This paper is dedicated to the memory of Linda Anderson, research writer and well of wisdom. Organizational Behavior and Team Effectiveness
Introduction The dictionary definition of organizational behavior is: "Actions and attitudes of individuals and groups toward one another and towards the organization as a whole, and its effect on the organization's functioning and performance" (Organizational Behavior, n.d.). It includes senior management's regard for the needs of its "front line" employees; regard for customers and other stakeholders; and the organization's corporate citizenship. The sweatshop and the sustainability-focused organization seeking to be a good corporate citizen are two very different organizations and represent extremes on the continuum of organizational behavior. Corporate Culture The culture within the organization both dictates and is formed by the organization's behavior. Among responsible organizations there is an increasing sense of the need not only to "do things right," but also to "do the right things." A positive organizational culture allows such a sentiment to arise, and then be acted on as well. Edgar Schein (1999) holds that corporate culture can be reduced to and defined by three categories of items: artifacts, espoused values and basic underlying assumptions. Artifacts are visible organizational structures. Espoused values are the organization's stated strategies, goals and philosophies. Basic underlying assumptions include the organization's unconscious beliefs, perceptions, thoughts and feelings.
Changing culture cannot be done by edict, but establishing the atmosphere in which a strong, positive culture can take root and grow lies directly in the realm of management. Management has the ability to alter Schein's (1999) artifacts and espoused values portions of the model of corporate culture, which in time will lead to change in the t