A Group Report on Organizational Culture and Behaviour - Essay Example

?RAS AL KHAIMAH MEDICAL DISTRICT Order No. 519834 Managing People in Organizations Ministry of Health A Group Report on Organizational Culture and Behaviour Introduction Independent variables have a great impact in the workplace and affect the individual’s capacity to be motivated and gain job satisfaction. Proper motivation tends to create organizational commitment that leads to job satisfaction and increased productivity or turnover. However, considering the working of the MOH, it is evident that care has not been taken to satisfy the various independent variables and the result is that employees have no organizational commitment and job satisfaction due to the lack of good motivation. The employee’s salaries are very low and hence they have incentive to make any organizational commitment. In addition to this, the MOH Has not made any efforts to improve their policies and procedures when their employees are concerned neither do they monitor their performance. Hence the MOH faces so many problems that result in poor job satisfaction and poor turnover and in this research we intend to make use of theories to understand these problems in a better light and find some solutions to them. 1. Problems faced in the ministry This project focuses on the Ministry of Health in Ras Al Khemiah. Presently, the ministry is facing many problems of which organizational problems are a major part. Some of the problems faced by the Human resources department are that of Organizational behaviour and the implementation of procedures to improve motivation and satisfaction among its employees. Poor organization culture, leadership behaviour between staff and the employers and decrease in the company turnover due to employee problems. This research is about to understand and analyze the different variables, individual motivation and its causes, the deficiency of the application of human resources, job satisfaction among the employees, organization culture and poor choice of good leadership, poor motivation due to poor job satisfaction. In such a scenario it becomes very important to understand the causes leading to such issues so that we can rectify them for better outcomes. Some of the primary causes responsible for poor organizational culture and behaviour are a lack of trust between the employers, managers and the employees, lack of focus and good motivation, poor leadership skills, focus is more on the individual goal than the company goal, intolerance and poor communication between employers, staff and employees. 2. Description of the Company and its choice The Ministry of Health (MOH) is the organization chosen for this research for the following reasons . The Ministry of Health is facing a lot of organizational problems which is the main focus of this study. This research will help students to better understand the behaviour problems that various companies face in the real business world. The Ministry of Health clearly portrays the importance and relationship of each variable such as good leadership qualities and the impact it has on the success or failure of an organization. Group Level, Leadership In the group level analysis, our focus would be on Leadership and how it impacts upon the workplace. According to (Robbins & Judge 2009, p410) Leadership is defined as the ability to impact upon a group working towards the achievement of a specific goal or vision. In (Robins & Judge, 2009) opinion, neither are all leaders managers, nor all managers leaders. Leadership also has the capacity to bring about motivation by influencing the individual towards the success of the organization. This definition of leadership implies that leadership is ““the ability of an individual to inspire, motivate, and enable others to contribute to the effectiveness and success of the organization” (House et al 1999, p184) Good leadership is therefore crucial to the success of an organization through increased productivity. Yuki (2010) defines leadership from various perspectives such as Trait Theories, Behavioural Theories, Contingency Theories, Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory, Charismatic Leadership, Transactional and Transformational Leadership. The focus of our study will be on Transactional and Transformational Leadership. However, we need to have a holistic approach in trying to analyze the various facets of leadership. According to Brian and Lewis (2004) : Transactional leadership is displayed by a leader who functions within an existing system or culture instead of trying to change it by trying to satisfy the existing needs of followers; focusing on exchanges and contingent reward behaviour; and paying attention to deviations, errors, or irregularities and taking action to make corrections. Such positive attitudes and good leadership behaviour at the group level would result in individual job satisfaction (IVS) and thereby good turnover for the organization. An extension of the Transformational leadership is the Transactional leadership which involves creating a closer relationship among the leaders and employees based on commitment, trust and faith. Transformational leaders are those who instill the values of self esteem, self-respect and a broad vision of putting aside the self-interest and working towards the vision of the whole group or organization. According to a research study on leadership by Craig et al., (2003) transactional-transformational approaches have their roots in the various models of motivation theories such as path- goal theory, expectancy theory, the reinforcement theory and the exchange/equity theories. This proves that motivation and leadership are interconnected with each other and are therefore interdependent on each other. According to a research conducted by Fitz-enz (1997) poor leadership and motivation can turn out to be very costly for a company because an average company can lose around $1 million with every 10 professional employees who leave the organization (cited in Ramllal 2004, p 54). In a research study by Ramllal (2004) Employee turnover has a negative economic impact on the company, and in addition to this it affects the productivity and efficiency of the company. Organization Level Culture The Ministry of Health (MOH) has approximately 1800 employees in its organization who come from various cultures and backgrounds. However, MOH has not been so successful because of the lack of organizational commitment among its employees. The prime cause lies in the poor job satisfaction and discontentment that is quite evident from its poor turnover. Another major concern of MOH is poor leadership involving the managers of the organization. According to (Charles, B. Osburn 2008) the nature of the culture is based on the shared values of the individual. These values .are not so emphasized in the MOH organization. Any successful Company always has a very positive Organizational structure and this is reflected in the behaviour and culture of its employers and employees. A good example of such a successful organization is the Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) which is one of the largest accounting firms in the world that has one of the most positive organizational cultures. This company continuously offers their employees a lot of individual learning opportunities and also many on the job training programmes to enhance their skills. In addition they conduct many classes and seminars and workshops for their employees to improve their technical skills. PWC has a broad vision and encourage their employees to design a personalized career path through specialized coaches and mentors. The MOH however does not promote such visionary goals. The connection between the employers and the employees is mutual and never one sided. While the organization recognizes the employee’s skills and their contribution towards the company, so do all the employees give their best for the success of the company. Selection of the right employees for the right jobs is of prime importance because otherwise they become misfits and are more a drain on the company instead of being assets. Making the right decisions at the right time is also equally important and a good organization always involve their employees in the decision making process. In the case of the MOH they never had any such practice among them. The working culture within the organization is highly important for the successful working environment which should be conducive. An organization’s culture has its values deeply rooted into its system and is strictly adhered to at all times to ensure its proper working and a harmonious environment. The more strictly held are the values, the more it is difficult to change. However, if the values are not deeply ingrained then the organization would experience a weak culture. This was also the case where the MOH was concerned because they lacked a harmonious environment. Spirituality plays a very important role in the stability of an organization. Most people look at the workplace as a ‘primary source of community…….for feeling connected.’ (Conger,1994) Such spirituality is not based on religion, God or theology, but it recognizes the inner life of the employee and nourishes ‘meaningful work in the context of community.’ (Organizational Culture, Chap.16, pg. 570) Spirituality in this case is directed more towards the feelings and emotions and encourages employees to share inspirational messages and prayers, thereby “encouraging a more spiritual culture.” (Spirituality and Organizational Culture, pg. 571) The model used by the MOH was more mechanical and rational in its outlook. Rational Model According to the rational model, spirituality and the feelings and emotions of the employees were not given any importance, but now an awareness of spirituality has led employers to understand how important it is for creating a harmonious atmosphere. Spirituality has become a potent tool to counter-balance the speed and stress brought about in today’s contemporary society. Formalized religion has no scope to integrate personal and professional life and hence employers have come to understand that Spirituality fills the void of emptiness and gives the employees peace and harmony in the lives. Spiritual organizations have more meaning and purpose because they allow the employees to express themselves without any fear or guilt. It also encourages tolerance and camaraderie among themselves. Such spiritual organizations are characterised by honesty, mutual trust, frankness. According to the Wetherill Associates president who has a successful auto parts distribution firm, they ‘don’t tell lies’ and they are ‘specific and honest about the quality and suitability of the product of for our customer’s needs, even if we know they might not be able to detect any problem. (Self Assessment Library, Chap.16, pg. 572) It is a fact that organizational culture reflects ones national culture. The MOH was mainly based on a mechanical set up and did not follow the ideals of spirituality. Functional Theory Edgar Schein’s ‘Functional Theory’ (1988) is one of the most important and widely used cultural frameworks that describes ‘culture as a pattern of basic assumptions that are discovered and developed by a given group’ Edgar Schein (1988) over the years. According to the functionalist perception, the employees learn to adapt themselves in a multicultural organization and to cope with the problems within the organization and find proper solutions for them and thereby become more committed to the organization. The functional theory if applied to the MOH organization, would impact on the behavior and values of the organizational culture which would effect a radical change within the organization and result in better job satisfaction, good turnover and healthy working atmosphere. Recommendations The MOH has a very poor organizational culture and hence has to make a revolutionary change in order to be a successful organization. Some of the recommendations that could be adopted by the MOH are as follows – Good leadership qualities among the managers through workshops to see to the proper working of the employees. Better salaries for all the staff and employees to ensure commitment to their job for better productive outcomes. Building a good multi-cultural relationship among the employees to ensure a healthy working atmosphere. Specialized training of skills among the workers through workshops, seminars by experts. Encouraging the employees by giving good incentives when they give outstanding performance. Motivating the employees by encouraging them to make use of innovative ideas and the latest technology. Implementing a healthy spiritual atmosphere to cultivate values such as tolerance, co-operation and other disciplinary values. Encouraging better communication skills through various cultural programmes for better interaction between the employers and employees. Conclusion From this research it is very evident that the MOH is in dire need of a revolutionary change where their doctors, employees, administrative authorities, staff and technicians are concerned. Low salaries without any rewards have to be replaced with better salaries and recognition for good work. Proper training In the different areas of the medical field should be a top priority that should be taken care of. Skilled personnel should be called in to conduct workshops and seminars for the employees. Better working atmosphere which is healthy and conducive to proper working should be created among the workers. Promotions and allowances should be given periodically to ensure the satisfaction of the employees. Health authorities should draw up specialized work codes that should be strictly adhered to. Such revolutionary changes brought about by the MOH would definitely be a great asset not only to the administrative authorities of the MOH but also to the clients and employees who are part of the organization. References About the Ministry http://www.moh.gov.ae/en/Pages/default.aspx An Exploration of the interactional Mechanisms at play in Management Meetings http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/1994/thesis.pdf;jsessionid=1C9FD95626921D8B060374EAC9590360?sequence=1 Brian,K & Lewis, D 2004,’ Exploring leadership preferences in multicultural work groups’, Leadership & Organisation Development Journal,vol.25,no.3,pp263-278, accessed 14/10/10, Emerald Database (online). Charles B. Osburn 2008,’ Corporate culture and the individual in perspective’, Blackwell, Oxford. Conger (1994) Spirituality at Work, Journal of Management Enquiry. Sage Journals online. www.jmi.sagepub.com Fitz-enz, J. (1997). It’s costly to lose good employees. Workforce, 50, 50. Harrison, R. 1972. Understanding your Organisation’s character. Harvard Business Review 50: 119-128 Health in Dubai (MOH) http://www.datadubai.com/United_Arab_Emirates/Dubai/Health_in_Dubai/206421-990.html House, R. J 2004, Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks. Mullins, L.J.1999. Management and organisational behaviour. Financial Times, London: Pitman Publishing. Osburn B. Charles 2008, Corporate culture and the individual in perspective, Blackwell, Oxford. Ramlall, S 2004, ‘A Review of Employee Motivation Theories and their Implications for Employee Retention within Organizations’, Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, vol.5, no.1, pp 52-64, accessed 14/10/10, Proquest Central (online). Robbins, S & Judge, T 2009, Organizational Behaviour, 14th edn, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, Jersey City. Schein E.H. 1988 Organizational Culture. WP 2088-88. Sloan School of Management Working Papers, Massachussets Institute of Technology. Yukl, G 2010,Leadership in organizations, 7th edn, Prentice Hall, New York . Read More