Contributing Disciplines to the field of OB/OR

Role of Behavioural Sciences in Organizational Behaviour (IMP)

OB is an applied behavioural science that is built on contributions from a number of behavioural disciplines. OB is thus, of integrating nature. It tries to combine
knowledge drawn from various behavioural and social sciences such as psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political science, economics,
industrial engineering, medicine, yoga, etc.
1. Psychology: The term ‘psychology’ is derived from the Greek word ‘psyche’ which means ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’. Psychology is the science that seeks to
measure, explain and sometimes change the behaviour of humans and other animals. Psychology has had a great deal of influence on the field of OB.
The reason is the focus of psychology – what determines the behaviour of an individual? The major areas researched to understand the determinant
of behaviour are attitudes, motivation and learning.
2. Sociology: While psychologists focus their attention on the individual, sociologists study the social system in which individuals fill their roles, ie,
sociology studies people in relation to their fellow human beings. Specifically, sociologists have made their greatest contribution to OB through their
study of group behaviour in organizations. Some of the area within OB that have received valuable input from sociologists are group dynamics, design
of work teams, organizational culture, formal organization theory and structure, organizational technology, communication, power and conflict.
3. Social Psychology: Social Psychology is an important branch of psychology which blends concepts from both psychology and sociology. It focuses
on the influence the group members have on one another. The major contribution of Social Psychology to OB lies in the study of overcoming
resistance to change and introduction of change in organizations. It also studies changes in attitude and behaviour of groups, patterns of
communication, group – decision making, etc.
4. Anthropology: Anthropology is a broad discipline that studies the origin and development of human cultures, how these cultures have functioned
in the past, and how they continue to function in the present. This information is very useful in understanding the behaviour of individuals and
groups in organization. Value systems, norms, sentiments, interactions, group cohesiveness, etc. are the concern of anthropology.