What makes a company unique? Millions of companies exist, so how can a company's distinct signature stand out among the rest? The answer lies within the DNA of a company: its organizational behavior. "Formally defined, organizational behavior is the study of individuals and groups in organizations" (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2003, p. 3). Many trends contribute to the organizational behavior that exists within each company. Two important trends, ethical decision-making and the impact of technology on work related stress, are the current hot topics of organizations everywhere. Examining the value and influence of these two trends will show how strongly they can affect organizational behavior.
Ethics and Decision Making
Ethics examine the question of how people should act and live. Ethical behavior in the workplace is becoming increasingly important in the wake of current company scandals. The integrity of U.S. companies has been attacked with the collapse of Enron and the fall of WorldCom (Gray & Clark, 2004, p.
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Therapy Dog
Therapy dog1). In effect, unethical conduct is accounting for the failures of far too many managers and organizations. How can this terrible cycle be stopped? One important change that is already being made began in colleges and business schools. More courses are being taught on business ethics and awareness of ethical issues. After all, if managers are not sensitive to the ramifications of their behaviors, then how can employees be expected to be loyal to them?
What happens when a supervisor reprimands an employee in front of others? This may not sound like an unethical act, but it is! The supervisor is being unethical because he or she is not respecting the employee's dignity. The result can negatively affect the organizational behavior. What if the same supervisor covers for an employee who has a chemical dependency problem? This decision is unethical because...