Organizational Behavior Trends

Organizational Behavior Trends

Today's organizations are very fast-paced compared to organizations of the past. The need to accomplish more in a shorter amount of time has become an industry standard practice of modern times. There are several consequences that result from the constant fast-paced work environment. One issue that results from the fast-paced working environment is that employees always have to make quick decisions on daily tasks. Ethics usually play a role in decision making, which could result in positive or negative consequences. Another issue is that employees always have to rush tasks and achieve more in production; therefore, companies are always updating their equipment to be current with the latest technology. Technology is known to cause a lot of stress in the working environment. In the following paragraphs, further detail will be given on how ethics influence decision making, and how technology causes stress on the job.

Influence of Ethics on Decision Making

In order to understand the impact of ethics on decision making, it is important to understand what ethics are. Ethics are best described as standards of behavior that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in which they find themselves, which are as friends, parents, children, citizens, businesspeople, teachers, and professionals (Hanson, 2001). Since ethics are personal beliefs or personal knowledge of what is right and wrong, there are many misconceptions that can occur in decision making, especially in the business world. Most decisions made in the business world today are fast-paced decisions, which need to be made in order to accomplish a given task. Managers and supervisors have high expectations for their employees to make decisions without directly having their input. This skill shows that an employee is knowledgeable, and can think on their own with minimal guidance from superiors. However, there are issues that arise from making decisions based on ethics. Nearly all companies have written policies or procedures. There are times when an employee needs to make a decision and may not agree with a policy or procedure, based on their ethical beliefs. Even though the employees ethical standards may be correct compared to the policies and procedures of the organization, the organizational standards will almost always override personal ethical decisions when the decision made by the employee has a negative consequence. Having a method for ethical decision making is very essential, though. As an employee advances in the company, ethical decisions will be made in conjunction with company policies and procedures, because it is imperative that employees are able to use their mind to create and revise policies and procedures within the company. As one advances in the company, the ethical decisions will become more difficult. With this in mind, one needs to gain the skill to rely on discussion and dialogue with others about the ethical decisions that need to be made.

Impact of Technology on Work-Related Stress

Job stress is a chronic disease caused by conditions in the workplace that negatively affect an individual's performance and/or overall well-being of one's body and mind (Livepositive, 2004). Job Stress is more common in present time that it was in the past. A major reason for this is due to technology. The innovation of computers, mobile phones, fax machines, copiers, and the Internet have influenced the demand that is spent on projects,