DOES ANY OF THIS STUFF REALLY MATTER? Organizational behavior might be the most relevant class any student ever takes, but that doesn’t always shine through in OB texts. The introductory section of our book contains two chapters not included in other books: Job Performance and Organizational Commitment. Being good at one’s job and wanting to stay with one’s employer are obviously critical concerns for employees and managers alike. After describing these topics in detail, every remaining chapter in the book links that chapter’s content to performance and commitment. Students can then better appreciate the practical relevance of organizational behavior concepts.

IF THAT THEORY DOESN’T WORK, THEN WHY IS IT IN THE BOOK? In putting together this book, we were guided by the question, “What would OB texts look like if all of them were first written now, rather than decades ago?” We found that many of the organizational behavior texts on the market include outdated (and indeed, scientifically disproven!) models or theories, presenting them sometimes as fact or possibly for the sake of completeness or historical context. Our students were always frustrated by the fact that they had to read about, learn, and potentially be tested on material that we knew to be wrong. Although historical context can be important at times, we believe that focusing on so-called “evidence-based management” is paramount in today’s fast-paced classes. Thus, this textbook includes new and emerging topics that others leave out and excludes flawed and outdated topics that some other books leave in.

HOW DOES ALL THIS STUFF FIT TOGETHER? Organizational behavior is a diverse and multidisciplinary field, and it’s not always easy to see how all its topics fit together. Our book deals with this issue in two ways. First, all of the chapters in our book are organized around an integrative model that opens each chapter (see the back of the book). That model provides students with a roadmap of the course, showing them where they’ve been and where they’re going. Second, our chapters are tightly focused around specific topics and aren’t “grabbaggish in nature. Our hope is that students (and instructors) won’t ever come across a topic and think, “Why is this topic being discussed in this chapter?”

DOES THIS STUFF HAVE TO BE SO DRY? Research on motivation to learn shows that students learn more when they have an intrinsic interest in the topic, but many OB texts do little to stimulate that interest. Put simply, we wanted to create a book that students enjoy reading. To do that, we used a more informal, conversational style when writing the book. We also tried to use company examples that students will be familiar with and find compelling. Finally, we included insert boxes, self-assessments, and exercises that students should find engaging (and sometimes even entertaining!).