Organizational behavior is important for understanding how individuals, groups, and structures interact, and can lead to policy and organizational changes. It can also help manage challenges such as fear of change and communication problems, and improve morale through workshops and incentives.
The importance of organizational behavior lies in understanding how individuals, groups and organizational structures interact and influence each other. Organizational studies examine patterns of communication between individuals and groups, as well as the structure and culture of organizations. A detailed look at workplace behavior, corporate culture, and organizational practices yields greater insights into communication patterns and conflicts. Such discoveries sometimes trigger solution-oriented policy and organizational changes, prompting leaders to implement reward systems, new communication methods, or innovative management approaches.
Studying how individuals and groups interact is often central to explaining the challenges within an organization. Due to fear of change, employees may be reluctant to embrace a new piece of technology, thereby interfering with an organization’s forward efforts. The importance of organizational behavior in such a situation is highlighted by the effort to understand and effectively manage the fear of change within the organization. In this case, a fine-tuning of leadership strategies may be required for the organization to meet and exceed its goals. As a solution, managers can hold one-on-one meetings with employees, establish incentives and/or implement training sessions to help employees adapt to new systems.
Analyzing communication behaviors within an organization can also generate useful insights into its successes or weaknesses. Communication problems could arise due to rapid organizational expansion, which could replace weekly meetings around a conference room table with written correspondence and quarterly conferences. Disagreements between sales and technical teams can create roadblocks in product development or compromise customer satisfaction. Recognizing the importance of organizational behavior in such situations often prompts effective leaders to make a concerted effort to improve communication methods and processes. Mandatory weekly phone check-ins, in-person meetings, and web conferencing tools can be implemented to increase the frequency and quality of communications between individuals, groups, and organizational partners.
When leaders are attuned to the importance of organizational behavior, they can invite organizational coaches to analyze difficult dynamics and hold workshops. If organization members exhibit low morale, for example, a survey of individuals’ characteristics, interests, and values can provide important insights. New methods and processes can result from identifying specific goals and activities that motivate individuals and groups. You can determine, for example, that employees feel disconnected from the organization’s overall vision and goals, disagree with company management, or feel ignored or unappreciated. Establishing recognition awards, performance-based awards, and team building activities can boost employee morale.
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