Alienation The experience of being isolated
from a group or an activity to which one should belong, or in which
one should be involved.
Ethics Moral principles that govern a person's
behavior or the conducting of an activity.
Executive managers Generally, a team of
individuals at the highest level of management of an
organization.
First-line management The level of management
directly managing nonmanagerial employees.
Industrial competitiveness The ability to provide
products and services more effectively and efficiently than
competitors.
Long-range planning A process of setting goals
that outlines the path for the company's future.
Macro-organizational behavior Macro-organizational
behavioral research steps back and looks at an organization as a
whole.
Management The process of planning, organizing,
directing, and controlling the activities of employees in
combination with other resources to accomplish organizational
objectives.
Micro-organizational behavior Micro-organizational
behavioral studies focus on individual and group dynamics within an
organization.
Middle management The managers in an organization
at a level just below that of senior executives.
Organization theory The study of organization
designs and organization structures, relationship of organizations
with their external environment, and the behavior of managers and
workers within organizations.
Organizational behavior The study of the actions
and attitudes of individuals and groups toward one another and
toward the organization as a whole.
Organizational design A formal methodology that
identifies dysfunctional aspects of workflow, procedures,
structures and systems, and then realigns them to fit current
business goals and develops plans to implement change.
Organizational processes The activities that
establish the business goals of the organization and
develop processes, product and resource
assets that when used will help to achieve business goals.
Technology The application of scientific knowledge
for practical purposes.
Theory A set of principles on which the practice
of an activity is based.
Work All activity involving mental or physical
effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.
Summary of Learning Outcomes
1.1 The Nature of Work
1. What is the meaning of work in a societal context?
Work will almost inevitably be a large part of your life. An
understanding of organizational behavior will aid you in making
that part of life more productive and enjoyable for yourself as
well those you are in a position to influence. In this course, our
objective is to provide sound and relevant insights concerning
individuals, groups, and overall organizational systems that will
be helpful to you not just as an executive or CEO but also when you
are starting your career as an individual contributor or
subordinate.
1.2 The Changing Workplace
2. How do recognize and meet the challenges facing managers in
the new millennium?
The fundamental challenge facing managers is how to achieve
performance goals while simultaneously providing for employee
welfare and satisfaction. Work may be defined as an activity that
produces something of value for other people. Work serves
several functions, including economic, social, status, self-esteem,
and self-actualization. As managers in today’s environment, several
challenges arise, including international competition, new
technologies, the need for increased quality, employee motivation
and commitment, a diverse workforce, and ethical behavior. These
challenges must be met by managers concerned about survival and
competitiveness in the future.
1.3 The Nature of Management
3. What is expected of a manager?
Management is the process of planning, organizing, directing,
and controlling the activities of employees in combination with
other resources to accomplish organizational goals. Managerial
responsibilities include long- range planning, controlling,
environmental scanning, supervision, coordination, customer
relations, community relations, internal consulting, and monitoring
of products and services. These responsibilities differ by level in
the organizational hierarchy and by department or function. The
twenty-first-century manager will differ from most current managers
in four ways. In essence, he or she will be a global strategist, a
master of technology, a good politician, and a premier
leader-motivator.
1.4 A Model of Organizational Behavior and
Management
4. What is the role of the behavioral sciences in management and
organizations?
Organizational behavior is the study of people in organizations.
It can be studied on a micro level, which focuses on individual or
group behavior, or on a macro level, which focuses on
organization-wide actions and events. A model of organizational
behavior is presented, consisting of five building blocks:
individuals and groups, tasks and technology, organization design,
organizational processes, and management.
Chapter Review Questions
- Define work.
- What functions does work serve in modern society?
- Describe the extent and nature of the challenges facing the
workplace in the next decade.
- What can be done about these challenges?
- Define management.
- How does the nature of management change according to one’s
level and function in the organization?
- Discuss the role of management in the larger societal context.
What do you think the managers of the
future will be like?
- Identify what you think are the critical issues facing
contemporary management. Explain.
Critical Thinking Case
New Management Challenges for the New Age
Today’s news is littered with scandals, new allegations of
sexual assault, and tragedy. Since 2017 and the #metoo movement,
stemming from the Harvey Weinstein scandal, more and more public
figures have been put into the spotlight to defend themselves
against allegations from women around the globe.
Not only publicly, but privately in companies around the world,
there have been firings and investigations into misconduct from
coworkers, managers, and CEOs. It is a relevant topic that is
getting long-overdue publicity and encouraging more men and
women to come forward to discuss openly rather than hide the events
and injustices of the past. Other events showcase the tumultuous
and on-edge society we are living in, such as the Charlottesville,
VA, attack that left one dead and 19 injured when a person drove a
car through a crowd of protestors during a white nationalist
gathering.
With unanticipated events on a daily business, it is important
for companies to take a stand against racial hatred and harassment
of any kind, and to have firm policies when such events occur. Take
Netflix, for example, who in July 2018 fired their chief
communications officer for saying the “N-word” in full form. This
event occurred during an internal meeting in which the speaker was
not directing the slur at anyone specific, but claimed it was being
made as an emphatic point about offensive words in comedy
programming. The “Netflix way,” the culture that is built around
radical candor and transparency, was put to the test during this
occurrence.
The offender, Jonathan Friedland, attempted to apologize for his
misdeed, hoping it would fade away and his apology would be
accepted. However, it didn’t work that way; instead, the anger was
palpable between coworkers and eventually led to the firing of
Friedland after a few months of inaction.
Netflixers are given a high level of freedom and responsibility
within their “Netflix way” culture. Blunt feedback is encouraged,
and trust and discretion are the ultimate gatekeeper, as employees
have access to sensitive information and are ultimately trusted for
how they expense items and take vacation time.
In the insanely fast-paced streaming-services industry, it is
hard to keep this culture at a premium, but it is imperative for
the success of the company overall. “As you scale a company to
become bigger and bigger, how do you scale that kind of culture?”
said Colin Estep, a former senior engineer who left voluntarily in
2016. “I don’t know that we ever had a good answer.”
In order to keep up, sometimes the company is seen as harsh in
their tactics to keep the best of the best. “I think we’re
transparent to a fault in our culture and that can come across as
cutthroat,” said Walta Nemariam, an employee in talent acquisition
at Netflix.
Netflix has stayed true to their cultural values despite the
pressures and sometimes negative connotations associated with this
“cutthroat” environment. Their ability to remain agile, while
displaying no tolerance for societal injustices, puts them at the
forefront of new-age companies. It is a difficult pace to stay in
line with, but it seems that they are keeping in stride and
remaining true to who they are, for now.
Questions:
- How has the current cultural environment of our country shaped
the way that companies are looking at their own corporate cultural
standards?
- What are the potential downfalls and positive influences of the
“Netflix way”?
- How does Netflix’s internal culture negatively or positively
affect their ability to stay competitive and deliver cutting-edge
content?
Sources: B. Stelter, “The Weinstein Effect: Harvey Weinstein
scandal sparks movements in Hollywood and beyond,” CNN Business,
October 20, 2017, money.cnn.com/2017/10/20/med...effect-harvey-
weinstein/; L. Hertzler, “Talking #MeToo, one year after bombshell
Weinstein allegations,” Penn Today, October 30, 2018, https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/tal...one-year-later;
S. Ramachandaran and J. Flint, “At Netflix, Radical Transparency
and Blunt Firings Unsettle the Ranks,” Wall Street Journal, October
25, 2018, www.wsj.com/articles/at-netf...-unsettle-the-
ranks-1540497174.
