Review of Griffin and Moorhead's Organizational Behavior textbook

¶ … Organizational Behavior

Book review of a management topic of your choice

The book chosen for review in this paper is 'Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations' published in 2011 and written by Ricky W. Griffin, Gregory Moorhead. A number of definitions have been given for the term organizational behavior. The most important definition argues that organizational behavior deals with the effects and impacts that the groups and individuals within the organizations have on overall behaviors within an organization. Thereby, it can be argued here that organizational behavior is a multifactorial dimension of a workplace. The book deals with important aspects of organizational behavior, how overall environment of an organization affects behaviors in an organization and how interpersonal relationships affect the behaviors within the organizations (Griffin, and Moorhead 2011). These are the main topics that make the book more important in terms of studying business strategies and work environments. With the help of this book, one of the main facts that can be learned include the effect of organizational work environment on the organizational behaviors, and the roles that are played by work-based relationships within an organization having an effect on overall productivity of the employees.

For selecting the book, one of the main facts that were kept in mind is that knowledge needs to be spread about organizational behaviors and how these behaviors can have an effect on workplaces and the productivity being shown by the employees. The book chosen in this case is more comprehensive and has more knowledge about organizational behaviors.

Some of the main parts that are to be covered in the paper include summary of the main concepts presented in the book that make the book more important. Second important part of the paper is the critique of the book. This part of the paper will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the concepts presented in the book. The critique of the book will include some of the main aims of the book that were to be achieved as mentioned in the book and if the book achieved these aims. Sources and references used by the book will be analyzed. The last section of the book will include the implications of the concepts presented in the book in the management practice in an organization.

Analysis of the Main Objectives of the Book

Some of the main objectives of the book include highlighting the importance of organizational behaviors within the workplaces, highlighting factors that can play important roles in affecting the organizational behaviors, highlighting some of the main behaviors that are considered as an important part of the organizational behaviors, mentioning the roles that the organizational leadership can play in developing better behaviors within the organizations, mentioning the roles that are played by rewarding the workers/employees in the workplace, and emphasizing the managerial roles in leadership, decision making and handling stress in the workplace.

Strengths of the Book

It can be seen that the authors have aimed to detail out the main factors that have great effects on the organizational behaviors. One of the main facts as mentioned by the authors that strengthen the content of the book is that organizational behavior is a multifactorial dimension within an organization. Many factors can effect and shape the organizational behaviors. The factors include personalities of the employees and the authorities in the organizations. The authors in the books have highlighted that great roles are played by the individual personalities, as these can greatly affect the behaviors of the individuals surrounding them. A number of other studies have also highlighted the same fact that the personalities and the behaviors of employees and authorities as an individual and as a group in the workplace play a great role in the determination of organizational behaviors. How the individual employees behave with the other employees is a strong fact presented by the authors that makes the choice of this book an easier task as compared to the other literature (Robbins, and Judge 2010). The facts and literature presented in the book are stronger. The main fact that can summarize the content of the book is that the roles played by the managers in maintaining organizational behavior are an important determining factor.

Second important strong point of the book that was also the second important reason of choosing this particular book is that the authors have mentioned the effects of rewards and employee motivation on organizational behavior. It has been mentioned that if the employees are rewarded and motivated in a proper manner by the managers, there are chances that more commitment and job satisfaction will be shown by the employees. This can have better effects on an overall organizational behavior displayed by the employee community (Kreitner, and Kinicki 2009). Some of the main forms of the rewards and motivations mentioned by the authors include flexible working hours, and financial incentives. With better commitments and jab satisfaction within the employees, managers have a better chance to manage their subordinates in a better manner (Wagner and Hollenbeck 2009). The authors have mentioned the relationship between organizational behaviors and environment of the workplace, counted as one of the most important factors in the organizational behaviors. The third important fact about the book is that the chapters are linked very well. The linkage of the chapters is useful as the main aims of the book are being achieved in the chapters in a step-by-step manner. Up-to-date case studies and the references of certain organizations as Microsoft with special examples towards the behaviors displayed by these organizations is one of the strongest parts of the book.

Weaknesses of the book

Not many weaknesses have been noticed. However, the lack of referencing to the latest literature is one of the main weaknesses in the book. Facts and figures have been given in each and every chapter of the book that helps in increasing an understanding of the content of the chapter, but if it were supported by latest published research, it would have been an important strength.

Implications for Management Practice

The book has highlighted a number of important facts, which if implemented in the organizations can be very helpful in building the required organizational behavior (Harris and Hartman 2011). Organizational behavior is a group-based practice that is more dependent on the individual as well as group-based behaviors of the employees working in an organization. Organizational behavior is very much dependent on the managerial strategies and the work-based relationships between managers and the employees (Miner 2007). How rewards, motivations and listening to the employees can be an important factor in building and promoting better organizational behavior is one of the most important facts highlighted by the book. Leadership styles are one of the main ingredients of organizational behaviors. It is important that the leadership styles be inclusive of managing and looking after the employees so that commitment and job satisfaction is increased within the employees to enhance better employee experiences (Hellriegel, and Slocum 2007). Based on this important fact highlighted here, it can be mentioned here that the book is a great addition in the library of organizational workplaces and a must read for the managers. This book can really help managers in learning how to build a workplace environment in which better leadership can help employees in overcoming workplaces stresses and how leadership can be a great tool in getting over tougher times by making the best of decisions by making sure that all employees are included.

Conclusion

The book is a great read for the managers and this book can play great roles in improving work place practice as management traits for the managers have been highlighted in the book. These traits are required in order to have positive organizational behaviors at the workplace. One of the newer facts that I have learned after reading the book is that better leadership in the workplaces is one of the best tools to help in mastering organizational behaviors. Leadership is considered to be an important strategy of the managers to manage employees and the book has mentioned that if positive and skilled leadership is the main trait adopted by the managers, it can help in increasing positivity in the employees. Undoubtedly the chosen book is the strongest with its facts but another book that can be a great addition in the workplace library is "Organizational Behavior: Securing Competitive Advantage" written by John a. Wagner, John R. Hollenbeck published in 2009. The book has additional facts in relation to the importance of managers' role in management of organizational behaviors.