Your Behaviour, Your Job? Is it Really That Important?

It is essential to understand the appropriate behaviour at the workplace to make it productive. Theories of workplace behaviour help us understand people’s behaviour at the workplace and the reasons behind their good and bad behaviour. Martinko et al. (2002) advocate an integrative theory seeing counterproductive behaviours as effects that result from causal reasoning. According to this theory, what employees make of worksite events will greatly impact their emotions and behaviours – either detrimentally or positively affecting the organisation’s effectiveness. It is necessary to understand these dynamics to tackle absenteeism, dishonesty, and workplace aggression which will facilitate a better work culture (Martinko et al., 2002).

The researchers built their case on the idea that emotions can’t be left at the gate. Everything we do and everybody we interact with in the workplace is influenced by the emotional state we’re in at the time. Organisations can enhance positive emotional experiences at work and reduce negative outcomes through strategies on the recognition of the emotional component (Brief & Weiss, 2002).

Looking into the ways people act at work gets richer by looking at deviant behaviours. These behaviours are often seen as bad. But their study can tell us where the systems that are at work are going wrong. According to Jeewandara and Kumari (2021), there is a well-rounded overview of such behaviours which also recommends the development of a theory that considers various interactions which lead to deviance. When organisations recognize the conflict interaction patterns that lead to interpersonal conflicts, they take preventive measures.

Professionalism and Respect.

Interactions at work remind us of the importance of professionalism and respect. Together these help ensure a smooth world (Ali & Bradburn, 2018).

Maintaining Professional Demeanor.

It is vital to maintain professionalism in the workplace to have long-lasting employee relations. This behaviour is essentially a bridge linking the work environment and performance, which can be seen at individual and group level productivity (Adhami, 2025). Also, professionalism means following the rules and being fair to colleges. By being professional, you support the work environment. You develop the professional culture in your organisation. Professionalism, thus, is key to any business organisation.

Respecting Colleagues and Superiors.

It’s very important to respect your colleagues and your superiors for a better workplace. When individuals in an organisation interact professionally, their actions jointly create mutual respect and understanding with each other. This dynamic is necessary for having a good workplace culture (Ng, 2016).

Having a culture that allows for participation helps organisations in being more resilient and flexible (Garg & Sangwan, 2021).

Effective Communication.

A good work place communication helps in problem solving and boosts productivity and performance immensely in jobs. We must use communication strategies that respect diversity and connect generations so everyone can work together, according to (Hartle & Facchinetti, 2022). Having the ability to clarify one’s message not only limits misunderstandings but also leads to the success of the organisation. (Rai & Kulkarni, 2023).

Clear and Concise Communication.

Communication must be clear and concise to be efficient in the workplace. Communication must not be unclear and complex otherwise people fail to understand the information clearly. In the busy world we live in, the right words will improve your teams’ productivity and engagement by clearing confusion and budge. Delegation also relies on effective communication to ensure employees are clear about what they are expected to do.

Active Listening and Feedback.

Active listening and feedback form the core of workplace communication. Active listening means understanding what the other person is trying to communicate, not just hearing what they are saying. Feedback should not be seen as criticism but objective information as it helps in personal and professional development (Jonsdottir & Fridriksdottir, 2020).

Using Communication Channels.

Choosing the right communication tools is vital for effective knowledge sharing. The type of information, ease of use and dependability influence choices. This demonstrates the need for tailored communication (Snyder & Lee-Partridge 2013).

Ethics and Integrity.

In the workplace, ethics and integrity are essential for gaining trust, achieving fairness and producing good outcomes. When employees act in accordance to what they say – this is referred to as ‘behavioural integrity’. As a matter of fact, this has a significant effect on both organisational commitment and employee trust (Kannan-Narasimhan & Lawrence, 2012). When leaders behave in a manner that is consistent with stated organisational values, they enhance overall productivity and morale (Guerrero-Dib et al., 2020).

Upholding Ethical Standards.

When everyone follows the rules, it creates a safe environment where we can do our jobs properly. Ethical behaviour outlined in corporate policies informs decision-making and is designed to prevent conflicts of interest. An example would include McCormick & Company’s Business Ethics Policy. In order to maintain confidentiality and integrity, employees must refrain from placing themselves in situations where their personal interests conflict with those of the company. These kinds of standards help meet legal requirements and reflect the values of the organisation to make sure that things being done ethically on a daily basis (McCormick & Company, n.d.).

Furthermore, workplace standards are related to the ethical culture of the organisation. As per Ghosh (2008), ethical standards govern the decision making of employees at workplace and should be created to give a moral milieu. It is essential for the management to openly support ethical conduct and try to resolve ethical problems communicatively. This can include training and creating mechanisms , like confidential telephone lines, to report unethical conduct without fear of retaliation.

In short, what matters is not merely adherence to rules, but the cultivation of an organisational culture that has ethics as part of its DNA. Companies must create an ethical framework at all levels of corporate governance and involve employees to overcome ethical challenges that can otherwise jeopardise their long term success and viability. An organisation’s ethical policies guide staff behaviours. This leads to ethical aspects being managed in a consistent manner. There is a coordinated manner of addressing ethical issues. This raises the ethical level of the whole organisation. This can enhance the reputation and integrity of the business (Ghosh, 2008).

Maintaining Confidentiality.

It is essential to maintain confidentiality in a workplace to build trust, enhance employee privacy and ensure compliance with law and ethics. Noted breaches of employee confidentiality involve ethical and legal issues that require ethical managers to adhere to strict confidentiality protocols (Childre et al. 2000).

The emotional tone of an organisation can influence performance (Brief & Weiss, 2002). Hence, affect is very critical. Through positive organisational behaviour, optimism and resilience can be nurtured so that employees can effectively deal with fostering (Youssef & Luthans, 2007). By making things easier for the employees, it will make everyone happy. And the organisation will certainly achieve a higher effectiveness level with this approach. The organisation will have better agility that can quickly respond to dynamic market changes.

In addition, goodwill shows a commitment to people who are working there. As organisations make investments in well-being and psychological safety, they establish a basis for sustained performance improvement (Radu, 2023). As a result of such efforts, productivity and job satisfaction will improve thereby creating increased competitive advantage today.

These results suggest that embedding correct behavioural practices in the strategic plan is essential. When organisations focus on creating an enabling environment, they are not only performing better, but may also be building lasting resilience. Thinking ahead to the future, we must build cultures in the workplace that help organisations not only to succeed but also to sustain.

In sum, aligning organisational behaviour with strategic goals really does lead to success. As a result, organisations working to foster positive change will become leaders in innovation within their industries.