Organizational Trends

Organizational Trends

Organizational Trends

According to Organizational Behavior (OB, 2005), decision making is defined as the process of choosing a course of action for dealing with a problem or opportunity. There are several steps that occur in the decision making process. First, one must recognize and define the problem or opportunity. Second, one must identify and analyze alternative courses of action and estimate their effects. Third, choose a preferred course of action. Fourth, implement the preferred course of action. Finally, evaluate the results and follow up as required. This process seems to be fairly simple but can become extremely complex when outside factors are considered. As the Information Age come about an increasing amount of work-related stress can be linked to technology. The ease of information access and the troubles generated by this information has had a profound effect on stress in the workplace. The effects of ethics on decision making and the impact technology has on work-related stress are both trends in organizational behavior that vary according to the times in which each occurs.

Decisions are usually made using a structured method which allows the decision maker to rationalize his or her options and analyze the situation so that the best decision can be made. When ethical dilemmas are introduced, the process if often becomes complicated and can result in the normal process being foregone in favor of emotional or rash decisions. Often risk and uncertainty is present during these ethically challenging decisions. It is up to the person or persons making the decision to ultimately decide if the decision made will be an ethical one. Many times the person making the decision must choose between the ethical approaches, even if it means hurting the organization, or the unethical approach which goes against personal and organizational beliefs but will benefit the organization.

Take stem cell research, for example. Some politicians have refused to support funding stem cell research and have even attempted to set limits on the amount of research to be considered legal. In Maryland recently a bill was introduced to fund stem cell research. Several State Senators attempted a filibuster to prevent the approval of the bill and would have effectively prevented the funding (Berman, 2006). The politicians in this case must make a decision to either support or oppose the authorization of funding for stem cell research. This decision has strong ethical attachments. Should the funding be approved so that lives might be saved in the future? Every senator in Maryland had to make a conscious decision as to whether or not his or her personal beliefs would outweigh the beliefs that the research might someday save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives. This is a prime example of the effects ethics have on the decision making process.

Technologies introduced into the workplace are supposed to make things easier for everyone but what happens when technology becomes the problem? As the information age progresses many new technologies are introduced to speed up the process of doing business and simplify once complex tasks. Electronic mail or email is one such tool that has changed the way organizations and individuals communicate. Since its inception into the workplace, the computer has helped companies increase profits by automating processes that once required extensive man hours to complete. While saving time in some places, the computer has also been the cause for reduced production in others. A survey done in 2005 found that 51% of workers though they were productive which was down from 83% in 1994 (Kinsman, 2006). The primary cause for the down turn was excessive email. Many workers complained that they were not trained on how to properly use email and spend a good portion of the day trying to read and respond to emails. Many also noted that they received emails that did not pertain to them simply because the sender hit the 'Reply to All' and inadvertently