Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts

Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts

MGT307

May 23, 2011

Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts

"To arrive at a useful and meaningful definition of organizational behavior, let us first look at what an organization is. An organization is defined as a collection of people who work together to achieve a wide variety of goals. Individual goals are what people are trying to accomplish for themselves. Organizational goals are what the organization as a whole is trying to accomplish. An effective organization is one that achieves both individual and organizational goals," (George & Jones, 2005, p. 3). This paper will analyze and show examples of organizational behavior, organizational culture, diversity, and communication within the organization.

Organizational Behavior

The field of organizational behavior is the scientific study of the behavioral processes that occur in the workplace. The field is broad and may consist of topics such as "employee attitudes, motivations, and performance. And organizational behavior extends to larger organizational and societal factors, such as the structure of organizations and environmental pressures, which influence an individual's behavior and attitudes" (Vecchio, 2006, p. 4).

Managers who understand organizational behavior increase their knowledge which leads to developing personal growth with problem solving strategies, leadership skills, structuring an effective organization, and relating to diverse individuals.

An example of a manager who understood organizational behavior is Ms. Francis. Ms. Francis was able to positively influence a diverse group people in the workplace meant there was a low rate of turnover and absenteeism. She was fair, consistent, and compassionate. She was able to achieve a solidarity amongst the bus drivers that was filled with respect, pride, and job satisfaction. No matter what was going on throughout the rest of the district, the transportation department ran like a well oiled machine.

It is important to understand that a positive influence in the workplace can make the employees happy, respected, and prideful; therefore, productivity is high and turnover and absenteeism is low. A negative influence in the workplace has the opposite effect and can be costly.

Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is defined as "the shared beliefs and values that influence the behavior of organizational members. A strong culture is operated with a clear vision of the future that is supported with well-developed and well-communicated beliefs and values. (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008, p. 11).

The three types of organizational cultures are the constructive culture, the passive/defensive culture and the aggressive/defensive culture. The constructive culture is when a group of individuals are encouraged to work together to achieve organizational goals. Most individuals prefer to work in the constructive culture. Constructive culture promotes a positive attitude for the individuals to perform duties. The constructive culture encourages employees to come to work and go beyond the call of duty. The passive/defensive culture is when a group of individuals tend to act defensively in their working relationships, seeking to protect their security. The aggressive/defensive culture is when a group of individuals tend to act forcefully in their working relationships to protect their status and positions. When organizations are under the passive/defensive culture or the aggressive/defensive culture, individuals are not motivated to achieve organizational goals.

Management fosters the type of