As you will see throughout this book, definitions are important. Organizational behavior (OB) is defined as the systematic study and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act within the organizations where they work. Before we can understand these three levels of organizational behavior, we need to agree on a definition of organizational behavior. Together, we will examine people at work both as individuals and within work groups and how they impact and are impacted by the organizations where they work. Regardless of the size or type of organization you may work for, people are the common denominator of how work is accomplished within organizations. had only 29 employees and $47.4 million in income, but by 2008 they had grown to 11,000 employees and over $7 billion in revenue (Gibson, 2008). Keep in mind that some of the small organizations of today may become large organizations in the future. You will see examples from Fortune 500 organizations such as Intel Corporation or Home Depot Inc., as well as small start-up organizations. We will also refer to both small and large corporations. (makers of Snickers and M&Ms), and not-for-profit organizations such as the Sierra Club or Mercy Corps, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as Doctors Without Borders and the International Red Cross. (makers of Windex glass cleaner) and Mars Inc. Throughout this book, when we refer to organizations, we will include examples that may apply to diverse organizations such as publicly held, for-profit organizations like Google and American Airlines, privately owned businesses such as S. Instead, this book will give you the vocabulary, framework, and critical thinking skills necessary for you to diagnose situations, ask tough questions, evaluate the answers you receive, and act in an effective and ethical manner regardless of situational characteristics. So, this book will not be about giving you all the answers to every situation you may encounter when you start your first job or as you continue up the career ladder. In order to succeed in this type of career situation, individuals need to be armed with the tools necessary to be lifelong learners. On average, a person working in the United States will change jobs 10 times in 20 years (U.S.
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In addition, we know that each student reading this book has a unique set of personal and work-related experiences, capabilities, and career goals. We understand that the career path you will take may include a variety of different organizations. Just like people, organizations come in many shapes and sizes.
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A company is only as good as the people it keeps” It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Inc., a billion-dollar cosmetics company, makes a similar point, saying, “People are definitely a company’s greatest asset.