Organizational Behavior and Terminology Paper

Organizational Behavior and Terminology Paper

“Organizational behavior is the study of individuals and groups in organizations” (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008, p.5). It is important to understand organizational behavior because it allows better worker relations. Individuals bring into an organization communication, diversity, organizational culture, skill sets, and knowledge. Organizational behavior helps individuals learn to work in teams, this improves job satisfaction. Organizational behavior is the key to the whole area of management. Therefore, this paper will describe important organizational concepts along with organizational culture, diversity, and communication in the workplace.

Organizational Culture and Behavior

“An organization is a collection of people working together in a division of labor to achieve a common purpose” (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008, p.8). All organizations work on creating their own culture; they build this culture from within the company supporting their mission. This soon takes the form of a mission statement that describes the values and goals of the company. “Organizations with “strong cultures” operate with a clear vision of the future that is supported by well-developed and well-communicated beliefs and values” (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008, p.11). Organizations with positive cultures will have a high number of members that emphasis on teamwork, encouragement of risk taking, and emphasis on improvement. In a head hunting firm where I used to work, the owners and lead salespeople are constantly trying to replicate themselves for the employees to follow. Therefore, the better behavior or the attitude of the employees, the more efficient the organization is to operate at full potential.

According to BusinessDictionary.com ( 2011), “Organizational behavior are actions and attitudes of individuals and groups toward one another and toward the organization as a whole, and its effect on the organization's functioning and performance” (BusinessDictionary.com, 2011). The workplace is a great example of how people interact with each other on the job. “The ultimate goal of OB is to improve the performance of people, groups, and organizations and to improve the quality of work life overall” (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008, p.5). Employee’s daily process can determine the behavior of an organization. Organizations that have a higher quality of performance usually have better employee behavior. Organizations that have employees with better attitudes are well-organized. Learning about an organizations’ behavior helps better understand how organizations should operate. When organizations realize how the importance of organizational behavior is, they are aware of the major influences that determine it. Therefore, knowing how to work together as a team can