Mb0022 Management Process And Organizational Behaviour
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ASSIGNMENTS- MBA SEM-I Subject code MB0022 (3 credits) Set 1 Marks 60
Subject Name: Management Process and Organizational Behavior Q.1
“Today managers need to perform various functions”: Elaborate the statement (10 Marks) Today managers need to perform the following four functions:A. Planning – It involves the process of defining goals, establishing strategies for achieving these goals and developing plans to integrate and coordinate activities. Every organization needs to plan for changes to achieve its set goals. Effective and strategic planning enables organization adapt to changes to identify opportunities and avoid problems. All levels of management involve in planning their own way to achieve their present goals. B. Organizing – It involves designing, structuring and coordinating the work components to achieve organizational goal. It is the process of determining what task need to be done, who is to do, how tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom and where decisions are to be made. Organizations are the group of people with ideas and resources working toward common goals. Organizational structure is the formal decision making framework by which job tasks are divided, grouped and coordinated. C. Leading - It involves team building, consensus building, selecting and training. An organization has the greatest chance of become successful when all the employees work towards achieving goals. So leadership involves exercise of influence by one person over others, the quality of leadership exhibited by superiors is a critical determinant of the organizational success. So leading involves the following functions – 1. Teambuilding 2. Consensus Building 3. Selecting 4. Training D. Controlling – It involves monitoring the employees behavior and organizational processes and take necessary actions to improve them.
There are four steps in the control process – 1. Establish performance standards 2. Measure actual performance 3. Compare measured performance against established standards 4. Take corrective actions Feed forward, Concurrent and Feedback are the three control types
Q.2
“Skills are the tool for performance”-Explain various management skills. (10 Marks) To become a successful manager and to perform efficiently following skills are required which are actually used as the tool for the betterment of the performance.
Q.3
A.
Technical Skills – The ability to apply specialized knowledge or expertise. All jobs required some specialized knowledge and many people develop their technical skills on the job. Vocational and on the job training programs can be used to develop this kind of skills.
B.
Human Skills – This is the ability to work with, understand and motivate other people (both individual and group). This requires sensitivity to others issues and concerns. People who are proficient with technical skill but not with interpersonal may face difficulty to manage their subordinates.
C.
Conceptual Skills – This is an ability to critically analyze and diagnose a situation and provide a feasible solution. It requires creative thinking, generating options and chosing the best available option.
What is negotiation? Explain the process of negotiation.
(10 Marks)
Negotiation is a process in which two or more parties exchange goods or services and attempt to agree upon the exchange rate (Robbins, 20080). There are two general approaches to negotiation: distributive bargaining and integrative bargaining. A. Distributive bargaining – When engaged in distributive bargaining one’s tactics focus on trying to get one’s opponent to agree to one’s specific target point or to
B.
get as close to it as possible. Integrative bargaining – This strategy is adopted to create a win-win situation.
The model of negotiation process is as follows: 1.
2. 3. 4. 5.
Q.4
Preparation and planning – At this stage homework needs to be done in regard to the nature, history, concerned parties of the conflict. Based on the information a strategy is developed. Both the parties Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) needs to be determined. Definition of ground rules – At this stage the venue, the negotiators, the time will be decided. Clarification and justification – When initial positions have been exchanged, the original demands of both the parties need to be explained and justified. Bargaining and problem solving – The essence of the negotiation process is the actual give and take in trying to hash out an agreement. Concessions will undoubtedly need to be made by both the parties. Closure and implementation – This is the final step, where the agreement is formalized and procedures to implement the agreement will be developed.
Explain Classical Conditioning Theory?
(10 Marks)
Classical conditioning (also Pavlovian or respondent conditioning, Pavlovian reinforcement) is a form of associative learning that was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov. The typical procedure for inducing classical conditioning involves presentations of a neutral stimulus along with a stimulus of some significance. The neutral stimulus could be any event that does not result in an overt behavioral response from the organism under investigation. Pavlov referred to this as a conditioned stimulus (CS). Conversely, presentation of the significant stimulus necessarily evokes an innate, often reflexive, response. Pavlov called these the unconditioned stimulus (US) and unconditioned response (UR), respectively. If the CS and the US are repeatedly paired, eventually the two stimuli become associated and the organism begins to produce a behavioral response to the CS. Pavlov called this the conditioned response (CR). Classical conditioning was first experimented by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov to teach dogs to salivate in response to the ringing of a bell. During his research on the physiology of digestion in dogs, Pavlov used a bell before giving food to his dogs. Rather than simply salivating in the presence of meat (a response to food – Unconditioned response), after a few repetitions, dogs started to salivate in response to the bell. Thus a neutral stimulus (bell) became a conditioned stimulus as result of consistent pairing with the unconditioned stimulus (US – Meat). Pavlov referred to this learned relationship as Conditioned Responses.
Following are the types of Classical Conditioning A. B. C.
D. E. F. G.
Q.5
Forward conditioning Delay Conditioning Trace conditioning Simultaneous conditioning Backward conditioning Temporal conditioning Unpaired conditioning
How are culture and society responsible to built value system? Value represent basic convictions that “a specific mode of conduct or end state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence” (Rokeach, 1973). When the values are ranked or prioritized in terms of their intensity, it is called Value System. Types of values include ethical/moral values, doctrinal/ideological (political, religious) values, social values, aesthetic values. Values have both content and intensity attributes. 1. The content attributes signifies that a mode of conduct or and end state of existence is important. 2. The intensity attributes specifies how important it is. 3. Ranking an individual’s values in terms of their intensity is equals that person’s value system. Hofstede (1980,1991) in order to find the common dimensions of culture across the counties, gathered data from surveys with 116,000 respondents working for IBM in 70 different countries across the globe. The underlying concepts of the four dimensions are – A. B. C. D.
Power distance Uncertainty avoidance Individualism vs. collectivism Masculinity vs. femininity
Hofstede and Bond have identified a fifth dimension that is called “long term orientation”, which measures employee’s devotion to work ethic and their respect for tradition. Globe project integrates the above mentioned cultural attributes and variables with managerial behavior in organizations. Globe project identifies nine cultural dimensions. A. Uncertainty avoidance
B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I.
Power distance Collectivism I Collectivism II Gender egalitarianism Assertiveness Future orientation Performance orientation Humane orientation
Values build the foundation for the understanding of attitudes and motivation of an individual. The significant portion of the values individual holds is established in the early years from parents, teachers, friends and others. So it is certain that culture and society is mostly responsible to build value system as all the attributes, variables and dimensions of value system is totally dependent on the culture and society.
Q.6
Write short notes on o Locus of control o Machiavellianism
A.
Locus of control – A person’s perception of the source of his/her fate is termed locus of control. It was formulated on the Rotter’s (1975) social learning theory of personality. Rotter pointed out that internality and externality represents two ends of a continuum, not an either/or topology. Internals tend to attribute outcomes of events to their own control. Externals attribute outcomes of events to external circumstances. For example, college students with a strong internal locus of control may believe that their grades were achieved through their own abilities and efforts, whereas students with strong external locus of control may believe that their grades are the results of good or bad luck or to a professor who designs the grades. So they are less likely to expect that their own effort will result in success and are therefore less likely to work hard for high grades.
Internals generally perform better on their jobs, but one needs to consider differences in jobs. They do well on sophisticated tasks as they gather more information before taking a decision. Externals are more compliant and willing to follow directions and be led, and do well on routine jobs which are well structured. B.
Machiavellianism – IT is a term that some social and personality psychologists used to describe a person’s tendency to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain. The concept is named after Renaissance diplomat Niccolo Machiavelli, who wrote II Principe (The Prince). Christie and Geis (1970) developed a test for measuring a person’s level of Machiavellianism. This eventually became the MAC-IV test, a twenty statement personality survey that is now the standard assessment tool of Machiavellianism. An individual high in Machiavellianism is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance and believes that ends can justify means. High Machs manipulate more, win more, are persuaded less and persuade others more. High Machs make good employees in jobs that require bargaining skills or that offer substantial rewards for winning.
ASSIGNMENTS- MBA SEM -I Subject code MB0022 (3 credits) Set 2 Marks 60
Subject Name: Management Process and Organizational Behavior
Q.1
“Halo effect and selective perception are the shortcuts in judging others” Explain (10 Marks) Individuals have a tendency to use number of shortcuts when they judge others. An understanding of these shortcuts can be helpful towards recognizing when they can result in significant distortions. A.
Selective Perception – Any characteristic that makes a person, object or event stand out will increase the probability that it will be perceived. It is impossible for an individual to internalize and assimilate everything that is seen. Only certain stimuli can be taken in selectively. Selectivity works as a shortcut in judging other people by allowing us to “speed read” others but not without the risk of drawing an inaccurate picture. The tendency to see what we want to see can make us draw unwarranted conclusions from an ambiguous situation.
B.
Halo Effect – The halo effect (Murphy & Anhalt, 1992) occurs when we draw a general impression on the basis of a single characteristic. For example when appraising the lecturer, students may give prominence to a single trait, such as enthusiasm and allow there entire evaluation to be tainted by how they judge the lecturer on that one trait which stood out prominently in there estimation of that person. Research suggest that it is likely to be most extreme when the traits to be perceived are ambiguous in behavioral terms, when the traits have moral overtones and when the perceiver is judging traits with which he or she has had limited experience.
Q.2
Explain “Emotional Intelligence”.
(10 Marks)
The importance of both emotion and intelligence in making decisions and achieving success in life was well accepted in ancient India. A concept of “Sthitha-prajana” (emotional stability) similar to the concept of emotional intelligence can be traced in
the second chapter of “Srimad Bhagavad-Gita”. Where Lord Krishna advised Arjuna to become “Sthitha-prajana” (the steady minded person) while taking decisions in critical stages of life such as a battlefield of Kurukshetra. He also told that an individual can achieve goals only when the mind becomes steady, poised and balanced. Evidently, the concept of “Sthitha-prajana” talked about the unique interdependence of emotion and intelligence for effective decision making. Emotional intelligence is an aggregate of individual’s cognition of own and others emotions, feelings, interpretation and action as per environmental demand to manipulate the consequences which in turn result in superior performance and better human relationship (Bhattacharya, 2003). Emotional intelligence is the measure of the degree to which a person makes use of his/her reasoning in the process of emotional responses to a given situation. The most popular and accepted mixed model of emotional intelligence is the one proposed by Goleman, 1995. He viewed emotional intelligence as a total of personal and social competences. Personal Competence – It comprises of three dimensions of emotional intelligence, such as, self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation. Self-awareness is the ability of an individual to observe him/herself and to recognize a feeling as it happens. The hallmarks of this ability are self-confidence, self-assessment, and openness to positive criticism. Self-regulation is the ability to control emotions and to redirect those emotions that can have negative impact. Trustworthiness, tolerance of ambiguity, integrity and attitude to accept change are some characteristics of this ability. Motivation is the ability to channelize emotion to achieve a goal through self control and by moderating the impulses as per the requirement of the situation. The people who have this ability are optimistic and committed towards organizational as well as individual goals. Social competence – It comprises of two dimensions namely, empathy and social skills. Empathy is the ability to feel and get concerned for others, take their
perspective and to treat people as per their emotional reactions. People with this ability are experts in generating and motivating others. Social skills are the ability to build rapport and to manage relationship with people. People having this skill are experts in persuasiveness and team management.
Q.3
“A group formation passes through various stages”: Explain the various stages of group formation.
(10 Marks)
The most important models of group development are as follows – A. Five step model 1. Forming – In this stage the members are entering the group. The main concern is to facilitate the entry of the group members. 2.
Storming – This is a turbulent phase where individuals basically try to form coalitions and cliques to achieve a desirable status within the group. Members also go through the process of identifying to their expected role requirements in relation to group requirements.
3. Norming – From the norming stage of group development, the group really begins to come together as a coordinated unit. At this point, close relationships develop and the group shows cohesiveness. 4.
Performing – The group in this stage is capable of dealing with complex tasks and handling internal disagreements in novel ways. The structure is stable and the group members are motivated by group goals and are generally satisfied.
5.
Adjourning – A well-integrated group is able to disband, if required, when its work is accomplished, though in itself it may be a painful process for the group members, emotionally. The adjourning stage of group development is especially important for the many temporary groups that are rampant in today’s workplaces.
B. Punctuated equilibrium model – Temporary groups with deadlines do not seem to follow the above mentioned model. Their pattern is called punctuated equilibrium model. Phase 1 – The first meeting sets the groups direction. This stage is the first inertia phase. A structure of behavioral patterns and assumptions emerges. Transition – Then transition takes place when the group has used up almost half its allotted time. A transition triggers off major changes. This ends phase one and is characterized by a concentrated burst of changes, replacement old patters, and adoption of new perspectives. The transition sets a revised direction of
phase 2. Phase 2 – It is a new equilibrium and is also a period of inertia. In this phase the group executes the plans created during the transition period.
Q.4
“Power is the ability to make things happen in the way an individual wants, either by self or by the subordinates. The essence of power is to control over the behavior of others”: Explain what are the various bases of Power?
(10 Marks)
Power can be categorized into two types: Formal and informal A.
Formal power – It is based on the position of an individual in an organization. Formal power is derived from either one’s ability to coerce or reward others or is derived from the formal authority vested in the individual due to his/her strategic position in the organizational hierarchy. For example, one manager can recommend to reward a subordinate who act as desired or can punish or recommend the firing who does not act as desired. Formal power can be categorized into the following four types. 1.
Coercive Power: The coercive power base is being dependent on fear. It is based on the threat of application, of physical sanction such as the infliction of pain, the generation of frustration through restriction of movement, or the controlling by force of basic physiological or safety needs.
2.
Reward Power: It is the opposite of coercive power. Reward power is the extent to which a manger can use extrinsic or intrinsic rewards to control other people. Examples of such rewards including money, promotions, complements etc.
3.
Legitimate Power: The third base of position power is legitimate power
or formal authority. It stems from the extent to which a manager can use subordinate’s internalized values or beliefs that the boss has a right of command to control their behavior. For example, the boss may have the formal authority to deny or approve such employee requests as job transfers, equipment purchase, personal time off etc. 4.
Information power: This type of power is derived from access to and control over information. When people have needed information, they become dependent on them who are having the same. For example, managers have access to the data that subordinates do not have.
B. Personal power – Personal power resides in the individual and is independent of that individual’s position. Three bases of personal power are expertise, rational, persuasion and reference. Expert power is the ability to control another person by virtue of possessing knowledge, experience or judgment that the other person lacks, but needs. Rational persuasion is the ability to control another’s behavior, since, through the individual’s efforts; the person accepts the desirability of an offered goal and a viable way of achieving it. Referral power is the ability to control another’s behavior because the person wants to identify with the power source. Charismatic power is the extension of referral power steaming from an individual’s personality and interpersonal style.
Q.5
Explain “Organizational Development” process (10 Marks) A typical organizational development (OD) process can be divided into the following phases: 1. Problem identification – The first step of OD process involves in understanding and identification of existing and potential problems in the organization. 2. Data collection – Having understood the exact problem in this phase, the relevant data is collected through personal interviews, observations and questionnaires. 3. Diagnosis – OD efforts begin with the diagnosis of the current situation. Usually it
is not limited to a single problem. Rather a number of problems like attitudes, assumptions, available resources and management practices taken into account in this phase. According to Rao and Hari Krishna (2002), four steps in OD diagnosis can be identified i.e. Structural analysis, process analysis, Functional analysis, Domain analysis. 4. Planning and implementation – After diagnosing the problem, the next phase of OD, with the OD interventions, involves the planning and implementation part of the change process. Evaluation and feedback – Any OD activity is incomplete with proper feedback. Feedback is a process of relaying evaluations to the client group by means of specific report or interaction.
Q .6 Write short note on “Stress Management”
(10 Marks)
High or low levels of stress sustained over long periods of time can lead to reduce employee performance and thus require action by management. 1. Individual approaches: A. Time management technique – Practicing time management principals leaves as an important element of stress management, such as making daily list of activities to be accomplished, prioritizing activities as per their importance and urgency, scheduling activities as per the priorities set, knowing your daily cycle and perform most demanding jobs during the high part of your cycle when you are most alert and productive. B. Physical exercise – Non competitive physical exercise has long been recommended as a way to deal with excessive stress levels. C. Relaxation techniques – Individuals can teach themselves to reduce tension through relaxation techniques such as meditation, hypnosis and biofeedback. D. Expanding the social support network – Having friends, family and work colleagues to talk to provide an outlet for excessive stress. 2. Organizational approaches: Some strategies that management might want to consider include: A. Improved personal selection and job placement leading to right person-
job-fit thereby reducing chances of non-performance and stress level. B. Use realistic goal setting and redesigning of jobs. C. Training in stress management techniques can be helpful. D. Increased employee involvement improves motivation, morale, commitment and leads to better role integration and reduction in stress. E. Improved organizational communication helps in creating transparency in organizations and reduces confusion thereby decreasing stress levels at work. F. Establishment of corporate wellness programs is an important component in managing stress among organizational members.
Subject Name: Management Process and Organizational Behavior Q.1
“Today managers need to perform various functions”: Elaborate the statement (10 Marks) Today managers need to perform the following four functions:A. Planning – It involves the process of defining goals, establishing strategies for achieving these goals and developing plans to integrate and coordinate activities. Every organization needs to plan for changes to achieve its set goals. Effective and strategic planning enables organization adapt to changes to identify opportunities and avoid problems. All levels of management involve in planning their own way to achieve their present goals. B. Organizing – It involves designing, structuring and coordinating the work components to achieve organizational goal. It is the process of determining what task need to be done, who is to do, how tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom and where decisions are to be made. Organizations are the group of people with ideas and resources working toward common goals. Organizational structure is the formal decision making framework by which job tasks are divided, grouped and coordinated. C. Leading - It involves team building, consensus building, selecting and training. An organization has the greatest chance of become successful when all the employees work towards achieving goals. So leadership involves exercise of influence by one person over others, the quality of leadership exhibited by superiors is a critical determinant of the organizational success. So leading involves the following functions – 1. Teambuilding 2. Consensus Building 3. Selecting 4. Training D. Controlling – It involves monitoring the employees behavior and organizational processes and take necessary actions to improve them.
There are four steps in the control process – 1. Establish performance standards 2. Measure actual performance 3. Compare measured performance against established standards 4. Take corrective actions Feed forward, Concurrent and Feedback are the three control types
Q.2
“Skills are the tool for performance”-Explain various management skills. (10 Marks) To become a successful manager and to perform efficiently following skills are required which are actually used as the tool for the betterment of the performance.
Q.3
A.
Technical Skills – The ability to apply specialized knowledge or expertise. All jobs required some specialized knowledge and many people develop their technical skills on the job. Vocational and on the job training programs can be used to develop this kind of skills.
B.
Human Skills – This is the ability to work with, understand and motivate other people (both individual and group). This requires sensitivity to others issues and concerns. People who are proficient with technical skill but not with interpersonal may face difficulty to manage their subordinates.
C.
Conceptual Skills – This is an ability to critically analyze and diagnose a situation and provide a feasible solution. It requires creative thinking, generating options and chosing the best available option.
What is negotiation? Explain the process of negotiation.
(10 Marks)
Negotiation is a process in which two or more parties exchange goods or services and attempt to agree upon the exchange rate (Robbins, 20080). There are two general approaches to negotiation: distributive bargaining and integrative bargaining. A. Distributive bargaining – When engaged in distributive bargaining one’s tactics focus on trying to get one’s opponent to agree to one’s specific target point or to
B.
get as close to it as possible. Integrative bargaining – This strategy is adopted to create a win-win situation.
The model of negotiation process is as follows: 1.
2. 3. 4. 5.
Q.4
Preparation and planning – At this stage homework needs to be done in regard to the nature, history, concerned parties of the conflict. Based on the information a strategy is developed. Both the parties Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) needs to be determined. Definition of ground rules – At this stage the venue, the negotiators, the time will be decided. Clarification and justification – When initial positions have been exchanged, the original demands of both the parties need to be explained and justified. Bargaining and problem solving – The essence of the negotiation process is the actual give and take in trying to hash out an agreement. Concessions will undoubtedly need to be made by both the parties. Closure and implementation – This is the final step, where the agreement is formalized and procedures to implement the agreement will be developed.
Explain Classical Conditioning Theory?
(10 Marks)
Classical conditioning (also Pavlovian or respondent conditioning, Pavlovian reinforcement) is a form of associative learning that was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov. The typical procedure for inducing classical conditioning involves presentations of a neutral stimulus along with a stimulus of some significance. The neutral stimulus could be any event that does not result in an overt behavioral response from the organism under investigation. Pavlov referred to this as a conditioned stimulus (CS). Conversely, presentation of the significant stimulus necessarily evokes an innate, often reflexive, response. Pavlov called these the unconditioned stimulus (US) and unconditioned response (UR), respectively. If the CS and the US are repeatedly paired, eventually the two stimuli become associated and the organism begins to produce a behavioral response to the CS. Pavlov called this the conditioned response (CR). Classical conditioning was first experimented by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov to teach dogs to salivate in response to the ringing of a bell. During his research on the physiology of digestion in dogs, Pavlov used a bell before giving food to his dogs. Rather than simply salivating in the presence of meat (a response to food – Unconditioned response), after a few repetitions, dogs started to salivate in response to the bell. Thus a neutral stimulus (bell) became a conditioned stimulus as result of consistent pairing with the unconditioned stimulus (US – Meat). Pavlov referred to this learned relationship as Conditioned Responses.
Following are the types of Classical Conditioning A. B. C.
D. E. F. G.
Q.5
Forward conditioning Delay Conditioning Trace conditioning Simultaneous conditioning Backward conditioning Temporal conditioning Unpaired conditioning
How are culture and society responsible to built value system? Value represent basic convictions that “a specific mode of conduct or end state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence” (Rokeach, 1973). When the values are ranked or prioritized in terms of their intensity, it is called Value System. Types of values include ethical/moral values, doctrinal/ideological (political, religious) values, social values, aesthetic values. Values have both content and intensity attributes. 1. The content attributes signifies that a mode of conduct or and end state of existence is important. 2. The intensity attributes specifies how important it is. 3. Ranking an individual’s values in terms of their intensity is equals that person’s value system. Hofstede (1980,1991) in order to find the common dimensions of culture across the counties, gathered data from surveys with 116,000 respondents working for IBM in 70 different countries across the globe. The underlying concepts of the four dimensions are – A. B. C. D.
Power distance Uncertainty avoidance Individualism vs. collectivism Masculinity vs. femininity
Hofstede and Bond have identified a fifth dimension that is called “long term orientation”, which measures employee’s devotion to work ethic and their respect for tradition. Globe project integrates the above mentioned cultural attributes and variables with managerial behavior in organizations. Globe project identifies nine cultural dimensions. A. Uncertainty avoidance
B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I.
Power distance Collectivism I Collectivism II Gender egalitarianism Assertiveness Future orientation Performance orientation Humane orientation
Values build the foundation for the understanding of attitudes and motivation of an individual. The significant portion of the values individual holds is established in the early years from parents, teachers, friends and others. So it is certain that culture and society is mostly responsible to build value system as all the attributes, variables and dimensions of value system is totally dependent on the culture and society.
Q.6
Write short notes on o Locus of control o Machiavellianism
A.
Locus of control – A person’s perception of the source of his/her fate is termed locus of control. It was formulated on the Rotter’s (1975) social learning theory of personality. Rotter pointed out that internality and externality represents two ends of a continuum, not an either/or topology. Internals tend to attribute outcomes of events to their own control. Externals attribute outcomes of events to external circumstances. For example, college students with a strong internal locus of control may believe that their grades were achieved through their own abilities and efforts, whereas students with strong external locus of control may believe that their grades are the results of good or bad luck or to a professor who designs the grades. So they are less likely to expect that their own effort will result in success and are therefore less likely to work hard for high grades.
Internals generally perform better on their jobs, but one needs to consider differences in jobs. They do well on sophisticated tasks as they gather more information before taking a decision. Externals are more compliant and willing to follow directions and be led, and do well on routine jobs which are well structured. B.
Machiavellianism – IT is a term that some social and personality psychologists used to describe a person’s tendency to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain. The concept is named after Renaissance diplomat Niccolo Machiavelli, who wrote II Principe (The Prince). Christie and Geis (1970) developed a test for measuring a person’s level of Machiavellianism. This eventually became the MAC-IV test, a twenty statement personality survey that is now the standard assessment tool of Machiavellianism. An individual high in Machiavellianism is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance and believes that ends can justify means. High Machs manipulate more, win more, are persuaded less and persuade others more. High Machs make good employees in jobs that require bargaining skills or that offer substantial rewards for winning.
ASSIGNMENTS- MBA SEM -I Subject code MB0022 (3 credits) Set 2 Marks 60
Subject Name: Management Process and Organizational Behavior
Q.1
“Halo effect and selective perception are the shortcuts in judging others” Explain (10 Marks) Individuals have a tendency to use number of shortcuts when they judge others. An understanding of these shortcuts can be helpful towards recognizing when they can result in significant distortions. A.
Selective Perception – Any characteristic that makes a person, object or event stand out will increase the probability that it will be perceived. It is impossible for an individual to internalize and assimilate everything that is seen. Only certain stimuli can be taken in selectively. Selectivity works as a shortcut in judging other people by allowing us to “speed read” others but not without the risk of drawing an inaccurate picture. The tendency to see what we want to see can make us draw unwarranted conclusions from an ambiguous situation.
B.
Halo Effect – The halo effect (Murphy & Anhalt, 1992) occurs when we draw a general impression on the basis of a single characteristic. For example when appraising the lecturer, students may give prominence to a single trait, such as enthusiasm and allow there entire evaluation to be tainted by how they judge the lecturer on that one trait which stood out prominently in there estimation of that person. Research suggest that it is likely to be most extreme when the traits to be perceived are ambiguous in behavioral terms, when the traits have moral overtones and when the perceiver is judging traits with which he or she has had limited experience.
Q.2
Explain “Emotional Intelligence”.
(10 Marks)
The importance of both emotion and intelligence in making decisions and achieving success in life was well accepted in ancient India. A concept of “Sthitha-prajana” (emotional stability) similar to the concept of emotional intelligence can be traced in
the second chapter of “Srimad Bhagavad-Gita”. Where Lord Krishna advised Arjuna to become “Sthitha-prajana” (the steady minded person) while taking decisions in critical stages of life such as a battlefield of Kurukshetra. He also told that an individual can achieve goals only when the mind becomes steady, poised and balanced. Evidently, the concept of “Sthitha-prajana” talked about the unique interdependence of emotion and intelligence for effective decision making. Emotional intelligence is an aggregate of individual’s cognition of own and others emotions, feelings, interpretation and action as per environmental demand to manipulate the consequences which in turn result in superior performance and better human relationship (Bhattacharya, 2003). Emotional intelligence is the measure of the degree to which a person makes use of his/her reasoning in the process of emotional responses to a given situation. The most popular and accepted mixed model of emotional intelligence is the one proposed by Goleman, 1995. He viewed emotional intelligence as a total of personal and social competences. Personal Competence – It comprises of three dimensions of emotional intelligence, such as, self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation. Self-awareness is the ability of an individual to observe him/herself and to recognize a feeling as it happens. The hallmarks of this ability are self-confidence, self-assessment, and openness to positive criticism. Self-regulation is the ability to control emotions and to redirect those emotions that can have negative impact. Trustworthiness, tolerance of ambiguity, integrity and attitude to accept change are some characteristics of this ability. Motivation is the ability to channelize emotion to achieve a goal through self control and by moderating the impulses as per the requirement of the situation. The people who have this ability are optimistic and committed towards organizational as well as individual goals. Social competence – It comprises of two dimensions namely, empathy and social skills. Empathy is the ability to feel and get concerned for others, take their
perspective and to treat people as per their emotional reactions. People with this ability are experts in generating and motivating others. Social skills are the ability to build rapport and to manage relationship with people. People having this skill are experts in persuasiveness and team management.
Q.3
“A group formation passes through various stages”: Explain the various stages of group formation.
(10 Marks)
The most important models of group development are as follows – A. Five step model 1. Forming – In this stage the members are entering the group. The main concern is to facilitate the entry of the group members. 2.
Storming – This is a turbulent phase where individuals basically try to form coalitions and cliques to achieve a desirable status within the group. Members also go through the process of identifying to their expected role requirements in relation to group requirements.
3. Norming – From the norming stage of group development, the group really begins to come together as a coordinated unit. At this point, close relationships develop and the group shows cohesiveness. 4.
Performing – The group in this stage is capable of dealing with complex tasks and handling internal disagreements in novel ways. The structure is stable and the group members are motivated by group goals and are generally satisfied.
5.
Adjourning – A well-integrated group is able to disband, if required, when its work is accomplished, though in itself it may be a painful process for the group members, emotionally. The adjourning stage of group development is especially important for the many temporary groups that are rampant in today’s workplaces.
B. Punctuated equilibrium model – Temporary groups with deadlines do not seem to follow the above mentioned model. Their pattern is called punctuated equilibrium model. Phase 1 – The first meeting sets the groups direction. This stage is the first inertia phase. A structure of behavioral patterns and assumptions emerges. Transition – Then transition takes place when the group has used up almost half its allotted time. A transition triggers off major changes. This ends phase one and is characterized by a concentrated burst of changes, replacement old patters, and adoption of new perspectives. The transition sets a revised direction of
phase 2. Phase 2 – It is a new equilibrium and is also a period of inertia. In this phase the group executes the plans created during the transition period.
Q.4
“Power is the ability to make things happen in the way an individual wants, either by self or by the subordinates. The essence of power is to control over the behavior of others”: Explain what are the various bases of Power?
(10 Marks)
Power can be categorized into two types: Formal and informal A.
Formal power – It is based on the position of an individual in an organization. Formal power is derived from either one’s ability to coerce or reward others or is derived from the formal authority vested in the individual due to his/her strategic position in the organizational hierarchy. For example, one manager can recommend to reward a subordinate who act as desired or can punish or recommend the firing who does not act as desired. Formal power can be categorized into the following four types. 1.
Coercive Power: The coercive power base is being dependent on fear. It is based on the threat of application, of physical sanction such as the infliction of pain, the generation of frustration through restriction of movement, or the controlling by force of basic physiological or safety needs.
2.
Reward Power: It is the opposite of coercive power. Reward power is the extent to which a manger can use extrinsic or intrinsic rewards to control other people. Examples of such rewards including money, promotions, complements etc.
3.
Legitimate Power: The third base of position power is legitimate power
or formal authority. It stems from the extent to which a manager can use subordinate’s internalized values or beliefs that the boss has a right of command to control their behavior. For example, the boss may have the formal authority to deny or approve such employee requests as job transfers, equipment purchase, personal time off etc. 4.
Information power: This type of power is derived from access to and control over information. When people have needed information, they become dependent on them who are having the same. For example, managers have access to the data that subordinates do not have.
B. Personal power – Personal power resides in the individual and is independent of that individual’s position. Three bases of personal power are expertise, rational, persuasion and reference. Expert power is the ability to control another person by virtue of possessing knowledge, experience or judgment that the other person lacks, but needs. Rational persuasion is the ability to control another’s behavior, since, through the individual’s efforts; the person accepts the desirability of an offered goal and a viable way of achieving it. Referral power is the ability to control another’s behavior because the person wants to identify with the power source. Charismatic power is the extension of referral power steaming from an individual’s personality and interpersonal style.
Q.5
Explain “Organizational Development” process (10 Marks) A typical organizational development (OD) process can be divided into the following phases: 1. Problem identification – The first step of OD process involves in understanding and identification of existing and potential problems in the organization. 2. Data collection – Having understood the exact problem in this phase, the relevant data is collected through personal interviews, observations and questionnaires. 3. Diagnosis – OD efforts begin with the diagnosis of the current situation. Usually it
is not limited to a single problem. Rather a number of problems like attitudes, assumptions, available resources and management practices taken into account in this phase. According to Rao and Hari Krishna (2002), four steps in OD diagnosis can be identified i.e. Structural analysis, process analysis, Functional analysis, Domain analysis. 4. Planning and implementation – After diagnosing the problem, the next phase of OD, with the OD interventions, involves the planning and implementation part of the change process. Evaluation and feedback – Any OD activity is incomplete with proper feedback. Feedback is a process of relaying evaluations to the client group by means of specific report or interaction.
Q .6 Write short note on “Stress Management”
(10 Marks)
High or low levels of stress sustained over long periods of time can lead to reduce employee performance and thus require action by management. 1. Individual approaches: A. Time management technique – Practicing time management principals leaves as an important element of stress management, such as making daily list of activities to be accomplished, prioritizing activities as per their importance and urgency, scheduling activities as per the priorities set, knowing your daily cycle and perform most demanding jobs during the high part of your cycle when you are most alert and productive. B. Physical exercise – Non competitive physical exercise has long been recommended as a way to deal with excessive stress levels. C. Relaxation techniques – Individuals can teach themselves to reduce tension through relaxation techniques such as meditation, hypnosis and biofeedback. D. Expanding the social support network – Having friends, family and work colleagues to talk to provide an outlet for excessive stress. 2. Organizational approaches: Some strategies that management might want to consider include: A. Improved personal selection and job placement leading to right person-
job-fit thereby reducing chances of non-performance and stress level. B. Use realistic goal setting and redesigning of jobs. C. Training in stress management techniques can be helpful. D. Increased employee involvement improves motivation, morale, commitment and leads to better role integration and reduction in stress. E. Improved organizational communication helps in creating transparency in organizations and reduces confusion thereby decreasing stress levels at work. F. Establishment of corporate wellness programs is an important component in managing stress among organizational members.
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