Module 1 Overview
Module description
Many of the important challenges being faced by today’s managers are described, as are the three levels of OB study.
The outline of the text is described in relation to these three levels.
This Module also examines attitudes; their link to behavior; and how employees’ satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their jobs affects the workplace.
Required Readings
Textbook, ch. 1-2
Discussion Question
DQ 1: Taken from a managerial point of view, what do you think is the major organizational behavior challenge facing businesses today?
Post your initial response (100 words minimum) and respond to two student postings. Initial responses should contain substantial content and incorporate concepts, terms, and theories from the learning material.
Due Date: November 6, 2013
DQ 2: How can managers increase job satisfaction and what are the organizational consequences when there are high or low levels of job satisfaction?
Post your initial response (100 words minimum) and respond to two student postings. Initial responses should contain substantial content and incorporate concepts, terms, and theories from the learning material.
Due Date: November 6, 2013
There are two main branches of challenges that organizations face in today's competitive business environment namely macroenvironment and microenvironemnt factors.
ReplyDeleteMacroenvironment Factors (PESTEL: political, economical, social technological, environment, legal)
ReplyDeletePolitical turmoil has an impact on influencing FDI and investment by the MNEs.
Economical factor: Recession that has a dramatic impact on the demands and supply of goods and services
Social: For example, clash between different ethnic groups that possess different perceptions resulting in turmoil. Gender discrimination etc
Technological factor: Keeping up with rapid change in the ever changing technological era
Environmental factor: Environmental standards regarding emission rates, disposal of toxic waste, use of common access resources etc
Microenvironment Factors
Facilitating relationships between different stakeholders such as clients, competitors, suppliers and partners.
DQ 1
ReplyDeleteOrganizational behavior is the culture of the organization, which includes how the employees interact with one another. It also involves how the employees feel about the company itself.
The challenges of organizational behavior that most companies facing today are cultural and ethnic differences, improving productivity, and technology, globalization, hiring employees that fit into the organizational culture or who can improve it, and helping employees to find proper level of a work-life balance. In addition the major organizational behavior challenge is to find a way how to motivate employees and how to keep the companies profitable.
Managers have responsibility for creating a job satisfaction in their company or organization. Managers often use the PRIDE system to improve motivation and increase job satisfaction within their company:
ReplyDelete• Provide a positive working environment
• Reward and recognition
• Involve and increase employee engagement
• Develop the skills and potential of your workforce
• Evaluate and measure job satisfaction
Diverse studies have concluded that the more participative the leadership, the greater job satisfaction. (Sociology of Organizations, by Antonio Lucas)
Job satisfaction is important it is about fitting the right employees to the right job and keeping them satisfied. High levels of job satisfaction increased when salary expectation and other needs in many different ways are met. The reverse low levels of job satisfaction, for example, low-wage employment lead employees to avoid required tasks and responsibilities.
DQ 1
ReplyDeleteThere are several factors influencing organizational behavior (OB) of companies in the modern business environment. Among them are globalization process, economic recession, diversity in workforce, big emphasis on quality of customer service, and increased role of innovation component in business activity. All these factors lead to formulation of new challenges for OB. For example, due to the workforce diversity organizations need to guarantee equal rights and conditions to employees of all genders, races and ages. Also it impels to create healthy ethical climate and modify a motivation and encourage system in order to improve working environment and enhance overall company’s productivity.
It is hard to point out just one major organizational behavior challenge that businesses face today. In the contemporary world it becomes easy to change the work place or even move to another country for better working conditions. The more professional skills person obtains, the more attractive he or she becomes in the labor market. So, one of the most important challenges for managers today is not only to create effective working team, but also to be able to construct such comfortable and friendly working environment, which competent employees simply would not want to leave. Ability to maintain high efficiency and to mitigate conflicts in a collective is on top priority of managers’ challenges today.
DQ 2
ReplyDeleteThe job satisfaction of employees is one of the crucial determinants of successful and prosperous company. The more workers are satisfied with their positions, the more productive and effective they are. High level of employee’s job satisfaction is in a big correlation with their positive job attitude. Such workers demonstrate high productivity; have lower rates of turnover, absenteeism, and withdrawal behavior. Being job satisfied people, they are prone to provide higher quality of customer service and positively influence on working environment. They not only successfully fulfill their tasks, but also contribute to an improvement of company’s reputation and prestige.
Oppositely, low level of workers’ job satisfaction leads to the lower productivity, higher rate of turnover and absenteeism. Such employees could provide worse customer service and create tough working atmosphere, resulting in overall company’s bad performance and poor reputation. That is why managers should control and increase job satisfaction of employees in all possible ways.
One of the most common ways of increasing job satisfaction is the salary raise. On one hand, it is truly efficient means. On the other hand, payment is not the only factor influencing the job satisfaction. The level of salary does make difference but mainly when this level is low (let say less than $25,000 per year). In such case it is crucial because money are needed simply for living; as a result, employee would prefer workplace with higher salary. In cases when wage is on a medium level, the money is not a determinant any more. It is one of the ingredients, but not the main one. Other factors besides money start to prevail. Providing non-stressful working environment, delegating more interesting and challenging tasks, empowerment and encouragement contribute to generation of positive job attitude and satisfaction at the same level.
A major organizational behavior challenge facing business today is change management. To implement change management a manager has to look at the surrounding environment. He or she has to observe the market influences the social climate, IT changes, media changes, political as well as economic developments. When implementing change many obstacles may appear. One of these obstacles may be reluctance to change for example an employee having worked in a certain structure might have difficulties adapting to a new work ethic or environment. Moving from closed personal offices to open space might be one of these difficulties, other challenges may be in relation to IT. When a company is developing, new technology becomes a standard therefore employees have to learn to use these new technologies this means that managers have to train employees in working with these new technologies.
ReplyDeleteDQ1
ReplyDeleteIt would be very difficult to name just one challenge that business are facing today from organizational behavior point of view. However, there are the most important ones:
- work processes are changing every day, and this includes all spheres, the object of the work, the process and location: technological factors play a big role in those challenges since there is something new launched every day. New computers, operating and accounting systems, new devices, new practices - this list is unlimited
- making sure you are finding and keeping happy skilled workers. This is a very difficult task, since HR department itself needs to have a talent to find a talented worker. Another problem is how to motivate and satisfied an employee, so he or she does not leave from the organisation to competitors.
- another point is managing stress and changes in a given organization: operations, practices, values and behaviors change very fast in nowadays business, trying to keep up with trends. It is a difficult task to lead the organization to this change and make sure employees undertsand the importance of it. For nowadays manager it is crucial to have advocates within his or her organisation: without them stress and changes are almost impossible to fight.
Every manager who wants to be successful needs to carry out an everyday work on his or her communication skills. Ability to communicate persuasively, clearly and being objectives-oriented at all times remains priceless.
DQ2
Job satisfaction refers to an employee's attitude toward his or her job.
High level of job satisfaction brings a positive attitude toward the job, usually employees with a high level of job involvement are strongly passionate about work they do. One of the most important factors that allow managers to raise employee satisfaction is focusing on definition of employee's job itself, e.g. making the employee interested and maintaining him challenged. Rewarding employees is very important too, but high wages are not always a key to satisfaction. Human nature always wants more, so temporarily happiness about salary increase will not last long. Perhaps it would be more fruitful to look at employee's responsibilities and learn his or her personality on order to provide with the task he or she is interested in.
Employees with low satisfaction tend to be absent from workplace more frequently, neglect their job, reduce turnover and therefore, profitability of the company, while employees with high satisfaction serve customers better, tend to be ambassadors of the brand and improve productivity of others.
DQ 1
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, there are lots of challenges of organizational behaviour that many companies have to face. They include overcoming cultural and ethnic differences, productivity improvement, searching for and hiring employees that fit to this particular organisation and helping them to maintain a healthy balance between work and their private life.
The main issue is that different employees do not have same beliefs and traditions, therefore, different way of working. Therefore, overcoming cultural and ethnic differences is essential to maintain your working team happy. Other challenge related to organizational behaviour is finding ways to motivate employees as a way to improve activity. Some organizations improve productivity through the organization by empowering the employees. When organizations and businesses empower its employees, it gives them a sense of loyalty to the company because they feel like they are part of the success of the business. Certainly, you need to select and hire best employees in your industry – and searching-finding the right person might take lots of time. Finally, you need to show your employees that you take care of them: insurances, discounts, bonuses and presents even in little quantities leads to higher involvement, loyalty and happiness of your worker.
DQ2
Productivity of employees, turnover, profitability of the company and its image - all those factors indicate job satisfaction of company's workers.
Unsatisfied employee will do his or her job slowly, without passion, motivation and aiming to great outcome. This looks like an individual problem, however, sooner or later it will appear on a bigger scale and start affecting the profitability, timing and image of the company. There might be many reasons behind employee's dissatisfaction. One of them is lack of rewards (any job done is not seen and not rewarded by superiors). Rewards are not always material: sometimes a simple acknowledgement of employee's work can be a reward. It is strongly suggested to reward employees according to their performance, therefore, there has to be a strong performance-linked reward system in place. Other reason might be lack of attention to employee's opinion and suggestion: if manager never listens to opinion of his employees, a conflict will sooner or later occur, leading to huge dissatisfaction with one's job and therefore, lack of productivity. A good manager needs to give enough level to authority and autonomy to each employee of the company and constantly hear what his employees have to say. That is why a concept of "open door" is very important and definitely can increase job satisfaction. Managers are also advised to delegate work in a correct manner: why to give a great team leader a position of a secretary? A good manager needs to have a great sense of talent which is suitable for a given position. Otherwise, an employee who is meant to do his job in another position will definitely be unmotivated to do something else which is not his passion or talent.