Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Organizational Behavior

Case Analysis
 Table of Contents

Case Study 06 - Perception ............................................................................................ 1

Case study No. 05- Keeping things the same ................................................................ 2

Case study No. 04- Organizational Behavior Case: Contrasting Styles ........................ 5

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Case Study 06 - Perception

Summary

Sharma is chairperson of the adhoc committee for space utilization of the Frame
Manufacturing Company. He had the responsibility for seeing whether the various
office, operations, and warehouse facilities of the company are being optimally
utilized because of they need more spaces for the additional plant.In the meeting,
when Sharma asked about initial observations, office manager stated that they were
utilize their space but plant have lots of space.Then the production manager stated
that office people have luxury facilities but plant doesn’t have that much facilities.

Q) Analyze this case on the basis of perceptual principles evident in the case.

“Perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory

impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.”

When considering Perception, the Perceiver, Target and the situation matters.

The attributes, Motives, Interests, Experiences and expectations of the perceiver

makes the perception positive or negative. For example, the perceivers of this case
study are the Plant Manager and The Production Manager.

The Target is the object that was being perceived. Novelty, Motion, Sounds Size,
Background Proximity and similarity are the characteristics of the target. The
utilization of company space is the target in this case.

The situation is the context on which the perception is made. Time, Work Setting and
Social Setting can be identified as the characteristics of the situation. The optimizing

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the utilization of the company premises is the situation that the perception is made in
this case study.

In this case study, the perception of the Plant Manager and the Production Manager
regarding the utilization of space in the company is completely opposite to each other.

Plant Manager perceives that the front office has utilized the space effectively while
the production department is not. But Production Manager perceives that front office
has utilized the space inefficiently while not considering the space requirement of the
production department. Also the rivalry between which department is the most
important to the company also contributes to the difference between the perceptions.

Case study No. 05- Keeping things the same

Metropolitan Hospital is small but extremely efficient. The board has voted to
increase three times in next year. The administrator, Clara, feels that the hospital will
lose its efficiency. The chairman of the board is also concerned about the effect and
thinks that there must be a lot of people out there who are just as good.Then Clara
has decided that the most effective way of dealing with the situation is to develop a
plan of action that determine the best way of screening incoming candidates and then
helping those who are hired to become socialized in terms of the hospital’s culture.

1.What can Clara and her staff do to select the type of entry-level candidates
they want? Explain.

In order to maintain the organizational culture though various changes in the

company such as expanding the organization, recruiting process of entry level
candidates plays a vital important part.

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For that we can use below mentioned steps to eliminate not fit candidates to the
organizational culture.

1. Using standard procedures and seeking specific traits in candidates that will lead
the selected candidates have required characteristics for existing culture.New
employees are carefully selected to obtain those who will be able to adapt to the
existing culture, and realistic job previews are provided to allow candidates to
deselect themselves (ie. self selection).

2.Using trained recruiters in order to screen the candidates effectively. training from
the bottom.Training begins in the trenches so that employees begin to master one of
the core areas of the organization.

3.Checking whether the candidates’ personal styles and values match with
organizational values.Debasement and hazing:humiliation, going through hell to go
through things/goals, promoting union.Provoke humility in new hires so that they are
open to the norms of the organization.

These steps will ensure that candidates that are FIT to organization only will get
selected.

1. How can Clara ensure that those who are hired come to accept the core
cultural values of the hospital? What steps would you recommend?

Utilizing some steps as mentioned below from “Pascale’s steps of organizational

culture socialization” will ensure that those who hired come to accept the core
cultural values of the hospital.

2. Reward and promotion: show that companies have value for reward (make it
special)The reward and promotion system is carefully used to reinforce those

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employees who perform well in areas that support the values and goals of the
organization.

3. Exposure to core culture.The culture’s core beliefs, values, and assumptions are
asserted to provide guidance for member behaviour.

4. Organizational folklore the legends people leave behind. Sometime legends are
made-up stories to manage impressions.Members are exposed to folklore about the
organization, stories that reinforce the nature of the culture.

4.Role models(or “fast-trackers”)Provides new members with role models whose

actions and views are consistent with the culture. Fast tracking individuals (role
models for the company)

3.Could Clara use this same approach if another 200 people were hired a few
years from now?

With current trend of globalization, people from different demographic areas, age,
sex, religion etc applies to the prevailing and new jobs.

So if Clara is required to hire another mass batch to her organization, still she can
apply the same procedure since training, using experienced recruiters, rewarding and
role models will play the same role regardless of the time.

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Case study No. 04- Organizational Behavior Case: Contrasting
Styles

Adam and Jane are both production supervisors who have same length of time and
also came up through the ranks Henry Adams is known as a tough but hardworking
supervisor. Jane is known as a nice, hardworking boss. They have opposite
approaches the two have taken in handling their workers. Henry’s approach is
punishing people when they make mistakes and when they are doing a good job, he
tell them that’s what they’re getting paid for. But Jane’s approach is that she believe
that a worker deserves some recognition and attention from supervisor when he or
she does a good job. If people make a mistake, she point out what the mistake was
and what they should have done. Although Henry’s section is still right at the top
along with Jane’s section in units produced,but the quality control records show that
Jane’s section is far more better than Henry’s section.

1. Both these supervisors have similar backgrounds. On the basis of learning

theory, how can you explain their opposite approaches to handling people?

Although both supervisors have same background, they have different set of
managing their departments. Henry is tough while Jane is more sensitive. This can be
explained by learning theory since the behavior of these two managers are influenced
by their sensitivity to external environment which his purely psychological to them.
They generalize their experience and observations in different ways and act
accordingly.

2. What are some of the examples of punishment, positive reinforcement, and

negative reinforcement found in this case? If Jane is using a reinforcement
approach, how do you explain this statement: “I don’t believe in that human
relations stuff of being nice to workers”?

Punishments :-

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Punishment is a term used in the context of behavioral analysis and in a specific kind
of intentional behavior change known as operative conditioning. It is a process of
decreasing the incidence of a (measurable) behavior.

Come down hard on the employees when they make mistakes.In this study it definds
that scolding to the people is the first punishment they get.

Positive Reinforcements :-
Positive reinforcement means providing rewards for good behavior. This can come
in the form of bonuses or extra benefits, but positive reinforcement can involve
smaller and simpler rewards. For example, a verbal acknowledgement of a job well
done can help reinforce positive actions. Awards and trophies for outstanding
employees often encourage high-performing employees. On a more formal level,
promotions and title changes can show employees that their long-term positive
behaviors can pay off through growing with the company.

In this case, it shows that Jane willing to give them recognition, attention and let the
employees know when they have done a right thing.

Negative Reinforcements :-
Negative reinforcement is not punishment. Negative reinforcement is the
withholding of punishment. For example, if an employee has been in danger of
being demoted and improves her behavior, deciding not to demote her is negative
reinforcement. The key here is the reinforcement, the encouraging of a behavior.
The manager withholds the negative consequences as a sign that the employee has
made a change in behavior.

In this case, it shows the negative reinforcement as treating all employees equally
without identifying good employees, not appreciating good work

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3. How do you explain the performance, turnover and quality results in these
two sections of the production department?

The performance of both departments are at the top. But Henry’s department has
some cons such as high employee turnover and not meeting quality standards
regularly while Jane’s department has some pros such as meeting quality standards
regularly and less employee turnover.

This is due to the management style of the two managers. Jane is more people
oriented while Henry is more task oriented.

Because of Henry being a task oriented supervisor ,he is able to get performance
higher than other department. Also Jane got better output from her subordinates
because that she is people oriented and she got the quality work from people.Both
managers have succeeded in their leadership style considering the output of the
departments while Henry has failed in human resource related matters.