Organisational Behavioural Modification (OB Mod)

Companies have been forced to change their corporate cultures and their standards of operation. The change has been forced on them by globalization of markets and competition, growth of immediate digital information and communications, growth of the service-based economy and changes in rules affecting corporate governance and trade relationships. Organizational structures have trended from tall, hierarchical bureaucracies to flat, decentralized operations that encourage innovation. Such change doesn't happen automatically. Organizational behavior modification, called OB-mod, plays a key role.

OB Mod or Behavioral modification has its roots in modern behaviorism, which draws heavily on the work of B.F.Skinner. It is based on the operant conditioning approach to learning, which advocates that desirable behaviors should be reinforced. In simple word OB Mod represents the application of reinforcement theory to individuals in work setting. OB Mod uses these concepts to provide managers with a powerful means for changing the behaviour of employees.

In the words of Stephen Robbins “OB Mod is a programme where managers identify performance-related employee behaviour and then implement an intervention strategy to strengthen desirable behaviour and weaken undesirable behaviors”.

According to Schermerhor, Hunt and Osborn, “ OB Mod is the systematic reinforcement of desirable work behaviour and the non-reinforcement or punishment of unwanted work behaviour. It includes four basic reinforcement strategies: Positive reinforcement, Negative reinforcement, Punishment and Extinction

Steps in OB Mod

As suggested by Luthans and Kreitner, OB Mod in organization involve the following five steps.

Identification of Critical Behaviour. The manager should try to identify behaviors that are desirable and undesirable from the point of view of the organization. The critical behaviours that have significant impact on the employees performance must be given due attention because it gets repeated time again and again. If such behaviour are modified good results could be expected afterwards. Critical Behaviours may be identified through discussion with the particular employee and his immediate superior as both are closely intimated with the job behaviours. A Behavioural audit can also be carried on to identify such behaviour. Some of the behaviours, which greatly influence job performance, include absenteeism or attendance, tardiness or promptness, complaints or constructive criticism.

Measurement of Behaviours. This step requires the manager to develop some base line which allows the manager to determine his success in changing the subordinates behaviour. It may also provide insight into the circumstances associated with each critical behaviour.

Functional Analysis of Behaviour: It is necessary to analyse the patterns of continued behaviour that requires modification. This may require insight and evaluation of individual differences in behaviour. If through this process an inventory of positive reinforce can be developed, the next step of intervention is greatly simplified. Since only contingent consequences of behaviour have an impact on subsequent behaviour, functional analysis must make sure that contingent consequences are identified. Functional Analysis often reveals that there are many competing contingencies for every organizational behaviour.

Development of Intervention Strategy: For the successful implementation of OB Mod, this stage involves a) developing a strategy for changing the behaviour b) implementing the strategy and c) measuring the frequency of the resulting behaviour. A record is kept of how often the problem behaviour is repeated. There are several strategies that can be used at this stage. These include positive reinforcements, negative reinforcement, extinction and punishment. The use of a particular strategy will depend upon the type of situation faced as discussed in the previous chapter.

Evaluation: The purpose of evaluation of strategies of OB Mod is to know their effectiveness. This would reveal whether the undesirable behaviours have been substituted by desirable behaviours or not. This would also reveal if the employees have undergone a permanent change in behaviours. Lastly, the manager should appraise the improvement in performance which is the basic purpose of OB Mod measures like quality, turnover, absenteeism, grievances, tardiness etc. may be used to evaluate success of the OB Mod programme.

Psychology behind Colours

Colour is a powerful communication tool that can be used to signal action, influence mood and cause psychological reactions. Colour can also be deeply personal and are often rooted to our own experience or culture. While Perceptions of colour are somewhat subjective, there are some colour effects that have universal meaning. The psychology of colour changes with lighter or darker shades of the colours below are often associated with much different meanings. And remember for the World Wide Web, and different cultures have differing views on the meaning of colour. Below is a quick overview of the meaning of basic colours.

Black is authoritative and powerful; because black can evoke strong emotions too much can be overwhelming. A classic colour for clothing possibly because it makes the wearer appear thinner and more sophisticated. How the colour black affects us physically and mentally; 1. Feeling inconspicuous, 2.  A restful emptiness 3. Mysterious evoking a sense of potential and possibility.

WHITE projects purity, cleanliness, and neutrality. Doctors don white coats, brides traditionally were white gowns and a white picket fence surrounds a safe and happy home. How the colour white affects us mentally and physically: 1. Aids mental clarity 2. Encourages us to clear clutter or obstacles 3. Evokes purification of thoughts or actions 4. enables fresh beginnings

BLUE is the overwhelming "favourite colour." Blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed. The colour of sky and the ocean, blue is perceived as a constant in our lives. Electric or brilliant blues become dynamic and dramatic, an engaging colour that expresses exhilaration. How the colour blue affects us physically and mentally 1.Calming and sedate 2.Cooling 3.Aids intuition

GREEN occupies more space in the spectrum visible to the human eye and is second only to blue as a favourite colour. Green is considered the colour of peace and ecology. How the colour green affects us physically and mentally; 1.Soothing 2.Relaxing mentally as well as physically 3. Helps alleviate depression, nervousness and anxiety 4. Offers a sense of renewal, self-control and harmony

YELLOW shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Yellow will advance from surrounding colours and instil optimism and energy, as well as spark creative thoughts. How the colour yellow affects us mentally and physically 1. Mentally stimulating 2. Stimulates the nervous system 3. Activates memory 4. Encourages communication

RED has more personal associations than any other colour. Recognized as a stimulant red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element. How the colour red affects us mentally and physically 1. Increases enthusiasm 2. Stimulates energy 3. Encourages action and confidence 4.  A sense of protection from fears and anxiety

BROWN says stability, reliability, and approachability. It is the colour of our earth and is associated with all things natural or organic. How the colour brown affects us physically and mentally 1. Feeling of wholesomeness 2. Stability  3.Connection with the earth 4.  Offers a sense orderliness

GRAY is timeless, practical, and solid. A longstanding favourite suit colour, grey can mix well with any colour. Although well like and often worn, people rarely name grey as a favourite color possibly because Gray also is associated with loss or depression. How the colour grey affects us physically and mentally 1. Unsettling 2. Expectant.

Organisational Behaviour in the Era of Social Media

Organisational Behaviour is a broad area of management that studies how people act in organisations. Managers can use theories and knowledge of organisational behaviour to improve management practices for effectively working with and influencing employees to attain organisational goals. The field of organisational behaviour has evolved from the scientific study of management during the industrial era, administrative theories of the manager’s role, principles of bureaucracy, and human relations studies of employees ‘needs (Scott, 1992)

As the pace of globalisation and social change quickens, there is a tremendous impact on the internal structure of organisations. While workers are becoming more and more mobile and entrepreneurial, traditional organisation are becoming less appealing. Organisations and leaders of today are focusing on designing environments and systems for work that inspire individuals by taking advantage of the new social, mobile and digital technologies at work. Successful organisations are in constant state of flux in response to their environment, organisations are forced to look at social media technologies as way to market their products and learn about their competitors. The advent of social media has considerably reduced the cost of content creation, distribution and discovery methods. Companies today realise the importance of how social media has changed the way the world communicates.

Organisations are compelled to keep up with the changes that social media has brought on the internal structure of the organisations. Employees are talking online to customers, colleagues and suppliers through various social networks. Experiences, impressions and expectations regarding job, organisation are being shared, liked and commented upon. The speed at which the information gets to transgress the boundaries of the organisation are beyond the control of the organisation.

Social commerce is the new platform for doing business. The future of business is moving towards a direction that explores customer and employee centricity. Driven by technology, mobile and social media it represents an era of transformation. Organisations and its stakeholders have no choice but to take notice and adapt to become socially connected enterprises. Leadership and management need to embrace the change in order to succeed. New policies are needed to guide employees and management on social media best practices. “The Reuters news organization observed that “the distinction between the private and the professional has largely broken down online and you should assume that your professional and personal social media activity will be treated as one, no matter how hard you try to keep them separate”.

The challenge lies though in the ability to link business objectives, social media strategies, and results that tie to the bottom line. It is the only way to harness the power of social commerce and uncover opportunities to help the organization prosper in the digital era.

Take a look at GE Social Story !!!