Organizational Behavior

Understanding of Organizational Behavior in a Criminal Justice or Security Agency

An effective organization or agency exhibits behavior conducive to a healthy workplace. The employees are motivated, satisfied, good communicators, and team-oriented. These elements help to promote a successful organization. Missing elements could disband an agency or create a hostile environment. Specific fundamentals can develop skills necessary to improve individual and organizational practices. Scientific foundations of organizational behavior suggest that individual attitudes, group dynamics, and relationships between managers and workers are an important focus (Schermerhorn, 2010). A positive attitude can have many benefits: less stress, self control, better relationships, and job security. A positive attitude can influence others and help build strong working relationships. This also affects job performance and assures the organization that its employees are satisfied. The goal of organizational behavior is to improve the performance of people, groups, organizations, and improve the quality of life (Schermerhorn, 2010). Motivation is an element that can be a driving force to an organization or the individuals involved. An employee’s sole motivation is personal or job development or financial purposes. The solution is to identify the factor that motivates an employee to attend work every day as scheduled and performs to the best of his or her abilities. These individuals set and achieve goals consistently and with persistence. This type of determination benefits the agency and the individual’s reputation. High employee performance relies on effective communication, creativity, and respect. Managers must be able to communicate with employees without fear. The mutual respect allows employees to provide feedback and actively respond. This permits an equal contribution within the team. The employee dynamic is the way in which coworkers interact with one another and their managers. Managers can assess the behavioral and organizational status of their workplace by asking employees to approach them when a problem arises (Marquis, n.d.). Management practices must be tailored to fit the exact nature of each situation or individual. Managers must be able to understand the challenges and demands for different situations and craft responses to them that best fit circumstances or people involved (Schermerhorn, 2010). This makes the agency resilient and adaptable to various situations. Diversity in an organization is essential to recognize differences based on gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and only considering the performance of the individual. A diverse set of skills allows the agency to assist customers on a global scale. Successful organizations foster an attitude of openness and encourage new ideas and challenges. This is especially important in criminal justice and security organizations in which diversity is evident in communities. Employees will be introduced to a variety of cultures and diverse situations in which they will have to know how to correspond. Diversity in justice and security agencies promotes equal treatment under law. This protects the agency from over representing a specific racial group or other population from the streets to the court. Diversity is an element that proves effective internally and externally of any organization. No employee will be the same; personalities, social traits, and values will differ. It is the way the agency manages these situations that sets them apart. Ultimately, employee commitment defines the agency. Employee performance is directly related to his or her commitment to the jobs and the agency. Employees are representatives of the agency mission statement. The employee’s performance is motivated by passion or reward. The agency must reinforce positive behavior that demonstrates commitment. Employees exchange his or her commitment to performance to the organizations commitment of reward. The reward can be promotional, pay grade increase, material, or other form of recognition. Some employees are high performers because they love their job and are results driven. In every organization is a natural or appointed leader. The leader must be able to influence others to perform the organizations expectations and beyond. A formal leader is responsible for his or her results through talent management. Any agency is only as good as its employees; it is the duty of the leader to level set those expectations and lead through example. A leader is confident in his ability to encourage his staff to produce positive outcomes. The leader is concerned with task objectives, ethical, and well adjusted. Leaders in a criminal justice or security agency have many strong individuals to lead. Each of them is carefully selected and most of them will be leaders in his or her right. They are of good moral and ethical character, intelligent, professional, and influential. These individuals are representing a government agency working to accomplish a shared objective. These elements are crucial to the success of the organization and its members.

References
Marquis, A. (n.d.). Key Elements for Effective Behavior and Organizational Management.
Retrieved November 19, 2012 from http://smallbusiness.chrone.com/key-elements-effective-behavior-organizational-management-43874.html
Schermerhorn, R., Hunt, J.G., Osborn, R.N., Uhl-Blen, M. (2010). Organizational Behavior (7th ed.) Hoboken, NJ: JohnWiley & Sons.