Management and Organizational Behavior

Organizational behavior(OB) can be described as the study and systematic application of knowledge about the way individuals interact in work groups and their impact on the organization (Bauer and Erdogan 17). The discipline of OB is concerned with work attitudes, job satisfaction, and performance, as well as a commitment to an organization (Bauer and Erdogan 17). It encompasses almost all aspects of an enterprise and emphasizes the most important elements, such as leadership, behavior, and culture. If they are not aligned with the vision, goals, and values of an enterprise, a criminal justice agency might become an inefficient system that fails to achieve its mission (Koch 55).

The organizational culture is an extremely significant aspect of the criminal justice agency. It can only emerge within the organization if other elements such as philosophy and goals are upheld by the management. Not only will it define the communication within the organization, but it will also determine the credibility of the agency in the community, which is very important for any area of criminal justice (Tyler 217). Therefore, the manager is responsible for upholding organizational culture by all people involved in the organization. They must also ensure that the people working at the criminal justice agency are satisfied with their professional lives, which is essential for their good performance (“Understanding Organization Behavior” par. 6).

The correctional environment is believed to be among the most stressful professional environments, with retention rates between 12 and 15 percent (Tewksbury and Higgins 249). The data from a number of studies point to the fact that although environmental facts play a role in high turnover rates, it is nonetheless worth considering how organizational justice or perception of fairness influences organizational functionality (Taxman and Gordon 695). Current management literature suggests that both positive and negative attitudes towards the organization can be formed by employees experiencing an either high or low sense of equity. Therefore, it is the biggest challenge for a correctional manager to create a workplace culture that would be conducive to the highest possible retention rates.

Effective leadership is key to a positive work environment (Taxman and Gordon 705). The consistency and fairness of the decision-maker contribute greatly to the mutually beneficial and long-lasting relationship between the organization and its employees. On the other hand, a lack of a cooperative environment might lead to the distrust in leadership and decrease the longevity of the working relationships (Taxman and Gordon 705).

The study conducted by Taxman and Gordon revealed that organizational climate, promotion opportunities, prospects for learning, and procedural justice significantly affect employee commitment. Moreover, the lack of distributive justice is considered to be a reliable predictor of job stress and might result in higher rates of sick leaves or other negative organizational outcomes (Taxman and Gordon 705). According to the Taxman and Gordon’s study, correctional officers with a high self-reported perception of organizational equity regarded their management as transactional or that which recognized strong performers among its staff and was knowledgeable of their daily activities (Taxman and Gordon 705).

One of the biggest challenges for the manager of the correctional facility is to align all-important organizational elements such as leadership, behavior, and team structure with the output elements such as management, performance, and organizational culture to ensure high employee retention rates. This goal will require the effective leader devotion of an inordinate amount of time and energy (“Understanding Organization Behavior” par. 6).

Works Cited

Bauer, Talya and Berrin Erdogan. An Introduction to Organizational Behavior. n.d. Web.

Koch, Cameron. The New Science of Change. 2006. Web.

Taxman, Faye and James Gordon. “Do Fairness and Equity Matter ?: An Examination of Organizational Justice Among Correctional Officers in Adult Prisons”. Criminal Justice and Behavior 36.7 (2009): 695-711. Web.

Tewksbury, Richard and George E. Higgins. “Prison Staff and Work Stress: The Role of Organizational and Emotional Influences.” American Journal of Criminal Justice 30.2 (2006): 247-266. Web.

Tyler, Thomas. “Public trust and confidence in legal authorities: What Do Majority and Minority Group Members Want from the Law and Legal Institutions?” Behavioral Sciences and the Law 19.1 (2001): 215-235. Web.

Understanding Organization Behavior 2014. Web.