Introduction
Organization behavior plays an essential role in the process of developing policies and strategies. This is because it takes into consideration the human, organizational, and social objectives of a given entity. In this respect, this paper will critically analyze the organization behavior of Envision Production Incorporation, an organization that deals with the production of TV commercials, corporate videos, as well as educational videos.
To achieve its objectives, this paper will critically analyze the responses of the top manager, Mr. James Wu, to determine how he utilizes his human skills to run the organization in an effective and efficient manner. In doing so, this paper will expound on the various elements of organization behavior within the firm.
Leadership
A leader is an individual who has the power and capability of influencing the thoughts and actions of other individuals in order to realize specific goals and objectives. For managers to be effective at their work, they need to possess effective leadership qualities. It is due to this fact that this paper critically analyzed the leadership skills of Mr. Wu. The interview that was conducted revealed that Mr. Wu practices a participative form of leadership.
This is because that Mr. Wu has the power and mandate to make the final decisions of the firm. However, before arriving at a decision, he usually seeks the views and advice of other staff members within the firm, especially from the employees who will be directly affected by the decision. Normally, participative form of leadership a encourages the staff of a given organization to be creative and participative in the normal running and management of the firm.
At Envision Production Inc., this form of leadership has ensured that all employees are highly involved in the projects of the organization as well as in the process of decision making. As such, this strategy has enhanced the productivity of the firm through skill development.
This is an essential factor in the management of employees because it enhances the level of job satisfaction since employees develop the feeling and belief that they have control over their work. It is perhaps due to the leadership style employed by Mr. Wu that employees at Envisions Production Inc. are highly motivated.
Power
Power is an essential aspect of organizational behavior. As Abraham Lincoln asserted, the most effective method that you can use to test the character of individuals is by giving them power. In our society, power is considered as the capacity to influence the behavior of individuals so that they perform things that they would actually not do. Envision Production Inc. has adopted a decentralized form of organization structure.
Based on this form of organization structure, power is not vested on the top most levels of management but it has been spread throughout the organization. Furthermore, from the interview that was conducted on Mr. Wu, it emerged that individuals acquire power based on the position that they hold within the firm (positional power). In this respect, the employees of the organization respect Mr. Wu because he is in the position to make any requests to them.
At the same time, they believe that they are under an obligation to respond to his requests and directives. As such, the employees have to comply with these directives based on the roles that they are expected to perform as per their job description. However, the power vested on an employee at Envision Production Inc. is clearly defined in their job description as well as the constitution of the organization. This is essential as it checks the actions of any individual ensuring that power is not abused.
Communication
A firm usually comprises of many individuals who come from different cultures and backgrounds. Consequently, these people have different skills, ideologies, ideals, goals, and objectives. Therefore, for them to be considered as an organization and not as a group of individuals, they need to have an effective and efficient communication platform. This will ensure that the correct information is decimated to the right individuals within the firm at the right time.
According to Mr. Wu, Envision Production Inc. is well aware of the importance of having an effective communication mechanism within the firm. This is because an effective communication strategy will greatly enhance the efficiency and productivity of the organization. Based on the decentralized form of the organization structure of this organization, communication is not one way (from the highest levels of management to the lowest) but multidirectional.
In this sense, information flows freely in any direction across all levels of management. This communication strategy ensures that the right individual receives the right information and sends back informed feedback.
This communication efficiency ensures that effort and time are utilized in an effective and efficient manner because all the employees have an effective and reliable channel of conveying information that informs them about the initiatives, decisions, and strategies that are being implemented. This ensures that employees at all levels make informed decisions hence improving the overall efficiency and productivity of the firm.
Decision Making
Just like all other organizations in the contemporary world, Envision Production Inc. operates in a dynamic environment. Due to this fact that Mr. Wu, as well as other managers within the organization, have the responsibility of constantly making decisions to ensure that the firm operates in the most effective and efficient manner to realize its vision, goals, and objectives. According to Mr. Wu, it is the management that has the power and authority to make key decisions of the firm.
However, based on the organization structure that this organization has adopted, minor decisions can be made at lower levels of management (e.g. at the department level). However, the decisions that are made at the lower levels of management have to conform to the rules and regulations of the organization. Consequently, these decisions should be made to ensure that the overall goals and objectives of the organization are realized.
The interview that was conducted on Mr. Wu also revealed that every employee is involved either directly or indirectly in the process of decision making. This is a managerial strategy whose aim is to enhance the overall morale and productivity of the employees since it will make them feel as part and parcel of the organization. According to Mr. Wu, this is an effective way of developing employee loyalty.
Team Dynamics and Team Building
The interview conducted on Mr. Wu revealed the employees at Envision Production Inc. operate in teams to enhance their overall efficiency and productivity. Given the fact that Envision Production Inc. is a small organization, teams generally comprise of less than five individuals. This is an essential measure as it ensures that team members use the minimal time to coordinate roles among themselves, and they can easily resolve the disputes that might arise.
In the process, the level of commitment and involvement in various projects is greatly enhanced. Since these teams are made to achieve specific goals and objectives, they usually comprise of employees who work on a specific project or projects that are similar in nature. According to Mr. Wu, it is essential to ensure that team members possess different skills, expertise, and experience. Consequently, Mr. Wu regards teams as an efficient platform for:
- Developing bond among employees
- Offering emotional support
- Accomplishing set goals and objectives
- Developing social identity
At Envision Production Inc., team norms are determined by the past experiences that team members have, their history, the values of individual team members as well as their skill level and work experience. To further develop the team norms, Mr. Wu utilizes the reciprocal interdependence model that ensures that team member makes an informed decision, develop effective rules, and develop shared expectations.
This ensures that team members utilize their strengths and work to improve their weaknesses hence achieving the set goals and objectives of their projects. This ensures that teams are cohesive in nature since the members have the desire to work together to achieve set goals and objectives through cognitive and emotional processes hence developing each others’ identities.
As a result, team members at Envision Production Inc. trust each other, have the desire and motivation to maintain their membership and team loyalty, share strong interpersonal bonds, are willing to share information among themselves and resolve conflict in an effective and efficient manner.
Motivation
Employees need to be motivated so that they maintain goal-oriented behaviors that are beneficial for a given organization. Despite the fact that Envision Production Inc. has employees who are highly skilled and experienced, Mr. Wu believes that these employees need to be motivated to enhance their productivity and performance. In this respect, he utilizes the incentive theory to develop his motivational strategies.
Based on this theory, Mr. Wu offers rewards desirable behavior and performance with incentives such as overtime pay, bonuses, retreats and so on. These incentives not only boost the morale of the rewarded individuals but also encourage others to work harder so that they can enjoy the same benefits. As a result, the incentive program has proved to be an effective motivational strategy at Envision Production Inc.
Stress, Conflict, and Negotiation
Employees usually regard stress as a normal emotional phenomenon in the workplace. However, studies have revealed that excessive stress has detrimental effects on the physical and emotional wellbeing of employees. As a manager, Mr. Wu admitted having instances of stress especially during the 2007-2008 recession period.
From the interview, Mr. Wu stated that his main causes of stress came about as a result of making tough decisions especially with regards to budget cuts. At some point, he was stressed since he was not sure if he will maintain his job after the company performed poorly.
At the present moment, he admits that the performance of the firm is not at its level best and increased competition from rival firms has made the situation even worse. At the same time, Mr. Wu asserted that the most common sources of stress for his employees were job uncertainty (the firm has been downsizing to cut on its operating costs) and conflicts.
To overcome stress, Mr. Wu has developed a strategy of taking responsibility for his action. He also encourages his employees to do the same as a means of enhancing their physical as well as their mental wellbeing. Also, Mr. Wu encourages his employees to avoid pitfalls and habits that result in the development of negative attitudes.
Finally, to avoid conflict with fellow staff, Mr. Wu asserts that it is essential to develop effective communication skills. He also encourages his employees to apply this concept as a means of avoiding conflict. However, when these strategies fail, it is the duty of Mr. Wu, as the manager, to resolve conflict among his employees. To meet this obligation, Mr. Wu ensures that all employees follow the rules and regulations of the organization.
Besides respecting each other, Mr. Wu also encourages his employees to respect themselves. Finally, Mr. Wu encourages employees to negotiate among themselves when they have an argument with him being the mediator. However, in an event where these strategies fail, he is left with no alternative but to warn employees. In some cases, he is even forced to take stringent measures such as fining employees or even terminating their services with approval from the board of governors.
Conclusion
Operating in the contemporary world, Envision Production Inc. faces several challenges that affect its overall profitability and sustainability. Due to this fact, it has been the duty of the management to develop policies and strategies that will enhance its overall effectiveness and efficiency as a measure of improving productivity and ensuring that they stand at a competitive edge over their rivals.
Organization behavior (OB) has been one of the avenues which managers utilize to enhance their overall effectiveness and efficiency. Through organization behavior, the management is thus capable of understanding how people, individuals, and groups that are present within the firm and how they relate to each other.
Thus, by critically analyzing this interview, it is evident that the management of Envision Production Inc. utilizes a systematic approach to achieve its organizational behavior goals. Through this approach, the management takes into the relationship that develops between individuals, groups, the organization at large and most importantly, the social system.