Basic Assumptions about the Organizational World and How it Works - Essay Example

Personal Worldview Basic Assumptions about the Organizational World and how it Works One of the main assumptions I have about the organizational world is that employees need to be motivated in order to perform the tasks assigned to them effectively. As humans, we all find it essential to be loved for what we do; otherwise we lack the urge to keep doing what we are doing. For example, looking at this from an organizational setting, motivation must not necessarily be in form of remuneration but could also be in the form of creating an environment in which the employees feel comfortable. The management needs to consider the fact that employees spend most of their time at the office and it would help if they felt motivated to get to work every morning and not dread the idea of getting to work (Nelson, 2013). Another example of how to motivate employees would be recognizing any improvements the employees may have made and rewarding them for the good work. This could be achieved by conveying an email to the members of the organization recognizing the employee achievement and putting up something on the bulletin board noting their good work. Secondly, I believe that the organization should not only be seen in its technical nature, but also its social aspect. The workplace should be the second home for the employees. It is therefore imperative to create a culture within the organization that supports this notion. Despite the different characters likely to be found in the work setting, it is still important to maintain a culture in which the employees feel like they are valued within the organization and that it is more than a place where they work but a social setting. The best example would be when on one of the employees suffers a personal loss. The management and the employees ought to give the employee the support to get through the tough time, not only financially but emotionally. Employees need to feel like they mean more to the organization other than the financial value that they hold for the organization (Williamson, 2005). The likely effect of this is that I am more supportive of other people and do not only see them as workmates but people who I can relate to beyond the work setting. We all have the need to feel like we belong somewhere and mean more than what people can benefit by relating to us. Thirdly, I believe that the goals of the employee and the organization must not always coincide. As humans, we all have our individual goals that must not necessarily agree with the goals of the organization goals. The organization goal could be to increase the sales while the employee’s goal could be job security. It is therefore imperative that the organization looks for a way in which to align its goals to those of the employees given that if the employees do not feel motivated to work, then there is a chance that they may likely not work towards achieving the goals of the organization (Philips, 2012). Employees should be treated like the important assets that they are to the organization. For instance, organization should not lay off some of the employees during an economic crisis with no real basis for doing so. This would be important in making the employees feel like the management is somewhat concerned about their need for a job security and possibly reduce the likelihood of high employee turnover in the organization. This assumption has resulted in my need to ensure that the organizations goals do not mask my own personal goals in the long run. Basic Assumptions about Human Nature and Effect on Personal Behavior One of my main assumptions about women is human beings by nature are social animals with a social need. This simply implies that no human is able to exist on their own without socializing with other people. This explains how people are able to work together and easily get along working towards achieving the organizations goals and objectives. However, one should not imagine that, by humans being social creatures it implies that they have a need to be in the company of other human beings or that in the slight sense that we simply depend on others. I believe that human beings social nature is in a more fundamental way, simply to exist in the society as an ordinary human being requires that we interact with other human beings. We all have a requirement to belong, and basing my action based on this assumption, it makes me realize the importance that human interaction has on our lives (Schein, 2010). We cannot expect to function on our own without ever having to rely on another human being for something. It is therefore imperative that the workplace setting is such that people feel at ease to freely intermingle with each other. This should be devoid of having to fear of what others may likely say about them or about any ideas that they may have. At the workplace, our social nature allows us to share our hopes and dreams with others and gauge the different perspectives other people may have pertaining to a particular matter. It helps create a supportive relationship that often positively impacts on other people’s lives. The organization in itself is a community and hence human interaction is a must. There is no way the organization would be able to operate of people did not interact at the workplace. This nature of human beings affects the overall working of the entire workplace given that the organization depends on the pertinent behavior of humans interacting with each other. The other assumption is that as humans we are born with the sense of being problem solvers. This implies that we are willing to push ourselves to the limit as long as it means that in the end we get an answer. This allows us to be challenged and put our talents to good use in the community. This is clearly evident at the workplace where you are likely to find people with varying talents contributing to the organization in one way or the other. Any problems that the organization may be faced with will enable the management and the employees to work together in order to bring about a practical solution. Employees are self-actualizers who need to be challenged now and then and interesting work into to eventually reach the point of self-confirmation. The link between this assumption and my personal behavior is the drive to not stop when confronted with challenges and difficulties along the way until I get what I want. If we all stopped trying every time we were faced with some challenge, then there would be very little innovation that would have taken place in this world. In addition, our talent ought to be put to good use such that it does not only benefit us but the community as a whole. Thirdly, I believe that human beings need structure and some form of rule in order to determine how they act around each other. When individuals are left to their own devices with no rules, they will likely act like animals. This is why there must be rules that govern how people relate to each other at the workplace. In addition, this is the reason why we find that in every organization there is management that is in charge of ensuring that everyone acts in accordance to what is required of them. This helps in ensuring that with the common power in place, everyone in the organization follows the rules that are in place and that in case any of the employees fail to do so there are repercussions in place. That is the reason as to why in most if not all organizations we often find policies in place that are meant to guide the employees in their work. Understanding the importance of direction and common power in an organization helps me act in accordance to the policies in place knowing that without them there would likely be no order or sense of direction within the organization. Leadership is crucial in any social setting and not only at the workplace (Kunin, 2007). People need to recognize this in order to work together towards attaining the goals and objectives of the organization. As human beings, we all have the need to be directed. This is where the role of the manager comes into play, creating an atmosphere of dependency such that the employees in the organization look up to him for direction on how best to go about the day to day running of work in the organization. The likely effect of these assumptions is that I will appreciate leadership more and not just view it as a hindrance. Without the leadership in the organization, employees would probably end up in chaos and no work would be done in the organization. In addition, without the sense of leadership, employees would have no clue the direction that they are expected to go which would in turn possibly interfere with their own personal goals. Lastly, I believe that in organization, employees are motivated by varying needs and what works to one must not unavoidably apply to the other employees in the organization. It is therefore important for the organizations leadership to figure out what motivates the different employees in the organization and how best to go about meeting the needs of the different employees. For example, some of the employees may be motivated by their need for financial security while others may likely be motivated by their need for job security. What this means therefore is that each individual have their own needs which may not necessarily agree with the needs of the organization (Peterson, 2008). This however should not imply that the employee should be too focused on their own needs and forget to acknowledge and work towards those of the organization. The organizations success is dependent on the employees and therefore it is vital to guarantee that the employees work towards achieving the goals and objectives of the organization. References Kunin, E. F. (2007). An inquiry into human nature and other basic assumptions. San Francisco: Mellen Research Univ. Press. Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2013). Organizational behavior: Science, the real world, and you. Mason, Ohio: South-Western. Peterson, A. L. (2008). Being human: Ethics, environment, and our place in the world. Berkeley: University of California Press. Phillips, J., & Gully, S. M. (2012). Organizational behavior: Tools for success. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Williamson, O. E. (2005). Organization Theory: From Chester Barnard to the Present and Beyond. New York: Oxford University Press. Read More