Healthy organizations and the link to peaceful societies: strategies for implementing organizational change.

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Date: 01 March 2003
• Author: Jackson, Jeannette

ABSTRACT

This Article focuses on the impact that the organizational structure of a corporation can have on fostering a peaceful outside world. In this Article, the Authors argue that if an organization is structured to meet the needs of its employees and also cares about its employees and their needs, then the employees will behave civilly and respectfully. Furthermore, the Authors argue that the organization structured in such fashion will then be conducive for healthy organizational growth and positive conflict resolution. The Article posits that families, schools, religious organizations, social groups, and business organizations all have the potential of contributing to a more-peaceful society by creating "rules of the game" that require and intentionally facilitate respectful, civil, and peaceful behaviors of their members. The Article concludes that a respectful way of working together will often spill over into behavior outside of the organization, which will facilitate positive change toward a peaceful world.

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION II. CREATING THE SPILLOVER EFFECT III. CONCLUSION I. INTRODUCTION

When designing and implementing an organizational change process, we intentionally and significantly impact the lives of the human beings who make up the organization. Most individuals spend a majority of their time, often at least five days each week, in an organizational setting or framework. If the organization is structured in a way that recognizes the needs of the employees, has a code of behavior--oftentimes referred to as the organizational values--that is civil and caring, uses this code of behavior to give developmental feedback to employees, and creates opportunities for a variety of networks between people, then the environment is very likely to be conducive for healthy organizational growth. If people are expected to behave respectfully and in a civil fashion, and if the organization intentionally promotes such behavior, the continuous, daily reinforcement of a respectful way of working together will often spill out into behavior outside of the organization. If we hope to impact society and the ways in which we all live together, we are obligated to consider how to positively impact the thinking and the behavior of individuals at all stages of life and in a variety of organizational settings. Families, schools, religious organizations, social groups, and business organizations all have the potential of contributing to a more peaceful society by creating "rules of the game" that require and intentionally facilitate respectful, civil, and peaceful behaviors of their members.

As we...