Introduction
Organizational behavior is the field of study that focuses on application of knowledge to solve organizational problems. It pertains to how individuals and groups behave in the organization. The concept of organizational behavior utilizes the system approach to address various problems afflicting the organization. It interprets the relationships between workers and the organization in order to determine the position of the firm in the market.
The aim of organizational behavior is to create a superior relationship by realizing individual objectives, organizational aims and social objectives. The field encompasses a wide range of topics including human behavior, transformation, leadership and teamwork. Organizational behavior holds that employees should be guided by organization’s philosophies, values and goals. Organizational principles should drive organizational culture, which consist of formal and informal associations, as well as social environment.
Organizational culture determines leadership style, nature of organizational communication and group dynamics. Furthermore, employees view organizational culture as the value of life, which influences their motivation in the organization. The results of good management is high performance, employee satisfaction and individual growth and improvement in the organization.
This paper analyzes the effectiveness of organizational behavior in increasing sales at the globe limited. The organization should adopt some models and theories in order to encourage its salespersons to achieve maximum benefits for the organization. The paper looks at some theories that are related to organizational behavior as well as techniques of motivating salespersons.
The paper concludes that Globe limited must adopt supportive and collegial models of organizational behavior in order to realize its objectives. The organization must keep off from autocratic model, which suggests that employees must be forced to deliver positive results. Even though there is a problem at the company, the management must consider other techniques of motivating workers and adopt autocratic model as the last resort.
Importance of Motivation
Motivation is critical to management in the organization because it puts human resources into action. Each objective demands that physical, monetary and human resources are organized in order to realize it. Scholars have established that it is only through motivation that human resources can be used maximally.
Motivation instills the spirit of willingness and cooperation in employees. Employees might be able but unwilling to use their proficiencies to achieve organizational goals and aims. Motivation would allow Globe limited to make use of both human and capital resources.
On the other hand, motivation would improve the efficiency of salespersons, which would lead to high performance. Effectiveness of employees does not only rely on their academic qualifications and capabilities (Murphy 43). Motivation helps in filling the gap between capability and willingness. Through motivation, salespersons would improve their productivity, the firm would reduce the costs of operations and finally overall efficiency could be realized at the Globe limited.
Nonetheless, motivation leads to realization of organizational goals and objectives because organizational goals are only achieved when there is efficient use of human resources and teamwork. This means that salespersons at the Globe limited should be goal-directed in order to behave in a purposive manner.
Therefore, goals can be attained if harmonization and teamwork occurs concurrently, which can only happen through motivation. Recent researches show that motivation builds friendly relationships among employees. It naturally follows that motivation is a significant aspect of employee satisfaction.
Top managers at the Globe limited should always remember this aspect and try to frame an appealing incentive plan that would benefit sales persons. In this regard, scholars have established some plans that can be used to motivate employees, which include financial and non-monetary inducements, promotion opportunities and sanctions for non-performing salespersons.
Policy makers at the Globe limited must adopt these plans in order to motivate salespersons to perform better. Adoption of the above plans would guarantee effective collaboration, which might bring about constancy in the organization hence boosting sales. Unnecessary conflicts and inconsistencies among employees would be eliminated through adoption of the plans. Globe limited could be facing difficulties because some employees are against change.
The above plans could allow some employees to accept change and aspire to fulfill the wishes of the employer. Finally, motivation, especially monetary inducement, would allow salespersons to align their interests to those of the organization. The outcome of both financial and no-monetary motivation would be profit maximization because of increased productivity.
Motivation encourages stability in the organization because it promotes a good reputation and benevolence. In fact, research confirms that employees’ loyalty is tied to the actions of the management. If employees are involved in decision-making processes, they tend to take active roles in the organization.
Salespersons are tempted to develop extra-skills that they can use to convince customers to accept Globe’s products. Customers are encouraged to buy Globe’s products because of the assurances from salespersons not the company. In this respect, changing employees’ perception is critical to the performance of any organization. Motivated employees are easy to convince and manipulate.
From the above analysis, it is noted that motivation is a complex concept that can only be understood by the management. Motivation is related to internal feelings, which makes it hard for any individual to understand its nature. Only managers can comprehend it because they are usually in close contact with employees. Therefore, managers are supposed to frame sound motivation plans that can boost sales at the Globe limited. It is also true that motivation is a continuous process mainly because it is based on limited needs.
Increasing Sales
Some actions, programs, conditions and incentives can be employed by the management to improve sales at the Globe limited. One of the actions is making use of what is under control in the organization. The salespersons have the ability to influence buyers to purchase company products. This calls for careful handling of customers, by taking care of their demands.
Some customers have no time to meet or talk to the sales team but the salespersons must strategize in order to be awarded some time by customers. In case a customer decides to talk to one of the salespersons, maximum time must be awarded to such a customer. This would give the salesperson a chance to convince the customer to accept company products. It is believed that the more the salesperson spends time with the customer, the more he/she makes sales.
Whenever a salesperson handles a customer, he/she must present him/her self in the best way possible. Customers are influenced by the seller’s attitude and impression. In this case, customers must be handled with all the care that they deserve. Their concerns must be addressed fully and salespersons should always have positive impressions towards customers.
Salespersons must be taken through orientations in order to be able to differentiate between potential and stubborn customers. Some customers may perhaps inquire about products but they do not intend to buy them. Another action would be encouraging salespersons to familiarize themselves with the company’s products, as well as competitor’s goods and services.
This would help salespersons to be prepared than their competitors in the market. Through this strategy, sales persons would be ready to answer any question from customers touching on Globe’s limited products. However, this cannot be achieved unless salespersons are made to trust and believe in company products.
Motivation Theories
A number of theories have been formulated to explain the conduct of employees in relation to motivation in an organization. Surprisingly, not all theories have the same postulations hence it is the role of managers to apply the best. These theories apply well under different circumstances.
It should be remembered that there is no a powerful theory than others. Fredrick Winslow Tailor formulated the first theory at around 1856 to 1917. The scholar observed that workers are motivated by financial incentives. The theory was coined within the context of scientific management.
The theory notes that workers are not interested in working because of various reasons. In this regard, they should be monitored closely to ensure that they comply with the company’s rules and regulations. For efficient supervision, managers should group workers into small units. Each unit is assigned a specific task and a deadline for each task is put in place. Tailor suggested that workers should be paid according to their productivity.
The less productive workers are subjected to sanctions such as demotion and salary cuts while hardworking employees are given salary increment and promotion. Each employee would be encouraged to work hard in order to keep away from negative sanctions and try to win the confidence of managers (Cofer and Appley 90).
Tailor’s theory is closely related to autocratic theory of administration. At the Globe limited, Dave should apply this theory as the last resort. The model is however successful because Ford utilized it in Europe and realized high results. Globe limited can also use it successfully, especially after other techniques have failed.
Dave should in fact embrace Mayo’s theory, which argues that employees are not simply interested in money. Other social needs can easily distract workers from their tasks. Dave must identify that workers are human beings whose performance rely on satisfaction.
Economic contentment is not the only type of happiness that workers pursue. Other things must be considered carefully. Mayo suggests that improving communication would be helpful in boosting sales. There must be clear lines of authority and workers must have a way of airing their views and concerns.
Furthermore, Davies must participate actively in sales because it boosts the morale of employees. Mayo supports Tailor’s sentiments that workers should be encouraged to work in groups that is, forming a team with clear objectives. Maslow was not far from Mayo’s ideas when he formulated his theory that is closely related to human relations theory. In fact, his theory is referred to as Neo-human relations school.
The theory focuses on psychological needs of workers. According to Maslow, employees aspire to fulfill five human needs. The needs are hierarchically arranged meaning that one is fulfilled after the other. Workers are motivated to fulfill the higher need in the hierarchy after the lower need in the hierarchy is fully met. Maslow posits that psychological needs such as hunger and thirst are met first.
An employee dying of hunger would work hard to acquire basic salary that would help him/her obtain basic needs such as food. It is therefore the role of managers to identify the needs of each worker and move on to fulfill them. In this respect, not all employees are motivated at the same time. Therefore, managers need to learn the character of each employee in order to design an appropriate incentive.
Learning Theory
Apart from motivation theories, scholars have also formulated social learning theory to explain the behavior of workers in organizations. The theory postulates that human behavior can be explained in terms of continuous reciprocal interactions among cognitive, behavioral and ecological determinants. The theorists holding this view observe that an individual is not dependent. Therefore, the environment influences his/her behavior.
In every organization, an individual has to follow some laid down regulations. This is achieved through learning, which takes time. Unless employees are given time to adjust accordingly, they cannot deliver in their work. The management must therefore realize this and try to help workers to adjust. Dave must learn the experience of each salesperson and award tasks basing on qualifications. Some employees could have attained their experiences in different settings, which are incompatible to the existing environment (Ishmael 76).
Dave must investigate this and act immediately in case sales are to increase. Human beings have five capabilities that are used in strengthening skills and knowledge. The first one is symbolizing, which is concerned about processing visual experiences. This helps an employee to sharpen his/her wits in future. Another important technique is forethought that enables workers to plan their actions in advance. Other capabilities include observation, self-regulation and self-reflection.
Works Cited
Cofer, Charles and Appley, Mortimer. Motivation: Theory and Research. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1967.
Ishmael, Jones. The Human Factor: Inside the CIA’s Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture. New York: Encounter Books, 2008.
Murphy, Jim. Inner Excellence. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009.