Essay Example on Humans are not machines and so organizations must Adapt

Today's business world is vastly different from the nine to five rat race it was decades ago and it continues to be shaped by new approaches to organizational behavior evolving business models and an ever changing workforce Through studies and research of management tactics and methods we have learned that humans are not machines and so organizations must adapt not only to a new generation of workers with different ideas and approaches but a new workforce of multicultural multinational employees These employees are not just seeking to profit from the organization financially but also expect an environment that fosters their creativity allows certain freedoms has a high standard of ethics and is inclusionary The social cognitive approach may provide the best framework for the organizational behavior model that would create a balance between productivity happiness and profit 

The social cognitive theory incorporates cognitive and behavioristic elements to create a model for organizational behavior It states that a person is in constant interaction with his or her own behavior and environment and these three elements determine one another However there is no cookie cutter environment and behavior that everyone fits into most of the U S workforce comes from different cultures different backgrounds who not only behave differently but think differently as well As such a CEO and his or her team of managers must be global leaders According to the former chairman of Medtronic the most successful leaders need to have a high level of cultural and emotional intelligence Hanna 2012 These leaders must overcome dominant thinking develop a global and local perspective and have a high level of cultural and emotional intelligence A true multicultural organization would benefit greatly from a vastly diverse group of individuals who are involved in the decision making and structure of the company as cultural harmony within an organization fosters positive change innovation and growth A recent study of South Korean women in leadership positions recognized that firms who do more to promote and hire women to positions of managerial responsibility will see higher levels of profitability Nobel 2010 South Korean companies do not hire women into managerial roles and so multinational companies are taking advantage of this opportunity to employ those highly qualified applicants and promote them to managerial positions 

Employing women who are excluded by their own countries is a growing trend for international business firms Nobel 2010 These women may have the highest qualifications to direct a company however are not afforded the opportunity to do so because they are ostracized from that role in their own culture Perhaps the most important aspect of having an inclusionary and diverse workforce is promoting cultural harmony in the organization According to a study conducted by Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Roy Chua cultural disharmony undermines the workplace creativity He summarized that the least creative ideas came from participants who were from participants who had disharmonious relationships with those from different cultural backgrounds He states that as human beings we pay more attention to negative information because it is a signal of danger Blanding 2013 Thos most difficult thing about being a multicultural organization is conflict between groups and employees of different backgrounds As stated above no two people interact within the same behavior and environment which can cause friction For this reason mentoring programs are an important feature to include in organizations as they can assist in providing a better work environment through communication teamwork and relationship building exercises The challenges that today's organizations face when it comes to its workforce is more complex than they have ever been This in due to the fact that research and tests done over the last few decades that demonstrated that people are not working simply to get paid Employers need to realize that they must treat their employees as an asset to their business not a cost Workers want to feel that they are a valued and vital part of an organization and that they belong to a community where they can share their ideas and have the respect of their fellow workers and supervisors Otherwise they no longer feel part of the organization and are no longer motivated to be engaged in their work They lose commitment to the company 

Hiring managers must realize the valued that their employees have in the organization that they are the true competitive advantage It is also important to organizations to create a multicultural environment where employees from different cultural and national backgrounds are able to work in a variety of positions including management An inclusionary workforce provides a diverse pool of ideas and approaches to a company's policies as well as a company’s function These employees have the tools to transform a small business to a multinational corporation For this reason their ideas should be valued and they must feel a sense of belonging and respect from the organization Another challenge that comes with having a multicultural organization is fostering a harmonious workplace where conflict does not exist between employees of different backgrounds Mentoring programs are a great way to help facilitate open communication in between diverse groups who often see things from only their own perspective as a result of their behavior and environment These mentors must serve as role models and offer emotional support to help employees navigate these new type or organizations Top management support is crucial for a mentoring program