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Organizational Behavior
Unit –I
One of the most important and broad based challenges currently facing
organizations is adapting to people who are different. The term to describe this
challenge is work force diversity. While globalization focuses on differences
between people from different countries work force diversity addresses
differences among people within given countries.
Earlier it was assumed that people who are not different would somehow
automatically want to assimilate. But now it is recognized that employee’s don’t
set aside their cultural value and life style preferences when they come to work.
The challenge for organizations, therefore, is to make themselves more
accommodating to diverse groups of people by addressing their different life –
style, family needs and work styles.
Q2. Define attitude. How they are formed and how they
can be changed?
Ans. Attitudes are evaluative statements-either favourable or unfavourable
concerning objects, people, or events. They reflect how one feels about
something.
Internally caused behaviours are those that are believed to be under the personal
control of the individual. Externally caused behaviour is seen as resulting from
outside causes; that is person is seen as having been forced into a behaviour by
the situation.
If everyone who is faced with a similar situation responds in the same way, we
can say the behaviour shows consensus.
Consistency refers to whether person responds the same way over time. The
more consistent the behaviour, the more the observes is inclined to attribute it to
internal causes.
When an individual looks at the target and attempts to interpret what he or she
sees, that interpretation is heavily influenced by the personal characteristics of
the individual perceiver. Personal characteristic that affect perception include a
person’s attitudes, personality motives, interests, past experiences and
expectations.
Characteristics of the target being observed can affect what is perceived. Local
people are more likely to be noticed in a group than quite ones. So, too, are
extremely, attractive individuals because targets are not looked at in isolation, the
relationship of a target to its background also influences perception, as does our
tendency to group close things and similar things together.
The context in which we see objects or events is also important. The time at
which an object or event is seen can influence attention as can location, light or
any number of situational factors.
1. Appraisal Praise and Prestige: - When he does his work well the employed
naturally wants it to be praised and recognized by his boss and fellow workers.
Praise seems to have its greatest value when given and received as recognition.
Recognition satisfies human need for esteem by others by others and for self-
esteem. This recognition may be shown in the form of praise, of a pat on the
beck of the employee or a recommendation for a pay raise, promotion or
assignment of more interesting tasks.
2. Status and Pride: - Status refers to “the social rank of a person” and satisfies
social and egoistic needs. A management often tries to satisfy these needs by
establishing status symbols and distinctions in its organisation. Individuals try
hard to gain these status symbols; and once these have been achieved, there is
a carving for higher status symbols.
10: Quality of Work Life : the term quality of work life means different things to
different persons. To a worker on an assembly time, it may just mean a fair day’s
pay , safe working conditions and a supervisor who treats him with dignity . to a
young new creative tasks and a successful career.
There are many factors which can contribute to quality of work life like:
Groups are further sub classified into command, task, interest or friendship
groups command and task groups are dictated by the formal organization, while
interest and friendship groups are informal alliances.
Interest group includes those working together to attain a specific objective with
which each is concerned. Employees who band together to have their vacation
schedules altered, to support to peer who has been fired, or to seek improvement
in working conditions represents the formations of unified body to further their
common interest.
Q6. Discuss the meaning and process of empowerment. Also explain its
barriers and facilitators.
Ans. Empowerment is putting employees in charge of what they do. Decision-
making is pushed down to the operating level, where workers are given the
freedom to make choices about schedules and procedures and to solve work
related problems. Employees are allowed full control and their work . An
increasing number of organizations are using self managed teams, in which
workers operate largely without bosses. Empowerment is necessary component
of a customer responsive culture because it allows service employees to make
on the spot decisions to satisfy customer completely.
In empowering employees managers have to learn how to give up control and
employees have to learn how to take responsibility for their work and make
appropriate decisions.
A. Reluctance of executive.
a. A manager may believe that he can do his work better than his
subordinate. He might believe that his subordinates are not capable
enough. Delegation may take a lot of time in explaining the responsibility
to the subordinate and the managers may not have the patience to explain
supervise and correct any mistake.
b. Lack of confidence and trust in subordinate: since the manager is
responsible for the actions of his subordinates he may not be willing to
take chances” with the subordinates in case the job is not done right.
c. Sense of insecurity. : some managers feel very insecure in delegating
authority specially when the subordinate is capable of doing the job . the
manger in such a situation may feel his loss o power and competition
from the subordinates.
B. Reluctance of subordinates.
a. Many subordinates are reluctance to accept authority and make decisions
for fear that they would be criticized or dismissed for making wrong
decisions. This is especially true in situations where subordinate had
make a mistake earlier.
b. The subordinates may not be given sufficient incentives for assuming
extra responsibility which could mean working harder under pressure.
Accordingly I the absence of adequate compensation in the form of higher
salary or promotional opportunities a subordinate may avoid additional
responsibility.
c. The subordinate may lack self confidence in doing the job and may fear
the supervisor will not be available for guidance once the delegation is
made and this makes them feel uncomfortable with additional
responsibility.
d. Some subordinates hesitate to accept new and added assignments when
there is a lack of necessary information and when the available resources
are nit adequate or proper.
Facilitators of empowerment.
Since empowerment results in several organizational advantages, it
becomes necessary for the management to remove any barriers to
effective empowerment.
a. Empowerment must be complete and clearly understood. the subordinate
must now precisely what he has to do and know. It should be preferably in
writing with specific instructions so that subordinates does not repeatedly
refer problems to the management for opinion or decision.
b. Proper selection and training. : The management must make proper
assessment of subordinates in terms of their abilities and limitations before
delegating the proper authority. Additionally the management must work
closely with the subordinates in training them in how to improve their job
performance. This constant communication will build up the self confidence of
the subordinate.
c. Motivate subordinate: management must remain sensitive to the needs and
goals of subordinates. The challenge of added responsibility in itself may not
be a sufficient motivator. Accordingly adequate incentives in the form of
promotions, status, better working conditions or additional bonuses must be
provided for additional responsibilities well performed.
d. Tolerance with subordinates mistakes: The subordinates are not experienced
in making objective judgments as the managers, so they are bowed to make
objective judgments as the managers, so they are bound to make mistakes in
the process. Unless their mistakes are serious in nature or occur repeatedly,
the management should not severely penalize subordinates but encourage
them to learn from their mistakes. They should be allowed to develop their
own solutions and be given sufficient freedom in accomplishing delegated
tasks.
e. Establish adequate control: -If there are adequate checkpoints ad controls
built in the system like weekly reports etc. then managers will not be
continuously spending time in checking the performance and progress of
subordinates and their concerns about subordinates performing inadequately
will be reduced.
Unit- IV
Q7. Define leadership. Discuss the factors that make a leader more
effective then others. Also discuss one leadership theory that
supports your earlier viewpoint.
Ans. “Leadership is the capacity to frame plans that will succeed and the faculty
to persuade others to carry them out in face of all difficulties.
The definition has two parts. The first deals with the capacity to
frame plans (Programmes, Projects etc.) that have high probability of success.
This implies that a plan should reflect a leader’s group and feel of the quality of
his resources and the environments in which the plan has to be implemented.
The second part of the definition deals with the implementation of plan by
persuading others to do what is really expected of them despite difficulties,
discouragement and obstacles.
The structure involves having the leader organize and define the role each
member is to assume, assign tasks to them and push for the realization of
Organisational goals.
Q8. Distinguish between distress and eustress. Discuss how work design and
Organisational culture may act as stressors. Also discuss the stress
management strategy for the same.
Three sets of factor (a) environmental, (b) organizational and (c) individual – that
act as potential cause of stress. Whether they become actual stress depends on
individual differences such as job experience and personality when stress is
experienced an individual, its symptoms can surface as physiological,
psychological and behavioral outcomes.