Effective Organizational Structure
What makes an organization effective? Why are some organizations more effective than others? When looking at how an organization can remain effective in its structure and how working in a global economy may impact that, we need to understand what that entails. Jokinen (2005) stated “a global leader is anyone having global responsibility over any business activity and global leaders can be found also in lower levels of organization.” (p. 201) We can then look to focus on important characteristics regarding leadership. Gary Yukl (2012) stated, “The essence of leadership in organizations is influencing and facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives.” Leadership is becoming even more crucial in business across the globe. The essence of leadership doesn’t change across state, country, and continental borders either. How the defined characteristics are implemented may be different in the different geographical areas across the globe, but the ideas and purposes remain the same. Without effective leadership, there is not an established direction for an organization to go in. The behaviors that I believe are the most important are problem solving, clarifying, supporting, developing, empowering, recognizing, and planning. These characteristics lead to the situational leadership style.
Yukl (2012) said this about problem solving. “Leaders use problem solving to deal with disruptions of normal operations and member behavior.” Problem solving skills can be used daily in organizations, whether that be with people or with numbers. Clarifying instructions and eliminating confusion is key to day-to-day operations and overall effectiveness. Yukl (2012) said, “Leaders use clarifying to ensure that people understand what to do, how to do it, and the expected results.” Supporting, developing, and empowering goes along with employee’s and bringing them levels of success they don’t think possible by themselves. “Employee engagement is a complex and dynamic process that reflects each individual’s unique, personal relationship with work.” (Litten et al, 2011) Employees are the greatest assets to an organization, and if they aren’t involved, motivated, given autonomy, and engaged, then the organization can reach its peak. Being able to recognize makes sure your organization can reach the top, and then stay at the top. “Effective leaders are proactive in looking for things that deserve recognition, and they provide recognition that is sincere, specific, and timely.” Yukl (2012) Planning is the first step in success. Without a plan and direction, you have failed to establish a path to sustainable success.
These characteristics hold importance in the process of creating effective organizations and hold true, even going across borders. “The global environment is characterized by regional instability, failed states, increased weapons proliferation, and global terrorism and requires greater global leadership.” Campbell, A. (2013) These characteristics will help aid in the greater good for global leadership and help establish a structure and culture.
Communication Strategies Needed for Effective Organizations
A study by the Great Place To Work Institute found that employees enjoy working in an environment where they “trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with” (Carroll, 2006, p. 1). Any successful team, organization, or franchise needs to develop a culture that can be lived by for sustaining success, and that includes managing and leading with an open line of communication. The Edelman Trust Barometer (2012) also found that businesses that are more trusted “treat employees well” and openly share information.
A successful organizational culture cannot be established without communication, which is the basis for developing and preserving success. “Foundationally, communication involves a two-way exchange of information. Internal communication occurs between managers and employees. Employee engagement, which internal communication promotes, is “the degree to which an individual is attentive and absorbed in the performance of their roles” (Saks, 2006, p. 602). Clutterbuck (2000) states that, “the smooth functioning of a workplace is dependent on cooperation between coworkers and, in order to cooperate well, coworkers need to be able to communicate effectively. Good communication must also exist within and between the team as a whole and the rest of the company. On another level, when employees clash, your bottom line suffers.” (pg 106) In a world where our attention is split and fought for, internal communication among the team and the leaders become even more crucial. Management scholars Thomas, Zolin, and Hartman (2009) indicated that “when employees perceive that they are getting information from their supervisors and coworkers that is timely, accurate, and relevant, they are more likely to feel less vulnerable and more able to rely on their coworkers and supervisors” (p. 302) Relying on teammates and leaders brings a new level of comfort and understanding among one another, which allows for further levels of potential success. When we look into an organization and the culture that it lives by, we can see why or why not they are successful, or if they will eventually reach that desired level of success. “If people believe their organization values their contribution and wants to involve them in important things, they are much more likely to feel motivated. This usually means seeking, listening to and responding to employees’ views and suggestions, and including them in decision making.” Robinson, D. (2015, October 1). Value Added Motivators. Each organization needs individual respect in their internal communication. Individual respect spreads far beyond oneself, but begins within. When organizations have a strong sense of individual respect, they’ll begin to take pride in the work they do. Leaders won’t allow anything less than their own best effort, and their employees that they lead every single time they begin their work, and that extends to upper levels of management as well. Individual respect eliminates any complacency, laziness or lack of caring. Individual respect takes discipline and then puts that discipline to use. Individual respect generates and builds upon our desire to compete and rise up to any challenges we face with a calm of mind and a confident stature.
Internal communication within organizations needs to be based on candid speech and honesty with one another. Clear, candid speech is necessary to establish trust among teammates and leaders of the team and organization. Honesty with yourself and with your employees requires individual respect, which is the first communication aspect discussed above. When we learn to communicate candidly and honestly, we become clearer in our purpose, in our goals and desires. Being candid with the leaders and employees in an organization involves teaching them the correct way to do things, with sharpness and love when something is being done incorrectly. Becoming more candid and clear in our messages doesn’t mean we are belittling or attacking an individual. Honest and candid communication is a way to eliminate confusion among the organization, encouraging questions when a lack of understanding arises and building trust as a group. When organizations are candid with their internal communication, they’ll allow each other to further grow and develop, becoming more efficient and effective.
Internal communication needs to be positive. Positivity within organizations could be the most important characteristic needed for success. A positive organization is an engaged organization. Positivity with oneself can eliminate self-doubt in our minds and across the organization as a whole. Positivity among employees and team members contributes to and builds a culture where we encourage one another to be our best, while rising above the negative noise and pessimism we are often engulfed or influenced by. Becoming more positive not only makes you better, but it makes the other people you are surrounded by better. Positivity isn’t a one-day event. Positivity requires practice and a sense of purpose. Positivity places an emphasis on improvement, which is required for an organization to reach the highest levels of success.
When we communicate internally we need to use integrity in all aspects of our speech. Business ethics scholar Carroll (2006) argued that “ethical organizations take care of their employees, working to build trust through positive communication efforts, as well as demonstrating respect for employees and acting with integrity in all employee relations.” (pg 184) Integrity comes to each individual differently, but can be influenced by one teammate, leader, or employee. The question isn’t where integrity comes into play to effect me, it’s how will my integrity effect me today and how will I use my integrity to lift up and inspire those around me? Integrity builds further trust while lifting and inspiring oneself and one another. Integrity doesn’t allow an individual to cheat him or herself, because there’s an inner commitment to improve and reach ones full potential.
Organizations must develop acceptance with their internal communication. Accepting and committing begins with a belief and a desire. Once organizations establish the internal drive to begin to accept, they must implement and live out the principles and directions given to see the changes that begin to take place that shape them into a better version of their past self. When we accept ourselves for who we are, we can begin to accept our best efforts and feel at peace with what we have offered. Acceptance allows us to move forward in our daily endeavors in life, accepting what has happened and allowing acceptance of what is to come. Acceptance allows a level of security among organizations, helping employees and team members in their quest for acceptance along the way.
Principles of Effective Management
I now turn to the improved management theory for a look at how to effectively manage. Mayo (1933) found “that it was a comprehensible and interpersonally contented group of workers that was far more productive than an incoherent or antagonistic group.” According to Winship (2005: 235), “Mayo’s classic research became a benchmark for aligning the emotional condition of the worker with his capacity for productivity.” This statement is part of the human relations and systems theory. A group of team members making up an organization is much more productive as a team that is interpersonally connected and invested, rather than a group of individuals who focus on me instead of we. From the International Journal of Management, (Vol. 28, No. 3, Part 2, Sept 2011) “Changes in working conditions had little impact on the levels of productivity.” (p. 965) The conditions leaders put their employees in change productivity and attitude toward growth and learning. Effective organizations put employees in the best positions to succeed, no matter what that takes. Jim March of the Stanford Business School said, (Augier 2004:173) “Leadership involves plumbing as well as poetry.” I believe this is an effective theory and strategy for leading, managing, and coaching personalities throughout an organization because it allows for interpersonal connections, caring, and productivity to flourish while we teach, coach, and inspire.
Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Processes Needed for Effective Organizations
How are decisions made in organizations, and how are problems dealt with? This is a critical and primary question that leaders across all organizations and borders must ask themselves to make sure there is an effective and efficient method being used. Not only should an organization want effectiveness and efficiency, they should want to reach the highest levels of those accomplishments. The leadership approach that I would take is situational leadership in a developmental leadership environment. In this style of leadership, there is a high concentration and effort placed on problem solving, clarifying, supporting, developing, empowering, recognizing, and planning.
Larsson and Eid (2012, p. 180) “Leadership behaviors labeled as developmental have three characteristics: the leader acts as an exemplary model; the leader shows individualized consideration; and the leader demonstrates inspiration and motivation.” This is based around the idea of developmental leadership, and is the theory I would choose to reach the highest levels of organization effectiveness. This promotes values, being an example, responsibility, caring, encouraging participation and creativity, and inspirational and motivational techniques. This type of organization leadership promotes trust, or identification-based trust to be specific. “Identification-based trust exists when the parties effectively understand and appreciate the other’s wants.” Larsson and Eid (2012, p. 185)
Conclusion
As Gary Yukl (2012) said, “The essence of leadership in organizations is influencing and facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives.” No matter how far we dive into leadership methods and techniques, what works verses what doesn’t work, the definition and object remain the same for each leader. How the leader promotes and engages his team, employees, or friends, will change depending on how the specific group being led responds. When a leader can unite a group of people toward a common goal, everyone has won.
References
Robinson, D. (2015, October 1). Value Added Motivators.
Conrad, D. (2014). Workplace communication problems: Inquiries by employees and applicable solutions. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly. 5(4), 105-115.
Mishra, K., Boynton, L., & Mishra, A. (2014). Driving employee engagement: The expanded role of internal communications. Journal of Business Communication, 51(2), 183-202
Kataria, A., Rastogi, R., & Garg, P. (2013). Organizational effectiveness as a function of employee engagement. South Asian Journal of Management, 20(4), 56-73.
Litten J I^ Vaughan A G and Wildermuth C D (2011), “The Fabric oí Engagement: The Engagement and Personality of Managers and Professionals in Human and Developmental Disability Services”, Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation, Vol. 10, pp. 189-21
Campbell, A. (2013). In-depth analysis of global leadership challenges. Mustang Journal of Business and Ethics, 5, 69-76.
Yukl, G. (2012). Effective leadership behavior: What we know and what questions need more attention. Academy Of Management Perspectives, 26(4), 66-85. doi:10.5465/amp.2012.0088
Larsson, G., & Eid, J. (2012). An idea paper on leadership theory integration. Management Research Review, 35(3), 177-191. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01409171211210109
Mishra, K., Boynton, L., & Mishra, A. (2014). Driving employee engagement: The expanded role of internal communications. Journal of Business Communication, 51(2), 183-202. doi:10.1177/2329488414525399