Master of Business Administration-MBA Semester 1

MB0038 – Management Process and Organization Behavior

Assignment Set- 1
Q.1 Write a note on the managerial roles and skills.

Answer: According to Mintzberg (1973), managerial roles are as follows:

1. Informational roles
2. Decisional roles
3. Interpersonal roles

1. Informational roles: This involves the role of assimilating and disseminating information as and
when required. Following are the main sub-roles, which managers often perform:
a. Monitor – collecting information from organizations, both from inside and outside of the
organization
b. Disseminator – communicating information to organizational members
c. Spokesperson – representing the organization to outsiders

2. Decisional roles: It involves decision making. Again, this role can be sub-divided in to the
following:
a. Entrepreneur – initiating new ideas to improve organizational performance
b. Disturbance handlers – taking corrective action to cope with adverse situation
c. Resource allocators – allocating human, physical, and monetary resources
d. Negotiator – negotiating with trade unions, or any other stakeholders

3. Inter`personal roles: This role involves activities with people working in the organization. This is
supportive role for informational and decisional roles. Interpersonal roles can be categorized under
three sub-headings:
a. Figurehead – Ceremonial and symbolic role
b. Leadership – leading organization in terms of recruiting, motivating etc.
c. Liaison – liasoning with external bodies and public relations activities.

Management Skills: Katz (1974) has identified three essential management skills: technical,
human, and conceptual.

Technical skills: The ability is to apply specialized knowledge or expertise. All jobs require some
specialized expertise, and many people develop their technical skills on the job. Vocational and on-
the-job training programs can be used to develop this type of skill.
Human Skill: This is the ability to work with, understand and motivate other people (both individually
and a group). This requires sensitivity towards others issues and concerns. People, who are
proficient in technical skill, but not with interpersonal skills, may face difficulty to manage their
subordinates. To acquire the Human Skill, it is pertinent to recognize the feelings and sentiments of
others, ability to motivate others even in adverse situation, and communicate own feelings to others
in a positive and inspiring way.

Conceptual Skill: This is an ability to critically analyze, diagnose a situation and forward a feasible
solution. It requires creative thinking, generating options and choosing the best available option.

Q.2 Discuss the methods of shaping behavior in detail.

ANSWER: Shaping Behavior

When a systematic attempt is made to change individuals’ behavior by directing their learning in
graduated steps, it is called shaping behavior. There are four methods of Shaping Behavior. They
are as follows:
1. Positive reinforcement – This is the process of getting something pleasant as a consequence of
a desired behavior, to strengthen the same behavior. For example, one get a commission, if he/she
achieves sales target.
For example,
i) Bonuses paid at the end of a successful business year are an example of positive reinforcement.
ii) Employees will work hard for a raise or a promotion.
iii) Salesmen will increase their efforts to get rewards and bonuses.
iv) Students will study to get good grades, and
v) In these examples, the rises, promotions, awards, bonuses, good grades, are positive reinforces.

2. Negative reinforcement – This is the process of having a reward taken away as a consequence
of a undesired behavior. For example, scholarship is withdrawn from the student who has not done
well on the examination. Just as people engage in behaviors in order to get positive reinforces, they
also engage in behaviors to avoid or escape unpleasant conditions. Terminating an unpleasant
stimulus in order to strengthen or increase the probability of a response is called negative
reinforcement.

3. Undesirable behavior - Punishment is causing an unpleasant condition in an attempt to eliminate

an undesirable behavior. This is the process of getting a punishment as a consequence of a
behavior.
According to B. F. Skinner, punishment is still the most common technique of behavior control in
today’s life. When a child misbehaves, he is spanked. If a person does not behave as the society or
law wants him to do, he is punished by arrest and jail.
Example: Loss of pay for coming late to office. Punishment can be accomplished either by adding an
unpleasant stimulus or removing a pleasant stimulus. The added unpleasant stimulus might take the
form of criticism, a scolding, a disapproving look, a fine, or a prison sentence. The removal of a
pleasant stimulus might consist of withholding affection and attention, suspending a driver’s license,
or taking away a privilege such as watching television.
Accordingly, in situations where punishment is desirable as a means of behavior modification,
certain guidelines would make it more effective thus minimizing its dysfunctional consequences.
a) Praise in public; punish in private.
b) Apply punishment before the undesirable behavior has been strongly reinforced. Thus, the
punishment should immediately follow the undesirable behavior.

c) The punishment should focus on the behaviour and not on the person.

4. Extinction – An alternative to punishing undesirable behavior is extension – the attempt to

weaken behavior by attaching no consequences (either positive or negative) to it. It is equivalent to
ignoring the behavior. The rationale for using extinction is that a behavior not followed by any
consequence is weakened. However, some patience and time may be needed for it to be effective.
This type of reinforcement is applied to reduce undesirable behavior, especially when such
behaviors were previously rewarded. This means that if rewards were removed from behavior’s that
were previously reinforced, then such behavior’s would become less frequent and eventually die out.
For example, if a student in the class is highly mischievous and disturbs the class, he is probably
asking for attention. If .the attention is given to him, he will continue to exhibit that behavior.
Both positive and negative reinforcement result in learning. They strengthen a response and
increase the probability of repetition. Both punishment and extinction weaken behavior and tend to
decrease its subsequent frequency.

Q.3 Explain the classification of personality types given by Myers –Briggs

Answer:The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The MBTI classifies human beings into four opposite pairs (dichotomies), base on their
psychological opposites. These four opposite pairs result into 16 possible combinations. In MBTI,
Individuals are classified as (McCrae and Costa, 1989) :
a. Extroverted or introverted (E or I).
b. Sensing or intuitive (S or N).
c. Thinking or feeling (T or F).
d. Perceiving or judging (P or J).
• These classifications are then combined into sixteen personality types. For example:
a. INTJs are visionaries. They usually have original minds and great drive for their own ideas and
purposes. They are characterized as skeptical, critical, independent, determined, and often
stubborn.
b. ESTJs are organizers. They are realistic, logical, analytical, decisive, and have a natural head for
business or mechanics. They like to organize and run activities.
c. The ENTP type is a conceptualizer. He or she is innovative, individualistic, versatile, and attracted
to entrepreneurial ideas. This person tends to be resourceful in solving challenging problems but
may neglect routine assignments.
Q.4 What are the factors influencing perception?

Answer: Factors Influencing Perception

Perception is our sensory experience of the world around us and involves both the recognition of
environmental stimuli and actions in response to these stimuli. Through the perceptual process, we
gain information about properties and elements of the environment that are critical to our survival.
Perception not only creates our experience of the world around us; it allows us to act within our
environment.
A number of factors operate to shape and sometimes distort perception. These factors can reside:
i) In the perceiver.
ii) In the object or target being perceived or
iii) In the context of the situation in which the perception is made.
1. Characteristics of the Perceiver: Several characteristics of the perceiver can affect perception.
When an individual looks at a target and attempts to interpret what he or she stands for, that
interpretation is heavily influenced by personal characteristics of the individual perceiver. The major
characteristics of the perceiver influencing perception are:
a) Attitudes: The perceiver’s attitudes affect perception. For example, suppose Mr. X is interviewing
candidates for a very important position in his organization – a position that requires negotiating
contracts with suppliers, most of whom are male. Mr X may feel that women are not capable of
holding their own in tough negotiations. This attitude will doubtless affect his perceptions of the
female candidates he interviews.
b) Moods: Moods can have a strong influence on the way we perceive someone. We think differently
when we are happy than we do when we are depressed. In addition, we remember information that
is consistent with our mood state better than information that is inconsistent with our mood state.
When in a positive mood, we form more positive impressions of others. When in a negative mood,
we tend to evaluate others unfavourably.
c) Motives: Unsatisfied needs or motives stimulate individuals and may exert a strong influence on
their perceptions. For example, in an organizational context, a boss who is insecure perceives a
subordinate’s efforts to do an outstanding job as a threat to his or her own position. Personal
insecurity can be translated into the perception that others are out to "get my job", regardless of the
intention of the subordinates.
d) Self-Concept: Another factor that can affect social perception is the perceivers’ self-concept. An
individual with a positive self-concept tends to notice positive attributes in another person. In
contrast, a negative self-concept can lead a perceiver to pick out negative traits in another person.
Greater understanding of self allows us to have more accurate perceptions of others.
e) Interest: The focus of our attention appears to be influenced by our interests. Because our
individual interests differ considerably, what one person notices in a situation can differ from what
others perceive. For example, the supervisor who has just been reprimanded by his boss for coming
late is more likely to notice his colleagues coming late tomorrow than he did last week. If you are
preoccupied with a personal problem, you may find it hard to be attentive in class.
f) Cognitive Structure: Cognitive structure, an individual’s pattern of thinking, also affects perception.
Some people have a tendency to perceive physical traits, such as height, weight, and appearance,
more readily. Others tend to focus more on central traits, or personality dispositions. Cognitive
complexity allows a person to perceive multiple characteristics of another person rather than
attending to just a few traits.
g) Expectations: Finally, expectations can distort your perceptions in that you will see what you
expect to see. The research findings of the study conducted by Sheldon S Zalkind and Timothy W
Costello on some specific characteristics of the perceiver reveal
• Knowing oneself makes it easier to see others accurately.
• One’s own characteristics affect the characteristics one is likely to see in others.
• People who accept themselves are more likely to be able to see favourable aspects of other
people.
• Accuracy in perceiving others is not a single skill.
These four characteristics greatly influence how a person perceives others in the environmental
situation.
Characteristics of the Target: Characteristics in the target that is being observed can affect what is
perceived. Physical appearance plays a big role in our perception of others. Extremely attractive or
unattractive individuals are more likely to be noticed in a group than ordinary looking individuals.
Motion, sound, size and other attributes of a target shape the way we see it.The perceiver will notice
the target’s physical features like height, weight, estimated age, race and gender. Perceivers tend to
notice physical appearance characteristics that contrast with the norm, that are intense, or that are
new or unusual. Physical attractiveness often colours our entire impression of another person.
Interviewers rate attractive candidates more favourably and attractive candidates are awarded
higher starting salaries.
Verbal communication from targets also affects our perception of them. We listen to the topics they
speak about, their voice tone, and their accent and make judgements based on this input. Non-
verbal communication conveys a great deal of information about the target. The perceiver deciphers
eye contact, facial expressions, body movements, and posture all in an attempt to form an
impression of the target .As a result of physical or time proximity, we often put together objects or
events that are unrelated.
For example, employees in a particular department are seen as a group. If two employees of a
department suddenly resign, we tend to assume their departures were related when in fact, they
might be totally unrelated. People, objects or events that are similar to each other also tend to be
grouped together. The greater the similarity, the greater the probability we will tend to perceive them
as a group.
Characteristics of the Situation: The situation in which the interaction between the perceiver and the
target takes place, has an influence on the perceiver’s impression of the target. E.g. meeting a
manager in his or her office affects your impression in a certain way that may contrast with the
impression you would have formed, had you met the manager in a restaurant. The strength of the
situational cues also affects social perception. Some situations provide strong cues as to appropriate
behaviour. In these situations, we assume that ±ie individual’s behaviour can be accounted for by
the situation, and that it may not reflect the individual’s disposition. This is the discounting principle in
social perception. For example, you may encounter an automobile salesperson who has a warm and
personable manner, asks you about your work and hobbies, and seems genuinely interested in your
taste in cars. Can you assume that this behaviour reflects the salesperson’s personality? You
probably cannot, because of the influence of the situation. This person is trying to sell you a car, and
in this particular situation, he probably treats all customers in this manner.

Q.5 Mr. Solanki is the VP- HR of a leading Financial services company. He is having a meeting with Ms.
Ramani leading HR consultant. Mr. Solanki is concerned about creating an environment that helps in
increasing the job satisfaction amongst employees. Assume that you are Ms. Ramani, the HR consultant.
What suggestions you will give to Mr. Solanki, for creating an environment that increases job satisfaction

Answer: Job satisfaction can be influenced by a variety of factors, e.g. the quality of one's
relationship with their supervisor, the quality of the physical environment in which they work, degree
of fulfillment in their work, etc.. Numerous research results show that there are many factors
affecting the job satisfaction. There are particular demographic traits (age, education level, tenure,
position, marital status, years in service, and hours worked per week) of employees that significantly
affect their job satisfaction.

Satisfying factors motivate workers while dissatisfying ones prevent. Motivating factors are
achievement, recognition, the job conducted, responsibility, promotion and the factors related to the
job itself for personal development. Motivating factors in the working environment result in the job
satisfaction of the person while protective ones dissatisfy him/her.

Maslow connects the creation of the existence of people's sense of satisfaction with the
maintenance of the classified needs. These are: physiological needs (eating, drinking, resting, etc.),
security needs (pension, health insurance, etc.), the need to love (good relations with the
environment, friendship, fellowship, to love and to be loved), need to self-esteem (self-confidence,
recognition, adoration, to be given importance, status, etc.) need of self-actualization (maximization
of the latent[potential] power and capacity, development of abilities, etc.) .

Insufficient education, inability to select qualified workers for the job, lack of communications, lack of
job definitions, all affect job satisfaction negatively. It has been asserted that participating in the
management, having the decision making power, independence on the job and the unit where the
individual works, have positive impact upon the job satisfaction. The job itself (the work conducted),
and achievement and recognition at work result in satisfaction while the management policy,
relations with the managers and colleagues result in dissatisfaction. Factors related to the job itself
such as using talents, creativity, responsibility, recognition have influence on the job satisfaction.

Age is one of the factors affecting job satisfaction. Studies conducted in five different countries prove
that the elder workers are more satisfied . Kose has also found a meaningful relation between the
age and job satisfaction.

There is a strong connection between feeling secure and saying one is satisfied with a job. People
who state their job is secure have a much larger probability of reporting themselves happy with their
work.

Similarly, by some researchers, sex is also found to have an influence on job satisfaction. Besides,
Wahba has found out that male librarians give more importance to personal development and free
decision making in their jobs than the female librarians, and the female librarians are more
dissatisfied than the male librarians.

Job satisfaction and devotion to the job, affected each other reciprocally, and they have great impact
upon performance. The most significant of the factors affecting performance are economical,
technical, socio-political, cultural and demographical ones .

However, most efforts to improve performance seem to center on improving the conditions
surrounding the work. These are worthwhile efforts, but they usually result only in short-term
improvements in attitudes and productivity, and the situation often returns quickly to normal .

There is no strong acceptance among researchers, consultants, etc., that increased job satisfaction
produces improve job performance -- in fact, improved job satisfaction can sometimes decrease job
performance. For example, you could let workers sometime sit around all day and do nothing. That
may make them more satisfied with their "work" in the short run, but their performance certainly
doesn't improve. The individual's willingness to get a result, his/her endeavour and expectation of
maintaining the result will push him/her to show the highest performance.

Job satisfaction varies a lot. (Researches suggests, the higher the prestige of the job, the greater the
job satisfaction). But, many workers are satisfied in even the least prestigious jobs. They simply like
what they do. Most workers like their work if they have little supervision. The least satisfied workers
are those in service occupations and managers that work for others. Ethnic and religious orientation
is associated to work attitudes, and job satisfaction is related to education.

The difference between the results that the individual desire and those s/he maintained will affect
his/her satisfaction . There is a consistent relationship between the professional status and the job
satisfaction. High levels of job satisfaction are observed in those professions which are deemed of
good standing in the society.

The workers usually compare their working conditions with the conditions of the society, under the
variable of social conditions. If the social conditions are worse than the individual's working
conditions, then this will result in satisfaction of the individual, as the workers deem themselves
relatively in good position.

No meaningful relationship between the job satisfaction and age, professional experience, education
level, level of wage, sex and professional group was found. On the contrary, professional experience
has been claimed to increase job satisfaction.

Q.6 Given below is the HR policy glimpse of the “VARK-LEARNING” a learning and training solutions
company
1. It offers cash rewards for staff members
2. It promotes the culture of employee referral and encourages people to refer people they know may
be their friends, ex. Colleagues batch mates, relatives.
3. What all needs do it takes care off according to maslow’s need hierarchy
4. It recognizes good performances and give fancy titles and jackets to the people who perform well and
also felicitates them in the Annual Day of the company.
What all aspects does it takes care of according to the Maslow’s Need Hierarchy ?

Answer:
Maslow is a humanistic psychologist. Humanists do not believe that human beings are pushed and
pulled by mechanical forces, either of stimuli and reinforcements (behaviorism) or of unconscious
instinctual impulses (psychoanalysis). Humanists focus upon potentials. They believe that humans
strive for an upper level of capabilities. Humans seek the frontiers of creativity, the highest reaches
of consciousness and wisdom. This has been labeled "fully functioning person", "healthy
personality", or as Maslow calls this level, "self-actualizing person."

Maslow has set up a hierarchic theory of needs. All of his basic needs are instinctoid, equivalent of
instincts in animals. Humans start with a very weak disposition that is then fashioned fully as the
person grows. If the environment is right, people will grow straight and beautiful, actualizing the
potentials they have inherited. If the environment is not "right" (and mostly it is not) they will not grow
tall and straight and beautiful.

Maslow has set up a hierarchy of five levels of basic needs. Beyond these needs, higher levels of
needs exist. These include needs for understanding, esthetic appreciation and purely spiritual
needs. In the levels of the five basic needs, the person does not feel the second need until the
demands of the first have been satisfied, nor the third until the second has been satisfied, and so on.
Maslow's basic needs are as follows:

Physiological Needs

These are biological needs. They consist of needs for oxygen, food, water, and a relatively constant
body temperature. They are the strongest needs because if a person were deprived of all needs, the
physiological ones would come first in the person's search for satisfaction.

Safety Needs

When all physiological needs are satisfied and are no longer controlling thoughts and behaviors, the
needs for security can become active. Adults have little awareness of their security needs except in
times of emergency or periods of disorganization in the social structure (such as widespread rioting).
Children often display the signs of insecurity and the need to be safe.

Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness

When the needs for safety and for physiological well-being are satisfied, the next class of needs for
love, affection and belongingness can emerge. Maslow states that people seek to overcome feelings
of loneliness and alienation. This involves both giving and receiving love, affection and the sense of
belonging.

Needs for Esteem

When the first three classes of needs are satisfied, the needs for esteem can become dominant.
These involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem a person gets from others. Humans
have a need for a stable, firmly based, high level of self-respect, and respect from others. When
these needs are satisfied, the person feels self-confident and valuable as a person in the world.
When these needs are frustrated, the person feels inferior, weak, helpless and worthless.

Needs for Self-Actualization

When all of the foregoing needs are satisfied, then and only then are the needs for self-actualization
activated. Maslow describes self-actualization as a person's need to be and do that which the person
was "born to do." "A musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a poet must write." These
needs make themselves felt in signs of restlessness. The person feels on edge, tense, lacking
something, in short, restless. If a person is hungry, unsafe, not loved or accepted, or lacking self-
esteem, it is very easy to know what the person is restless about. It is not always clear what a
person wants when there is a need for self-actualization.

The hierarchic theory is often represented as a pyramid, with the larger, lower levels representing
the lower needs, and the upper point representing the need for self-actualization. Maslow believes
that the only reason that people would not move well in direction of self-actualization is because of
hindrances placed in their way by society. He states that education is one of these hindrances. He
recommends ways education can switch from its usual person-stunting tactics to person-growing
approaches. Maslow states that educators should respond to the potential an individual has for
growing into a self-actualizing person of his/her own kind. Ten points that educators should address
are listed:

1. We should teach people to be authentic, to be aware of their inner selves and to hear their inner-
feeling voices.

2. We should teach people to transcend their cultural conditioning and become world citizens.

3. We should help people discover their vocation in life, their calling, fate or destiny. This is
especially focused on finding the right career and the right mate.

4. We should teach people that life is precious, that there is joy to be experienced in life, and if
people are open to seeing the good and joyous in all kinds of situations, it makes life worth living.

5. We must accept the person as he or she is and help the person learn their inner nature. From real
knowledge of aptitudes and limitations we can know what to build upon, what potentials are really
there.

6. We must see that the person's basic needs are satisfied. This includes safety, belongingness, and
esteem needs.

7. We should refreshen consciousness, teaching the person to appreciate beauty and the other good
things in nature and in living.

8. We should teach people that controls are good, and complete abandon is bad. It takes control to
improve the quality of life in all areas.

9. We should teach people to transcend the trifling problems and grapple with the serious problems
in life. These include the problems of injustice, of pain, suffering, and death.

10. We must teach people to be good choosers. They must be given practice in making good
choices.
Assignment Set- 2

Q.1 Write a note on classical era for evolution of Organization behaviour.

Q.2 . What is groupthink. Explain.

The goal of most research on group development is to learn why and how small groups change over
time. To do this, researchers examine patterns of change and continuity in groups over time.
Aspects of a group that might be studied include the quality of the output produced by a group, the
type and frequency of its activities, its cohesiveness, the existence of conflict, etc.
Tuckman's Stages model
Bruce Tuckman reviewed about fifty studies of group development (including Bales' model) in the
mid-sixties and synthesized their commonalities in one of the most frequently cited models of group
development (Tuckman, 1965). The model describes four linear stages (forming, storming, norming,
and performing) that a group will go through in its unitary sequence of decision making. A fifth stage
(adjourning) was added in 1977 when a new set of studies were reviewed (Tuckman & Jensen,
1977).
Forming: Group members learn about each other and the task at hand. Indicators of this stage might
include: Unclear objectives, Uninvolvement, Uncommitted members, Confusion, Low morale, Hidden
feelings, Poor listening, etc.
Storming: As group members continue to work, they will engage each other in arguments about the
structure of the group which often are significantly emotional and illustrate a struggle for status in the
group. These activities mark the storming phase: Lack of cohesion, Subjectivity, Hidden agendas,
Conflicts, Confrontation, Volatility, Resentment, anger, Inconsistency, Failure.
Norming: Group members establish implicit or explicit rules about how they will achieve their goal.
They address the types of communication that will or will not help with the task. Indicators include:
Questioning performance, Reviewing/clarify objective, Changing/confirming roles, Opening risky
issues, Assertiveness, Listening, Testing new ground, Identifying strengths and weaknesses.
Performing: Groups reach a conclusion and implement the solution to their issue. Indicators include:
Creativity, Initiative, Flexibility, Open relationships, Pride, Concern for people, Learning, Confidence,
High morale, Success, etc.
Adjourning: As the group project ends, the group disbands in the adjournment phase. This phase
was added when Tuckman and Jensen's updated their original review of the literature in 1977.
Each of the four stages in the Forming-storming-norming-performing-adjourning model proposed by
Tuckman involves two aspects: interpersonal relationships and task behaviors. Such a distinction is
similar to Bales' (1950) equilibrium model which states that a group continuously divides its attention
between instrumental (task-related) needs and expressive

Q.3 Explain the process of negotiation.

Q.4 The environmental stressors have a great impact on work performance and adjustment of the
individual in an organization. Discuss the different categories of environmental stressors.

ANS: It must be noted that stress factors are subjective and what one person may find stressful,
others may not necessarily experience as negatively. The way in which we experience and react to
stress is described as an emotional condition which triggers physical, psychological and emotional
responses from the individual.
Formally, a stressor is defined as an event or context that elevates adrenaline and triggers the stress
response which results in the body being thrown out of balance as it is forced to respond.

Examples of Stress Triggers

• Environmental stressors (elevated sound levels, over-illumination, overcrowding)

• Daily stress events (e.g. traffic, lost keys)
• Life changes (e.g. divorce, bereavement)
• Workplace stressors (e.g. role strain, lack of control)
Stressors usually fall into one of four categories:
• Internal stressors - these we carry around inside of us. They are self owned stressors. These
stressors may range from the posture we adapt, to addictions and assessment of life/personal
satisfaction or simply not getting enough sleep.
• External stressors - these are the stressors in the environments in which we operate and will range
from parental pressure, to work pressure, to role pressure, to household pressure, traffic, crime etc.
• Hidden stressors - these are factors which cause stress but where the underlying cause is difficult
to identify. It often results in conflicting feelings and a sense of an inappropriate reaction or response
to a situation. For example underdeveloped emotional intelligence where self-awareness is not
apparent.
• Obvious stressors - there are also those situations which obviously do or are intended to bring
about stress. For example a work deadline would be an imposed obvious stressor where as the
death of a loved one would be un-imposed but an obvious one.

Types of Environmental Stressors

Noise
Research has demonstrated that high levels of background noise can severely impair one’s ability to
concentrate. It has been shown that excessive, intermittent or unpredictable noise can cause tension
and headaches as well as raise people's blood pressure. It can impact concentration and reduce the
ability to perform complex tasks. It can also undermine teamwork, as people in a noisy environment
tend to become more irritable and less willing to help one another.
Solutions to noise at work can involve:
• Arranging to work from a home office.
• Installing partitions or physical barriers to reduce or deaden sound.
• Scheduling work tasks so that those requiring the most focus can be completed when the
environment is more peaceful.
• Using meeting rooms separate from the main source of noise.
• If all else fails, using earplugs!

Lighting
Poor lighting, such as insufficient light, light that is too bright or light that shines directly into one’s
eyes can cause eye strain and increase fatigue. In addition to lighting conditions, the quality of light
is also important. Most people are happiest in bright daylight. Daylight which measures 10,000 lux
(equivalent to a bright sunny day) is known to trigger a release of chemicals in the body that brings
about a sense of psychological well-being. Unfortunately, most types of artificial light do not seem to
have the same effect on mood. You will probably find that improving the quality of light will also
improve the quality of your working environment. Solutions to poor light conditions at work may
include:
• Arranging work spaces to be near a window.
• Whenever possible, allowing natural light to shine through open doors and windows.
• Trimming bushes that are in front of windows, painting walls with lighter colours, checking into the
possibility of installing skylights.
• Installing brighter light bulbs in work areas or using full-spectrum bulbs in desk lamps.

Poor Air Quality

Research has shown that poor air quality at work can trigger headaches and tiredness, as well as
impair one’s ability to concentrate. A variety of factors can contribute to the problem of poor air
quality, including a high concentration of pollutants in the air, poor air circulation or inadequate
ventilation.
Other sources of poor air quality include smoking, heating and air conditioning systems, ionization by
electrical equipment, overcrowding (too many people in a small space), pollution, solvents or other
chemicals from carpets, furniture or paint, and excess humidity or dryness.
Solutions to poor air quality at work may involve:
• Opening windows.
• Banning smoking indoors.
• Using dehumidifiers when humidity is a problem or humidifiers if it is too dry.
• Introducing plants – not only do plants raise the amount of oxygen in the air and reduce stuffiness,
they also help to absorb pollutants in the air; evaporation of water from plant pots or the plants
themselves will help to raise humidity when the air is too dry.
• Keeping yourself hydrated by drinking water.
Clutter and Disorganization
Another source of environmental stress can be a work environment that is dirty, messy, or
uncomfortable. The distraction of working in an area that is disorganized, untidy and chaotic can
make it more difficult to achieve your goals.
Solutions to disorganization can involve:
• Contracting with janitorial services to ensure the workplace is kept clean.
• Developing systems for organizing product, information, and equipment.
• Implementing on- or off-site storage systems.
• Storing or discarding unnecessary furniture, equipment and office products.

Furniture and Ergonomics

Poorly designed furniture, or the improper use of quality furniture, generally contributes to a variety
of aches and pains. The most common of these is backache. Prolonged ergonomic problems can
produce serious injuries. Taking the time to arrange one’s working environment is key to working
comfortably and avoiding injury.
Solutions to ergonomic concerns at work may involve:
• Ensuring that office chairs are properly adjusted to reduce the risk of injury to the body.
• Arranging computer work stations so that correct postures are used when working with the monitor,
keyboard, mouse, and documents.
• Organizing work materials and accessories to improve efficiency and reduce the distance and
frequency of reaches.
• Organizing your workday to include tasks, breaks and exercises that allow you to vary your
posture, rest your muscles and prevent muscle tension or soreness.
• Consulting with a professional who can give you expert advice, as often the ideal solution may not
be immediately obvious.

Stress and performance

For the most part, people view stress as a negative factor. Stress however is only negative when it is
excessive, unmanaged and results in adverse symptoms and experiences. Some of the negative
consequences include:

• Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed

• Apathy, loss of interest in work or other activities
• Problems sleeping
• Fatigue,
• Trouble concentrating • Muscle tension or headaches
• Stomach problems
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of sex drive
• Using alcohol or drugs to cope

It is clear that with these symptoms the individual's performance at work, home and in social settings
will be adversely affected. Negative stress also seems to have a self-building facet where once
stressed, additional factors just keep contributing to the stress and increase the stress levels while
decreasing performance and functioning.

Q.5 Given below are certain instances observed by the summer trainee – Ritu, while making an
observational study at GlobalGreen consultants. An organization dealing with recycling of plastic
products waste etc. She makes the following observation about two key people in the organization.
1. Mr. Patnayak – He is a very friendly person and encourages his team members by giving those
recommendations and appreciations. This helps HR to decide about giving a bonus or promotion to
employees.
2. Mr. Dutta - He is an aggressive person. He frequently loses his temper. Ritu observes that he
frequently punishes the non-performers and also give them warnings regarding suspension etc.
Now explain what base of power does Mr. Patnayak and Mr. Dutta belongs to. Explain the type of power
they use often

ANS:
Ten Types of Power
1. Position. Some measure of power is conferred on the basis of one’s formal position in an
organization. For example, a marketing manager can influence the decisions that affect the
marketing department. However, the marketing manager has little power to influence the decisions
that affect the finance department.

2. Knowledge or expertise. People who have knowledge or expertise can wield tremendous power.
Of course, knowledge in itself is not powerful. It is the use of knowledge and expertise that confers
power. Thus, you could be an incredibly bright person and still be powerless.

3. Character or ethics. The more trustworthy individuals are, the more power they have in
negotiations. The big issue here is whether they do what they say they are going to do—even when
they no longer feel like doing it.

4. Rewards. People who are able to bestow rewards or perceived rewards hold power. Supervisors,
with their ability to give raises, hold power over employees. Money can have power. But money, like
anything else, holds very little power if it is not distributed.

5. Punishment. Those who have the ability to create a negative outcome for a counterpart have the
power of punishment. Managers who have the authority to reprimand and fire employees hold this
type of power. State troopers and highway patrol officers who have the ability to give out speeding
tickets also have this power.

6. Gender. Dealing with someone of the opposite sex can confer power. We have videotaped many
negotiation case studies in which the turning point came when a woman casually touched a man’s
hand or arm to make her point.
7. Powerlessness. In some instances, giving up all power can be very powerful. If a kidnapper
threatens a hostage with death enough times, the hostage may just challenge the kidnapper to go
ahead and kill him. At the point that the hostage gives up power, or control over his own death, the
kidnapper actually loses power.

8. Charisma or personal power. When we ask participants in our seminars for examples of leaders
who have had charisma or personal power, invariably the names of Mother Teresa, John F.
Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan come up. When we ask, “What do all three of these leaders have in
common?” participants usually respond, “Passion and confidence in what they believe in.”

9. Lack of interest or desire. In negotiations, as in many other areas of life, the side with the least
interest in what is being negotiated holds the most power. If you are buying a house and you really
do not care if you purchase the house you are currently negotiating for or the one down the street,
you will most likely hold more power in the negotiation—unless, of course, the sellers could care less
if they sell the house today or live in it for another ten years!

10. Craziness. This may sound funny, but bizarre or irrational behavior can confer a tremendous
amount of power. Every organization has someone who blows up or behaves irrationally when
confronted with problems. Those who have been exposed to this type of behavior tend to avoid such
individuals. As a result, these individuals are not given many tasks to accomplish because others are
afraid to ask them.
Leadership style influence level of motivation. However, throughout a lifetime, man’s motivation is
influenced by changing ambitions and/or leadership style he works under or socializes with.
Command-and-control leadership drains off ambition while worker responsibility increases ambition.
Leadership Style versus Motivation
Leadership Style Motivation Type Motivation is Based on: Personality Type Efficiency
Limited supervision
Worker with decision making responsibility Self motivated Creativity Leader of ideas or people.
Independent
Achiever
Thrives on change High
Team motivated
Mixed styles Goal motivated Opportunity Personality type and efficiency depends on leader's skill
and/or the work environment he's created.
Reward motivated Materialism
Recognition motivated Social status
High level of supervision
Command-and-control Peer motivated To be like others Status quo
Dependency
Resist change Low
Authority motivated Follows policy
Threat, fear motivated Reacts to force
• Self-motivated or visionaries will not accept authority controlled environments. They will find a way
to escape if trapped.
• In a team-motivated environment, dependency types will become inspired and strive to be
acceptable with independent thinking coworkers.
• Associates influence the level of individual motivation.
Reaction to Change
Command-and-control leadership is the primary style in our society. It is accepted because
efficiency is created by repetitive action, teaching people to resist change. Once acquiring a skill,
they do not want to learn another. The worker adapts to level three with an occasional trip to level
two.
Worker responsibility is just the opposite, it motivates people to thrive on change by seeking
challenges, finding ways to achieve goals. Level one is the leader of changing technology, finding
ways to create efficiency. (Click on image)

Reaction to Efficiency
The efficiency of advancing technology is forcing change. It is up to the individual or business to
decide which side of change they want to be on, the leading edge or trailing edge. The leading edge
is exciting while the trailing edge is a drag. Playing catch-up drains motivation while leaders of
change inspire motivation.
With today’s changing technology, an individual must be willing to abandoned old skills and learn
new ones. The ability to adapt is achieved through self-development programs. Because level one
thrives on change, they adapt to whatever methods gets things done with the least amount of effort.
This brings us to work habits.
In level one, management and front line workers, together, are searching for ways to solve and
prevent problems. Decisions are made on the front line where alternative methods are analyzed.
Being able to prevent problems is a motivating force. In level three management makes all decision,
as a result, management must find ways to solve all problems and find alternative methods. Front
line employees may be aware conflicts, but they don’t have the authority to take action and have
learned not to be concerned. Supervisors are only concerned with elements that management thinks
are important.
Under command-and-control leadership, management considers the opinions or concerns of people
on the front line to be trivial. As a result, management takes action only when problems become too
big to ignore. If workers have conflicts with their supervisors, they will find ways to increase the
magnitude of problems, creating a combative environment. A downward spiral of management
implementing more control and workers resisting control develop. Under worker responsibility,
management and workers unite to prevent or solve problems.
Team Motivated
Elementary problems are prevented or solved at the source. Getting the job done is the primary goal
of management and workers. Dependency of Authority
Elementary are dealt with by management when large enough to be recognized. Abused Workers
Lack of leadership skills and the desire for power creates elementary problems. Managers focus on
worker control. Getting the job done is down the list. Workers goal is to find ways to do little as
possible.
Command and Control Leadership - Problems are always out of control.
Reaction to Learning Habits
In level two, young workers are establishing work habits, developing attitudes and learning a
professional skill. Out of training and on the job, motivation level will depend on the leadership style
they work under. Under command-and-control leadership, ambitions will be associated with
maintaining the status quo. Under worker responsibility, ambitions will be associated with
opportunity. They will continually expand their skills as the need or as opportunity arises.
Reaction to Goals
Self-motivated people are goal motivated. Once they conquer one goal, they establish another.
Every goal is a learning process that requires all the elements in level one. Companies that attract
and keep this type of person stay on the leading edge of technology. The CEO is a visionary in
customer service and employee leadership. The employees' goals are the same as the CEO’s.
If the CEO desires control, then he will lead in such a way that trains subordinates to lead by control.
As a result, the employees' goals are quitting time and payday.
Reaction to Recognition
Recognition is important; it builds positive self-esteem. By itself, its benefits are short lived. Long-
term benefits are achieved when the employee feels the job could not have been done without them.
This means they were faced with a challenge, which means, they had the responsibility and authority
to take action. This environment is found in level one.
Self Motivated Projects
Self-motivated projects' is the ability to start and finish what one has started. Most people, working
alone, do not finish what they start.
The ability to finish challenging projects is the secret to being a winner. First requirement is interest,
then asking questions which inspires' the learning process. With information, a challenge is
presented and a goal set. When action is taken, the barriers of persistence, risk, fear and failure
become a challenge by itself.
Self-motivated projects are difficult because no one cares if they succeed, which is another barrier.
This is why most people quit before they get a good start. People, who find ways to overcome
barriers and hang in there, are the winners. They develop skills and confidence, which are required
steps to larger projects.
Team Motivated Projects
Everyone can be inspired to achievement in a team-motivated environment. With a common goal,
team members support each other until success is achieved. In this environment, others do care and
team members are needed for achieving the goal. For this reason, team motivation is extremely
powerful. The exchange of ideas, information and testing the results, adds to the motivating force.
As a result, each member seeks to be a leader of quality input.
Q.6 “Fashion4Now” is a famous and old magazine. The top management decides to start the e- edition
of the magazine.
They also decide the redefine the policies and culture of window to truth’
To start implementing, this change, they frequently call meetings of employees. They have also formed
groups at different levels to clarify doubts and explain the perspective of change.
Analyze the situation in the context of organizational change and elaborate why the top management is
following the discussed practices and what approach is most evident in the context.

Answer:
Typically, the concept of organizational change is in regard to organization-wide change, as opposed
to smaller changes such as adding a new person, modifying a program, etc. Examples of
organization-wide change might include a change in mission, restructuring operations (e.g.,
restructuring to self-managed teams, layoffs, etc.), new technologies, mergers, major collaborations,
"rightsizing", new programs such as Total Quality Management, re-engineering, etc. Some experts
refer to organizational transformation. Often this term designates a fundamental and radical
reorientation in the way the organization operates.
The levels of organizational change
Perhaps the most difficult decision to make is at what "level" to start. There are four levels of
organizational change:
First let's describe these levels, and then under what circumstances a business should use them.
Level 1- shaping and anticipating the future
At this level, organizations start out with few assumptions about the business itself, what it is "good"
at, and what the future will be like.
Management generates alternate "scenarios" of the future, defines opportunities based on these
possible futures, assesses its strengths and weaknesses in these scenarios changes its mission,
measurement system etc. More information on this is in the next article, "Moving from the Future to
your Strategy."
Level 2 - defining what business(es) to be in and their "Core Competencies
Many attempts at strategic planning start at this level, either assuming that 1) the future will be like
the past or at least predictable; 2) the future is embodied in the CEO's "vision for the future"; or 3)
management doesn't know where else to start; 4) management is too afraid to start at level 1
because of the changes needed to really meet future requirements; or 5) the only mandate they
have is to refine what mission already exists.
After a mission has been defined and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)
analysis is completed, an organization can then define its measures, goals, strategies, etc. More
information on this is in the next article, "Moving from the Future to your Strategy."
Level 3 - Reengineering (Structurally Changing) Your Processes
Either as an aftermath or consequence of level one or two work or as an independent action, level
three work focuses on fundamentally changing how work is accomplished. Rather than focus on
modest improvements, reengineering focuses on making major structural changes to everyday with
the goal of substantially improving productivity, efficiency, quality or customer satisfaction. To read
more about level 3 organizational changes, please see "A Tale of Three Villages."
Level 4 - Incrementally Changing your Processes
Level 4 organizational changes are focusing in making many small changes to existing work
processes. Oftentimes organizations put in considerable effort into getting every employee focused
on making these small changes, often with considerable effect. Unfortunately, making improvements
on how a buggy whip for horse-drawn carriages is made will rarely come up with the idea that buggy
whips are no longer necessary because cars have been invented. To read more about level 4
organizational changes and how it compares to level 3, please see "A Tale of Three Villages."
Some General Guidelines to Organization-Wide Change
1. Consider using a consultant. Ensure the consultant is highly experienced in organization-wide
change. Ask to see references and check the references.
2. Widely communicate the potential need for change. Communicate what you're doing about it.
Communicate what was done and how it worked out.
3. Get as much feedback as practical from employees, including what they think are the problems
and what should be done to resolve them. If possible, work with a team of employees to manage the
change.
4. Don't get wrapped up in doing change for the sake of change. Know why you're making the
change. What goal(s) do you hope to accomplish?
6. Plan the change. How do you plan to reach the goals, what will you need to reach the goals, how
long might it take and how will you know when you've reached your goals or not? Focus on the
coordination of the departments/programs in your organization, not on each part by itself. Have
someone in charge of the plan.
7. End up having every employee ultimately reporting to one person, if possible, and they should
know who that person is. Job descriptions are often complained about, but they are useful in
specifying who reports to whom.
8. Delegate decisions to employees as much as possible. This includes granting them the authority
and responsibility to get the job done. As much as possible, let them decide how to do the project.
9. The process won't be an "aha!" It will take longer than you think.
10. Keep perspective. Keep focused on meeting the needs of your customer or clients.
11. Take care of yourself first. Organization-wide change can be highly stressful.
12. Don't seek to control change, but rather to expect it, understand it and manage it.
13. Include closure in the plan. Acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments.
14. Read some resources about organizational change, including new forms and structures
Q.1 Write a note on classical era for evolution of Organization behaviour.

Answer:
FALL 2010
According to Mintzberg (1973), managerial roles are as follows:
1. Informational roles
2. Decisional roles
3. Interpersonal roles

1. Informational roles: This involves the role of assimilating and disseminating information as and
when required. Following are the main sub-roles, which managers often perform:
a. Monitor – collecting information from organizations, both from inside and outside of the
organization
b. Disseminator – communicating information to organizational members
c. Spokesperson – representing the organization to outsiders
2. Decisional roles: It involves decision making. Again, this role can be sub-divided in to the
following:
a. Entrepreneur – initiating new ideas to improve organizational performance
b. Disturbance handlers – taking corrective action to cope with adverse situation
c. Resource allocators – allocating human, physical, and monetary resources
d. Negotiator – negotiating with trade unions, or any other stakeholders
3. Inter`personal roles: This role involves activities with people working in the organization. This is
supportive role for informational and decisional roles. Interpersonal roles can be categorized under
three sub-headings:
a. Figurehead – Ceremonial and symbolic role
b. Leadership – leading organization in terms of recruiting, motivating etc.
c. Liaison – liasoning with external bodies and public relations activities.

Management Skills: Katz (1974) has identified three essential management skills: technical, human,
and conceptual.
Technical skills: The ability is to apply specialized knowledge or expertise. All jobs require some
specialized expertise, and many people develop their technical skills on the job. Vocational and on-
the-job training programs can be used to develop this type of skill.
Human Skill: This is the ability to work with, understand and motivate other people (both individually
and a group). This requires sensitivity towards others issues and concerns. People, who are
proficient in technical skill, but not with interpersonal skills, may face difficulty to manage their
subordinates. To acquire the Human Skill, it is pertinent to recognize the feelings and sentiments of
others, ability to motivate others even in adverse situation, and communicate own feelings to others
in a positive and inspiring way.
Conceptual Skill: This is an ability to critically analyze, diagnose a situation and forward a feasible
solution. It requires creative thinking, generating options and choosing the best available option.