Organizational Behaivor

1. Do you think the modern approach of OB is relevant in current times? Support your
views with in-depth justification.

Answer: Concept of organizational behaviour

organizational behavior is the study of what an individual thinks feels or does in and around
an organisation, both individual and in group. It investigates people’s emotions and behavior,
behavior and performances in a team, systems and structures of organisations. It helps to
explore and provide an understanding of all the factors that are necessary to create
an effective organisation.

Importance of Organizational behaviour

Skill Improvement: Study of Organisational Behaviour helps to improve skills. This

includes the ability of employees and use of knowledge to become more efficient. It also
improves managers, as well as other employees, work skill.

Motivation of human resources – the task of a manager is to get thework done through
subordinates by inspiring them to achieveorganizational goals. But, this can only be practised
by a manager if heis aware of the different patterns of individual’s needs and desires.

Understanding Consumer Buying Behaviour: It also an important part to improve the

marketing process by understanding consumer (buying) behaviour.

Good human relations – OB strives to maintain harmonious interpersonal relationships. The

study of OB revolves around the people atwork and their relations with each other. Thus, it
provides directions tomanagers as to how to deal with employee problems in
differentsituations.

Modern approach of organizational behaviour

The modern approach of organisational behaviour seeks to overcomethe limitations of the
traditional approaches (classical and neo-classical).The modern approach is based on the
scientific explanations ofthe complexities of organisational structure. The modern
approachcan be further divided into two separate approaches:

Systems Approach: The systems approach is of the view that an organisation is a powerful
system with several subsystems which are highly and closely interconnected. Any action
taken to solve the problems in one subsystem will have its effect on the other subsystems as
well; since all the parts of the organisation are closely connected. Thus, this approach gives
the managers a way of looking at the organisation as a whole, whole group, and the whole
social system. Systems approach has become an integral part of modern organisational
theory. Organisations are termed as complex systems comprising of interrelated and
interlocking systems.
According to this approach, an organisation receives several inputs from its environment such
as material, human and financial. These inputs are then processed so as to produce the final
output in terms of products or services.

Contingency Approach: The approach stresses that there is no single way to manage effectively
under all circumstances. The methods of behaviours which work effectively in one situation
may fail in another. The organisational structure and the processes of management are
governed by the external environment and several aspects of the internal environment.
Effective management processes will vary in different situations depending on the individuals
and groups in the organisation, the nature of the job and technology, the environment facing
the organisation and its structure.
The manager’s task therefore, is to identify which method will, in a particular situation, under
particular circumstances and at a particular time, best contribute to the attainment of
organization’s goals. Thus, the manager will have to analyze each situation prior to action
and different managerial practices and styles are needed for effective management.

Relevance of modern approach of OB in current times

As compared to traditional approach, modern approach of organizational behaviour is very
much important and relevant in current times. The modern approach to organizational
behaviour is the search for the truth of why people behave the way they do. The
organizational behaviour is a delicate and complex process. If one aims to manage an
organization, it is necessary to understand its operation. Organization is the combination of
science and people. While science and technology are predictable, the human behaviour in
organization is rather unpredictable. This is because it arises from deep needs and value
systems of people.

The strength of the contingency approach lies in the fact it encourages analysis of each
situation prior to action while at the same time discourages the habitual practice of universal
assumptions about methods and people.The Systems Approach to OB views the organization
as a united, purposeful system composed of interrelated parts.This approach gives managers a
way of looking at the organization as a whole, whole, person, whole group, and the whole
social system.In so doing, the systems approach tells us that the activity of any segment of an
organization affects, in varying degrees the activity of every other segment. A systems view
should be the concern of every person in an organization. It can be said that, modern
approach is playing a key role in managing interpersonal relations in the organizations.

2. Briefly explain the Big Five personality traits & rate any 2 individuals from your
personal (relative or friend) / professional life (manager / client / co-worker) on the
same.

Answer: Definition of personality

The term 'personality' means different things to different people.Its root, of course, lies in the
Latin term 'persona' meaning 'speak through'and denoted the mask worn by actors in Greece
and Rome. To the commonman, it means external appearances and behaviour, to the
psychologists itmeans the inner awareness of self as a permanent organising force, and to the
manager, it denotes the measurable traits, both inner and outer whichcan predict the
performance in an organisation.

Big Five personality traits:

Openness to experience: This trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight.1
People who are high in this trait also tend to have a broad range of interests. They are curious
about the world and other people and eager to learn new things and enjoy new experiences.
People who are high in this trait tend to be more adventurous and creative. People low in this
trait are often much more traditional and may struggle with abstract thinking.

Conscientiousness: This dimension defines the extent of an individual’sreliability. An

individual with high conscientiousness isusually responsible, organised, dependable, and
persistent. On theother hand, individuals who score low on conscientiousness tend to get
distracted easily, and are usually disorganised and unreliable. Organisations need to focus on
developing conscientiousnessto avoid individuals getting easily distracted, which gives rise to
workplace politics.

Extraversion: Extraversion (or extroversion) is characterized by excitability, sociability,

talkativeness, assertiveness, and high amounts of emotional expressiveness.1 People who
are high in extraversion are outgoing and tend to gain energy in social situations. Being
around other people helps them feel energized and excited.
People who are low in extraversion (or introverted) tend to be more reserved and have less
energy to expend in social settings. Social events can feel draining and introverts often
require a period of solitude and quiet in order to "recharge."

Agreeableness: This personality dimension includes attributes such as trust, altruism,

kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviors.1 People who are high in agreeableness
tend to be more cooperative while those low in this trait tend to be more competitive and
sometimes even manipulative.

Neuroticism: Also referred to as emotional stability of an individual. A person‘s ability to

withstand stress. People withpositive emotional stability tend to be calm, self-confident, and
secure.Those with high negative scores tend to be nervous, anxious,depressed, and insecure.

Rating individuals on big five personality traits model

Manager: First, I am mentioning about my Manager Dipti, in her work Dipti gets to meet a
lot of clients which she really enjoys. Whenever she is stressed because of her work, she goes
out with her friends or family and then resumes work with new enthusiasm and energy. She is
one such boss that whenever the employees face any problem; they do not hesitate to share
with her. At times when the client is annoyed and loses his cool Dipti still maintains her
composure and tries to solve his concerns.

Dipti gets to meet a lot of clients which she really enjoys so it is clear that she is open to learn
new things, meet new people and do something good. She enjoys doing all this which also
help her at the workplace and employees also feel comfortable with her. I can say that, Dipti
certainly has conscientiousness personality trait, she is responsible, organised, dependable
and reliable. For her, work is the priority and she believes in best customer service.No doubt,
she is extrovert by her nature as she meets lot of new people and engage with them
professionally. Whenever she feels low, she goes out with her family and friends and this is
like therapy for her as she again joins the work with more excitement and dedication. Dipti is
liked by all of her employees as whenever the employees face any problems, they do not
hesitate to share with her and this is how she ensures good team work and great co-ordination
at the workplace. It is also mentioned that even if some clients are annoyed and loses their
cool; Dipti still maintains her composure and tries to solve their concerns. It shows how calm,
cool and self-confident she is. When you are working with other people, you need to listen to
others as well, rather than just telling them what to do or giving clients pre-defined answers.
You have to be quick, innovative and reliable when it comes to customer service and Dipti is
doing it wonderfully.

Relative: Next, I would like to mention about one of my relatives, my brother who is
working in a MNC as Project manager. As far as I know him, I believe he has all the big
personality traits mentioned above to lead his team pretty well. He is always open to learn
new things and teach innovative things to his team. By this trait, he is better managing his
team and his responsibilities. Apart from this, my brother is highly conscientiousness as he is
totally committed and responsible towards the work. Most of the times, he works overtime so
that projects can be finished on time.

My brother is extravert only as this is the basic requirement or trait when you are working
with some other people and when you are leading a team, you need to mix up with them to
get the work done on time. He has also shown the trait of agree ableness while working with
his team as he welcomes their ideas and views, supports them and guide them on various
matters of the project. Moreover, he manages the stress very well and motivate other team
members to finish the work on time.

Finally, it can be said that, every person has different personality which may or may not be
suitable in all the situations but still, all persons should have some personality traits
mentioned above so that they can manage the situation with cool mind and find the quick and
trusted solution as well.

3. As effective as technology has proven to be during lockdown for most organizations

across the globe, work from home for extended hours has its own set of challenges.
Without much face-to-face human interaction with coworkers and clients, it becomes
difficult to connect with our professional counterparts. These leaders to a drop in
motivation levels and overall productivity.
a. In the given scenario, how can Goal Setting Theory be applied to improve
performance?
b. How will you apply McClelland’s Needs Theory to enhance motivation at the
workplace?

Answer: a) Goal setting theory

Goal-setting theory refers to the effects of setting goals on subsequent performance.

Researcher Edwin Locke found that individuals who set specific, difficult goals performed
better than those who set general, easy goals. Locke proposed five basic principles of goal-
setting: clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback, and task complexity.
The goal setting theory is based on five basic principles, which are as follows:

Clarity: A clear, measurable goal is more achievable than one that is poorly defined. In other
words, be specific! The most effective goals have a specific timeline for completion.

Challenge: The goal must have a decent level of difficulty in order to motivate you to strive
toward the goal

Commitment: Refers to the dedication of employees to achievetheir goals. When goals are
challenging, they increase the commitmentof employees. High commitment levels ensure
improvementin the performance of employees.

Feedback: set up a method to receive information on your progress toward a goal. If losing
30 pounds in four months turns out to be too hard, it is better to adjust the difficulty of your
goal mid-way through the timeline than to give up entirely.

Task Complexity: Refers to the level of difficulty involved in atask. A challenging task
keeps employees motivated. However, ahighly-challenging task may be burdensome for
employees.

Answer b) Motivation is “the process that account for an individual’s intensity, direction,and
persistence of effort toward attaining a goal.” Intensityis concerned with how hard a person
tries. This is the element most of usfocus on when we talk about motivation. Direction is the
orientation thatbenefits the organisation. And persistence is a measure of how long aperson
can maintain his/her effort. Motivated individuals stay with a tasklong enough to achieve
their goal.

McClelland’s Needs Theory to enhance motivation

McClelland's Human Motivation Theory states that every person has one of three main
driving motivators: the needs for achievement, affiliation, or power. ... Those with a strong
need for affiliation don't like to stand out or take risk, and they value relationships above
anything else.. These are discussed below:

Need for achievement (nAch): Those predominant in this derive satisfaction from reaching
goals. To do that, they generally undertaketasks of moderate difficulty rather than very easy
or very difficult ones. They also prefer to work independently so that successful task
performance (or failure) can be related to their own efforts rather than the efforts of someone
else and seek feedback. When these characteristics are prevalent in a job, this category people
are strongly motivated.

Need for power (nPow): The need for power is the desire within a person to hold control
and authority over another person and influence and change their decision in accordance with
his own needs or desires. The need to enhance their self-esteem and reputation drives these
people and they desire their views and ideas to be accepted and implemented over the views
and ideas over others.
These people are strong leaders and can be best suited to leading positions. They either
belong to Personal or Institutional power motivator groups. If they are a personal power
motivator they would have the need to control others and an institutional power motivator
seeks to lead and coordinate a team towards an end.

Need for affiliation (nAff): The need for affiliation is the urge of a person to have interpersonal
and social relationships with others or a particular set of people. They seek to work in groups
by creating friendly and lasting relationships and has the urge to be liked by others. They tend
to like collaborating with others to competing with them and usually avoids high-risk
situations and uncertainty

McClelland’s Theory has significant implications for managers. If the needs of employees
can be measured, organizations can improve the selection and placement processes. People
with a high need for achievement may be placed on challenging, difficult jobs. People with a
high need for power may be trained for leadership positions. If the organization is able to
achieve a fit between need intensities and job characteristics, improved performance can be
observed. Here the need theory explains that the high income is not the correct parameter to
satisfy all the need of the person in the organization.