Why does organizational behavior matter in the workplace?

Let’s look at two young professionals, Manuel and Rachel. Manuel has an entry level sales position with a computer software company. He spends time at the office and also travels to visit existing clients and builds a relationship with potential ones. His company is motivating and supportive to their sales force and schedules frequent team building and training opportunities. Manuel’s coworkers have diverse experiences and backgrounds and work well to support each other in their sales endeavors.

Rachel works as an entry level accountant at a high profile accounting firm. She works long hours and spends a majority of her day in her cubicle working on her computer. To meet impending deadlines, her supervisors now require Rachel’s team to work Saturdays. Their team is understaffed to meet their deadlines so oftentimes work becomes sloppy when the team rushes to have something to present to the client.

The organizational behavior of Manuel’s company and Rachel’s company are extremely different. Manuel works in a healthy and supportive atmosphere whereas Rachel is being forced to work long hours on an understaffed team. Even if Manuel and Rachel had similar personality types, their workplace performance and satisfaction will greatly differ depending on the organizational behavior of their company.

You may think that numbers and operations are the key to any business. While this is true on many levels, the behavior of an organization is equally as important. It is impossible to have strong numbers, without a strong workplace environment. Understanding what motivates people is key to building a strong and happy environment. If you have an entry level position or if you are the main person in charge, understanding the behavior of individuals and teams can be extremely beneficial when addressing challenges and acknowledging good practices.

Could you imagine taking a test without studying? If you did, chances are you wouldn’t do so well. Just like studying for a test, studying organizational behavior can help prepare you to be more successful in your career. So let’s start “studying” to better understand organizational behavior and how it impacts the workforce!