Can someone recommend a good introduction to the topic of organizational behavior? My interest is in descriptive rather than prescriptive models -- I'm interested in what is known about predicting the behavior of organizations, rather than guidance on what they should do to achieve their goals. This kind of prediction strikes me as something of substantial practical use, especially to business; being able to work out the plausible range of future actions of city hall, the state legislature, Congress, regulatory agencies, competitors in the marketplace, large customers, and important suppliers would be a valuable capability in making one's own plans.
The Ropes to Skip and the Ropes to Know is pretty well regarded. It isn't exactly what you're looking for in that it focuses on navigating organizational issues as an employee rather than charting the course of an organization. I expect the larger question is very hard to answer, otherwise stock picking would be easier.