1. Write a reply of at least 200 words to at least 3 of your classmates’ threads. You should expect to answer questions posed within each discussion thread.

17 hours ago

Megan Buechel

Updated Topic: Positive Organizational Behavior

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Definition: In our book called Organizational Behavior, it states, “This recommendation is consistent with the emerging philosophy of positive organizational behavior, which suggests that focusing on the positive rather than the negative aspect of life will improve organizational success and individual well-being” (McShane & Von Glinow, 2008, p. 79).

Summary: This article called “Examples & Illustrations of Positive Organizational Behavior” summarizes how no matter what business you are in, you want to always make sure you are positive. It also states four important key ideas needed for success in any industry. These four are framing simple tasks as valuable and meaningful, encouraging the best instead of discouraging the worse, eliminating double standards, and collectively supporting good causes. By combining these steps together, any business will start to see a change in attitude of their employees.

Discussion: After reading this article, it really made me realize how the four key components are important in any business. Personally, I work at a gym called Club Fitness. I have had to deal with new management and learn the way they want things to be done. However, they do not take the time to teach you the right way if you mess up. Instead, you get yelled at and must figure it out yourself. Although I don’t want to make any excuses, Club Fitness has not been around as long as Golds gym and are still trying to figure out the right way to do things. In addition, it is also important for the customers to feel wanted. It takes great courage for one to walk into the gym without feeling self-conscious about themselves. As an employee, I feel it is my job to always greet the customers with a smile on my face. As the article states, “Thanks so much for your waitstaff’s friendly, trouble-free service” (Lucas, Para. 2). It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from; as long as you do your job correctly then you will become more successful in any company. By implementing the four key points form this article, you might even be able to help a company grow and become more successful.

               After reading few verses from the Bible, there were two that caught my eye. The first one would be 1 Corinthians 14:40, “But all things should be done decently and in order.” God took steps to create the world we live in. There is always an order to everything we do. If we do things correctly and in order then more companies would become successful in everything they do. Second, is from Habakkuk 2:2 which states, “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” However, God himself had a vision in his head. In today’s world, it is important to make sure everything is written down. When it comes to being organized in a business, you must have everything written down and filed so you know exactly where you put things. As a manager, this is a key component in being successful.

WorkCited

Lucas, K. (n.d.). Examples & Illustrations of Positive Organizational Behavior. Retrieved July 09, 2017, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com.examples-illustrations-positive-organizational-behavior-81818.html

Positive Organizational Behavior in the Workplace. (n.d.). Retrieved July 09, 2017, from http://journals.sagepub.com/dio/abs/10.1177/0149206307305562?patientinform-links=yesr33%2F5%2F774

So, T. (2009, March 18). Positive Organizational Behavior and Better Work Performance. Retrieved July                09, 2017, from http://positivepsychologynews.com/news/timothy-so/200903181667

The Bible. (n.d.). Retrieved 09, 2017, from http://ebible.com

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2 hours ago

Sarah Smith

RE: Reserving (OCB) Organizational Citizenship Behaviors

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Organizational Citizenship Behaviors

Definition: Organizational Citizenship Behaviors are defined as “various forms of cooperation and helpfulness to others that support the organization’s social and psychological context” (McShane & VonGilnow, 2015, p.36, para. 2).

Summary: The article “Exploring Organizational Citizenship Behavior as an Outcome of Job Satisfaction: A Critical Review” written by Biswas and Mazumder (2017) discusses how job and pay satisfaction along with job participation lead to increased organizational citizenship behaviors. “Once material and financial needs are fulfilled, employees feel it their duty to give back to the organization in the form of voluntary actions and pro-social as well as altruistic behavior” (Biswas & Mazumder, 2017, p. 12, para. 2). “Satisfied employees have been seen to engage themselves more in quality work, resulting in more retention rates, which in turn gets reflected in superior performances for the organization” (Biswas & Mazumder, 2017, p.12, para. 3). In conclusion, the authors suggest that Organizational Citizenship Behavior should be encouraged amongst employees since it leads to a more positive work environment, lower costs, and greater productivity.

Discussion: “Job satisfaction refers to the pleasurable state of mind or positive feelings that employees have towards their jobs” (Biswas & Mazumder, 2017, p.9, para. 3). Employees that are satisfied with their jobs and how much they make are more likely display the organizational citizenship behaviors. Satisfied employees promote the company since they are more loyal to it.  They are satisfied with their jobs and as a result, they have more positive interactions with customers. These employees are also more likely to want to do extra activities like plan outings for the group and help bolster teamwork amongst the members of the working group. When the employees are more content with their jobs, they are more likely to stay with the company thus reducing turnover.  

                At our medical group, we had high levels of job satisfaction. Employees were willing to go out of their way to plan activities. We had a running/walking group, birthday parties, and would do things for staff members that were struggling. That all changed when we hired a new manager. She discouraged employees talking to each other about personal issues and only wanted work done at work. The environment soon changed and the activities stopped. Employee satisfaction has decreased and the organizational citizenship behaviors have decreased. Half the staff quit under the new manager and three others are looking for new jobs. If she would have come in to the office and assessed that we worked hard and therefore played hard, she would have understood the dynamic and would have had a better result.

                Have you ever worked somewhere that promoted organizational citizenship behaviors? If so, what did the work environment look like? It seems that when the organizational citizenship behaviors are coming from all in the group, the work environment would be a fun place to work.

                1 Corinthians 3:13 “Each one’s work will become manifest, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. “ 

References:

Biswas, N., & Mazumder, Z. (2017). Exploring organizational citizenship behavior as an outcome of job satisfaction: a critical review. 

     IUP Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16(2), 7-16. Retrieved from: http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=13&sid=a73992bc-6815-4f23-8bc0-82eb5116af9c%40sessionmgr120

McShane, S., & Von Glinow, M. (2015).  Organizational behavior (7th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

Saifi, I. A., & Shahzad, K. (2017). The mediating role of job satisfaction in the relationship between organizational justice and

     organizational citizenship behavior. Pakistan Journal of Commerce & Social Sciences, 11(1), 125-145. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=3b9bd307-5885-472c-ad75-64ba70cd4a5d%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=123025050&db=bth

Yoshikawa, T., & Hu, H. (2017). Organizational citizenship behaviors of directors: an integrated framework of director role-identity    

      and boardroom structure. Journal of Business Ethics, 143(1), 99-109. Doi: 10.1007/s10551-015-2808-9. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=3b9bd307-5885-472c-ad75-64ba70cd4a5d%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=123476072&db=bth

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3 days ago

William Thomas

RE: Work-Life Balance 

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William Thomas

BUSI 340-D03

Work-Life Balance

Definition

Work-life balance is defined as the “degree to which a person minimizes conflict between work and nonwork demands” (McShane & Von Glinow, 2015, p. 20).

Summary

                  In their article “Work Life Balance: A Conceptual Review” for the Journal of Strategic Human Resource Management, Omar Khan and Asif Fazili, both assistant professors of business at the Islamic University of Science and Technology in India, discuss the concept of work-life balance and its evolution from its mid-twentieth century beginning. Khan and Fazili (2016) break down the work-life conflict in terms of how it affects certain demographic groups, most specifically discussing the impact on gender, marital and parental status, and cultural background. The authors assert that the majority of work-life balance issues today are driven by increased use of technology and the inability of employees to truly “unplug” from their work (Khan & Fazili, 2016). Subsequently, the authors offer their suggestions to help remedy the problem of work-life imbalance, proposing several methods that can be adopted by both individuals and organizations to aid in maintaining greater balance.

Discussion

                  Anyone who has ever held a job has experienced the effects of work-life balance. Inevitably, work often impedes everyday life, and conversely, personal commitments often pull one away from work. Research shows that those who experience the most imbalance between work and life are women, those who are married and/or have children, and those from western cultures (where extended family members are less likely to share some of the familial responsibilities) (Khan & Fazili, 2016). Nonetheless, despite the growing diversity found in the workplace, work-life balance is sought universally.

The increase in globalization also contributes to the work-life imbalance that many experience. As the demand for products and services around the world multiplies, so does the speed at which fulfillment of these products and services is expected. Technology has made it possible for business deals to close within seconds, and without 24/7 availability of someone somewhere, a company can find itself irrelevant in the competitive market. As such, many employees find themselves staying connected to the lighting-fast business world almost constantly, putting a strain on their own personal time typically reserved for family, leisure, or even religious activities. Khan and Fazili (2016) suggest that the responsibility for maintaining a better work-life balance rests with both the individual and the organization. An individual may enlist the support of family, friends, or even coworkers to help relieve some of one’s responsibility in one area in order to accommodate a need in another. If feasible, one may consider telecommuting or even part-time work to free up extra time for “life” activities. Organizations may offer benefits such as maternity/paternity leave, flexible scheduling, on-site child care, or elder care aid that would not only be advantageous to the employee, but would also benefit the organization by contributing to higher retention rates and greater productivity (Khan & Fazili, 2016).

                  Have you experienced a time in your life where you felt the tension of trying to uphold your work-life balance? If so, what strategies did you incorporate in order to help yourself achieve more balance in those areas? For me, I make little distinction between work and life. I prefer to view “life” as a whole, of which work is just a subpart. While God intends for people to work wholeheartedly (2 Thess. 3:10-12, Col. 3:23, Prov. 6:6-11), He does not expect work to consume our lives—God Himself even took a day of rest after His work of creation (Gen. 2:3)! While the Bible does speak of the importance of work, there are so many more activities that we are called to partake in, whether those come in the form of worship, managing a household, evangelizing, visiting the sick, or any number of things. In the grand scheme of things, while work is important, I do not give it the weight that it seems to carry in general society. I attribute a large part of that to the idea of contentment. Working to “keep up with the Joneses” and have all the luxuries of life is much different than working to feed, clothe, and house your family. Perhaps the question should be asked, are you working to live, or are you living to work?

References

Bloom, P. (2015). Work as the contemporary limit of life: Capitalism, the death drive, and the lethal fantasy of ‘work–life balance.’ Organization, 23(4), 588-606. Retrieved from https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1177/1350508415596604

Khan, O., & Fazili, A. (2016). Work life balance: A conceptual review. Journal of Strategic Human Resource Management, 5(2), 20-25. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1839187406?accountid=12085

McShane, S., & Von Glinow, M. (2015). Organizational behavior: Emerging knowledge, global reality (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Ross, J., Intindola, M., & Boje, D. (2016). It was the best of times; It was the worst of times: The expiration of work-life balance. Journal of Management Inquiry, 26(2), 202-215. Retrieved from https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1177/1056492616675414

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