Which of the following statements describes the multiple levels of discipline anchor?

Globalisation, increasing workforce diversity and emerging employment relationships are just a few of the trends that challenge organisations and make OB knowledge more relevant than ever before. To understand these and other topics, the field of organisational behaviour relies on a set of basic beliefs or knowledge structures (see Exhibit 1.3). These conceptual anchors represent the principles on which OB knowledge is developed and refined.

Discuss the anchors on which organisational behaviour knowledge is based.

The Multidisciplinary Anchor

Organisational behaviour is anchored around the idea that the field should develop from knowledge in other disciplines, not just from its own isolated research base. For instance, psychological research has aided our understanding of individual and interpersonal behaviour. Sociologists have contributed to our knowledge of team dynamics, organisational socialisation, organisational power and other aspects of the social system. OB knowledge has also benefited from knowledge in emerging fields such as communications, marketing and information systems. Some OB experts have recently argued that the field suffers from a ‘trade deficit’—importing far more knowledge from other disciplines than it exports to other disciplines. Although this may be a concern, organisational behaviour has thrived through the diversity of knowledge it has gleaned from other fields of study.86

Exhibit 1.3  Anchors of Organisational Behaviour Knowledge

The Systematic Research Anchor

A critical feature of OB knowledge is that it should be based on systematic research, which typically involves forming research questions, systematically collecting data and testing hypotheses against those data. Appendix A at the end of this book details some of the features of the systematic research process, including hypotheses, sampling, research design and qualitative methods research. When research is founded on theory and conducted systematically, we can be more confident that the results are meaningful and useful for practice. This is known as evidence-based managementThe practice of making decisions and taking actions based on research evidence.—making decisions and taking actions based on research evidence.

   Evidence-based management makes sense, yet OB experts are often amazed at how frequently corporate leaders embrace fads, consulting models and their own pet beliefs without bothering to find out if they actually work!87 There are many reasons why people have difficulty applying evidence-based management. One explanation is that corporate decision makers are bombarded with so many ideas from newspapers, books, consultant reports and other sources that they have difficulty figuring out which ones are based on good evidence. Another reason why people ignore evidence and embrace fads is that good OB research is necessarily generic; it is rarely described in the context of a specific problem in a specific organisation. Managers therefore have the difficult task of figuring out which theories are relevant to their unique situation. A third reason is that many consultants and popular book writers are rewarded for marketing their concepts and theories, not for testing to see if they actually work. Indeed, some management concepts have become popular (and are even found in some OB textbooks!) because of heavy marketing, not because of any evidence that they are valid. Finally, as you will learn in Chapter 3, people form perceptions and beliefs quickly and tend to ignore evidence that their beliefs are inaccurate.

The Contingency Anchor

People and their work environments are complex, and the field of organisational behaviour recognises this by stating that a particular action may have different consequences in different situations. In other words, no single solution is best in all circumstances. Of course, it would be so much simpler if we could rely on ‘one best way’ theories, in which a particular concept or practice has the same results in every situation.88 OB experts do search for simpler theories, but they also remain sceptical about ‘sure-fire’ recommendations; an exception is likely to be lurking about. Thus, when faced with a particular problem or opportunity, we need to understand and diagnose the situation and select the strategy most appropriate under those conditions.89

The Multiple Levels of Analysis Anchor

This textbook divides organisational behaviour topics into three levels of analysis: individual, team and organisation. The individual level includes the characteristics and behaviours of employees, as well as the thought processes that are attributed to them, such as motivation, perceptions, personalities, attitudes and values. The team level of analysis looks at the way people interact. This includes team dynamics, communication, power, organisational politics, conflict and leadership. At the organisational level, we focus on how people structure their working relationships and how organisations interact with their environments.

   Although an OB topic is typically pegged into one level of analysis, it usually relates to multiple levels.90 For instance, communication is located in this book as a team (interpersonal) process, but we also recognise that it includes individual and organisational processes. Therefore, you should try to think about each OB topic at the individual, team and organisational levels, not just at one of these levels.

07. Chapter Summary