How Attitudes Influence an Organization - Research Paper Example

? How Attitudes Influence an Organization Introduction Many consider attitude as the main essence of success as it is believed that it decides the way an individual approaches life. In everyday life, one encounters different situations which may not be predictable for the individual. In this scenario, how the individual approaches the situation i.e. whether the person tries to find a solution or try to run away from it. Whatever steps the individual takes is the attitude of that individual. It would not be wrong to say that every step we take in life shows our attitude and this eventually decides our success and failure in life. The importance of the attitudes is no different in the corporate world as well. We can observe in the job advertisement placed by the organizations in which they explicitly mention the importance of a “can do attitude” in the applicant. Therefore, it is important to understand why organizations need individuals with a positive attitude. Importance of Attitude The increasing competition within the corporate world has compelled organizations to be extremely dynamic in their approach. The need to adjust according to the demands of the market and customers and for this they need employees who have a positive and flexible nature to adjust immediately to the required changes. The increased number of companies has also not helped the cause for many organizations as it stiffened the competition in the market. In the situation where organizations needs to be extremely innovative in their business approach, require their employees to think out of the box. The creative thinking is only possible when an individual is trying to find a solution rather than just filling in the situation. For example, a leader of the organization is facing a problem of scarcity of resources, the leader is left with only two situations that is either to give up and accept the situation is out of the hands or try to plan out the whole situation on how can the maximum output be achieved with the minimum resources (Wei, YANG and X. YANG, 85). Both of these steps would define the attitude of the leader and this is the sole reason for organizations looking for individuals with a “can do” attitude. The employees are an integral part of any success that an organization achieves and hence it important for the companies to have employees who are always thinking of something new and innovative. Attitudes Influencing Organizations Generally Organizations perform their activity in a competitive commercial environment which is permanently changing, which forces them to constantly adapt to new conditions. In an organization, management is performed by people, through people. Essentially, the organizational transformation resides in a holistic approach, emphasizing the human dimension of the company, which simultaneously takes into account the changes for purposes on the whole, the structures, the culture and the strategy of the organization, based on new perceptions, ways of thinking and of behaving. The dynamic nature of the corporate world has increased the importance of evolving organizations. The rapid advancement in technology is also changing the way of business practices around the world. The employees, thus, needs to be extremely positive in their approach to accept these changes in the work environment. The competitive forces in the industries have somehow shortened the length of competitive advantage for the firms, as many other firms would master the art of producing it with some additional features that too in a very short span of time. The example of Smartphone is the perfect elaboration of the above discussion. In this situation, if employees resist changes in the organization, which is brought in it to move forward and compete in the industry, the organization is likely to fall out of the competition (Olatokun, Wole and Olalekan). The approach or attitude of the employees is thus of critical importance. Their attitude shapes the attitude of the organization as the strategic heads of the company would devise strategies that they feel are comfortable for their valuable employees. This approach is entirely wrong as employees should be thinking on the lines of serving the customer needs rather than what satisfies them. Therefore, the need to be progressive in thinking defines the fate of the organization. The more progressive the employees of the organization are, more likely they will innovate and accept changes, which will eventually help organizations to serve customers better than the competitors. Organizations will gain a competitive edge as well in the business market. Who Shapes Attitude? This is an important question that should be known by all organization. The factors should be known about what are the driving forces in shaping the attitude of the employees. Many would rightly answer that a leader is the major influence who shapes the attitude of the subordinates. The leader’s approach towards the business operations will decide how the subordinates will work for achieving the organizational goals (Faghihi, Ali and Allameh). The culture of the organization is another major factor in shaping the attitude of the employees. The competitiveness in the organizational culture is a sign of healthy culture where employees are working hard to get one-step ahead of others which most of the times benefits the organization. However, the best thing that can happen for an organization is the rise of the forgiving culture within the organization (Allameh, Shahriari and Mansoori, 390). The forgiving culture will make sure that employees are supporting each other in creating synergy within the organization, which is a definite sign of success. The attitude of the employees in both cultures will be entirely different. In the first situation, employees will try to beat each other and there are possibilities that they might use some unethical means, which are harmful for the organization. On the other hand, in the second situation employees will support each other’s cause, helping and supporting each other to move forward. The organization with this culture is definitely destined for success. Conclusion Attitude is an integral part of any individual’s personal and professional life. Organization’s leadership and culture are the major factors in shaping the attitude of the employees. It is important for the organization to help employees build positive attitude towards work. They should be trained and counseled regularly in order to help build the attitudes of the employees. The attitude towards the organizational adjustment is strongly connected to a certain mentality towards work, through which work is perceived in a positive way, as a condition of personal existence. The attitudes of the employees drives them to achieve excellence in their work. The fear of failure might hold them back from utilizing there actual potential. This is where the role of the organization becomes decisive. The organization should provide the particular employee the culture where he feels secured and help build an attitude that can allows him / her to contribute towards the wellness of the organization. The positive attitude of employee will help organizations to offer something new to their target market, as creativity will start to penetrate in the organization. The productivity level is expected to increase, as employees will be more motivated towards performing their job roles with dedication. It was the attitude that helped humanity reach a stage where we are standing today (Andotra, Neetu and Harleen, 7). If Edison had stopped failing a couple of times, we may have been deprived from one of the biggest inventions of humanity i.e. light. It was his attitude that kept him going and at least he invented something which he dreamt of once in his life. Works Cited Allameh, Sayyed M., Mohsen Shahriari, and Hossein Mansoori. "Investigating Employee's Attitude Toward Organization, Organizational Climate and Employee's Engagement as Antecedents of Organizational Citizenship Behavior." Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 6.8 (2012): 384-393. Print. Andotra, Neetu, and Harleen. "Job Attitude to Job Involvement – A Review of Indian Employees." Journal of Business and Management 2.4 (2012): 01-09. Print. Faghihi, Ali, and Sayyed Mohsen Allameh. "Investigating the Influence of Employee Attitude toward Change and Leadership Style on Change Readiness by SEM (Case Study: Isfahan Municipality)." International Journal 2. 2012 Web. 18 Apr. 2013. Fan, Wei, Zhe-jiang YANG, and Xin YANG. "The Influence Of Employee’s Attitude Towards WHP On Their Organizational Commitment And Job Satisfaction: A Case Study In China-Based Organization." Management Science and Engineering 1.1 (2010): 83-93. Print. Olatokun, Wole, and Olalekan Joseph Owoeye. "Influence of Individual, Organizational and System Factors on Attitude of Online Banking Users." Proceedings of Information Science And IT Education Conference (InSITE). 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. Read More