Saturday, 27 February 2021

Individual Behaviour - Perception & Learning (Management-1 27Feb 2021)

Chapter - 2: Individual Behaviour

 

Individual Level of Analysis

At the individual level of analysis, organizational behaviour includes the study of learning, perception, creativity, motivation, and personality.

In addition, it also includes the study of turnover, task performance and evaluation, coordinated behaviour, deviant work behaviour, ethics, and cognition.

Example − Ram joins a company as an intern and is very open to learning new things but as time passes and he gets promoted his attitude towards his interns becomes rude. This is a fine example of individual level of analysis.

 

Perception

Perception is an intellectual process of transforming sensory stimuli to meaningful information. It is the process of interpreting something that we see or hear in our mind and use it later to judge and give a verdict on a situation, person, group etc.

It can be divided into six types −

1. Sound − The ability to receive sound by identifying vibrations.

2. Speech − The competence of interpreting and understanding the sounds of language heard.

3. Touch − Identifying objects through patterns of its surface by touching it.

4. Taste − The ability to receive flavour of substances by tasting it through sensory organs known as taste buds.

5. Other senses − They approve perception through body, like balance, acceleration, pain, time, sensation felt in throat and lungs etc.

6. Of the social world − It permits people to understand other individuals and groups of their social world.

Example − Priya goes to a restaurant and likes their customer service, so she will perceive that it is a good place to hang out and will recommend it to her friends, who may or may not like it. Priya’s perception about the restaurant is good.

  

Importance of Perception in OB

We need to understand what the role of perception in an organization is. It is very important in establishing different role of perceptions like −

·      Understanding the tasks to be performed.

·      Understanding associated importance of tasks allotted.

·      Understanding preferred behaviour to complete respective tasks.

·      Clarifying role perceptions.

Example, every member in a group has to be clear regarding the role allotted to them. Programmer writes the code, tester checks it, etc.

 

Learning

Learning can be defined as the permanent change in behaviour due to direct and indirect experience. It means change in behaviour, attitude due to education and training, practice and experience. It is completed by acquisition of knowledge and skills, which are relatively permanent.

Nature of Learning

Nature of learning means the characteristic features of learning. Learning involves change; it may or may not guarantee improvement. It should be permanent in nature, that is learning is for lifelong.

The change in behaviour is the result of experience, practice and training. Learning is reflected through behaviour.

Factors Affecting Learning

Learning is based upon some key factors that decide what changes will be caused by this experience. The key elements or the major factors that affect learning are motivation, practice, environment, and mental group.

1. Motivation − The encouragement, the support one gets to complete a task, to achieve a goal is known as motivation. It is a very important aspect of learning as it acts gives us a positive energy to complete a task.

Example − The coach motivated the players to win the match.

 

2. Practice − We all know that “Practice makes us perfect”. In order to be a perfectionist or at least complete the task, it is very important to practice what we have learnt.

Example − We can be a programmer only when we execute the codes we have written.

 

3. Environment − We learn from our surroundings; we learn from the people around us. They are of two types of environment – internal and external.

Example − A child when at home learns from the family which is an internal environment, but when sent to school it is an external environment.

 

4. Mental group − It describes our thinking by the group of people we chose to hang out with. In simple words, we make a group of those people with whom we connect. It can be for a social cause where people with the same mentality work in the same direction.

Example − A group of readers, travellers, etc.

 

These are the main factors that influence what a person learns, these are the root level for our behaviour and everything we do is connected to what we learn.


Friday, 26 February 2021

Organizational Behaviour Theories (Management-1 26Feb 2021)

Organizational Behaviour Theories

Important Organizational Behaviour Theories of management are discussed below:

1. Bureaucracy Theory

2. Scientific Theory

3. Process Management Theory

 

1. Bureaucracy Theory

Max Weber (1864-1920) a German sociologist introduced the theory of Bureaucracy. His major contribution to the theory is the concept of authority, structure and it inter relationship.

Weber in his model of bureaucracy stated that there are three types of authority in any organization.

· Legal authority indicating that a person holds authority based on legal position or rank within the hierarchy.

· Traditional authority: employees obey a person because he comes from a traditionally recognized power holding family or a person belonging to a royal family.

· Charismatic authority: which indicates special power or an appeal that a leader possesses.

 

2. Scientific Management Theory

Scientific management approach was developed by F.W. Taylor at the beginning of the 20th century.

· This theory supported the use of certain steps in scientifically studying each element of a job, selecting and training the best workers for the job.

· It provided a scientific rationale for job specialization and mass production. His assumption was that employees are motivated largely by money.

· Taylor recommended co-operation among workers as against chaotic individualism.

 

3. Process / Administrative Management Theory

Administrative management theory was developed by Henri Fayol in the early 1900s and is considered to be highly relevant even today. Fayol created fourteen principles which he believed outlined the basis for strong and successful companies. It is important to know that Fayol agreed with many of Taylor’s ideas and ideologies, however, the main difference is that Taylor focused on the process of completing the work most effectively, and Fayol focuses on the organizational structure of a company as a whole.

Some of Fayol’s principles included a clear division of labour, ensuring each employee had only one direct manager to report to, and a healthy manager-employee relationship. Another important part of Fayol’s administrative management theory is the idea that everyone in a company should be aligned by organizational goals. Fayol believed that organizational structure was vital to the success and productivity of a company.


Importance of Organisational Behaviour (Management-1 26Feb 2021)

Importance of Organisational Behaviour

The need and importance of organisational behaviour are as under:

1. 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.

2. Understanding Consumer Buying Behaviour

It also an important part to improve the marketing process by understanding consumer (buying) behaviour.

3. Employee Motivation

OB helps to understand the basis of Motivation and different ways to motivate employees properly.

4. Nature of Employees

Understanding of personnel’s and employee’s nature is important to manage them properly.

With the help of OB, we can understand whether employees or people are Introvert, Extrovert, Motivated, Dominating etc.

5. Anticipating Organisational events

The scientific study of behaviour helps to understand and predict organisational events.

For example, Annual Business Planning, Demand Management, Product line management, Production Planning, Resources Scheduling, Logistics etc.

6. Efficiency & Effectiveness

Study of organisational behaviour helps to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation

7. Better Environment of Organisation

OB helps to create a healthy, ethical and smooth environment in an organisation.

8. Optimum or Better Utilization of Resources

Study of OB helps to understand employees and their work style and skill better way.

By understanding this, management can train and motivate employees for optimum utilization of resources.

9. Importance of OB in the Goodwill of organization

Organisational Behaviour helps to improve Goodwill of organization.

Reasons for Studying Organizational Behaviour (OB)

Organizational Behaviour is concerned with the study of what people do in an organization and how that behaviour affects the performance of the organization.

OB studies to put the focus on motivation of leader behaviour and power, interpersonal communication, group structure and processes, learning, attitude development and perception, change processes, conflict, work design, and work stress.

OB draws heavily from behavioural and social sciences, most importantly from psychology.

There are several practical reasons, why we study Organizational Behaviour :

1. OB is the study of learning how to predict human behaviour and, then, apply it in some useful way to make the organization more effective. It helps in the effective utilization of people working in the organization guarantees the success of the organization.

2. OB helps the managers to understand the basis of motivation and what he should do to motivate his subordinates.

3. OB helps to maintain cordial industrial relations which help to increase the overall productivity of the industry.

4. OB helps greatly in improving bur inter-personal relations in the organizations.

5. OB helps managers apply appropriate motivational techniques in accordance with the nature of individual employees who exhibit a learning difference in many respects.

 

OB studies the interrelation between an individual and an organization in the following ways:

1. OB helps to learn about thyself and how to deal with others

2. Organizational Behaviour is a way of thinking.

3. Organizational Behaviour is multidisciplinary and it helps us multiple ways.

4. There is a distinctly humanistic orientation with OB.

5. The field of organizational behaviour is performance-oriented.

6. Organizational Behaviour satisfies the need to understand and predict.

7. OB helps us to test personal theories.

8. OB helps the managers to understand the basis of motivation and what he should do to motivate his subordinates.

9. OB helps to maintain cordial industrial relations which help to increase the overall productivity of the industry.

10. The subject of organizational behaviour is useful in the field of marketing.

11. This helps greatly in improving bur inter-personal relations in the organizations. Friendly and cordial relations between employees and management and also among the employees create a congenial work environment in organizations.

12. OB helps managers apply appropriate motivational techniques by the nature of individual employees who exhibit a glaring difference in many respects.

13. One of the basic characteristics of OB is that it is human. So, to say, OB tackles human problems humanely. It helps understand the cause of the problem, predicts is the future course of action and controls its evil consequences.

14. OB is to learn how to predict human behaviour and, then, apply it in some useful way to make the organization more effective.

15. OB implies that the effective utilization of people working in the organization guarantees the success of the organization.

16. The most popular reason for studying organizational behaviour is that the reader is interested in pursuing a career in management and wants to learn how to predict behaviour and apply in some meaningful way to make organizations more effective.


Thursday, 25 February 2021

Elements of Organizational Behavior / 4 Key Forces Affecting Organizational Behavior (Management-1 25Feb 2021)

Elements of Organizational Behavior /

4 Key Forces Affecting Organizational Behavior

1. People:

People make up the internal social system of the organization. They consist of individuals and groups. Groups may be formal or informal.

People make up the internal social system of the organization. That system consists of individuals and groups and groups may be large and small, formal and informal.

Group form, change and disband. Since the organization is a combination of a group of people, managers must handle the people in the right direction.

This is very challenging to guide people or employees who have different educational backgrounds, talent, and perspectives. So, managers must understand predict and control the people.

They build up a relationship among the employees and motivate themselves.


2. Structure:

Structures define the formal relationship between people in an organization.
The structure defines the formal relationship and use of people in the organization. There are managers and employees, accounts assemblers to accomplish different kinds of activities.

They are related structurally so that their work can be effectively coordinated. Because there is no organization can be successful without proper coordination.

Many organizational structures have become flatter. This downsizing and restructuring have occurred as a result of the pressure to lower costs while remaining competitive.

Other structures have grown more complex as a result of mergers, acquisitions, and new ventures. Several organizations have experimented with hiring contingent workforces (temporary, part-time, or contract employees).

Finally, many firms have moved from a traditional structure to a team-based one.


3. Technology:

Technology consists of physical objects, activities and process, knowledge, etc through which people accomplish their tasks to achieve organisational objectives.
Technology provides the resources with which people work and affects the tasks that they perform. They cannot accomplish work with their bare hands.

The technology used has a significant influence on working relationships.

The great benefit of technology is that it allows people to do more and better work, but it also restricts people in various ways’ It has cost as well as benefits.

Examples of the impact of technology include the increasing use of robots and automated control systems in an assembly line.

The dramatic shift from a manufacturing to a service economy, the impressive advances in computer hardware and software capabilities, the rapid move toward the widespread use of the information highway (internet).

And the need to respond to societal demands for improved quality of goods and services at acceptable prices.

If any person has a lack of technological knowledge, he/she cannot work. Moreover, technology decrease per unit cost and improve the quality of the products and services.


4. Environment:

All organizations operate within an external environment. It is part of a larger system that contains thousands of other elements. This includes the suppliers, customers, competitors, governments’ agencies, employees, unions, political parties, and economic, political, cultural, technological and social factors in which the organization embedded.
All organizations operate within an internal and external environment. A single organization does not exist alone.

An organization is a part of a larger system that contains many other elements, such as the government, the family, and other organizations. Numerous changes in the environment create demands on organizations.

Citizens expect organizations should be socially responsible; new products and competition for customers come from around the globe; the direct impact of unions diminishes; the dramatic pace of change in society quickens.

There is a direct impact of several trade unions of organizations.

So, all the elements of environments influence the attitude and provide competition. It must be considered in the study of human behavior in an organization.

 

4 Approaches to Organizational Behavior Studies

Organizational Behavior relates to the relationship between employees and the employer in an organization.

Both are working towards the realization of the goals and objectives of any organization, and a close and fruitful coordination between the two is one of the major factors towards this realization.

Organizational behavior approaches are a result of the research done by experts in this field.

These experts studied and attempted to quantify research done about the actions and reactions of employees, with regard to their work environments.

It is a field that has begun developing only recently and new approaches and results are being expounded every day.

There are 4 Approaches to Organizational Behavior studies;

1.   Human resources approach.

2.   Contingency approach.

3.   Productivity approach.

4.   Systems approach.

And one more approach to study organizational behavior is Interdisciplinary Approach.

1. Human Resources Approach

This approach recognizes the fact that people are the central resource in any organization and that they should be developed towards higher levels of competency, creativity, and fulfilment.

People thus contribute to the success of the organization.

The human resources approach is also called as the supportive approach in the sense that the manager’s role changes from control of employee to active support of their growth and performance.

The supportive approach contrasts with the traditional management approach.

In the traditional approach, managers decided what employees should do and closely monitored their performance to ensure task accomplishment.

In the human resources approach, the role of managers changes from structuring and controlling to supporting.

2. Contingency Approach

The contingency approach (sometimes called the situational approach) is based on the premise that methods or behaviors which work effectively in One situation fail in another.

For example; Organization Development (OD) programs, way work brilliantly in one situation but fail miserably in another situation.

Results differ because situations differ, 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.

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 contingency approach is also more interdisciplinary, more system – oriented and more research-oriented titan any other approach.

3. Productivity Approach

Productivity which is the ratio of output to input is a measure of an organization’s effectiveness. It also reveals the manager’s efficiency in optimizing resource utilization.

The higher the numerical value of this ratio, the greater the efficiency.

Productivity is generally measured in terms of economic inputs and outputs, but human and social inputs and outputs also are important.

For example, if better organizational behavior can improve job satisfaction, a human output or benefit occurs.

In the same manner, when employee development programs lead to better citizens in a community, a valuable social output occurs.

Organizational behavior decisions typically involve human, social, and/or economic issues, and so productivity usually a significant part of these decisions is recognized and discusses extensively in the literature on OB.

4. Systems Approach

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.

The clerk at a service counter, the machinist, and the manager all work with the people and thereby influence the behavioral quality of life in an organization and its inputs.

Managers, however, tend to have a larger responsibility, because they are the ones who make the majority are people oriented.

The role of managers, then, is to use organizational behavior to help build an organizational culture in which talents are utilized and further developed, people are motivated, teams become productive, organizations achieve their goals and society reaps the reward.

5. Inter-Disciplinary Approach

Organizational behavior is an integration of all other social sciences and disciplines such as psychology, sociology, organizational theories etc.

They all are interdependent and influence each other. The man is studied as a whole and therefore, all disciplines concerning man are integrated.

  


Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Basic procedure of Method Study (IEM Work Study 24Feb 2021)

Basic procedure of Method Study


Method Study may be defined as:

“A procedure for examining the various activities associated with the problem which ensures a systematic, objective and critical evaluation of the existing factors and in addition an imaginative approach while developing improvements.”

 

Procedure for Method Study:

Method study can be performed in following six steps

 

1. Selection of Work/Job to be Studied:

This is one of the most important tasks to select appropriate job, activity or situation for method analysis and mainly it is a managerial responsibility. Method study and its implementation will cost money.

Practically any activity is a potential project for improvement but only those jobs should be selected when there are some valid reasons for method study (like job/activity is unpopular or considered dirty by workers). Maximum cost benefit is the normal objective.

 

2. Collection and Recording of Necessary Information:

Obtain the facts about the present method of doing the job and record them. In order to improve an activity or procedure the factual information is collected from the place where the job under study is being executed by direct visual observation.

This can be done by:

(i) Recording movement of machines or materials.

(ii) Recording the critical procedure in the job.

(iii) Recording the operator’s performance.

(iv) Recording the path of movement of workers,

(v) Recording the path of movement to improve workplace layout.

(v) Recording the scrap generated.

There are many standardized techniques (i.e., charts, diagrams, graphs etc.) available which may be used for proper recording and presentation for further analysis. The choice of technique depends on the type of information which is to be recorded.

This is an important step since the improvement in existing method or development of new method depends on how exactly the facts about the existing method have been recorded.

 

3. Critical Examination of the Existing Method:

Now examine the facts critically. This is a key step in the whole study. The information available in the form of chart and graphs after step II can now be thoroughly studied and analysed in order to detect the production stages where improvement in the method is possible. This is achieved by questioning the different activities of the process in a systematic logical and objective manner.

 

These questions can help in the development of new method by getting the answers for:

(i) What should be done?

(ii) When should be done?

(iii) Who should do it?

(iv) Where should it be done?

(v) How should it be done?

 

The following improvements are possible on the basic of answers to these questions:

(i) Improvement in material flow.

(ii) Improvement in working conditions.

(iii) Improvement in manufacturing techniques.

(iv) Improvement to clerical routine.

(v) Reduction in material waste.

In this way a well conducted examination will determine the purpose, place, sequence of these activities, the person performing them and the resources by which it can be performed so as to select the best/optimum out of the possible alternatives.

 

4. Develop the New Improved Method:

The analysis of existing work method can provide a starting point for a synthesis of suggested improvements in job performance. The technique specially designed for improving work method is called the process improvement formula.

 

The four steps of the formula are:

(i) Eliminate the unnecessary activities

(ii) Combine two or more activities

(iii) Sequence the various activities properly and

(iv) Simplify the activities.

Complete elimination of unwanted activities is the most important step in developing an improved method. If elimination is not possible then possibility of combining the different activities should be explored. The next strategy in development stage is to identify scope of changes in the sequence of operations or activities.

The last and most important plus expensive step in process of method development is the simplification of activities in order to allow the operator/worker to complete the job more quickly and easily by reducing the number of operations, reducing or eliminating the delays and storage etc.

Finally, after selecting the work method to be adopted, certain amount of experimentation will be required to locate and eliminate snags if any.

Specify the improved method. It is essential that the selected method be described fully and in a systematic manner.

 

Specifications of the selected method accomplish several purposes like:

(i) Communication of the method to the management for its approval.

(ii) Communication to those concerned with its implementation like instructions to workers and so far as the machines and layout are concerned.

(iii) Provision of an official record of the method.

 

The new method should possess the following aspects:

(a) Full use of worker’s body,

(b) Arrangements of workplace and

(c) Design of tools and Equipment.

The acceptance of new method will mainly depend upon the cost benefit, trade unions approach, working hours and security requirements etc.

  

5. Install the Improved Method:

This involves training of those who are going to utilize the new method. Cooperation from both supervisory staff and operators is essential to the successful installation of any proposed and selected method. So the installation of the new method should then be entrusted to some responsible person.

The method implemented can be further improved by way of continuous observations and discussions. The trial runs may be carried out during which minor modifications may be made to facilitate working.

Any method selected is ultimately to be utilized by the employees in an environment created by the management. So employees and management should be subjected to intensive analysis so that the proposed method is operated in the best possible manner.

Installation phase of the method study is complete as soon as the newly installed method starts working smoothly and satisfactorily and provides encouraging result (such as time saving and scrap reduction etc.).

 

6. Maintain the Improved Method:

Even after the workers have been trained and requisite changes in machines and layout have been incorporated, there is no guarantee that the method will be used the way it was designed.

The proper functioning of the installed method is ensured by periodic checks and verifications. The purpose of checks and reverse is to determine if the method being adopted and practiced is the same or it has some deviation from the selected one.

Reasons for deviation if any should be explored and the required changes may be incorporated in the procedure being practiced so as to revert back to the authorized or selected one.

Views of persons concerned (like operators and supervisors) with the installed method can be of much help in exploring further improvements in the system. Therefore, the method should be reviewed at intervals to provide allowances for any changes.