Organizational Behavior Forces

Organizational Behavior Forces

This essay represents four organizations’ views on internal and external forces that impact organizational behavior, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC), Western Integrity Center (WIC), and Chesapeake Appraisal’s and Settlement Services (CASS). This essay will also explain why organizational restructure, organizational mission, fiscal policies, competition, economy, customer demands, and globalization are essential elements in the influence of organization behavior.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) manages the second largest rail transit system and the fifth largest bus system in the United States (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 2005). WMATA originated in 1967 and Metrorail originated in 1976. WMATA serves the District of Columbia, the suburban of Maryland and Virginia counties that covers 106.3 miles of territory with 86 stations. There are 5 lines of operations where trains operate at a speed of 59 mph. WMATA reports a safe, clean, and reliable service that carries millions of tourists and more than a third of federal government workers. However, you cannot read the Washington Post newspaper without reading a negative article about WMATA services. Customers and the media have made a demand that forces WMATA to evaluate their market position.

What are the problems and how do WMATA address the issues? On-time service, over-crowded trains, and rude and discourteous operators are the most frequent complaints. As previously mentioned, the fast changing workforce, high-speed technology, and elevated customer expectation creates external and internal demands on WMATA’s structures, strategies, mission, policies, and procedures. With veterans and baby boomers retiring, a new workforce has required that WMATA face the internal impact of organizational behavior. WMATA motivates their employees by providing missions and mission statements that place the attention on the employees and customers. The training is provided to develop more effective managers, who can influence employees’ attitudes and increase productivity. The training consists of management skills that will enhance planning, organizing, leading, and controlling within the organization.

As of March 20, 2007 WMATA’s General Manager will step down due to the request of the Board of Directors, which resulted from external demands. WMATA’s new General Manager has proposed a restructure within WMATA. The restructure will consist of reorganization, reinforcement of the mission statement, and revised policies and procedures. Since local and federal governments subsidize WMATA, this restructure will be implemented with limited funds due to a declined economy. With limited competition, reorganization, training, reinforcement of the mission, and incentive programs, WMATA can develop a dedicated workforce with stimulating management.

Housing of Authority Baltimore City (HABC) was established in 1937. The organizational mission is to provide safe federally-funded public housing programs and related services for Baltimore's low-income residents. HABC is the fifth largest public housing authority in the country, with more than 1,000 employees and an annual budget of approximately $200 million. (Baltimore Housing, 2005). Restructuring and re-imaging the direction of the agency has been an important external and internal initiative. Faced with external pressures and three decades of decline in public housing properties, vacant buildings, and blighted neighborhoods required immediate action. In order to right-size public housing and improve properties, older high-rise buildings and vacant scattered sites have been demolished and replaced with mixed-income communities. A consent decree addressing persons with disabilities has also affected the agency. More units are currently available to accommodate a variety of physical challenges.

Internal right-sizing and restructuring has also affected staffing. Many positions and services offered by the agency were duplication of City services. Two years ago the agency ended its police force and some family support services. This year, HABC is closing two day care centers and abolishing several more positions in childcare and family support.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) governs the fiscal policies at HABC. External cuts in funding will affect the operational budget and other internal spending such as Tuition Assistance.

The economy directly affects federally funded programs that include low-income housing. Today’s initiatives focus on providing mixed-income communities that blend people from various socioeconomic backgrounds. Internal economic pressures are felt more by the staff, through a reduction in benefits, such as the increase in the cost of health care for active and