What is Organizational Behavior Theory


What is Organizational Behavior theory

Understanding Organizational Behavior (OB) is more important than ever in business these days, as we drive for greater efficiency and stronger and more dynamic teams.

OB is extremely useful because it helps us examine how individuals and groups behave within our company, thus providing us with a better understanding of what drives performance, and employee motivation, and gets the best results for us in terms of teamwork.

But how does this relate to employee training?

By understanding Organisational Behaviour, we can learn to better understand exactly what types and styles of training employees and managers are more likely to benefit from understanding:

  • What learning style do they best learn from?
  • What motivates each employee most and will work best in terms of training?
  • What training will have the most impact and likely produce the best results for employees?
  • What is the behavior of each employee in terms of what will work best for them training-wise?

Whether you’re an HR professional, a training manager, a business leader, or a team manager, understanding some basics of Organizational Behavior Theory, helps to understand what makes for effective training strategies that enhance employee engagement, learning, and productivity.

What is Organizational Behavior Theory

There are various definitions and explanations but I would explain OB as being:

The interdisciplinary exploration of how individuals, groups, and structures within a company or organization interact to shape behaviors, performance, and employee and company culture, with the aim of forming better decision-making, adaptable leadership, and sustainable organizational growth and success to create a dynamic workplace.

Why Organizational Behavior Theory Matters for Employee Training

Something that is always worth remembering and never losing sight of, is the fact that as a company or organization, our employees are a key asset.

For this reason, systems, structures, and strategies that we put in place as management, must work for the people we employ, if we seek to get the best results as a company.

The issue though, is that employees each come with individual and different motivations, personalities, and ways of learning and understanding and providing for these individual behaviours can be complex.

The concept of Organizational Behavior Theory though, helps us make more sense of this complexity, offering us a way to begin to understand what drives each employee and their performance, and how we can best provide them training that is tailored to best support them while also meeting the company’s goals.

For instance, in OB we can draw on different approaches and theories such as:

  • Motivation Theories such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are useful to draw on because they remind us that employees need to feel valued and safe before they can focus on skills development.
  • Leadership Styles that impact how employees perceive and engage with training programs.
  • Group Dynamics and their influence on how teams collaborate in learning settings, whether in-person or online.

In essence, OB acts as a guide, to help us provide training programs that are not just tick-box exercises but that have true value and that can lead to real growth both, for the employee and the company/organization.

What is organizational behavior infographic

The History of Organizational Behavior in Training

The concept of organizational behaviour has developed over time and it can be useful to understand some basics of its history, so let’s take a quick look at OB and in particular, its connection to employee training.

1. The Scientific Management Era

In the early 20th century, Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management highlighted efficiency and task optimization as being important.

This approach was somewhat rigid, but it laid the groundwork for how we can better understand how structured training could improve performance.

Building on Taylor’s approach, these days task analysis, for example, is a key part of training design.

2. The Human Relations Movement

The concept of Hawthorne Studies by Elton Mayo changed the focus somewhat from us only seeing the human side of work.

These studies highlighted the importance of social dynamics and employee satisfaction, if we wish to improve performance, underscoring the value of building a supportive environment during training.

3. Modern Approaches

Contemporary OB theories, such as Systems Thinking and Contingency Theory, highlight the importance of seeing the organisation as a whole.

Training is not just about individual employees, but also about aligning their development inline with organizational goals.

How Organizational Behavior Influences Employee Training

OB is great when we are thinking about employee training because it can help us better understand how training should be shaped according to the employees being trained.

In other words, we can make better and more informed decisions in order to improve things for both the employee and the company at the same time. Some ways we can do this include:

1. Understanding Individual Learning Needs

Each and every employee has their own distinct learning style, preferences and underlying motivation.

OB theories are useful here because they help us identify and cater to these different preferences:

  • Motivation Theories: Training programs that build on Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, for instance, can address intrinsic motivators (i.e. personal growth) and remove demotivators.
  • Learning Styles: Models such as Kolb’s Learning Styles help us, as training designers, to design programs that appeal to hands-on learners, reflective thinkers, or conceptual problem-solvers.

2. Enhancing Group-Based Training

Group dynamics play a crucial role in collaborative training sessions and OB also helps us better understand how we can foster effective teamwork. We can, for example:

  • Use Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development (forming, storming, norming, performing) to guide team-building exercises.
  • Leverage insights into groupthink and social loafing to design activities that work well in group settings.

3. Shaping a Learning Culture

Organizational culture is a strong influence of how employees perceive and engage with training:

  • A learning-oriented culture promotes curiosity and innovation. Use Schein’s Organizational Culture Model to diagnose and nurture such a culture.
  • Leadership commitment to training creates a ripple effect, signalling to everyone how important training is in the company.

Uses for OB in Training Programs

Let’s look a little deeper at how Organisational Behaviour can be used in training programs for employees:

1. Motivating Employees to Learn

Motivation is at the heart of effective training. By applying OB theories, you can:

  • Create personalized learning pathways that align with employee goals.
  • Use gamification techniques to make learning engaging, leveraging insights into behavioural psychology.

2. Facilitating Learning in Virtual Environments

With remote and hybrid work on the rise, training must adapt:

  • Foster collaboration using OB principles like shared goals and virtual team-building activities.
  • Address challenges like digital fatigue by incorporating interactive and visually engaging content.

3. Evaluating Training Effectiveness

OB guides us in measuring the real impact of training:

  • Use Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Model to evaluate reaction, learning, behaviour change, and results.
  • Incorporate feedback mechanisms to continuously improve training design.

This is the initial portion of the post. Let me know if you’d like me to expand further into the remaining sections or refine specific areas!

Organizational Behaviour Trends in Employee Training

Employee training has evolved a lot in recent years, including via the impact of technology, a growing emphasis on inclusivity, because of an increase in workplace generational diversity, and because of more global workplaces.

Organizational Behavior plays a very useful role if we wish to find solutions to these trends, helping us to ensure that training remains relevant and impactful.

Here are some key developments in recent years:

1. Technology-Driven Learning

Technology has transformed how organisations deliver training, making it more accessible, engaging, and data-driven. OB insights ensure that these advancements are effectively integrated:

  • E-learning and Self-Paced Learning: Digital platforms allow employees to learn at their own pace, but OB highlights the importance of balancing autonomy with structured guidance.
  • Gamification: Rooted in behavioural psychology, gamification leverages rewards, competition, and instant feedback to motivate learners.
  • Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics: AI-powered tools can analyse employee behaviour to recommend personalized learning paths, addressing individual needs more precisely.

2. Adapting Training for Remote and Hybrid Workforces

The move toward remote and hybrid working has reshaped training delivery. OB principles are critical in designing programs that keep employees connected and engaged:

  • Use virtual breakout rooms to encourage collaboration in group activities, applying knowledge of group dynamics.
  • Address the sense of isolation some remote workers may feel by incorporating regular live sessions and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

3. Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Training

Organisations are increasingly prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and training programs must reflect this shift:

  • OB principles help identify unconscious biases and barriers that may affect training design or delivery.
  • Tailor programs to accommodate diverse cultural backgrounds, communication styles, and learning preferences, fostering an inclusive learning environment.

4. Building Emotional Intelligence

As workplaces become more collaborative and dynamic, emotional intelligence (EI) has emerged as a critical skill. Training programs can:

  • Incorporate EI frameworks to improve empathy and interpersonal skills.
  • Use OB insights to design exercises that encourage employees to reflect on their behaviour and its impact on others.

Challenges in Applying Organizational Behaviour to Employee Training

While OB offers a solid framework for improving training outcomes, applying its principles also means some challenges, that you might need to address.

1. Overcoming Resistance to Change

Employees often resist training initiatives, often seeing the new training as unnecessary, and simply something that they do not wish to have to learn or feel they have time to learn.

Learning can be scary for many employees in that they may be worried about failing and unable to master whatever is being taught. There are a few things you can do though:

  • As the training coordinator, try to align the training goals with the employee’s own personal career goals , as well as company objectives, where practical.
  • Use Lewin’s Change Management Model (unfreeze, change, refreeze) to aid acceptance and commitment to learning.

2. Bridging Generational Gaps

We have a greater age range and generational gap in the workplace these days, and different generations have differing expectations and learning preferences:

  • Millennials and Gen Z generally tend to prefer tech-driven, bite-sized microlearning, on-demand training, while older employees generally tend to prefer more traditional methods of training such as face-to-face.
  • OB encourages adopting a blended learning approach that includes all learning preferences generationally.
  • Providing training to managers on Generational Diversity can help their understanding when it comes to managing different generations and how training is provided.

3. Sustaining Engagement Over Time

Maintaining interest in training, especially for long-term initiatives, can be difficult for many employees:

  • Use OB principles such as intrinsic motivation and goal-setting to keep employees committed.
  • Provide regular feedback and celebrate milestones to sustain momentum.

Organizational Behavior and the Future of Training

What role Organizational Behavior will play in shaping training strategies is not easy today but here are my personal thoughts:

1. AI and Machine Learning in Training

Artificial intelligence will continue to revolutionize training in a number go ways:

  • Predicting employee training needs based on behavioural patterns and performance data will become easier.
  • So delivering more personalized training content that adapts to each individual learner’s progress and preferences will occur.

2. Mental Health and Well-Being in Training

Organizations these days are placing even greater emphasis on employee well-being, and training programs will reflect this:

3. Sustainability-Focused Training

As organisations adopt sustainable practices, training will play a crucial role in driving behavioural change:

  • Educate employees on sustainability goals and their role in achieving them.
  • Use OB theories to encourage pro-environmental behaviour and long-term commitment.

4. Predictive Analytics for Proactive Learning

OB and data analytics will enable us to better anticipate skill gaps before they arise, enabling us to:

  • Stay ahead of industry trends by proactively upskilling employees.
  • Create agile training programs that evolve alongside business needs.

Final Thoughts

Organisational Behaviour Theory provides a powerful lens for helping us understand the complexities of human behaviour in the workplace and for us to then use these insights to design impactful employee training programs.

By integrating OB principles, we can create training experiences that not only enhance skills but also drive employee engagement, collaboration, and innovation.

OB also leads us to understand that effective training is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

It’s about understanding people, their motivations, learning styles, and behaviours, and using this understanding to unlock their full potential.

If you are ready to embrace OB-driven training, you have the opportunity to develop more skilled, motivated, and resilient employees in the future.

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Dr Paul Symonds
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