Essay on Organizational Socialization in Corrections and Community Corrections Organizations

Organizational socialization is an important aspect in the workplace regardless of the profession of an individual. It allows people to understand their roles and work while conforming to both individual and organizational needs. What makes it important to have a better understanding of organizational socialization is that it occurs every time people assume new roles or changes roles within a particular organization. In corrections and community corrections, organizational socialization is particularly important since a person who is new to a particular field of criminal justice will be greatly influenced by the method used to enable them to learn and adjust to the working environment. Often, initial organizational socialization for criminal justice practitioners is through either an academy training program and on-the-job training. During this process, some factors that will influence the level of comprehension is affected by the attitudes and perspectives of those who are delivering the training, organizational culture, position the individual occupies in the organization, and the influence one person has on another. While organization socialization may be important in corrections and community corrections, at the individual level, it promotes change, which some people may resist. Thus, there is need to understand motivational theories that affect peoples decisions on particular issues and the preparation for an upcoming organizational change so as to have an efficient organizational process.

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Motivational Theories

Motivation refers to the driving force that makes an individual persistent and goal oriented so as to achieve a particular course. Thus, motivational theories focus on the process that explains how and why human behaviors are activated. There has not been a universally agreed upon motivational theory as yet leading to the existence of several theories that explain motivation such as two-factor theory by Fredrick Herzberg, Maslows hierarchy of need by Abraham Maslow, Hawthorne effect by Henry Landsberger, and expectancy theory.

Two-Factor Theory of Motivation

The two-factor theory also known as a dual-factor theory or motivation-hygiene theory was developed in the 1950s by the psychologist Frederick Herzberg. Fredrick conducted research about the positive and negative feeling on work on two hundred engineers and accountants (Maia, 2010). On analyzing his findings, he discovered there are two factors that contribute to employees motivation and satisfaction. The two factors are hygiene and motivational factors. Moreover, according to Herzberg, there are those factors that cause satisfaction and others that hinder dissatisfaction. Thus, to Herzberg, the opposite of satisfaction is no satisfaction, and the opposite of dissatisfaction is no dissatisfaction.

Hygiene factors or sometimes referred as dissatisfiers or maintenance factors are the physiological needs which employees want and expect to be fulfilled. They include a salary that is not unreasonable, job security, fringe benefits such as medical care plans for the employees and their family, company policies and administrative policies that are flexible, physical working conditions that are clean and hygiene that is top notch. Additionally, the status of the employees should be respected by everyone, and interpersonal relations with other employees and the managers should humiliate others but be acceptable and appropriate (Maia, 2010). To increase satisfaction in working place, these factors are essential and are extrinsic in the workplace. However, these factors do not offer a long-term positive satisfaction, but if they are non-existent, they lead to dissatisfaction.

Motivational factors are innate to work and are intrinsically rewarding. They include: a sense of achievement employees have to feel the job is fruitful. Responsibility, whereby the managers should let their employees own the work by avoiding too much control but to emphasize on accountability, a sense of growth and promotional opportunities, meaningfulness of work whereby the employees find the work interesting and challenging so as to perform well and be motivated (Maia, 2010). Motivators present the psychological needs of an employee and they make one enjoy working to achieve superior performance. Hence, these factors are referred to as satisfiers.

The Hierarchy of Needs by Abraham Maslow

The theory was developed in 1943 by Abraham Maslow, and it is the pivotal point is that for any human being to perform highly their basic needs must be met. The hierarchy has five levels of needs often presented in a pyramid. At the base are the physiological needs, then the safety needs, then love and belonging, followed by esteem and at the top is self-actualization (Reid-Cunningham, 2008). Physiological needs are the basic needs of survival such food, water, and shelter. Safety needs include a person security and finance security also having a healthy life and wellbeing. Love and wellbeing are the needs for family, relationships, and friends. Esteem include the need for others to be respectful to you and the feeling of self-confidence. Lastly, self-actualization involves desiring to gain and achieve everything one can and become the best of ones self.

Maslow wanted to comprehend the driving force in people. He had a belief that human beings are in possession of a set of motivation system that had no relations to reward or unconscious desire. He argued a person is motivated to achieve needs and certain needs are more important than others (Reid-Cunningham, 2008). Therefore, to him, the first needs are the physical needs, and it will be the first driving force that influences our behavior. Once that level is satisfied then the next level is up and so on.

The Hawthorne Effect

The name Hawthorne effect came about after the most famous series of experiments carried out at Western Electrics factory at Hawthorne under the supervision of Australian-born Sociologist Elton Mayo (McCarney, Warner, Van Haselen, Griffith & Fisher, 2007). Originally the aim of the experiments was to study physical conditions and its impact on productivity. They carried out a comparative research whereby two sets of workers were used as test subjects. In one experiment there was an improvement of light while the other group the lighting remain the same. In the group that lighting was improved there was a high increase in productivity compared to the control group. Several other changes such as rest breaks, working hours and so on were made and in all productivity was increasing at a high rate. However, surprisingly even after everything had returned to normal and lights were dimmed productivity was still tremendously increasing, and absenteeism has decreased. Consequently, the researcher's conclusion was the source of motivation of the employees was the attention that they received rather than the actual changes in the physical environment (McCarney et al., 2007).

Expectancy Theory

The theory propounds that the outcome of ones behavior is a result of what they expect to receive. In simple terms, someone chooses their behavior in accordance with the expected outcome (Chen, Gupta & Hoshower, 2006). For instance, at work, someone might work over time since they expect a pay rise. Nevertheless, the theory also suggests peoples choice of behavior is highly influenced by their perception of the reward. For instance, employees are likely to work hard if they are promised a promotion or a pay rise or if they only assume they might get one. Expectancy theory bases its arguments on three elements: expectancy, instrumentality, and valence. Expectancy entails believing that ones effort will be rewarded which is due to past experiences, self-confidence, and ones thinking about how the goal is difficult to achieve. Instrumentality, on the other hand, is believing if one meets the performance expectations they will receive a reward. And valence is the worth one place on the reward.

Preparing for Organizational Change

Implementing change is a difficult thing for most managers since not everyone will receive it positively. There is usually some resistance among the employees (Benn, Dunphy &Griffith, 2014). The resistance is often brought by employees fears such as fear of change itself. Some see change as a way of work completion, or the possibility that change can lead to losing their jobs. Therefore, organizational managers need to develop strategic approaches so as to enable change to be maximally effective in an organization. The approaches can include planning, communication, integration, motivation, confidence, and managing of the workload.

An organization needs to have a clear and viable reason and mission before partaking in any changing process. The organization needs to ensure all the plans are realistic, achievable, and measurable regardless of the size or impact. Since there is no need to create a hard situation if there is no significant profit that the stakeholders and the organization can make (Senior &Fleming, 2006). When planning for organizational change consider starting at the end which includes analyzing organizations vision, and ensuring all employees are on the same page with the organization on changing process. Moreover, developing a well-defined direction helps the employees to embrace and accept change.

Communication is an integral part of preparing for organizational change. Therefore, managers should communicate to all the partakers in the organization the stakeholders within the business, the staff, and importantly the stakeholders outside the business such as the shareholders and consumers. Also, the managers should follow few rules when communicating such as keeping it simple and avoiding unnecessary buzz phrase and jargon. Being open and quick reduces spreading of incorrect rumors or leaks. Managers should also be straight to the point to avoid frustrating the employees with insignificant information. Lastly ensure there are open channels where employees can send their feedback and voice their concerns (Benn et al., 2014).

Bringing together various aspects of the organization is focal for any change process. for instance if there any possibility for adjusting the change program of the organization then it is advisable for managers to open up plans for consulting with their stakeholder group. The employees within an organization are the ones who encounter with the customers, provide services, and work with a specific product with this direct experience they can give important information and suggestions for the proposed change (Benn et al., 2014). Also if the change is related to the merger, or something past the manager, or acquisition, then it is best for the manager to ensure the employees and stakeholders are not left behind from the changing process.

Employees motivation has a great impact on the level and quality of organizational change. Conversely, organizational change can silence or enhance employee motivation. For most people change is an element of demotivation. Therefore, for proper implementation of future changes, there is the need for the adaptation of motivational programs that act as a prerequisite for success (Senior &Fleming, 2006). Nevertheless, employees who are motivated means they are satisfied, and this does not only increase the effectiveness of work but also increases the flexibility of employees for accepting changes in the future. Managers need to look for ways they can motivate their employees especially if the company is merging which can be downsizing and demotivating in some organizations.

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