Events at Work and Their Relation to the Theories of Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example

?Organisational Behaviour Table of Contents Introduction 3 Events at Work and their Relation to the Theories of Organisational Behaviour 3 Conclusion7 References 8 Introduction The paper intends to relate a few of the events at work with the concepts and the theories of organisational behaviour, so as to gain a comprehensive and practical understanding of organisational behaviour theories. In an attempt to accomplish this study, the details of the events that occurred at work during the week have been noted down. The approach of noting down the various events taking place in the workplace would facilitate the process of understanding the theoretical concept of organisational behaviour, as it is very practical and beneficial. Events at Work and their Relation to the Theories of Organisational Behaviour A notable incident that took place at work during the week was the instigation of a conflict between the management of the company and the bottom-end employees, who perform the tasks like housekeeping, cafeteria management and other miscellaneous errands of the office. This group of employees were not happy with the company’s projected offer for salary increases and benefit packages over the next five years and were threatening to strike unless the company agreed to increase the salary and benefit packages to a satisfactory level. These employees perceived that the company was being indifferent towards them and hence felt discriminated. On the other hand, the management of the company felt that these employees were being unreasonable in their demands. This resulted in a stressful situation between the two parties. Stress is generally characterised from a ‘demand-perception-response’ viewpoint. The fundamental notion is that stress depends on both the person’s perception of the demands being made from them and also on their perception of their potential to fulfil those demands. Any disparity between the two perceptions would lead to stress for the individual1. This conflict situation could have accelerated and resulted in a lot of stress in an organisation possessing an uncooperative organisational culture. As a consequence of such a scenario, the employees within the organisation would have felt secluded and alone.  Nevertheless, the company employed the most excellent defence against such a circumstance, viz. healthy communication. This approach of discussing the issue on equal grounds facilitated the company to solve the matter and reach at a settlement. This approach was in alignment with the principle introduced by ‘Roger Fisher and William Ury’ that groups in disagreement ought to focus on their requirements and not on their positions. When the groups concentrate on positions, they are likely to emphasise on the differences, but when they focus on needs, they would find they have more in common than what they had thought2. However, this incident made the company’s management realise the significance of conflict management as well as stress management. Consequently, a mentor was appointed to hold workshops in order to help the people cope up and relief organisational stress. The mentor attempted to understand each participant’s perspective; set ground rules for improved healthy communication between the parties; trained participants on efficient communication styles; equalising power; and helped participants’ plan for future interface. This approach helped to lessen stress by promoting a positive attitude in the company2.  The other prominent event that took place in the company during the last few days was the conduction of a training programme targeted to enhance the work life balance of the employees as well as motivate them in order to improve their overall job performance. The human resource management of the company believed that work-life equilibrium is a significant concern that requires substantial notice. Due to the altering characteristics of the global economy, a large number of companies, particularly those operating in the telecom sector have to function on a 24/7 timetable. Moreover, the technological developments have ensured the possibility that the employees are connected and in many instances even carry their work home. Such developments have raised the probability and also the occurrences of instances of ‘burn-out’ amongst employees3. Consequently, the issues of work-life stability and motivation of employees have become a major concern for the management of the company. Accordingly, the objective of the training organised in the company was to provide the managers with a comprehension of the existing state of affairs in the issues like motivation, performance management and work-life equilibrium. The training benefitted the managers to develop approaches that enable them to categorise the functions and the activities of their employees which involve different extents of attention. This created a comprehensive understanding of workload management and enabled the managers to create an action plan for their respective department, designed for the development of work-life equilibrium and consequent performance enhancement in their workplace. The third significant event in context of the concepts of organisational behaviour was the announcement of a prospective interdepartmental transfer of the managers. The company’s management felt that this decision would assist in the professional development of its managers as this would give them an overall exposure to the company’s various business functions. However, as a result of this potential internal change in the company, the employees were apprehensive as they were accustomed to the management as well as leadership styles of their respective managers. Hence, the employees were concerned and reluctant to accept such a change, if it were to take place in reality. Thereby, for the execution of this organisational change, the company announced that it would discuss with, and expect the participation of, the employees affected by the change. This constituted the integral communication process in organisational change. The company further assured the employees that it would enlighten them regarding what the company wants to attain from the change, and why does it wants to do so. The company also reassured the employees that it would keep in consideration the interest of the employees while making the decision regarding the change. Conclusion The study of the significant events at workplace and the task of relating those to the concepts and theories of organisational behaviour attenuated the comprehensive understanding of the subject. The three events discussed in this paper were related to issues pertaining to conflict due to supposed difference, motivation of employees and internal change management. This enhanced the comprehension of organisational behaviour as a subject and also extended the practical knowledge of the subject by application of the concept to real life incidences in an organisation. References Billikopf, G., 2009. “Conflict Management Skills”. “University of California”. http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7labor/13.htm McVicar, A., 2003. “Workplace Stress in Nursing: A Literature Review”. “Integrative Literature Reviews and Meta-Analyses”. http://www.journalofadvancednursing.com/docs/0309-2402.2003.02853.x.pdf Schoenfeld, G. 2005. “Work-Life Balance: An MBA Alumni Report”. GMAC Research Reports. Read More