Organizational Behavior as Exemplified by Fire Services Company - Term Paper Example

Organisation Behavior Paper Title The Facets of Organisation Behavior As Exemplified By a Fire and Fire Services Company Paper Outline a) Introducing Organisation Behavior The essay starts by introducing elements of organisation behavior as practiced by contemporary organizations. b) Relationship between Internal Structures and External Environment This part of the essay offers a contextualization of an organization and how its behavior is determined by the relationship it holds with its internal and external structures/factors. c) Teams and Work Groups in Organisation Behavior The essay then examines the role of individuals and teams in an organization in terms of learning, communication, motivation, work group formation and teamwork. d) Employee Role Definition The essay then attempts to explain how employee roles are defined within organizations with respect to organizational structure, design, culture and strategy of a particular organisation. e) Organisation Development Behavior The essay then assesses the role of organizational development in organization behavior as shown by its response to change and conflict management. f) Organisation Management in Behavior The last section of the essay constitutes an evaluation of how organizational management plays out in decision-making, conflict management, power struggles and management politics as part of organisation behaviour. g) Conclusion The conclusion helps illustrate how all these distinct facets of organisation behavior interrelate and cohesively form a unique identity that is peculiar to each organisation. Organisation Behavior Introducing Organisation Behavior This is an explorative essay that describes the foray of factors that determine the behavior unique to a particular organisation. The essay uses the examples of fire and rescue services companies to establish how organization behavior is determined by internal structures and external environmental factors of that organisation. It also details the role of groups/teams in organizational behavior in respect to communication, perception, learning, group formation, team work and motivation. Role definition and how employee roles are determined by the structure, design, culture and strategy of an organisation have also discussed as well as organization development in regards to an organization’s response to conflict, change and culture. Finally, a review of organizational management and how it affects decision-making, conflict management, leadership politics and power dynamics are contextualized in their effect of organizational behavior. For the purposes of this paper, organizational behaviour is taken as to refer to the study and application of knowledge of how individuals behave in an organisation, how they act and interact in groups and as individuals within the organisation (Mullins, 2004, pp. 872 - 888). In organisation behavior individuals within an organisation usually behave as single entities and as teams/groups (Newstrom & Davis, 1993, pp. 96). The collective way in which all individuals and teams in an organisation acts in assorted contexts is what we call organisation behavior. Relationship between Internal Structures and External Environment Organisations only exist within certain environments. Even within the organisation itself, the organisation has an assortment of units (Newstrom & Davis, 1993, pp. 96). An organisation must interact with the outside world during its operations and this is what we call external environment. Managers of an organisation must consider the environment of their organization and determine the relationships between internal structures of that organisation and relevant external environment factors (Cohen, 2001, pp. 127 - 163). Organizational behavior accrues from the behaviors of the individuals within the organization as influenced by the internal structures and external environment factors of that organisation (Mullins, 2004, pp. 872 - 888). A fire and rescue services company for instance offers 24 hours standby service to a particular region. The company is always an insurance to the community that help will be given in case of emergencies. Such a company has several departments that oversee such specialist roles as operational policy development, in-house training, corporate communication/Public relations, community mobilization and education, resources management etc. In their core mandate, the fire and rescue services company must ensure that all these specialist departments perform their work effectively. Each department must be efficient in its role if the organisation is to perform well (Mullins, 2004, pp. 872 - 888). If it is policy development, if it is training, if it is resource procurement and management, if it is community mobilization, whatever the task of the department, failure to conduct that role affects the entire company. A fire and rescue services company is as good as how well their employees are trained. It is as good as the resources they have in cases of emergencies. It is as good as how well it mobilizes and educates the public on fires and emergences. It is as good as its corporate image. In essence therefore, by each department influences the entire organisation. How well these department works is what determines the culture developed and ascribed to that organisation. The departments must work as a team, where each serves its mandate the best way it can, helping each other towards achieving the mandate of the organisation at large. As such, organisation behavior of a fire and rescue services organization is very dependent on the efficiency of its internal structures (departments) and these departments work independently as well as in a team, to build the comprehensive output (Gary, 2006, pp. 386–408). An organization is a network of systems structured in such a way that allows the organisation to perform in its maximal productivity. The fire and rescue services company must thus include internal structural systems that allow the company to respond to local emergencies both pre-emptively and reactively. These internal systems are also served by a network of sub-systems that deal with areas that are more specialized. Organization behavior is the product the internal systems which exist both as cohesive units of a singular company and as mutually interdependent units. On the other hand, a fire and rescue services company is also influenced by the external environment in which it operates. If the area is experiencing a proliferation of fire disasters that are threatening to overwhelming the fire services company resources and funding, the company must initiate proactive measures to educate the public on how to prevent fires. The organization will assume the role of a community mobilize, simply because what is happening without its confines (the external environment) is determining of what the company does. The external environment existing outside the normal operations of the company have a direct impact on the organisation behavior (Gary, 2006, pp. 386–408). In most cases, fire and rescue department always include a department charged with the responsibility of sensitizing, educating and monitoring the public on such issues as fire prevention and emergency escape procedures. The external environment influences the organization behavior simply because an organisation is itself a social system with particular attitudes and behaviors visible only from how it interacts with the publics existing outside their normal operations. Teams and Work Groups in Organisation Behavior As already detailed, organizations must be thought of as systems. The systems usually rely on the synergy of individuals in that organisation combined to form a singular pattern of behavior (Katz and Kahn, 1978, pp. 322). The individuals contribute to what ultimately becomes the behavior of the organisation towards targeted objectives. Organization behavior is only illustrated by how the individuals and the teams within that organisation are assigned roles and responsibilities. Being social systems, organizations must then always formulate, regulate and modify the behaviors of the individual employees in line of the objectives. Organisation behavior accrues from the inspiration of company policies, values, missions, rules and leadership adopted in that organisation since these are the pillars of the operating behavior (Katz and Kahn, 1978, pp. 322). The values and policies inspire individual to act in a certain way until this way of acting becomes the uniform behavior that can be characterized as that organization’s overall behavior. It is therefore important that individuals be seen as part of the organisation, each individual contributing to the organisation behavior. The individuals are then grouped into teams that constitute the sub components of the larger system (Katz and Kahn, 1978, pp. 322). From individuals to the teams, to sub-departments to departments and finally to the overall company, these are the various units that constitute the organisation and each of which determines the organisation behavior. The ability of individuals to work efficiently as a team within the various sub-systems is definitive of the success achieved by the organization. Individuals must therefore be assigned roles that define their precise job description as individuals but still be able to function within the teams that are relevant to that job description in the execution of the assigned mandate. That team must also have leadership structure, means of communication and an authority chain. Individuals perform in their own job description and as teams only if they are motivation to do so. The motivation of individual employees is what builds the motivation of groups and ultimately the production. If the employee as an individual is well motivated to attain high performance, the teams will definitely perform better. The vice versa holds true too. One way to make groups effective is to amplify their level of communication through establishment of proper communication channels. Individuals relate with colleagues in team settings, the teams are managed and enabled by effective communication channels. Team work, motivation and communication are all determining facets of organizational behavior. Employee Role Definition Individuals work best in an organisation when their duty positions are assigned within a particular team. When the employee has a defined position in the horizontal and vertical structures of the organisation, he or she is able to perform the job better. It is therefore very important for individuals to learn their job detail if they will serve that detail properly as individuals or as part of a team. Role definition and separation refers to the situation where an employee knows what the job expectations are and then given the space to perform. Role definition triggers high employee motivation since the employees feel important to that organisation in serving a particular role. Individual are motivated to perform better when they know that what they is important to a teams and to the organisation. Role definition and separation ensures that each employee get his or her role done, as a way of earning a better reward, recognize and commendation for performance. Roles are defined and even separated in regards to the organisation structure, design, culture and strategy (Weisbord, 1992, pp 154 - 157). An organisation prioritizes their objectives prioritized before assigning particular responsibilities to a particular station and or individual. This creates a system in which things are done in that organisation and this is what we call organisation culture. Some things are assigned to particular stations and individuals. The culture thus determines how the roles are defined, separated and assigned (Weisbord, 1992, pp 154 - 157). In a fire and rescue services company, some responsibilities are only assigned to team leaders while others are for junior staff. As such, responsibilities are assigned to individuals based on their position in the organisation structure. Organisation Development Behavior Organizations are a collection of individuals engaged in a network of interdependent relationships. That means that the attitudes of the individuals, their actions and reactions and the way each individual operates every day is what ultimately defines the organisation culture. Individual behaviors constitute the organisation culture and the culture must be dynamically responsive to changes. Organizations always experience changes in technology, leadership, policy, management etc. The ability of an organization to adapt to these changes helps that organization to survive. Individuals in an organisation are the ones who accept changes and not the organization parse. The individuals may accept or resist the changes. If they feel threatened by the changes, they will resist them. If they are excited by the changes, they will accept them. The important thing is to make sure individuals understand the changes since they will always oppose what they do not understand. The changes must also not be viewed as threatening to the individual’s survival so that they do not initiate a self preservative resistance to the changes. Diversity is gradually becoming seen as a benefit rather than a liability to organizations, making them more innovative, competitive, and responsive to diverse customers. Finally, organization behavior also encompasses how conflicts between individuals and between individuals in the organization or between the individuals and the organization are handled. Organisation behavior extends to the frameworks of addressing grievances, punishing offenders, ensuring a hospitable environment for all individuals and protecting their rights. Organisation Management in Behavior Organizations are always as good as their management. The management works as the central nervous system of that organisation (Likert, 1961, pp 193 - 225). The ability of the management to recruit the motivation of employees, channel this motivation towards the organizations objectives, determine ideal values and policies to safeguard the interests of all parties and still be able to strategize on future outlooks that the organisation must adapt to, it requires a very dynamic team of management. A good management helps establish positive organizational behavior through standardized decision making based on sound policies established in the organisation. Reliably standardized decision making channels makes the management’s job easier since there is a blue print of actions. This is especially important when it comes to conflict management. How well conflict is handled affects the ultimate organisation behavior. It is important that an organisation has a firm structure detailing the power distribution and authority centers so that politics in the organisation are reduced if not eliminated. Organist ions usually cripple under the weight of politics especially in succession scenarios. The idea is to formulate a culture, a structural guide on how power is awarded and inherited to individuals so that competing employees know the channels to use when seeking for that authority. When the channels of attaining seniority are clear in an organisation, individuals behave in accordance to those stipulated channels and thus avoid politics (Cohen, 2001, pp. 127 - 163). To maintain a working equilibrium, the organization’s management must be able to process the information coming from its internal and external environment, receive and analyze the feedback and then take appropriate adjustments in reaction to the objectives of the organization. Conclusion Modern conception of organisation behavior involves a scientific and systematic analysis of individuals in the organisation, the groups in which they work and ultimately of the organisation itself as the ultimate unit. Towards this front, experts apply the theory and research of psychology, managerial theory and sociology. Today, mangers know that the people within their organisation can either break or make their organisation. It has thus become critical that managers understand human behavior as part of their managerial responsibility so that they can create impetus for the development of profitable behaviors in their organisation. While managers cannot be professional psychologists, they need to understand the sound principles of organisation behavior if at all they will pilot their organizations to success in the 21st Century. References Cohen, A, et al, 2001, Effective behavior in organizations: Cases, concepts, and student experiences, McGraw-Hill Irwin, Boston, pp. 127 - 163 Gary, Johns, 2006, The Essential Impact of Context on Organizational Behavior, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 31, (2), pp. 386–408.  Katz, D., and Kahn, R., 1978, The social psychology of organizations, Wiley, New York. pp. 322. Likert, R., 1961, New Patterns of Management, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 193 - 225 Mullins, L 2004, Management and Organisational Behaviour, Prentice Hall, New York, pp. 872 - 888 Newstrom, J. & Davis, K., 1993, Organization Behavior: Human Behavior at Work, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 96 Weisbord, Marvin, 1992, Organizational Diagnosis: A Workbook of theory and Practice, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, pp 154 - 157. Read More