OB Model

OB Model: A model is an abstract abstraction ion of reality reality,, a simplifi simplified ed representa representation tion of some real-world real-world phenomenon. phenomenon. A mannequin in a retail store is a model. Exhibit 1-5 presents the skeleton on which we will construct our O model. !t  proposes that there are three le"els of analysis in O and that, as we mo"e from the indi"idual le"el to the or#ani$ation systems le"el, we add s ystematically ystematically to our understandin# of beha"ior in or#ani$ations. or#ani$ations. %he three basic le"els are analo#ous to buildin# blocks& each le"el is constructed on the pre"ious le"el. 'roup concepts #row out of  the foundation laid in the indi"idual section& we o"erlay structural constraints on the indi"idual and #roup !n order to arri"e at or#ani$ational or#ani$ational beha"ior.

pe nd en t  Variables The  De pend  Variables A dependent "ariable is the key factor that you want to explain or predict and that is affected by some other factor. (hat are the primary dependent "ariables in O) *cholars ha"e historically tended to emphasi$e  producti"ity,  producti"ity, absenteeism, turno"er,, and +ob satisfaction. ore recently two more "ariables de"iant workplace  beha"ior and or#ani$ational or#ani$ational citi$enship beha"iorha"e been added to this list (e (ell ll briefly discuss each of these "ariables to ensure that you understand what they mean and why they ha"e achie"ed their le"el of distinction. or#ani$ation is producti"e if it achie"es its #oals and does so by transferrin# inputs to outputs at Productivity  An or#ani$ation the lowest cost. As such, producti"ity implies a concern for both effecti"eness effecti"eness and efficiency. efficiency. A hospital, for example, is effective when effective when it successfully meets the needs of its clientele. !t is efficient  when  when it can do so at a low cost. !f a hospital mana#es to achie"e hi#her output from its present staff by reducin# the a"era#e number of days a patient is confined to a bed or by increasin# the number of staff-patient contacts per day, we say that the hospital has #ained producti"e efficiency. A business firm is effecti"e when it attains its sales or  market share #oals, but its producti"ity also depends on achie"in# those #oals efficiently. /opular measures of  or#ani$ational or#ani$ational efficiency include return on in"estment, profit per dollar of sales, and output per hour of labor. Os ma+or concern is producti"ity. (e want to know what factors will influence the effecti"eness and efficiency of indi"iduals, of #roups, and of the o"erall or#ani$ation.

Absenteei Absenteeism: sm: Absenteeism is defined as the failure to report to work. Absenteeism is a hu#e, cost and disruption to employers.!t0s ob"iously difficult for an or#ani$ation to operate smoothly and to attain its ob+ecti"es if  employees fail to report to their +obs. %he work flow is disrupted, and often important decisions must be delayed. !n or#ani$a or#ani$ations tions that rely hea"ily on assembly assembly-line -line production, production, absenteeism absenteeism can be considera considerably bly more than a disruption it can result in a drastic reduction in the quality of output, and, in some cases, it can brin# about a complete shutdown of the production facility. 2e"els of absenteeism beyond the normal ran#e in any or#ani$ation ha"e a direct impact on that or#ani$ations effecti"eness and efficiency. %urno"err is the "oluntary and in"oluntar in"oluntary y permanent permanent withdrawal withdrawal from an or#ani$a or#ani$ation, tion, A hi#h Turnover %urno"e turno"er rate results in increased recruitin#, selection, and trainin# cost.  All or#ani$ations, of course, ha"e some turno"er. !f the 3ri#ht4 people are lea"in# the or#ani$ationthe mar#inal and sub mar#inal employeesturno"er can actually be positi"e. !t can create an opportunity to replace an underperformin# indi"idual with someone who has hi#her skills or moti"ation, open up increased opportunities for   promotions, and add new and fresh ideas to the or#ani$ation. !n todays chan#in# world of work, reasonable le"els of employee-initiated turno"er facilitate or#ani$ational flexibility and employee independence, and they can lessen the need for mana#ement-initiated layoffs. ut turno"er often in"ol"es the loss of people the or#ani$ation doesnt want to lose. *o when turno"er is

excessi"e, or when it in"ol"es "aluable performers, it can be a disrupti"e factor that hinders the or#ani$ations effecti"eness. D e v i a n t W o rk p l a c e B e h a v i o r e"iant workplace beha"ior 6also called antisocial behavior  or workplace incivility7 as "oluntary beha"ior that "iolates si#nificant or#ani$ational norms and, in doin# so, threatens the well bein# of the or#ani$ation or its members e"iant workplace beha"ior is an important concept because its a response to dissatisfaction, and employees express this dissatisfaction in many ways. 8ontrollin# one beha"ior may be ineffecti"e unless one #ets to the root cause. %he sophisticated mana#er will deal with root causes of problems that may result in de"iance rather  than sol"e one surface problem 6excessi"e absence7 only to see another one crop up 6increased theft or sabota#e7.

Organiational !itienship Behavior  Or#ani$ational citi$enship beha"ior 6987 is discretionary beha"ior  that is not part of an employees formal +ob requirements but that ne"ertheless promotes the effecti"e functionin# of  the or#ani$ation. *uccessful or#ani$ations need employees, who will do more than their usual +ob dutieswho will pro"ide  performance that is beyond  expectations. !n todays dynamic workplace, where tasks are increasin#ly d o n e i n teams and where flexibility is critical, or#ani$ations need employees who will en#a#e in :#ood citi$enship4  beha"iors such as helpin# others on their team, "olunteerin# for extra work, a"oidin# unnecessary conflicts, respectin# the spirit as well as the letter of rules and re#ulations and #racefully toleratin# occasional work-related impositions and nuisances. Or#ani$ations want and need employees who will do those thin#s that aren0t in any +ob description. And the e"idence indicates that or#ani$ations that ha"e such employees outperform those that dont. As a result, O is concerned with O8 as a dependent "ariable.

"ob #atis$action %he final dependent "ariable we will look at is +ob satisfaction, which we define as a  positi"e feelin# about ones +ob resultin# from an e"aluation of its characteristics. ;nlike the pre"ious fi"e "ariables,  +ob satisfaction represents an attitude rather than a beha"ior. (hy, then, has it become a primary dependent "ariable)