ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

PGPM 2018-19

Autobiography of a Manager

Analyze the Motivation profile of Raja with examples from the case. To what extent do you
think it was of his own making. Do some of the students in your group had similar
experiences.

GROUP 1.a
Anuj Sharma (P182A06)
Akshay M (P182A46)
Bharath Ram (P182A23)
Kartik Mehrotra (P182A20)
Rishika Gupta (P182A53)
Shivani Singh (P182A16)

Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon

Going through the case which illustrates about Raja’s character, much of his attributes are relatable to the Herzberg’s Two-Factor
theory. The hygiene factor envelops pay, policies, working conditions and relationship with others. Citing examples from the
case, Raja knew he deserved more on monetary terms given his experience and knowledge but somehow, he was indifferent to
that factor. Also, he was very demanding from his subordinates and often found their work were not at his expected level and he
ended up covering up their work and was not at all let down by that fact. He rather enjoyed those additional work and
responsibilities he took. Neither of the two factors mentioned above could be used as a tool to motivate him to realize his
actualization needs. The adequate presence of these factors will not affect his performance. There are instances where it is
mentioned that he was proud of his work. Also, he felt that he should do his job well and the company should take care of his
interests. However, the motivation factor, which generally includes promotional opportunities, achievement, recognition and
personal growth opportunities were quite relatable to Raja as a person. He as a person loved the challenges and it boosted him
to out show another person. An example as given in the case is that he wanted to build his own legacy/image on his own. He
constantly compared himself with the best and lived up to that. It fueled his ego and gave him belief that he could do anything if
he put his mind to it. He expected a promotion in his work in MARS which to his disappointment never arrived at the opportune
moment which left him reeling.

The life that Raja is living as of today is an image of the decisions his family, particularly his parents took in the initial years of his
upbringing. Though, instances such as not pursuing his passion for music towards which he was inclined, point to the fact that his
own decisions inclusive of his family’s persuasive nature were responsible for the life that he is leading as of now. In addition to
the mentioned instances, post his MBA from IIM-A he had job offers from two reputed firms, ICG consulting division and Levers
corporate finance. Even though he was inclined towards finance, he chose to join ICG because of the fact that they offered him
the chance to go back to Chennai, his hometown. He never gave extrinsic factors such as money any importance in his life but
seeing his batch mates earning more made him conscious of his choice of choosing a low paying job at ICG. He also felt that he
undersold himself in terms of the monetary valuation of his talent and skills. Moreover, he decided to pursue this job for three
years but even though he was not satisfied by the initial low profile offered to him at ICG then also he continued to be there for
five years, as he started enjoying his work there. After stagnation of five years in his career, in hopes of getting a better profile
and role, he finally joined MARS where he ended up having distress because the culture in there was entirely politicized. He was
not able to calibrate to an environment where everyone was taking credits for his work and making him responsible for the
faults. He felt as a lost kid there.

Group Member 1: Transition from a child to an adult passing through the phase of teenager has always been difficult. You don't
see the world as you use to wonder during childhood days. A lot of pressure starts to pour into your mind other than winning
that evening cricket match. I, as a teenager, had some serious anger issues. They say that if you don't channelize your anger
properly, it becomes aggression and results in violence, which is dangerous to you as well as people around you and I was going
through the same phase of life. No matter how simple it seems to write now but it was a real struggle back then as I was not able
to control my anger even when I was around my friends or family. It was then that I decided to take control of it. I motivated
myself everyday to improve myself. I joined boxing club. It somehow used to remove the negative energy with me, reduced the
anger and helped to cope up with stresses. Ultimately, I started enjoying it and I also become the state champion in boxing. I still
get motivated from this decision of mine and I am glad that I am able to control it now.

Group Member 2: When you grow up, your personality changes a lot. Some become the coolest in their gang, some struggle to
overcome shyness. Some become victims of bullying and some are accused of the same. I have had an experience of bullying in
the past where I was teased because of being overweight. Trust me it can seriously lead to depression when your siblings and
relatives are also involved. I carried that burden for more than 5 years. It took on an emotional toll, I felt isolated, embarrassed,
sad and started having self-esteem issues. I am still thankful to myself for motivating myself for healthy eating, regular exercises
and staying positive. I managed to lose about 20kgs in 1 year. This is one part of mine that I am always proud of.

Group Member 3: Family provides a sense of belonging and security to us. Its a gift not everyone gets. Any problem can be
overcome, if we have the support of the family by our side. But what happens when your motivator, your ideal, your real hero
goes through depression. My father suffered depression for a long time due to the losses in his business. I saw him struggle day
and night. He took over drinking for all these years. It was difficult for me to see my mother and my siblings to live in the fear of
what the future would bring to us and to my father. A time came when I motivated and encouraged myself that its time to take
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon Corporate Recruitment Programme 2014-15 2
the charge. It was hard at first as he was very stubborn and won't go for my suggestions, but I kept trying and never lose hope. It
was for my care and authority I took that he finally agreed to join the rehabilitation center. The process not only improved his
health but gave him a new motive to live and start everything all over again.

Group Member 4: Changing places can be a wrenching social and emotional experience for a kid especially when you are moving
from a small town to urban settings. My father had a transferable job. It was very difficult for me to leave the place where I spent
9 years as a child. The more discouraging part was the school environment. Since childhood I use to study in Hindi medium
school and the school I got admitted was an English medium. Being in 6th class, the only thing I knew about English were the
alphabets. It was a real struggle for me. A depression state maybe. As a child, I was the only motivator of myself to move
forward. All these years, struggling with scolding from teachers and by parents, trying to cope up with my studies, I finally
managed to pass in all the subjects(excluding project work) in class 8th. It took me 2 years to build that confidence that no
matter what I will survive.

He chose commerce as his stream because of the pressure from his father and grand- father, although he did not like it.
But they wanted him to become an IAS officer which ultimately led him to change his mind for his future prospects.

Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon Corporate Recruitment Programme 2014-15 3