self-evaluation phase.
B.
They seek to change attitudes in response to shifts in perspective on diversity
issues
C.
Participants often take part in group discussions with representatives from
diverse groups.
D.
They avoid making participants openly confront the stereotypes that they
hold.
REASONS :
The final property of groups we consider is diversity in the groups membership, the
degree to which members of the group are similar to, or different from, one another.

And if we expand this definition, the D statement seems not suitable and does not
give any responsive feedback regarding the diversity programs. The answer is D.
47.
The degree to which a person identifies with his or her job, actively
participates in it, and considers his or her performance as being important to selfworth is ___________.
A.
job satisfaction
B.
job involvement
C.
job stability
D.
organizational commitment
REASONS :
Job satisfactiona positive feeling about a job resulting from an evaluation of its
characteristicsis clearly broad. Job involvement is the degree to which a person
identifies with a job, actively participates in it, and considers performance important
to self-worth. Organizational commitment is the degree to which an employee
identifies with a particular organization and its goals and wishes to maintain
membership in the organization. So, the suitable answer is B.
48.
A.
B.
C.
D.

_________ refers to an individual's general attitude towards his or her job.

Job Satisfaction
Job Involvement
Job Stability
Organizational Commitment

REASONS :
Job satisfactiona positive feeling about a job resulting from an evaluation of its
characteristicsis clearly broad. Job involvement is the degree to which a person
identifies with a job, actively participates in it, and considers performance important
to self-worth. Organizational commitment is the degree to which an employee
identifies with a particular organization and its goals and wishes to maintain
membership in the organization. So, the suitable answer is A.
49.
A.
B.
C.
D.

Of the following the best predictor of turnover is __________.

Job Satisfaction
Job Involvement
Organizational Commitment
Cognitive Dissonance

REASONS :
In organizational commitment, an employee identifies with a particular organization
and its goals and wishes to remain a member. Most research has focused on
emotional attachment to an organization and belief in its values as the gold
standard for employee commitment. So, the best answer is C. While cognitive
dissonance means any incompatibility between two or more attitudes or between
behavior and attitudes.
50.
A.
B.

Which of the following is not generally true?

Satisfied workers are productive workers
Productive workers are satisfied workers

C.
D.

Satisfaction is the major determinate of a worker's OCB.

Satisfaction comes down to fairness of outcomes, treatments or procedures

REASONS :
The generally not true statement is satisfied workers are productive workers
because mostly the productive works are satisfied workers. And satisfaction has the
relation with organizational citizenship behavior and comes down to fairness of
outcomes, and treatments or procedures. The suitable answer is A.

Essay!
1.
What are some of the new challenges confronting managers in today's business
environment?
The global, one-world economy is changing the nature of competition. The second generation of
the Information Age, marked by advances in decision support and telecommunications
technology, is changing the nature of work in all organizations.
2.

What are the three dimensions of management and how arethey important. ?

The three dimension of management are technical, conceptual, and human. It is absolutely
essential for managers to develop meaningful solutions to today's complex management
problems by using innovative technological solutions that provide answers to problems people
and organizations are having. Furthermore, it is critical to management's success that they be
able to meaningfully understand human resource needs and be able to successfully deploy these
resources.
3.
What are the differences between organizational behavior,organization theory (OT),
personnel/human resources P/HR), and organization development?
Organizational behavior is theoretical and micro-oriented. OT is theoretical and macro-oriented.
P/HR is applied and micro-oriented. OD is applied and macro-oriented.
4.

Discuss Henri Fayol's contributions.

Henri Fayol has been called the father of management. Henri Fayol was a successful French
industrialist. He also created the first school of management. He was responsible for developing
the major classical management concepts of planning, organizing, developing, staffing,
coordinating, and budgeting (PODSCORB). He also was the first to develop the importance of
lateral communications with his gang plank theory of communications in organization.
Henri Fayol belongs to the administrative management branch of the classical school. His entire
working career was spent with a mining company, Commentary-Fourchambault Company, where
he rose from an apprentice to General Manager in 1888 remaining there until his retirement in

1918. He is credited with turning the company around from a threatened bankruptcy into a strong
financial position by the time of his retirement at age 77.

As a result of his management experience, Fayol strongly believed management theories could
be developed and taught to others. His first writing on administration, Administration
IndustrielleetGenerale, was published in 1916 in the Bulletin of the Society of Mineral Industries
and later appeared as a book. The book became prominent in the United States after a second
English translation appeared in 1949 under the title General and Industrial Management.
Henri Fayol's Fourteen Management Principles
a. Division of Work. Division of work, specialization, produces more and better work with the
same effort. It focuses effort while maximizing employee efforts. It is applicable to all work
including technical applications. There are limitations to specialization which are determined by
its application.
b. Authority and responsibility. Authority is the right to give orders and the power to exact
obedience. Distinction must be made between a manager's official authority deriving from office
and personal authority created through individual personality, intelligence and experience.
Authority creates responsibility.
c. Discipline. Obedience and respect between a firm and its employees based on clear and fair
agreements is absolutely essential to the functioning of any organization. Good discipline
requires managers to apply sanctions whenever violations become apparent.
d. Unity of command. An employee should receive orders from only one superior. Employees
cannot adapt to dual command.
e. Unity of direction. Organizational activities must have one central authority and one plan of
action.
f. Subordination of Individual Interest to General Interest. The interests of one employee or
group of employees are subordinate to the interests and goals of the organization and cannot
prevail over it.
g. Remuneration of Personnel. Salaries are the price of services rendered by employees. It should
be fair and provide satisfaction both to the employee and employer. The rate of remuneration is
dependent on the value of the services rendered as determined by the employment market.
h. Centralization. The optimum degree of centralization varies according to the dynamics of each
organization. The objective of centralization is the best utilization of personnel.

i. Scalar chain. A chain of authority exists from the highest organizational authority to the lowest
ranks. While needless departure from the chain of command should be discouraged, using the
"gang plank" principle of direct communication between employees can be extremely
expeditious and increase the effectiveness of organizational communication.
j. Order. Organizational order for materials and personnel is essential. The right materials and the
right employees are necessary for each organizational function and activity.
l. Equity. In organizations equity is a combination of kindliness and justice. The desire for equity
and equality of treatment are aspirations to be taken into account in dealing with employees.
m. Stability of Tenure of Personnel. In order to attain the maximum productivity of personnel, it
is essential to maintain a stable work force. Management insecurity produces undesirable
consequences. Generally the managerial personnel of prosperous concerns is stable, that of
unsuccessful ones is unstable.
n. Initiative. Thinking out a plan and ensuring its success is an extremely strong motivator. At all
levels of the organizational ladder zeal and energy on t he part of employees are augmented by
initiative.
o Esprit de Corps. Teamwork is fundamentally important to an organization. This is encouraged
by creating work teams and using extensive face-to-face verbal communication.
5.

please explain something about perception and attitude

Perception is our sensory experience of the world around us and involves both the recognition of
environmental stimuli and actions in response to these stimuli. Through the perceptual process,
we gain information about properties and elements of the environment that are critical to our
survival. Perception not only creates our experience of the world around us; it allows us to act
within our environment.
Perception includes the five senses; touch, sight, taste smell and taste. It also includes what is
known as proprioception, a set of senses involving the ability to detect changes in body positions
and movements. It also involves the cognitive processes required to process information, such as
recognizing the face of a friend or detecting a familiar scent.
Psychologists define attitudes as a learned tendency to evaluate things in a certain way. This can
include evaluations of people, issues, objects or events. Such evaluations are often positive or
negative, but they can also be uncertain at times. For example, you might have mixed feelings
about a particular person or issue.
Researchers also suggest that there are several different components that make up attitudes.

An Emotional Component: How the object, person, issue or event makes you feel.

A Cognitive Component: Your thoughts and beliefs about the subject.

A Behavioral Component: How the attitude influences your behavior.

Attitudes can also be explicit and implicit. Explicit attitudes are those that we are consciously
aware of and that clearly influence our behaviors and beliefs. Implicit attitudes are unconscious,
but still have an effect on our beliefs and behaviors.
6.
explain the motivation theory according to (a) Abraham A Maslow, (b) Frederick
Herzberg, (c ) David McClelland,and (d) Douglas McGregor
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
Psychologist Abraham Maslow assumed that people are motivated by unmet needs. When a
persons need for something is not met, the person feels driven, or motivated, to meet that need.
To give a basic example, a person who needs food feels hungry and therefore eats something.
According to Maslows theory, the needs that motivate people fall into five basic categories:
1. Physiological needs are required for survival: food, water, sex, and shelter.
2. Security needs keep you free from harm. In modern society, these might include insurance,
medical checkups, and a home in a safe neighborhood.
3. Social needs include the desire for love, friendship, and companionship. People seek to satisfy
these needs through the time they spend with family, friends, and co-workers.
4. Esteem needs are the needs for self-esteem and the respect of others. Acceptance and praise
are two ways these needs are met.
5. Self-actualization needs describe the desire to live up to your full potential. People on the path
to meeting these needs will not only be doing their best at work and at home but also be
developing mentally, spiritually, and physically.
Maslow argues that these needs are organized into a hierarchy (see Figure 11.2). The most basic
needs are at the bottom of the hierarchy. People try to satisfy these needs first. At the top of the
hierarchy are the needs people try to satisfy only when they have met most of their other needs.
However, people may be seeking to meet more than one category of needs at a time.
According to this view, people tend to rely on their jobs to meet most of their physiological and
security needs through paychecks and benefits such as health insurance. Needs higher on the
hierarchy can be satisfied in many places. For example, people satisfy some of their social needs
through their relationships with family and friends outside work, and they may seek to meet their
selfactualization needs through volunteer work or membership in a religious organization.
Nevertheless, people can also satisfy higher-level needs in the workplace. An employee who is

applauded for solving a difficult problem or who takes pride in skillfully performing a craft such
as carpentry is meeting some higher-level needs at work.
Greater interest in Corporate Social Responsibility at many organizations, coupled with many
employees enthusiasm for serving the community, has led some firms to meet employees
higher-level needs with organized opportunities to do good. For instance, Boston Consulting
Group lets employees spend up to a year working for a nonprofit organization, with their pay
subsidized by BCG. Todays young workers have a reputation for being especially motivated to
serve. Applications to AmeriCorps, which arranges for young people to serve nonprofits around
the United States, have been soaring over the past few years. Of course, meaningful work can
also take place within businesses, and companies also see young employees desire to make a
difference. Marriott International motivates by offering a management training program in which
employees tackle assignments in all facets of hotel operations. When Claire Pignataro graduated
from college, she was delighted to take a job with Marriott, not so much for the pay, but because
the company would let her do something she loves: planning social and corporate events at one
of its hotels.
Maslows hierarchy is a widely cited view of motivation, but it has shortcomings. Critics
(including Maslow himself) have noted that the theory is based on clinical work with neurotic
patients and was not tested much for Relevance to the work setting. Are the needs identified by
Maslow really all-inclusive? Do they describe people of many cultures, or just the majority of
U.S. workers? The lack of studies investigating the hierarchy of needs makes it impossible to
answer such questions with certainty. However, the popularity of Maslows theory implies that it
can be helpful in offering suggestions about what motivates people.
Applied to a work situation, Maslows theory means the supervisor must be aware of the current
needs of particular employees. During a serious recession, a factory supervisor may find that
many employees are highly motivated just to keep their jobs so they can pay their bills. In
contrast, employees who are less worried about keeping a job may respond well to efforts to
meet social needs. At Wyndham International, when David Mussa became vice president,
employees rarely stayed long, so he took the time to discuss work with small groups of
employees. Mussa had thought that the problem would be money to meet physiological needs.
Instead, he learned that the problem was esteem needs. Many of the employees felt the company
did not value them, mainly because they rarely received feedback or coaching to help them do
their job better. They wanted their supervisors to be more involved and show that they cared. So
Mussa hired more supervisors, giving each one more time to spend coaching employeesin fact,
supervisors were required to do so.
In this era of increasing numbers of single parents and two-income families in the workforce, a
practical concern of many employees is their need for flexibility in their work hours to balance
the demands of home and work. Some organizations have responded with family-friendly
policies, which typically include flexible work arrangements such as the following:

 FlextimeThis policy grants employees some leeway in choosing which 8 hours a day or
which 40 hours a week to work.
Part-time workFor employees who can afford to work less than full time, this option frees
them to spend more time meeting other needs. It is economically appealing to organizations
because few offer a full range of benefits to parttime employees.
Job sharingTo create part-time jobs, two employees share the duties of a single position.
TelecommutingSome employees can and want to work from home, keeping in touch by
means of computer and telephone lines.
McClellands Achievement-Power-Affiliation Theory
In the 1960s, David McClelland developed a theory of motivation based on the assumption that
through their life experiences, people develop various needs. His theory focuses on three such
needs:
1. The need for achievementthe desire to do something better than it has been done before.
2. The need for powerthe desire to control, influence, or be responsible for other people.
3. The need for affiliationthe desire to maintain close and friendly personal relationships.
According to McClelland, people have all these needs to some extent. However, the intensity of
the needs varies from one individual to the next. The nature of a persons early life experiences
may cause one of these needs to be particularly strong.
The relative strength of the needs influences what will motivate a person. A person with a strong
need for achievement is more motivated by success than by money. This person tends to set
challenging but achievable goals and to assess risk carefully. Someone with a strong need for
power tries to influence others and seeks out advancement and responsibility. A person with a
strong need for affiliation gives ambition a back seat in exchange for approval and acceptance.
At IBS, which distributes tools, supplies, and components for manufacturers, managers believe
the companys small size allows them to be flexible in meeting employees needs. Michelle St.
John, IBSs operations manager, says, We allow employees to take time for what they need and
make it up later. St. John, like many human resources experts, sees family-friendly policies as
an important way to get and keep the best workers. Recent surveys have found flexible work
arrangements at almost three-fourths of companies, with flextime available at more than half.
(See Figure 11.3.) Other family-friendly benefits include referral services to help workers find
day care for their children or elder care for aging parents. However, some employees have seen
these policies as benefiting certain employees at the expense of others. To learn how some firms
are responding to this concern, see the Supervision and Ethics box. McClellands
Achievement-Power-Affiliation Theory In the 1960s, David McClelland developed a theory of

motivation based on the assumption that through their life experiences, people develop various
needs. His theory focuses on three such needs: 1. The need for achievementthe desire to do
something better than it has been done before. 2. The need for powerthe desire to control,
influence, or be responsible for other people. 3. The need for affiliationthe desire to maintain
close and friendly personal relationships. According to McClelland, people have all these needs
to some extent. However, the intensity of the needs varies from one individual to the next. The
nature of a persons early life experiences may cause one of these needs to be particularly strong.
The relative strength of the needs influences what will motivate a person. A person with a strong
need for achievement is more motivated by success than by money. This person tends to set
challenging but achievable goals and to assess risk carefully. Someone with a strong need for
power tries to influence others and seeks out advancement and responsibility. A person with a
strong need for affiliation gives ambition a back seat in exchange for approval and acceptance.
This theory offers a way to understand the behavior of the salespeople at a Westinghouse sales
office. The manager in charge of that office told his 16 employees that he would buy and cook
lunch for them if they met their sales goals. In the following 19 months, they exceeded their
quotas 18 times. That exceptional performance made such an impression on headquarters that the
company offered to pay for the meals. The manager declined reimbursement, however. Despite
the widespread assumption that salespeople are motivated by money, the manager saw a need for
affiliation: The staff members enjoyed their bosss personal attention as he bought and grilled
steaks for them to share. Changing this interaction into a corporate reward program would
remove its motivational power. Similarly, Pfizer inspired its older, more experienced sales reps
by bringing them together into peer groups that competed with one another and coached the
pharmaceutical companys younger representatives. The veteran salespeople, whose performance
had declined as they increasingly felt isolated, improved when they began to enjoy stronger
relationships with one another and a clearer role with respect to their younger colleagues.
McClellands theory differs from Maslows in that it assumes different people have different
patterns of needs, whereas Maslows theory assumes the same pattern of needs for all people.
Thus, McClelland considers individual differences.
Both theories, however, imply that supervisors must remember that employees are motivated by
a variety of possibilities.
Herzbergs Two-Factor Theory
Frederick Herzbergs research led to the conclusion that employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction
stem from different sources. According to this Two-factor theory, dissatisfaction results from the
absence of what Herzberg calls hygiene factors, which include salary and relationships with
others. For example, someone whose pay is poor (e.g., a physical therapist earning $5,000 less
than the average pay for the position) is going to be dissatisfied with the job. In contrast,
satisfaction results from the presence of what Herzberg calls motivating factors, which include

opportunities offered by the job. Thus, an employee who sees a chance for promotion is likely to
be more satisfied with the current job than one who does not. Table 11.1 lists the items that make
up hygiene and motivating factors.
Herzberg found that employees are most productive when the organization provides a
combination of desirable hygiene factors and motivating factors. According to this theory, an
organization cannot ensure that its employees will be satisfied and productive simply by giving
them a big pay raise every year. Employees also need motivating factors such as the ability to
learn new skills and assume responsibility. Like the other content theories, Herzbergs theory
tells supervisors that they need to consider a variety of ways to motivate employees.
THEORY Z - Douglas McGregor
In observing the behavior of managers, Douglas McGregor noted that many tend to have a group
of attitudes that reflect their beliefs about workers and the workplace. He termed this set of
attitudes Theory X. To summarize, a Theory X manager assumes that people dislike work and try
to avoid it, that they therefore must be coerced to perform, that they wish to avoid responsibility
and would prefer to be directed, and that their primary need is for security. Not surprisingly,
these beliefs influence how supervisors and other managers behave. Theory X supervisor would
adopt an autocratic leadership role, keeping a close eye on employees and looking for occasions
when they need to be disciplined to keep them performing adequately.
McGregor advises that managers can benefit from adopting a much different set of attitudes,
which he terms Theory Y. According to Theory Y, working is as natural an activity as resting or
playing, and people will work hard to achieve objectives to which they are committed. They can
learn to seek responsibility and to be creative in solving organizational problems. Supervisors
and other managers who adhere to Theory Y focus on developing the potential of their
employees. Their style of leadership tends to be democratic. Table 11.2 summarizes these two
sets of assumptions.
Today, a common view among people studying management is that Theory Y is appropriate for
many situations. To see what a Theory Y manager looks like, consider Don T. Davis, who
manages the Beverly Hills, California, branch of Smith Barney, a brokerage division of
Citigroup. Davis focuses on providing the offices 85 financial consultants with the resources
they need to serve their clients. Explains Davis, Ive been around here a long time. Im able to
call someone [at Citigroup] and say, I need you to help me out here. Every day, Davis takes
several walks around the brokerage offices, making himself available to the financial consultants
in case they have problems or need encouragement. He often accompanies them on calls to
prospects so he can better coach them in sales and teamwork. He also identifies situations in
which he can help employees by pairing them with those who have expertise in products the
client needs. In one situation, a financial consultant was having difficulty getting a new client set
up, so Davis arranged for this major prospect to travel to New York and meet experts at Citicorp.

The trip smoothed the process for the financial consultant, who has since been able to set up
services for that client.
In the 1980s, management experts extended their view of managing and leading to include
Theory Z. Theory Z supervisors seek to involve employees in making decisions, consider longterm goals when making plans, and give employees relatively great freedom in carrying out their
duties. This theory is based on comparisons of management styles in the United States and Japan.
It assumes that whereas Japanese workers are more productive than their U.S. counterparts, the
difference stems in part from different management styles. Thus, Theory Z was developed in an
attempt to adapt some Japanese management practices to the U.S. workplace. The Japanese
practices include employee Involvement and lifetime employment.
Journal:
Title

: Big-B versus Big-O: What is organizational about organizational behavior?

By

: Chip Heath* and Sim B. Sitkin

a. Literature Review
The field of organizational behavior (OB) has emerged from the disciplines
of psychology, sociology, political science, and economics, although it is
primarily identified with psychology (Schneider, 1985). It has often been
defined as studying behavior of individuals and groups within organizations
(e.g. see annual review articles such as Mitchell, 1979; Schneider, 1985; or
introductory texts such as Duncan, 1978; Organ and Bateman, 1986; Wagner
and Hollenbeck, 1995). Thus, the field has historically focused on the
behavior and attributes of individuals and groups, while focusing less
attention on the organizational aspects of OB. Because of this focus, GB has
come to be synonymous with what is referred to as micro-OB (e.g. Staw,
1984). GReilly (1990) pointed out that, among general management
journals, the market share of micro-OB research has dropped dramatically
over time. This drop may have happened because management researchers
have expressed less interest in research that fits a traditional narrow
definition of OB. Yet, as a field, we have rarely examined the implications of
how OB has come to be defined, or what the alternatives might be.

There are many potential reasons for the decline observed by OReilly, but
at least two have been noted by multiple reviews of the field. First, reviewers
have noted that GB research tends to focus more on empirical studies rather
than theory, and they called for more careful attention to theory (Mitchell,
1979; Staw, 1984; Ilgen and Klein, 1989; OReilly, 1990). In addition,
reviewers have noted that our field tends to borrow heavily from related
fields without necessarily contributing new insights (Ilgen and Klein, 1989;
OReilly, 1990).
The authors defined research topics in terms of common key words that
appear in a key word field in the PSYCHINFO database. These key words are
chosen by authors at the time their article is accepted for publication, so
they represent the authors view of the most important general topics that
are addressed by their research. For example, when Hinds and Kiesler (1995)
published their analysis of telephone, e-mail, and voice mail communication
in seven departments of a large telecommunication firm, they chose the
following keywords: boundary spanning, communication technology,
electronic communication, hierarchy, and structure.
The following definition of organizational behavior from Benjamin
Schneiders (1985) review of the field in the Annual Review of Psychology:
OB is the confluence of individual, group, and organizational studies flowing
from industrialorganizational psychology and organization and
management theory with headwaters in psychology (social, psychometrics),
sociology (organizational, work, occupational), and management (scientific,
human relations) (Schneider, 1985, p. 574).
Although we would prefer to believe our research is central and cutting
edge, we have to agree with our respondents that these topics, although
interesting B, are probably over-researched in the field of GB.
For example within the topic of decision-making, consider the specific case of
research on escalation of commitment (Heath, 1995). This topic is very
interesting B, and it has along pedigree in journals of management and
organizational behavior (e.g. Staw, 1976; Whyte, 1986; Brockner, 1992).

This is perhaps the most common way of defining the field of OB it is

certainly the most typical definition we advertise to the students who read
our introductory textbooks on organizational behavior:
Organizational behavior, as a field of study, concerns all aspects of human
action in an organizational or group context (Duncan, 1978, p. 6).
GB, as an area of study, can be described as the application of concepts,
theories, methods, and empirical generalizations from the behavioral
sciences to the analysis of behavior in organizations
(Organ and Bateman, 1986, p.5).
Organizational behavior differs from related fields [psychology, sociology,
political science, anthropology] in its focus not just on individual or group
behavior, but specifically on individual and group behavior in organizations
(Northcraft and Neale, 1990, p. 26).
Organizational behavior is a field of study that endeavors to understand,
explain, predict, and change human behavior as it occurs in the
organizational context (Wagner and Hollenbeck, 1995, p.4).
When researchers study behavior in context, their research may be
richer because they may be forced to integrate concepts from multiple fields
or to consider multiple levels of analysis (House etc 1., 1995).
Reviewers have noted that OB tends to lag the disciplines noting
that developments in the basic disciplines tend to take several years to
emerge in OB (G Reilly, 1990; Ilgen and Klein, 1989). Ilgen and Klein (1989)
argue that when researchers borrow or incorporate perspectives from other
disciplines, they need to demonstrate that constructs and concepts from the
one discipline are indeed appropriate to the other. They say that this kind of
~demonstrativeresearch, which simply demonstrates that concepts from
one discipline can be used in another, often does not advance knowledge in
either discipline much (p. 345). After reviewing the field of GB from a
cognitive perspective, they concluded that by 1989 the cognitive literature in
GB was almost exclusively demonstrative (p. 346), a sobering statement

given that the cognitive revolution in psychology had been in full swing since
the early 1970s (e.g. see Anderson, 1995).
In her study, Zucker extends the basic study of Sherif (1935) and
Jacobs and Campbell(1961) on the autokinetic effect. The autokinetic effect
is based on a visual illusion when people sit in a darkroom and stare at a
small stationary point of light, they will believe that the point of light is
moving because their own eyes engage in small, involuntary saccadic
movements. Sherif showed that if you ask individuals to gauge how much
the light is moving, they will guess quite different amounts. However,
Jacobs and Campbell showed that if you put groups of individuals in a room
at the same time, they eventually converage to a single guess that
represents an (arbitrary) social norm.

b. Output of research Review

The output is presented clearly in the Result section. The authors enclosed
the table of their output research. Table 1 reports the data from the survey
and the key word frequency search. The table lists key words in descending
order based on the gap between how the respondents rated the ideal
importance of a topic and how they rated the actual importance of the topic
in the current literature. Because we display
The key words in order based on the size of the gap, the key words at the top
of the table are topics that respondents saw as under-represented in the
literature. Those key words appearing lower in the table were seen as
adequately represented or, in a few cases, as over-represented.
The authors want to draw attention to some patterns in Table 1. First, it is
noteworthy that their respondents, on average, wanted to see more research
on almost all the topics. If the authors focus on the idealactual gap, then

topics which rank positive are ones that respondents feel deserve greater
emphasis than they are currently getting. Of the 49 key words on the survey,
the respondents thought that significantly more emphasis should be placed
on 16, and significantly less emphasis should be placed on only one! While
this survey suggests that there are many directions for interesting future
research, it also suggests that journal editors will need to make some tough
choices. Given a limited number of journal pages, it may be difficult to create
room for 16 new topics while decreasing coverage of only one.
A second set of patterns to notice is the locus of specialization and
competition across topics and journals. Some topics are a special focus for
particular journals (e.g. learning and OS (Organization Science), decision
making and OBHDP (Organizational Behavior and Human Decision
Processes), or networks and ASQ (Administrative Science Quarterly)), Where
as other topics are more generally popular across all journals (e.g.
performance) or are ignored by all of them (e.g. cross cultural, legitimacy,
socialization). In addition, some topics seem to be avoided by some journals
(e.g. JOB publishes less about teams! groups than the other journals), while
other topics seem to be points of competition (e.g. strategy for AMJ
(Academy of Management Journal) and OS; structure for ASQ and OS).
Third, some journals also seem to have not only captured some topics, but to
be branded by them. For example, OBHDP publishes 30 per cent of its
articles under the key word decision making. Furthermore, when the
decision-related themes of negotiation and risk are also included, these three
themes alone account for approximately 45 per cent of all OBHDP articles
(this figure is approximate because it does not account for overlapping key
words on the same article). JOBs top four themes (stress, commitment, job
satisfaction, and conflict) account for about 40 per cent of its published
articles.
c. Knowledge I can get

It is a very good journal that here they discuss what background of

Organizational Behavior study. They are comparing the emerging of The BigO and the Big-B definitions which sometimes lead confusion of the
Organizational behavior studies. They also give the definitions from many
sources, for instances:
Big-B. Emphasizes interesting behavior that may be relevant for
organizations. Disadvantage: Doesnt satisfy Core Competence Test: is this a
topic on which OB researches have unique insights that are not likely to be
slurred by researcher in related social science disciplines like psychology,
sociology, political science or economics.
Big-O. Emphasizes behavior that is central to the task of organizing.
Advantages: Points out centrality of organizing; eliminates peripheral
behaviors; calls attention to process; requires cross level research.
And certainly by presenting the results of the survey and by proposing a
definition to identify promising new research topics, the authors have tried to
do the best and focus on more outstanding opportunities. By proposing the
Big-O definition of OB, the authors hope to summarize and clarify what kinds
of topics are likely to address important and under-addressed questions. If in
Table 2, I contrast the top 10 topics and the bottom 10, the Contextualized-B
or Big-B definitions of OB seems to capture less of the distinction between
top and bottom 10 topics than does Big-O. Historically, I also think that the
majority of OB research has been focused on relatively less Big-B or Big-O.
The results of the survey suggest that a shift toward Big-O topics might be
welcome. Researchers should understand that Big-O topics would be wellreceived by peers who are likely to be reviewing our work. Journal editors
should see their role as fostering Big-O research and seizing opportunities to
solicit and publish Big-O topics. And after reading this journal, at least now, I
have known a part of Organizational Behavior study and what do they focus
either it is Big-B or Big-O which will lead to the different results.