SUBJECT: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

UNIT-1 Introduction to Organizational Behavior

Organizational behavior (OB) is the academic study of the ways people act
within groups. Its principles are applied primarily in attempts to make businesses
operate more effectively.

The study of organizational behavior includes areas of research dedicated to

improving job performance, increasing job satisfaction, promoting innovation, and
encouraging leadership. Each has its own recommended actions, such as
reorganizing groups, modifying compensation structures, or changing methods of
performance evaluation.

The study of organizational behavior has its roots in the late 1920s, when the
Western Electric Company launched a now-famous series of studies of the
behavior of workers at its Hawthorne Works plant in Cicero, Illinois.

Researchers there set out to determine whether workers could be made to be more
productive if their environment was upgraded with better lighting and other design
improvements. To their surprise, the researchers found that the environment was
less important than social factors. It was more important, for example, that people
got along with their co-workers and felt their bosses appreciated them

Goals of Organizational Behavior Study

The leaders of the Hawthorne study had a couple of radical notions. They thought
they could use the techniques of scientific observation to increase an employee’s
amount and quality of work. And, they did not look at workers as interchangeable
resources. Workers, they thought, were unique in terms of their psychology and
potential fit within a company.

Over the following years, the concept of organizational behavior widened.

Beginning with World War II, researchers began focusing on logistics and
management science. Studies by the Carnegie School of Home Economics in the
1950s and 1960s solidified these rationalist approaches to decision-making.

Today, those and other studies have evolved into modern theories of business
structure and decision-making.
The new frontiers of organizational behavior are the cultural components of
organizations, such as how race, class, and gender roles affect group building and
productivity. These studies take into account the ways in which identity and
background inform decision-making.

Nature of Organisational Behavior:

Organisational behaviour in the study of human behaviour in the organisations.
Whenever an individual joins an organisation he brings with him unique set of
personal characteristics, experiences from other organisations and a personal
background. At the first stage organisational behaviour must look at the unique
perspective that each individual brings to the work setting.

The second stage of organisational behaviour is to study the dynamics of how the
incoming individuals interact with the broader organisation. No individual can
work in isolation. He comes into contact with other individuals and the
organisation in a variety of ways. The individual who joins a new organisation has
to come into contact with the co-workers, managers, formal policies and
procedures of the organisation etc.

It is a science because it follows the scientific methods of the observation, the

collection of the data, the hypothesis, the theory and the model building ever open
to the scientific scrutiny in terms of the relationship among variables under the
study and the validity of such a relationship.

It is an art, since it involves quite a subjective approach, too in terms of the skilful
organization of the field studies, the collection of the data and the interpretation of
the results by human beings who generally are more subjective than objective in
their approach.

It's a philosophy, too, in terms of ever trying to philosophize the questions of

human beings and  the organization's relationship in the behavioural terms. It tries
to frame postulations as to what, why, how, and where a particular kind of human
behaviour takes place in an organization in a particular corner of the globe or the
universe along with the other relevant aspects like its impact or effects?

Finally, it of course inter alia is interdisciplinary, flexible, dynamic, friendly and

far-reaching, too.

The scope of the organizational behavior is as under:

Impact of personality on performance
Employee motivation
Leadership
How to create effective teams and groups
Study of different organizational structures
Individual behavior, attitude and learning
Individual behavior, attitude and learning
Perception
Design and development of effective organization
Job design
Impact of culture on organizational behavior
Management of change
Management of conflict and stress
Organizational development
Organizational culture
Transactional analysis
Group behavior, power and politics
Job design
Study of emotions
The field of the organizational behavior does not depend upon deductions based on
gut feelings but attempts to gather information regarding an issue in a
scientific manner under controlled conditions. It uses information and interprets the
findings so that the behavior of an individual and group can be canalized as
desired.
Large number of psychologists, social scientists and academicians has carried out
research on various issues related to organization behavior. Employee performance
and job satisfaction are determinants of accomplishment of individual and
organizational goals.
Organizations have been set up to fulfill needs of the people. In today’s
competitive world, the organizations have to be growth-oriented. This is possible
when productivity is ensured with respect to quantity of product to be produced
with zero error quality. Employee absenteeism and turnover has a negative impact
on productivity.
Employee who absents frequently cannot contribute towards productivity and
growth of the organization. In the same manner, employee turnover causes
increased cost of production. Job satisfaction is a major factor to analyze
performance of an individual towards his work. Satisfied workers are productive
workers who contribute towards building an appropriate work culture in an
organization.
Organizations are composed of number of individuals working independently or
collectively in teams, and number of such teams makes a department and number
of such departments makes an organization. It is a formal structure and all
departments have to function in a coordinated manner to achieve the organizational
objective.
It is therefore important for all employees to possess a positive attitude towards
work. They need to function in congenial atmosphere and accomplish assigned
goals. It is also important for managers to develop an appropriate work culture.
Use of authority, delegation of certain powers to subordinates, division of labor,
efficient communication.

Individual behavior can be defined as a mix of responses to external and internal

stimuli. It is the way a person reacts in different situations and the way someone
expresses different emotions like anger, happiness, love, etc.

Individual Behavior Framework

On the basis of these elements, psychologist Kurt Lewin stated the Field theory
and outlined the behavior framework. This psychological theory studies the
patterns of interaction between an individual and the environment. The theory is
expressed using the formula.

B = F(P,E)

Where, B: Behavior, F: Behavior Function, P: Person, and E: Environment around

the person.

Say for example, a well payed person who loses his job in recession may behave
differently when unemployed.
 Causes of Individual Behavior

Certain individual characteristics are responsible for the way a person behaves in
daily life situations as well as reacts to any emergency situations. These
characteristics are categorized as −

Inherited characteristics

Learned characteristics

Inherited Characteristics

The features individuals acquire from their parents or from our forefathers are the
inherited characteristics. In other words, the gifted features an individual possesses
by birth is considered as inherited characteristics.

Following features are considered as inherited characteristics −

 Color of a person’s eye

 Religion/Race of a person
 Shape of the nose
 Shape of earlobes

2. Learned Characteristics

Nobody learns everything by birth. First our school is our home, then our society
followed by our educational institutions. The characteristics an individual acquires
by observing, practicing and learning from others and the surroundings is known as
learned characteristics.

It consists of the following features:

Perception: Result of different senses like feeling, hearing etc.

Values: Influences perception of a situation, decision making process.

Personality: Patterns of thinking, feeling, understanding and behaving.

Attitude: Positive or negative attitude like expressing one’s thought.

Models of Organizational Behavior

Models are frameworks or possible explanations why do people behave as they do
at work. There are so many models as many are organizations. Varying results
across the organizations are substantially caused by differences in the models of
organizational behaviour. All the models of organizational behaviour are broadly
classified into four types: autocratic, custodial, supportive and collegial. We
discuss these four models beginning with the autocratic. O.B. is the study of
human behaviour in organizations, the interface between human behaviour and the
organization and the organization itself. 

The Autocratic Model

The basis of this model is power with a managerial orientation of authority. The
employees in turn are oriented towards obedience and dependence on the boss. The
employee need that is met is subsistence. The performance result is minimal.

In case of an autocratic model, the managerial orientation is doctorial. The

managers exercise their commands over employees. The managers give orders and
the employees have to obey the orders. Thus, the employees orientation towards
the managers/bosses is obedience. Under autocratic conditions, employees give
higher performance either because of their achievement drive or their personal
liking to the boss or because of some other factor.
 Evidences such as the industrial civilization of the United States and
organizational crises do suggest that the autocratic model produced results.
However, its principal weakness is its high human cost. The combination of
emerging knowledge about the needs of the employees and ever changing societal
values and norms suggested managers to adopt alternative and better ways to
manage people at work. This gave genesis to the second type of models or
organizational behaviour.

The Custodial Model

The basis of this model is economic resources with a managerial orientation of

money. The employees in turn are oriented towards security and benefits and
dependence on the organization. The employee need that is met is security. The
performance result is passive cooperation.

The Supportive Model

The basis of this model is leadership with a managerial orientation of support.

The employees in turn are oriented towards job performance and participation. The
employee need that is met is status and recognition. The performance result is
awakened drives.

The supportive model is founded on leadership, not on money or authority. In

fact, it is the managerial leadership style that provides an atmosphere to help
employees grow and accomplish their tasks successfully. The managers recognize
that the workers are not by nature passive and disinterested to organizational needs,
but they are made so by an inappropriate leadership style. The managers believe
that given due and appropriate changes, the workers become ready to share
responsibility, develop a drive to contribute their mite and improve themselves.
Thus, under supportive approach, the management's orientation is to support the
employee's job performance for meeting both organizational and individual goals.

However, the supportive model of organizational behaviour is found more useful

and effective in developed nations and less effective in developing nations like
ours because of employee's more awakening in the former and less one in the latter
nations.

The Collegial Model

 The collegial model is an extension of the supportive model. As the literal
meaning of the work 'college' means a group of persons having the common
purpose, the collegial model relates to a team work/concept. The basic foundation
of the collegial model lies on management's building a feeling of partnership with
employee. Under collegial approach, employees feel needed and useful. They
consider managers as joint contributors to organizational success rather than as
bosses.

Its greatest benefit is that the employee becomes self-discipline. Feeling

responsible backed by self-discipline creates a feeling of team work just like what
the members of a football team feel. The research studies report that compared to
traditional management model, the more open, participative, collegial managerial
approach produced improved results in situations where it is appropriate.

Emerging aspects of Organizational Behavior

Here are three key ‘emerging’ trends in OB:

 Globalization. This should be the obvious answer to the question and

might not be as ‘strong’ of an ‘emerging’ trend as it used to be, but
globalization (read: diversity) has an effect on the way we study and
understand how organizations behave.
  Technology. This should also be up there on the ‘obvious’ list, as the
advancement of technology will automatically change the way that
organizations function.
 Changing workforce. Of the three list, this might be the ‘underrated’
trend, in that it’s not something that can necessarily be seen from a
distance (without some prior knowledge). It’s no secret that employees
from “Baby Boom” are nearing retirement age and when they do decide
to retire, that’s going to leave many holes in leadership positions within
organizations. Not only will they be leaving holes, but some think that
the employees that make up “Generation X” and “Millennials” won’t be
able to fill all the positions left by “Baby Boomers.”

Meaning Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity is the quality of diverse or different cultures, as opposed
to monoculture, the global monoculture, or a homogenization of cultures,
akin to cultural decay. The phrase cultural diversity can also refer to having
different cultures respect each other's differences. The phrase "cultural
diversity" is also sometimes used to mean the variety of
human societiesor cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a
whole. Globalization is often said to have a negative effect on the world's
cultural diversity.
Diversity refers to the attributes that people use to confirm themselves with
respect to others, “that person is different from me.” These attributes
include demographic factors (such as race, gender, and age) as well as
values and cultural norms.[1] The many separate societies that emerged
around the globe differ markedly from each other, and many of these
differences persist to this day. The more obvious cultural differences that
exist between people are language, dress, and traditions, there are also
significant variations in the way societies organize themselves, such as in
their shared conception of morality, religious belief, and in the ways, they
interact with their environment. Cultural diversity can be seen as analogous
to biodiversity.
Managing the Perception Process
 
 
Successful managers understand the importance of perceptions as influences on
behaviour, and handle them accordingly. They are aware of perceptual distortions
and accept that perceptual differences are likely to exist in any situation. With this
knowledge, they make appropriate decisions that are acceptable to all persons
concerned. The perceptual skills of a manager will help him in the following ways.

High level of self awareness

 As already made clear, individual needs, experience, and expectations will all
affect perceptions. The successful manager understands this and is able to identify
when he is inappropriately distorting a situation because of such perceptual
tendencies.
 
Seek information from various sources for decisions

 The successful manager minimizes the bias of personal perceptions by seeking out
the viewpoints of others. These insights are used to gain additional perspective on
situations and the problems or opportunities they represent.
 
Empathy

 As is understood, different people look at the same situation differently. The
successful manager rises above the personal impressions and tries to understand
problems as felt by other people.
 
Influence of perceptions on other people

 People act according to their own perceptions. If felt necessary, the successful
manager influences the perceptions of others in such a way that the work events
are interpreted as accurately as possible and to the advantage of all concerned.
 
Avoid common perceptual distortions

 Perceptual distortions include the use of stereotypes and halo effects, as well as
selective perception and projection. Successful managers are self disciplined and
sufficiently aware that the adverse impact of these distortions is minimized.
 

Avoid inappropriate attributions

  A person has a tendency to explain why events happened the way they did or why
people behaved as they did. The successful manager is wise enough to establish the
real reasons for the things that happen and avoid the tendency of making quick or
inappropriate attributions.

UNIT-2 Theories of Motivation

DEFINITION

Motivation is an important factor which encourages persons to give their best

performance and help in reaching enterprise goals. A strong
positive motivation will enable the increased output of employees but a
negative motivation will reduce their performance. A key element in personnel
management is motivation.

Nature of Motivation:
The nature  of motivation can be defined in following manner:

1.Psychological concept: Motivation is related to mental state of a person. So,

motivation is a psychological aspect. Psychology is a mental condition which 
arises in the mind of a person and directs to act in a particular way. Motivation is
related with the needs and motives which generate within an individual. It is the
function of management which encourages the capable person to do work with his
maximum efficiency. A man having physical, mental and technical capability may
not be ready to work properly. But motivation techniques encourage to work with
great efficiency.

2.Never ending process: Motivation is important till the existence of the

management. It is an unending process. It is dynamic in nature. The needs of a
person arise continuously one after another. For instance- a man satisfies one want
or one set of wants and after getting satisfaction again he feels another want and
tries to satisfy the same. As desires, wants, needs, and motives are dynamic  and
changes occur frequently, the motivation too should be considered as dynamic.

3.Related to human resources: Motivation is related to human resources and needs.

It is concerned with the feelings, desires, motives and needs of a man. Ofcourse, a
man may be motivated but we cannot motivate other factors of production or
resources like capital, land and machine.

4.Cause and effect of human satisfaction: A man works to fulfill his own motive.
Wants, desires, environment, condition, attitude,thought or experiences are the
several causes which may encourage a man to work to get satisfaction. Thus,
motivation is the cause and effect of human satisfaction.

5.Total individual motivation: Generally, an individual is found being motivated

and satisfied as a whole. An individual is a whole. He cannot be seperated. If a
person gets wound in his hand or leg, after medicine, he cannot say that the
hand/leg is satisfied and cures, not me, rather he feels the satisfaction as a whole.

PROCESS OF MOTIVATION

Individual Needs/Human
Needs                                                                                                   

                           Motivation is the process to satisfy a want and satisfaction is

experienced when the outcome has been achieved. Motivation is a technique to
satisfy a want or goal. It is determined in the mind of a person when he feels desire
or needs or wants. Thus, it is concerned with the individual or human process.
Different individuals have different needs, that too subject to be changed in
different situation and circumstances.

            Human motives are totally based upon their needs. Due to some motive, an
individual acts in a particular manner. Generally, needs means something lacking
and to acquire that a man may be motivated to work. So, a manager should try to
understand the needs, desire or wants of the staffs so as to motivate them in a
work. Besides, he should also try to understand the objectives, mission and values
of the employees.

            There is no doubt about the human needs are of variety in number and
nature both. Similarly, these all needs create tension in the mind of an individual
which may motivate them to work and acquire some solution and they are not
simple. Satisfaction of needs may help an individual to be free from tensions. We
all know that needs differ from individual to individual and in the same individual
from time to time. So, from the above explanation, individual/human needs can be
classified in the following manner:

1.Primary/innate needs: Different individuals may have different needs or wants.

These needs inborn needs which develop within oneself. All these needs are
physiological needs in nature and are known as food, water, air, shelter, etc. These
needs are also called basic needs and are very important of the preservation of a
human life.

2.Secondary/acquired needs: These needs are also known as other than

physiological needs. An individual may have other needs and wants and these
needs differ individual to individual. Generally, these needs are related to mind and
spirit rather than to the physiology of life and are felt by the person is his social
life.

Importance Of Motivation

Motivation has become very effective tools to achieve organizational goals and
manager has to use this tool to motivate or inspire the staff member in their
respective job in such a manner that they could work effectively and efficiently.
Motivation is important to both organization and individual. So, following are
some of the importance of motivation:

1.Higher productivity: Through the motivation techniques an organization can

easily achieve higher level of productivity because by motivating the subordinates,
a manager can encourage them to work with great efficiency and if works are
performed efficiently, it will lead  an organization to increase total production and
productivity.

2.Utilization of factors of production: In an organization, human resource is one of

the important resources. And if this resource is properly utilized then only other
factors, rather can be utilized properly. Motivation makes human resource work
sincerely and performing the given task efficiently. If employees work efficiently
then only there will be possibility of utilizing of other factors of production
properly and that too in maximum.

3.Best remedy for resistance to changes: The changes in an organization and its
working styles are usual phenomenon because organization changes in its
production technology, marketing process and even due to environmental changes,
many changes occur on the organization. But, if they are properly  and timely
motivated and managers give knowledge and inspiration, they will accept the
changes even more enthusiastically.

4.Higher morale of personnel: Motivation increases the working efficiency of the

workers. The workers having higher morale are asserted as the assets or the
organization. By lowering turnover rate and keeping the absenteeism low, a
motivated employee can contribute the organization.

5.Healthy industrial relation: Motivation helps to create healthy industrial relation

within the organization. The relation of management and trade union will be very
friendly.

Management Behavioral aspect of Perception.

1) Interpersonal Working Relationship : Organizations are intended to bring

about integrated behaviour. Managers require efforts to perceive correctly.
Misperceptions lead to strained relations and may even result in open conflict
among people.

(2) Selection of Employees : Managers are subject to many of the perceptual

problems when they make the selection decisions. New employees have to be
selected with correct perception.

(3) Performance Appraisal : The appraisal of a subordinate's performance is

highly affected by the accuracy of a manager's perceptions.

(4) Impression Management : It is very important for an individual to manage

or to control what others perceive about the individual. Identification of social
image and self-concept are some relevant factors that contribute to impression
management. Perception helps managers to identify the competent persons.

(5) The principle of closure, the principle of continuity, the proximity principle

and the similarity principle etc., are highly useful to promote healthy
organizational behaviour.

Effects of employee attitudes

Business owners looking for ways to improve worker productivity can start by
evaluating the attitude their employees bring to the job each day. A positive or
negative attitude affects how workers approach their jobs, and attitudes can have a
ripple effect on those around them. In general, a positive attitude with have a
positive impact on productivity, while the reverse is also true.
Change Adaptation

Work environments can change frequently as companies update work procedures,

introduce improved technology and add new products and customers. Employees
who display a positive attitude toward change may welcome and even embrace it,
as they may view it as a chance to enhance their skills. As a result, they may adapt
to change more quickly than an employee with a negative attitude, reducing the
time it takes to implement change in a productive manner.
Teamwork

An employee's attitude has an impact on how she functions as part of a team. For
instance, as many companies attempt to create a more diverse workplace,
employees may need to work with people of a different race, nationality or gender
than they have in the past. Employees who embrace these diverse workers and are
willing to assimilate them into their team can foster a spirit of cooperation, making
the team more productive in the process.
Innovation

Workplace attitude can affect the presence of innovation and creativity, which can
lead to increased productivity. Workers with a positive attitude toward their job
and the company are more likely to make helpful suggestions or ideas that help the
business grow. On the other hand, workers with a negative attitude may only be
concerned with producing enough to get by while having little interest in
innovation.
Turnover

Companies that experience high employee turnover levels not only incur the high
costs associated with hiring workers, they also experience reduced productivity
until the new workers are up to speed. Employees who feel good about their jobs
and workplace may be less likely to leave for greener pastures, helping companies
to minimize the productivity gap associated with turnover. Employees with
negative attitudes may eventually seek an improved work situation and decide to
leave the company.
Personal and Organizational Values
Organizational values are present, whether they are defined or not. They are
represented in your organizational culture.

Culture brings us views of warm and fuzzy thoughts yet it is an essential,

tangible thing. Whether or not you define it, you have organizational values.
They are defined by the people working there. So the questions become:

 Do you want your organizational values defined by various individuals in

various departments? or
 Do you want to define the organizational values you desire and then
exemplify them across all departments?

My advice. Take the latter approach and build a culture and organization for the
long haul. You will have a more engaged group of people working together to
do great things for your customers and stakeholders

It is amazing to see how individuals don't take the time to define and write their
personal values. Personal values answer at least three questions:

 How will you lead in good times?

 How will you lead in challenging times?
 What type of person do you want to be remembered as?

Don’t take your intuitive feeling as your personal values. Take the time to write
the answers and think about them. Refine them. Write them again. Live them.
Lead by them.This is what personal values are about, and we need to take the
time to define them and then use them daily.

Job satisfaction is defined as the extent to which an employeefeels self-motivated,

content & satisfied with his/her job. Job satisfaction happens when
an employee feels he or she is having job stability, career growth and a
comfortable work life balance.

Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a
five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a
pyramid.
Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend
to needs higher up. From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are:
physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
1. Physiological needs - these are biological requirements for human survival, e.g.
air, food, drink, shelter, clothing, warmth, sex, sleep.
If these needs are not satisfied the human body cannot function optimally. Maslow
considered physiological needs the most important as all the other needs become
secondary until these needs are met.
2. Safety needs - Once an individual’s physiological needs are satisfied, the needs
for security and safety become salient. People want to experience order,
predictability and control in their lives. These needs can be fulfilled by the family
and society (e.g. police, schools, business and medical care).
For example, emotional security, financial security (e.g. employment, social
welfare), law and order, freedom from fear, social stability, property, health and
wellbeing (e.g. safety against accidents and injury).
3. Love and belongingness needs - after physiological and safety needs have been
fulfilled, the third level of human needs is social and involves feelings of
belongingness. The need for interpersonal relationships motivates behavior
Examples include friendship, intimacy, trust, and acceptance, receiving and giving
affection and love. Affiliating, being part of a group (family, friends, work).
4. Esteem needs are the fourth level in Maslow’s hierarchy - which Maslow
classified into two categories: (i) esteem for oneself (dignity, achievement,
mastery, independence) and (ii) the desire for reputation or respect from others
(e.g., status, prestige).
Maslow indicated that the need for respect or reputation is most important for
children and adolescents and precedes real self-esteem or dignity.
5. Self-actualization needs refer to the realization of a person's potential, self-
fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences. Maslow (1943)
describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become
the most that one can be.
Individuals may perceive or focus on this need very specifically. For example, one
individual may have a strong desire to become an ideal parent. In another, the
desire may be expressed economically, academically or athletically. For others, it
may be expressed creatively, in paintings, pictures, or inventions.

Theory X and Theory Y

Assumptions of Theory X

 An average employee intrinsically does not like work and tries to escape it
whenever possible.
 Since the employee does not want to work, he must be persuaded,
compelled, or warned with punishment so as to achieve organizational goals.
A close supervision is required on part of managers. The managers adopt a
more dictatorial style.
 Many employees rank job security on top, and they have little or no
aspiration/ ambition.

 Employees generally dislike responsibilities.

 Employees resist change.
 An average employee needs formal direction.

Assumptions of Theory Y

 Employees can perceive their job as relaxing and normal. They exercise
their physical and mental efforts in an inherent manner in their jobs.
 Employees may not require only threat, external control and coercion to
work, but they can use self-direction and self-control if they are dedicated
and sincere to achieve the organizational objectives.
 If the job is rewarding and satisfying, then it will result in employees’
loyalty and commitment to organization.
 An average employee can learn to admit and recognize the responsibility. In
fact, he can even learn to obtain responsibility.
 The employees have skills and capabilities. Their logical capabilities should
be fully utilized. In other words, the creativity, resourcefulness and
innovative potentiality of the employees can be utilized to solve
organizational problems.
Thus, we can say that Theory X presents a pessimistic view of employees’ nature
and behaviour at work, while Theory Y presents an optimistic view of the
employees’ nature and behaviour at work. If correlate it with Maslow’s theory, we
can say that Theory X is based on the assumption that the employees emphasize on
the physiological needs and the safety needs; while Theory X is based on the
assumption that the social needs, esteem needs and the self-actualization needs
dominate the employees.
McGregor views Theory Y to be more valid and reasonable than Theory X. Thus,
he encouraged cordial team relations, responsible and stimulating jobs, and
participation of all in decision-making process.
Implications of Theory X and Theory Y

Quite a few organizations use Theory X today. Theory X encourages use of

tight control and supervision. It implies that employees are reluctant to
organizational changes. Thus, it does not encourage innovation.

Many organizations are using Theory Y techniques. Theory Y implies that the
managers should create and encourage a work environment which provides
opportunities to employees to take initiative and self-direction. Employees
should be given opportunities to contribute to organizational well-being. Theory
Y encourages decentralization of authority, teamwork and participative decision
making in an organization. Theory Y searches and discovers the ways in which
an employee can make significant contributions in an organization. It
harmonizes and matches employees’ needs and aspirations with organizational
needs and aspirations.

UNIT-3 Personality Traits/Theories and Stress

Personality: Meaning and Determinants of Personality!

The term ‘personality’ is derived from the Latin word ‘persona’ which means a
mask. According to K. Young, “Personality is a …. patterned body of habits, traits,
attitudes and ideas of an individual, as these are organised externally into roles and
statuses, and as they relate internally to motivation, goals, and various aspects of
selfhood.” G. W. Allport defined it as “a person’s pattern of habits, attitudes, and
traits which determine his adjustment to his environment.”
Determinants of Personality:
Personality is a result of the combination of four factors, i.e., physical
environment, heredity, culture, and particular experiences. Here we discuss each
factor determining personality separately.

1.Personality and Environment:

Above we described the influence of physical environment on culture and pointed
out that geographical environment sometimes determines cultural variability. That
the Eskimos have a culture different from that of the Indians is due to the fact that
the former have a geography different from the latter.

Man comes to form ideas and attitudes according to the physical environment he
lives in.

To the extent that the physical environment determines cultural development and
to the extent, that culture in turn determines personality, a relationship between
personality and environment becomes clear. Some two thousand years ago,
Aristotle claimed that people living in Northern Europe were owing to a cold
climate, full of spirit but lacking in intelligence and skill. The natives of Asia, on
the other hand, are intelligent and inventive but lack in spirit, and are, therefore,
slaves.

Montesquieu, in the eighteenth century, claimed that the bravery of those blessed
by a cold climate enables them to maintain their liberties. Great heat enervates
courage while cold causes a certain vigour of body and mind. At high
temperatures, it is said there is disinclination to work and so civilizations have
grown up where the temperatures have been average near or below the optimum.
The people of mountains as well as deserts are usually bold, hard and powerful.
Huntington’s discussion of the effects of physical environment on man’s attitudes
and mental make-up is very exhaustive. However, as told previously, the physical
conditions are more permissive and limiting factors than causative factors. They
set the limits within which personality can develop.

2.Heredity and Personality:

Heredity is another factor determining human personality. Some of the similarities
in man’s personality are said to be due to his common heredity. Every human
group inherits the same general set of biological needs and capacities. These
common needs and capacities explain some of our similarities in personality. Man
originates from the union of male and female germ cells into a single cell which is
formed at the moment of conception.

3.Personality and Culture:

There can be little doubt that culture largely determines the types of personality
that will predominate in the particular group. According to some thinkers,
personality is the subjective aspect of culture. They regard personality and culture
as two sides of the same coin.

Spiro has observed, ‘The development of personality and the acquisition of culture
are not different processes, but one and the same learning process.” Personality is
an individual aspect of culture, while culture is a collective aspect of personality.”
Each culture produces its special type or types of personality.
4.Personality and Particular Experiences:
Personality is also determined by another factor, namely, the particular and unique
experiences. There are two types of experiences one, those that stem from
continuous association with one’s group, second, those that arise suddenly and are
not likely to recur. The type of people who meet the child daily has a major
influence on his personality. The personality of parents does more to affect a
child’s personality.

5.Physical features: A vital ingredient of the personality, an individual's external

appearance, is biologically determined. The fact that a person is tall or short, fat
or skinny, black or white will influence the person's effect on others and this in
turn, will affect the self-concept. Practically all would agree that physical
characteristics have at least some influence on the personality. According to Paul
H Mussen "a child's physical characteristics may be related to his approach to the
social environment, to the expectancies of others, and to their reactions to him.
These, inturn, may have impacts on personality development".

Stype A and Type B Assessment of Personality

Based on personality, people can be bifurcated into two categories i.e. Type A
personality and Type B personality. It is the most common individual-level stressor
and explains two different types of personality. These are known to influence the
possibility of an individual’s acquiring health-related problems like heart
ailments. Type A people are highly competitive, self-critical. They continuously
strive for goals without paying much attention to efforts and accomplishments.

On the other extreme, Type B individuals are usually more tolerant, relaxed,

reflective than Type A. So, if you are concerned about which personality type you
carry, take a glance at the article excerpt and identify yourself. It may also help to
understand the difference between the two.
Content: Type A Personality Vs Type B Personality

1. Comparison Chart
2. Definition
3. Key Differences
4. Concept
5. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

BASIS FOR
TYPE A PERSONALITY TYPE B PERSONALITY
COMPARISON

Meaning Type A personality is one Type B personality is one

which is stress prone, in a which is less stress prone
hurry, impatient and fast in patient, relaxed and easy
whatever they do. going.

Nature Sensitive and proactive Reflective and innovative

Patience level Low High

Temperament Short-termpered Even-tempered

Competition Highly-competitive Less-competitive

Multitasking Does several things at a time. Does one thing at a time.

Stress level High Low

Time constraints Encounters pressure because Is not affected by time

of time constraints constraints.
Meaning and definition of Stress.
Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional
factor that causes bodily or mental tension. ...Stress can cause or influence the
course of many medical conditions including psychological conditions such as
depression and anxiety
Symptoms of Stress
The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You
get used to it. It starts to feel familiar, even normal. You don’t notice how much
it’s affecting you, even as it takes a heavy toll. That’s why it’s important to be
aware of the common warning signs and symptoms of stress overload.

Cognitive symptoms:

 Memory problems

 Inability to concentrate

 Poor judgment

 Seeing only the negative

 Anxious or racing thoughts

 Constant worrying

Emotional symptoms:

 Depression or general unhappiness

 Anxiety and agitation

 Moodiness, irritability, or anger

 Feeling overwhelmed

 Loneliness and isolation

 Other mental or emotional health problems

Physical symptoms:

 Aches and pains

 Diarrhea or constipation

 Nausea, dizziness

 Chest pain, rapid heart rate

 Loss of sex drive

 Frequent colds or flu

Behavioral symptoms:

 Eating more or less

 Sleeping too much or too little

 Withdrawing from others

 Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities

 Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax

Sources of Stress: Individual Level, Group Level

Individual Factors

Let’s start at the top. The first of three sources of stress is individual. Individuals
might experience stressful commutes to work, or a stressful couple of weeks
helping at a work event, but those kinds of temporary, individual stresses are not
what we’re looking at here. We’re looking for a deeper, longer-term stress. Family
stress—marriages that are ending, issues with children, an ailing parent—these are
stressful situations that an employee really can’t leave at home when he or she
comes to work. Financial stress, like the inability to pay bills or an unexpected new
demand on a person’s cash flow might also be an issue that disturbs an employee’s
time at work. Finally, an individual’s own personality might actually contribute to
his or her stress. People’s dispositions—how they perceive things as negative or
positive—can be a factor in each person’s stress as well.
Organizational Factors

There’s a plethora of organizational sources of stress.

 Task or role demands: these are factors related to a person’s role at work,

including the design of a person’s job or working conditions. A stressful task
demand might be a detailed, weekly presentation to the company’s senior
team. A stressful role demand might be where a person is expected to achieve
more in a set amount of time than is possible.
 Interpersonal demands: these are stressors created by co-workers. Perhaps
an employee is experiencing ongoing conflict with a co-worker he or she is
expected to collaborate closely with. Or maybe employees are experiencing a
lack of social support in their roles.
 Organizational structure: this refers to the level of differentiation within an
organization, the degree of rules and regulations, and where decisions are
made. If employees are unable to participate in decisions that affect them,
they may experience stress.
 Organizational leadership: this refers to the organization’s style of
leadership, particularly the managerial style of its senior executives. Leaders
can create an environment of tension, fear and anxiety and can exert
unrealistic pressure and control. If employees are afraid they’ll be fired for
not living up to leadership’s standards, this can definitely be a source of
stress.
 Organizational life stage: an organization goes through a cycle of stages
(birth, growth, maturity, decline). For employees, the birth and decline of an
organization can be particularly stressful, as those stages tend to be filled with
heavy workloads and a level of uncertainty about the future.

Environmental Factors

Finally, there are environmental sources of stress. The economy may be in a

downturn, creating uncertainty for job futures and bank accounts. There may be
political unrest or change creating stress. Finally, technology can cause stress, as
new developments are constantly making employee skills obsolete, and workers
fear they’ll be replaced by a machine that can do the same. Employee are also
often expected to stay connected to the workplace 24/7 because technology allows
it.
Effect of Stress - Burnouts; Stress Management
What is burnout?
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused
by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed,
emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues,
you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role
in the first place.

Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling
increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel
like you have nothing more to give.

Stress management is a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed

at controlling a person's level of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the
purpose of and for the motive of improving everyday functioning. In this context,
the term 'stress' refers only to a stress with significant negative consequences,
or distress in the terminology advocated by Hans Selye, rather than what he
calls eustress, a stress whose consequences are helpful or otherwise.
Stress produces numerous physical and mental symptoms which vary according to
each individual's situational factors. These can include physical health decline as
well as depression. The process of stress management is named as one of the keys
to a happy and successful life in modern society.[1] Although life provides
numerous demands that can prove difficult to handle, stress management provides
a number of ways to manage anxiety and maintain overall well-being.

UNIT-4 Groups and Conflicts

Nature of Group, Types of Groups; Nature and Characteristics of team

DEFINITION

Every organization is a group unto itself. A group refers to two or more people
who share a common meaning and evaluation of themselves and come together to
achieve common goals. In other words, a group is a collection of people who
interact with one another; accept rights and obligations as members and who share
a common identity.
Characteristics of a Group:
Regardless of the size or the purpose, every group has similar characteristics:
(a) 2 or more persons (if it is one person, it is not a group)

(b) Formal social structure (the rules of the game are defined)

(c) Common fate (they will swim together)

(d) Common goals (the destiny is the same and emotionally connected)

(e) Face-to-face interaction (they will talk with each other)

(f) Interdependence (each one is complimentary to the other)

Types of Groups:
One way to classify the groups is by way of formality – formal and informal.
While formal groups are established by an organization to achieve its goals,
informal groups merge spontaneously. Formal groups may take the form of
command groups, task groups, and functional groups.

1. Command Groups:
Command groups are specified by the organizational chart and often consist of a
supervisor and the subordinates that report to that supervisor. An example of a
command group is a market research firm CEO and the research associates under
him.

2. Task Groups:
Task groups consist of people who work together to achieve a common task.
Members are brought together to accomplish a narrow range of goals within a
 specified time period. Task groups are also commonly referred to as task forces.
The organization appoints members and assigns the goals and tasks to be
accomplished.

Examples of assigned tasks are the development of a new product, the

improvement of a production process, or designing the syllabus under semester
system.

Other common task groups are ad hoc committees, project groups, and standing
committees. Ad hoc committees are temporary groups created to resolve a specific
complaint or develop a process are normally disbanded after the group completes
the assigned task.

3. Functional Groups:
A functional group is created by the organization to accomplish specific goals
within an unspecified time frame. Functional groups remain in existence after
achievement of current goals and objectives. Examples of functional groups would
be a marketing department, a customer service department, or an accounting
department.

Nature of Leadership, Leadership Styles

Leadership can simply be defined as the ability to influence others. Leadership is

the work that is done by the leader.
Nature of leadership

 Leadership derives from the power and is similar to, yet distinct from,
management. In fact, “leadership” and “management” are different. There can be
leaders of completely unorganized groups, but there can be managers only of
 organized groups. Thus it can be said that a manager is necessarily a leader but a
leader may not be a manager.

 Leadership is essential for managing. The ability to lead effectively is one of the
keys to being an effective manager because she/he has to combine resources and
lead a group to achieve objectives.

 Leadership and motivation are closely interconnected. By understanding

motivation, one can appreciate better what people want and why they act as they
do. A leader can encourage or dampen workers’ motivation by creating a favorable
or unfavorable working environment in the organization.

 The essence of leadership is followership. In other words, it is the willingness of

people to follow a person that makes that person a leader. Moreover, people tend to
follow those whom they see as providing a means of achieving their desires, needs
and wants.

 Leadership involves an unequal distribution of power between leaders and group

members. Group members are not powerless; they can shape group activities in
some ways. Still, the leader will usually have more power than the group members.

 Leaders can influence the followers’ behavior in some ways. Leaders can influence
workers either to do ill or well for the company. The leader must be able to
empower and motivate the followers to the cause.

 The leader must co-exist with the subordinates or followers and must have a clear
idea about their demands and ambitions. This creates loyalty and trust in
subordinates for their leader.

 Leadership is to be concerned about values. Followers learn ethics and values from
their leaders. Leaders are the real teachers of ethics, and they can reinforce ideas.
Leaders need to make positive statements of ethics if they are not hypocritical.

 Leading is a very demanding job both physically and psychologically. The leader
must have the strength, power, and ability to meet the bodily requirements; zeal,
energy, and patience to meet the mental requirements for leading.
 Styles of Leadership

Leadership style refers to a leaders’ behavior towards group members.

The behavioral pattern which the leader reflects in his role as a leader is often
described as the style of leadership.

Leadership style is the result of the leader’s philosophy, personality, value

system, and experience.

It also depends on the types of followers and organizational atmosphere prevailing

in the enterprise. The different types of leadership may be discussed under the
following heads:

1. Leadership Styles Based on Authority.

2. Likert’s Four Styles of Managerial Leadership.

3. Leadership Styles in the Managerial Grid.

4. Leadership Continuum.

So it can be described as leading a process by which a person leads others to

accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more
cohesive and coherent.

Leadership is the ability of a manager to induce the subordinates to work with

confidence and zeal.

Traits of Effective Leaders

Share Their Vision

A leader with vision has a clear idea of where they want to go, how to get there and
what success looks like. Be sure to articulate your vision clearly and passionately,
ensuring your team understands how their individual efforts contribute to higher
level goals. Personally working toward your vision with persistence, tenacity, and
enthusiasm will inspire and encourage others to do the same.
Lead By Example
As a leader, the best way to build credibility and gain the respect of others is to set
the right examples. Demonstrate the behavior that you want people to follow. If
you demand a lot of your team, you should also be willing to set high standards for
yourself. Aligning your words and actions will help to build trust and make your
team more willing to follow your example.

Demonstrate Integrity
A leader with integrity draws on their values to guide their decisions, behavior, and
dealings with others. They have clear convictions about what is right and wrong
and are respected for being genuine, principled, ethical and consistent. They have a
strong sense of character, keep their promises, and communicate openly, honestly
and directly with others. Displaying integrity through your daily actions will see
you rewarded with loyalty, confidence, and respect from your employees.

Communicate Effectively
The ability to communicate clearly, concisely and tactfully is a crucial leadership
skill. Communication involves more than just listening attentively to others and
responding appropriately. It also includes sharing valuable information, asking
intelligent questions, soliciting input and new ideas, clarifying misunderstandings,
and being clear about what you want. The best leaders also communicate to inspire
and energize their staff.

Make Hard Decisions

To be an effective leader, the ability to make fast, difficult decisions with limited
information is critical. When facing a tough decision, start by determining what
you are trying to achieve. Consider the likely consequences of your decision and
any available alternatives. Make your final decision with conviction, take
responsibility for it and follow it through. Being a resolute and confident decision-
maker will allow you to capitalize on opportunities and earn the respect of your
team.

Recognize Success
Frequently and consistently recognizing achievement is one of the most powerful
habits of inspiring leaders. For people to stretch themselves and contribute their
best efforts, they need to know their work will be valued and appreciated. Find
ways to celebrate the achievements of your people, even if it’s through a simple
‘well done.’ As well as boosting morale, it will also strengthen their motivation to
continue giving their best.

Empower Others
Great leaders understand that for people to give their best, they must have a sense
of ownership over their work and believe that what they’re doing is meaningful.
Communicate clear goals and deadlines to your team, and then give them the
autonomy and authority to decide how the work gets done. Challenge them with
high expectations and encourage them to be creative and show innovation.

Motivate and Inspire

The best leaders drive their team forward with passion, enthusiasm, inspiration and
motivation. Invest time in the people you lead to determine their strengths, needs,
and priorities. As well as making them feel valuable, this will help you to
understand the best way to motivate them. Continually reinforce how their efforts
are making a difference, and encourage the development of their potential with
meaningful goals and challenges.

For tips on how to teach others to be leaders in the workplace, find out here how to
develop your future leaders.
Effect of Conflict, Conflict Resolution ,Sources of Conflict
Conflict within an organization can lead to creative solutions. As organizations
strive to achieve their goals, they are often met with challenges they must
overcome as a team.

Challenges leave room for conflict between members, other organizations,

communities and other parties involved in the organization’s mission.

While “conflict” often has a negative connotation, the effects of conflict within an
organization can be positive and negative

Mental Health Concerns

Conflict within an organization can cause members to become frustrated if they

feel as if there’s no solution in sight, or if they feel that their opinions go
unrecognized by other group members.

As a result, members become stressed, which adversely affects their professional

and personal lives.

Organization members may have problems sleeping, loss of appetite or overeating,

headaches and become unapproachable. In some instances, organization members
may avoid meetings to prevent themselves from experiencing stress and stress-
related symptoms.

Decrease in Productivity

When an organization spends much of its time dealing with conflict, members take
time away from focusing on the core goals they are tasked with achieving.

Conflict causes members to focus less on the project at hand and more on
gossiping about conflict or venting about frustrations.

As a result, organizations can lose money, donors and access to essential resources.

Members Leave Organization

Organization members who are increasingly frustrated with the level of conflict
within an organization may decide to end their membership. This is especially
detrimental when members are a part of the executive board or heads of
committees

Once members begin to leave, the organization has to recruit new members and
appoint acting board members.

In extreme cases, where several members leave or an executive board steps down,
organizations risk dissolution.

Violence

When conflict escalates without mediation, intense situations may arise, between
organization members. It’s unfortunate, but organizational conflicts may cause
violence among members, resulting in legal problems for members and possibly
the organization.

Distract Primary Purposes

Conflict can distract individuals and groups from their primary purposes, leaving
them with less time and resources for other activities.

When a conflict involves the use of “heavy contentious tactics,” it can cause the
individuals or groups involved in the conflict as well as individuals or groups not
involved in the conflict to divert time and resources away from other needs.

Psychological Problem

Conflict can have both short term and long term effects on the physical and
psychological health of the individuals involved in or affected by the conflict.

In worst-case scenarios the psychological consequences can include deep trauma

and diminished coping mechanisms.

Conflict Resolution
Problem-solving

Face-to-face meetings of the conflicting parties for the purpose of identifying the
problem and resolving it through open discussion.
Superordinate goals

Creating a shared goal that cannot be attained without the cooperation of each of
the conflicting parties.

Expansion of resources

When a conflict is caused by the society of a resource say, money, promotion

opportunities, office space- expansion of the resource can create a win-win
solution.

Avoidance

Withdrawal from, or suppression of the conflict.

Smoothing

Playing down differences while emphasizing common interests between the

conflicting parties.

Compromise

Each party to the conflict gives up something of value.

Authoritative command

Management uses its formal authority to resolve the conflict and then
communicates its desires to the parties involved.

Altering the human variable

Using behavioral change techniques such as human relations training to alter

attitudes and behaviors that cause conflict.

Altering the Structural variables

Changing the formal organization structure and the interaction patterns of

conflicting parties through job design, transfers, the creation of coordinating
positions and the like.
 Conflict Stimulation Techniques

 Communication,

 Bringing in outsiders,

 Restructuring the organization, and

 Appointing a devil’s advocate.

Communication

Using unambiguous or threatening messages to increase conflict levels.

Bringing in outsiders

Adding employees to a group whose backgrounds, values, attitudes, or managerial

styles differ from those of present members.

Restructuring the organization

Realigning workgroups, altering rules and regulations, increasing interdependence,

and making similar-structural changes to disrupt the status quo.

Appointing a devil’s advocate

Designating a critic to purposely argue against the majority positions held by the
group.

SOURCES OF CONFLICTS

Organizational sources of conflict are those events or factors that cause goals to
differ. Personality conflicts, irritating as they may be, don’t actually qualify as an
organizational source of conflict. They may be the most aggravating part of your
day and, certainly, they’re something organizations need to watch for if it
interferes with daily work, but these organizational sources produce much bigger
problems. Those sources are

     Goal incompatibility and differentiation

      Interdependence
     Uncertainty and resource scarcity
     Reward systems

Goal Incompatibility and Differentiation

Organizational sources of conflict occur when departments are differentiated in

their goals. For instance, the research and development team at an electronics
company might be instructed to come up with the best new, pie-in-the-sky idea for
individual-use electronics—that thing consumers didn’t know they needed. The
R&D team might come up with something fantastic, featuring loads of bells and
whistles that the consumer will put to excellent use.

Then, the manufacturing team gets together to look at this new design. They’ve
been told that management likes it, and that they need to build it by the most
economical means possible. They start make adjustments to the design, saving
money by using less expensive materials than what were recommended by the
R&D team. Conflict arises.

Goal incompatibility and differentiation is a fairly common occurrence. The

manufacturing team disagrees with research and development. The sales
department feels like the legal department is there to keep them from getting deals
signed.  Departments within the organization feel like they are working at cross-
purposes, even though they’re both operating under the assumption that their
choices are best for the company.

Interdependence

Interdependence describes the extent to which employees rely on other employees

to get their work done. If people all had independent goals that didn’t affect one
another, everything would be fine. That’s not the case in many organizations.

Uncertainty and Resource Scarcity

Change. We talked about it as a source of stress, and we’re going to talk about it
here as an organizational source of conflict. Uncertainty makes it difficult for
managers to set clear directions, and lack of clear direction leads to conflict.
Reward System

An organization’s reward system can be a source of conflict, particularly if the

organization sets up a win-lose environment for employee rewards.

Meaning and types of Grievances

A grievance is any dissatisfaction or feeling of injustice having connection with

one’s employment situation which is brought to the attention of management.
Speaking broadly, a grievance is any dissatisfaction that adversely affects
organizational relations and productivity. To understand what a grievance is, it is
necessary to distinguish between dissatisfaction, complaint, and grievance.

Types of Grievances
Let's first look at some of the most common types of employee and workplace
grievances. Keep in mind that a grievance can be real or imaginary, and employees
file grievances for a range of issues that can be minor or major.
Pay and Benefits: This is the most common area of employee complaints and
grievances. These grievances may involve the amount and qualifications for pay
increases, pay equity for comparable work within the organization, and the cost
and coverage of benefit programs.
Workloads: Heavy workloads are a common employee and workplace grievance.
If you work for a company that is going through lean times, you may have been
asked to take on more work without a pay increase. Perhaps your employer decides
not to fill a vacant position and instead assigns additional work to you and your
colleagues. Such situations lead to employee frustration and dissatisfaction.
Work Conditions: A safe and clean work environment is crucial to employee
satisfaction and motivation. Extensive state and federal regulations protect worker
health and safety. Employees who believe a company is not following applicable
regulations and guidelines may decide to file a grievance.
Union and Management Relations: When unions represent employees, both the
union and management must avoid unfair labor practices. These illegal acts
involve threatening or coercive behavior by either party designed to obtain an
employee's loyalty or cooperation. The National Labor Relations Act specifies
unlawful activities for employers and unions. For example, employers cannot
threaten employees with termination if they vote for a union. Employees may file
grievances when they experience unfair labor practices.

Process of Grievances Handling

1. Initiate the grievance procedure

By law, every company should have a formal, written grievance procedure. This

written procedure should tell employees whom to contact if they have an issue and
should set out the steps of the process and the time limits for each stage.

In many instances, the first step of the procedure may involve an informal
discussion to see if the issue can be easily solved. If it can’t, the employee will
need to initiate the formal process by submitting a grievance in writing. 

2. Investigate the grievance

While not always necessary, you may need to take some time to investigate the
complaint. In particular, if the issue involves other members of staff, they will need
to be notified and given a chance to explain their positions or to give their own
evidence. Once you’ve completed your investigations, you can arrange a grievance
hearing. You’ll need to inform all relevant parties, so that they can make their own
preparations. 

3. Hold a grievance hearing

The next key action is to hold the formal meeting where the employee will set out
their grievance and provide any evidence to back up their case. All parties should
attend this grievance hearing. Employees have the right to bring along a colleague
or union representative. The employee should also be invited to explain how they
would like their issue to be resolved and what outcome they are seeking. You
should arrange for formal notes to be taken at this meeting, which you can then
circulate to all parties afterwards. 
 

4. Make your decision and inform the employee

After the meeting, you will make your decision. You may decide to uphold the
staff member’s grievance in full or in part, or you may reject it. If you uphold it, or
parts of it, you need to identify the action that will be taken. Write to the employee,
telling them what your decision is. Explain the reasons for your decision and
advise them what actions you will take and what actions they should take. 

5. Further action

If the employee does not accept the decision, they have the right to an appeal.
Again, your policy should outline the appeals process that will be followed when
an employee wants to take the grievance further.