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Organizational Behavior
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Organizational Behavior
A Skill-Building Approach

Fourth Edition
January 2027 | 536 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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Organizational Behavior: A Skill-Building Approach, Fourth Edition examines how individual characteristics, group dynamics, and organizational factors affect performance, motivation, and job satisfaction, providing students with a holistic understanding of OB. Translating the latest research into practical applications and best practices, authors Christopher P. Neck, Jeffery D. Houghton, and Emma L. Murray unpack how managers can develop their managerial skills to unleash the potential of their employees.

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Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Part I: Introduction to Organizational Behavior
 
Chapter 1: Why Organizational Behavior Matters
What Is Organizational Behavior and Why Is It Important?

 
Managing Human Capital

 
Behavioral Science Disciplines That Contribute to OB

 
A Critical-Thinking Approach to OB

 
OB Challenges and Opportunities

 
Three Levels of Analysis in OB

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Up for Debate: People vs. Technology: What Should Organizations Invest In Most?

 
Exercise 1.1: Organizational Behavior in an International Firm

 
Exercise 1.2: Who Can Be CEO?

 
Exercise 1.3: Your Experience With OB

 
Online Exercise 1.2: Understanding Skills

 
Case 1.1: Hilton: Organizational Culture as Competitive Advantage

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 2: Individual Differences and Diversity in Organizations
The Importance of Individual Differences

 
Age Diversity. Today’s workforce spans five generations, including baby boomers (Michael Jordan), Generation X (Malala Yousafzai), and millennials (Taylor Swift).

 
Diversity and Identity

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Up for Debate: Cognitive Differences vs. Demographic Differences: What Matters More for Team Success?

 
Exercise 3.1: Using DiSC to Evaluate a Celebrity

 
Exercise 3.2: Applying The Big Five Factor Model

 
Exercise 3.3: Evaluating the Major Trait Theories

 
Online Exercise 3.1: Understanding Personal Conception

 
Online Exercise 3.2: Evaluating Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy

 
Notes

 
 
Part II: Individual Processes
 
Chapter 3: Personality and Character Strengths
What is Personality and Why is it Important?

 
Nature Versus Nurture

 
The Trait Theories of Personality

 
Character Strengths

 
Other Personality Attributes

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Up for Debate: Personality vs. Job Skills: What Better Predicts Workplace Success?

 
Exercise 3.1: Using DiSC to Evaluate a Celebrity

 
Exercise 3.2: Applying The Big Five Factor Model

 
Exercise 3.3: Evaluating the Major Trait Theories

 
Online Exercise 3.1: Understanding Personal Conception

 
Online Exercise 3.2: Evaluating Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 4: Perception and Learning
Perception: Interpreting Our Environment

 
Common Perceptual Distortions

 
Common Attribution Errors

 
Learning Processes: Behavioral Theory

 
Learning Processes: The Cognitive View

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Up for Debate: Employee Perceptions or Organizational Processes: Which Has Greater Impact on Performance and Learning?

 
Exercise 4.1: The Power of Perception

 
Exercise 4.2: How Are Stereotypes Formed?

 
Exercise 4.3: The Maze Rat and Positive Reinforcement and Punishment

 
Online Exercise 4.1: Understanding Perceptions About Workplace Norms

 
Online Exercise 4.2: Understanding Learning Processes

 
Case 4.1: Boeing and Perception of Safety Culture

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 5: Emotions, Attitudes, and Stress
Emotions in Organizational Behavior

 
Emotions in the Workplace

 
Attitudes and Behavior

 
Stress in the Workplace

 
Stress-Related Outcomes and Employee Well-being

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Up for Debate: Emotional Well-Being or Short-Term Performance: What Should Organizations Prioritize?

 
Exercise 5.1: Coping With Stress

 
Exercise 5.2: Role Play for Recognizing Emotions

 
Exercise 5.3: Mourning at the Deco Chocolate Company

 
Online Exercise 5.1: Understanding Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

 
Online Exercise 5.2: Understanding Emotions

 
Case 5.1: Zoom and the Emotional Shift of Work Expectations

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 6: Motivation: Concepts and Theoretical Perspectives
The Motivation Process

 
Needs Theories

 
Goal-Setting Theory

 
Equity Theory

 
Expectancy Theory

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Up for Debate: Stretch Goals and Stress: Do Highly Challenging Targets Drive Success or Harm Motivation?

 
Exercise 6.1: Understanding Equity Theory

 
Exercise 6.2: Is Money a Motivator?

 
Exercise 6.3: Your Motivation for Selecting Your Major

 
Online Exercise 6.1: Which Theory for Your Favorite Characters?

 
Online Exercise 6.2: Identifying Motivation Theories

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 7: Motivating Performance
Intrinsic Motivation

 
Types of Extrinsic Rewards

 
Motivation Through Job Design

 
Psychological Empowerment

 
Using Alternative Work Arrangements to Motivate Employees

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Up for Debate: Motivation at Work - Purpose or Pay?

 
Exercise 7.1: Understanding Job Design

 
Exercise 7.2: Charity Begins With Motivation

 
Exercise 7.3: Role-Playing Job Design

 
Online Exercise 7.1: Finding Examples of Individual Performance-Based Pay

 
Online Exercise 7.2: Intrinsic Motivation and Extrinsic Rewards

 
Notes

 
 
Part III: Interpersonal and Group Processes
 
Chapter 8: Teams
The Difference Between Teams and Groups

 
Team Processes and Outcomes

 
Types of Teams

 
Team Context and Composition

 
Team Decision-Making

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Up for Debate: Teamwork vs. Talent - What Really Wins?

 
Exercise 8.1: Practicing 6-3-5 Brainstorming

 
Exercise 8.2: A Nominal Brainstorm About the Delphi Technique

 
Exercise 8.3: Consulting at Bella Nota

 
Online Exercise 8.1: Virtual Team Project

 
Online Exercise 8.2: Observing Effective Teams

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 9: Decision-Making, Creativity, and Innovation
Decision-Making and Problem-Solving

 
Decision-Making in the Real World

 
Creativity and Innovation and Decision-Making in Individuals, Teams, and Organizations

 
A Three-Component Model of Creativity

 
The Innovation Process and Decision-Making

 
Types of Innovation in Organizations

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Up for Debate: When Data Becomes the Decision Maker

 
Exercise 9.1: Practicing Innovation

 
Exercise 9.2: Decision-Making Process Role Play

 
Exercise 9.3: Watch Me Get Creative Here

 
Online Exercise 9.1: Programmed and Nonprogrammed Decisions Discussion

 
Online Exercise 9.2: Creativity Through a Vision Board

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 10: Effective Communication
The Need for Effective Communication in the Workplace

 
Communication Channels

 
Barriers to Communication

 
Communicating in Organizations

 
Intercultural Communication

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
UP FOR DEBATE: Silence Is Learned, Not Chosen

 
Exercise 11.1: Overcoming Barriers to Effective Communication

 
Exercise 11.2: There’s an App for That

 
Exercise 11.3: The Telephone Game

 
Online Exercise 11.1: Examples of Poor Communication

 
Online Exercise 11.2: Assessing Nonverbal Communication

 
Case 10.1: JetBlue Airways and Communication in Service Recovery

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 11: Trust, Conflict, and Negotiation
Trust in Organizations

 
Conflict in Teams and Organizations

 
Conflict Management Strategies

 
Negotiation and Dispute Resolution

 
Bargaining Approaches

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Trust: the reliance on someone’s integrity, ability, honesty, and reliability

 
UP FOR DEBATE When Conflict Becomes a Strategy

 
Exercise 12.1: Which Is More Important? Handling Conflict

 
Exercise 12.2: Tension, Conflict, Resolution

 
Exercise 12.3: Win as Much as You Can

 
Online Exercise 12.1: What Conflict Management Strategy Do You Use?

 
Online Exercise 12.2: Who Do You Distrust? And Why?

 
Case 11.1: UPS, the Teamsters, and When Conflict Forces Negotiation

 
Notes

 
 
Part IV: Leadership, Power, and Ethics
 
Chapter 12: Leadership Perspectives
What Is Leadership?

 
Formal and Informal Leadership

 
Basic Leadership Types

 
Traditional Leadership Perspectives

 
Power-Distributing Leadership Perspectives

 
Values-Based Leadership Perspectives

 
Leadership and Gender

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
UP FOR DEBATE: Which Leadership Style Works Best During Crisis?

 
Exercise 13.1: Identifying Types of Leadership

 
Exercise 13.2: Leadership Jolt

 
Exercise 13.3: The Challenge of Leadership

 
Online Exercise 13.1: Assessing Leadership of a CEO

 
Online Exercise 13.2: How Do You Define Leadership?

 
Case 13.2: Chobani and Transformational Leadership Through Purpose

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 13: Influence, Power, and Politics
Power: Definition and Overview

 
Basic Sources of Power

 
Using Power: Tactics for Influencing Others

 
Organizational Politics

 
Four Different Types of Organizational Politics

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
UP FOR DEBATE: Is Organizational Politics Necessary for Career Success?

 
Exercise 13.1: Tactics for Influencing Others

 
Exercise 14.2: I Have the Power

 
Exercise 14.3: Grappling With Organizational Politics

 
Online Exercise 14.1: Understanding the Consequences of Influence Tactics

 
Online Exercise 14.2: Understanding Organizational Politics

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 14: Ethics and Social Responsibility in Organizations
Why Ethics Matter in Organizations

 
Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks

 
Ethical Leadership and Ethical Followership

 
Building and Sustaining an Ethical Culture

 
Social responsibility and Ethical Impact

 
Ethics in Action Across Business Functions

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
Up for Debate: The AI Trolley Problem

 
Exercise 10.1: Ethical Situations

 
Exercise 10.2: Creating a Code of Ethics

 
Exercise 10.3: What Is Fair?

 
Online Exercise 10.1: Good and Bad Examples of Social Responsibility

 
Online Exercise 10.2: Writing a Social Responsibility Statement

 
Case 14.2: Anthropic and Ethical AI Leadership

 
Notes

 
 
Part V: Organizational Systems and Context
 
Chapter 15: Organizations and Culture
What Is Organizational Culture?

 
Artifacts and Functions of Organizational Culture

 
Types of Organizational Cultures

 
Employee Fit With Organizational Culture

 
Adapting Organizational Practices across Cultures

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
UP FOR DEBATE: The Cost of High Performance

 
Exercise 15.1: That’s the Way We Do Things Around Here!

 
Categorizing Your Culture

 
Exercise 15.2: What Are the Artifacts of Your University?

 
Exercise 15.3: You Got Lucky

 
Online Exercise 15.1: Examples of Poor Communication

 
Online Exercise 15.2: Understanding Cultures in Foreign Countries

 
Case 15.2: Buc-ee’s and When Customer Service Culture Breaks Down

 
Notes

 
 
Chapter 16: Organizational Change and Structure
The Change Process

 
Forces for Change

 
Resistance to Change

 
Organizational Structure

 
Organizational Development

 
In Review

 
Key Terms

 
UP FOR DEBATE: Organizational Survival Versus Employee Stability

 
Exercise 16.1: Overcoming Resistance to Change

 
Exercise 16.2: The Structure versus Strategy Debate

 
Exercise 16.3: Road to Change and Development

 
Online Exercise 16.1: Analyzing Organizational Structure

 
Online Exercise 16.2: Understanding Forces for Change

 
Case 16.1: Red Lobster and Organizational Decline in a Changing Market

 
Notes

 
 
Glossary
 
Notes
 
Name Index
 
Subject Index

An OB premier for that 'go to' baseline knowledge on the topic.

Professor Zwanziger Elsinger
University of Wisconsin Platteville

This is a very good book, and has abundant examples, videos, cases and exercises to stimulate student's intellectual curiosity, as well as help them learn.

Professor Muntakim Choudhury, Assistant Professor of Business Studies
Stockton University

Concise and to the point with real world examples.

Professor Kristin Lee Sotak
SUNY Oswego

A great textbook that effectively balances real-world practical organizational behavior concepts and practices with the theoretical.

Professor Bert Kollard
Wright State University

Good application of the materials. Nicely puts together with only the most important and necessary points in the concepts.

Professor Linda Anzalone
St. Joseph's College

This is a well-written OB text that is research-based and covers theories, concepts, and applications and enables students to not only acquire content knowledge, but also to develop skills and a greater awareness of organizational functioning.

Professor Howard Stanger
Canisius College
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
  • The new edition is available in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
    • NEW! An AI Literacy module prepares students to engage confidently with today’s AI tools through an interactive, outcomes-focused experience—with minimal instructor lift and no course redesign required. Available exclusively in Sage Vantage and written by professors who teach and publish about AI, the AI Information Literacy, Academic Integrity, and Responsible AI Use module integrates video, data driven examples, applied activities, Knowledge Checks, and built-in assessments that help instructors track student understanding. Focused on strengthening critical thinking, the module teaches students how to evaluate AI outputs for accuracy and bias while developing responsible prompting strategies that support academic success without compromising students’ intellectual growth.
  • 60% new chapter references provide the most current research on OB concepts and theories.
  • Revised chapters on Individual Differences and Diversity in Organizations, and Personality and Character Strengths highlight issues of our rapidly evolving dynamic world of work with new supporting research.
  • New and expanded coverage of individual differences and diversity in organizations, personality and character strengths, and workplace fairness and connection.
  • 20 new case studies on real-world companies such as Nvidia, OpenAI, Spotify, and Hubspot.
  • New experiential exercises and new online exercises have been added to each chapter for easy use in face-to-face, online, and hybrid classes.
KEY FEATURES:
  • Emphasis on explaining why organizational behavior matters and debunking the myth that OB is just common sense.
  • Up For Debate features challenge students to think critically about controversial management issues.
  • Examining the Evidence boxed features unpack cutting-edge research findings.
  • A skill-building approach along with an emphasis on critical thinking equips students with the mindset and skills needed to thrive in today’s organizations.
  • 30 real-world case studies profile a wide range of companies and individuals using OB theories and concepts.
  • Experiential exercises, online self-assessments, and Thinking Critically questions allow students to engage with the content and understand how organizational behavior affects their lives.
Vantage Reference: 
Organizational Behavior - Vantage Learning Platform