Organization Behavior at Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services - Case Study Example

Running Header: Organizational Behavior Student’s Name: Tutor’s Name: Course Code: Date of Submission: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Organizational Behavior 3 Introduction 3 Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services (VFRS) 3 Outlined Case Study 3 External Environmental Factors 4 Role of Individuals and Teams in an organization 6 Roles in an Organization 7 Roles Definition in an Organization 8 Organization Process and Development 9 Organization Management 10 Conclusion 11 Work Cited 12 Organizational Behavior Introduction Organizational behavior is the study of the performance and functioning of the organization as well as its structure. Organizational behavior also involves the study of individuals and groups behavior within an organization. It can also be defined as interdisciplinary body of research field and knowledge which is concerned with behavior of people within which an organization evolve and take shape. Organization behavior is also concerned with formal organizations salient features and the environment and how things occur and the purpose they serve. An organization is an arrangement that is social mainly for achieving performance that is controlled in trying to achieve controlled goals. It is necessary to study and know organizational behavior because groups and individual are the ones who help in the achievement of organization goals and not the organization itself. In order for an organization to be successful and produce quality services, they are several factors that need to be taken into consideration. Such context factors are economic, technical, environment, political, and social factors. Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services (VFRS) Outlined Case Study VFRS is a fire service organization found in North American and it is highly respected. It is located at 900 Heatley Avenue in Vancouver City. Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services was founded in 1886. Currently it serves British Columbia and Vancouver city providing both emergency medical and fire services. It has 20 fire halls located in Vancouver including Downtown Eastside, Fairview, and Mount Pleasant among others stations. It has one training academy and two fire prevention offices as well. The total population served by this organization is over 500,000 people. It has a total of 800 employed staff of which 770 are uniformed members and 31 are civilian members. It receives approximately 37,000 calls per year. In 2005, it received a total of 45,986 service calls of which 30,060 were EMS (Emergency Medical Services). Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services has 54 heavy trucks, 56 light automotive trucks, 2 fire boats, and small pieces of portable fire pumps that are over 190 in number. Others are extrication tools, nozzles, generators and saws. It has a variety of apparatus that includes Simon-Duplex Engine, GMC Wagon, Sparatan Ladder, and Freightliner Rescue among others. The Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services mission statement is “People Who Care about you”. Their main objective is to protect life, the environment and property within Vancouver City (Fire Fighting News). Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services is a private-sector organization headed by John McKearney as the General Manager or Fire Chief. Charmaine Susanthan is the Executive Assistant while Alan Borden being Human Resource Consultant. In 2004, the operating cost was estimated to be $71 million (Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services). External Environmental Factors PESTLE in an organization can be defined as Political, Economical, Sociological, Technical, Legal and Environmental factors. These are the external environmental forces which influence an organization. PESTLE analysis examines the effects of these factors. PESTLE analysis is effective for services and business development. It is also important for strategic and product planning. PESTLE analysis is also used in ensuring the performance of an organization is positively aligned powerful forces that affect the business environment. External environment affects the organization through various dimensions (PAPERS4YOU.COM). Government policy and Economic conditions influence organizations significantly. An economic crisis is one great factor that affected most organizations. Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services was profoundly affected by the economic crisis to such an extent that operating cost went high. Government policies like labor market and training are affected significantly. This is mainly through the labor costs and health allowances which the government increases often. Political factors that include regulatory and legal issues affect various organizations in various dimensions. Employment law, environmental regulation, terrorism are some of the issues that affects an organization. Another factor is the economic factor that includes taxation, job growth, and inflation among others. Social factors include population shift, attitudes to work, and housing trends among others. Rise of new technology is also another external factor that affects the organizations. Technological factors include new discoveries, manufacturing advances, and rates of obsolescence. Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services is always under pressure to acquire new, effective equipments for enhancing service delivery. Technological breakthrough makes the existing apparatus rendered redundant. New upcoming equipments require that the organization like Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services to offer extra training. This is to update its employees on how to handle and use those machines effectively. Diversification of work attitudes and earning capacity are the social factors that mainly affect Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services organization. Role of Individuals and Teams in an organization An organization success depends on how individuals are dedicated and willing. A team is a psychological group that has members who share a common objective which they pursue together. Teams helps in improving performance among individuals, reducing the cost of production, increasing work flexibility while increasing employee participation within an organization. Desire by individuals to learn more and gaining new knowledge is paramount towards achievement of organizational goals. Process of acquiring knowledge and information mainly through experience is referred to as learning. This leads to change of behavior in an organization. Knowledge is an asset that helps an organization in becoming competitively advantaged. There are two types of knowledge that includes declarative learning which mainly involves, store of the factual knowledge. Another type of learning is procedural learning; this is the ability to carry out skilled actions. At Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services, staffs are encouraged to learn and even familiarize themselves with various strategic plans that are developed occasionally. This is mainly to assist the organization towards making a way towards future direction. In gaining high standards and quality service delivery in its various departments, Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services encourages its staff to learn new ideas throughout the time. Learning is one main factor that needs to be embraced by organizations in order to improve their service delivery. This will also assist in making them efficient and effective. Working as a team provides the flexibility required towards effective response by individuals towards changing organizational demands. Roles in an Organization Teams in an organization should also play an influential role in learning. Teams must also be dedicated towards learning in order to improve and achieve better industrial relations. Learning in the team is also necessary in order to point out and resolve work related problems. In Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services teams are usually encouraged to learn new skills and relevant information in order for them to perform effectively and efficiently. Communication is extremely vital in any organization. It is the role of every individual and team in an organization to ensure they communicate between each other effectively. Communication affects both individual careers and organizational performance. It is the role of every individual to communicate effectively and use effective channels of communication in Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services. There are some barriers that make it impossible for individuals to communicate effectively. Some of these barriers include language, diversity in culture, and difference in power in an organization. Perception is the process by which individuals behave depending on how they perceive the information and not in response to real experience. The method through which sensory data is organized and interpreted in meaningful ways is referred to as perpetual organization. Every individual has a role to play towards perceiving and judging variety of data that they come over. It is the role of teams and individuals to learn new, upcoming ways, technologies and other related information so as to improve service delivery. They are supposed to use recommended ways of communicating. Motivation is the ways or techniques used so as to get better the individuals or teams performance within any organization. Individuals have a role of motivating others towards making decision quickly and effectively. Teams as well should motivate other teams and individuals within them in making mature and effective decisions in ensuring quality service delivery. Motivation is a drive that increases productivity and delivery of services in many individuals working in various types of organizations (Robert, and Kinicki 89). In an organization, Group formation is a significant aspect. Individual plays a vital role towards the formation of groups. Groups play an extremely vital role in our lives. In Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services, group performances affect and determine the success of that organization. Much of the organizations achievements are possible with group work. This is mainly through interaction between and within groups. Therefore, every individual need to play his or her role in ensuring he participates in group formation and interaction. Group formation affects individual characteristics as well as the relation with other groups within the organization. In many occasions, organizational structure affects the efforts by an organization to achieve goals. Organizational structure encompasses authority, responsibility, accountability as well as chain of command. Organizational structure shapes the behavior and attitudes of individuals. Therefore, it is the role of individuals and teams to ensure the influence by organizational structure is an effective one. Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services organizational structure plays a vital role in ensuring the roles of individuals are influenced positively. Team work involves participation of every individual towards achievement of certain goals. Team work involves working together as a team. It is the role of every person to work together with others in order to achieve greatly. Roles Definition in an Organization Roles are the designated duties or task assigned to a person or an individual. Organization structure affects the roles of individuals from different perspectives. Formal relationship among people defines their responsibilities and roles. It specifies people roles and responsibilities. Responsibilities of a person can be influenced by the authority that can reset those roles to totally different roles. Organization Design is a process that is formal and guided mainly for integrating information, people and technology in an organization. The organizational design affects the roles mainly when there is change in how the management is organized and designed. In order to follow systematic process and encourage creative thinking, there must be a change and alteration of roles. Strategy is a clear, purpose statement that is concise from an organization. It is mainly created to ensure a vision is attained, and goals achieved within an organization. Some of the affected aspects include affecting the roles within an organization. Lay out of new strategies comes along with roles being affected greatly and in great extent. Organization culture has as well been a great factor that has affected roles of both individuals and teams. In most cases, culture is different from one organization to another. Culture is the collection of relatively same beliefs, values; practices and traditions are shared by members of the organization and there are transmitted from one generation to another. Culture is best explained using Schein’s model which has three levels that include surface manifestation of culture. Surface manifestation of culture is audible and visible behavior patterns or objects. Another level is organizational values that have organizational worth or personal worthy; it is based on religious, moral or even religious principles. The last level is the basic assumption that includes understandings that are invisible and held by individuals who are respected (Stephen, and Judge 142). Organization Process and Development Organizational development assists in improving organizational and individual effectiveness. Organizational development can be referred to as a technique used to effect change in any organization in order with the main aim of improving the effectiveness and efficient. However, some organizations are resistance to any kind of change; this is mainly to avoid the cost that occurs with it. It is the responsibility of management to ensure that organizational development occurs and is achieved so as to ensure effectiveness is achieved. Culture changes after any organizational development is initiated. The long time beliefs change as organizational development comes into place. Conflict can be referred to as the process that commences when one party recognizes that another party, team or group has or is about to affected it negatively. Conflicts are exceedingly common especially in cases where an organizational development is initiated. Conflict is a sign of organizational development or change within an organization. However, conflict can be resolved through some groups compromising some of their issues or through collaborating with groups in conflict (John 76). Organization Management Leadership is the process of influencing socially by one person to other in order to accomplish a common goal. There are various leadership types in organizations that include authoritative, dictatorial or democratic among others. Organizational management has various responsibilities that it is supposed to undertake. These include decision making, conflict resolution, power and even politics. Organizational management has the role of resolving any conflict that may occur within an organization. In Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services, management has for a long time solved arising politics mainly as organizational development takes place. The management has an overall role of making an all-inclusive decision concerning any aspect of the organization. Decision making by management involves making choices from available options. When there is no option, management has to make all efforts to ensure it resolves all possible solutions. Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services management search for alternative courses of action by analyzing data of alternatives. Power and politics affects organizations greatly hence there is the need for resolving them. Power is the capacity of other individuals or persons to exercise their will over other individuals. Technique domain of power that is in action and it is mainly worked out by use of influencing technique is referred to as power. In Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services, power and politics have been avoided at all cost in order to ensure they do not hinder any development. In any organization, management has the role of ensuring that they resolve any conflict arising from power and politics (John and Osborn 123). Conclusion Organizational behavior contributes greatly on of how an organization performs. There is the need for organizations to embrace management and production aspects that enhances the productivity as well as increasing efficiency within an organization. Management in an organization should ensure every person and groups are made aware on the events within the organization. There is also need to motivate people and teams so as to take full advantage of their productivity. Work Cited Fire Fighting News. Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS). 23 January 2010. 13 April 2010. http://www.firefightingnews.com/fdDetails-CA.cfm?fdd_id=24359 John, James, and Richard Osborn. Organizational Behavior. Michigan: John Wiley & Sons, 2008. John, Miner B. Organizational Behavior: From theory to practice. California: M.E. Sharpe, 2007. PAPERS4YOU.COM. what is PEST analysis. 25 April 2002. 13 April 2010. http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/pest-analysis.php Robert, and Angelo Kinicki. Organizational Behavior. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. Stephen, and Timothy Judge. Organizational Behavior. London: Prentice Hall, 2006. Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services. Message from the GM/Fire Chief. 30 Sept. 2009. 13 April 2010, http://vancouver.ca/fire/ Read More