What trends have you seen in organizational behavior? How have these trends impacted your organization?
Of late, leaders have started to note the changes and the potential effects that organizational behavior has on the financial and social performance of their businesses. Of late, the world is recovering from the global financial crisis; with the dawn of the possible effects of globalization, Toyota Motor Corporation in the United States, 2008 called a staff meeting that was aimed at alerting the staff on the crisis, since then the behavior if staffs have changed greatly. The breakage of the news is seen to have triggered careful operations and sensitivity among staff. Staffs are careful about the decisions they make and they fear they might be retrenched.
At an individual and group level, employees are working hard to get a solution to the company’s challenges; new entrants’ are coached and mentored by the senior staff to ensure they adopt similar organizational behavior. The company is also taking a different shape in its team’s management; where it is deviating from leader-managed teams to goal-oriented teams, the hard business environment that the company is undergoing has necessitated the change.
The change in organizational behavior to some form of individualism and improved efficiency to ensure that at least an employee is retained in the company, has resulted in an improved business and employees are self-motivated, none of them is willing to risk any chance to lose his career job; employees have become more accountable and responsible of their actions.
Do you consider your organization to be a “learning organization?” Why or why not?
Personally, I consider Toyota, United States as a learning environment, the managers are experienced and willing to attain the goals and organizations through their human resources, training and career development in the company is done through formal and informal training, there are frequent programs aimed at offering employees information that can assist them to make sound decisions. For example, I am in the sales and marketing department, the company has mentorship and coaching programs that are aimed at increasing the knowledge and skills of the employees; they are targeted at individuals and groups within the organization.
The company encourages staff to attend regular work-related courses in local and international colleges. On the other hand, they have their own training school called Toyota Technological Institute in Chicago that among other duties is used as the breeding ground of the employees. It has a policy that enables graduates of different diversities relevant to the particular task to join the company and grow in the company. Another form of learning that can be seen to be adopted by the company is through offering a challenging environment where staff are encouraged to participate in decision-making. In the process of decision-making, human resources learn more tactics and they are enlightened in different ways.
Toyota US recruits from all over the world; this offers a rich diversity training environment, the diversity in views and cultural backgrounds of staff has led to efficiency and made the company have such a success, especially in the areas of innovation. In the institution, it offers scholarships to people with potential, especially in the motor and designing of the motor vehicle this is deliberate measures that are aimed at continuously improving its processes (Toyota Motor Company corporate website, 2011).
How has globalization impacted your organization? What steps can an organization take to compete more effectively in a global environment?
Globalization has resulted in the integration of countries; companies are able to market and sell their commodities in countries far away from their country of incorporation. The opposite is the same, in the local market, there are a number of companies operating in the United States automobile market. Toyota faces an increased market and higher competition in the United States and other countries in the world. With the high competition and more expectations from the consumers, the company needs to have policies and strategies that can help the company compete effectively in the changing market.
On the other hand, there have been collaborations among countries in global governance policies, such policies include environmental policies and labor laws.
To remain competitive in the globalized world, Toyota has come up with strategies to enhance its competitiveness; the following are the main strategies;
Marketing approach: To market its products and services internationally, the company needs to adopt an integrated Communication marketing strategy (MARCOM); MARCOM is a marketing strategy that incorporates different marketing strategies to have one strategy that can effectively fight its competitors. The areas that the approach looks into/ the approach that the communication strategy looks into are developing an effective advertising strategy, adopting a personal selling strategy when appropriate, creating good Public relations and the use direct marketing.
Product differentiation: the company has continued to improve its products to enhance competitiveness, in the wake of environmental concerns, the company has invented “green cars”.
The company has embarked on enforcement of its operating strategies: The company operates under five principles, they are Kaizen (continuous improvement), teamwork, Challenges, Respect and Genchi Genbutsu (go and see).
How has technology changed your organization? What steps has your organization taken to help workers adapt to changes in technology?
Technology development has resulted in changes in the processes and products of the company; different levels of technology have been adapted depending on the time of the technology. There is a research department that has the aim of undertaking the policy of Genchi Genbutsu (go and see). The section is supposed to survey the market and come up with various recommendations that are aimed to improve the services. As it conducts this duty, the issue of technology came up and the company had to implement the change. Other than just implementing, it started a long-term policy to ensure that there is continuity in the works. The company’s first car was a high fuel consuming passenger car called A1 and G1. The vehicles were manually modeled.
Today the numerous models in the market are because of computer-aided modeling. All along, we are hearing of Toyota X new model. This shows how they are continually improving their products to remain competitive in the world. Secondly, another area that the company has improved is the fuel consumption in the vehicles. This has been ongoing and in the 1980s, it saw the company get a Japanese Quality Control award, this was due to the rewarding innovations, especially in the fuel section that the company had gotten. Currently, the company has innovated EMV vehicles to ensure that it benefits from campaigns against pollution of the environment. Internally, the company has adopted computerized labor systems with the use of robots; the move is seen because of the efficiency and fair costs of technology.
The company in its efforts boosts technology use and acceptance by staff; it conducts periodical coaching and mentorship programs. The programs are aimed at assisting employees to understand the technology adopted at a particular time and appreciate the benefits it is likely to bring to the organization. Every technological innovation and development in the company is managed as a change process (Toyota Motor Company corporate website, 2011).
Learning summary
From the course, the need to have a positive organizational culture that supports innovation and invention in a company has come clearer. Organizations need human and physical resources for their successful operation; leaders have the role of developing orchestrated teams that are focused on the attainment of corporate goals and objectives; to do this they need to have a positive organizational culture that supports team learning and development. Communication in an organization plays a crucial role in the attainment of the organization’s goals and objectives, leaders should be at the forefront of involving their juniors in decision-making and policy developments.
Such moves are likely to boost employees’ confidence and enhance favorable business environments supported by improved human relations. Technology development and adoption should be one policy of an organization as it results in product differentiation and more satisfied customers.
When managers are developing frameworks and policies, they should appreciate human resources diversity; they should develop task performance and interpersonal relationship developments since the moves will create good team learning environments. When solving issues in a company that embraces diversity, managers should ensure they are culturally intelligent when making final decisions. Effective teams do not develop by default but visionary leaders make them; the leaders are actively involved in internal and external group dynamics.
Reference
Toyota Motor Company corporate website. (2011). Toyota. Web.