Organizational Behavior Analysis - Literature review Example

Organizational Behavior Analysis of paper and number submitted Organizational Behavior Analysis Introduction There are a couple of factors that can impact a company’s progress apart from the products and services it provides. These additional aspects are the main emphasis of organizational behavior. It has been observed that the attitudes and actions of groups and individuals towards the organization and one of these factors impact on the performance and functioning of the company (French and Schermerhorn, 2008). The major goal behind analyzing organizational behavior is to get a more comprehensive understanding of these aspects that impact on dynamics so that the organizations, groups and individuals they belong to can become more effective (French and Schermerhorn, 2008). Business owners and the management should have a clear understanding that these aspects influence the work environment thereby influencing the employees’ attitudes. Businesses are founded on values, philosophy, goals and visions of the management. These are the aspects that lead the company and help them establish the culture. Culture is made up of the formal and informal structures as well as the social environment within the company which as a result defines the type of communication, leadership and group behavior within the entity (French and Schermerhorn, 2008). In other terms, the culture of an organization is the opinion of the environment in the organization as well as the quality of the work environment. This lead to the conclusion is highly important as it determines the level of motivation among the employees (Baack, 2012). All these aspects define the set model that an entity operates on. Organizational behavior can be employed to assist entities create a positive and efficient culture resulting to the creation of profitable and more productive entities. This explains why it is important to analyze the organizational behavior of a real life company and establish how it impacts of its success (French and Schermerhorn, 2008). The chosen company for this paper is Telenor and the paper gives a comprehensive analysis of its culture, structure, communication, organizational performance and the overall behavior of its employees. The organization has been doing and is well-known for its capability to retain its employees by proving them with employee benefits and by keeping the satisfied. The organization is highly successful and operates in Asia as well as Europe. Type of Culture (Pluralism, Dualism or Salad bowl) Telenor is a famous telecommunication company that is commonly known for its rich organizational culture. The company has its business in Europe, Asia and Scandinavian nations. The company is a perfect employer basing on its satisfied work force that has shown impressive loyalty over the years. Telenor works as a salad bowl meaning that is a strong believer in equality and diversification among individuals from different countries. The organization gives its employees equal treatment with regards to perks and benefits. The work environment is informal and friendly (Robbins, 2005). The office space within the company is not given according to the rank of the employees. All employees are presented with equal chances to do their best and a wide range of facilities to profit from. Furthermore, the flat hierarchy in the entity allows easier and more efficient communication within the firm and employees are part and parcel of the decision-making process in the entity. It has been observed that the individuals working in this entity are satisfied with their job and it results into minimal employee turnover levels (Baack, 2012). Although it difficult to keep up with this form of organizational culture Telenor has maintained it and continued to enjoy increasing profits over the years. The company has been working efficiently and it is stated that the credit for its profitability goes to its work force and to the organization’s culture that is characterized by strong values rooted in it. These values are instilled in the employees whose determination, loyalty and hard work result to the company’s success (French and Schermerhorn, 2008). Team work is a common feature in the work force where the employees work collectively towards achieving success for the greater good of the organization. Instead of being motivated by negative competition, the employees work as a team towards attaining the specific goals in the company. The internal synergy shows very well that the employees work in cohesion, support each other and suggest areas that can be improved on where necessary (Baack, 2012). For instance, there is a specified policy in the entity where the company employs individuals from different backgrounds. The company also has a minimum quota for employing women. Modes of Communication (Written or Verbal) The mode communication adopted in the company is viewed as being perfect with regards to the benefits and efficiency it offers (Baack, 2012). There are no hurdles to communication in the firma as the offices in the company are one unit with no doors, no allotted spaces or other hurdles that may hinder communication. The environment is basically informal and there are no barriers on employees with regards to any type of communication for leisure or work purposes. What is more important is that this power is not mismanaged and all the employees are comfortable with each other. Although verbal communication is the major form of communication, written communication is equally important. This is owing to the fact the company shares important communication using the company’s intranet (Robbins, 2005). These forms of communication are used basing on the situation are efficiently work for the entity given its shorter chain of command and the grounded two-way communication. Both top-down and bottom-up communication are carried out as per the demand and need of command. Ranks do not result into hesitation in communication among the employees as it is common to find an intern seated next the company’s CEO. This facilitates a higher learning quotient in the entity as well as sharing of ideas that are used for the benefit of the entity. Functions, internal events, team meetings and informal meetings among the workers are frequent in the company as well as they are used to evaluate performance in the entity (Scarborough and Somers, 2006). The workers are not blamed for not performing as per the expectations but are given ways in which they can improve on their performance and are applauded for their performance that helps improve their morale. In a move to facilitate verbal communication in the entity the workers can freely walk to various work stations to consult on work-related issues or use the inline phone system to make contact (Baack, 2012). To allow formal documentation and for providing information that can be documented, emails are used together with the internal online chat network for questions. Nature of Authority (Accepted Social Rank) From the above discussion, it is clear that the entity has a flat kind of organization structure. The authority within the entity is also arranged in a flat way. The workers are highly empowered an act according to their own will. With responsibility come accountability and they are made to be answerable for their work. Additionally, they are given the power to make decisions and take up new challenges so as to keep work more interesting and ensure that it does no become monotonous for them. This is highly rewarding for them especially if they well. In this way they are in a position to explore new areas of knowledge as well as improve on their skills and capabilities (Scarborough and Somers, 2006). The nature of authority within the firm demonstrates the fact that the company works towards building a sense of trust among the employees and this improves their self- confidence as results to an establishment of a sense of value and self-worth among them. When employees feel that they are valued by the entity, they definitely feel motivated and consequently work towards achieving the goals and objectives that have been established by the company. The work force at Telenor is increasing decisive, confident and ready to take up new challenges. They demonstrate an attitude of loyalty and humility towards the company and the authority helps them realize their value to the entity. Over and above, Telenor instills a sense of leadership in the work force to those that know how to deal with challenges in the most effective way while creating value for the company. This also contributes positively to stronger and more efficient communication among the employees. They are also trained on how to function in a team and individually towards the improvement of the entity (Scarborough and Somers, 2006). For example, individuals from various departments are assigned to work on a single project on purpose so that they can exchange ideas, share their skills and knowledge and communicate effectively with each other to create improved outputs. Motivation Techniques One thing that can be observed about Telenor is that it is admired for its workers that are loyal and highly motivates. They want to keep working for the company and are motivated towards attaining the set goals and objectives. The company is to be commended for creating w work environment that is appropriate for its employees that belong to various cultural and religious groups yet, they are satisfied with their work (Thomas, 2005). The company makes use of various motivational techniques that are included in its system. Extrinsic forms of motivation entail the monetary terms and tangible facilities that are involved in physically motivating the employees. This aspects is highly important to the company as it provides numerous benefits to its employees. It is important to note that extrinsic motivation is not sufficient to motivate its employees. Intrinsic motivation forces eventually become the main reason behind the company’s success and outstanding performance over the years. There are various ways to motivate employees intrinsically including the above discussed factors such as presenting employees with new challenges, empowering employees, delegation of work and commending them for doing a good job (Thomas, 2005). This is exactly related to the company’s horizontal organization where employees have enough power to make independent decisions. The company ensures high profession standards among its workers. The company believes that a loyal and talented work force plays an important role in the company’s continued success. Equal chances are offered to all workers and they are motivated to put their best efforts forward and this enables them to get recognition from the management. The company’s non-discrimination policy ensures that the employees are given equal opportunities. It is clear that the employment terms in the entity are governed by merit, suitability and competence and this positively impacts on employee motivation (French and Schermerhorn, 2008). In summary, the company has established a culture of passion within the entity for commitment and operational excellence. This helps employees in exploring, improving and optimizing their potential. The company also ensured on the job training the helps the employees improve their skills and take advantage of the development opportunities. Areas of EQ Incorporation The use of emotional intelligence has increased across firms in the contemporary world. This is described as the capability to judge, feel and manage emotions elicited by other employees in the organization. This is the way to identify with the way other individuals feel and it helps in creating healthy relationships among the employees. There are various ways to manage employees’ emotions in different companies (Baack, 2012). This characteristic is important in managing conflicts among employees in the company. In accordance to the general outlook of the firm, Emotional Intelligence is highly important to the firm as it values its employees. It is therefore highly important to keep the employees satisfied at all times. Embracing Virtual Components within the Organization The entity is highly technically forward-thinking as it works and develops communication networks. Additionally, it has worked towards setting up a system that allows employees to work in the comfort of their homes. It has created servers and networks for employees in this international situation to make it much easier for employees to work effectively and faster from different parts of the world (Baack, 2012). Telenor has its own software and all employees know how to use it. The company also makes virtual teams so that the employees can cooperate with each other to complete the responsibilities that they have been charged with. References Baack, D. (2012). Organizational behavior. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. French, R., & Schermerhorn, J. R. (2008). Organizational behavior. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Robbins, S. P. (2005). Essentials of organizational behavior. (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Scarborough, D., & Somers, M. J. (2006). Neural networks in organizational research: Applying pattern recognition to the analysis of organizational behavior. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Thomas, K. W. (2009). Intrinsic motivation at work what really drives employee engagement. (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Read More