Organizational Behavior – Our inherent power of generalization helps us to predict the behavior of other people, however sometimes our generalizations and predictions fail. This happens as we fail to analyze and go into the depth of the patterns that are affecting the behavior of people at that particular time or period. This calls for understanding and following the systematic approach to the study of the organizational behavior. The study helps in increasing our predictive ability to understand the behavior of the people particularly in the group or an organization, and how their behavior impacts the performance of an organization.
Almost all organizations develop the models on the basis of which behavior of the people is determined. This model depends on the assumption that organizational behavior management carries about its people and mission and goals. It is noted that most of the organizations make the assumptions on the basis that people are not to be trusted even in the slightest matter. For instance McGregor theories X and Y is based on quite contradictory assumptions; Argyris focuses on the immaturity and maturity level of the people providing two opposing views. The Organizational Behavior models formulated would show many different variations and kind of continuum between the two opposite poles.
The organizational behavior revolves around three main theoretical approaches: cognitive, behaviorist and social learning frameworks. These frameworks became the basis on which the organizational behavior model operates. The cognitive theory was developed by Edward and depends on the expectancy and incentive concepts while behaviorist framework created by Ivan Pavlov and John B.Watson relies on observation power. While, the social theory depends on how the connection is created between the stimulus and response.
Organizational Behavior Model
In management, the focus is on the study of the five organizational behavior models:
- Autocratic Model
- Custodial Model
- Supportive Model
- Collegial Model
- System Model
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Autocratic model
This model has its roots in the historical past, and definitely became a most prominent model of the industrial revolution of 1800 and 1900s. It gives the owners and manager’s power to dictate and form decisions while making employees obey their orders. The model asserts that employees need to be instructed and motivated to perform while managers do all the thinking. The whole process is formalized with the managers and authority power has the right to give command to the people, “You do this or else…”, is a general dictatorship command. As Newstrom suggests, “the psychological result of the employees is dependence on their boss, whose power to “hire, fire and perspire” is almost absolute. Employers receive less wages as they are less skilled and their performance is also minimum, which they do it rather reluctantly as they have to satisfy the needs of their families and themselves. But there are some exceptions as many employees do give higher performance because either they would like to achieve or have a close association with their boss, or either they have been promised a good reward, but overall their performance is minimum.
The theory of X assumption of McGregor states employers do not take responsibility and managers have to supervise over their work to obtain desired results. This model can also be compared to the Likert system in which use of punishment, force, fear or threats sometimes are used as means to get the results from the employees.
Now as the values are changing the model is giving place to the modernized thinking, but we cannot say that this model has been discarded. In many organizational setups, it is still proving a useful way to get the things done, especially when the employees are being motivated to fulfill physiological needs or whenever there are any organizational crises. However with the increase in the knowledge, changing the societal values better ways to manage organizational behavior systems is emerging. Yet another step was required and it emerged.
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Custodial Model
Now the time came when managers began to think the security of the employees is imperative- it could be either social as well economic security. Now managers have begun to study about their employees needs, they found out that though in the autocratic setup employees does not talk back yet they have many things to say but incapability to speak result in frustrations, insecurity, and aggressive behavior towards their boss. Since they are not able to display their feelings, they would vent these feelings on their family and neighbors. This causes suffering to the entire community and relationships and this often results in bad performance. Newstrom gave the example of a wood processing plant where the employees were treated very cruelly even to the extent of physical abuse. Since workers were not able to strike back directly they show their aggression by destroying the good sheets of veneer destroying the supervisor’s credibility.
Employers now had begun to think of the ways to develop better relations with the employees and to keep them satisfied and motivated. In 1890 and 1900 many companies started the welfare programs for the employees which began later to be known as paternalism. In the 1930s, these welfare programs evolved in many fringe benefits to provide security to the employees which resulted in the development of the Custodial model of organizational behavior.
A successful custodial approach depends on providing economic security which many companies are now offering as high pay scale, remunerations in the form of health benefits, corporate cars, financial packaging and many other forms of incentives. These incentives increase the employees’ satisfaction level and help them to achieve competitive advantage. To avoid layoffs employers also tries to “retain employees, reduce overtime, freeze hiring, encourage both the job transfers and relocations, provide early retirement incentives, and reduce subcontracting to adjust to slowdowns especially in the information technology”. (Newstrom, p.32)
The custodial approach induces employees now to show their dependency and loyalty towards the company and not to the boss or managers or supervisors. The employees in this environment are more psychologically contended and preoccupied with their rewards but it is not necessary they would be strongly motivated to give the performance. The studies show that though it has been the best way to make them happy employee but not productive employee, so the question still remains what should be the better way? But overall this step had been a stepping stone for the creation and development of the next step.
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Supportive Model
Unlike the two previous approaches, the supportive model emphasis on motivated and aspiring leader. There is no space for any control or authoritative power in this model or on the incentives or reward schemes but it is simply based on motivating staff through the establishment of the manager and employee relationship and the treatment that is given to employees on daily basis.
Quite contrarily to the autocratic mode, it states that employees are self-motivated and can generate value that goes beyond their day to day role or activity. But how the employees get self –motivated? That’s through creating a positive workplace where they are encouraged to give their ideas and there is some kind of “buy -in” in the organizational behavior setup and the direction that it takes.
One of the key aspects of the supportive model has been studies conducted at the Hawthorne Plant of Electric in the 1920s and 1930s. The study was led by Elton Mayo and F.J Roethlisberger to implore on the human behavior at work by implementing and placing keen insight on the sociological, psychological perspective in the industrial setup. They came up to a conclusion that a single organization is a social system and a worker is an important component in the system. They found that worker is not a tool that can be used in any way but has its own behavior and personality and needs to be understood. They suggested that understanding of group dynamism including the application of supportive supervision is imperative to make workers contribute and be supportive.
Through the leadership organizations give the space and climate for the employees to develop, form their own thinking and take an initiative. They would take responsibility and improve themselves. Managers are oriented towards supporting the employees to give performances and not just support them through employee benefits as done in custodial approach.
The supportive model is being widely accepted chiefly in the developed nations where the needs of the employees are different as it fulfills many of the employees emerging needs. This approach is less successful in the developing nations where the social and economic need of the working class is different. In short, in the supportive model money is not which retain the satisfaction of the employees but it is a part of the organization’s life that has been put to the use and makes other people feel wanted.
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The Collegial Model
In this scheme, the structure of an organization is developed in a way that there is no boss nor subordinates, but all are colleagues who have to work as a team. Each one of the employees has to participate and work in coordination with each other to achieve the target rate. No one is worried about his status or a job title. Manager’s role is here like a coach whose function is to guide the team to perform and generate positive and motivating work environment, instead of focusing on his own personal growth. The team requires adopting new approaches, research and development and new technologies to better their performance.
We can also say Collegial model is an extension of the supportive model. The success of the collegial model depends on the management’s ability to foster the feeling of partnership between the employees. This makes the employees feel important and needed. They also feel that managers are not just mere supervisors but are also giving their equal contribution to the team.
To make the collegial model success many organizations have abolished the use of bosses and subordinates during working, as these terms create the distance between the managers and subordinates. While some of the organizations have abolished the system of allotting reserved space for executives. Now any employee can park their vehicle in the common parking space, which increases their convenience and makes them more comfortable.
The manager is oriented towards the team performance while each employee is responsible for his task and towards each other. They are more disciplined and work as per the standards set by the team. In this setup employees feel fulfilled as their contribution is accepted and well received.
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The System Model
The most emerging model of the today’s corporate era is the system model. This model emerged from the rigorous research to attain the higher level of meaning at work. Today’s employees need more than salary and security from their job, they need the hours they are putting towards the organization is giving them some value and meaning. To add to it, they need the work that is ethical, respectful, integrated with trust and integrity and gives a space to develop a community feeling among the co-workers.
In the system model, the expectations of the managers are much more than getting the work done by the employees. The managers have to show their emotional side, be more compassionate and caring towards their team and they must be sensitive towards the needs of the diverse workforce. They have to devote their attention to creating the feeling of optimism, hope, trustworthiness, courage, self-determination, and through this, they try to develop the positive work culture where the employees feel more at ease and work as if they are working for their family. This ultimately results in the long time commitment and loyalty of the employees and the success of the company.
Managers also try to foster two main concepts; authenticity and transparency and social intelligence. Managers always try to make the employees feel the part of the project and the organization and give them all the support so that they can increase their efficiency and output. In turn, the employees feel more emotionally and psychologically part of the organization and become more responsible for their actions. Employees feel more inspired, motivated, important and feel that what they are doing and what they think would be good for the organization which goes beyond their personal achievements.
The models have been originated perceiving the changing employee needs with each model have been the stepping stone for the more productive and useful model. To assume that any one of the models has been the best model is wrong as no model is hundred percent perfect but have been evolving all through the years with the changes in our perception, study and social conditions that have been affecting the human behavior. Any of the above models can be modified, applied and extended in many different ways. As there has been advancement in the collective understanding of the human behavior, the new social condition emerged and with it there has been an evolution of the new model.
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