Organizational Human Behavior Notes

There is constant pressure on organizations to innovate for growth. An organization must give freedom to a worker in order for creativity to be developed. Organizations that do not respond or adapt to changes and fail to provide a quality product will fail. Employees are affected when a company changes, therefore bureaucracy (Robbins, 218) can be extremely effective if employee empowerment is implicated within an organization. If the matrix structure (218) can be combined with bureaucracy, an effective and efficient workplace can be established.  Work specialization (211), departmentalization (213), and decentralization (216) aid in a firms organization.

Organizational Change

Change challenges people to adapt or be replaced. Employees must be different in order to compete in today’s world. Change involves technology. Because of the increasing rate of innovation, technical changes are more important than ever. Human resources has to do with organizational change. Companies may decide to alter their work force due to a low level of performance. Expectations, perception, attitude, and values are focuses of change. This change is caused by internal or external circumstances.

Expansion creates risk and opportunity. All organizations experience change. Managers must adapt to the altered strategy and environment of a company. Managers seek enthusiasm and commitment from workers. However, with this comes a lack of communication and quotas aren’t met. These failures must be avoided be avoided by bureaucracy, which would allow the company to be organized while making their transition.

Effect on Managers and Employees

Changed is viewed differently by managers and employees. Change is usually beneficial to managers as it creates an opportunity to grow within the company and further their career. However, employees dislike change and see it as intrusive. Humans in general fear change, so the dislike of change within a company is common. Change creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and causes employees to worry about losing their jobs. Decentralizing would allow employees to feel more involved and decrease their fear of change.

The self-interests of some managers may be threatened when change occurs, decreasing their power influence. Managers may fight the change in retaliation. Social networking may be disrupted due to the change in work arrangements. Most people dislike a change that will affect their relationships in the work place. Loss of power, status, and security are feelings employees may develop when change is approaching.

Overcoming Change and Being Involved

Managers should have the ability to overcome the negative effects of change. Several techniques such as keeping employees departmentalized and specialized can said in this. Participation is also a technique. Employees who are allowed to participate and aid in planning the change better understand the reasons for change within the organization. Their social relationships and self-interests are unaffected, and their feeling of insecurity decreases. This created opportunity for employees allows them to understand the change rather than resent it. In addition, warning the employees and explaining the change may help. Communication reduces the feeling on uncertainty.

By implementing these procedures and creating bonds between the commitment of an employer and their company’s change, managers increase the likelihood of harboring a positive change. Whatever changes occur within in the company, and for whatever reason, a manager needs to communicate and create participation opportunities for their employees in order for the change to occur smoothly. 

Micro Tidbits

"We are not thinking machines.  We are feeling machines that think."  PBS 2/1/02 Promotional clip for a program on the human brain. 

Paraphrase of a Middle Eastern saying:  When you seek revenge, you should dig two graves - one for your enemy and one for you.

Gandhi:  If you live by Eye-For-An-Eye, you live in a world of blind men.

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