Organizations Key Concepts to Success

When you hear the word organization what do you think of?  A business, team, non-profit, household, or even a social group all fall within the scope of an organization.  By lose definition an organization is a collection of people sharing similar purpose or structure.  How organizations function or better how well performing an organization can be in meeting end goals is dependent on endless variables and assets.  It is my opinion that the individuals within an organization are the most valuable assets, most promising investment, and key to success regardless of organizational or team purpose.  I am reminded of Douglas McGregor and his originally published 1960 book, “The Human Side of Enterprise” and the point he makes in bringing attention to theories of organizational leadership: theory X- authoritarian, theory Y people are the investment and motivation behind any good structure or leader.

Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts point similarly to such ideals in identifying team cohesion (pp. 116) as being a dynamic current in driving toward identified objectives or goals both long and short term.  No one is better alone, but collectively, when the team or organization works well, things will be prosperous.  Appreciating that each individual brings a unique perspective hence unique asset to a group function adds to the importance of properly assigned and accepted group roles.  If you have a well spoken person who enjoys meeting and leading debates as opposed to a shy person who reports anxiety in leading debates we can easily see the contrast in having the “right” person for each job is critical in success of winning the debate.  Equally important in assigning roles within an organization is the need for people to actively accept and participate in their role (pp. 119).  One can be excel in multiple areas, if the group lacks skill in one area, regardless of individual wants people need to be prepared to put their personal preference aside and accept the “lesser role” needed for organizational success.

Interestingly, organizations can have in place all the right people at the right time but one skill that can not be lacking in any successful organization is the ability to communicate effectively and broadly.  The better informed a “team” is the better the performance.  The importance of communication covers every functioning aspect of an organization from the bottom to the top regardless of size, structure, or purpose.  Team members who report more motivation and satisfaction indicate higher degrees of understanding their defined part within the organization (pp. 219).  Subsequently it is also communication that can control how organizations can be successful, is their fluidity within communication form department to department or member to member, does the communication relay the needed information (pp. 239) for success, is it influential, motivating, or challenging the norms within the organization?

Organizations that function with high inclusion of its members are more likely to experience sustained success.  Organizations with fluid and concise communication lead to improved positive outcomes.  The importance for members on all levels of an organization to appreciate the structure and means supportive to not only them but the larger objective is important to reduce attrition and allocate resources on the continued development of improving outcomes for the benefit of everyone associated with the organization.

McGregor, Douglas. “The Human Side of Enterprise”. 25th Edition. 2005. McGraw-Hill Publications.

Schneider, Frank W., Gruman, Jamie A., Coutts, Larry M. “Applied Social Psychology Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems”. Second Edition. 2012. Sage Publications.

1 comment

  1. Marissa Taville-marshburn

    I think your point about the importance of having role clarity within a company really speaks to the concept of team dynamics. When people are either in roles that don’t fit their skills or abilities, or they are unclear about exactly what role they are meant to play in a given group, they are not likely to feel a sense of team cohesion. After all, it’s challenging to feel like a group is coming together if you are all working at cross purposes. In that sense, it is crucial for all members of the team to feel as if they are not only fulfilling an important role, but one that is clearly defined, and suited to their strengths.
    Schneider, Gruman & Coutts (2012) discuss the topic of team dynamics and refer to it as being what we generally call “chemistry”. From that perspective, it is obvious that if all members in a group are fighting to be the leader, or if someone is assigned a role that they are incapable of fulfilling, there will be a definite lack of chemistry. As shown in the examples given in the reading, chemistry can have a significant effect on the success of group (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012).

    References
    Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

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