Global organizations

Global Organizations
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The manner in which people behave in a social setup is different from the way they behave in the workplace. A number of factors influence how people behave at the workplace including the company’s culture, policies, structures and effectiveness of management. All these factors led to the rise of the discipline of organizational behavior to help managers better understand how to manage and motivate employees. It is, therefore, important for managers to understand the concepts of organizational behavior and their application especially in light of the emerging trend of globalization as this will help them offer solutions and have a deeper understanding of today’s organizations in a variety of ways.
First, as a result of globalization, companies are no longer limited to one geographical region. Consequently, the manager’s role is evolving with the expansion of companies across national and regional borders. For instance, car manufacturing company Volkswagen assembles its cars in Mexico despite having its head office in Germany. Other car manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes have also outsourced their operations to South Africa. In the wake of this reality, managers have to deal with obstacles such as language barrier, unfamiliar laws, new cultures and work ethics. However, managers who have a proper understanding of organizational behavior can remain flexible and proactive which allows them to address such challenges that come with globalization (Frederick, 2014).

A proper grasp and application of organizational behavior concepts also help managers to manage a diverse workforce. Today’s firms are a heterogamous blend of people with regards to race, religion, age, gender and much more. Managing the diverse labor force is a global affair which requires managers to exercise control and inspire workers to portray the desired behavior. It is only through a proper understanding and application of organizational behavior that managers can effectively deal with such a diverse workforce by encouraging diversity and promoting its awareness (Frederick, 2014).
Across the globe, organizations realize that having a culturally diverse workforce has more benefits than negative implications. However, managing a workforce with the diverse cultural background is somewhat challenging for managers. Fortunately, managers can use the available policy guidelines coupled with other innovative ways to manage employees both within their home country and offsite operations.
According to Vance and Paik (2006), managers first need to develop the capacity to collect and process important information about the global workforce so as to get the best talent for offshore operations or even import them to their home country. Owing to the great competition for top talents amongst global organizations, managers should ensure that they have proper strategies for the utilization and movement of labor so as to lure, retain and develop a pool of global workforce for both home and offshore operations. Such labor strategies need to be closely integrated with other business strategies.
Second, to manage a diverse workforce in different geographical locations, managers need to pay attention to matters relating to equity and fairness. For instance, this implies that managers should develop a mechanism which ensures that employees are offered appropriate compensation and benefits. Third, managers should manage and capitalize on the benefits presented by diversity through managing home and offsite employees. Additionally, the managers should join forces with offshore partners to reduce incidences of culture clash. For instance, cultural differences may pose obstacles in managing offsite employees, but with a good understanding of the host nation’s culture, the manager can navigate the obstacles. Lastly, managers should observe the guidelines laid out by the respective governments while formulating workforce policies as this will avoid problems with authorities especially with regards to the movement of the workforce across the borders (Vance & Paik, 2006).
Due to globalization, the nature of the work environment is also increasingly changing. This has, in turn, created many challenges and opportunities for managers even as they apply the organizational behavior concepts. One of the unique challenges facing today’s managers is improving peoples’ skills. In today’s fast-paced world, technological changes, environmental changes and structural changes are happening so fast than in the past. For this reason, employees and managers need to equip themselves with the right skills to cope up with these changes. For example, managers have to constantly devise ways to improve employees’ listening skills, problem-solving skills, motivating skills, organizing and planning skills. Such skills can be promoted through development programs and training (George & Sharbrough, 2002).
Also, today’s managers, unlike past managers, are faced with the challenge of managing a diverse workforce. As earlier mentioned many organizations employ people from different cultural backgrounds due to the immense benefits associated with a diverse workforce. For instance, many multinational companies such as Coca-Cola employ people from different parts of the world. While diversity is a good thing, managers often face problems as they try to accommodate people from different cultures. Closely related to managing a diverse workforce is the challenge of responding to globalization. Businesses are no longer confined to one location but rather spread across the globe. People in one continent are now able to transact business with people in another continent thanks to the internet, mass communication and faster means of transportation. For instance, Germany cars are being sold all over the world. Consequently, this trend of globalization continues to present challenges and opportunities in equal measure to managers (Frederick, 2014).
Managers also have to constantly improve quality and productivity of goods and services to match customers’ expectations. For example, when customers buy certain commodities they expect certain qualities and utilities. Keeping up with these expectations in a competitive world presents many challenges to managers (George & Sharbrough, 2002). Other challenges and opportunities for organizational behavior include stimulating innovation and change, empowering people, coping with temporariness and much more.
References
Frederick, P. R. H. (2014). Organisational Behaviour and its Role in Management of Business. Global Journal of Finance and Management, 6(6), 563-568.
George, J. M., Jones, G. R., & Sharbrough, W. C. (2002). Understanding and managing organizational behavior.
Vance, C., & Paik, Y. (2006). Managing a global workforce: challenges and opportunities in international human resource management. ME Sharpe.