Organizational Behavior: Theories, Models, and Impact on Leadership - Research Paper Example

Organizational Behavior Organizations are small microcosms of the society in which they reside. They are filled with a diversity of people who bringtheir skills and abilities to the workplace along with their insecurities and often their personal problems. Because people work differently together than they do individually, each work space will have its own culture that sets the rules and regulations, that are spoken and unspoken. Each individual is expected to follow these rules and when they do they have a better time at work than if they ignore them. Leaders are the creators of their work environments and depending on the climate they set, it can be a positive or a negative experience. Organizational behavior can also be subjected to diversity issues that go beyond race or ethnicity. In the world of work today, employees will work side by side whether they are gay, lesbian, transgendered, disabled, of different ages and of different opinions. All of these categories will be present inside organizations and an effective leader must understand how to work with everyone under their management. OVERVIEW OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Oh, Parkes and Simpson (2008) state that organizational behavior "seeks to understand human behavior in organizational contexts" (p.1). They suggest that the study of organizational behavior will answer several questions about the culture inside the organization: 1. Why people behave the way they do inside the culture of their organization. 2. How peoples behavior can change and the circumstances under which change will take place. 3. The impact that organizations can have on the individual employee as well as within the group experience. 4. Why different groups within an organization will develop different behaviors. (Oh, Parkes and Simpson, p. 2). On a global level it is also important for employees and leaders to be aware of the international workplace. Many will be going to assignments in other countries or working with team members from foreign countries. They will also need to understand the culture they are moving into (Kreitner and Kinicki, 1995, p. 28). When looking at the global world it is important to understand that cultures are different. In the United States there is a tendency to look at cultures in two ways: either they are not like us and we should separate ourselves from them or they should understand us instead of us understanding them. This mentality can be a problem inside organizations where a variety of people must work together. Some of the issues that leaders need to understand and convey to their employees include: 1. Some cultures use the spoken and written word in different ways. This often comes in what Kreitner and Kinicki describe as "low context cultures." These cultures rely on body language, dress and other non-verbal information instead of the written or spoken word. 2. Cultures look through different lenses in terms of time, ways they express themselves, handshakes, interpersonal space and language. On a global level leaders and their employees must understand and honor these differences in order to meet them on a somewhat equal level; if they do not understand the culture it can be a costly mistake. 3. Leadership styles are different across cultures so it is important to understand that a leaders management style may need to change to meet the needs of different cultures when working on a global level. The more culturally adept leadership becomes the better the organization is able to interact with the global market. In essence, organizational behavior is about human relationships and how these they affect the work space. Studying behavior cannot solve conflict all the time but it can make sure that people work more effectively together and will have the motivation to resolve conflict. When observing the global market, leaders must not only watch over their organizations on a local level but they must maintain some understanding of the larger picture. They must look for innovations in leadership that the competition is implementing and seek out ways that these innovations can work for their organization. The leader will assist in the decisions that their organization will implement and everyone becomes an intricate part of the organization. BASIC THEORIES AND MODELS OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND HOW IT AFFECTS LEADERSHIP Much of the organizational behavior literature focuses on motivation, teamwork, group dynamics or employee assistance. According to Chima (2005) there are several models that are currently in place to help leaders study behavior. These models include: The Scientific Management Model In this model, it is assumed that each employee will do exactly what they are told to do. This model supports a "formal structure and rigid organizational network" (Chima, p. 63). This is the type of model that can be seen in the more traditional organization where workers do what they are supposed to do without question. Employees have no say in the operations of the business and the most important aspect of the business is to get the work done. The Human Relations Model The Hawthorne Studies are central to this model and these studies showed that social factors were what made the difference in how employees worked. Most workers want to be in a space where they can enjoy their work but also socialize with other employees. There were four tenets that developed from these studies: 1. The level of productivity is set by social norms. 2. Non-economic rewards and physiological sanctions significantly affect the behavior of the workers and largely limit the effect of economic incentive plans. 3. Workers do not act or react as individuals but as members of the group. 4. The role of leadership is important in understanding social factors in organizations and the leadership may be either formal or informal. (Chima, p. 64-65). Chima also found that workers influence the group in how they worked. Those who wanted to work harder would be reluctant to doing so because they want to stay within the work standard created by the group. The Political Model There is no doubt that there are many challenges inside an organization that have to do with politics. This model pays attention to the idea that organizations are in general small political environments in which the employees are more interested in themselves than the needs of the group. This self-centered approach pits employees against each other vying for attention in the internal or external environment. Instead of serving the best interest of the organization, this model suggests that leaders promote their own self interests (Chima, p. 65). MAJOR THEORIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Theories are equally important to models that are used because they are what management works through in order to understand how their workers are motivated to work. As researchers study organizations they have learned to use psychological theories to explain organizational behavior. Behavior Theory created by B.F. Skinner believed that behavior was conditioned by stimuli in the environment. He saw that by using certain direct stimuli, anyone could create a behavior, change it or modify it easily. This method has been used to teach children behaviors that parents want to see. In the workplace, each business creates a culture that they expect all employees to work within. The culture has spoken and unspoken rules that generate a response from the employee. The stimulus that is used most often is the paycheck and other incentives that come when the employee exceeds expectations. The reaction that employees have to this stimulus will depend on whether they think they are getting a fair wage and whether they like their job. Cognitive theories are also important when looking at organizational behavior. They allow leaders to see the big picture and helps them get to know their employees on different levels. Within this theory descriptions of motivation, self-direction, decision-making, and problem solving allows employees and leaders to think in more positive frameworks. These theories encourage leaders to understand the different learning styles of their employees, their personalities, their needs and wants and how these elements come together to move the employee forward. Freuds psychoanalytic theory has been used to observe organizational behavior because it sheds light on how employees are driven (motivated) by certain stimuli. In organizations this means that employees will be more motivated to work when they feel that the organizations goals and objectives are inline with their own values and ideas. According to Levinson (2006) "psychoanalytic theory continues to be the most comprehensive explanation that is presently available of how and why people behave as they do" (p. 83). Freud actually opened the door for two types of theories: 1. Medial theories suggest that external motivation is what is important to organizational behavior. These theories assume that people must be "pulled, pushed, shaped, stretched and condensed by external forces" in order for them to behave well and work within the organization (Levinson, p. 83). 2. Normative theories suggest that everyone in a specific group has the same motivations as everyone else. An example of a normative theory in this context is Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. Based on the original pyramid structure Maslow suggested that lower level needs must be met before higher level needs can be fulfilled. Maslow expanded his theory to include motivation to observe motivation in the workplace: Figure 1: Maslows Hierarchy of Needs - Motivation. (Retrieved August 9, 2009 from http://www.abraham-maslow.com/m_motivation/Hierarchy_of_Needs.asp). In the workplace leaders have to understand that their employees will have different reasons for doing their tasks. They will be motivated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Some employees will strive for self-actualization in work by attending to details and looking for fulfillment within the job or the company. They expect to be rewarded at some point (esteem needs) and they enjoy environments where they can feel safe and where they are able to express their ideas safely. They are also more productive in an environment where most if not all of their needs are met (Maslow, 2009). Once workers are motivated and life is moving forward within the organization behavior can fluctuate when workers do not feel challenged or feel too challenged. Their behavior can change depending on the way they perceive their environment. One of the reasons for this perception may be based on attachment theory. Simmons, Gooty, Nelson and Little (2009) suggest that attachment theory is important when looking at organizational behavior. They suggest that people act out their relationship challenges throughout life. Attachment theory was begun by John Bowlby and enhanced by Mary Ainsworth. The basic premise of the theory is that people react to their environment based upon their attachment to their primary caregivers as babies. If the attachment was secure, the individual would form secure attachments for the rest of their lives. If this attachment was insecure, the individual would have difficulty connecting with people throughout their life (Bretherton, 2000). In adulthood, individuals will form one or a combination of three attachment styles. Secure attachment styles allow an individual to connect well with other people and to develop healthy behavior towards strong ties with friends, family and co-workers. Avoidance and anxiety-ambivalence attachment styles will create unhealthy approaches to relationships. Many workers have attachments that are a combination of styles depending on the circumstances and they will be motivated in the workplace in a variety of ways. According to Simmons et al, those workers who have secure attachments will become "hopeful, trusting, high-performing workers" (p. 242) which is what most organizations desire. PERSONAL LEADERSHIP STYLES AND SKILLS I CAN TAKE FROM THESE MODELS AND CONCEPTS My personal leadership style has a basis for several of these models. I am more prone to supervise through some of the educational models because I think that we as leaders are there to help our employees learn something. I define myself as a Constructivist. However, situations occur in learning where different education methodologies work better than others. Principles that I find in my worldview of education and leadership are as follows: 1. I believe that I have a strong attachment style because my mother, my primary caregiver, always encourages me to move forward in life. I believe that I am able to work with my employees from a positive attachment base and this helps me get my needs met while fulfilling many of their needs. 2. Whole person approach- mind, body, and spirit. I think that Freuds theory is helpful here because I am motivated by my desire to succeed. I cannot say that I am strongly competitive but more so that I am interested in always moving forward with my life and making positively focused decisions. 3. I also feel that Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is important to my motivation. I have always had employers who valued me as a productive worker and were not afraid to compensate me with incentives that I valued. In terms of models, I think that personal leadership is about building and maintaining relationships inside and outside a company. An effective leader will help to engage their workers in their work and help to give them a wage that can make sure their needs are met. I believe in a more holistic approach to leadership. Skills that I can use include helping my employees create a level of trust with me so that they can talk about the challenges and the positive insights they are having on the job. I would help that I would be empathetic to their personal needs although I do not feel that personal issues should be a part of the job. I do understand that in some situations personal and family life can oppose motivation. People can form positive attachments later in life whether they had secure attachments in their beginnings or not. I think that as people learn to trust each other and are open to the possibilities in their lives that they can also create a stronger attachment style. MY PERSONAL APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR I believe that a leader must take into consideration the various aspects of what creates behavior. Organizations are different and the cultural environment in each organization will determine the behavior that employees express. One of the issues that I have seen is that many younger workers tend not to have the same work ethic as the much older workers. This means to me that the younger workers have to be more engaged in their work because they are motivated from within more so than older workers. Also, younger workers seem to be more prone to leave a position before they mature in it because they are looking for better paying jobs. With this information in mind, I think it is important to study the literature on motivation and how it effects behavior. I would study the literature because I am interested in keeping abreast of the "best practices" in motivation and behavior. The advantage of this work would be that I could be able to understand conflict between workers and/or groups. I will also pay attention to the Hierarchy of Needs because workers unconsciously base the way they work on the needs they have as in the younger workers. As an example, I would strive to keep as many people working as possible and if I had to lay people off, I would attempt to make sure that our retirement or other incentive plans were strong. I would want to make sure that if my employees were laid off awhile they would have money to lie on. I would also strive to understand Freuds theory better to see what motivations (incentives) could be written into their contracts. I would want the business to continue to stay solvent while the employees continued to be motivated. I also believe that employees should have some say into what they will do for the incentive. Many jobs that I have acquired created evaluations that from one year to the next we created our own goals. If we did what we set out to do we received a minimal compensation but if we went beyond our goals in innovative ways that helped the company, we were rewarded accordingly. I believe this is a very positive way to help employees stay motivated over the long term. I also would pay attention to social psychology. A social psychology model is important to leadership because it shows how relationships work together. Today this model emphasizes social-cognitive process. One social cognitive process is social identity. Most individuals will gain their social identity by identifying with their group or team. In the more current literature, the social psychology model emphasizes two specific processes: a) The individual cognitive model where there is individual social orientation and where group processes are not incorporated and the individual is not a consideration and b) The individual already has charismatic properties so that individual characteristics will attract other individuals and not include a group process (Hogg, 2001, p. 55-56). Social identity is the "basis of perception, attitudes, feelings, behavior and self-conception…"(Hogg, p. 56). This is the major point of the social identity model and it means that in group interaction when the leader is strong and the individuals being supervised have a strong feeling of belonging, these group members will be more outstanding and the will show this in their work. If they do not have a strong leader, they will tend to "depersonalize" the leader because they will see that the leader has the same characteristics as members of the group (Hogg, p. 73). I believe this is an important model to follow when a leader wants to understand their employees better. Building relationships is essential to sales and to keeping good employees so attachment theory is important to study also. I would want to be a model for interacting with others so that some employees would learn to pay particular attention to their relationships in the company. I would want to clarify and connect with them in a social environment during networking programs, training or general interaction. I understand that social identity is very important in the workplace because when employees are happy and they feel respected, they are generally more productive. Positive organizational behavior is important in my view because it allows employees and the company to move forward. When there is discord and negative energy moving through an organization business stops. The more motivated employees are to succeed for themselves, the more they are able to help the company move forward. I will strive to be the kind of leader who works fairly and effectively with their employees. References Bretherton, I. (1992). The origins of attachment theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Developmental Psychology 28, 759-775. Retrieved July 28, 2009 from http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu/attachment/online/inge_origins.pdf. Chima, F.O. (2005). Integrating traditional organizational behavior theories and issues for employee assistance practice. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health. 21 (2) p. 59-77. Retrieved August 2, 2009 from EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier. (AN: 2241652). Drafke, M. (2009). The human side of organizations. Tenth Edition. NJ: Pearson Education. Hogg, M.A. (2001). Social identity and leadership. In The psychology of leadership: new perspectives and research, (53-74), 2005. Kreitner, R. and Kinicki, A. (1995). Organizational behavior. 3rd Edition. IL: Richard D. Irwin, Inc. Levinson, H. (2006). Harry Levinson on the psychology of leadership. MA: Harvard Business School Publishing. Mallock, K., and Porter-OGrady, T. (2009). The quantum leader: Applications for the new world of work. Second Edition. MA: Jones and Bartlett. Maslow, A. (2009). Maslows hierarchy of needs (motivation). Abraham Maslow: Father of Modern Management. Retrieved August 8, 2009 from http://www.abraham- maslow.com/m_motivation/Hierarchy_of_Needs.asp. Ott, S.J., Parkes, S.J. and Simpson, R.B. (2008). Classic readings in organizational behavior. Fourth Edition. CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Simmons, B.L., Gooty, J., Nelson, D.L., Little, L.M. (2009). Secure attachment: Implications for hope, trust, burnout, and performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior. 30 (2). p. 233-247. Retrieved August 2, 2009 from Wiley InterScience. (DOI: 10.1002/job.585). Read More