UCW Organizational Behavior Essay

• You should submit the assignment (1500 words) to Turnitin
• Make sure that you have included proper text citations and APA style references for all sources in your assignment.
• Include minimum five to six references

1. Essay

1. Using the Internet, your school library, or additional sources, locate any two peer-reviewed resource on any one of the topic give below. Write a comparative analysis of both the resources you have researched. Explain how it (selected topic) affects employee performance in your opinion / your own work experience.

• Team Effectiveness
• Workplace bullying
• Downsizing
• Group decision making
• Spirituality in Organizations

1. Case study : (In the introduction, write the problems in the case, then answer to the question, and finally give a conclusion).

Employees at many successful companies start the day by checking the economic forecast. Patagonia’s employees start the day by checking the weather forecast. The outdoor clothing company encourages its workforce to take time from the work day to get outside and get active. For Patagonia, linking employees with the natural environment is a major part of the culture.

New hires are introduced to this mindset very quickly. Soon after starting at Patagonia, marketing executive Joy Howard was immediately encouraged to go fly fishing, surfing, and rock climbing all around the world. She notes that all this vacationing is not just playing around—it’s an important part of her job. “I needed to be familiar with the products we market,” she said. Other practices support this outdoors-oriented, healthy culture. The company has an on-site organic café featuring locally grown produce. Employees at all levels are encouraged through an employee discount program to try out activewear in the field. Highly flexible hours ensure that employees feel free to take the occasional afternoon off to catch the waves or get out of town for a weekend hiking trip.

Are there bottom-line benefits to this organizational culture? Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario thinks so: “People recognize Patagonia as a company that’s . . . looking at business through a more holistic lens other than profit.” However, she is quick to add, “Profit is important; if it wasn’t, you wouldn’t be talking to me.”

Patagonia’s culture obviously makes for an ideal workplace for some people—but not for others who don’t share its values. People who are just not outdoor types would likely feel excluded. While the unique mission and values of Patagonia may not be for everyone, for its specific niche in the product and employment market, the culture fits like a glove.

Questions

1. What key dimensions of its culture do you think make Patagonia successful? How does the organization help to foster this culture?
2. Does Patagonia use strategies to build its culture that you think could work for other companies? Is the company a useful model for others that are not so tied to a lifestyle? Why or why not?
3. What are the drawbacks of Patagonia’s culture? Might it sometimes be a liability, and if so, in what situations?