Self-analysis and Web Crawling

Organizational Behavior and Processes

Submitted by:

HANS GABRIEL F. ATANACIO

Saint Louis University, School of Accountancy and Business

Management Graduate Program

Date of Submission: August 18, 2018

I. Self-analysis

1. What do you hope to gain from the study of OB?

The workforce is the lifeline of every organization. Without the employees,

it wouldn’t even exist. That being said, understanding the behavior of people
behind a company forms an essential part of its success.

By studying the different ideas of Organizational Behavior (OB), I hope to

gain the abilities I need to properly grasp the reasons behind the conduct of
people in an organization. I know that doing so will enable me to tailor-fit the
policies and procedures as to how my employees view their job.

I also believe OB will enhance my decision making prowess by

supplementing my intuitive understanding of human behavior. It can be done
through the study of theories and analysis of scientific evidences related to this
course. OB will arm me with the proper knowledge I need to effectively manage
the people in my organization.

2. How well do you think you currently understand human behavior in

organizations?

Managing a small restaurant has somewhat given me an idea on how to

comprehend the how’s and why’s of my employees’ outlook regarding work. My
first-hand experience as an owner is what I mostly rely on at present. Most of the
time, I use my instinct when making choices and handing down judgments.
However, I believe that I still lack technical skills required of me in order to come
up with more sound and wise decisions.

As discussed in the previous lecture, there should be a balance between

evidence-based management and intuition when it comes to studying human
behavior. Though there is continuous learning process through experience, a
systematic approach can improve one’s predictive ability. Learning OB and its
concepts will help me to accurately understand human behavior in organizations.

3. Have you ever been surprised by the actions or reactions of another

person? Why? Describe what actually happened and what you were
expecting to happen. What do you think may have caused the difference?

Yes, I get surprised by the actions/reactions of other people a lot of time,

especially of those who I believe are mature enough to know what they are
supposed to do but didn’t. The reason behind this is that I make it a point to
myself to always think very hard before I make moves of my own, and I expect
that the people around me would do the same.
 Humans are born to make errors and learn from them. I know that for a
fact. Also, I believe in second chances. However, some mistakes are done
consciously and with malicious intent. When I put my confidence on a person, I
hold to that as firmly as possible. I make sure to always reciprocate that gesture.
That’s the reason why I really get surprised when a person I put my trust to
intentionally do something in bad faith. To some extent, I also feel insulted.

One incident related to the business I currently own involved an employee

whom we had high hopes for. We were enthralled with her during the interview
process. Our impression of her was that she has the potential to be someone in
command. We then decided to have her in charge of the staff. At first, everything
went smoothly as we have imagined. All along we thought we did the right
decision with regards to that matter.

Things started to get ugly four or so months after we opened for business.
We began to hear some rumors about our restaurant charging additional for
condiments without our knowledge. A thorough investigation revealed that it was
her idea and that she pocketed the proceeds from it. After her talk with us, we
decided to give her the courtesy to resign rather than have her fired. I can say
that she handed our biggest disappointment employment-wise.

I was just surprised with this turn of events. We thought we did everything
we could to ensure that we’ll have the kind of personnel our restaurant deserves
– people who actually embody our views and morals. It was a clear misjudgment
on our part as the owners. We relied too much on intuition and our tendency to
trust easily believing that people are bound to treat us the way we expect them to
as long as we do the same. We were too naïve back then. I guess we just have
to take this incident as a learning experience and an opportunity to know better
next time.
II. Web Crawling

The news article entitled “Why Ignoring Employee Wellness is A Mistake”

by Amanda Richardson, which is posted on Huffington Post, focuses on the
importance employees’ wellbeing. According to the piece itself, the welfare of
workers is the groundwork of a company’s success. In contrast to the usual belief
that wellness programs within an organization are simply bonuses rather than
necessities, the writer deems such as essentials to achieve a higher level of
organizational productivity.

The author then proceeded to discuss the numbers of the matter at hand.
According to studies, a significant number of Americans suffer from chronic
diseases. If left unattended, such cases may lead to employees being absent
more often, which can be troublesome for the management. This is to point out
that companies may even lose more money if they neglect the health and
wellness of their workers, strengthening the argument of the article.

The aging workforce is also a growing concern for the business sector. If
organizations will continue to ignore the issue at hand, they will continue to shell
out more for the healthcare needs of their staff, which leads to an increase in
company expenses. This must be taken seriously and a systematic approach
must be implemented with due diligence. As the stated in the article, “employees
and their wellness are your greatest assets”.

The main agenda of studying OB is to accurately predict and understand

the collective behavior of the people within an organization. It is done so as to
come up with decisions, procedures, and policies that are in line with the
dynamics of the workforce. Such tactical approach will give managers the
advantage of coming up with more sound strategies that will put the company in
a better position.

In this article, the author made use of her understanding of human

conduct in workplaces to conclude that wellness programs form an important
aspect of an organization’s success. She pointed out the fact that the overall
productivity of a company increases if the wellbeing of its employees is taken
care of. The assumption was done in consideration of the data gathered from
observing human behavior. Without the proper comprehension of OB’s
principles, such conclusion wouldn’t even be possible.