Learning Paper

The purpose of this paper is to mention about my understanding on the topics and the activities
taught during the Individual Dynamics course.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

MBTI is the tool used to assess the personality types. Personality is nothing but the way
individual behaves in an organization. MBTI was done as part of class room activity, the process
followed during the MBTI class activity is that we are asked to participate in the Questionnaire
consists of 94 questions with wide range of different topics covered which are helpful in the
personality of individual.

Next step is to transfer the answers marked on questionnaire to the scoring sheet which is having
four parts with question numbers marked randomly. Type of personality will be identified by the
maximum no of the answers matching the type identifiers (E or I, S or N, T or F, J or P).

Out of 16 types possible, my personality type identified as ISTJ (Introverted Sensing with
Extraverted Thinking). Improvement areas for ISTJ is to develop extraverted thinking which will
be helpful in interacting with people and helps to get out the inner world of impressions and
memories. Developing Flexibility will be helpful in avoiding too focused on details and
development of the thinking helps in deciding the correct decisions on point of time. Need to
work on understanding others need of appreciation and emotional support.

Managing People
Managing people topic starts the basic management functions like planning, organizing, leading
and controlling, Management roles like Interpersonal Roles, Informational roles and Decisional
Roles, Management skills like Technical skills, Human skills and conceptual skills.

Effective versus Successful Managerial Activities topic explains about the differences between
the effective manager and successful manager by considering the four managerial activities

1. Traditional management: Decision making, planning and controlling.

2. Communication: Exchanging routine information and processing paperwork.
3. Human Resource Management: Motivating, disciplining, managing, conflict, staffing and
training.
4. Networking: Socializing, politicking and interacting with outsiders.

Successful managers spent 48% of time in networking whereas effective managers spent
44% time on communication, so it signifies that we need networking for growth in an
organization.

Building effective one-on-one relationship topic helps us to identify the importance of

networking in an organization, managers can achieve their goals only by building effective
networks inside and outside the organizations. Also helps in analyzing the network of
relationships by using the three questions

1. On whom are you dependent and who is dependent on you?

2. How are they different from you?
3. How are your relationships developing?

First question is for identifying the network of relationships whom you think will be
beneficial in the near future or whom needs your help in achieving the goals. Second
question helps us to identify the differences exist between the both of them and underlying
factors for the cause of differences. Third question helps us in identifying the mutual
expectations, trust and influence development over a period of time the network of
relationships.
Building effective one-on-one relationship topic also helps us in managing the conflicts
which inevitably arise in the working environments. Most of the managers are good at
advocacy which means that ability to solve problems, putting plans into action and
influencing others to adapt them but they lack the skill of enquiry which is the ability to ask
questions. Balancing between inquiry and advocacy plays an important role in managing the
conflicts.

Amelia Roger`s case relates to the topic Building effective one-on-one relationship, the issue
raised between the account manager Amelia Roger and creative head Dave Burns is due to
the improper balancing of advocacy and inquiry.

Perception and Attribution

Perception is the process by which the individual organize and interpret sensory information
in order to give meaning to their environments.

Attribution theory explains that the ways we judge people differently based on the attribute to
a behavior. Behavior might be internally caused or externally caused, internally caused
behaviors are the belief of observer control of another behavior whereas externally caused
behavior is the forced situation of individual to do.

Fundamental Attribution error is the tendency to overestimate the influence of internal

factors and to the underestimate the influence of the external factor while judging the others.

Perception and Attribution topic explains the perception of the different individuals with the
help of the Eye of the Beholder case.

In Eye of the beholder case, Waiter perception about Michael Gerald is that Michael is a
Womanizer and judges him quickly without trying to figure out the truth. This type of
perception is called selective perception which means that waiter only see from his previous
experience.
Michael’s mother perception is that he is a good boy but moody, which means that she is
stereotyping her son like normally sons will never listen to their mothers. Next comes the cab
driver, in his perception Michael is a hood and he shows the anchoring bias by judges
instantly like an expert.

Just like the cab driver, studio owner also imposes anchoring bias by mentioning Michael as
lunatic and he supports his statement with the example of comparing with his family
members. Maid perception is that Michael murdered the lady entered and she starts
screaming.

Over all from the Eye of beholder Case we can learn is that the perception we have is based
on the environment but the data we perceive is different from actual reality.

Motivation (Theories)

Motivation is process of driving an individual`s intensity, direction and persistence towards

achieving goal. There are eight theories of motivations which we had discussed in class.

1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory:

According to Maslow, every human being requires these five needs.
a. Physiological Needs: hunger, thirst, shelter etc.
b. Safety Needs: security and protection from physical and emotional harm.
c. Social Needs: Affection, belongingness, acceptance etc.
d. Esteem Needs: self-respect, autonomy, status, recognition etc.
e. Self-actualization: growth, achieving potential and self-fulfillment.
2. Two factor Theory:
Two factor theory relates intrinsic factors such as advancement, recognition,
responsibility and achievement to the job satisfaction and extrinsic factors such as pay,
supervision, company policies and working conditions to the job dissatisfaction.
3. Theory of Needs:
 Theory of needs states that achievement, power and affiliation are three important needs
to achieve motivation
a. Need for Achievement: drive to excel, to achieve in relationship to set standards.
b. Need for Power: is need to influence others to perform well.
c. Need for Affiliation: is desire to make close and friendly relationship.
4. Self-determination Theory:
Self-determination theory is concerned about the beneficial effects of the intrinsic
motivation and harmful effects of the extrinsic motivation.
5. Goal-setting Theory:
Goal-setting theory mentions that setting up the specific and difficult goals with feedback
will lead to higher performance.
6. Self-efficacy Theory:
Self-efficacy theory mentions that individual belief that he or she is capable of doing
anything.

7. Equity Theory:
Equity theory states that individuals compare their inputs and outcomes with those of
others and then respond to eliminate any inequities.
8. Expectancy Theory:
Expectancy theory states that strength of a tendency to act in certain way depends on the
strength of an expectancy followed by outcome and achievement.

Motivation

Motivation is having four drives that are required by individuals. Let us get into the details of
each drive and the organizational lever for fulfilling the drives.

1. Drive to Acquire: Drive to acquire is about fulfilling the scarce goods that bolster our
sense of well-being. Organizational lever corresponds to drive to acquire is “Reward
System”.
2. Drive to Bond: Drive to bond is about establishing a healthy and friendly relationship in
organization. Organizational lever corresponds to drive to Bond is “Culture”.
 3. Drive to Comprehend: Drive to comprehend is about making sense of world in work
environment comprehensible and suggest reasonable actions. Organizational lever
corresponds to drive to Comprehend is Job Design.
4. Drive to Defend: Drive to defend leads to feeling of security and confidence, allow
people to express their ideas freely. Organizational lever corresponds to drive to defend is
performance management and resource allocation process.

Barbara Norris case is related to the concept of motivation and all the four drives are unmet for
the nursing staff in General Surgical Unit (GSU) of EMU which is the reason behind the low
employee’s satisfaction scores and higher employee turnover ratio. Barbara should try to fulfill
all the four drives for the GSU employees and make a turn around.

Benefits of above mentioned factors with in organization

1. MBTI is useful in finding out the weakness and Working on Interpersonal skills to
increase leadership potential.
2. Managing people helps in creating the effective networking inside and outside the
organizations which adds a successful side. Creating the communication with the team
makes adds an effective side both of these are required for managers.
3. Perception and attribution theory helps us to be aware of biases and then try to minimize
their impact.
4. Motivation theories helps us for setting up the clear and difficult goals using goal-setting
theory, equity theory for understanding productivity, expectancy theory for explanation
of performance variables and to fulfill the employee basic needs using Heirarchy of needs
theory.