Organization behaviour has to be seen as both a practical and an academic field. A discipline in itself, it is also a cross-disciplinary endeavour. Essentially the word 'organization' has two different meanings: one refers to a particular social collectivity and the other to organizational properties of collectivities. The field of organization behaviour is sub-divided into specialist topics according to various criteria. The main ones are: the level of aggregation and analysis; specific aspects of organizational life; goal-, product- or service-related specificities; criteria of performance in organizational domains; particular approaches to theory-building; synchronic or diachronic perspectives.

Sub-divisions cannot be broken up into separate compartments. A satisfactory treatment of one specific topic usually requires reference to other fields. This requirement can be described by reciprocal 'predication', whereby a specific organizational insight emerges on the basis of different insights from other sub-fields.

Despite the co-existence of different theoretical and research traditions, a coherent body of organization behaviour theory can be summarized. Dominant explanatory factors are utilitarian, culturalist and institutionalist approaches. There are also different types of theory distinguished by their epistemological foundations: nomothetic, idiographic and dialectic approaches. Such approaches compete with one another, but they can also be intertwined. Academic advance and innovation in organization behaviour proceeds through the mutual competition and cross-fertilization of distinct approaches. It can be argued that more satisfactory accounts and explanations result when students are competent in different approaches and in combining these to create new fields.

This is also the basis for an effective cross-fertilization between theory, research and practice. A pragmatic, undogmatic handling of theoretical approaches leads to more useful practical recipes, and organization behaviour theory and research thrive where practical organizational experience is systematically integrated into a more properly academic treatment.

Arndt Sorge