The latest trends and developments in organizational behavior research and practice

Organizational behavior is the study of how people interact and influence each other within and across organizations. It covers topics such as motivation, leadership, teamwork, culture, ethics, diversity, and change. Organizational behavior research and practice aim to understand and improve human behavior in the workplace and beyond.

As the world of work evolves rapidly due to technological, social, economic, and environmental changes, organizational behavior research and practice also need to keep up with the latest trends and developments. Here are some of the emerging themes and issues that are shaping organizational behavior in 2022 and beyond:

Fairness and equity

One of the most pressing challenges for organizations today is how to ensure fairness and equity for all their stakeholders, especially their employees. Fairness and equity refer to the perception that people are treated fairly and equally according to their needs, contributions, and expectations. Fairness and equity can affect employee engagement, performance, satisfaction, retention, and well-being. However, fairness and equity are not easy to achieve or maintain, especially in a diverse and dynamic workforce. Organizations need to address various sources of unfairness and inequity, such as discrimination, bias, favoritism, pay gap, power imbalance, or lack of transparency. Organizations also need to adopt policies and practices that promote fairness and equity, such as diversity and inclusion initiatives, flexible work arrangements, performance management systems, or employee voice mechanisms.

Technology and innovation

Technology is transforming the way people work and communicate in organizations. Technology can enable new forms of collaboration, creativity, learning, and problem-solving. Technology can also create new challenges and opportunities for organizational behavior. For example, technology can facilitate remote work, which can offer more flexibility and autonomy for employees but also pose difficulties in coordination, communication, trust, and work-life balance. Technology can also enable artificial intelligence (AI), which can augment human capabilities but also raise ethical, legal, and social implications. Organizations need to leverage technology and innovation to enhance organizational effectiveness and efficiency but also to manage their potential risks and drawbacks.

Sustainability and ethics

Another major trend that affects organizational behavior is the growing concern for sustainability and ethics in the business world. Sustainability refers to the ability of organizations to meet their current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Ethics refers to the moral principles that guide the decisions and actions of organizations and their members. Sustainability and ethics are closely related because they both reflect the values and responsibilities of organizations toward their stakeholders and society at large. Sustainability and ethics can influence organizational behavior in various ways. For example, sustainability and ethics can motivate employees to engage in pro-social behaviors such as volunteering or donating. Sustainability and ethics can also shape organizational culture by fostering a sense of purpose, identity, or pride among employees. Organizations need to adopt sustainability and ethics as strategic priorities by aligning their vision, mission, goals, policies, and practices with them.

Change and resilience

The final trend that impacts organizational behavior is the constant change and uncertainty that characterize the modern workplace. Change can be driven by various factors such as technology, competition, regulation, customer demand, or crisis. Change can bring about opportunities for growth and improvement but also challenges for adaptation and survival. Resilience refers to the ability of individuals or organizations to cope with change or adversity by bouncing back or even thriving from them. Resilience is a key factor for organizational behavior because it can affect employee performance, well-being, and retention. Organizations need to foster resilience among their employees by providing them with resources such as support, feedback, training, or coaching. Organizations also need to develop resilience as a collective capacity by creating a culture of learning, innovation, or agility.

Works Cited:

(1) 11 Trends that Will Shape Work in 2022 and Beyond - Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/01/11-trends-that-will-shape-work-in-2022-and-beyond

(2) (PDF) New Trends in Organizational Behavior - ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358356661_New_Trends_in_Organizational_Behavior

(3) Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/bar

Enroll for an MBA in Human Resource Management at the Britts Imperial University College. Call +971 522161783