An Understanding of the Different Theoretical Perspectives that Contribute to the Understanding of People at Work - Assignment Example

? Organisational Behaviour Organisational Behaviour Organisational behaviour relates to how employees in a work environment carry out themselves alongside other fellow work mates and clients. This paper aims at discussing the following questions in relation to organisational behaviour, in the work place. 1. Considering a negative experience one has had as a customer in interacting with an employee of an organisation. Using knowledge of OB to analyse the possible cause of this employee’s behaviour. 2. There’s no such thing as ‘stress’ since it is in an individual’s mind, and just an excuse to take time off from work. Critical evaluation of this statement. 3. An employee’s personality has no role to play, in his or her day to day behaviour at work, since it is not something employers worry about. Critical evaluation of this statement. Thematically, this paper provides an understanding of the different theoretical perspectives that contribute to the understanding of people at work. It illustrates the application of OB theory to a variety of real life phenomena, and questions that arise from managing people at work. It also demonstrates how to work competently and skilfully with conflicting ideas that relate to the management of people in working organisations. Question #1 There is this one instance I went to a cyber cafe and the head attendant did not bother to assign me a booth to use since he assumed I knew my way around the installation. It took me a while to get started because I did not know the login since it was password protected. The other attendants had to ask him for the password so that I could get started. The experience cost me valuable time and since then I have not re-visited that premise to use their services. According to this example, the attitude of the head attendant cost the business establishment a client, and in the long run mannerisms like this would become detrimental to the business. The behaviour of the attendant could be attributed to a behavioural complex in the part of the attendant wanting to seem superior to his fellow workmates. It is not enough to say that he is senior to his workmates; it seems that this feeling does not satisfies him. However, supplication by fellow workmates does satisfy him. This situation can be explained by McGregor’s theory, which asserts that employees require micro-management assistance from their managers since they are immature about their jobs (McGregor, 2005 p27). This theory is related to directive leadership, which is characterized by motivating employees with incentives for improved work output and efficiency. A management system that adopts the theory of OB almost invariably ends up blaming its employees, for poor performance, without establishing the key cause of this problem or mistake (McGregor, 2005 p63). When employees are subjected to such compromising situations they usually tend to focus more on how to avoid the occurrence of such mistakes, which would risk their employment and relationships with their employer. McGregor further states that employees will apply self-direction and self-control to pursue organizational behaviours without influences from external control, or the threat of punishment and commitment as objectives of functional rewards, which are associated with their achievement (McGregor, 2005 p64). Employees who are under this system of management are more productive since they do not operate in an authoritarian system. Similarly, those employees in the same management system tend to perceive themselves as victims of oppression by the management, and may cause the uprising of opposition factors in the workforce. These elements usually undermine a company’s policies, including the overall productivity turnover of the organization (McGregor, 2005 p149). Question #2 The phenomenon where employees request for an off day break from work, on grounds that they are suffering from stress, is a problem that should be addressed by employers, instead of being ignored. Stress has been clinically diagnosed as a medical condition that affects the productivity of an employee. Stress can be caused a number of things since it is a psychological event affecting the mind. Stress is thought to affect people’s psychological and physical health, as well as organisation’s business operations and effectiveness (Fox, 2007 p32). Stress, in the work place, is also caused by pressure arising from home or at work. Leka argues that work related stress results from situations where employees are presented with work demands and pressures that are not related to their knowledge and abilities, and those that challenge their ability to cope up with other employees, and adapt to the working environment (Fox, 2007 p53). The way work systems are designed and the way they are managed can cause stress, particularly if they are not well managed. The management system of any organisation should establish how to balance these aspects of employees’ motivations, in the best way possible, which suits their employee’s interests. Extreme work related stress can lead to dysfunctional behaviour at work (Fox, 2007 p57). This is because it may jeopardise the survival of an organisation in the competitive market environments. Work related stress can be reduced or eradicated through employee training and education, enhancing occupational health services, developing management systems that function to motivate workers, and alleviate stressing conditions in a working environment. Changing work environment design can involve mitigating stress at the work place in a long-term run. Ensuring that employees have the necessary skills and expertise required of them to perform their assigned tasks is a sure way of warranting that they will be able to cope up with the pressure, which results from work-related challenges. Organisational development should be geared towards integrating mechanisms for early detection of work-related stress (Fox, 2007 p148). Additionally, the development of organisational culture is essential in recognising stress in a working environment. It is one of the structures that can be used to establish employees’ relationships with the organisation, and what the organization offers them. The management system of an organisation should strive to enhance the creation of an organisational culture that permeates all levels of employee rankings to ensure uniform and accountable stress management method, which are effective and beneficial to the organisation. Question # 3 An employee’s personality has no significance role to play in his or her day to day behaviour at work. Therefore, it should not be an issue that employers should worry about. As far as an organisation is concerned this statement if adhered to, would be more damaging than the benefits the organization would accrue in the short term and long term (Cooper et al. 2010 p53). The personality of an individual significantly determines how they contribute to an organisations’ prosperity. The personality of a worker can be aggressive, polite, submissive or dominant (Cooper et al. 2010 p112). A person’s personality can be used to establish the role he or she is likely to fit in and perform optimally. An individual’s personality plays a key role in the functioning of an organisation because the manner in, which employees relate to one another and clients, is solely dependent on an individual’s personality. Management systems within organisations should focus on cultivating positive personality traits in their employees. This is because personality influences employees’ attitudes towards handling their jobs their jobs, and what they portray to the outside world about the organisation (Cooper et al. 2010 p132). The development of an organisational culture helps in creating new positive personality traits, which could be beneficial to the company and its overall enhancement. When an organisation ignores its employees’ personalities it fails to optimise on their distinctive personality traits. For example, a person who is sociable could be deployed to the customer welfare and care department where their character is best suited to that particular task. Human personality dispositions and characteristics are also described as personality traits that are useful for understanding and managing employees’ behaviours in organisations (Cooper et al. 2010 p137). There are a number of ways in which an individual’s personality can affect the way he influences an organisations’ machinery. There are those who perceive all that is happening around them with an aim of manipulating events to go in their favour. Such employees are beneficial to the company if their influences are focused on completing assigned tasks, but it can also be negative if these actions sabotage the efforts of other fellow work mates (Cooper et al. 2010 p153). An organization’s management system should provide mechanisms which detect negative personality traits during the recruitment process of new employees, and try to establish specific niches in the organisations’ operations where they can be put to better use. The development of negative personality in the workplace which is triggered by the environment can be monitored through the administration of personality assessment test. In conclusion, the study of organisational behaviour in the work place is an essential tool for maximising the productivity of staff and promoting their well being both psychologically and physically. Organisational behaviour practices and patterns are the best way for an organisation to maintain its competitive edge in the market and guarantee the survival of the organisation both in the long term and short term. Bibliography Cooper C. L, Sutherland V. J, Weinberg A. Organizational Stress Management: A Strategic Approach. New York: Palgrave Macmillan,, 2010. Fox W. Managing Organisational Behaviour. London: Juta and Company Ltd, 2007. McGregor D. The Human Side of Enterprise, Annotated Edition. New York: McGraw Hill Professional, 2005. Read More