An Introduction to Organizational Behavior In Business
There are numerous factors and schools of thought that
can affect a business' operations, both negatively and positively. The right
combination, with the proper execution, can all but guarantee the long-term
success of a business. Often these aspects are determined by the experts who
study them and search for patterns that indicate their value throughout
history. For many business owners and managers, such information from these
studies can be incredibly vital.
One of the more important and significant aspects that
can affect a business is organizational behavior. Its presence in the
professional world is historically well established, although many people are
not necessarily aware of it and its impact on work. A well-formed
organizational behavior model carries with it a degree of flexibility that allows
it to be implemented regardless of the situation or environment, or the size of
the organization that it is present in. As a result, it can be a valuable tool
for any kind of organization, business or otherwise.
This article is
intended to provide an introduction to the topic of organizational behavior. Again,
it's not a topic or concept that you may be familiar with or even aware of
professionally.
What Is Organizational Behavior Exactly?
As stated, organizational behavior has a long-term
relationship with the business world, but what is it exactly? One definition
describes it as the attitudes and actions of those within an organization
towards each other and the organization itself, and how those behaviors affect
it.1 In many cases, organizational behavior is best studied and
applied with groups of people in an organization-think along the lines of how
co-workers and team members interact at work. If the behavior among the members
of the group is antagonistic or conflicting, it can bring down the productivity
of the group and the quality of whatever it is they are working on. Likewise,
when the behavior of the group is cooperative and cohesive, the outcomes are
significantly beneficial for those involved.
Organizational behavior is not universal so there are
several different types and models that businesses can use or have. This is
typically determined by your business model and the philosophies the business
is based upon.2 However it does commonly present itself through the
following:
Ethics-Ethics
in any organization is a fairly important aspect in general, but it can
strongly influence the business' overall organizational behavior. Each person
will come into a business with their code of ethics that they personally follow
and it can interact-positively or negatively-with the business' own established
ethical code. Clashing ethics can prove problematic for the other elements of
the business and can skew the balance necessary for the business'
organizational behavior to be successful. Ethics can be a tricky element for
the business' leader(s) and management to deal with on their own and the
concept of organizational behavior can provide some much needed assistance to
keep things in check. It also tends to make it harder for lapses in the ethical
code to slip past scrutiny and generate problems for the business later on.
Management-Almost
every part of a business can be traced back to its managerial level and the
staff that control it. They often set the tone throughout the business, which
can include its organizational behavior practices. Different types of
management practices can in turn generate different types of organizational
behavior and will undoubtedly affect the business' policies.3 For
many businesses, the role that management plays in organizational behavior can
be the most substantial. They are often the ones who actively monitor the
business' organizational behavior and look for any changes that may signify
that there is a problem. They may also be responsible for issues that develop,
as the underlying cause of an organizational behavior problem can be traced
back decisions previously made by management.
Harassment-The
combination of harassment and the workplace is never something that is seen in
a positive light. Its presence often has a negative effect on the business'
organizational behavior beyond just the victim and perpetrator of the
harassment.4 Harassment often generates an atmosphere in the
workplace that can be interpreted as hostile to those trying to work there. Those
who are not directly affected can be indirectly affected if they witness the
harassment or interact with those involved. Such conditions may disturb the
harmony in the work environment and make it difficult for the business'
organizational behavior to remain in functioning form. It is cases of
harassment in the workplace that show how easily the harmonious balance
attached to a business' organizational behavior can be displaced and cause
problems to arise.
Accountability-Accountability
is best viewed as a person or organization taking responsibility for their
actions and decisions, and anything caused by those.5 The ability to
do so often depends on how much control you have over a situation or your work,
but it is generally possible. Active accountability can help a business
continue to function effectively and maintain a healthy organizational behavior
model, even in cases of mistakes and failures. It keeps things running and
prevents the business from wasting time-and, often, resources-trying to find
the responsible party behind a failure or success. In some cases, those who are
held accountable for their positive actions may be rewarded for their efforts
by the business, which can serve as a motivator for continued productivity.
Decision
Making-In order for anything to get done, decisions must be
made. The situation and environment in which the person is in when the need to
make a necessary decision arises can impact what they choose to do or not do. As
those factors are often a part of the business' organizational behavior to some
degree, it's safe to say that other elements of organizational behavior shape
such instances. If those elements are well-balanced and the organizational
behavior is in a healthy state, employees within the business are going to be
more informed and comfortable with their decision making.6 If those
conditions are lacking, then it's entirely possible that the person's decision
can be biased towards their own opinions or based upon missing or incorrect
information. In business, decisions are an integral part of the day-to-day
operations and often are linked to one another in a series. A single decision,
even a small one, can affect another decision further down the line and trigger
a chain reaction if the reasoning behind it was not in the best interest of the
company.
Why Is It Important for Businesses?
As the above would suggest, organizational behavior does
carry a lot of importance for businesses. It is intertwined with so much of a
business-its environment, its functionality, its structure, and its culture, to
name a few-that it's no wonder that business leaders do their best to pay
attention to it. As a resource, it can be especially valuable as it can help
predict changes in behavior and actions within the company.7 For
those who have an administrative role in the business, organizational behavior
can make a world of a difference by allowing you to get ahead of an issue
before it wreaks havoc on your bottom line. That additional insight can be
quite the advantage for productivity and for keeping things running smoothly.
Implementing and monitoring organizational behavior in a
business isn't just about boosting your business' operations. In many cases,
organizational behavior can bring about several benefits if it is used wisely.
Some benefits can include:
Control
Over Influences-Every factor that can impact a business both
negatively and positively, depending on how, when, and where it is presented in
context to the daily operations. To add to things, most of these influences are
outside the control of the business and its staff. Anything that can curb the
flow of these influences and their effects is typically beneficial to an
organization because it puts some degree of control into the hands of the
business itself.8 Organizational behavior sets the ground rules of
how different influences are able to interact within the business. It also
allows managerial staff to identify what influences are coming in and where
they're originating from. Recognizing some of these influences for what they
are isn't really possible if no one is paying attention to them in the first
place. Once a business knows about the things that affects it, they can take
measures to prevent or deter harmful influences from getting in. Likewise, they
can do what they can to attract beneficial influences when and where they are
needed.
Provide
Uniformity and Structure-While employers and business owners do
want to encourage diversity and individuality amongst their employees, some
degree of uniformity is necessary for success. Organizational behavior often
allows the structural parameters that the business operates under to be
established and maintained. Even the most diverse group cannot properly
function together if there isn't a level base for them to work upon. Without
that necessarily dosage of structural uniformity, it can be very easy for
things to descend into chaos and for nothing to be accomplished. There's almost
a balancing act that keeps all of a business' elements properly in place; skew
the balance and one element can overshadow the others. While this may be good
in small dosages for particular aspects, it can cause instability. Well
established and healthy organizational behavior provides a framework for all
individual employees to work off of and a sense of order for the business. It's
also far easier for a business or organization to grow once they have a solid
foundation in place for them to build off of.
Motivation
and Morale-Organizational behavior allows for a business' leaders
and management to better address what drives their employees and provide
motivation for them.9 When employees have a reason for doing their
work other than a paycheck, they often will put more effort and care into the
task. This can improve the quality of the final product and improve the overall
morale of the staff to create a better working environment. Businesses taking
care of and treating employees well is built into organizational behavior and
can help maintain the order that the concept provides. Studies have suggested
that employees who are treated better by their employers are not only happier
and less likely to become ill or be adversely affected by excess stress, but
they will also follow the business' rules better and will be less inclined to
lash out at management.10 The conditions of the work environment are
significantly better and the interactions amongst all members of the staff are
much friendlier. Better conditions mean the employees will be happier, and
happy employees often result in a more productive business.
Improved
Communications-Communication is key for any organization to
run efficiently. Those on all levels in the business need to know what's going
on if they are going to be able to accomplish a task together as a group.
Simple miscommunications or the wrong information can cause production delays,
accidents, or even impact the quality of the product the business is putting
out. If the members of a team are told the different times and/or the wrong
place that they are supposed to meet up to work on a work assignment, then the
time wasted on getting everyone back on track or waiting for people to show
could have been used for actual work. The framework that organizational
behavior provides, as mentioned previously, typically determines how
information flows from person to person within the business. Business leaders
that have established organizational behavior often are actively monitoring its
effect on their company and can likewise monitor the flow of communication.
Comparisons between the flow before and after organizational behavior was
present typically show improvement. It also makes it far easier for those
leaders to catch communication issues before they become too much of a problem.
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