Organizational Behavior Application Paper
Over the last eight weeks, I have learned a tremendous amount about organizational behavior. In this paper, I will discuss three individual or group behaviors in organizational settings that have influenced my thinking and behavior. The three topics that have had the greatest impact on me are motivation, organizational communication and organizational culture. These topics are essential components of successful organizations. In addition, leaders who can motivate team members, communicate with team members and understand the importance of organizational culture will be successful in developing team members and carrying out the goals, vision and missions of the organization.
A leaders ability to motivate team members stands out to me as the foundation for organizational success. As noted by Schermerhorn, Osborn, Uhl-Bien, and Hunt (2012), motivation “refers to forces within an individual that account for the level, direction, and persistence of effort expended at work” (p.102). There are many motivation theories available for leaders to explore and utilize, the theories are broken down into context theories; which concentrate on team member needs, and process theories; which concentrate on the thought processes that influence team member’s actions. One of the context theories is the existence, relatedness, and growth theory or ERG theory. The ERG theory is based on team member’s needs, which includes existence needs such as food, water and shelter; relationship needs such as interpersonal relationships; and group needs, which stress the importance of, continued knowledge and development opportunities. As a leader one must be aware of the needs of team members to be able to motivate them, If team members basic human needs, social, or safety needs, are not being met, it can significantly affect ones ability to motivate ones team members. The other type of motivational theory is
References: Schermerhorn, J. R., Osborn, R. N., Uhl-Bien, M., & Hunt, J. G. (2012). . Organizational behavior (12th ed.,). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons