INTRODUCTIONOrganizational behavior determines how the organization carries out its operations and how it operates in gaining competitive advantage over its rivals.
Organizational behavior captures how workers in an organization behave and interrelate in ways of achieving the set goals and objectives of the organization. In addition, it entails the cultural identity and pattern exhibited by an organization in the environment in which it operates. The importance of studying an organization’s behavior lies in the fact that the culture exhibited by the organization helps to sustain the commitment of individual members to the good of the organization. “There is the perception that individuals who have genuinely internalized the values of the organization are likely to engage in cooperative and spontaneous behavior in their service to the organization” (Balmer & Wilson, 1998).
Thus, building a workforce that have imbibed the organization behavior and culture will go a long way in helping such organization in arriving at its objectives and goals.Microsoft Organization is a leader in the hardware and software industry. The company is a force to reckon with this industry. Given the increasing level of competition and change in operating business due to change in technology, change in customer taste and preference, an organization need to build its organization strategies to be effective in meeting observed challenges in environment it operates.
The way these strategies are operated is determined by the adopted organization behavior. For an organization to succeed and curve a niche in a competitive industry, there is the need that it posses distinctive corporate culture that is different and difficult for other rivals to imitate.This write-up will bring out the organization behavior in Microsoft and how this has affected its operations.MICROSOFT ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIORMicrosoft through its various strategies of innovative product and maintenance of organizational culture and standard has maintained a steady organizational behavior that has aided the organization in competing well and curving a niche.
Microsoft is an organization that maintains a steady change according to the trends and foreseen expectation and wants for its customers.For Microsoft organization, the organizational structure would have a management in place that sought to bring about the best condition of services from its workers. Thus, it encourages a democratic leadership style that encourages workers in the organization to contribute meaningfully to the organization’s decision process. Nevertheless, to some extend it would be said that the situational leadership model is applicable to Microsoft organization, as situation arises and demands that other leadership styles are introduced.
The organization has successfully created soft wares that teach managers of organization how to carry out an effective leadership style in management practices.DEVELOPING HUMAN RESOURCE FOR SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONLooking on how the organization uses the development of its human resource to operate a successful advantage over its rivals, Microsoft has invested greatly in the training of its human resource through research and development institution the organization has established since 1991. Research to Microsoft is a vital tool for bringing about product innovation and balancing the academic model for product creation and development. The company becomes the first software organization to establish its computer-science research center.
According to Microsoft Corporation (2006), “ Microsoft recognizes that to create the foundation for future technology breakthroughs, it is necessary to maintain independence from product groups, which enables Microsoft Research to focus on long-term (10-15 years out) computer-science research and vision that is not bound by product cycles”. Microsoft, thus believes that a combination of invention and popularization makes a technology or product innovative, so today’s researchers must have the freedom to advance computer science and invent new technologies over the long term. In Microsoft the principle, guiding human resource activities entails that he or she is adequately trained to meet the current trend in bringing about innovative insight in developing new products as a way of curving a niche over rivals. “Microsoft has gained important insights that are helping External Research & Programs refine its mission and develop new programs that will deepen relationships and strengthen the benefits to both parties” (ibid).
With the aid of collaboration relationship with academic institution the Microsoft, research institution is able to bring about the innovative creation and development of computer base product for it to gain competitive advantage over its rivals. In Microsoft, workers are adequately compensated as a way of motivating them to put in their best in the attainment of the organization’s goals. Furthermore, the Microsoft organization is able to develop its relationship with its customers and business partners through its own developed software for Customer Relationship Management. “Microsoft test team used a sampling of Microsoft CRM customer deployments, collaborate interviews, and standard sales force automation use-cases provided by industry analysts” (Microsoft Corporation, 2004).
In line with a survey research conducted by Institute of Management and Administration in 2006, where it found out that 74% of those respondents for the survey agreed that retaining and developing employees was at the top of the list of Microsoft organization (Microsoft, 2006).In contemporary times, organizations’ human resources are seen and treated as the most valued resource; since they make things work for the organization by implementing other resources. In this view, de Silva (1998), stated tat “the attitude that people are a variable costs, effective HRM, replaced by the view that people are a resource and that as social capital can be developed and can contribute to competitive advantage’. It then means that working for and organization such as Microsoft, the organization would carry out a human resource management that tends to treat its workers as significant tool by which the organization can compete favorably.
In addition, with the organization’s innovative strategy, the views of its workers on innovative ideas would be welcomed, and this tends to be rewarding to the workers as the organization pays great attention to innovative ideas.MOTIVATIONAL FACTOR FOR MICROSOFT WORKERSWorking in Microsoft would bring about job security, as the organization that invests in training its staffers would not be in a position to terminate their employment with flimsy excuses. The organization tends to protect its employees and make them build a long career service with them. It is pertinent to state here that the other two organization have a policy that is directed in building workers capacity, but from the structural framework on ground and managerial pattern in place, Microsoft organization have more solidify programme for its workers actualization of their potentials and development .
According to Ison (2006), The Microsoft incorporation has utilized it large number of top executive to draw a link between employee motivation and the success of the organization’s business.Furthermore, the reward system and workers compensation in Microsoft is very competitive in the industry. Adequate compensation of staff goes a long way in motivating them to put in more effort in bringing out their best. Though the Human relation School have it that it does not most times motivates, but the network of informal interrelationship in workplace, however, monetary incentives and good fringe benefits still contribute to staff motivation.
Thus, the organization has a well-motivated working environment, through job security, good reward system, worker developing and a working environment that gives room for workers to utilize their skills in bringing about innovative ideas for the advancement of the organization.EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION STRATEGIESIn area of operating organizational strategies for the advancement of the organization, for Microsoft, it has an effective strategy and organization setup that tends to see the organization to continue its position as the market leader in the industry. The reliance on research and development is an effective move that would make the organization to continue to create and develop innovative products. Microsoft is a force to reckon with in the computer a software industry.
The organization stands out from the others because of its ability to foreseen the future and provide for the need and desires of customers through its effective simulations and research work. Apart from the dependence on an effective research and development work, the organization have developed many software and programs that would aid business organizations in its management; thus, setting itself as a provider of solution to other business problems. Microsoft Customer Relations Management (CRM) is an example of sufficient business intelligence software in place to help businesses. With these strategies in place, the organization would continue to lead the industry and tends to determine the pace of changes in the industry and who gets what.
ADOPTING A LESSON-LEARNED REPOSITORY KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMMicrosoft Incorporation has also utilized to its advantage and to its corporate success a repository knowledge base where its workers with particular knowledge are concentrated on and developed towards such knowledge base. According to Davenport (1997), Microsoft uses this discussion database or lesson-learned repository knowledge system for storing system development knowledge in the development of its research and workers ability to work effectively.INNOVATIVE PRODUCTSMicrosoft incorporation is a leader in software creation and marketing. The impetus that has kept the organization to continue maintaining this position is ascribe to the fact that it has constantly engaged in the creation of innovative products, in software, and system accessories.
This always put the organization ahead its rivals. The Microsoft organization engages and spend huge sum in research and development of new products. Innovative products are constantly put on the shelf for clients needs. Microsoft innovative strategy to come out with new product and look into the future need for customers, this has helped keep the organization edge ahead of others.
With the difference in strategic framework, the organizations have in one way or the other curve a niche for themselves. POSSESSION OF A STRONG CORPORATE CULTUREAn organization with a strong corporate culture tends to maintain its corporate identity even during times of persistence changes in the environment where the business operates. An organization’s corporate culture goes a long way in determining how the organization’s strategies are structured. According to Ulijn et al (2000), “since innovation strategy often involves management of change, mergers, strategic alliances, joint ventures, and acquisitions, unexpected culture differences might lead to serious failure”.
The compatibility of an organization corporate culture with its business strategies is germane for the successful achievement of the organization’s objectives. For Microsoft organization, it has operates a strong corporate culture in regards to qualitative product and the creation of a more endearing relationship between the organization and its customers. According to Cameron & Quinn (1999), “Microsoft has developed a distinctive culture that is clearly identified by its employees. This strategy is created by the initial founder of the Microsoft organization, with the intension to enable the company to improve and maintain its company’s performance in a systematic way”.
Through the organization’s network of partnership with other organizations, it has adequately operated in different countries with varied national cultures. Thus, the organization is able to respect the national cultural differences in the different countries it operates through its vast network of partners who are based in these countries and know their way around and the nitty-gritty for a successful operation of business in accordance with the cultural acumen needed. In addition, the adoption of a strong corporate culture in Microsoft is a way of making workers and members of the organization to demonstrate commitment to the affairs of the organization. In this view Scott (1987), cited in Balmer & Wilson (1998), argues that organizations are concerned about corporate culture because it helps to sustain the commitment of individual members to the good of the organization.
There is the perception that individuals who have genuinely internalized the values of the organization are likely to engage in cooperative and spontaneous behavior in their services to the organization. Then as a way of understanding the extent of workers commitment, this requires that the organization take an exploring of the different perspectives of its corporate culture. One way Microsoft corporate culture enhances the corporation successful operation is the high esteem it has for research and development. This it thus, to make the organization always be ahead of its rivals in terms of innovative product in area of software and other IT accessories.
CONCLUSION AD RECOMMENDATIONOrganization operates not in a vacuum; there exist interaction among the members within the organization and those other organizations that carry out business transactions with the organization in question. Thus, the organizational structure determines how interactions within an organization take place. The types of command structure also goes a long way in determine the way decisions flow in the organization and how each staff interaction with his or her fellow workers. Thus, effective organizational structure the organization’s objectives are easily attained with less difficulty.
A complex and unorganized organizational structure and leadership style tend to be dysfunctional to the progressive growth of the organization. Human resource plays a significant role in the successful growth of an organization by implementing the different organization’s resources in order that its objectives are attained.From the analysis in this write-up, it is seen that the case studies, Microsoft incorporation has a unique corporate culture, which is based on high-level investment in its human resources, and the encouragement of research and development. This has made the organization become a leader in software industry.
Innovation and creativity is encouraged in the organization. It is recommended that the organizations maintain its corporate culture and organizational strategies that has made it a leader in the industry it operates. However, it is suffice to say here that more innovative strategies and investment in workers capacity build up need to be inculcated in, to make the organization further maintain its leadership stands in the software and IT industry. REFERENCESBalmer, J.
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