Week 7: Organizational Socialization

Discussion Questions:

1. As with any type of data, preliminary findings in any research are merely that, preliminary. However, even when results are preliminary they can help facilitate the argument for a hypothesis, or belief. As the organizational consultant, I would still take this preliminary data and suggest to the organization some possible solutions based on the study’s results. Whether they end up increasing employee satisfaction and office morale even by a small percentage, it would still be a success to the organization as even small changes with small results can make long-term positive cultural changes. I firmly believe that establishing a workplace where the employees feel valued, included, feel like they have a voice within their space, and are praised for their accomplishments tends to be more productive. This belief comes from my own observations of how people are how I react to leadership both in being a leader or in being an employee. I think when people feel engaged and when they feel like their actions have an impact on a larger scale, they tend to be more engaged, creative and passionate about the work that they do.
2. I think it is possible to dictate fun within an organization given that we understand that fun is subjective. The type of fun that is instilled within one organization might not be considered fun for everyone, or might not register as fun to other organizations. I think, the concept of fun within organizations will vary depending on the established culture. Realistically it would be very difficult for an organization that is considered “formal” to try to shift to a “cool and modern” type of organization simply because it would take the company a lot of resources and dedicate a lot of effort from the top leaders to achieve this and it might confuse employees. However, this is not to say that a formal organization can’t be considered more “fun” if they focus on a small number of changes they would like to see either based on what they perceive employees want or based on what employees have identified as possible changes. When analyzing the difference between “organic” fun and “prescribed” fun we can almost automatically say that things that happen organically are always better than when we try to enforce or force a reaction to happen in an attempt to mimic a natural reaction. What we must learn is that things that occur organically almost always occur with a subconscious understanding between both parties; it’s almost like both sides are receptive and open minded about what might occur between them. Unlike the relationship within an organization and it’s employees, the understanding that both sides have is that one will be dictating how and what will occur and will expect the other party to either implement or follow through on those expectations. In this scenario, in order for “organic” fun to occur, an organization will have to “prescribe” fun to it’s employees in order to establish or implant the idea that “fun” might occur within that organization that the employees belong to. I would say that eventually an organization and it’s employees can reach that state of things happening naturally once the employees can associate fun as part of their organization’s culture. For example: if an organization would implement the idea that employee health is important within the workplace and they sought to improve their employees personal wellness at work by making sure anyone working in the office has ergonomic furniture. Or by implementing a 10 min break available to their employees in order to stretch or go for a walk etc.
3. I think in the situation where the workplace morale might be low due to economic downturn, an organization might try the following changes: allow it’s supervisor/managers to help it’s employees develop individual goals depending on the “track” or personal professional goals an individual might have. For example, if an employee indicates they are interested in building or expanding their professional network, a supervisor might allow the employee to attend different work functions where they might mingle with other departments. Or perhaps they might build goals for this employee within the scope of their work or job to build relationships with other departments through the work they do within the organization. An organization might inspire it’s employees by holding regular standing meetings in order to provide updates of changes to the organization on a large scale, that way the employees can see where the information is coming from and know that they are a part of these type of conversations. Another idea might be to highlight employees achievements during the meetings they hold or on a smaller scale. I think the idea would be to find small changes that can be made in order for the individual to feel a part of something bigger. Essentially, it is human nature to want to belong, to be a part of something, to feel connected. When people feel they are making a difference, that their actions (whether that be good or bad) matter, that they have a voice and they have some control over their work or over the health of the organization’s people will perform better. I think the key idea to inspire and motivate a workplace that is facing an economic downturn is be flexible with it’s employees, allow them to have a voice and make an impact, and make them feel valued as individuals.