Analysing Workplace Incident with Organizational Behaviour Theories

This essay reflects on a workplace incident witnessed by the author in an ad agency, analyzing it through the lens of organizational behaviour theories. The incident involved a lack of support for new employees, leading to high turnover. The essay contrasts the agency's feudal and autocratic approaches with custodial and supportive models, arguing that the agency should have fostered better communication, employee well-being, motivation, and growth opportunities. The reflection concludes that a positive organizational behaviour is crucial for employee and organizational development, conflict resolution, and employee retention. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and resources for students.

Running Head: REFLECTION ON ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOUR
REFLECTION ON ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOUR
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Essay question selected: Reflect on an incident you have involved in or witnessed in a
work environment in the past. What should have been done differently drawing on OB
theories and concepts?
‘Organizational Behaviour’ can be considered as the study of human behaviour,
responses within the premises of an organization. More specifically organizational behaviour
investigates the influence that an individual, group, or the structure of an organization can
cast upon the behaviour or interaction within a company or institution (Barry & Wilkinson,
2016). The purpose of this study is to reflect on a workplace incident, I was the witness of.
Further this reflective study analyses the situation reflected with reference to concepts of
Organizational Behaviour, and finds out things which should have been done in a different
way.
One of the most significant incidents of ‘Organization Behaviour’ I witnessed during
my first job, in a popular ad agency. Six years ago, I joined as a graphic designer in an ad
agency, which is internationally famous. It was my first job. I felt blessed to get an excellent
industry exposure. As I was not experienced that time, initially I used to face so many
problems. A series of incidents happened with me and those who joined with me, which
made me realize that everybody within the organization was always in a hurry and the human
interaction within the organization as well as the work environment was not supportive
enough for learning and growth of novice employees. As we were graphic designers,
sometimes we had to use software which we were not compatible. The difficulty in using
those software sometimes delayed my work. There were senior employees who were
proficient in using different kinds of software but due to the lack of time often they were
unable to guide me, even if intended to do so. Due to this problem our work was not only
delayed often the quality of the work was also affected. Hence, the organizational behaviour
as well as work culture were not supportive enough for novice employees to learn and grow.

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Many of the new joiners was going through the same situation. Some of them tried to interact
with the employer to resolve the issue but they received the ignorance of the higher authority
in return. The company treated the employees specially the new joiners as inferior and
reluctant to care about the issues faced by them. Another thing which I found that, there were
lack of motivation program or employee engagement programs, for which many of the
employees, including the senior employees, could not excel at their work, lacked energy as
well as enthusiasm. There were no one to care about the problem faced by the employees, but
instead of several issues related to work, employees need to obey the higher authority strictly.
Hence, the organizational behaviour reflected that the company believes in ‘hire and fire’
principles. More specifically, that company did not provide the new employees enough
opportunity to adapt and grow before firing them because of their inefficiency. This gave
birth to a fear psychosis in the employees and they remained under pressure which was
unethical. Observing all these some of the new joiners started resigning. The situation
became worse when the company experience major employee turnover.
From the analysis of the above situation, it can be said that, the organization used to
follow Fuedal and Autocratic models and concepts of organizational behaviour. Fuedal
model suggests that the employees as well as the workers of the lower strata should be
considered inferior by the manager and boss or the higher authority. Employee well-being
was not the objective of this model of organizational behaviour. Rather this model believed in
treating employees sternly and applying ‘hire and fire’ policies, without listening to the
problem of the employees (Kondalkar, 2007). This model also belies in creating fear
psychosis among employees with the help of unethical pressure Again, the concept followed
by Autocratic model assumes that being the most powerful persons of an organization
managers hire or fire employees. Both the model does not consider the importance of
motivation to retain employees. Also, the Autocratic model assumes the higher salaries to

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employees should be considered as the waste of resources, but such fruitless beliefs of Fuedal
and Autocratic models and concepts of organizational behaviour, ultimately resulted into
major employee turnover.
In order to find out things that the ad agency should do in a different way, I should
explain, custodial and supportive model and concepts of organizational behaviour. According
to this model, being the custodial of the resources, it is the responsibility of Custodial model
to make provision for the welfare of the employees. This model believes in encouraging the
employees to discuss about their problems freely with their boss or the employers. Custodial
model instructs the higher authority to cater to the needs of the employees. Hence, Custodial
model suggests transformation of the narrow conservativeness that exists in organizational
behaviour, so that organizational behaviour can be used as an effective instrument for
employee retention (Kondalkar, 2007). The ad agency mentioned in the real-life incident
witnessed by me should have encouraged the employees to communicate frankly to the
higher authority for the serious issues they were facing. Instead of creating a fear psychosis, it
should look after the well-being of the employees and resolve the issues. Hence the ad agency
should follow the custodial models and concepts for improving organizational behaviour and
retaining employees. Again, according to the beliefs of Supportive model, employee
motivation and growth opportunities are two crucial factors ‘Organizational Behaviour’
should focus on (Kondalkar, 2007). These factors of ‘Organizational Behaviour will help the
employees nourish their talents and enhance their productivity (King & Lawley, 2016). The
ad agency mentioned in the real-life incident witnessed by me should have motivated the
employees and help them to excel in their work as well as increase productivity (Smith,
Farmer & Yellowley, 2013). (Huczynski, Buchanan & Huczynski, 2013).
Finally, it can be concluded that, that, the term ‘Organizational Behavior’ play an
important role and contributes to the growth and development of employees as well as the

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organization, they work in. It is also an effective tool to simplify duties and eliminate
conflicts and retain employees.

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References
Barry, M., & Wilkinson, A. (2016). Pro‐social or pro‐management? A critique of the
conception of employee voice as a pro‐social behaviour within organizational
behaviour. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 54(2), 261-284.
Huczynski, A., Buchanan, D. A., & Huczynski, A. A. (2013). Organizational behaviour (p.
82). London: Pearson
King, D., & Lawley, S. (2016). Organizational behaviour. Oxford University Press.
Kondalkar, V. G. (2007). Organisational behaviour. New Age International Pvt. Ltd.,
Publishers,.
Smith, P., Farmer, M., & Yellowley, W. (2013). Organizational behaviour. Routledge.
Wilson, F. M. (2018). Organizational behaviour and work: a critical introduction. Oxford
university press.