Organizational Behavior Terminology

Organizational Behavior Terminology

Daniel Parker

University of Phoenix

MGT 344

Carolyn H. Flynn

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Organizational Behavior Terminology

It is important for everyone in an organization to be involve, not just the employees and management staff. Each employee should be able to realize how their individual actions can contribute to the bigger picture of the company through gaining an understanding of their organizational behavior. In order for full competency to take effect, some key concepts and terminology must be explained to make the process manageable. There are many factors that involve and contribute to an organization's success and longevity. Organizational behavior, culture, diversity, communication, business ethics and change management are some of the key concepts, all of which will be explained below along with some examples from past experiences.

Organizational behavior, according to Hitt, Miller, & Colella (2007, p. 5) "involves the actions of individuals and groups in an organizational context." OB, as organizational behavior is called in short, is multidisciplinary. This means it does not only understand the individuals and groups of an organization, but also involves several academic disciplines, Such as behavioral and social sciences. This helps relate to organizational behavior.

Organizational behavior is defined as the study of individuals and groups in organizations. This definition helps us to better understand the organizational behavior which businesses practice on a day-to-day basis.

At Advanced Patient Transportation, organizational behavior helps the supervisors implement new ideas. Observing the changes that must be made in order to produce a profitable and expanding organization does this. It is through analyzing the organization's behavior, along side years of experience, that keeps the employees level headed and reduces stress on emergency calls in the field.

Analyzing organizational behavior is a continuous learning process because of uncontrollable and sometimes unforeseeable events and influences. Internal and external influences, along with ethics, culture, beliefs, economy, and relationships, can all change employee behavior. Workers are the foundation to every organization. They are dependent on them to fulfill the assigned function effectively and efficiently. I have witnessed certain behaviors while working with various companies throughout the years, and the event that stands out has a common theme. A poor work performer can quickly become a hard worker with the correct guidance, if caught through use of analyzing the organization's behavior. Management may observe a certain situation, assess for a problem, and them find a solution. Managers are responsible for their subordinates, including their actions and behaviors. Through their studied observations, managers are able to correct a situation if necessary through analysis of their organization's behavior.

Organizational culture is defined as "the set of shared values, beliefs, and norms that influences the way employees think, feel, and behave toward each other and toward people outside the organization" (George & Jones, p. 535). In the business setting, this system is often referred to as the corporate culture. Much like the way there is no such thing as identical personalities, there are also no two organizational cultures that are the same. Every organization will have a culture, positive or negative. Culture comes from the top, and is spread evenly down the corporate ladder. Evidence of such is usually a mission or vision statement, often seen posted on walls or on stationary. A strong, energetic, and fun spirited company culture increases productivity, employee satisfaction, can easily be seen by the public resulting in positive relations. When upper management takes time to clearly state the beliefs and values of a company, they will be rewarded with a strong and positive company cultures. However, neglect and confusion will lead to a poor and negative culture that could devastate the company.

The culture of an organization, accompanied with the diversity of an organization, will present a clear picture of how the company operates. Satisfaction of the employees and the company itself would be unmistakable. Diversity was started hesitantly as a requirement to comply with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but now inspires new thought and inspiration. "Any characteristic that would influence a person's identity or the way he or she approaches problems and views the world can be considered an important characteristic to consider when defining diversity" (Hitt, et.al, p. 40). Having a diversified staff will help an organization stay ahead of the game in this ever-changing environment.

Employees are overheard often saying, "sorry, I didn't hear you." Whenever these words are spoken, it usually implies that a task was