Introduction
I undertook the voluntary program at the JJ’s Development Center, a non-profit organization that helps learn everything about organizational behavior. JJ’s Development Center is a child’s care center and a Child Care Assistance in Isolation (CCAIR) emergency in Pearl, Mississippi. The center holds 114 children who range from infant to 12-year-old kids. The center provides infant care, full-day, and subsidiary children services from the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The organization was established in 1999 and has annual average earnings of $500,000 with seven staff members (“JJ’s Development Center | Pearl MS CCAIR Emergency,” 2022). The organization’s mission is to provide quality education and childcare that enhances long-term benefits. My role in the organization was as a subsidiary teacher responsible for assisting the daycare teacher in her duties. The job included designing and creating activities to entertain the children, help their intellectual development, and encourage positive interactions in the workplace. In addition, the role required monitoring the children, ensuring they were safe, overseeing their interactions, designing craft projects, and guaranteeing that they appropriately behaved. During that period, I mostly integrated with children of age 4 to 7.
Organizational Behavior Concepts
Job Design and Performance
JJ’s Development Center provides transparent information about their job design and performance description. Job design refers to arranging duties, tasks, and responsibilities in a work unit. It is essential as it is a way to organize the methods, relationships, and contexts of work to achieve job satisfaction (Jang et al., 2018). It impacts the firm’s performance by managing people based on their skills, task, and authority. The main aspects that can explain how job design and performance are illustrated at JJ’s Development Center are class concepts job rotation, job enlargement, how people perceive their jobs, and quality management.
The job design of JJ’s Development Center used job enlargement in their design. It is the extension, elaboration, broadening, and augmentation of the work. It combines the jobs connected to an individual with more functions and duties aligned with the organization’s goals (Alias et al., 2018). The benefit of such a notion is that it motivates the individual to handle more responsibilities. In addition, it makes employees develop their career through experience and acquiring opportunities which also act as motivation (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2018). However, the negative impacts outweigh the positive as the employees feel like they cannot handle more duties and responsibilities than they are supposed to undertake. As a result, they neglect some duties showing lousy performance results. Job enlargement is a job design visible at the JJ’s Development Center.
The job design is also seen within the employees’ duties. The organization had only seven employees; two were in managerial positions, leaving five employees to handle more than 150 children (“JJ’s Development Center | Pearl MS CCAIR Emergency,” 2022). Some classes had more children than the others, as they were divided according to their age. Giving one teacher per class enlarges their duties as they are supposed to carry many responsibilities at a time. For instance, they must design and create activities to entertain the children, help their intellectual development, encourage positive interactions. Moreover, they are to monitor the children, ensure that they are safe, design craft projects, and ensure that they are well behaved.
Managing a daycare class by one teacher negatively affected the tutors since they handled most of the pupils continuously. By the afternoon, they are exhausted, making it difficult for them to handle the children. It was evident as the environment was chaotic and noisy, the children were feral, and the teacher was exhausted from yelling. It was also difficult to monitor all children simultaneously, especially if the teacher explained a story as the class had about 30 children. For this reason, job enlargement is not suitable in a daycare organization.
In addition, job rotation was part of the organizational behavior in JJ’s Development Center, which is a concept of organizational behavior. It is when employees are transferred from one department to another. The process positively generates knowledge and awareness in order to develop their abilities and skills (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2018). Moreover, it helps alleviate the exhaustion and monotony that an employee might be experiencing, which increases their performance.
Another advantage of job rotation is intrinsic benefits as it initiates progress opportunities. At the JJ’s Development Center, the teachers rotated between classes every 3 hours such that the teacher in class A was transferred to class B every 3 hours. It had a positive impact, especially on reducing mental overload as children get bored if they get used to one tutor. It decreases their attention span as children are not capable of listening to one tutor for a prolonged period. The rotation ensured that the teachers had a new perspective in handling their classes, improving their production and efficiency. Also, job rotation allowed the teachers to teach another set of students, reduce the number of errors in their duties, and increase their job satisfaction. Hence, job rotation positively impacted JJ’s Development Center.
Moreover, JJ’s Development Center displayed self-managed teams in its organizational behavior. The employees form a group, and they carry out their tasks individually. It is a form of job enrichment that uses a depth approach. The functions and tasks that the tutors are supposed to carry out are brought together and then divided into individual work (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2018). The self-managed team is appropriate for the organization since activities are similar. The benefit of a self-managed team is that it results in the desired outcome even though they did not inform the supervisor. For instance, during the lunch break, the employees have more tasks as they supervise the kids as they eat monitor the children in the playground, and this is the only time the staffs have ample time to write down the children’s assignment. To solve this, the teachers have formed a self-managed team where some tutors monitor the children in the playground, others monitor those eating, and one handles their assignments. The approach is practical as it reduces workloads, increasing employee satisfaction and performance.
Furthermore, JJ’s Development Center illustrated organizational behavior that aligns with job performance outcomes. Job performance outcome refers to the results of an employee’s behavior. It is divided into intrinsic and extrinsic, behavioral, and objective outcomes (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2018). The intrinsic outcome is associated with activity with inherent satisfaction rather than separable consequences. It is mainly acquired through doing an activity for their benefit and does not involve another person. The extrinsic outcome is achieved by completing a task due to external forces correlated with the job, such as a reward (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2018). At JJ’s Development Center, the teachers reflected extrinsic and intrinsic outcomes.
For instance, during the numerical class, the teacher was motivated to deliver the knowledge to understand. The teacher would use various activities to perform this task, such as drawing using images that resemble numbers and creating a song that the children would easily remember. If a child recognized a number, one would see the teacher’s joy as the outcome is intrinsic. The teachers were also motivated to perform due to an extrinsic reward of a pay rise. Hence, they tried to perform the best by delivering quality work, which will lead to the enrolment of more children in the center hence a pay rise. Similarly, their performance was motivated by the objective outcome as their job duties reflected on the children’s skills, abilities, and knowledge. The teachers ensured that their performance was of good quality in the long run.
Motivation Theory
As a subsidiary teacher at JJ’s Development Center, the motivational theory aspect from the organizational behavior concept was evident. The motivational theory describes the forces that compel individuals or push them towards satisfactory basic needs and wants (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2018). The level of needs tends to determine the rewards that can satisfy an individual. The daycare mainly applied this as children were cooperative when they knew the tension that would acquire them from their rewards; hence a reward needs to be satisfying. Therefore, motivation can be associated with the internal force, the reward that energizes the action, and its direction. It can also be associated with a decision-making process to do the action; it is governed by involuntary choice where one can opt not to do the action as there is no reward to look forward to (Ahmad, Khan & Arshad, 2021). To explain the motivation on the voluntary experience in JJ’s Development Center, the expectancy theory, equity theory, Maslow’s need hierarchy, and the McClelland learning needs theory will be used.
JJ’s Development Center organizational behavior demonstrated motivation using the Herzberg Two Factor Theory. The Herzberg two-factor theory focuses on the source of motivations that results in the work performed. It is classified into satisfiers: the motivation factors, dissatisfaction, and hygiene factors (Konopaske et al., 2018). Hygiene factors help prevent dissatisfaction within the job environment, mainly extrinsic conditions. Employees in JJ’s Development Center demonstrated the hygiene factor through several ways, such as creating opportunities for their growth as job enlargements. They also ensured they acquired recognition from their colleagues as they practiced self-managed teams that allowed them to achieve good performance and ensured that they enjoyed the work itself by teaching using creative means.
The other aspect of the Herzberg factory theory is the motivators which are the factors that contribute to satisfaction from the job itself. The JJ’s Development Center ensured that the employees had good interpersonal status with their colleagues by ensuring they interacted and created a great atmosphere. In addition, less supervision shows trust as they plan activities independently. The working sessions are a motivator as the management provides with assistive learning devices and support that they would require to ensure that their roles and duties are achieved.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs was the leading organizational behavior concept of motivation evident within the JJ’s Development Center. The Maslow Hierarchy of needs believes that man is inherently good and contains an inner drive that constantly grows. It classifies human motives into five categories of phycology needs: water, food, and shelter; safety should protect one from danger, uncertainty, and deprivation. The social needs that give and receive affection are feelings of belongingness and love, the self-actualization need, and the ego need for prestige, status, and recognition (Marczak & Yawson, 2021). Working with children in the daycare, the children’s behaviors were closely related to this hierarchy of needs, especially on theory attitude. For instance, towards the tea break, the children were more attentive in the creative design classes because they were looking towards satisfying their psychological needs as misbehavior would attribute the teacher to hold them a bit longer, even if it is a minute.
Another instance that this was portrayed is during the break itself, and the teacher was advocating for the children to share their snacks. During this period, the children sharing objects in the art class were delighted. They received love and friendship from those they interacted with during the art class. It shows that their social needs were met, encouraging the other children to interact more during the class project. The kids who did not have friends during the break will be motivated to participate more in the class and share more to acquire the approval of social needs. Hence, the hierarchy of needs by Maslow was well portrayed within JJ’s Development Center.
The Maslow Hierarchy was also demonstrated in the organization’s behavior differently. The tutors and leaders ensured that the children within the daycare felt a sense of safety which was practiced through activity routines and predictability (Kovach, 2018). Every child was subjected to a specific routine during the classroom. For instance, the tutor began by greetings in the morning, followed by citing choruses and dancing before beginning learning activities. The routine allowed the children to have a predictable daily schedule that allowed them to anticipate and expect order during the learning session, providing a sense of control and safety.
In addition, the tutors fostered an environment that allowed healthy levels of risk-taking through the children having healthy discussions where they would openly share their thoughts on a subject, ask questions and provide solutions. It allowed them to eliminate the fear of judgment from their peers and cultivate a trust-based relationship with the tutor. In addition, the tutor provided with the feeling of self-esteem, love, and belongingness. The tutors and leaders ensured that each student was regarded differently and treated individually, such as appreciating their character traits.
Furthermore, the McClelland learning needs theory was illustrated at JJ’s Development Center as an organizational behavior concept for motivation. It proposes that a person, when in vital needs, impacts the motivation of a person to undertake activities that lead to the satisfaction of need. The arch to be motivated is the desire to perform and achieve, desire for power, and need for affiliation (Kovach, 2018). The theory illustrates that needs are acquired and learned through coping with one’s environment. Since these needs are learned, the actions are of higher frequency to achieve it, hence the motivation. The children highly demonstrated the McClelland learning need during the class activities. The teacher recognized the child who was obediently following the instructions and those who could acquire the study’s outcome during the class. By recognizing them, it illustrated that they were achievers, which led the children to be more involved as they desired to be recognized. They were also trying to be achievers by participating in class to solve the provided problem.
Additionally, JJ’s Development Center demonstrated the equity theory motivation in the organization behavior concept. The equity theory explains more on how satisfaction is acquired than the cause of motivation. Under this theory, an individual weighs out their input against what they receive, mostly the outcome or reward, as more rewards impact a higher satisfaction (Tarifin, 2018). It is mainly impacted by the outcome, input, comparison, and person. During the volunteer, children who think they were treated fairly, or when their input was treated similarly to others, found it acceptable. For instance, there was a question session of identifying shapes, and the children with answers would raise their hands.
I found that most of the children would raise their hands as the teacher gave them equal opportunity to answer, and once they got it correct, they would get rewarded through the teacher singing them a song and clapping for them as a sign of cheering. If this gesture failed to happen to every answer, the children would think that some are getting better recognition and rewards. It would cause a similar reaction to them where the participation and engagement rates would lower. The dissatisfaction would lead the children to be demotivated and result in attrition and negative impact as they compare the input to output and how their peers are treated.
Christian Worldview Perspective on Organization Behavior
From a biblical perceptive, JJ’s Development Center’s organizational behavior in motivation was a bit out of context. According to JJ’s Development Center organizational behavior, it has demonstrated that needs are either learned, expressed, or for utilization. When an individual’s needs are expressed through aesthetic or social ego, they behave to fulfill their desire. That means one will meet their need without analyzing the approach one uses. For instance, it does not consider if the approach might emotionally or psychologically hurt another as long as the desire is fulfilled. Despite the knowledge that needs can never be fully satisfied (McCleskey & Ruddell, 2020). It suppresses the Christian belief that they must live in the world without acquiring secular beliefs or desiring material gains. For instance, the self-actualization concept that motivates employees in the Maslow hierarchy of needs is against Christian belief (McCleskey & Ruddell, 2020). Romans 12: 3 states that individuals should not think of themselves higher than they ought but think soberly. It defeats the purpose of motivation on organizational behavior, as one arch is to be motivated for performance and achievement, desire for power, and need for affiliation.
In addition, they are motivated by worldly needs such as food, shelter, and water, which is a different view. The bible in Philippians 4:11-19 states that God will supply every need. By doing this, the employees try and create their satisfaction without Christ as they want to be better on their own (McCleskey & Ruddell, 2020). Moreover, Christianity seeks growth through the work of the Holy Spirit. It contrasts with how the employees have been trying to grow by using a motivation to enhance performance.
Additionally, employees trying to impress the management through performances in the self-managed teams tend to hide their weaknesses and shortcomings. It is often acquired dishonestly, and it binds them to what others might think of them, which results in flattery and manipulation to ensure good relationship management (McCleskey & Ruddell, 2020). For instance, one might involve manipulating to acquire the easier task of writing assignments rather than monitoring the kids in the playground. This type of behavior prevents one from living the life that God has called upon us to live. Such behavior is also dangerous to an organization as it is associated with pride, impression, and fear, which affects its performance in the long run (McCleskey & Ruddell, 2020). The behavior is against 1st Corinthians 9″:19-23 that states one needs to build bridges of commonality with others which is all good without giving up Christian standards. Also, Christians believe that they should trust God and not other people. Initiating good performance and creating a job design such as job enlargement with the aim of career advancement defeats the Christian belief.
Moreover, employees using self-managed teams beat the Christian perceptive of the authority. In a biblical worldview, power is different from authority; power speaks on ability while authority is for permission. According to Romans 13, authority comes from God, who has ordained the authority to leaders. In our case, the person ordained is the management team who gives out responsibilities. Although, the self-managed team divides the job and handles what the manager has allocated. By disregarding the manager’s duties, they rebel against God’s law.
However, JJ’s Development Center behavior organization aligned with the biblical perceptive regarding job performance. Based on the employee’s performance, they mainly worked to acquire satisfaction, objective, intrinsic, and extrinsic outcome. It means that the employees are more than money-oriented as they had other reasons such as seeing the children learn skills and be knowledgeable. According to the Christianity view, employees need to balance their unselfish concerns, such as profits, and also treat others with dignity and relatively (Sparks & Kamgaing, 2019). Looking at Adam’s responsibilities, the first thing God made Adam do is to work for his benefit as God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. When the employees perform their duties to empower and satisfy the children, they acquire an intrinsic outcome, and it cannot be classified as a selfish concern.
Henceforth, the employer’s satisfaction and outcomes are oriented to helping others better themselves. JJ’s Development Center employees focus on helping others with love which has enhanced transforming the environment by using the glory of God to serve others. The organizational behavior from the employees mainly comes out as serving the children, which expresses as a higher calling. Some of these children come from the Mississippi Department of Human Services and do not have families. Accommodating them and ensuring they receive a quality education glorifies God (Sparks & Kamgaing, 2019). The act in a Christian perspective can be associated with generosity, doing what is right, initiating God’s helpfulness, the blessedness of giving, and helping the weak. God commands that Christians care for the wear, which is a powerful way to show God’s care. For instance, in Leviticus 23: 55, support him wholeheartedly when the brother can not maintain himself.
Recommendations
JJ’s Development Center illustrated good organizational behavior concepts within motivation. However, I recommend that the firm undertake goal-setting research. According to Ivancevich, Matteson, and Konopaske (2018), when goal setting is applied, the employees increase interest since the technique enhances performance. For this reason, the JJ’s Development Center should set some goals that will enable the employee to accomplish through their actions and behaviors. Therefore, I recommend that the organization focus on job relationships since the management is not involved closely with the employees. It will impact the interpersonal relationship and give the workplace more coordination.
Conclusion
In conclusion, JJ’s Development Center has demonstrated an excellent organizational behavior concept. It provided an opportunity to learn and apply the course work’s concepts and principles. The concepts within the organization that were easy to apply were motivation theory and job design. In job design, the firm used job enlargement to motivate employees to handle the responsibilities. It makes them develop their careers in experience and acquire opportunities in promotion, which is a motivational impact. It was also illustrated by the self-managed team that benefitted performance by providing the desired outcome and job rotation that helped alleviate the exhaustion and monotony that the employees might be experiencing, which increased performance. Also, the center demonstrated job design through job performance outcomes, intrinsic and extrinsic, behavioral, and objective outcomes that provided satisfaction. In addition, the center applied the motivation theory such as expectancy theory, equity theory, Maslow’s need hierarchy, and the McClelland learning needs theory that impacted the employee’s performance.
References
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