Organisation Behaviour Issues - Literature review Example

Running head: Organisation Behaviour Organisation Behaviour [Writer’s name] [Institution’s name] Organisation Behaviour Introduction Every employee faces problems during working in an organisation. Some face problems of personal nature and some have problems of professional nature. However, it may be noted that the management is usually the sole reason of most of the problems. This paper will first discuss a problem, then it will present an analysis section which will present literature related to the problem and it’s possible solutions. Problem Faced The organisation in which I worked was undergoing a merger. During this time period I along with a few employees went through a lot of problems. The mangers lacked leadership skills and had communication problems. Whenever I asked the manger about my job security and new post the reply was unsatisfactory. I come from culturally sound background and the merging company was one from a different culture and background. My perception in this period was that maybe like in other mergers the company would loose it’s culture and adapt the culture of the merging company. It was quite ironic that the, managers did not even try to clear my perception. This result in a lot of frustration and my performance worsened and I was no more satisfied with my job. I went to talk to the manager again; once again the reply was that “lets see what happens after the merger” However after the merger things did improve, but not due to the mangers help. It was due to the merging company and the new environment. Thus, my problem was solved I felt comfortable again at work, no thanks to the manager. Analysis of the problem Before the analysis the leadership, communication and perception problems which cause this issue it is very important to understand what a merger is. If this is not defined then it will be difficult to understand the problems which cause the issue in question. A merger is the combining of two or more companies into a single corporation (Merger Definition 2010). This can only be done if one business acquires the assets of another business. The outcome of this act is the creation of one single organisational structure. This new organisational structure maintains its old identity in the market . Leadership issue Mergers or Acquisitions are complex challenges for the management. There are major challenges most importantly employee related issues like ones which were described in the above given problem. This issue may have arisen has there was a need for competent management with focus on the human resource audit as whatever, the merits of an acquisition on financial and business criteria, as it is people who make it all happen. The contradiction dealing with management styles is what may have caused the problem. The root of the issue could be that the most employees are used to a hierarchal or authoritative leadership style. They usually have no say in business ventures or project input. They are told what to do, how to do it and when it should be done. Thus, if the organisation at the time of merger had a more of a people-oriented culture (Cartwright & Cooper 1996) then it could have helped in contributing their own input in project decisions, however still there may be difficulties adjusting to the new leadership (Ashkenas & Suzanne 2000). The problem may have risen to fact that the manager had an essential task to design leadership plan whilst paying attention to the human elements that take place in such a situation .here there was no leadership plan only vague answers were given to the queries. However most managers fail to fulfill this responsibility, they fail to set a balanced equilibrium. The managers do not pay attention to the transition strategies of organisational behavior. Thus, in turn they are unsuccessful in keeping both the vision and objectives of the company while keeping in mind the human elements of insecurity in mind. According to Arkin, (2003) human resource managers play the most important role in time of change, as they assist the workforce in adjusting to the new environment and culture. In fact the managers of change need to be extremely proficient and should realize that profit making is not only the objective of an organisation (Koch 2006). Koch (2006) in fact highlight the fact that after the change it is the responsible of managers to manage the change as well as the workforce, managers that fail to do so become the sole reason behind problems like the above mentioned one . A lot of research regarding the above mentioned recommends that not only based on control-based value design, but also on a combination of methods by which benefits regarding production can be analyzed. Thus the production is directly proportional to successful managers (Hitt, Harrison, & Ireland, 2001). Gadiesh, et al (2002) identified a range of leadership characteristics that might be associated with successful outcomes. These characteristics are decisiveness (closing the deal), serving as a symbol and creating momentum (crusading for the new entity), fostering a sense of focus (establishing and communicating the strategic vision) motivating organisational members (cheering on the troops), and providing key cultural and operational guidance (captaining change through integration). Managerial capability has to be based on a non-specialized proclivity, and the managers of a company have to people with better managerial abilities then the company they are being merged with. In the context of change in situations like the one in the problem mentioned above, managers create "accountable others" (Robbins 2004) as Newstrom & Davis (1993) write, "These leaders make concrete "the mutual responsibility of all employees, but alert and bind them to everyone else's responsibility . . .this will create a social conscience. Communication The most important and complex organisational behavior problems which may have risen the before mentioned problem is employee related communication. This is due to the fact that communication may help in Incentive along with talent management and assimilation of the new culture is vital from the management point of view regarding situation like in the above mentioned issue. These cultural matters may have an adverse effect on employee satisfaction; however no attention is paid to them. For instance, the place of the head office may result in the transfer of employees of the company which is to under go merger. According to Arkin (2003) if proper management is not carried at such a crucial time then employee’s performance will be negatively effected, which in turn will result in problems for the employees . The success of the entire organisation relies on the efficient strategic analysis along with effectual management both cultural as well as organisational issues. Thus to resolve such issues is the responsibility of the manger. The management tasks and critical success factors are proper knowledge, cultural compatibility, effectual communication, looking in to the issues of important employees, as well as the financial cost of the entire merger procedure (Putnam & Michael 1983). Like in the above mentioned issue some employees might be insecure as they will have to face new management of an entirely different company. Again like in the before mentioned problem some may even be doubtful regarding their opportunity for promotion. This might result in slow emigration of important staff out of the new company; a few of them may join organisations which are the competitors of their previous employers. This issue has to be handled properly, in situation like the one mentioned in the problem by good communication; the doubts of the employees have to be cleared. It is extremely vital for the management to fulfill this task (Putnam and Michael 1983). The majority mergers are successful because of poor human resource management involvement for solving issues like the one in the problem. Perception Perception is another problem which needs to be resolved in situations like the ones mentioned in the problem above. The employees in such a situation might perceive or think that they have more power over the other company. Managers who can not handle their workforce’s complexes as well as their own tend to make the problems worse. The managers have to keep a people orientated thinking along with a level head. Managers who can not help employees to improve their perception or mindset during this time it may cause chaos (Mckenna 2006) .Use of information sharing, goal setting and staff creativity and staff initiative are keys to ensuring that the perception is being given a positive outlook and may result resolving all issues which arise during a time of change . Misperception may also arise when there is an apparent inability of the two managers to work together. The senior management mentoring support for a particular company combined with reassurance of the manager’s abilities for another manager is expected to help the pair significantly (Yukl, 2006). This may help the mangers to improve the perception of the employees who face problems like the one mentioned above. Managers on high position also have to look into the work of the lower rank employees as well. Some training for managers on how to give good, robust feedback on both performance and consequences of behavior may be desirable. The key skill for managers inorder to resolve problems like the one mentioned above should be to carry out this task in a positive, constructive manner. Avoiding at all costs the potential for conflict and misunderstanding. As when the before mentioned problems take place a lot of misunderstands and conflicts arise, these mi understanding and conflicts lead to failure of the organisations (Leroy,& Bernard 1997) . Both low rank as well as high rank managers have to be able to have enough skill to manage the people in such a time when change may be at it’s peak. Conclusion Problems mentioned in the paper are something common in today’s competitive global market. There are many factors which may lead to problems mentioned in this paper however the above analysis clearly shows that the main reason is the lack of people management of the mangers. Managers play an important role in the entire problem solving process; they need to have the ability the control the thoughts and help the employees adjust environment. Managers of an organisation need to realize their responsibility during the problem solving process right from the start till the end. Thus, to conclude it would only be fair to say that unsolved organisational behviour problems are directly proportional to the mismanagement of mangers who fail to realize that people management during this time is extremely important. References Arkin, A. (2003); Perfect Fit. People Management: 9 (19), 34. Ashkenas Ronald N. and Suzanne C. Francis (2000); “Integration Managers: Special Leaders for Special Times,” Harvard Business Review Gadiesh, O., Buchanan, R., Daniell, M. & Ormiston,C. (2002); The leadership testing ground. Journal of Business Strategy, pp12 – 17 Koch, C. (2006). The New Science of Change. CIO Magazine,. retrieved from http://www.cio.com/archive/091506/change.html on 22 April 2012 Leroy, Frédéric, and Bernard Ramanantsoa (1997); ‘The cognitive and behavioral dimensions of organizational learning in a merger: An empirical study’. Journal of Management Studies 34: 871–894. Mckenna Eugene (2006); Business Psychology And Organisational Behaviour: A Student's Handbook. Karnac Books. Merger Definition (2012); retrieved from www.allbusiness.com/glossaries/merger/4944560-1.html on 22 April 2012 Newstrom, John W. & Davis, Keith (1993); Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior at Work. New York: McGraw-Hill. Putnam Linda and Michael Pacanowsky (1983); Communication and organizations: An interpretive approach. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Robbins Stephen P. (2004); Organizational Behavior - Concepts, Controversies, Applications. 4th Ed. Prentice Hall Schweiger David and Angelo Denisi (1991); Communication with employees following a merger: a longitudinal field experiment. Academy of Management Journal 34/1: 110-135 Yukl, G. (2006); Leadership in Organizations (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Read More