Organizational Behavior and Culture

¶ … organization described in the Kuppler (n.d.) case study is General Motors (GM). General Motors is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world. Its other strengths include its operations in more than a hundred different countries. In spite of its more than a century of relative success, GM has experienced growing pains in recent years due to what Kuppler (n.d.) calls a "culture crisis." The organizational culture of General Motors is hierarchical, bureaucratic, and resistant to change.

Organizational Modeling

The Kuppler (n.d.) case study reveals GM as having an organizational culture that is primarily custodial in nature, with some autocratic attributes. Both the autocratic and custodial elements discourage individual responsibility and prevent the sense of "urgency" that might have prevented the disastrous ignition switch debacle, which killed 13 people. One of the hallmarks of a custodial organizational model is that employees are acculturated to be dependent and loyal to the organization, motivated by financial reward more than anything else ("Best 5 Organizational Behavior Model," 2016). The autocratic organizational behavior model is strictly hierarchical and in many cases, "dictatorial," ("Best 5 Organizational Behavior Model," 2016). Although Kuppler (n.d.) does not describe GM as being dictatorial, it shares in common with the custodial model the complete lack of consideration for intrinsic motivation for employees. If employees at GM had been intrinsically motivated, they would have reacted differently to the safety issue. As Kuppler (n.d.) points out, the problem in the GM case was that no one really cared. No one took responsibility, no one felt a sense of urgency, and no one took action because each person was comfortable within his or her own position in the hierarchy. The culture prohibited people from stepping outside their position or role to raise a concern about safety.

Other Models Within the Industry or External Related Industries

Other organizational behavior models in the industry and in external related industries include the supportive model, the collegial model, and the system model. The supportive model is based on a leader who empowers employees, encouraging the type of self-motivation that might have helped prevent the GM disaster. Unfortunately, the automotive industry itself tends to cultivate organizational behavioral models that are more akin to GM's. The collegial model is team-oriented, and is by definition devoid of a strong organizational leader. While it may work well in a smaller organization, might not apply well to an organization as large and fragmented as General Motors. Finally, the system model is loosely based around the highest level on the Maslow needs hierarchy: appealing to the worker's desire for meaning and purpose. It is practically impossible to imagine an automotive company developing a system model, although it would be interesting and fruitful for one to try.

Comparing GM's Model with Others

The custodial and autocratic models are old fashioned. They are extensions of Fordism and other early labor theories that stressed divisions of labor and hierarchal organizational structures. The other three behavioral models including the supportive model, the collegial model, and the system model are all more modern in their approach because they take into account what motivates employees intrinsically and how to help employees reach their fullest potential, thereby allowing each person to contribute maximally to the organization and its goals. Rather than being motivated by money, status, or position, the employees would be motivated by ethics, empowerment, and a sense of personal pride. Reasons why the automotive industry tends to use the custodial and/or autocratic model is that they were initially based on a managerial structure in which the assembly and production lines were separate from the financial management and other executive functions. Flattening the organizational hierarchy to empower even the more technical workers at an automotive company would dramatically change the way the organization operated on a day to day basis. Progressive transportation or technology firms use a system, collegial, or supportive model to encourage genuine employee enthusiasm, creativity, productivity, and collaboration.

Current versus Past Impact of Culture

Culture always has a strong impact on organizations. In the past and with GM, the custodial and autocratic models led to worker disenfranchisement, alienation, and a sense of not caring -- symbolized by the "GM Salute," which is essentially the act of "passing the buck," (Kuppler, n.d.). Current models of organizational cultures are built around the knowledge that highly skilled workers are the organization's most valuable resources. Retaining top talent is more important than anything else, which is why all employees will be empowered and also motivated by a genuine interest and appreciation for their work, their role, and the company as a whole.