People & Organisations - Essay Example

Organisations Organisations have a psychology unto itself called organisational studies. Organisational studies study individual and dynamics of a group within the organisational environment, along with the organisation as a whole. Organisational studies are used to control, predict, and explain organisations. This paper will give the basics of organisation behaviour, Maslows Hierarchy Of Needs, and Charles Handys Classification of Organisation of Culture. Organisational behaviour can be defined by Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and Charles Handys Classification of Organisation of Culture.

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs can be viewed in a pyramid form. From bottom to top the needs are as follows: 1) Basic need of physiology-breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excrement. 2) Basic need of safety-security of body, of employment, of resources, of morality, of the family, of the health, of the home. 3) Basic need of loving and belonging-friendship, family, sexual intimacy. 4) Basic need of esteem-self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others. 5) Basic need of self actualisation-morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudices, acceptance of facts.

(Maslow, 168) These can relate to an organisation as well as the individual. Physiology for an organisation can be the basic necessities of a company. For example, a hotel must have a building capable of holding multiple rooms, electricity, heat, beds, and other basics. Security could be resources needed to continue the hotel business, such as employees, customers, and other resources. Loving and friendship could mean the employees relationships with each other, but even more importantly with the customer.

Esteem could be an example of pride in ones work. Hotel employees coming to work and actually having pride in their job. Self actualisation is achieved with a successful company. For example, the Hilton hotels could claim self actualisation. Charles Handys Classification of Organisation of Culture can also explain organisational behaviour. Charles Handys Classification of Organisation of Culture is based on four points. These four points are: 1) Zeus Culture (`Club Culture): entrepreneurial, power oriented, non-bureaucratic, often little in the way of formal organisation. 2) Apollo Culture (`Role Culture): ordered and structured organisation, operating within clearly defined and well-known rules and hierarchies; classic bureaucracy or public service organisation.3) Athena Culture (`Task Culture): very different approach to the concept of management: emphasis is on achieving the task in hand through a problem-solving culture, with little concern about the organisational structure or rules; power and influence depends on expertise and achievement, and successful participation in team-work, not status in the organisation.4) Dionysus (`Existential Culture): emphasis is on individualism, not on the organisation at all; the organisation exists only to enable the individual to achieve, not the other way round; typical organisational culture of professional practices such as a medical partnership or barristers chambers; no `boss at all in the normal sense, though for practical purposes one of the professionals will probably be elected or appointed by the group.

(Handy, 13-36)Instead of directly describing all of these points describing an individual organisation these four points of cultures describe different types of organisation. The Zeus Culture or Club Culture is an organisation can be described as a business with one owner wielding all the power. The Apollo Culture or Role Culture is a classical organisation like a bank. This type has a president and a clear hierarchy. The Athena Culture or Task Culture is an organisation with free thinking problem solvers.

This type of organisation could be likened to stock brokers. The Dionysus or Existential Culture is organisation that are individual orientated. These Organisations are made up of an individuals achievement, like suggested above a medical partnership or barristers chambers. This clearly defines the different types of organisations. Abraham Maslow and Charles Handy have divided organisations up into categories to help organisational studies. Organisation studies are used primarily to control, predict, and explain organisations.

This helps companies and organisations to manage their resources better. This makes for more successful companies and organisations. Abraham Maslow and Charles Handy turned common sense into helpful tools for organisations. By using a scientific approach these men have created the standard in organisational studies. BibliographyBennett, R. (1998) Organisational Behaviour. London: MacDonald and Evans. Buchanan, D. and A. Huczynski (2004) Organisational Behaviour: An Introductory. London: FT Prentice Hall.Handy, C. (1995) Gods of Management: The Changing Work of Organisations.

Oxford University Press. Maslow, A. (1998) Toward a Psychology of Being. 3rd Ed. USA: John Wiley and Sons.Wheatley, M. J. (1999) Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.