Calling all the department managers or operations people in an organization. If you think your employees are not satisfied with the workplace environment, here’s a must-read for you. Why should you care about your workplace environment? The happier and more satisfied employees are with the company’s environment, the better they will perform at their jobs.
Organizational behavior studies show that applying its principles in a workplace can create a motivational and encouraging environment, resulting in the company's rapid growth.
In this bloppost, you will learn everything you need to know, from the importance of organizational behavior to how to implement its strategies properly.
Organizational Behaviour (OB)
What is organizational behavior? It studies people’s behavior interacting when they are in a group. The principles of organizational behavior are implemented in firms to improve the performances of the employees and the company.
Organizational behavior studies aim to solve numerous problems a company can have. Consultants can use its principles to make the employees understand the firm's goals, deal with the conflicts between the workers, enhance communication, provide training to new staff, etc.
Importance of Organizational Behavior
Remember that protest by Google employees when 20000 workers walked out at once? That protest highlights the importance of organizational behavior in the workplace. Over 20,000 Google workers quit because of unfair treatment of women. And they felt safe that even after quitting they won’t have any hassle getting hired by other companies. But not everyone has it that easy.
But that doesn’t stop them from walking out. When people get exhausted from their job they walk out mentally, which negatively impacts their performance and company.
Principles of organizational behavior don’t only eradicate problems but provide extra benefits.
Development of Skills
When you analyze the behavior of individuals and a group, you would know what abilities they have. Then you can assist them in developing the skills they would need for their position or polish the ones they already have. You can also assign each person a task that would suit their skills.
Helps Increasing Efficiency
Efficiency means the ability to complete a task correctly, within the deadline, and in the easiest way possible. Organizational behavior principles can make it easy for employees to work efficiently in a group. Understanding that not everyone can work well in a group and will need assistance often is crucial.
Creates a Healthy Environment
Studying the groups will help you identify any conflicts arising due to politics, religious beliefs, groups, etc. If you are able to identify the problems timely, it will be easier to resolve the conflicts and maintain a healthy environment.
Helps to Use Resources Effectively
Mostly, three things count in resources:
- People
- Money
- Machines
Organizational behavior will help you to implement its principles in such a way that you will be able to utilize resources effectively. They should neither be underused nor overused.
Models of Organizational Behavior
Organizational behavior models have evolved with time. There are five models from the beginning till now.
1. Autocratic model
2. Custodial model
3. Supportive model
4. Collegial model
5. System model
Autocratic Model
The word “autocracy” means only the leader gets to make decisions. In the autocratic model, the leader does all the thinking and gives orders to the employees. Sounds awful, right? It might seem negative, but its application can be beneficial at some points. For example, a decision must be taken immediately, and there’s no time for group discussion.
Employees who like some authority might not be happy and feel suppressed. Another thing that can go wrong with this model is creative ideas. If the employees are not given a chance to speak their minds, your company might miss an excellent idea.
Custodial Model:
Things were looking much better for the employees economically in this organizational behavior model. In the custodial model, employees’ financial needs are considered, and they are given cash rewards for their work. Along with that, some companies might provide health and other benefits.
The custodial model is a win-win situation for both company and the employees. Financial security encourages workers to perform better, and that performance benefits the company.
Supportive Model
The supportive model focuses on bettering the workplace environment. Unlike custodial and autocratic models, supportive model points to getting the work done via skilled leadership, not manipulation or authority.
The supportive model lessens work stress for the employees as they are helped unless they can handle a task with minimal supervision. Furthermore, this creates a friendly environment that automatically improves workers’ performance.
It also emphasizes building an employee-manager relationship.
Collegial Model
This organizational behavior model is an extension of the supportive model. Usually, in workplaces, a hierarchy system is followed. For example, employees have a manager over them, manager(s) have a head over them, and so on. But in the Collegial model hierarchy system is discontinued. And the power is distributed among all or some employees.
In this model, the manager acts more like a coach. Their job is to help the employees and focus on collectively achieving goals as a team. Another benefit of this model is that the employees are not worried about their position as the power is distributed, and everyone is allowed to speak their opinion. That way, the company doesn’t slip on any out-of-the-box ideas.
System Model
The system model is one of the best organizational behavior models. It gives more than just salary and job security. It gives value to the time, and work employees are doing for the company. In this model, the manager's purpose isn’t just to complete the task. They should also keep the staff motivated and committed to their job.
One of the major purposes of the system model is to keep the workforce motivated by building trust, self-determination, and optimism. In this model, emotions are involved as well. The manager has another task: to understand each individual's different needs and be compassionate toward them.
Implement These Workplace Strategies to Grow Your Company
Numerous things play an important part in growing a business. Such as Products/services, management, employees, new strategies, etc.
A few strategies to gain customers can improve how your business engages with them. If you haven’t yet, you can go digital to enhance your interaction with the customers. And we don’t think you can find a better platform than Strikingly to go digital.
Strikingly is the most suitable website builder for building simple websites and online stores. You can also build responsive websites without any coding or advanced tech knowledge.
You can build your website either for free or look at the pricing plans and avail yourself of the cool features of every plan.
All you need to do is Sign up for free. Go to the dashboard and click on create a new site.
Image taken from Strikingly
Then, choose the template you think would suit best to your business.
Image taken from Strikingly
Customize it according to your needs and click on the publish button.
Image taken from Strikingly
You can also connect a custom domain. Both previously bought and purchased from Strikingly or other platforms will work perfectly fine.
Now, let’s see the strategies you can implement to stop your workforce from walking out mentally.
Communication is the Key
You might have heard this phrase several times. And it may not sound as impactful as it should because it is not applied most of the time correctly.
When people feel like they are not being heard, they stop caring. So as a manager, consultant, etc., you need to hear what your employees have to say. When you would listen to their ideas and recommendation, it would give them a sense of value. And today, employees don’t just need a salary. They require themselves and their work to be valued.
Find Problems
Can’t see any conflicts? Search for them. Don’t just wait for an issue to be brought to you to solve it. Things might get worse till someone brings it up. Ask the employees if there’s anything that should be talked about but isn’t? Or if they disagree with something.
Hearing and considering people’s problems will give them another reason to work better. They will think about the company, “this man or organization is giving me and my problems so much value, then what’s stopping me from doing good for them?”
Conclusion
Five organizational behavior models have evolved over the years.
The autocratic model focuses only on the leader dashing orders to the employees. The custodial model cares about staff’s financial needs and gives them rewards. The supportive model emphasizes completing the task through leadership skills rather than power. In a collegial model, the power is distributed among a few or all the employees, so people don’t worry about their status. And the system model centers on giving value to the employees and their work, along with salary and job security.
Organizational behavior studies the behavior of people working within a group. Implementing its principles will benefit both employees and the company. Application of the principles of organizational behavior maintains a healthy workplace environment which helps the company grow.
