The outline in the previous section is helpful in answering this question. However, if I were pressed to provide an even shorter thumbnail sketch, my answer would be as follows:

This chapter lays out the parameters within which the study of OB can begin. This is done by defining what organizational behaviour, and organizations are. While this may seem quite basic, it is nonetheless essential in guiding the rest of the book and the course. Think of these as the goal posts for the course within which we play (I mean learn).

Once the agreed upon definitions are out of the way, there is a brief section on the challenges or trends which affect the workplace. Some of these you may already be familiar with, and they are ideally suited for class discussion.

Defining the field of OB continues with what the author refers to as anchors of OB. These "anchors" represent the way scholars think about OB and how it should be studied. Think of these as conceptual pillars upon which OB rests. There are five of them. They provide guidance for approaching the study of OB.

The last part of the chapter deals with how organizations manage knowledge – a very important resource. This knowledge is called intellectual capital, and is further subdivided into three kinds of capital.

That's it! That's what the chapter is mostly about. For a more detailed version of the above read the chapter summary in the text. Although, it is a summary it serves very well as an introduction. That's a tip for the other chapters too.