Organizational Behavior of Sealed Air Corporation - Case Study Example

Organizational behavior of Sealed Air Corporation

Introduction

The document below analyzes the organizational behavior of Sealed Air Corporation. Organizational behavior is used to refer to attitudes and actions of individuals as well as groups towards an organization or one another in a given organization. This aspect has a significant effect on the performance and functioning of any given organization. Organizational behavior aims at investigating how various organizational structures affect the behavior in the organization. Organization behavior must be appealing for the organization to perform effectively. There are various theories linked with organizational behavior such as classical organizational theory, neoclassical theory, and system theory among others.

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After Bill Hickey became the president of Sealed Air Corporation, he noted that the most effective way of ensuring steady growth of that company was structuring it in a way that it can manage itself. He added that this could be achieved through strengthening the organization’s corporate culture (Paine and Wruck 2). He believed that a healthy culture would help the company to perform better with less overhead, less structure and fewer staff. Although the company was selling mainly involved in manufacturing and selling the protective packaging systems and materials, it saw itself as a professional provider of all packaging solutions. They, therefore, structured their system in such a way that every employee knows his or her responsibility very well and offers the best to their clients.

Organizational behavior works hand in hand with the company’s culture. Sealed Air Corporation paid much attention on their culture which was to help them greatly in meeting the needs of their customers. They started by developing cultural identity. The development of the culture in Sealed Air Corporation was mainly influenced by Dunphy who was the company’s CEO in the year 1971 (Paine and Wruck 2). He felt that non-quantifiable habits and attitudes which guided employees had a significant influence on the organization. He attributed these habits to development of the sense of ownership, accountability and entrepreneurship among the employees.

The scientific theory of organizational behavior which is a branch of classical theory is structured on the basis of for main principles. One of them is identifying the perfect way of performing every task of the organization, matching every worker to his or her task, supervising workers closely and incorporating punishment as a motivator and the management’s task was controlling and planning. Dunphy utilized this theory of organizational behavior to foster cooperation, trust and mutual respect. When every worker specialized in a particular task, mutual respect among the employees was enhanced since everyone appreciated the value of his partner. Trust and cooperation were also enhanced greatly because every member had to play his role effectively to enhance consistency of work, therefore, fostering cooperation in the organization (Paine and Wruck 3).

Dunphy also developed company’s code of conduct which encompassed rules and regulations. This code of conduct represented the inviolate, non-negotiable principles that had to be adhered to strictly by the company’s members (Paine and Wruck 3). According to the scientific theory of organizational behavior, this concept enhances supervision whereby the code of conduct was playing the motivation role. They helped the organization in ensuring that every aspect is done as required. Values like openness and trust as well as the way the organization members perceived the work, hierarchy, life and relation with customers helped in strengthening these codes of conduct.

Sealed Air Corporation developed various measures which aimed at improving the working environment. Although Dunphy encouraged hard work, he could allow the employees to become workaholics. He constantly emphasized on essentiality of family in every employee’s life. This was a crucial step in that the employees could not perceive the company as a burden to their life. It was playing a significant role in ensuring that employees maintain a good relationship and perception with the organization. The human resource department especially under the Bill Hickey’s era battled greatly with addition of management layers as well as burgeoning bureaucracy (Paine and Wruck 4). The company also avoided employment contracts and assured employees that they were not supposed to worry about their job security as long as one is delivering value to the shareholders. This whole concept is well encompassed in the organization structure theory. The theory implies that the organization ought to employ an organization structure that will enable its operations to run effectively and efficiently.

Organizational behavior is a wide concept that covers every individual who is linked with the organization. Sealed Air Corporation prioritized its customers in all its undertakings. This was a very essential move considering that customers are the major determinants of the overall success of the company. Once customers are satisfied, the company is liable to develop. Similarly, it is easy to monitor the employee’s performance since they will be majored on the customers’ satisfaction. The Sealed Air Corporation’s customers were valued in that the company ensured they are always acquiring products of the best quality at very fair prices. Sealed Air Corporation realized and appreciated the fact that lack of distinctive culture, the company will easily deviate from the set course of events (Paine and Wruck 5). They, therefore, ensured that their procedures and policies are in written form and employees have time to check them.

A strong culture ensures that values and objectives are blended. It also assures the implementation of strategies that will improve the organizational behavior through reducing complexity in the organization. Sealed Air Corporation bought this idea early enough when they chose to use a simple structure and avoided an ever growing management structure. The employees’ life in the organization was structured to be pleasant to him. However, since the organization’s priority was on its customers, they had to ensure that their performance was enhancing the customer’s satisfaction (Paine and Wruck 7). This would assure the employee job security as well as acquire other benefits like bonus. Professionalism in discharging mandates was a paramount entity for the employees. This concept in return ensured that all the company’s stakeholders starting from the customers, employees, investors and shareholders are satisfied and happy with the company.

Sealed Air Corporation as a company possesses a sense of balancing between the importance of individuals and their needs on one hand and those of the organization on the other hand. This implies that the structure ensured that every individual who is linked with the company will have his needs protected and solved effectively and at the same time the company’s needs are also be catered for. This is ensuring that all parties are mutually benefiting from their relationship with the organization. The company ensured that employees have trust on them. This was through avoiding aspects like poison pills, parachutes and employments contracts (Paine and Wruck 9). The company also worked tirelessly in ensuring that a sensitive balance between the centralized and decentralized authorities’ decision making is available. This was achieved through discussing the decision openly and continually in the organization.

Employees are also equalized in the organization through aspects such as avoidance of salary ranges, formal organizational charts, job descriptions and job classifications. This enhanced flexibility in the organization and encouraged aspects such as team work. Employees can also be easily rewarded, recognized and compensated when necessary without the bureaucratic restrictions (Paine and Wruck 10). The management also believed in loyalty covenant and once employees did something well or change in line with the company’s needs, he or she will be recognized and rewarded.

As per the working conditions of the employees, safety is another concept that Sealed Air Corporation have taken seriously. They have adopted means that will protect employees when they are performing their chores. This is done by procurement of safety gear for every employee such as safety boots, helmets and leather gloves. The company also ensures that the company is using the up to date technology in carrying out its operations. This helps the work to be done easily, effectively and efficiently thus encouraging workers to continue working in that organization (Paine and Wruck 11). These are measures to ensure that employees are protected from common harms likely to happen when work is in progress. This is another crucial aspect that encourages employees’ satisfaction when working in the company. Similarly, the wages paid to employees alongside other amenities are appealing to them.

The definition of organizational behavior asserted that organizational behavior entails attitudes of any individual or group towards the organization as well as its operations. It is worth noting that organizations are defined on the basis of the stakeholders. Mainly the policies which the management will formulate play a pivotal role in either making or destroying the organization’s reputation. Organization behavior is chiefly based on the organization’s reputation. Sealed Air Corporation has very effective policies that are aimed at making it reputable (Paine and Wruck 12). First of all its main concern is the corporation’s customers. Customer is the most important entity of any given organization. The success or failure of the company is chiefly determined by the customer. The organization has won it in ensuring that customers are well served and their needs are well catered for. This is done through ensuring that products being manufactured are of exceptional quality. Similarly, employees are forbidden from involving themselves in any malicious or corrupt means. Lastly, the company ensures that customers acquire their products at a fair price.

All these measures prove that employees are well catered for and they are likely to perceive the company positively. Employees are the face of the company. The company has therefore painted an appealing face through their employees by catering for their needs effectively as well as formulating laws which are ensuring that employees offer the best. There are strong policies which govern the operations of employees and ensure that employees always maintain high standards of integrity (Paine and Wruck 13). On the other hand, they benefit heavily through awards, recognition and assurance of job security. The organization also ensures that the working condition is conducive for the employees. They have adopted the latest technology and the organization structure is simple and hence reduce kickbacks and reporting to many seniors. All these concepts give an overview of how the needs of employees are catered for in comparison with the needs of the organization.

Conclusion

The above discussion has revealed the nature of Sealed Air Corporation. It reveals how the stakeholders of the company perceive the organization. From the look of things, Sealed Air Corporation has taken all the necessary measures to make sure that it is reputable organization from all the stakeholders’ points of view. All the needs of the groups related with the organization have been successfully catered for while in return the needs of the company have been addressed as well. This asserts that the organization behavior of Sealed Air Corporation is praise worthy.