Updated On:October 04, 2017
We tend to forget that any enterprise, big or small, public or private, is in fact comprised of people. Often an organization’s identity or “personality” is tied to the services or goods it provides — instead of the people behind the scenes who create the products.
The individuals who make up a corporation’s workforce have a large influence not only on its corporate identity but also on its power in the marketplace. An enterprise’s successes or failures do not depend only on the quality or popularity of its services or products. An organization’s strengths and weaknesses also come from the management and organizational behavior of its workforce.
What Is Organizational Behavior?
Organizational behavior refers to the way people behave individually and in groups within an organization. Each employee’s actions and attitudes, both subtle and overt, contribute to a company’s culture and can have a huge impact on employee satisfaction and productivity — and by extension, an organization’s ability to dominate its chosen market.
Management and Organizational Behavior
Given the pivotal role employees play in any business, it is imperative that company leaders have a profound understanding of how to define organizational behavior.
Managers must understand how a worker’s attitudes and actions translate into job performance and productivity. Yet, this analysis of what motivates behavior should not only focus on employees as individuals. Effective leaders understand group dynamics since staff work together as a cohesive whole.
Furthermore, in order to ensure that a workforce is functioning at optimal capacity, managers must know how to resolve conflicts and influence employees to create a productive corporate culture.
In order to motivate each worker to reach his or her objectives, managers need to appreciate everyone’s learning styles and decision-making abilities. A smoothly operating workforce depends upon whether an executive can motivate staff and design systems that encourage productive behavior. A nuanced appreciation for the principles of organizational behavior can also help managers develop a leadership style that is best suited to their unique corporate culture — one that staff will respond to the best.
A good manager should know how to identify areas in need of improvement and have the skills to encourage positive behavior and minimize negative behaviors all while maintaining workers’ satisfaction and a positive work environment. In order to ensure a company’s success, the link between management and organizational behavior must be a key consideration when outlining plans for an enterprise’s development and progress.
Studying Management and Organizational Behavior
Management and organizational behavior are inextricably linked. “What is organizational behavior?” is a fundamental question for managers. To answer this question, some MBA programs, including the one at the University of West Florida, offer a Management and Organizational Behavior course. In this course, degree candidates will study organizational behavior, as well as how to apply this knowledge to an organization’s human resources management. The course will help students better understand both individual behavior and group dynamics and will teach them to identify learning styles and how to best motivate staff members. Students will also receive an overview of how to recognize possible conflict and human rights issues.
Remember that businesses have as much to do with people as they do with products. A business leader who has a clear understanding of the interplay between management and organizational behavior will be better positioned to guide any organization towards success.
Learn more about the UWF online MBA program.
Sources:
Houston Chronicle: How to Explain the Importance of Organizational Behaviors
