COURSEWORK COVERPAGE NOVEMBER 2021

SEMESTER

SUBJECT CODE : RMGT3113

SUBJECT NAME : ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

 ANGEL MELANIE MARCONY (RCB21301012)

GROUP MEMBERS :  SITI NUR SAADAH BINTI JULUBIN
(21301004)

ASSIGNMENT
GROUP ASSIGNMENT
TITLE :
DUE DATE : 09/6/2022
NAME OF
CARLVETT ELLENNE JUNNE
LECTURER :

For Academic Counter Staff:

Collected by: Received Date and Stamp:

Remarks
Lecturer Comment: Marks:
 TABLE OF CONTENT

NO PAGE NO.

1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1-2

2 2.0 ANALYZING TOPICS 3-9

3 3.0 SUGGESTION 10-12

4 4.0 CONCLUSION 13
1.0 Introduction

This animated series by Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, gives an insight to
employees’ everyday struggles in a toxic workplace, how they deal with them and the
impact they have on their wellbeing. Set in a world with animal characters, the show
follows Retsuko, a 25-year-old red panda, and her daily life working as an office
employee. She is shown to be overworked, unappreciated and even bullied, which
causes her stress. She lets off steam by doing death metal karaoke after work. The
show follows Aggretsuko — a portmanteau for “Aggressive Retsuko” — as she deals
with her sexist boss, who relentlessly orders her to bring him tea (it’s a “woman’s job”)
and scolds her for not pouring his beer correctly (label side up) at after-work drinks.
Though gender inequality in the workplace is still a widespread global issue easily
quantifiable with statistics in the wage gap or the abysmal percentage of female
corporate executives, misogyny in Asia runs uniquely deep with implied expectations.
Societal norms that expect childcare to be women’s work have contributed to the
lowest birth rate in years for countries like Japan and Korea, due to women’s desire
to prioritize their careers. Frustrated and desperate, Aggretsuko entertains the
escapist idea of getting married so she can leave her job.

Luckily, the 25-year-old has the support network of Washimi and Gori, two older
women who hold senior positions at her company. They rightly tell her this is a
terrible idea. The two have worked their way up the corporate ladder, and their
strategy of never showing any sort of emotion or weakness in the workplace has
worked for them. Another colleague, doe-eyed Tsunoda, is resented by everyone in
the office for sucking up to the boss, but for her, buttering him up is one of the ways
she can get ahead and navigate office politics as a woman. Aggretsuko, for her part,
just takes all her rage to the karaoke bar, where she guzzles beer and growls and
shrieks into a microphone with a demonic fury.

The fact that a Sanrio anime is both acknowledging these inequalities and portraying
fantasies of taking the easy way out is incredibly refreshing, because it validates so
much of what goes unspoken — or at least, underexplored in mainstream media —
about female anger and when and how it is allowed to be expressed. The show’s
best moments are rooted in painfully relatable realities: like when Aggretsuko
daydreams about calling out a lazy supervisor, or when an annoying salesclerk
follows her around the store relentlessly until she feels pressured to buy some socks.
(In Korea, overly attentive salesclerks have become so ingrained in the culture that

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some stores have color-coded baskets shoppers can use to indicate whether they
want help or not.) In so many aspects of Asian culture, the pressure to be polite can
be suffocating, and Aggretsuko’s death metal karaoke jams lamenting all of these
societal ills is a much-needed catharsis.

Aggretsuko calls her karaoke booth a sanctuary, one where she can be her true self.
There, she becomes the opposite of kawaii — a term her parent company Sanrio has
become synonymous with over its 40-year reign — when she transforms into the
death metal version of herself: her eyes glow blue and the soft edges of her giant
head turn jagged and spiky. Beer runs down her face as she chugs it by the pint. It’s
neither cute nor ladylike, and that’s the point.

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2.0 Analyzing topics

2.1 Topic: Foundations of Group Behaviour

A group can be defined as two or more individuals interacting and interdependent,

who have come together to achieve particular objectives. There are two types of
groups of individuals form. They are formal groups and informal groups. The show
we chose shows some examples of informal and formal groups. For example, the
accounting department and informal group consisting of Retsuko, Fenneko, and
Haida.

Informal groups are formed with friendships and common interests. These can be
further classified into two sub-groups which is task group and friendship group.
Retsuko and her friends belong to both of this sub-group because of they are working
together to complete a job in the accounting department and they are brought
together because they share one or more common characteristics.
Cohesiveness refers to how close members of a group feel to one another. It
determines how strong the members' desire to stay in the organisation is, as well as
their level of commitment to the group. The degree of unity demonstrated by group
members and adherence to group rules represent the group's cohesiveness. The
members of the group exhibit a "WE" mentality. When there is a sense of attraction
and conformity to group rules, cohesion can be produced. If group aims and
organisational objectives are compatible to one other, group cohesiveness can yield
miraculous results in the organisation. If they disagree, the group's cohesiveness
might be affected. For example, if the accounting department wishes to finish all
tasks in one day, this may be accomplished if all members of the group subscribe to
the same aims. In this case, a highly cohesive group will be beneficial. In such a
setting, the group's mandated and emergent behaviour become identical. However, if
the group does not support the organization's aims, the cohesive group will work
against the organization's objectives. In this case, mandated and emergent
behaviour are incompatible, and the organization's cohesive group becomes
dysfunctional. As a result, it is critical for a manager to leverage group cohesion to
the organization's benefit by identifying group member goals and aligning them with
corporate objectives.

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2.2 Topic: Communication

In the show we chose clearly related to one of the topics in the subject of
organizational behavior that is communication. Communication is a process of
conveying information between two people or more. It is also a process of sending
and receiving messages with attached meanings. Organizations rely on
communication to coordinate operations and achieve goals. It is a process through
which information is transferred between persons using a shared system of symbols,
signs, or behavior, according to Webster's dictionary. We know that a manager
spends 50% to 90% of his or her time communicating (Schnake et al., 1990), and
that communication competence is linked to a manager's effectiveness (Penley et al.,
1991). Miscommunication is an irritant in most workplaces, since it may disrupt
production by producing delays and interpersonal turmoil. Communication, on the
other hand, can be a life or death situation in some work environments, such as
operating rooms and airline cockpits. For example what happened in the show we
chose, there are some examples of poor communication shown. For example the
manager in the accounting department toward his subordinates. Barriers to effective
communication is strongly connected to this. As an example emotions are really
crucial in our lives. Our emotions impact both the encoding and decoding of signals.
When we are emotionally charged, a message will have a different meaning than
when we are calm and collected. Anger is the worst emotion and communication's
worst adversary. Futhermore, most of the factors cited above lead to selective
perception. It indicates that depending on their requirements, background, goals,
experience, and other personal characteristics, receivers selectively see and hear.
While decoding the signals, most receivers safeguard their own interests and
expectations during the communication process, resulting in a specific type of
feedback that can constitute a communication problem. Filtering is the process by
which the transmitter of a communication manipulates data in order for the receiver
to view it in a more favorable light. For example, a manager enjoys telling his boss
how he feels or what he wants to hear. He is filtering information during this
procedure. As a result, the individual in charge never receives objective information.
Similarly, people at lower levels condense and synthesise knowledge in order to
maximise their own gains. They withhold or disregard some critical facts. The more
vertical levels there are in an organisation, the more filtering opportunities there are.
This is a very common type of communication issue. Unchecked information input
frequently becomes a communication barrier. When people are overburdened with

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knowledge, they are more prone to make mistakes. They might also put off
processing or responding to information or messages for a while. Delay can also
become a habit, leading to major communication issues. People may also become
selective in their responses, which is not conducive to dialogue. On the other side, it
is a problem of communication.

2.3 Topic: Human Resource Policies and Practices

It is shown in this series that there are applicable jobs performed by employees not in
accordance with job descriptions and job specifications. This is closely related to
Human Resource Policies and Practices which will be discussed in more depth.
A job description contains fundamental job-related information that may be used to
promote a position and attract candidates. Job title, job location, reporting to and
from employees, job summary, nature and objectives of a job, tasks, and duties to be
done, working conditions, machinery, tools, and equipment to be utilized by a
potential worker, and risks associated are all included. Meanwhile, a job specification,
also known as an employee specification, is a written statement of educational
qualifications, specific qualities, level of experience, physical, emotional, technical,
and communication skills required to perform a job, job responsibilities, and other
unusual sensory demands required to perform a job. It also encompasses
intelligence, aptitude, memory, judgment, leadership skills, emotional capacity,
adaptability, flexibility, morals and ethics, politeness, and creativity, among other
things.

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2.4 Topic: Conflict and Negotiation

Conflicts are relational disputes between two or more parties, in which those involved
perceive a threat to their interests coming from those on the other side of the
disagreement. When there are differences in a social environment about questions
of substance, conflict arises. Individuals or groups are irritated by emotional
antagonisms. All disputes, according to the traditional understanding of conflict, are
bad and must be avoided. Conflict is a normal event in all groups and organizations,
according to human relations experts. Because conflict was foreseeable, the human
relations discipline encouraged people to tolerate it. Supporters justified its presence
by pointing out that it cannot be abolished, and that conflict may even help a group
function better.

The conflict that occurs has both positive and negative effects. For example, first,
decision making. Conflict serves to "discourage hasty collective decision-making,"
forcing decision-makers to investigate the issues and interests at stake. Next, group
cooperation. Intra-group unity is produced by the conflict between groups because
the conflict allows for increased intra-group cooperation while working toward the
group's common goal for the conflict's outcome. Besides, inspire team to be more
creative. Fortunately, some members of the organization see conflict as an
opportunity to come up with new ways to solve problems. Members may be inspired
to brainstorm solutions while evaluating challenges from numerous angles as a result
of the conflict.

Mental health issues are an example of the negative effects of conflict. Members of
an organisation may grow irritated if they believe there is no way to resolve the
conflict or if they believe their comments are ignored by other members. Members
feel stressed as a result, which has a negative impact on their work and personal
lives. Members of the organisation may experience sleep issues, a loss of appetite or
overeating, headaches, and become unapproachable. In some cases, members of
an organisation may avoid meetings in order to avoid stress and stress-related
illnesses. Distract from the primary objective. Individuals and organisations might
become distracted from their primary goals as a result of conflict, leaving them with
less time and resources for alternative pursuits. When "heavy contentious tactics" are
used in a conflict, it can cause individuals or groups involved in the conflict, as well
as persons or groups who aren't, to divert time and resources away from other

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requirements. Moreover, members could resign from the organization. Members of
an organisation who are becoming more dissatisfied with the level of dispute within
the group may decide to leave. The organisation must attract new members and
select acting board members whenever members begin to leave. Organizations risk
disintegration in severe instances, such as when several members depart or an
executive board member resigns.

In many areas of organizational conflict, the majority of organizations must negotiate.

Negotiation is an open procedure in which two parties attempt to reach an agreement
on a difficult problem. Negotiation is the process through which two or more parties
exchange products or services and try to reach an agreement on the exchange rate.
Negotiations can take place between two individuals, inside a group, between groups,
or via the Internet in an organizational setting. In this show it is not surprising that
there is a conflict followed by negotiation due to the attitude of the boss/leader in the
accounting department.

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2.5 Topic: Stress Management

A dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity,

constraint, or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is
perceived to be both uncertain and important.

Task or role demands: they are factors that affect a person's job performance, such
as job design or working circumstances. A thorough, weekly presentation to the
company's executive staff could be a burdensome task demand. A stressful role
demand could be one in which a person is expected to accomplish more in a given
amount of time than is realistic. Organizational leadership refers to an organization's
leadership style, particularly its top executives' managerial style. Leaders have the
ability to create an atmosphere of tension, fear, and anxiety, as well as exert
unreasonably high levels of pressure and control. Employees who are fearful of being
fired because they don't meet leadership's expectations might be a source of stress.
Individuals may have unpleasant commutes to work or a tough couple of weeks
volunteering at a work event, but we're not talking about those temporary, individual
concerns here. Overprotective or abusive parent, family tension regarding marriages
Financial stress, such as the inability to pay bills or an unanticipated additional
demand on a person's financial flow, can also cause an employee's time at work to
be disrupted. Finally, a person's personality may play a role in his or her stress level.
People's dispositions—their perceptions of things as bad or positive—can also play a
role in their stress levels.

In both the professional and non-work sectors of life, stress is a problem that
everyone must deal with on a daily basis. Because the body's capacity to respond to
stress is limited, it's critical for individuals to "manage" their stress in order to exist as
fully functioning human beings. There are numerous approaches to stress
management that can help to alleviate the destructive effects of stress. Some of them
are exercise. It is essential because the body's physical reaction is a part of the
reason of stress-related exhaustion, exercise can help the body deal more effectively
with the physical aspects of stress. Individually, regular exercise can be a significant
and effective strategy. Another strategy to deal with stress is to better organise your
time. People can learn to become more organised so that they can complete their
tasks more quickly and waste less time. Delegation. Delegating certain responsibility
to others is another method of coping with job stress. Delegation can assist the boss
relieve stress by reducing the amount of work he or she has to do. Obtaining

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additional information and assistance. Some new employees labour three times as
long as they need to on a job rather than acknowledge they don't know what they're
doing. Getting some support before doing the work is considerably more efficient,
effective, and anxiety-reducing. Job redesign. Managers have the power to alter
some parts of occupations or how people do them. The advantages of job redesign
have been well-documented. Enhancing a job's relevance, autonomy, responsibility,
and feedback may all improve. These professions will provide a welcome challenge
for many people, which will improve job-person fit and reduce stress. It should be
noted, however, that not everyone desires a more enriched job. Enriching a person's
employment who has a low demand for achievement or an external locus of control
may simply raise anxiety and fear of failure. When it comes to work enrichment, it's
important to match these efforts to the requirements and desires of employees.
Improve organizational communication Managers can develop channels of
communication so that staff are more informed about what is going on in the
company. Role ambiguity and conflict are lessened when knowledge increases.
Managers must understand, however, that communication is a two-way street, and
they must accept and welcome communication from their employees. Subordinates
suffer less stress and are less likely to engage in unproductive behavior if they
believe their issues and complaints are being heard. Finally, many companies have
recently begun to take a more systematic and comprehensive approach to stress
management and workplace wellness. These programmes are commonly known as
health promotion programmes, and they consist of a mix of diagnostic, instructional,
and behaviour modification activities targeted at achieving and maintaining excellent
health.

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3.0 Suggestions on how we can improve ourselves in the workplace

3.1 Acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses

"Perfect" is a word that sounds too good to be true. It is impossible for us to be

perfect in everything. We all have flaws, and it's critical to recognize them in order to
identify areas for improvement. Furthermore, each person has his or her own set of
strengths, which are things that they excel at. Now, in order to improve our daily work
performance, we must value our strengths while also overcoming our weaknesses.

Never settle for "quite okay" when "awesome" is possible. Be our own worst critic,
constantly assessing our performance for potential improvements. If we're pretty
good at something, we should try to be the best at it. There are few ways we can
figure out our own strengths and weaknesses, here are a few ideas:

 Find patterns in our performance.

 Decide what we enjoy the most at work.
 Practice Reflective Best Self (RBS) exercises – find out what other people think
about us.
 Make a note of how we respond to situations that require action, thought, and
insight.

3.2 Be aware of our limitations

While it is critical to constantly seek ways to improve in areas where we are lacking, it
is also crucial to be aware of our own limitations. Never succumb to bad habits such
as multitasking or procrastination. Work on one task at a time and do everything
possible to keep it stress-free and free of mistakes or rework. Keep things clear in
our minds, and we'll be able to accomplish much more, much faster.

Understanding our limitations is difficult. In fact, we will never understand them

unless we go beyond them. Simply put, we must distinguish between being
productive at work and being stressed at work. So, here are a few suggestions:

 Keep the peace by saying "no."

 When things become too much, step back.
 Be realistic rather than overly ambitious.

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 Find your sweet spot to avoid burnout.

3.3 Practice knowledge sharing

Many CEOs and managers in organisations today recognise the value of knowledge
sharing among their employees and are eager to implement the knowledge
management paradigm in their workplaces. According to Chaudhry (2005), several
studies have been conducted over the last five years to review knowledge
management strategies and knowledge sharing practises in local organisations. In
this regard, Singapore, for example, is an interesting case study. Singapore is both
conservative in its adherence to Asian cultural traditions and open to innovation and
creativity. It is a diverse and multiethnic society eager to adhere to meritocracy and
system efficacy in its pursuits of innovation and creativity, both of which are critical to
the success of knowledge management activities. Chong (2003) discovered that
knowledge sharing occurred informally through face-to-face communication and
collaborative workgroups. His research reveals that knowledge is supported in this
environment by a culture that encourages knowledge sharing, failure learning, and
skill development. Rastogi (2000) emphasised that a favourable social environment,
such as trust, shared values, and goodwill, was required for knowledge sharing. This
demonstrates the value of trust in knowledge culture and knowledge sharing. All
knowledge management strategists must share their knowledge in order to succeed.
Effective knowledge sharing practises enable individuals and organisations to reuse
and regenerate knowledge. In recent years, there has been a lot of emphasis on the
need to foster a culture of knowledge sharing in organisations and to implement more
knowledge-friendly strategies. Organizations all over the world are now taking
serious steps to ensure the success of knowledge management by incorporating
knowledge sharing practises into their daily work processes. Several organisations in
Malaysia have taken steps to incorporate knowledge sharing into their operational
activities. They believe that by using a knowledge management platform, they will be
able to share experience and knowledge across boundaries.

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3.4 Take part in regular training sessions.

As technology advances and workplace strategies evolve, professionals must adapt

their knowledge and skills to keep up. Training is one of the most effective ways to
improve knowledge and skills. Providing employees with relevant and consistent
training can help improve workplace performance and efficiency. Training is
important because it allows employees to expand their knowledge base and improve
their job skills, allowing them to be more effective in the workplace. Regardless of the
cost of employee training, the return on investment is enormous if done consistently.
There are several reasons why employers should start training programmes for their
employees, such as it improves skill and knowledge. Employee training programmes
help employees improve their knowledge and skills in order to keep up with industry
changes. These enhancements will have a positive impact on worker productivity,
which will increase an organization's profits and efficiency. Work ethics, human
relations, and safety are some of the things that employees may learn through
training. Other than that, it satisfies the recommendations of performance appraisals.
When an organization's employee performance appraisals indicate a need for
improvement on a specific subject or skill, training programmes for staff members
can be organised to help meet this requirement. As a result, training can address an
identified problem area and work toward a solution. Besides, training programmes
can also assist employees who are advancing in their careers and taking on more
responsibilities in an organisation. These programmes will assist them in learning the
skills necessary to function effectively in their new positions. They may, for example,
be trained in leadership skills or in a specific software that they will use in their new
role. Employee training programmes enable an organisation to test the efficiency and
effectiveness of a new performance management system, allowing HR to set clearer
performance expectations. Using these systems to train the employees will reinforce
the importance of meeting goals and assist employees in understanding what is
expected of them.

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4.0 Conclusion
The show is relatable to lots, and overall has a good sense of humor. We eventually
learn how Retsuko deals with all the rage from work, to just the world in general; she
rents a room at a karaoke bar and screams heavy metal into her microphone. The
way it portrays women is great. It shows that even when Retsuko and her coworkers
have a sexest boss like Ton, they still get through their work, and life. Overall, the
show is incredible. It shows the harsh reality of being an adult, and problems with
jobs, but the characters are still motivated despite being pushed down with burdens.
Sanrio, the creators of the iconic Japanese is known for making adorably cute
characters that typically fit into the standard definition of 'kawaii', however Retsuko
doesn't fit this mold- and she isn't meant to, either. An office worker who was asked
about Sanrio's top seller, Hello Kitty, along with Aggretsuko had something quite
interesting to say. She stated that "while Hello Kitty lives in Dreamland, Retsuko is
grounded in reality" and that she and fellow co-workers could personally relate to
many of Retsuko's struggles.

Basically, Sanrio wanted to give people a character who they felt related to and
represented them, especially with how die-hard and cutthroat Japan's work culture
truly is. That was more important to them than making a cute character simply to be
cute. With that being said, a thorough understanding of organisational behaviour and
why it matters can assist business leaders in increasing the effectiveness of their
workforce.

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