Improving Organizational Behavior: A Case Study Of A Law Firm Essay.

Factors Contributing to Employee Resistance

Question:

Discuss about the Organizational Behavior for Design in Health Car.

Organizational behavior refers to the interaction of a group of people within an organization. However, in order to develop the business performance it is essential to improve the organizational behavior (Gelfand et al. 2017). This study deals with the interaction of the staffs in a fast growing law firm. The founders of such firm were Own Cheetham and Jack Wynne. This organization is specialized for the commercial law and employees are present from different backgrounds like finance and banking insurance organization. However, the maximum employees are white males in this organization while some younger women are present in the administrative departments. However, this organization has opened a new office opposite to the harbor and some employees show resistance towards the new changes in the organization. Employees are facing different issues in their new office, which hampers the effectiveness of the business. Hence, the owners need to concentrate on such problem to run the business.

Employee resistance is a common factor that often hampers the business of an organization (Vasu et al. 2017). However, Owen and Jack have established a law firm in Auckland office. The lawyers have the opportunity to go O'Connell club at every Friday afternoon to eat, drink and play snooker. However, this opportunity is only for the male as a result, the female candidates complain about this. The owners have moved their firm into a new building as it provides the employees more flexibility and good working environment for the teamwork. During the lunch near the office, Jack and Owen have discussed the responses of their employees regarding their new office. It has been found that some seniors executives become resistant to this new change as they have lost their position due to change of their new offices. On the other hand, the online system of booking in the new office is not working accurately that is the big reason for their resistance. On the other hand, Cathy who is the junior partner of this firm has created the playpen to encourage the employees. According to Jack, this useless approach hampers the business.

Comfort level of the employees is a prime area of the business, which motivates the employees in their work (Lam et al. 2017). Some secretaries become resistant to this new change as in the new office premises they are not able to talk with their boyfriends and the things are not as like as earlier that they used to get in their previous office. However, according to the case study, staffs are facing challenges in the new office that makes them resistant to this particular change. On the other hand, an issue is created between the Chinese and Indian staffs. Some employees are happy with the new changes while some prefer their old office premises. Such reasons lead the employees to show resistance in their new opening. According to Mai Ling who is an employee of such firm is not satisfied with this change regarding the open plan stuff as she has to go outside to talk with her boyfriend, which is too costly. However, it is difficult to talk with a close one in the new office premises as there is no privacy. This leads the employees to become resistant to this change. On the other hand, the shops are too far from this new office as well as the cafes beside it is much expensive.

Improving Organizational Behavior

Application of the social media during the office hours is very restricted in many business sectors that are a big reason for employee resistance (Peltokorpi et al. 2017). In the present scenario, the employees are restricted to use the social media in the office premises that demotivate them and they think that their personal work is interrupted through this process. This makes them uncomfortable in the new environment. On the other hand, according to some lawyers, they need to talk with the clients personally for the business purpose, thus, it is difficult for them to take calls in the conference room. However, it is crucial for a business to take feedback from the employees regarding their comfort level while making any change in an existing system (Andrews 2017). In the context of such law firm, the employees were not asked about what is their need regarding the implemented changes in the law firm, which makes them resistant to this new change.

A new change in the organization often leads them to feel lack of security that makes them worried (Moliner 2017). Employees should be unaffected during the new changes in the organization. In the given scenario, the employees show the resistance towards the movement of the law firm in the new office as they feel lack of scopes, which they get usually in their previous office. Hence, the partners of such office might have implemented the process that makes the employees secure and unaffected in their working environment.

Development of the effective communication is an important way to reduce the employee resistance in an organization (Mine 2015). However, in the given scenario, the communication between the employees and the management is poor, which is a big factor of employee resistance. Hence, the partner might have done good interaction with the employees in order to reduce the resistance power of them.

Feedback collection from the employees is another good way to reduce the employee resistance (Moliner 2017). However, in the current scenario, the employees of such law firm become resistant, as they are not able to use social media and take private calls during the office premises. Hence, collecting feedbacks from the employees might have done by the partners as it will enable them to understand the employee perspectives and their comfort level regarding the new changes in their firm. On the other hand, the participation of the employees in the decision making while implementing a new change in the organization might have taken by the owners, as it could be helpful for them to get suggestions from the staffs regarding their need that can reduce the employee resistance. 

Conclusion

Communication barrier is the major issue of an organization that affects the performance of the organization as well as the employee relationship (Lazaroiu 2015).  In the given scenario, the staffs of the law firm are not completely participated in the meeting and they made a discussion regarding their job. Anna Ivanova is a lawyer of such firm and was unhappy regarding her salary. She was promised by this firm that she will be rewarded by increasing the salary based on her good performance which was not done. However, Anna has shared some confidential information regarding her colleague to her brother and Jack the owner of the firm has discussed it with Owen who is the another partner of this firm. Despite this Owen has not taken any action against Anna. Hence, there is a communication gap is occurred between the partners that make barrier to run the business. However, in this law firm, a communication gap is also observed between the employees, as some are not happy with the new system of the organization while some support this system. As a result, a misunderstanding is created between them due to poor communication. Some employees feel proud regarding their work and look that is a big reason for the poor communication in this firm. On the other hand, employees are tried to identify the issues regarding the behavior of the other employees, which makes a barrier of the communication and they laugh to each other.

As seen in the scenario, Mai has uploaded the cartoons of her friend in the facebook and also said that Candy has fired from her previous office due to her alcohol addiction. There is a clear indication that the relationship between the employees is very poor in this law firm, which is the major factor of the communication barrier. It is important for an organization to make the good and friendly environment that helps the employees to encourage each other by creating effective communication (Borkowski 2015). In the present scenario, there is no positive working culture in the law firm as a result, communication barrier is created.

Proper listening is a good way to overcome the communication barrier in an organization (Andersson et al. 2013). According to the given scenario, the employees of the law firm are not able to communicate with each other as there are some barriers to the communication. Hence, proper listening will help such employees to understand each other and to share their viewpoints.

People should be open-minded while working in a stressful working environment as it helps to build a good communication in the workplace (Leana and Meuris 2015). In the given case study, the staffs of this law firm have no proper communication with each other and they laugh each other regarding their behavior. Keeping an open mind will enable such employees to take the things in an easy way as well as it will reduce the complexity among them.

Establishment of the cultural diversity in the workplace can be beneficial for an organization to reduce the communication barrier (Graham et al. 2015). In the present scenario, the maximum employees of the law firm are the white male that is a big reason of poor communication. Hence, cultural diversity will be helpful for such organization to minimize the communication barrier.

The two partners Cathy Wynne and Mark Cheetham are the two partners who have started the law firm according to the given scenario. The clients of such firm have mobile, software and Internet Company that lead the firm to grow rapidly. However, stakeholders are the big source of an organization that gives resources to the partners to carry out their business operation (Short et al. 2017). On the other hand, the employees are young of the organization that is another source of power. Anand Moodly is one of the partners of this organization that is associated with the environmental issue and has a strong connection with the Maori business and community agencies. This enables the organization to a strong growth in their organization. such power of sources of this partners allows them to bring change in their organization. This leaves both positive and negative impact on the employees. However, the new change in the organization gives some facilities to the employees in the form of new office. On the other hand, such power of sources resists the employee to express their issues regarding their work. However, the decision of the management is the final decision while there is no scope for the employees to express their perspectives.

Business partners often use influence tactics to motivate the employees in their work (Andersson et al. 2013). In the current scenario, the partners give facilities to their employees in order to motivate them in their work. Every Friday the employees go to O'Connell club for dinner and fun that is a good tactics to encourage them in their work. In the new office of the law firm, the area of the staffs consists with games, beanbags, magazines and comics to give refreshment to the staffs. This organization will give the loan to the employees to retain them. Such motivational tactics are used by the partners in this law firm to influence their employees in their work. This might maximize the business performance.

Conclusion

The entire study highlights on the employee behavior and their perspectives on the organizational change of the law firm that is established by Jack and Owen. However, it has been found that some of the employees are happy with the changes while some have exhibited resistance regarding the opening of a new office in the law firm. Therefore, there is a big communication gap between the partners and the employees is noticed in this law firm. Proper listening and establishment of the cultural diversity are required to reduce the communication barrier.

References

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