Bringing Together the Fields of Organizational Behavior with Organizational Economics

Abstract

We present a framework how research on organizational economics and organizational behavior can complement each other. By doing so, we highlight that an approach that bases on a complementarity may address research issues that can be addressed neither by approaches from the field of organi-zational behavior nor from the field of organizational economics. To develop our argument, we begin with a literature review on the controversy between scholars from the fields of organizational economics and organizational behavior that has taken place in the last years. The latest findings of motivational research and within the literature on the micro-foundations of organizations are particularly insightful for understanding this controversy. Against the backdrop of the particular contributions of organizational economics and organizational behavior, we present an approach that reveals the interdependencies between both fields. This approach highlights that research on organizational economics and organizational behavior does not have to conflict with each other; instead, both disciplines may be complementary. Finally, we use our approach for revealing research gaps that emerge if we avoid the constructive stimuli of a complementary approach. Against the backdrop of our approach, we finally present a research agenda for further research.