Work and Organizational Behavior - Case Study Example

Work and Organizational Behavior Work and Organizational Behavior Motivation at work Motivation is a strong force within an individual that influences his or her direction, intensity and persistence in delivering their duties at work. People’s abilities to perform a certain level of work depends on either forces from within an individual (intrinsic) or outside forces (extrinsic) motivators. Managements have to strategize ways of achieving goals and objectives of the organization. An employer should introduce various motivators to elevate employees morale to perform their duties thus enhances better returns. Frederick Herzberg groups individuals’ needs into two groups: needs arising from man’s nature to avoid pain from the surrounding and the need thought that comes from unique trait to grow psychologically. An organization’s main agenda is maximizing output at a minimum cost. To attain that, a manager must use motivators to achieve the goals of the business. Workers have difference characters thus attract different motivators. The company’s factors taken into consideration in an attempt to motivate employees are company policy and management, Supervision–technical relationship with supervisor, work conditions, and Salary. Other company’s factors are the relationship with peers, personal life relationship with subordinates among others. Most employees would like to grow in their jobs and develop their carriers more while doing their duties. Employees who are growth oriented get motivated if they feel that their respective workplaces are capable of advancing their specialization. Employers should take into account that some workers need only recognition to improve their productivity. The veterans prefer recognition as the best motivator to any other form of motivation. A good work would make some employees happier and motivated, and such people believe in the result as a motivator rather than anything else. Another group of persons has a philosophy of achievement and responsibility as their motivators (Frederick Herzberg theory). Organizational culture Organization culture refers to a particular pattern of shared assumptions values and beliefs that control workers in a given working environment about how they behave think and tackle their task (Bratton et al., 2010). Culture in an organization promotes work motivation. Senior management should abandon their bureaucratic control regimes to inculcate a common culture to unite and win the faith of employees. A high culture integrates several organizational values, which would stimulate corporation among workmates. A firm where people belief on a common factor and mutual factor of performing duties, would produce exhibits an optimal outcome. Managers who embrace high cultures in their organization experience minimal conflicts and resistance because members operate in a brotherly manner. Any set up with relevance culture reflects a staunch loyalty to the company and fierce devotion to the management. Workers are open to express their ideas and exercise creativity within a framework of acceptable culture. Cultural beliefs enhance productivity because high norms would bring cohesion and harmony, which in turn creates a favorable platform of doing business. Some organizations practices cultures like an early report to workplaces, which give workers a humble time to plan daily activities. Theorists’ managers aim at identifying the best way to introduce most relevant cultures in their organizations to suit the dynamic environment. Most of the artifacts are invisible but are so fundamental in a firm. A manager can successfully introduce a new culture by performing ritual practices to change behaviors of individuals. A ‘smart’ boss would complete formalities such as organizing events like giving Nobel prizes for innovative employees (Management ‘integrationist’ Theory). Leadership and change Leadership involves stages where a particular member of an organization or group influences activities, choice, decisions and wins a support of people from within and outside the organization (Bratton et al., 2010). Change is an organizational response to an ever-changing situation, a reaction to a present predicament enforceable by a leader. A competent leadership shapes and nurtures effective change in an organization. Change is essential in a society because the environment is very unstable Organizational changes may occur because of an introduction of new technologies and methods of production. In a process of executing the techniques, leaders may attempt to effect several changes evaluation and restructuring. Some school of thought (Lifecycle) insinuates that a firm’s structure would squarely depend on external factors, cycles through stages of life, development, maturation, and declination. A company may execute change because of cultures related issues that are likely to oppose each other. It would constitute wisdom to harmonize certain cultures that may solder growth of the business entity. Nevertheless, a number of workers would be in a forefront in opposing changes in their working environment because of reasons best known to them. People would wish to maintain status core at their working place. Some people fear that changes may come with extra costs, which may infer burdens to them. Management may also strive to avoid changes because they feel workers may not be willing to accept and adopt changes. However, changes are inevitable, and the society has to accept that it is a reality. Leaders need to apply their skills to deal with changes tactfully avoid hic-ups in the working environment. A manager to use, telling, selling. Participating and delegating leadership to cope up with changes in an organization. First, a leader needs to relay enough information to his/her subject the reasons for change and discuss with them before adoption (Participating). A leader may introduce change after which he or she would explain reasons why a firm adopted such change (Selling).An administrator assigns some individuals to effect changes in the business environment may help to reduce chances of resistance to that change. Delegation mostly targets changes involving technicalities. Some managers may just introduce changes and would command workers to adopt it entirely (Telling) (Situational Leadership Theory). Decision-making and ethics Decision-making is a process of choosing a course of action among the alternatives. The process of decision involves planning, organizing, directing and controlling firm’s operations. The decision-making levels within the organizations range from groups, individuals, and the entire group. Each level of decision has some challenges and benefits. Most crucial management decisions happen at the top level probably arrived at by Board of Directors. The departments may come up with their decisions touching on their areas of jurisdictions. Moreover, finally, an individual may make a sole decision on how to handle some tasks. Individual decisions may be shallow because it may lack wider area consultation and exchange of ideas. However, it may be so fast clear because a particular person would be responsible for the resultant outcome of the whole process of decision. Departmental decisions tend to articulate real issues touching those particular fields. A quality of the decision made at the group level would depend on the composition and competence of members of that group. The size of the group determines an amount of time it would take to reach an agreement. Although, decisions formulated at organizational level binds everyone working in that industry, the possibility of reaching a biased conclusion is high because of organizational conflict, power, and politics. Ethics is a study of moral principles, beliefs or values that the study of moral principles or values that shows whether an action is right or wrong. A clear conscious to partake what is right and discern what is bad would bring prosperity in the organization. Any moral decision would aim at accomplishing objectives of the firm, and it has to be free from any form of biased. As mentioned above, an organization comprises of several groups with different interest, goals, and values, which would use power to influence decisions of the organization. An ethical action would bring in the best employees free from any form of biased selections, creates favorable business environment, enhances corporate social responsibility, exhibits good political climate coupled with good governance (Political theory model). Q.2 Ricardo Semler is the youngest brilliant manager at 20, a president, and CEO of Semco S.A., A Brazilian manufacturing firm. Ricardo’s unique leadership styles are both personal and organizational driven. Ricardo exhibits participatory leadership style where all workers have equal chances in involving in decision-making. As a CEO, he encourages a spirit of teamwork and empowers his colleagues to carry on their duties “freestyle.” Semler has both personal and organizational reasons, which make him introduce his unique leadership style includes selflessness, participating leadership and meets the goals of an organization. Some reasons why Semler uses his leadership style include individual achievement, emphasizing growth of person and organization (Management ‘integrationist’ Theory) Semler’s early leadership was full of surprises and worked with his colleagues with no boundaries. He employs all kinds of inclusivity in his regime and recognize everybody effort in an industry. He advocates for teamwork and gives everybody equal opportunity in expressing his mind and thoughts about the company. He abolishes a system of hierarchy and allows workers interact freely. Semler works tirelessly to ensure that all his employees get justice and satisfaction in their areas of operation. Ironically, Semler lives a solitary lifestyle after retiring from active business. He stands on the philosophy of flexibility and adaptability in the changing environment. Both his leadership styles are relevant in all round world (Situational Leadership Theory) Leadership style he uses which is democratic would promote peace and stability in organization. Freedom of decision-making and friendliness to the workers gives a conducive atmosphere for the working environment. As a subordinate, I would still go for Ricardo early leadership because his system weakness the strength of hierarchical structure. Subordinates would enjoy full capacity of doing their duties because this Ricardo style encourages departmental goal setting (Situational Leadership Theory). The extend to which Ricardo’s leadership style can succeed in other organizations. The strategy would attract a series of resistance because the existing leaders may not accept new changes in their areas of operation. To some level, a democratic leadership would work out in a full-civilized society where people have mutual understanding. With the new trends in a global market, issues such as freedom in a code of dressing would attract many youths and surely, his company can have many workers. Ricardo may succeed in other organization if he critically handles the political atmosphere in a group. Participating decision making at the department level would reduce chances of organizational politics at the top level. Accountability of his leadership would make his subjects develop confidence in him thus strengthen his ability to penetrate new market (Political Theory Model) References Bratton, J., Sawchuk, P., Forshaw, C., Callinan, M. & Corbett, M. (2010). Work and organizational behaviour. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Read More