Organizational Behaviour

Organizational behavior involves studying individual as well as group performance within an organization. In this area of study, human behavior at the work place is closely studied to see its impact on job structure, performance, communication, motivation, leadership, etc.

Historical Evolution of Organisational Behaviour

Historical Development of Organisational Behaviour, Events Instrumental in the Development of Organisational Behaviour – The Great Depression, The Rise of Trade Unionism, Hawthorne Experiments, Impact of Organisational Behaviour on Organisational Environment, Emerging Concerns in Organisational Behaviour

Understanding Organisational Behaviour

Fundamental Concepts of Organisational Behaviour, Models of Organisational Behaviour

Perception

Significance of Perception, Principles of Perceptual Selection – External Attention Factors, Internal Set Factors, Perceptual Set in Organisational Settings, Characteristics or Perceiver and Perceived

Personality

Definition of Personality, Determinants of Personality, Personality Theories – Intrapsychic Theory, Type Theories, Trait Theories, Social Learning Theory, Self Theory, Personality and Organisation, Personality Structure, Personality and Behaviour

Attitudes

Nature of Attitude, Arousal of Attitude, Attitudes and Values, Attitudes and Opinions, Attitudes, Beliefs and Ideology, Attitudes and Prejudices, Characteristics of Attitude, Attitude Formation, Measurement of Attitude – Problems in Attitude Measurement, Changing Attitudes, Attitudes and Behaviour – Sources of Job Satisfaction, Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance, Commitment to Organisation

Motivation: The Driving Forces of Human Behaviour

Characteristics and Classification of Motives, Intrapersonal Conflicts – Defence Mechanism, Money as a Motivator

Work Motivation Theories

Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Need Hierarchy – Criticism of Maslow’s Theory, Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation – Criticism of Herzberg’s Theory, Alderfer’s ERG Theory, Vroom’s Expectancy Theory of Motivation, The Porter-Lawler Model, Equity Theory of Work Motivation, Attribution Theory, Theory X and Theory Y, Pygmalion in Management

Morale

Indicators of Morale, Various Aspects of Morale, Improving Employee Morale

Work and Conditions of Work

Relationship among Job Characteristics, Working Performance, Characteristics of Work, Creating a Favourable Work Environment

Conflict Management

Levels of Conflict in Organisational Behaviour, Types of Conflict, Interpersonal Conflict Handling Styles, Intrapersonal Conflict and ways to Manage Intrapersonal Conflict, Negotiations in Conflict Management, Mediation

Group Dynamics

Classification of Groups, Teams and types of teams, Developmental Stages of Groups, Influences on Team Effectiveness, Team Diversity, Groupthink and Remedies to Overcome Groupthink, Group Maturity, Groups: A Sociological View, Effective Team Working

Stress Management

Types of Stress and Stressors, Management of Stress, Ways to Overcome Stress

Leadership

Classic Studies on Leadership, Leadership Skills, Leadership Styles – Managerial Grid, Rensis Liken’s Four Systems Management, Leadership Behaviour Continum, Theories of Leadership.

Management of Organisational Change

Forces for Change, Organisational Resistance to Change, Planning to overcome Change.

Organisational Culture

Development and Levels of Organisational Culture, Types of Corporate Culture – Performance and Organisational Culture, Benefits of a Strong Organisational Culture, Managing Cultural Diversity, How Employees Absorb an Organisational Culture, Matching People with Cultures, Concept of Organisational Socialisation.

Organisational Power and Politics

Dependency Theory of Power, Dependency, Power and Bargaining Outcomes, Bases and Sources of Power, Effective use of Power, Political Behaviour and Organisational Politics, Personality and Political Behaviour.

Academic Questions

Question: Analyzing Organizational Behaviour dimensions
1. As a group, pick a movie/series you would like to study
2. Utilize your knowledge on the various Organizational Behaviour dimensions (OCEAN/EQ/teams etc.) to study for that particular movie (reference material + reference book given).
3. Each student will pick 3 Organizational Behaviour dimensions (refer to Course outline).
4. The student will then map the findings to the theory learnt and put it together as a video to be showcased in class. The video will be accompanied with a 2 page report explaining the concept correlation.

Question: In your current occupation, describe the top 5 abilities that help you perform your role effectively. Based on your analysis, justify with appropriate examples, why the abilities of an employee should match the job requirement.

Question: Is perception management applicable in current times when we are working from home virtually and not interacting personally with our coworkers and managers? Rationalize your opinion with steps and measures that help you manage the process.

Question: Nikita is a Change Manager with Nelson & Murdock. In the view of the way the business landscape is evolving with more reliance on technology, she intends to bring about many new initiatives which require employees to unlearn certain aspects and learn many new approaches. Many learning theories have been prevalent which organizations use from time to time.

• a. If employees need to learn certain model behaviors demonstrated by leaders, which learning theory should Nikita select for faster results?
• b. How does learning through reinforcement bring about behavior modification in employees?

Q. Think about the best job you have ever had. What was it that made it a great job? Can you, as a manager or leader, replicate the environment that made that job so good? How? And more importantly, why would you replicate it? How can the study of organizational behavior help you replicate it and maybe even improve it? This week, compose a 3 to 4 page paper, in APA format, answering these questions and supporting your answers with scholarly evidence from your text and other sources. Compose your paper to include a title page, introduction, headings, conclusion and references in APA format. Please review the rubric for grading criteria.

Q. Explain how GLOBE study has helped managers across the world understand the complex relationship between culture and organizational success.

Q. What problems do you usually encounter in teamwork at your organization? What is your approach to overcome them?

Q. Essex Enterprises is a renowned logistics company which has spread its operations in 7 countries across the globe. They are recognized as the best learning organization due to their policies and processes and systems. One of the reasons for their success is that they have successfully applied the Reinforcement Theory of Learning since their inception.
a. Why is Reinforcement Theory also called as Behaviour Modification Theory?
b. How can reinforcement be administered effectively?

Q. Briefly distinguish between positive and negative reinforcement and provide a job-related example of each.

Q. How can schedules of reinforcement be used in the work situation?

Q. Describe the Performance Management Process

Q. Describe the difference between Theory X and Theory Y employees.

Q. What are 3 Causes of Motivational Problems? Give examples of each.

Q. What are some of the characteristics of high achievers?

Q. Do you believe in 360 Degree Feedback? Explain your answer

Q. Explain classical conditioning

Q. Explain four aspects of group behavior. How can each aspect help or hinder the group’s functioning?

Q. Why are work teams important to organizations today? How and why are work teams formed?

Q. Describe American business culture using Hofstede’s dimensions of cultural differences.

Q. Mention the benefits and problems of diversity.

Q. Briefly discuss the issues an organization would want to understand if it were interested in a business venture within China.

Q. Define organizational behavior and name the organizational variables that affect human behavior at work.

Q. Distinguish between informal and formal organizations. Which of these affects organizational behavior?

Q. Identify the major reasons why managing organizational behavior is challenging during changing times.

Q. There is often a disconnect between personal values and individual behavior. What does this mean?

Q. The changing workforce is one of the emerging trends in organizational behavior. Describe how the workforce is changing and briefly identify two consequences of these changes for organizations.

Q. Telecommuting (working from home) has been identified as an important trend in organizational behavior. Discuss three organizational behavior pros and cons related to telecommuting.

Q. Explain the four types of results (two positive/ two negative) as a result of organizational behavior modifications.

Sample Assignment:

You have applied for a managerial position as a Business Development Manager in a large retail organisation. Following shortlisting you have been asked to attend for interview. Prior to the interview you need to send in a written portfolio which will help the interview panel to establish your suitability for the post.

Task 1 – Written Portfolio

You must prepare a portfolio of evidence which includes:

• an analysis of the characteristics of different organisational structures
• an explanation of how the culture of an organisation can impact on the effectiveness of the organisation
• an assessment of the impact of learning on the effectiveness of employees
• an evaluation of how working in teams can improve employee effectiveness.
• how different leadership behaviours impact on organisations.
• the process and outcomes of change on the effectiveness of employees.

Task 2

You know that questions from the panel will ask for your views on certain management theories. In preparation make detailed notes which:

• evaluate different leadership behaviour theories
• analyse theories relating to work relationships and interactions.
• evaluate the relevance of organisational culture theory in developing organisational effectiveness.

Task 3 – Presentation with accompanying notes

You are to make a presentation to the interview panel as part of the selection process. You should prepare a presentation with accompanying notes which shows how organisations can motivate employees in order to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

In the presentation and the accompanying notes, you must:

• analyse the benefits and issues with involving employees in organisational decision making
• explain different ways to motivate employees.
• analyse how motivational theory can inform employee motivation.
• evaluate how a named organisation of your choice motivates its employees.

Provide a detailed analysis of the characteristics of different organisational structures. Identify the different structures, examining different aspects in detail and using examples to illustrate their work. The explanation of culture must be comprehensive and clearly related to its impact on the effectiveness of organisations.
Demonstrate understanding of a range of pertinent leadership theories and the evaluation should identify the strengths and weaknesses of the different concepts.
When considering how team working can improve employee effectiveness, learners should review the benefits and problems of working in teams and the differing group dynamics.

Q) Case:
M/s Chai ki pyaali is a new startup serving hot tea to customers. The company has 30 different varieties of tea and it also sells food items that adds more revenue to the overall profit. The company has a unique cup design and the store layout and design is vintage. The company has opened 50 stores across India and has a plan to open 100 more stores in another two years. The

expansion plan is in place and the execution needs to be monitored. The Chai ki pyaali head office is in Mumbai.
Mr. Shravan is the person who started the tapri (small road side sales booth) business and is now the owner of Chai ki pyaali chain. All the employees are very happy with Shravan and his managing skills. Before taking any decision he consults all his managers. He shares his ideas with them and also loves to hear their ideas too. He is always keen on learning new modern management principles and practices.
Mr. Shravan hires you as a Business Manager so that the modern day management practices can be implemented properly.

Q. Explain various social responsibilities that this business will have towards interest groups?

Q. Based on the case given:
a. Identify any five Henry Fayol principles that can be implemented in the Chai ki Pyaali business. (5 Marks)
b. Explain any three types of leadership styles and identify the leadership style adopted by Mr. Shravan.

Question: Read the following case carefully and answer the questions.

CASE:

Client: The Danish subsidiary of a UK parent company (which is itself a subsidiary of a major multinational corporation).
Business: A computer equipment manufacturer.
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Background: The employee attitude survey was commissioned by the UK parent company of a Danish subsidiary. The Danish subsidiary had been acquired by the UK company two years earlier. Prior to the acquisition, the subsidiary was a privately held exclusive distributor of the parents products in the Danish and broader Scandinavian markets. The subsidiary‟s customers were dealers, not end users. The former owners of the subsidiary had remained in the company in the capacity of Directors for a transition period. Subsequently, the former owners had been replaced by a British Managing Director (who was not fluent in the Danish language) and his senior team. The official operating language of the company worldwide is English. Management is required to be fluent in English, whatever their nationality and mother tongue. It had been identified by the company previously that the Danish staff and, to a somewhat lesser extent the Danish customers perceived the senior management team to be ignorant of Danish business culture, practices, and the nature of the Danish domestic market. Reportedly, it was felt locally also that the UK parent was “remote, unsupportive, and generally unsympathetic to the needs of its subsidiary.”

Whether real or not, these perceptions had taken on a „life of their own‟ and seemed linked to the presence of friction and lessened company performance. The Danish company was ailing financially anyway and these issues did not help the parents objective of turning its subsidiary around. The UK parent had reached the point of considering the closure of its Danish subsidiary company. The UK Board of the parent company decided though to adopt a completely open mind and to fully explore its options before reaching any decision. They decided to find out what the „real issues‟ were. Hence, the UK Board commissioned this study (together with a psychological audit of the capabilities and style of the management, alongside an internal commercial audit of the business).

i) Identify and discuss the reasons for resistance to change as highlighted in the above case study. (ii)Suggest tactics that the Management should be employing to overcome the resistance in each case.

Question: Explain the Action Research Model of change with illustrations and correlate it with any organization as well.

Question: You have been invited by a reputed company dealing with white good to provide them with consultation on team motivation and performance. Outline the procedure you will adopt.

Question: Discuss work designs that optimize technology quoting relevant examples for each group.

What are the contingencies that need to be kept in mind at the time of devising OD interventions?

Question: Write short notes on the following along with the practical examples (i)Management by Objectives and its relevance as an OD intervention (ii)Use of 360 degree as an appraisal method and as an intervention tool.

Question: Reflect on the growth and relevance of Organizational Development as a discipline with special focus on the major trend of globalization and managerial innovation.

Question: Trace the contribution of Normative Approach stem to the evolution of Organizational Development. Justify your answer with the help of two applications as well.

Q. Mario always wanted to establish his own retail company. He had all the financial and physical resources required to begin but he was not aware of the key fundamental elements of an organization. Why do you think these are important? As an HR specialist, help him with this task by designing the main organizational elements. Also, align these with his retail business.

Q. As project leaders, while Julia believes in enhancing each team member’s effectiveness, George believes in focusing on enhancing the overall organizational effectiveness. This difference of opinion always confuses their team members. Now, the senior management has realized that it is high time to get the issue sorted. So, the HR Manager, John Cooper has been assigned the task to devise a standardized and holistic process of measuring organizational effectiveness. Along with this, the management has also asked him to come up with a contemporary effectiveness approach that will replace the traditional approaches. Keeping the above scenario in mind,
Explain how John Cooper will devise a holistic process of measuring organizational effectiveness.
b. Explain which, one, contemporary approach will John choose and why?

Question: Can You Recognise the Need?

Abraham Maslow propounded a theory of human motivation that identified five sets of human needs arranged in a hierarchy of their importance to individuals. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs includes the following: Physiological needs, Safety needs, Social needs, Esteem needs, Self Actualisation needs.

Each of the following work situations stresses the denials of one of the four basic needs:

A. Security, B. Social, C. Self-esteem, D. Self-actualisation.

After each situation write the letter of the need being denied.

1. A rumour of imminent layoffs is being circulated in the company, and employees are upset. ___
2. A new employee felt left out when she was not asked to join her fellow workers for coffee. ___
3. A machine operator developed a way to cut production time. His supervisor adopted the plan for operators on similar machines without giving him credit. The man was resentful. ___
4. A man who had worked hard on behalf of the union wished to be elected shop steward. At the last election he was not nominated by the others and felt let down. ___
5. A worker received £50 extra in his weekly pay packet. He felt ashamed that he had not reported the mistake. ___
6. A group of employees liked to go for coffee together. The boss divided them into two groups and made them go at different times. The employees were unhappy about the ruling. ___
7. An employee who felt he could not work harmoniously with others wanted to take a human relations course. The course required him to leave work 15 minutes early once a week and he offered to make up the loss by coming in early on those days. The supervisor denied this request, thereby causing the employee a setback in his personal planning. ___
8. A store manager set a goal of a 15% sales increase in the next 6 months. She failed to attain her goal, but she did increase sales by 5%. She was keenly disappointed. ___
9. A salesman is worried because he has experienced a substantial drop in sales for no apparent reason. ___
10. A manager resented having to cancel, at the last minute, elaborate plans for a camping trip with his family. ___

Question on Organizational Structure

Write a Report to your Senior Management Team based on the following scenario:

You work for an organisation that has been established for in excess of 100 years. Your manager, who is one of the Senior Management Team, has recently joined the company and is concerned that the current structure, which has changed little in the last twenty years. She feels that the structure is outdated and needs to be revised in order to ensure that it allows the organisation to achieve its Mission and Goals through effective management. The Senior Management team are considering re-structuring the organisation. You have been asked to write a formal report which:

• Identifies and examines the key factors that need to be considered when designing the structure of organisations
• Evaluates the implications of organisational structure for the management and development of people and resources

Q) Explain any 4 types of organizational structures with an example.

Q. As the HR head of a Jubiliant Hospitalities, you have to create an Organizational Structure. Jubiliant has a pan India presence with an employee strength of 5000. They own three-star properties and cater majorly to corporate houses. Their key departments are business development, operations and Guest management teams. The company believes in empowering employee and is looking at creating an inclusive and transparent work culture. Explain the elements to be considered while finalizing the structure.

Question / Assignment: To analyze a team working in a sports facility. A real sports facility willl be selected by each participant. The HR structure will be analyzed following a strucured methodology.

Please follow the methodology explained at ‘Organizational structure’ and ‘HR Management’ notes. When analyzing Job positions and Persons, develop the analysis for only 3 cases of the facility in study. In case of not having all the information of the facility available, make hypothesis of a potential real situation.

Objective is learning to identify the organizational structure suitable for a sports facility based on its management model and to utilize a job position and persons analysis methodology.

Question:

You have recently started a new job in an organisation which is currently considering the possibility of restructuring in the near future. Your manager is aware that you are studying for your degree in Business and Management and feels that you have the knowledge to develop a presentation suitable for delivery to groups of managers across the organisation.

You have been tasked by your manager to produce a PowerPoint Presentation suitable for delivery to a panel of middle managers. You will not be required to verbally present your PowerPoint, but you should ensure that it is suitable for your manager to use to present to their team, when required.

Your PowerPoint should focus on two themes:

• Discusses the historical and theoretical basis of organisational structure
• Analyses the relationship between organisational structure and business strategy

The PowerPoint must be fully referenced using the Harvard Referencing System and a Reference List provided as the final slide of your presentation.

Focus on:

• The importance of organisational structure: links to organisational theory; Henri Fayol, Synergy, specialisation; links made to American and European approaches
• Formal organisational structures: line, line and staff, matrix, team; mechanistic versus organic; centralised versus decentralised; flat versus tall
• Informal organisational structures: difference between formal and informal structure; benefits, e.g. promote communication, provide satisfaction, provide social control; potential drawbacks, e.g. resistance to change, role conflict, lack of control over information of informal structure
• Organisational effectiveness: achievement of objectives, efficiency, sustainability, growth, competitive advantage, reputation, influence, external benchmarking

Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the historical development and theoretical basis relating to organisational structure. Develop a sound analysis and evaluation of the relationship between the structure of organisations and the business strategy.

Application of Theories to the Organisation Structure

• (i) Management Approaches
• (ii) American/European Based Theories
• (iii) Mechanistic vs Organic Structures
• (iv) Galbraith’s Star Structure Model
• (v) Functions of Management (PODC)
• (vi) PESTLE
• (vii) Henry Mintzberg’s 10 Managerial Roles
• (viii) Handy’s shamrock Organisations
• (ix) Mintzberg’s 5 types of Organisations
• (x) Grenier’s Growth Model
• (xi) Porter’s Generic Strategies Model
• (xii) Galbraith’s Growth Model
• (xiii) Treacy and Wiersema’s Value Discipline Model
• (xiv) Impact of IT on Organisational Flexibility

Conclusion- How effective your suggested structure linked to the theories will be successful for the organisation- link to change in PESTLE factors, change in consumer demands etc.

Q. An article published in McKinsey Quarterly June 2015 states;
“Organizational redesign involves the integration of structure, processes, and people to support the implementation of strategy……. it comprises the processes that people follow, the management of individual performance, the recruitment of talent, and the development of employees’ skills. When the organizational redesign of a company matches its strategic intentions, everyone will be primed to execute and deliver them. The company’s structure, processes, and people will all support the most important outcomes and channel the organization’s efforts into achieving them.”
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/getting-organizational-redesign-right

Using the following Case Study, as a focus of your report, write a formal report which addresses the following Learning Outcomes:

• Identifies and examines the key factors that need to be considered when designing the structure of organisations
• Evaluates the implications of organisational structure for the management and development of people and resources
• Relationship between the organisation and individuals

Question: Video surveillance at work place

Employers are increasingly concerned about issues like violence in the workplace, identity and property theft, lowered productivity, and on-the-job accidents and injuries, besides facing the ever-increasing costs of litigation. As a result, many employers now use cameras and video surveillance in the workplace.

However, while guarding against these risks, companies also must balance the business interests of the company with the reasonable expectations of privacy of its employees.

Most employees are okay if retail establishments conduct video surveillance to guard against theft by outsiders. But what about employers that use hidden cameras to try to catch their own employees stealing? What about video surveillance of employees while they’re working? Or cameras in the bathrooms or locker rooms?

Q. The ubiquitous CCTV cameras are everywhere and meant to monitor as well as protect you in your workplace. What according to you are the pros and cons of using video surveillance in work place for monitoring employees (two each)?

Informal groups (behaviour) | Merits & Demerits

While formal groups are formed by the organization to achieve special objectives, informal groups emerge on their own, based on the common interests of employees. The group may focus on issues that improves the workplace/morale or it could even be detrimental to the organization.

Case Study:

In a large office an employee named Rozy may feel like a mere payroll number, but her informal group gives her personal attachment and status. With the members of her group she is somebody, even though in the formal structure she is only one of a thousand employees. She may not look forward to monitoring 750 accounts daily, but the informal group gives more meaning to her day. When she thinks of meeting her friends, sharing their interests, and eating with them, her day takes on a new dimension that makes easier any difficulty or tedious routine in her work. Suddenly Rozy developed some interpersonal and intergroup conflicts with some powerful members of the group. The group did not accept her. Her work became more disagreeable and compelled her to a transfer, to absenteeism and to a resignation.

Questions: Although informal groups may lead to several benefits, can these groups prove harmful?. Suggest some measures for Rozy to check the dysfunctions of informal groups?