Human Behavior in Organizations - Essay Example

Management, People and Organization People have a variety of needs. Irrespective of one's status, age, and achievements, one would still have some unfulfilled needs. In order to satisfy their unfulfilled needs more effectively, people have learned to organize themselves into groups. The process of organizing facilitates an organization in its specialization efforts (Frederiksen). It helps the employees to develop specialized skills and enhances the productivity and efficient functioning of the organization. The organizational system consists of social, technical and economic elements which coordinate human and managerial resources to achieve various organizational objectives. Given below is a list of few of the objective of an organization: Profit maximization Production of good quality goods and services Peer industry competition Ensuring employee welfare Human behavior in organizations is as complex as the social system itself. People differ from each other in their needs and values, which can be understood better with the help of behavioral science. Behavioral science considers the influence of various social, economic and technical elements of the complex external environment on people's behavior. It improves people's understanding of interpersonal skills and so also their ability to work together as a team to achieve organizational goals effectively. Organizations comprise of human beings who are highly complex and unpredictable in nature. The management of organizations is therefore a challenging task. Increasing diversity, knowledge and information explosion, strategic partnership, global competition and emphasis on total quality management are the other challenges confronting managers in the modern times ((ICMR)). To meet these challenges, managers require cooperation from individual employees and their work groups who often resist change. So, for an effective management of organizations, an in-depth study of the behavior of individuals within workgroups, including an analysis of the nature of workgroups is required. One such study is "organizational behavior." Human relations, in a very general sense, denote the interaction between different kinds of people. In other words, it means socialization. However, in business setting, human relations have a different connotation (Due). It deals with the interaction of people in work situation that helps to generate team spirit. Though human relationships have existed since time immemorial, the branch of knowledge dealing with them is relatively recent. Prior to the industrial revolution, people worked in small groups and had simple work relationships. They were, however, subjected to unhealthy working conditions and scarcity of resources, so they hardly had any job satisfaction. During the early stages of the industrial revolution, the conditions of workers showed no signs of improvement. But as increased industrial activity led to greater supply of goods, wages, working conditions, and level of job satisfaction gradually improved. Until the early 1900s, workers were made to work in inhuman conditions. The importance of human element in organization was first realized by Fredrick W. Taylor. Taylor is also known as "the father of scientific management" and his contributions to the field of management were useful for the later development of the field of organizational behavior. His studies helped improve the working conditions of industrial workers and were instrumental in enhancing the productivity of the organization. He propounded sound management practices by stressing on division of labor and scientific selection, placement and training of workers. Taylor was also instrumental in introducing the differential piece rate system in organizations. According to Taylor, specific scientific methods could help people perform their jobs effectively and efficiently. Taylor emphasized technical efficiency and mass production in organizations. However, certain aspects of interpersonal and social behavior that included leadership, communication, group tasks and norms, and group behavior were overlooked. Taylor's work is important because it was the first attempt to improve the conditions of workers in factories. In the 1920s and 30s, Elton Mayo and F.J. Roethlisberger of Harvard University conducted industrial experiments at the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company. It was the first attempt by academicians to study and analyze human behavior at work. Their studies brought out a positive correlation between productivity and worker participation. The Hawthorne studies concluded that the worker is the most important element in an organization. The above two research evidences clearly depict that 'Much of our current management knowledge and practice is derived from the ground breaking work of the early management pioneers. As a continuation of the works and researches of Elton mayo that has been stated above, a number of research projects were conducted in the 1940s and 1950s by several organizations in order to understand human behavior at work. The Research Center for Group Dynamics, university of Michigan, and the Personnel Research Board, Ohio State University conducted studies on leadership and motivation. The first half of twentieth century was marked by development of concepts like paternalism and welfare management. Personnel departments were created in organizations to improve relations between employers and employees. A professional approach was adopted to solve employees' problems in work settings. During the period of Depression in 130s, there was no major activity in the field of human relations. Many behavioral scientists undertook extensive studies to improve business. These studies attracted the attention and recognition of professional managers. The Hawthorne studies, conducted during the 1930s and 1940s as stated earlier, forced organizations to shift their attention from the scientific management approach to the human relations approach. The results of these studies suggested that employee productivity was affected not only by the way the job was designed and the economic rewards but also by certain social and psychological factors. The researchers Elton Mayo and F.J. Roethlisberger found that the feelings, emotions and sentiments of employees were greatly influenced by such work conditions as group relationships and management support. These soft rewards in turn affected productivity. It was recognized that treating employees with respect would improve employee satisfaction and help in achieving higher productivity. The growing strength of unions was also a major factor responsible for the shift to the concept of human relations. The rise of unionism gave workers the legal right to organize and to bargain collectively. The issues varied from wages and benefits to job security and working conditions. Though unionization led to the deterioration of labor-management relations in some companies, by and large, it led to greater acceptance of the principles of human relations. Despite the fact that good human relations are a significant organizational objective even today, it is no longer the predominant approach in guiding management of employees within organization. It is bow evident that many factors have to be considered in order to ensure high levels of employee satisfaction and productivity (Falletta). In order to achieve higher employee satisfaction and productivity, organizations today are adopting the human resources approach, which treats the organizational goals and employee needs as being mutual and compatible, and which can be pursued in unison. Researches in behavioral sciences suggested that treating people as resources rather than as factors of production or as human beings who act on the basis of emotions alone, would lead to real benefits for the organization as well as for the employee. The human resources approach that is being followed by most of the organizations across the world these days is based on a number of principles, some which are as follows: Employees are assets to an organization. The time and resources employed in managing and developing them are an investment that the organization makes for better returns in the present and in the future. Policies, programs and practices must cater to the needs of employees and should help them in their work and also in their personal development. It is necessary to create and maintain a conducive work environment, to encourage the employees to develop and harness their knowledge and skills for the benefit of the organization. HR policies and practices should be in alignment with the goal of balancing individual and organizational needs. This can be achieved through a mutual process where the organization and the employees help each other to achieve their goals. Bibliography (ICMR), ICFAI Center for Management Research. Introduction to Orgnizational Behavior. Hyderabad: ICFAI Center for Management Research, 2003. Davenport, T. and L. Prusak. Working Knowledge: how organisations manage what they know. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1998. Due, Byers &. Human Resources Management. McGraw Hill 6th edition, 2000. Falletta, Salvatore V. "Organizational Diagnostic Models: A Review & Synthesis." 2005. Ferris, G. R. Management, Functions & Outcomes of HRM. Mumbai: Infinity Books, 2001. Frederiksen, Lee W. Handbook of Organizational Behavioural Management. New York: Interscience - Wiley, 1982. hrsincome.org. Managing HR effectiveness. 7 May 2008 . The ICFAI Center for Management Research (ICMR). Intorduction to Human Resource Management. Hyderabad: The ICFAI Center for Management Research (ICMR), 2004. Read More