This paper is a topic review in the field of Management

Title: Topic Review

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Date: 29th June 2013

This paper is a topic review in the field of Management. The paper examines various topics in management; Organizational behavior, Theories of motivation and designing a motivating work environment. Organizational behavior creates an understanding of how workers tend to behave in an organization and what makes workers behave in certain ways. Through organizational behavior a management student will understand behavior by workers and how to approach behavioral changes from a manager’s perspective.

Theories of motivation highlight studies by management scholars on motivation of workers. Through theories of motivation a student is exposed to case studies conducted by different scholars on the field of workers motivation and conclusions from the studies. The topic develops a basis of understanding on what motivates workers.

Designing a motivating work environment is a topic that presents guidelines and knowledge to the students on how to motivate workers. This is important to a management student; it helps the student understand how to create a motivating environment that maximizes on workers’ productivity at the same time provides suitable working conditions.

Organizational Behavior

Through organization behavior we are introduced to the concept of organizational behavior by understanding what it is. The topic provides knowledge on why organizational behavior is important to every management student. Research methods for the field are also covered in this topic. Management students are guided through this topic on how to understand people in their workplaces.

Workers relations are well covered in the topic; relations between worker to worker and worker to manager. This provides human resource management skill to a management student who studies topic by understand different aspects regarding workers. The topic places the student as a future manager into a level of understanding challenges in communication and power between subordinates and superiors. This area of study reveals why groups are formed within an organization, the different types of groups in any organization and benefits of joining groups.

Organizational behavior matters because it covers everybody within the organization; an individual worker, a group formed by workers (whether formal or informal) and the entire organization. Studying this topic therefore proves to be important, not only to a future manager but also to a future employee who should have sound understanding of the organizational structure and how to interact with other colleagues at work.

Learning organizational behavior is not just common sense as many would think; the learning process opens up the mind of a student with case study to understand different practical situations that show how groups within an organization work. At the end of learning, a student is well equipped with terms used in research of organizational behavior and can conduct research to broaden their understanding of the topic. Trends and changes in organizational behavior and he modern workplace are well covered and learners gin knowledge on how to approach and deal with changes in organizational behavior.

Article Review:” Leadership and Organizational Behavior” organizational behavior is an area of study that equips managers and students of management with knowledge of groups and individuals in an organization. Organizational behavior plays a role in understanding and improving groups in an organization. The role of groups within an organization cannot be overlooked as they solve the social and intuitional needs of individuals in an organization. Workers who join groups or are part of a group are better placed to address challenges they face at work.

The two articles can be related by how they address the issue of need for workers to be in groups. Both articles provide a basis for understanding on the importance of groups in an organization and how individuals’ behavior affects the organization.

Theories of motivation

The topic highlights various theories of motivation that have been arrived at after studies by different scholars in the field of management. Each of the theory is stated and analyzed with an aim of providing knowledge to the learners. Theories of motivation as a topic cover the role of motivation in relation with workers performance, a classification of workers’ needs and the application of theories of motivation in the workplace.

Motivation is a push to work towards achievement of a set goal; where a worker is motivated, he/she works to the fullest of their ability under suitable conditions to achieve a set goal. Workers in an organization perform at their best having an understanding of what good results translate to. Motivation is an internal force where a person is under no external pressure to perform and is aware of the benefits of providing good results for him and the organization. This is two-way traffic; management should ensure that the workers are motivated to do their work to maximize on productivity and workers who are well motivated provide high quality services and performance to appreciate their sources of motivation.

There various factors that leads to the motivation of workers, these could be referred to as “a motivating workplace”. A motivating workplace is provided by the employer, employees also have a role in maintaining a motivating workplace. The employer must ensure that the environment and work conditions are suitable to all workers, address all situations that bring stress to workers within the workplace. On the other hand, once a conducive environment to work has been created by the employer, employees have a role to play too, by ensuring that they work to the interest of the organization. Employees should embrace diversity in culture and all aspects of the organization to ensure the well-being of other workers.

A look at Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs provides a different approach to motivation. It provides stages of individual needs from bottom; physiological needs to the top, Self-actualization. A self-actualized individual, according to the theory, is one who has passed all stages and achieved all human wants and is at self-realization. Other human needs on the hierarchy are; safety needs social needs and self-esteem needs. The hierarchy forms a ladder, where an individual achieves one need after the other. You cannot achieve self-actualization if you haven’t fulfilled your self-esteem needs.

Article review: “The Hierarchy of Needs”. Physiological are basic human needs, shelter and food. These are the first level of needs and are also known as universal needs; every individual has to fulfill them. Safety needs include need for security and peace; individuals require a feeling of satisfaction in the levels of security. Social needs are needs of interaction, having people around you who love you. After the satisfaction of social needs, esteem needs open up; a person has the desire to feel appreciated and recognized by the society. Finally self-actualization, these are needs to achieve to the fullest of one’s potential and desire.

The article provides deeper understanding on theories of motivation, with a focus on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The relationship between human needs and motivation is highlighted; satisfaction of human needs beginning with basic needs is an important aspect in motivation of employees. The more needs an employee is able to satisfy, the more motivated he/she is. A worker who is at the self-actualization level is highly motivated and more productive.

Designing a motivating work environment

The topic provides ways of creating a favorable work environment which motivates the workers. It highlights the importance of a motivating work environment and provides the basic aspects of a favorable work environment. The concept of SMART goals is introduced in this topic.

There are various tools that a company should use to ensure that workers are motivated. The tools that help in developing a motivating work environment are obtained after understanding the theories of motivation. Creating and providing a motivating work environment should be the aim of every organization and can only be achieved when the management understands the employees and all theories of motivation.

Implementation of a motivating environment can be achieved using different strategies; job specialization, job rotation and career advancement. This ensures that an individual does not work in one position for a long time; this eliminates chances of low motivation brought about by monotony at work performing the same tasks every day.

Article: “Creating a motivating environment for work”. Understanding the employees is the first step to creating a motivating environment. Other than payment of good wages according to the labor market, understanding other factors that motivate employees enables an organization to create a motivating environment.

The article provides for factors that make a work place motivating. Understanding and taking care or individual interests and the interests of all groups in an organization create a motivating environment for work. Workers are more productive when they are well motivated.

Conclusion

Management is a broad field of study that exposes learners to different aspects of organizations. This course incorporates both practical and theory approaches to management; practical approach by providing case studies and theory approach by providing theories stated by other scholars in the field. A student is well equipped in management with skills and knowledge on how to approach different situations from a manager’s perspective.

References

Clark, R. M. (2009). Are We Having Fun Yet? Creating A Motivating Work Environment. Industrial and Commercial Training, 41(1), 43-46.

Conger, J. A., Kanungo, R. N., & Menon, S. T. (2000). Charismatic Leadership And Follower Effects. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21(7), 747-767.

Terry, G. R. (1977). Principles of management (7th ed.). Homewood, Ill.: R.D. Irwin.

Zalenski, R. J., & Raspa, R. (2006). Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs: A Framework For Achieving Human Potential In Hospice. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 9(5), 1120-1127.