Essentials of Organizational Behaviour, Canadian Edition, 4th edition

Published by Pearson Canada (March 23, 2026) © 2027
  • Stephen P. Robbins
  • Timothy A. Judge
  • Katherine Breward

Title overview

For courses in Organizational Behaviour.

A streamlined presentation of key organizational behavior concepts

Essentials of Organizational Behaviour was created as an alternative to the usual comprehensive textbook in organizational behaviour (OB). It attempts to provide balanced coverage of all the key elements making up the discipline of OB in a style that readers will find both informative and interesting. We're pleased to say that this learning resource has achieved a wide following in short courses and executive programs and in traditional courses as a companion volume with experiential, skill development, case, and readings books.

Content Highlights

  • Essentials of Organizational Behaviour includes extensive Canadian demographic information about workforce participation rates, labour market outcomes, work attitudes, and other organizational trends.
  • Examples throughout Essentials of Organizational Behaviour reflect balanced coverage of contemporary Canadian issues such as the implementation of multicultural ideals; reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples; privilege and non-conscious bias; equity and inclusion of vulnerable workers, including recently arrived immigrants, people with disabilities, and transgender employees; best practices for addressing sexual harassment and toxic organizational cultures; emerging standards for psychologically safe workplaces; and insights gained from recent human rights tribunal decisions.
  • Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives and related examples are included throughout, particularly in the chapters discussing diversity, work attitudes, leadership, organizational culture, and motivation. An Indigenous content contributor provided feedback on sections of chapters 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 11 to ensure that content related to Indigenous communities in Canada is accurate and respectful.
  • Short mini cases that reflect real-world business issues (including controversial ones), questions that test basic and applied comprehension, and a group discussion activity are included in each chapter to encourage reflection and applied learning.
  • “Implications for Managers” sections bring chapter topics together with practical advice for managers.

New to this Edition

  • New Build Your Skills features highlight how the content in each chapter relates back to the key skills outlined in the Employability Skills Matrix in chapter 1.
  • Specific examples involving named leaders, CEOs, and companies have been updated to be very current.
  • Statistical data, such as labour force participation rates and average earnings, have been updated throughout the text.
  • Important new research results have been added in, with a particular focus on Canadian research.
  • Content about the role of big data and AI in organizations has been significantly enhanced.
  • The diversity training content has been updated to reflect emerging best practices, including the Invisible Knapsack privilege exercise.
  • Two new mini cases have been added. One features group decision-making processes at a bakery and the other provides an assessment of the evolution of group norms around sharenting (parents sharing details of their children’s lives online, often as part of for-profit influencer activities).

Key features

Digital Assets in MyLab Management

  • AI Study Tool. Designed for students who want to save time and study efficiently, this eText includes Pearson’s new genAI study tool. When they open their eText, students can click the AI icon (available on any page) and request summaries, explanations, or practice questions. This tool offers consistent guidance when needed and provides quick, personalized support and feedback by referencing content from their Pearson text.
  • Personal Inventory Assessments (PIAs) and the associated self-reflection activities allow students to assess their own skills and abilities, reflect upon the impact of their scores, and provide tips for further development. In the self-reflection activities, students are asked to carefully consider the scores they received in their PIA assessments and the effect those traits and characteristics might have on their working lives. The likely impact on workplace behaviours, performance, and effectiveness is explored by either using hypothetical scenarios or asking students to reflect on past events in their lives. This practice personalizes the content and helps students transition from memorization of theory to applied learning.
  • AI Skills Modules: Interactive, auto-graded modules designed to teach students practical skills for using AI platforms and effectively engaging with AI-generated content.
  • Simulations: Decision-making activities that place students in real-world business scenarios and help teach critical thinking and other career readiness skills.
  • Scenario Case Study Assignments: Real-world case study assignments developed just for this text, including options for auto-graded and manually-graded assessment.
  • PIA Reflection Assignments: Reflection-based assignments, available as both writing or video exercises, asking students to reflect on their results from Personal Inventory Assessments (PIAs) and consider how this self-assessment might impact their personal and professional lives.
  • Using AI Assignments: Assignments developed for Management & OB courses that require students to use AI to complete an assignment aligned to management course concepts.
  • Dynamic Study Modules: An adaptive study tool that helps students learn course concepts via interactive, self-paced learning—helping them come to class prepared.
  • OB in the News: Pearson’s current events solution for instructors using MyLab Management, featuring weekly, course-aligned news updates and aligned multiple-choice and short writing assessments.
  • Video Assignments: Video assignments in every chapter help students apply course concepts to real-world companies and current events. YouTube-based video assignments offer additional opportunities for student engagement with up-to-date content.
  • Media-Based Assignments: Additional capabilities via Pearson’s MediaShare tool allow for assigning video and multimedia with auto-graded assessment, including options for group work, peer review, and student media.
  • Chapter Quizzes: Assess students’ knowledge of key course concepts and text material.
  • Career Resources: Forage Simulations and Pearson JobMatch offer unique career learning experiences for students.
  • Case Study Library: Flexible and growing collection of supplemental Case Study assignments, aligned to courses across the business school.
  • Classroom Response System: Engage your students with Pearson’s bring-your-own-device classroom response system, Learning Catalytics.

Table of contents

  1. What Is Organizational Behaviour?
  2. Organizational Culture
  3. Diversity in Organizations
  4. Attitudes, Emotions, Moods, and Stress Management
  5. Personality and Values
  6. Perception and Individual Decision Making
  7. Motivation
  8. Foundations of Group Behaviour
  9. Understanding Work Teams
  10. Communication
  11. Leadership
  12. Power and Politics
  13. Conflict and Negotiation
  14. Organizational Change

Author bios

Stephen P. Robbins previously worked for the Shell Oil Company and Reynolds Metals Company and has taught at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Concordia University in Montreal, the University of Baltimore, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and San Diego State University. He is currently professor emeritus in management at San Diego State. Dr. Robbins's research interests have focused on conflict, power, and politics in organizations; behavioral decision making; and the development of effective interpersonal skills. His articles on these and other topics have appeared in such journals as Business Horizons, the California Management Review, Business and Economic Perspectives, International Management, Management Review, Canadian Personnel and Industrial Relations, and The Journal of Management Education. Dr. Robbins is the world's best-selling textbook author in the areas of management and organizational behavior. His books have sold more than 12 million copies and have been translated into 20 languages. His books are currently used at more than 1,500 US colleges and universities, as well as hundreds of schools throughout Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and the Arab World. Dr. Robbins also participates in masters' track competition. Since turning 50 in 1993, he's won 23 national sprint championships and 14 world sprint titles. He was inducted into the US Masters Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2005. A full bio is available at stephenprobbins.com.

Timothy A. Judge is the Joseph A. Alutto Chair in Leadership Effectiveness, and Executive Director of the Fisher Leadership Initiative, Fisher College of Business, for The Ohio State University. In the past, Dr. Judge has been a Fellow of the Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, and Visiting Professor, Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, University College London. He has held academic positions at the University of Notre Dame, University of Florida, University of Iowa, Cornell University, and Charles University in the Czech Republic. Dr. Judge's primary research interests are in (1) personality, moods, and emotions; (2) job attitudes; (3) leadership; and (4) careers. Dr. Judge has published more than 155 articles in these and other major topics in refereed journals. He is a fellow of several professional societies, including the American Psychological Association, the Academy of Management, and the International Association of Applied Psychology. Among the many professional acknowledgments of his work, Dr. Judge has received the Heneman Career Achievement Award, the Mahoney Doctoral Mentoring Award, and the Scholarly Achievement Award, all from the Human Resources Division of the Academy of Management. In addition, a 2017 study identified him as the most cited out of more than 8,000 scholars in applied psychology. Dr. Judge is a co-author of Organizational Behavior with Stephen P. Robbins, and Staffing Organizations with John Kammeyer-Mueller. Judge's primary nonwork passion revolves around rock climbing and mountaineering. He has climbed the three highest peaks in the UK and nearly half of the highest peaks in the lower forty-eight states. He and his wife Jill are the parents of three children. 

Katherine E. Breward Ph.D., University of Winnipeg

Dr. Breward is an Associate Professor at the University of Winnipeg in the Faculty of Business and Economics. Her primary research interests include non-conscious prejudice, workplace discrimination, disability accommodation, and best practices in diversity management.

Dr. Breward's work has appeared in the Palgrave Handbook of Disability at Work; the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies; the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health; the British Journal of Management; Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: An International Journal; the Case Research Journal; and Conversation Canada. Her award-winning teaching cases are known for their focus on fostering empathy for “the other” and for helping students make strong connections between abstract theory and real-world evidence based best practices in the workplace.

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