ORGANIZATIONS AND CULTURE: Organizational behavior and National and organizational culture

An "Organization is the most concret and visible part of the management, minimum organization is prerequisite for any company in order to survive and be profitable; good or bad organization generates rapid and direct effects on the activities and people."(1)

In the organizations there are four (4) components: Task (Inputs: material, capital, human), Structure (Task enviroment: competitors, unions, regulatory and clients), People (Actors) and Technology (Outputs: Products and services).

The term of Organizational Behavior (OB) encourage the different environments in wich people perfomances to work jointly improving their capacity. Kurt Lewin described the behavior as relation between person and eviroment, B=f(p/e). The OB is based in three leves: group processes, individual processes and organizational processes. There are several systems of quality in OB, but two of most important are TQM (Total Quality Management) and Six Sigma.

Isadore Sharp, Chairman & CEO, from Four Seasons Hotels, said:

“If you don’t understand the culture of the company, even your most brilliant strategies will fail. Your vision will be resisted, plans won’t get executed properly, and all kinds of things will start going wrong.”(2).

What is culture?

Culture is the different way of thinking, feeling and reacting, based in traditional ideas, that are reflected in acts and facts of a group of persons.

Retrieved from Febraury 2011: http://www.nhorizons.ca/en-change-culture-change.asp

Organizational Culture is marked by the beliefs and value that are shared by members of an organization which become visible in the way work gets done on a day to day basis. The culture of an organization is like its DNA, showing some external representation yet much is held below the surface which is much harder to identify and name. This is why being able to clearly understand the organization’s culture is not an easy undertaking and requires objective assessment and evaluation.

Retrieved from Febraury 2011: http://www.nhorizons.ca/en-change-culture-change.asp

Retrieved from Febraury 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_l84Dj2eXY

Why is managing organizational behavior in changing times challenging?

Managing organization behavior is important nowadays, because the managers need a several skills to execute all the situations that internal and external environment envelop the company. They need to have the capacity to development, planning and improve strategies, understanding and knowing how manage the relationship with workers to achieve in a competently and successfully way their objective.

Today’s managers, regardless of their level in the organization, must be true strategic partners in the organization. Each manager must effectively respond to the constantly changing world of work and the role managers are expected to successfully play in that world.

Some important factors like objectivity, replicability and sustainability are important in the process to carry out the purpose.

Knowing how manage all the things mentioned before, it can face different circumstances that appear in the times challenging.