Organizational Behavior Concepts in Organization - Essay Example

Lecturer: presented: Introduction Organizational work is usually accomplished with the use of sequential arrangements and principles which form the organizational routine. These are significant in determining organizational behavior and performance. In most cases, organizational duties are carried out in repeated processes which define the roles of the workers. Managers have an obligation of supervising and ensuring that the routine work is done satisfactorily in order for productivity to be maintained in the organization. According to George and Jones (2005 p. 57), “organizational behavior involves routines, which are a continuous flow of interconnected ideas, events and results”. Through decision making, ideas and procedures are developed, which culminate in to events and eventually give results. From the results, more ideas are developed for more procedures, making the process an endless circle. This is the process that generates change within an organization, to give rise to the organizational culture. However, in some instances, this process may not generate the desired change. There are times when the results culminate in events which are disastrous. This necessitates careful observation and supervision of the processes which are routine in the organization in order to avoid unwarranted circumstances. In order to achieve this, prudent human resource practices need to be employed in decision making. This essay is a critical evaluation of organizational behavior concepts. Starbucks is the organization that has been used to illustrate these concepts. Aspects such as decision making, culture and human resources practices have been discussed. Organizational Behavior Concepts Decision Making Decision making is a psychological process that culminates in the choice of a particular course of action amid many other alternatives. Innovativeness in organizations is usually realized after un1dergoing the decision making process, which involves need identification, search for possible sources o1f relevant information, evaluation of the information acquired and eventually undertaking a particular action. The outcome is psychological in the sense that decisions are not tangible, but from the ensuing behavior, one can easily tell that a certain decision has been made (Belk, and Askegaard, 2003 p.80). Organizational decision making takes place at different levels. Most of the crucial organizational decisions entail distribution of limited resources in the various departments or segments. They are significant in the identification of the most appropriate way to share resources. In Starbucks, it has been made routine for every one in the organization to take part in decision making in the organizational routine. The management capitalizes on perception in regard to activities that are undertaken in course of the daily operations. This is an important aspect of decision making in organizations since the management is able to make informed decisions through meeting stakeholders, and assessing the implication of certain actions in regard to business operations. The next action to be taken is usually determined by the management’s opinion after a critical analysis of the results (McKain, 2004 p. 71). Organizational behavior is usually affected by factors that may have an adverse impact on the awareness of the organization. If there are no guidelines to be followed in regard to decision making in any organization, the differences in opinion and perception amongst the people involved may be motivated to make varied decisions, some of which might not be beneficial to the organization. In regard to this, Starbucks developed measures to take care of this significant aspect in decision making through creation of common principles for employee conduct in corporate decision making. This was done through development of models which aid the employees in the decision making process. Through these models, “they are capable of effective need identification, evaluation of various solutions to these needs, and making a final and appropriate decision”. Leopold et al. (2005 p. 66). However, it is not always these models result in the desired outcome. They require regular assessment in order to identify flaws in their application. In many instances, the models assist in outlining ethical decisions through enhancing personal rights as well as social impartiality. Starbucks adheres to these models through a structure referred to as “Ethical Decision Making Framework” (McKain, 2004 p. 57), which is composed of six steps for decision making. These include; 1. Problem identification. This is an important step in the decision making process. The solution is sought after on the basis of the problem identified. 2. Inference of some probable solutions as well as the identification of some barriers that may hamper realization of the goal helps in ensuring that the necessary preparations are put in place. 3. The opinion of others is significant in personal assessment in regard to the appropriateness of the solutions identified, and establishing whether there are other possible solutions other than those identified. 4. At this stage, the best course of action is determined, carefully analyzing to ensure that it is in accordance with the organizational principles, the image that it will create to the public concerning Starbucks, and whether it can assist in solving future problems. 5. Evaluation of the intelligibility of the procedure to be undertaken is important in decision making since the outcome determines the necessity to seek guidance. 6. If every aspect of the procedure has been understood, the final decision is followed. Starbucks ensures that these principles and models for decision making are intelligible to the employees. This helps them in the process of decision making. It is a kind of empowerment to the employees which gives them confidence that is necessary in delivering services to customers. This is because they usually feel supported by the organization, due to the understanding that they are working according to its principles. The employees feel obligated to ensure that they contribute significantly in upholding the organizational culture and brand name. The resources that employees need in this process are usually present for supporting any endeavors aimed at realization of organizational goals. Employees are also free to express their point of view in matters of the organization, including challenging particular decisions that are deemed unfit for the welfare of the organization (George & Jones 2005 p. 78). The decision making process of Starbucks is by and large steered by doctrines and mission statements which are significant in realization of the ultimate goals. Avoidance of errors related to perception has been successful through the use of the models. Organizational Culture Corporate culture is usually a combination of approaches, practices, ideas and principles of a business. They are usually a combination of principles and customs demonstrated by a faction or businesses, and they form the guidelines of the manner in which such factions interact with the external actors. They play a significant role in determining the goals to be pursued by and organization, as well as the attitudes of the organization and the minimum standards that form the basis of realization of the goal (Robbins, 2005 p. 93). These are the organizational principles that govern the conduct of members of the organization, and their relationship with stakeholders. The Starbucks Corporation exhibits a superior organizational culture in its manner of operation. Its values and principles have been successful in enhancing global awareness of its products and services, especially through the use of unique marketing approach. The corporation promotes enthusiasm through motivating employees, creating the desire to serve customers, who in turn get the desired satisfaction. This is because the employees maintain a culture of focusing on their customer’s needs. On the other hand, they are usually trained concerning the company’s products, with regular updates in case a new product is introduced in the market. The organization makes sure that the consumers are able to appreciate the uniqueness of its products in the market. It endeavors to offer the best quality services in the market, whereby there has been notable success. The mission statement of the organization was stated in a perfect way to create a superior organizational culture. Organizations that adopt such a culture are capable of maintaining customers for their products through building confidence in them. The improvement in performance by the organization can be attributed to these factors. For example, “in 1999 revenues and earnings of the company amounted to $1.7 billion and $101.7 million, respectively, which represented a 28% increase over fiscal 1998 revenues”. (Shultz, 2008). Organizational values are significant in ensuring that that corporate social responsibility is used to build customers’ confidence in the products offered. Social responsibility provides an avenue for multinationals to escape generalization of businesses in particular issues by the public as well as the government. Such situations include cases whereby people view a particular group of industries to be polluting the environment or causing a particular health hazard. Participating in social contributions in terms of sponsorship of particular community activities may help the multinational corporations to give the impression of a difference between it and similar organizations that have created a negative perception amongst the consumers and the government (Held and McGrew, 2000 p. 96). They build consumer confidence under such situations, thereby enhancing their competitiveness, hence profitability. They can for example engage in environmental awareness campaigns, to demonstrate to the public and stakeholders that they are opposed to environmental pollution in contrast with the policies of similar industries that engage in activities that cause environmental pollution. In such cases, they are capable of maintaining profits through social responsibility. Starbucks is one of the companies that are known tom support community based activities and groupings. These include; “Conservation International, the Earthwatch Institute, Save the Children, Mercy Corps, the African Wildlife Foundation, and Planet Green” (Starbucks Corporation, 2008). This participation in community organizations helps in creation of an impression that the organization cares for community values and interests. In the process, the corporation is capable of creating awareness concerning its products. The organization upholds human dignity beginning with the employees, consumers and the surrounding communities. This enhances satisfaction of the employees who in turn work towards consumer satisfaction. Inventiveness and risk taking is part of the organizational culture. The organization motivates the employees to think beyond the existing organizational operations, but instead be innovative and creative. They are encouraged to think of the most appropriate ways that the customers can be satisfied, and those who achieve this are rewarded by the organization. In order for the employees to get awards and recognition by the management, they tend to be attentive and observant in order to gain new knowledge that can be useful in enhancing consumer satisfaction in the organization’s products. It has led to the development of a culture of paying attention to all aspects the market amongst the employees. It is therefore easy for the corporation to easily acquire information from consumers, which may be crucial in deciding on how and what to produce (Robbins, 2005 p. 67). A culture of appreciating the contributions of employees in achieving the organizational goals is one of the tools that create enthusiasm and motivation amongst the employees. It is usually exhibited in appreciating the services of part time employees through offering health services to them just like the permanent ones. Communication in an organization is significant in determining the success of an organization. A culture of effective communication ensures that everything is in place at the appropriate time. This is because all the events that occur in an organization are coordinated through the communication process, which is also used to reach the stakeholders and consumers. Starbucks has perfected the art of communication, which enhances transparency within the organization. The top management ensures that crucial information gets to the lowest level of management. The all channel communication is useful in ensuring that the information flow within the organization is effective. It is a model that by Starbucks to enhance and promote employee participation in organizational matters (Shultz, 2008). Human Resources Practices Proper alignment of human resource management strategies is necessary in order for organizational activities to progress successfully. Recruiting workers and relocating some from one department to the other involves human resource management strategies in order to ensure worker satisfaction in the organization. Organizational learning is significant in the promotion of harmonious relations amongst the employees and it falls under this office. Many organizations are known to fail due to employees’ dissatisfaction, which culminates in internal resignation, especially when they feel intimidated to resist openly (Robbins, 2005 p. 91). Lack of cooperation from the employees presents a hindrance in the achievement of goals, even if the organization does not suffer from financial drawbacks. Human resource management is significant in enhancement of employee productivity (McKain 2004 pp. 75). It plays a role in emphasizing on training, explaining processes, giving instructions on particular tasks and constant worker upgrading which are fundamental to realization of the organizational goal of satisfying customers requirements. Human resource practices enhance reinforcement of worker performance in order to instill positive thoughts in them regarding the managers as well as the customers Starbucks is listed as one of the companies with prudent guiding principles in regard to human resources practices. The corporation is known to present a healthy work environment that enhances the productivity of employees. The turn over of human resources is relatively low which, according to Leopold, et al (2005 p. 65), “ranges around 70 percent or 75 percent”. This is a healthy turn over, meaning that staff retention has been achieved in the organization. Conclusion Organizational behavior is significant in determining the realization of the ultimate goal in any organization. In order for the objectives to be achieved, there must be a sufficiency of the organizational behavior concepts, which are essential in effective operations of a business. These concepts include; decision making, organizational culture and human resource practices among others. Starbucks is one of the corporations that have perfected their organizational behavior, creating confidence in consumers to a great extent. Companies need to adopt its organizational behavior concepts in order to improve their profitability. Bibliography George, J., & Jones, G. 2005. Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior, 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall Held, D., and McGrew, A. 2002. Globalization/Anti-Globalization. Cambridge: Blackwell Publishers; Cambridge: Polity. Leopold, J., Harris, L. and Watson, T. 2005. The Strategic Managing of Human Resources. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. McKain S. 2004. Unisys: Young Workers Demand Flexibility as Work Pressure Hits Friendships and Home Life, Business Editors/High-Tech Writers London, Business Wire. Robbins, S. P. 2005. Organizational Behavior, 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Shultz, H. 2008. Starbucks Makes Organizational Changes to Enhance Customer Experience viewed on 22 April 2009 at, Starbucks Corporation. 2008. Corporate Social Responsibility, viewed on 22 April 2009 at, Read More