Assignments on Organizational Behavior

Introduction

Organizational Behavior (OB) is the study of the way people interact within groups. The central idea of the study of organizational behavior is that a scientific approach can be applied to the management of workers. Organizational behavior theories are used for human resource purposes to maximize the output from individual group members. (investopedia, 2015).

Various leadership approaches or styles are followed by different organization to motivate the employee towards the shared goals of the organizations. This report mainly deals with the various leadership styles and their possible impact on employee, Moreover; it also highlights different aspects of the team work and the impact of technology over building of a perfect team.

LO 1: Understand the relationship between the organization structure and culture

1.2 Explain how the relationship between the organizations structures and cultures can impact on the performance of the business

Organizational structures and cultures are essentially co -related and have   substantial effect on performance of the business. To understand the relationship between organizations structure and cultures, we have to go through the term of organizational structures and cultures.

An organizational structure is Explicit and implicit institutional rules and policies designed to provide a structure where various work roles and responsibilities are delegated, controlled and coordinated. Organizational structure also determines how information flows from level to level within the company. In a centralized structure, decisions flow from the top down. In a decentralized structure, the decisions are made at various different levels.(Investopedia, 2015)

Organizational cultures are civilization in the workplace (Alan Adler, 2013) Organizational culture refers to the values shared by organization managers and associates. It includes shared assumptions, beliefs, values, norms and language patterns (Ryall& Craig 2003). It determines how a company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions. Often, corporate culture is implied, not expressly defined, and develops organically over time from the cumulative traits of the people the company hires. A company's culture will be reflected in its dress code, business hours, office setup, employee benefits, turnover, hiring decisions, and treatment of clients, client satisfaction and every other aspect of operations. (Investopedia , 2015)

Organizational structures can inhibit or promote performance, depending how effectively thesupervisory relationships and workflow influence productivity. These define departmentalstructure and the reporting hierarchy. Performance management involves goal-setting activities and periodic reviews by managers in the reporting hierarchy. Without defined policiesand procedures that are consistently enforcedthroughout the organization, performancemanagement strategies can fail to achieve theirdesired goal of improving product and service quality for end-user customers

Organizational culture is the sum of values and rituals which serve as ‘glue’ to integrate the members of the organization. Culture is a carrier of meaning. Cultures provide not only a shared view of “what is” but also of “why is.” In this view, culture is about “the story” in which people in the organization are embedded, and the values and rituals that reinforce that narrative. It also focuses attention on the importance of symbols and the need to understand them including the idiosyncratic languages used in organizations in order to understand culture.  (Richard Perrin, 2015)

1.3 Identify and over view four important factors that can influence individual behavior at work

Individual coming from very different recess may have different perspective towards the organization. But there are some several factors that basically influence the individual behavior at works. Four of them are discussed below:

1.      Leadership: Managers and leaders play an important role in influencing the behavior of individuals at workplace. It is the responsibility of leaders to set a direction for team members. In majority of the cases, it has been observed that employees do not feel like going to work when they have strict bosses. Leaders need to stand by their team always to Guide them and help them in their day to day operations and help them acquire new skills and upgrade their knowledge. Make them feel important. As a leader, he needs to be a strong source of inspiration for your subordinates. (managementstudyguide, 2015 )

2.      Skills:  Due to the difference in the status level or skill level, an employee can behave differently in different situations. The behaviors from the leaders and the behaviors the people works under him may not be the same.

3.      Work cultures

Employees need to feel comfortable at workplace for them to stay positive and happy. Rules and regulations should be same for everyone. Employees ought to be encouraged to respect their reporting bosses and follow the code of ethics. Transparency at all levels is essential. You must know what your team member is up to and vice-a-versa. Job security is one of the most crucial factors affecting employee behavior. Stand by your team at the times of crisis. Do not throw them out during bad times.

4.      Attitude:

 Attitude is defined as predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain idea, object, person or situation.  Attitude can effect on individual decisions and responses to a particular situations or a problem. (Robbins, 2013)

LO 2: Understand different approaches to management and leadership

2.1 compare different the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organizations

 Leadership is the activity of leading a group of people or an organization or the ability to do this. Leadership involves: establishing a clear vision, sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly, providing the information, knowledge and methods to realize that vision. (businessdictionary, 2015) different organizations follows different leadership styles to get the work done from the workers.

According to the given scenario, leadership styles followed by the Citizen Bank Plc. are as follow as

1.      Autocratic styles

2.      Laisser- faire

On the other hand, Tasty fried chicken followed these styles:

1.      Participative styles

2.      Democratic styles

Autocratic leadership styles: This is classic model of “military” style leadership also known as commanding leadership styles. It is probably the most often used, but the least often effective. Because it rarely involves praise and frequently employs criticism, it undercuts morale and job satisfaction. Mr. Goleman argues it is only effective in a crisis, when an urgent turnaround is needed. Even the modern military has come to recognize its limited usefulness.The advantage of this style is this style is purely rapid enough that any decision can make quickly. That’s why Citizen bank Plc. Followed this styles. As the market is rapidly changing, organizations have to take many prompt decisions.

(Crippen, 2010)

Laisser- faire leadership styles:In this stylethe leader lethis subordinate to free for making decision. Citizen bank believes that managers of the companies he is investing in ought to be left to run the business without interference from him (Kotelnikov, n.d.). That why they empowers their management team to make decision without approval. All the heads of business units in his empire are empowered to make decision in the company that they in charge.

Tasty fried chicken, on other hand, applies the Participative stylesin their company. Unlike democratic, the manager still has the right to make the final decision, but he also takes the opinion of his subordinates. This one-on-one style focuses on developing individuals, showing them how to improve their performance, and helping to connect their goals to the goals of the organization. Coaching works best, Mr. Goleman writes, “with employees who show initiative and want more professional development.” But it can backfire if it’s perceived as “micromanaging” an employee, and undermines his or her self-confidence.

In democratic leadership styles, this style draws on people’s knowledge and skills, and creates a group commitment to the resulting goals. It works best when the direction the organization should take is unclear, and the leader needs to tap the collective wisdom of the group. Mr. Goleman warns that this consensus-building approach can be disastrous in times of crisis, when urgent events demand quick decisions.(Bass, 2009)

2.2 Explain how organizational theory underpins the practices of the management

Organizational theory is the discipline that studies the structure and design of the organizations. It analyses the actual structure of organizations and offers suggestions on how their effectiveness could be improved. (Robbins, 2009 - p.6)

There are five different organizational theories: scientific management, classical administration, human relation approach, system approach and contingency approach. For Tasty fried chicken, manager applies the human relation approach theory of Elton Mayo. The human relation approach theory focuses on the important of human factors and its influenceto organization. The main point of this theory is that managers need to understand the workers’feelings and their needs. The manager also needs to reduce the control on his employee.

In order to manage the workforce effectively and gain better results, participatory decisionmaking styles and teamwork are adopted. This approach diverges somewhat from theclassical bureaucratic theories such as Fayol and Weber, and the scientific theory of Taylor,where a more fixed approach is considered. (Dinitzen, 2010 - p.12, 13) Citizen Bank recognizedthat their organization requires a more dynamic theory, and has taken to practice motivational theories and is trying to settle into an adequate and efficient management style through experimentation, which the new manager is required to apply.

2.2  Evaluate different approaches used by the management

Koontz, &Wiehrich (2008, p.17) offer different management approaches. One of these is the

Decision theory approachfocuses on the processes and persons making decisions. Decision making is used as the basis for all activities within, and can help managers to carry out their roles efficiently, and improves communications. On the downside, the focus is too narrow, and does not consider the many different aspects of management.

Another is the Systems approach, which views the organization as a group of interrelated parts with a Single purpose of remaining in equilibrium. (Kriel Et al. 2007) While this approach is most useful in assimilating different parts of an organization and integrating them to the external environment, this is not a novel concept, and cannot be applied universally to each and every situation.

Sociotechnical Systems approach believes that technical system or an organization has great influence on the social system, and focuses on production and operations. The upside of this is that enough attention is given to the technical interactions as well as the people in managing, but the flip side is that it focuses mainly on the lower level operational work of the organization while disregarding the higher levels. (Kriel Et al. 2007)

Contingency approach tries to absorb all the management theories and come up with a unified plan, where managers realize that one fixed approach cannot be used for every situation. It has the advantage of taking into consideration every limitation of the organization and the human resource capabilities in evaluating potential solutions. (Montana &Charnov, 2008).

LO 3: Understand the ways of using motivation theories in the organization

3.1 Discuss the Impact of different leadership styles on employee motivation

Leadership style plays a great role in the motivation of the employees of an organization.[Lussier&Achua 2010, p.69] state that the success of individual careers and organizationsis based on how effectively the leaders behave. The style of the manager leading them wouldcreate a positive or a negative impact on the employees according to the situation.

Different leadership styles in this two organizations impacts the behavior of the employee in different ways. If we look into the autocratic styles of leadership from the managers of the   Citizen bank, it negatively affects the employee. The employees start to think in a segregated way. They feel like they are not the part of the company as they are excluded from the decision taking steps.

On the other hand, the democratic and participative style from the tasty chicken creates a very positive mindset to the mind of the employees, they starts to feel at home because they were included in the decisions making stages. Moreover it ultimately inspires them to do that work with a little bit more passion because they know at the end of the day it is their families work not others.

3.2 Compare the application of different motivational theories within the workplace

To create a better and competitive workplace, managers try to follow different motivational theories. There are different motivational theories in attaining this end. According to Mullins (2007), motivation is an individual phenomenon, multifaceted andintentional. Some of them are discussed below:

Maslow'shierarchy of needs: It is based on the humanistic approach that people tend to fulfill different needs at different levels, which is arranged as a pyramid shaped model. The bottomwhere the bottom has physiological (deficiency needs) and the top has growth needs such assatisfaction. (DuBrin, 2009, p.375)

By applying this to the Citizen Bank situation, the managementcould first try to satisfy all employee needs on good workplace conditions and safety, andthen move up on hierarchy by meeting the social needs of interaction and team building,together with applying a strong culture. Finally, the self-actualization needs of growth anddevelopment of employees could be looked into, to increase their motivation further.

                                   

Image: Maslow'shierarchy of needs

Equity theory: John Stacey Adams' equity theory helps explain why pay and conditions alone don't determine motivation. It also explains why giving one person a promotion or pay rise can have a demotivating effect on others.

When people feel fairly or advantageously treated they are more likely to be motivated; when they feel unfairly treated they are highly prone to feelings of disaffection and demotivation.

Expectancy theory of motivation: Expectancy theory of motivation emphasizes the mental processes regarding choice, or choosing. It looks at self -interest in the alignment of rewards with people's wants and the connections among expected behaviors, rewards and organizational goals.

For organizations, it helps them to relate rewards directly to performance and to ensure that the rewards provided are those rewards deserved and wanted by the recipients.

Herzberg's motivation theory

Herzberg's hygiene factors vs. motivators workplace motivation theory is one of the most empirical and compelling theories about motivation. It's the only motivational theory that splits out demotivatingfactors from true motivators; it introduces the concept of movement vs. motivation. And it's produced more replications than any other research in the history of industrial and organizational psychology.

Herzberg researched hundreds of employees and companies and determined that most companies use what he unceremoniously refers to as KITA, under the erroneous belief that it will motivate their employees.

3.3 Evaluate the usefulness if motivation theory for managers

A motivation theory could be used to gain better performance .Managers from both of the organizations could try using Herzberg's two factor theory to ensure that his employee's needs are being met adequately. This would increase the productivity of the bank due to increasing employee satisfaction. Another thing that could be done for easier problem solving is to consider the motivational needs in the pyramidal form, to see which should come first. The remuneration could be tied to performance, and extra work and new ideas could be given special recognition in line with the achievement motivation theory. The manager's benefits could in turn be tied to the overall performance to ensure that he will be enthusiastic in making a positive change at the supermarket. A motivational theory would be highly valuable in transforming the attitudes and behaviors of the staff, and bring in even better performance from them to increase profits and customer loyalty.

Lo 4: Understand the mechanism for developing effective team work in the organizations

4.1 explain the nature of group and group behavior within the organization

Work is a group-based activity and if the organization is to function effectively it requires good teamwork. Groups exert influence over its membership, and managers must utilize thisin order to achieve a high standard of work and increase effectiveness. (Mullins, 2007) Themembers of a group have a common goal, and are interdependent on each other. The humanrelations approach to management considers this social construct as an important factor.Group pressure and acceptance may be even stronger incentives than salary. (Fox, 2006)Organizations are pluralistic in nature, and there may be different interest groups who will notnecessarily share the managements view on matters. The two major functions of groups are Task (collecting information, making decisions etc.) and Maintenance (standard setting,clarifying, cooperating etc.)

4.2 Discuss the factors that may promote or inhibit the development of effective team work within the organization

French & Bell (2006, p.27) say that the interest in teamwork has increased in the recent past, and there is added pressure to develop self-managed and directed teams to improve quality,flexibility and employee morale. Many factors such as physical, social and psychologicalmake people different from one another, and this may cause difficulties in teambuildingeffectively. Similar interests and backgrounds among the team members would cause thecohesiveness of the group to increase, and increase the chances of success within the group.Similarity in background would pave way for more empathy and understanding among theteam-members. The stability and permanency of the team too, plays some role in this. Amore permanent team would be more likely to get on well with each other. Similar skill levelsand training are also positive contributors in helping the teams to get along.

4.3 Evaluate the impact of the technology on team functioning within a given organization

Like other factors, usages of the technology also have sheer impact over the functioning of the team. With the growing of the technology, many scientific tools have been invented to facilitate the journey of the team work. Tools like video conferencing facilitates the disposal of the time and the place barrier for Taking down the team work with a bit more effectively and efficiently.

The most vibrant impact of technology over team work have been noticed after the innovation of the software like workstation which helps the members of the team exchanging the ideas for taking a new decisions. Now team members also could put input in decisions making procedures.

Conclusion

Organizational behavior is a multifaceted discipline which is very important in managing abusiness effectively in today's dynamic global environment. Motivational theories, leadershipstyles, and factors affecting individual behavior must be carefully studied and applied to find an equilibrium that fits well to an individual organization. Technology, groups, and teamworkalso play and important part in this context. It is the role of the management to create awork culture and structure that allows the employees to contribute their best for theorganization, while allowing them to achieve personal growth and satisfaction at the sametime.

 

References

1.  http://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/organizational-behavior.asp#ixzz3ttKAHXjA Accessed at 01.12.2015

2.      http://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/organizational-structure.asp#ixzz3ttQkLn34Accessed at 01.12.2015

3.      http://www.managementstudyguide.com/factors-affecting-employee-behaviour.htm Accessed at 08.12.2015

4.      http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/leadership.html.  Accessed at 09.12.2015

5.      Crippen A (2010) CNBC (online) available www.cmbc,comAccessed at 09.12.2015

6.      Robbins, s & Judge T (2008) essential of organizing behaviors. New jersey : Pearson Hall 

7.      AnnonGlassdor , (online) , available http: glassdoor,com.  Accessed 10.12,2015

8.      Mullins, L (2007)  management and organizational behavior: Pearson hall 

9.      French, W  & Bell , C (1984) Organizational Behavior : behavior science intervention for organization development

10.  Smith, M. ET. Al  introducing organization behaviors (2009)