Understanding and managing organizational behavior

Of the approximately 8 billion people on the planet, about 3.3 billion of them worked in an organization in 2022, according to a McKinsey report. Every day at work, we are influenced by the physical environment, leadership style, the culture and other colleagues’ behavior.

Human resources professionals study how organizational learning culture, employee development, compensation and labor relations boost employee work experience.

Velma Chen, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Business and Management at Lynn University sat down with us to discuss the role of organizational behavior in human resource management.

What is organizational behavior, and why is it important?

Organizational behavior is the study of the behavior of the people in an institution. It encompasses how people interact with individuals and in groups. It also covers their impressions about the organization’s leadership style, business hierarchy and chain management.

Research shows that organizations that do not pay sufficient attention to people and workplace culture are consistently less successful than those that do. Understanding organizational behavior helps HR to better create a positive workplace culture.

“It is important for HR professionals to have a deep understanding of the behavior of employees at the organizational level because we will then know how to create a company culture that keeps employees excited and committed,” says Chen. “We also need to understand how societal trends, individual preferences and employees’ feelings about leadership and authority affect everyone in the organization.”

Typical goals of HR in an organizational behavior context

According to Chen, human resource professionals should aim to create a workplace culture that:

• Increases employee commitment and lowers absenteeism: Unscheduled absenteeism costs employers about $3,600 per year for each hourly worker and $2,660 each year for salaried employees, according to the report Absenteeism: The Bottom-Line Killer.
• Attracts qualified employees and retains existing ones: Employee turnover has cost U.S. industries more than $630 billion, according to this Work Institute report.
• Prioritizes training and development opportunities: Retention rates are 34% higher among organizations that offer employee development opportunities, BetterBuys reports.
• Values employee desire to advance in their careers and helps them make that happen: A 2022 McKinsey study found that a lack of career development and advancement was the most common reason given for quitting a job.
• Maintains or boosts employee motivation and commitment to the organization: Employee engagement in the U.S. is down; according to Gallup, only 32% of U.S. employees overall were engaged in 2022.
• Ensures performance appraisals align with organizational values: A recent Zippia study found that 65% of employees want more feedback, and 4 out of 10 employees who receive little to no feedback are actively disengaged from their work.
• Understands how to better deploy employees for maximum productivity: According to the Slack State of Work 2023 report, 71% of organizational leaders feel pressure from executives to strengthen employee productivity.

“If HR understands what their employees want and need to feel successful and fulfilled, and if they create a supportive work culture, then employees tend to stick around, even though other jobs might pay them more,” says Chen. “People are not always working just for pay; they're working to form team identity and establish meaningful relationships at the organization that they serve. If HR professionals understand what makes employees comfortable and feel connected, they are better positioned to retain top talent.”

How can a bachelor’s in human resource management (HRM) help grow your career?

This is a growing field; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment of human resources managers will grow 5% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.

If you aspire to be a seasoned manager in your field, you need good HRM tools and skills.

Whether you’re looking to launch a career in human resources or advance in your current HR career, a bachelor’s degree in human resource management can enhance your journey. According to the BLS, typical entry-level education for HR managers is a bachelor’s degree.

“In the online Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management at Lynn University, we teach our students the skills needed to be a good manager as well as a good human resources manager,” Chen says. “Students will learn best practices and current issues facing human resources professionals. They will learn [how] to sustainably recruit, train and retain top talent in light of changing legal and competitive landscapes. [The] creation of organizational learning systems, processes and tools to develop talents and manage competencies is also critical.”

What can you do with a BS in HR Management?

A sampling of job titles that may be available to you with this degree include:

• Recruiter
• Human resources manager
• Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) specialist
• Training and development manager
• Consultant
• Employee relations manager
• Front office manager

“The online bachelor’s degree in human resource management at Lynn can help students grow their knowledge, skills and abilities to attain their dream careers,” says Chen.

Help shape the workplace of the future

Lynn University’s bachelor’s in human resource management is aligned with the professional Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. The guidelines are part of SHRM’s initiative to define HR education standards and help universities develop degree programs that follow industry best practices.

Explore our online bachelor's degree in HR Management program today. If you’re ready to discuss how this degree can help you reach your career goals, request more information and a Lynn University student success manager will be in touch.