A Theory of Behavior in Organizations

A Theory of Behavior in Organizations develops a theory for organizational behavior, or, more accurately, a theory of individual behavior within organizations of behavior.
The book begins by discussing a series of general issues involved in the theory of behavior in organizations. It then describes the theory itself in three stages: first, the general structure of the theory; second, definition of the key variables; and third, the interrelationships between the variables. Subsequent chapters show how the theory deals specifically with such issues as roles, decision making, and motivation.
The theory presented is a cognitive theory of behavior. It assumes that man is rational (or at least nonrandom) for the most part, and that as a systematic or nonrandom generator of behavior, man's actions are explained best in terms of conscious, thinking acts on the part of the individual. The theory deals with why the individual chooses certain alternative courses of action in preference to others, and thus it might properly be called a theory of choice behavior. Whereas the emphasis is on the cognitive aspects of behavior, considerable attention has been devoted to external, noncognitive variables in the system that play meaningful roles in the determination of individual behavior.

Preface

1. A Viewpoint Concerning Organizational Behavior Defining Behavior Behavior versus Products The Role of the Environment Individual Differences The Perceptual Process The Motivational Process The Learning Process and the Role of Memory Affect
2. The Theory Definitions of Symbols Used in Theory Key States and Variables in the Theory Individual Differences Interrelationships between the Variables: the Causal Sources of Influence
3. Judgment The Judgmental Process Judgment Systems Criterion Systems The Judgment Space Summary
4. The Role of Judgment within the Theory Initial Perceptions Contingency Perceptions Evaluation Perceptions The Comparison Process Affective Cognitions Utility of Products Utility of Acts Some Commentary on Judgment and the Behavior of Individuals Real versus Theoretical Judgment Processes-the Degraded System Types of Heuristics Concluding Comments
5. Roles and Role Behaviors A Definition of Roles The Role Process in the Theory Role Compliance Role Conflict Role Ambiguity Role Negotiation Concluding Remarks
6. Motivation Defining Motivation The Motivation Process Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Phenomenological Simplification of the Motivation Process
7. Leadership: A Major Factor of the Social Environment Environments Leadership Leadership within the Theory Other Leadership Theories and Models Conclusion: A Perspective on Leadership
8. Organizational Climate True Attributes versus Perceived Attributes Climate as a Judgmental Process A Schematic Representation of Climate Shared Climate Perceptions: What are They? Is Organizational Climate a Useful Construct? The Relationship of Climate to Behavior
9. Some Concluding Comments Referen