Organizational Behavior
In the field of Organizational Behavior, researchers draw on the methods and concepts of psychology and sociology to examine complex organizations and the ways that people behave within them.
Students in the Organizational Behavior program are prepared to pursue an interdisciplinary inquiry into issues that are broadly related to the functioning of individuals within groups, at either the micro or macro level.
Our program offers two distinct tracks:
Micro-organizational behavior
takes a psychological approach to the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and groups, and the effects that groups have on individuals.
Macro-organizational behavior
uses sociological methods to examine the organizations, groups, and markets themselves, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationships between social missions and financial objectives.
Prospective students will apply to the PhD in Organizational Behavior. The Organizational Behavior program is jointly administered by the faculty of Harvard Business school and the Department of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Curriculum & Coursework
Our programs are full-time degree programs which officially begin in August. Students are expected to complete their program in five years. Typically, the first two years are spent on coursework, at the end of which students take a field exam, and then another three years on dissertation research and writing.
Program RequirementsResearch & Dissertation
Students in Organizational Behavior begin research in the summer preceding their first year by working with an HBS faculty member. Over the first two years in the program, students are encouraged to explore their research interests as they complete relevant coursework. Upon completion of coursework, students prepare and present a dossier that includes a qualifying paper, at least two other research papers, and a statement outlining a plan for dissertation.
Students will then prepare a dissertation prospectus, which must be reviewed by a prospectus committee typically comprised of at least three faculty members. The dissertation requires students to develop substantial original contribution to the field of Organizational Behavior; it can take the form of an extended study of one topic or a set of three or more related research papers.
Recent questions students have explored include:
cross-group relations, stress, and the subsequent effect on performance;
internal group dynamics of corporate boards of directors;
organizational mission and its effect on commitment and effort; and
psychological tendencies and collaboration with dissimilar others.
I received outstanding, rigorous training in disciplinary methods and also benefit from the myriad resources that HBS has to offer. HBS scholars are looking to apply their research to real-world problems, come up with interventions, and make a real difference.
Evan DeFilippisOrganizational Behavior, 2023
Current PhD Students
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