The Field of Organizational Behaviour - Coursework Example

Organizational Behaviour What is Organizational Behaviour? Organizational behaviour can be defined simply as that field of study which focuses on the impact faced by the organization through the behaviour of the individuals, structures and groups present within that organization. The information gathered through organizational behaviour study is then utilized for the purpose of improving effectiveness of the particular organization (Verbeke W, Volgering M, Hessels M, 1998) The Field of Organizational Behaviour Organizational behaviour is primarily associated with the study of individuals, teams and structures in order to improve the organization. It relates to what people do in the organization, how everything functions, how the culture is etc, with the crux of it being related to behavioural study in employee’s situations (Verbeke W, Volgering M, Hessels M, 1998) There are various elements of study within organizational behaviour including motivation and leadership, behavioural and power study, study of interpersonal and intrapersonal communication, learning, development, perception, interpersonal conflict, change management and process of change, stress and other work related issues. These entire elements combine together to form the study of behaviour of employees, termed as organizational behaviour. (Verbeke W, Volgering M, Hessels M, 1998) There are a multitude of fields that combine to form the study of organizational behaviour. Such fields include psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology and political sciences. Each field contributes towards the learning and theoretical knowledge of individuals, groups and organizational systems. (Verbeke W, Volgering M, Hessels M, 1998) The Role of Managers in the Organization Managers are those people in the organization who are supposed to get things done. They are responsible for the tasks to be performed and the objectives to be achieved. An organization is a unit of two or more people working towards a particular business or economic objective. A manager focuses on a few important activities. (Hersey, P. Blanchard, K.H, 1996; Mullins, L, 2004) These activities include: Planning: at this stage, the manager develops goals and objectives to be achieved, and the strategy on how to follow the goals and achieve the milestones. Organizing: this involves assigning tasks and responsibilities and providing authority to achieve the tasks, to the employees. Leading: leading involves a lot of activities including motivating employees, conflict resolution and choosing communication channels that allow easy and effective communication. Controlling: controlling activity primarily pertains to measurement of performance and aligning the goals and objectives to the performance criteria or key performance indicators. (Hersey, P. Blanchard, K.H, 1996; Mullins, L, 2004) These activities form the basis of a manager’s job responsibility. Building an ethical climate in the organization requires all four of these activities to be performed by the manager. Organizational behaviour also plays a major role in building an ethically healthy climate within the organization. (Hersey, P. Blanchard, K.H, 1996; Mullins, L, 2004) Linking Management and Organizational Behaviour Organizational behaviour as explained above deals with basically the behavioural element of employees and how it can be improved in order to improve the profitability and results of the organization. Organizational behaviour deals with the study to improve the intangible elements of the organization like corporate culture, inter group behaviour, conflict management and communication. In this case, organizational behaviour theories and knowledge can be applied to these elements of the organization for improving efficiency and effectiveness of the employees. (Victor, B, Cullen, J.B, 1988; Child, J, 1973) Ethically Healthy Work Environment and Organizational Behaviour An ethically healthy work environment deals with employees working in an ethical manner, where the elements of globalization, diversified work force, different cultures, and all other intangible elements of the organization are taken into account. When the work force of the organization is diversified, there are different cultures, races, genders and beliefs interacting with each other, and defining an ethical practice that is homogenous in this heterogeneous mix of people may become slightly difficult. (Victor, B, Cullen, J.B, 1988; Child, J, 1973) A manager working in an organization that focuses on a diverse culture and mix of people, or which deals with various elements of heterogeneous culture, has to plan and organize a certain set of defined values and beliefs that form a homogenous culture in the organization. Moreover, these values and beliefs have to be based on ethical practices like truth and honesty, socially acceptable behaviour, taking responsibility, fairness and defining the lines between right and wrong. A manager has to work towards building such an organization that focuses on these ethical values and practices. (Victor, B, Cullen, J.B, 1988; Child, J, 1973) There may be ethical dilemmas in an organization where the employee may actually start cutting corners and not understand the thin line between right and wrong. In such a scenario, the manager has to work towards defining a code of ethics and a handbook, developed for the purpose of clarifying the company’s cultural values and ethical practices should be distributed amongst the employees. (Victor, B, Cullen, J.B, 1988; Child, J, 1973) As mentioned earlier, organizational behaviour branches out into different fields related to behaviour and psychology. Al these fields play an important role in defining clear ethical practices for an organization that the manager can utilize in order to develop an ethically healthy work environment for the employees. (Victor, B, Cullen, J.B, 1988; Child, J, 1973) Psychology is about the study of individual and group thinking and mind patterns. Understanding the employees as to what their ideologies are, how they think and what they believe in, will allow the manager to tap into the thought processes and patterns and then define ethically sound practices that can be utilized to improve the work climate in the organization. In the case of a diversified work force, similar elements that are common amongst teams and individuals have to be focused on. Moreover, combining this study with other elements like sociological elements is also important, to define an ethically healthy work environment. (Victor, B, Cullen, J.B, 1988; Child, J, 1973) Sociology deals with the study of a larger group of people, mainly the society. With the study of the society, culture and societal norms come into play which are important to understand for the organization, as it works in a community and a society which impacts its daily activities. In such a case, understanding the culture and norms of the society can help understand the various elements of the culture that need to be adopted in the organization for the purpose of defining a healthy and ethical work climate that is in line with the society and its people. (Victor, B, Cullen, J.B, 1988; Child, J, 1973) Social psychology is a field that focuses on a branch of psychology and is a study of interrelationships of individuals with groups, teams, and the society. The idea behind studying this branch of organizational behaviour is to understand the interactions of individuals with others within and outside the organization. Utilizing this knowledge, elements of ethics can be redefined to propose a healthy work environment that is mutually acceptable within and outside the organization. (Victor, B, Cullen, J.B, 1988; Child, J, 1973) Anthropology deals with the social relationships and interrelationships of people within a social setting. This field of study defines the ways how people interact within their settings. A manager can therefore aim to understand how anthropological elements work and then define ethical practices that deal with primarily with creating an environment that is mutually beneficial, for both the employees and the organization. (Victor, B, Cullen, J.B, 1988; Child, J, 1973) Political science is a field of social sciences that applies towards political systems and the way politics works within a setting. Political behaviour is evaluated in this field as well. Managers have to develop the sense of understanding the various political patterns in the organization in order to evaluate how employees work and what is the defined, intangible culture within the organization. Moreover, the manager can then utilize the elements of political behaviour within the organization to improve on the ethical practices of the work environment. (Victor, B, Cullen, J.B, 1988; Child, J, 1973) Conclusion As it is apparent, all fields are interrelated and each field provides an answer, with a different perspective, relating to how individuals and groups interact and behave within the set pattern and realms. Behavioural elements are defined in accordance with these sets of study where ethical practices can be based by the manager on these sets of study and behavioural elements. There are various elements of a healthy work environment that is based on ethical practices. However it is important for the manager to understand whether ethical practices are relative to the society’s norms and focus on what seems to be right in the eyes of the society, or they focus on what is actually right and not just that it seems right relative to the surroundings. The manager has a tough task to define the principles, values and beliefs within the organization that all the employees need to adopt and thus come on the same plane, otherwise, ethical behaviour will not be practiced and employees would still not be able to work in a healthy environment. Additionally, it is also important to understand that there are various practices that are wrong and whistle blowing should not be considered an unethical or illegal practice since it will help redefine the way employees work and will bring about a healthier work environment that focuses on competitiveness and ethical behaviour. Organizational behaviour is a field that has combined several fields of study together in order to define the way individuals and groups work and how the organization can study the elements of these entities to understand and improve organizational ways and practices. The study is about the various elements of the group systems and individual behaviour patterns that can help the manager to define healthy ethical practices within the organization and utilize them for the purpose of developing a better work climate for the employees. References: 1. Verbeke W, Volgering M, Hessels M. (1998) Exploring the conceptual expansion within the field of organizational behavior: organizational climate and organizational culture. Journal of Management Studies. Vol. 35 (3). Pp 303-329 2. Victor, B, Cullen, J.B. (1988) The Organizational Bases of Ethical Work Climates. Administrative Science Quarterly. Vol. 33 (1) pp. 101-125 3. Mullins, L. (2004) Management And Organizational Behavior. Prentice Hall. 4. Hersey, P. Blanchard, K.H. (1996) Management of organizational behavior: Utilizing human resources. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, US: Prentice-Hall. 5. Child, J. (1973) Strategies of Control and Organizational Behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 18 (1) pp. 1-17 Read More