Running head: ORGANIZATION PROBLEMS AND EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 1
Impact of Organizational Problems on Employee Job Satisfaction
Christopher Williams
BMAL500: Liberty University
Organization Problems 2
Abstract
Organizational power is used to build managers self-confidence and help influence the
subordinates in the organization (Kinicki & Fugate, 2018). This is something I can relate to
because in the Army I was in charge of other soldiers and my power was to create influence the
soldiers I managed. My current organization I do not have power but am a worker with several
managers each who use power differently to influence employees. I have seen managers use
different methods of communication with employees and different methods of training new
employees. The methods used I feel have created an organizational climate that promotes
negative employee satisfaction in the job. Organizational climate is an employees’ perceptions
the procedures and practices in an organization [ CITATION Kin181 \l 1033 ]. This paper will
discuss the importance of following the same methods and procedures for employees with a
focus on the impact. I will describe the organization that I currently work for, discuss the
different methods and managers, and identify examples of how the climate in the organization
was negative.
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The Impact of Organizational Problems on Employee Job Satisfaction
Step 1
Organizational Summary
The United States Postal Service is my first job since leaving the military that I would
like to make a career job. I am currently a Rural Carrier Assistant and assist on several routes in
my city. I started the job a year ago with several weeks of training in a regional mail center close
to my city. The first few training days were rescheduled several times creating a financial
hardship because I was counting on the money to pay bills. The first day of training several
carriers fell asleep watching the three-hour video we were required to watch on safety. I have
watched several videos from my military years so this was not a problem for me. I met several
of the managers I would work with in my city and the post master for my city.
I was stationed at my postal office and was told I would ride with two carriers to learn
different routes. The two carriers each taught me different ways to do the routes since some
routes had businesses and others were just neighborhoods. As the months went on I was often
put on new routes with no training and the supervisors would have different communication
methods when calling me in to work. The first supervisor would call and tell me to come in to
work regardless of the time. The second supervisor would text me and ask if I could come in to
work during the early morning hours. The third supervisor would wait until I was about to leave
for the day and then send me on additional routes often causing me to not leave work until
9:00p.m.
I thought I was the only one experiencing this type of extra work but after talking to new
employees I was made aware the same method of communication was happening to them. The
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organization has rural carrier assistants and city carrier assistants who are required to run any
routes that are down, fill in for regular carriers, and come in when requested. There were several
people hired when I was hired who have quit because of the uncertainty of hours and
miscommunication with the managers. I wanted to become a manager for the United States
Postal Service but because of my current location communication methods and the climate there
I felt I would have to move to another location in Virginia.
Organizational Challenge
The one issue that I felt was an issue within the organization was the methods each
manager used regarding procedures in the workplace that lead to employees not being satisfied.
I have been there a year and each month there are employees who quit which cause employees
like myself to work more hours. The managers will ask me and other employees to run
additional routes in order to get the mail out. The managers should be clear on why we are
working additional hours and what our goals are. Employees need to know the strengths,
purpose, and importance of objectives within the organization [ CITATION Kin181 \l 1033 ].
The organizational uses different methods by different supervisors to get the job done
which can lead to communication issues for people like myself. There were times I would ask
questions and depending on who you ask would depend on the answer being positive or negative.
The employees who were unhappy would not provide a positive answer or give the exact
procedure to use when dealing with a situation. “Organizational practices are the procedures,
policies, practices, routines, and rules that organizations use to get things done” (Kinicki &
Fugate, 2018, p. 280). I have learned to ask any questions to the managers so that way I will be
able to follow the procedures for that supervisor.
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Individual Involved
I remember one week I worked over 50 hours and was very tired from exhaustion and the
heat. I am a wounded warrior so there are times that fatigue can trigger some of the medical
issues I have. The week I worked 50 hours caused me to experience medical issues and I had to
call out on my next scheduled work day. I returned to work and was reprimanded by supervisor
one and I tried to explain my situation, but she would not listen. This was very discouraging to
me and added to the fact that I would not want to have a management role in this postal office.
Ethical leadership is driven by beliefs and values that affect the culture and climate of an
organization [ CITATION Kin181 \l 1033 ]. I did not feel that ethical leadership was being used
because my medical issues was a direct result of the over worked hours within the organization.
Ethical leadership is related to employee job satisfaction, motivation, and commitment within an
organization [ CITATION Kin181 \l 1033 ].
The issues with job satisfaction in the postal office are related to employees who have
experienced different trainings by different managers. Supervisor two when training employees
for a new route provides a turn by turn and provides information about the route. The supervisor
two will check on the carrier several times during the new route and offer assistance if needed.
This is not true of other supervisors who will tell you where to go and not provide any
documentation to assist in learning the route. The equipment that I have used will malfunction or
lose signal depending on the area I am located in. I have been stuck in areas with no phone
number to call the supervisor for help. There were times I felt this was all happening to just me
but after several meetings with the post master other employees voiced the same concerns.
My past years in the military provided me the opportunity to understand that policies and
procedures needed to be followed or people could be hurt. My current job at the postal office
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allowed me to see there are times depending on who is managing the shift will determine the
type of environment climate and culture experienced. Kinicki & Fugate stated, “subcultures that
develop can lead to a focus on different goals, or values which lower organizational
performance” (Kinicki & Fugate, 2018, p. 562). I notice the groups in the postal office I work
are divided into subcultures based on job title. I have seen the difference in what rural carriers
are expected to do versus the city carriers. Rural carriers are expected to take parcels and
packages for routes while city carriers parcels and packages are distributed to others. There are
times like this that I feel discouraged in my job and unmotivated to run additional routes. I think
these issues caused me to work at a slower rate because I felt if I completed my route early I
would be forced to run a route for a city carrier.
Step 2
The article I chose that relates to my organizational problem is “A conceptual framework
of the factors influencing innovation in public sector organizations” by Moussa, McMurray, &
Muenjohn (2018). This article relates to my organizational culture problems because it discusses
how culture should be innovative in supporting the climate to motivate employee behaviors. The
article discusses how managers in power should be supportive and the methods used are
important in creating a positive culture and climate within the organization. Communication was
discussed on how some organizations use an old one-way method to communicate with
employees using control [ CITATION Mou18 \l 1033 ]. Communication is one issue I have
witnessed within my workplace that leads to employees feeling job dissatisfaction.
The article discussed barriers to organizational change and how organizations that do not
analyze changing innovations or initiatives can experience poor perceptions of the change
management system [ CITATION Mou18 \l 1033 ]. The fact that my past career was in a
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positive organizational climate and culture while in the military was the need to work in a
positive career place for my retirement years. The supervisors in my workplace each have
different cultural backgrounds that could affect how decisions are made during a shift
[ CITATION Mou18 \l 1033 ]. I do not feel that any of my supervisors have done anything
unethical or illegal in any of the decisions made.
“The harmonization of different values within, not across, cultures” [ CITATION Car13 \l
1033 ] on page 695 of the article is how I see the decisions each of my managers make. For
example, I was stuck in a customer’s yard and when I was able to get free it tore up the
customers yard. The customer yelled at me and told me to fix it but at the time I could not. I
told my manager on the shift when it happened and was told not to worry about it. I saw the
customer the next week who yelled at me for not fixing his yard. I explained I was not able to do
it while on the clock and that I would come back later. The post master was available after my
shift and I told him what happened concerning the customers yard. The post master told me it
was my decision to go and fix the yard but if I did fix the yard to do it on the clock. I think this
is an example of the difference in supervisor values and how it can lead to a negative climate.
There are no policies written on what to do in situations like this and this can lead to employee
dissatisfaction on the job.
The policies, procedures, and rules for an organization can help employees like me to
find a clarity in what my expectations are and how I should proceed on the job (Kinicki &
Fugate, 2018). I do not feel motivated to go above and beyond in my current job that could lead
to a positive work experience. An organizational climate that is positive can have a positive
ability on employee abilities in an organization [ CITATION Mou18 \l 1033 ]. I feel that I am a
very productive and committed employee to my job and I want my supervisors to understand the
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work values I have [ CITATION Mue16 \l 1033 ]. I think that the times I am not productive has
been when issues of conflict are experienced in the workplace or supervisors are not
communicating effectively with me the expectations.
Step 3
Recommendations
I am not currently a manger in my organization, but my goal is to become a supervisor to
help create training that is consistent across the organization. Resolving problems in an
organization is one of the most common actions a manger can take, and this is what needs to
happen in my current organization [ CITATION Kin181 \l 1033 ]. In order to solving the
problem, I believe there should be a meeting to identify the problems within the organization.
Kinicki & Fugate state that the problem must be defined, identified, and recommendations
should be made (Kinicki & Fugate, 2018, p. 29). The first problem is to address the
miscommunication in the organization and this could be done by having training sessions for the
supervisors. I would create a system that allows each supervisor to use the same methods to
communicate with employees that will lead to a positive increase in productivity.
The supervisors would also be taught about different theories to motivate employees in
the workplace. The supervisors would be encouraged to use Theory Y because it motivates
employees to produce better results, perform better, grow, and become responsible [ CITATION
Moh13 \l 1033 ]. The supervisors will be advised to use evidence decision-making when solving
issues within the organization. The supervisors will be expected to research different theories
that allow for an openness to change within the organization by being self-directed [ CITATION
Kin181 \l 1033 ].
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My second recommendation would be to create a cultural change program that focus on
employee growth through the method of training programs [ CITATION Kin181 \l 1033 ]. The
organizational climate would need to modified to change employee perceptions of the events,
practices, and procedures within the organization [ CITATION Mou18 \l 1033 ]. The
recommendation method I would use to create cultural change is to have monthly meetings with
supervisors, employees, and union leaders that discuss issues, workplace satisfaction, and
communication strategies. This would encourage creativity by communicating the expectations
of the team and ensuring goals are met [ CITATION Kin181 \l 1033 ].
My third recommendation would be to create a copy of the manual used by the United
States Postal Service that details policies, procedures, and rules for each employee to review. I
would have a central location for this manual to be used in the office while requesting each
employee keep a digital copy on an electronic device. This recommendation would allow for
each employee to have shared leadership in being responsible for the organization [ CITATION
Kin181 \l 1033 ]. This recommendation would be part of the strategic plan for the organization
regarding long term goals and how to achieve the goals [ CITATION Kin181 \l 1033 ].
My fourth recommendation would be to create a mentoring program for new employees
that can assist when workplace overwhelm becomes an issue. The mentoring program will allow
new employees to have one consistent person who can assist by answering questions or showing
the process for new procedures. The mentoring phase would be the initiation phase for each
employee that would last about 12 months and would mentor the culture expectations of the
organization [ CITATION Kin181 \l 1033 ].
I decided that in an effort to help my organization obtain the recommendations I would be
helpful if my role was aligned with the goal of the company. Leaders pay attention to outcomes
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that are controllable and measurable (Kinicki & Fugate, 2018, p. 567). I would like to work in
human resources and create the recommendations I believe would help my organization change
the culture, provide effective communication, and trainings that are consistent across the
organization. The stressors experienced by employees or any barriers felt in the workplace
should be alleviated and a strong human resource representative would be helpful in ensuring
these recommendations are met. “practitioners should consider developing climates that foster
innovation within their organizational structures and minimizing hindrance stress” [ CITATION
Mou18 \l 1033 ].
My personality traits in the self-assessments state that I have a high need to lead others
and this will be useful as a future human resource specialist. In Romans 12:8 it talks about
leading with zeal and I believe this is what my organization needs. The organization I work for
needs leaders who use a biblical worldview when making decisions that affect the organization,
customer, and employee. The Bible in 2Timothy 2:15 it states “work hard so you can present
yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be
ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” I want to use my Christian values,
leadership experience, self-assessment results, and education to create an organizational culture
that creates positive employee job satisfaction.
Impression management is useful in knowing that God sees all we do and when we do
bad things God sees it all [ CITATION Fis181 \l 1033 ]. The impression we set in our
organization should be pleasing to the Lord and model Christian viewpoints. I feel that to make
recommendations and improvements in my organization I need to utilize impression
management so that others can see the positivity I am leading with. The impression we set in our
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managing styles should represent how we want others to feel by being motivated to set up and
have positive attitudes in the workplace.
References
Kinicki, A., & Fugate, M. (2018). Organizational behavior: A practical, problem-solving
approach plus Connect. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Mohamed, R., & Nor, C. (2013). The relationship between mcgregor's x-y theory management
style and fulfillment of psychological contract: A literature review. International Journal
of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 3(5), 715-720.
Moussa, M., McMurray, A., & Muenjohn, N. (2018). A conceptual framework of the factors
influencing innovation in public sector organizations. The Journal of Developing Areas,
52(3), 231-240.
Muenjohn, N., & McMurray, A. (2016). The impact of leadership on workplace innovation in
Thai and Vietnamese SMES. The Journal of Developing Areas, 50(5), 479-486.
Sanchez-Runde, C. J., Nardon, L., & Steers, R. M. (2013). The cultural roots of ethical conflicts
in global business. Journal of Business Ethics, 689-701.
Tyndale House Foundation. (2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream: Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc.
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