After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Describe the field of organizational behavior and explain its importance.
2. Trace the historical roots of the field of organizational behavior.
3. Discuss the emergence of contemporary organizational behavior, including its precursors, the Hawthorne studies, and the human relations perspective.
4. Explain the characteristics and concepts of contemporary organizational behavior.
5. Identify and discuss contextual perspectives on organizational behavior.