Organizational Behavior Terminology & Concepts

Organizational Culture An organization’s culture can be both corporeal and mental in nature. What does this mean? Well, organizational culture is shared by members of the group, and as such, guides the day-to-day activities of the work environment. Organizational culture is made up of values, assumptions, attitudes, experiences, beliefs, norms and artifacts of an organization’s members and their behaviors. Organizational culture is created through the sharing of values between people and groups in an organization. This sharing controls the way the individuals or groups interact with each other as well as with external stakeholders. Organizational culture is comprised of those items that guide action; including the written value statements of visions set forth by the organization. This is an example of the physical aspect of organizational culture. The mental components of organizational culture include behavior norms; how people relate to co-workers and customers during the business day (Schein, 2004).
Organizational Behavior Organizational behavior, in its simplest definition, is how people act within organizations. This concept is closely related to organizational culture, since an aspect of the organizational culture can guide an employee’s behavior in the work environment. Organizational behavior as a field is the systematic study of the individual and their behavior within the organizational context.
Diversity
Diversity in the workplace refers to the level with which an organization is culturally diverse. Cultural diversity can include the different ways in which individuals show a unique group identity. Gender, ethnicity, age, race and sexual orientation are all different group identities that make up diversity. The culture within an organization typically determines the level to which it is culturally diverse. Diversity in the workplace can be challenging to work with and it is the responsibility of an organization’s managers to use diversity as a resource to enhance an organization’s effectiveness. Schein (2004) claims it is the role of the leader to promote organizational diversity, especially in chaotic environments and situations. The more turmoil the organization has, the greater the need for a diverse group of employees to serve as an unlimited resource for learning and innovation (Schein, 2004).
Communication
Communication in an organization is the way that individuals interact with one another. Proper communication is vital to an organization running effectively. There are seven components to effective communication: conciseness, concreteness, clarity, completeness, courtesy, correctness and consideration. (CITATION NEEDED) Each component is important when conveying a message whether orally or in written form. Messages should be concise to easily get the attention of the recipient. Along with being concise it is important for the message to be concrete and fact based. Clear messages prevent confusion and assist in the communication process. Communications should also provide complete details to prevent misinterpretation of the message. Written communication should be courteous in nature and should be checked for correctness in grammar and punctuation. The consideration in the communication should be focused correctly on the recipient instead of the sender. Some scholars believe that the organization is merely a manifestation of communication between individual members (McPhee & Zaug, 2000). Communications between members frame and form the organization. It is not simply a byproduct of the organization, bun an active ingredient in the constant development of the organization (Fairhurst & Putnam, 2004). Ultimately, communication transfers ideas and meaning between members of the organization.
My Organization The organization that I am employed in has a wonderful organizational culture. Management is entrenched in learning about, understanding and relating to the entire staff’s cultures. The organization is pleasant to work for and they have created an environment that is very people focused. There is total flexibility in relation to individual’s needs as they relate to their experiences and values. There is a plethora of diverse backgrounds that make up a melting pot of talent. There are people within the company that come from the far stretches of the planet representing many different educational backgrounds, as well as ethnicities. The communication in my organization is very open and employees are shown how truly valued their insight and opinions are. When issues do arise there is a clear open door policy that makes all employees feel comfortable that their words and feelings are important and will be valued. We have a solid foundation of ethics that center on respect, loyalty and trust. There is an attitude that trickles down from management to employees that shows everyone is valued no matter what role they play and that all will be treated equally. This has helped with employee retention and loyalty to the company. Our organization is constantly growing and changing, though its culture stays strong.

References
Fairhurst, G. & Putnam, L. (2004). Organizations as discursive constructions. Communication Theory, 14(1), 5-26. 


McPhee, R. & Zaug, P. (2000). The communicative constitution of organizations: A framework for explanation. Electronic Journal of Communication, 10(1-2), 21-45. 


Schein, E. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.