The Impact of Human Behavior on an Organization

Running head: THE IMPACT OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

The Impact of Human Behavior on an Organization

By Janna Johnson

Bethel University

Human Behavior in Organizations

Facilitator: Kathy Vest

November 6, 2012

The Impact of Human Behavior on an Organization

Introduction

Behaviors in the work place have a tremendous impact on the productivity or lack of it due to the fact that behavior affects individual and corporate performance quality. From ethical practices, to attitudes, there are many ways that behavior can affect the environment within any organization. Organizational behavior has evolved from multiple disciplines such as psychology, sociology, political science, and cultural anthropology. These disciplines or lack of them will remarkably manifest in the behaviors of individuals, groups, structures, and processes. (Ivancevich, Konopaske, & Matteson, 2011).

Leadership Behavior

Within a changing work force in the current working environment of society, leaders have the challenge of leading workers with social responsibility, cultural diversity, ethics, global competitiveness, social networking, and reengineering. They must consider both the workers they lead as well as the customers they serve. There is conflict to manage, goals to accomplish, deadlines to meet, and an array of duties to attend all the while conducting business with emotional intelligence.

How the leader leads will demonstrate to the workers surrounding him or her how to behave and respond. Leaders are always being watched by their subordinates. Clearly the attitudes and actions of leaders will be reciprocated by those he or she leads. The responsibility of the leader is great, no doubt. Performance and achievement depends on good leadership ultimately. How one leads is very important to an organization.

Aligning human resources and organizational factors was initiated with the Hawthorne studies. This study is based on observing the group of employees in action at work. A group of Harvard students researched the "Hawthorne effect" to find out that this improved employees' production as they were being studied and observed. It's interesting to note this result when considering how to impact the behaviors of workers in an organization. Clearly attention and recognition to workers can vastly improve performance. Leaders should keep this in mind.

According to a book called, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, "Some of the most effective and lasting tools for building trust on a team are profiles of team members' behavioral preferences and personality styles. These help break down barriers by allowing people to better understand and empathize with one another." (Lencioni, 2002). Trust is important for a good working relationship with a leader and his subordinate team players otherwise known as employees or workers. This sets the tone for approachability and effective communication. It also lends to the attitudes of employees to their managers and team leaders, as well as vice versa.

Part of the dynamics in any given work environment is the fact that there will be conflict. For many there is often a fear of conflict. Understanding that conflict does exist even in the most ideal work environments and among the finest leaders can help us to embrace the fact that conflict will occur from time to time. "All great relationships, the ones that last over time, require productive conflict in order to grow. This is true in marriage, parenthood, friendship, and certainly business." (Lencioni, 2002). There are two types of conflict: productive and destructive. Ideally a leader must make productivity the main goal in resolving any conflict at hand. Producing the best possible solutions in the shortest period of time is desirable by effective leaders. Part of conflict resolution is to discuss, understand, listen, and give good direction after careful consideration to the parties involved. Unfortunately, everyone will not always leave the table of discussion in agreement. Sometimes people's feelings will get hurt, and solutions will not be easy. Decisions that are made as a result of productive conflict can often benefit the organization a great deal.

Group Behaviors within an organization

Interpersonal influence and group behavior have an impact on an organization. Groups are often utilized to help managers with tasks that need to be accomplished successfully. Perhaps a manager will hand select those in a group or perhaps a sign up list brings them all together. When a group of individuals come together to work on a common goal, the dynamics can be intriguing and bring about an interesting process of formulating ideas, finding ways to implement new ideas, and the end results. The group cohesiveness depends on the individual personalities, the ability to understand how to work together, and the dedication to see the project carried out.

Usually a leader will rise from the group. There are often those who are more outgoing in the group than others. There is often a mediator who tries to help everyone see another's point of view when making decisions. There are those who simply listen and follow the leader in the group. Many personalities can come together and work to carry out assigned tasks within a group. Some groups will succeed more than others depending on the makeup of the structure of that particular group. It is ideal that a manager would select some various personalities and people with emotional intelligence to ensure the ability for members of that group to work well together. If you have too many dominating personalities in a group, you are asking for disaster.

Communication is very important in a group. The ability to properly communicate thoughts, ideas, and concerns is very strategic. Communication is both verbal and non verbal. They both convey meaning. Non verbal communication includes body movements, facial expressions, and physical distance between the sender and receiver. (Robbins, 1996). It is possible to say the right thing in the wrong way and communicate offensively to another. This is why emails can be misinterpreted among colleagues sometimes. There is no tone in the message, only words. They can be easily misread if one is not clear on the meaning. Electronic technologies are reshaping the way individuals communicate today. Faxes, emails, memos, and texts are often used between co workers. This is why group affiliation in a physical