TEAM WORK

Organization Components

People

People are the main component of any organization that has to be managed. Every individual has a personal goal to be achieved. Organizations must identify the need spectrum of individuals and take suitable steps for its fulfillment to enable them to perform effectively so that they complete their allotted task in time. Relationship between the workers, with subordinates and superiors should be established based on full understanding and complete faith based on mutual trust so that it is easy to communicate and understand each other’s views. Work teams and Groups play a vital role in the organization. Individual may have to keep his personal interest aside if it conflicts with team or group goals. It is the team goals, accomplishment of which contributes towards achieving organizational goals. Apart from managing internal workforce, it is also important to manage customers who are the end persons using organization’s products or services. Utmost interest of stakeholders, government, employees, social groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must be kept in mind as they play a dominant role in the society. Apart from the above, adequate consideration should also be given to competitors, regulatory agencies, labour force, suppliers and resource persons.

Structure

There are two types of organizations, formal and informal. Informal organizations do not have a specified structure. Formal organizations are build based upon the objective set for it. Organizational structure in such organization is hierarchical in nature, with people at each level having their own objectives, which contributes towards fulfillment of over all organizational objectives. In such organization people at lower levels report to higher level managers. The tier system has the principle of unity of command inbuilt in it. The organization structure may depend upon the size, number of products/services produced, skill and experience of the employees, managerial staff and geographical location of the organization. An organization may have several levels and pyramid like organizational structure or flat structure. The efficiency of the organization will depend upon the free flow of the information, efficient communication system prevailing in the organization, well-defined authority and responsibility supported by detailed policies, rules and regulations. The organization must have well laid out systems, which are understood by workers, supervisors and managers. The leader must keep open mind while dealing with subordinates and exercise full control over various systems, levels and ensure planned productivity and achieve high level of job satisfaction.

Technology

Managing technology is an important job of any management. It is an important element of any unit. Selection of technology, procurement, installation, operation and maintenance is important and no compromise should be made in procuring latest or advanced technology. Various systems and sub- systems should support technology that exists in an organization. Based on the technology, an organization should formulate job structure and resultant procurement of human resource so that they are complimentary to each other. Adequate attention is also be paid to service industry. For example an appropriate drill, procedures are installed in hospital industry to ensure that the patients’ record is maintained properly. On line operations of all systems relating to admission record, past treatment, drugs, availability of beds, schedule of operations maintained so that the level of patients satisfaction is raised. In minimum number of days, maximum numbers of patients should be treated. Various processes required to regulate these functions form the important part of service industry.

Jobs

Job is an assignment assigned to an individual. It encompasses various tasks within it. For example, Personnel manager wants to fill up twelve vacancies in production department within three months. Job will have various tasks inbuilt in it like designing of job specification, selection of media, advertising vacancies, scheduling of selection and recruiting process. Manager, therefore have to manage various tasks to accomplish a particular job. This may form a part of managerial functions. Adequate delegation, supervision, application of various control techniques makes the job simpler for the manager. Introduction of computers have made managerial functions simpler, as required information is available for decision-making.

Processes

Management of processes and its inter-dependence is very crucial to high productivity and higher job satisfaction. What is important for a manager is to ensure high morale of the work force. To ensure this, he must identify various managerial dictums. Select appropriate subordinates to carry out a job based on aptitude, personality traits, mental build up and attitude. He should also involve himself and lead subordinates by personal example. In defence services, it is the quality of leadership, which motivates troops to achieve near impossible task where every thing appears to be going wrong. Various role models assist leaders in identifying as to which process, method or approach would be suitable to mold subordinates in suitable frame that may be required by any organization. Nothing motivates workers better if you give them their entitlements in full and train them to take up higher jobs. By doing so, manager must develop and build an organizational culture that will bind employees to a common cultural bond. During day-to-day functions, managers must be transparent and maintain a high degree of value system and display ethical behaviour. There are no short cuts to this and will pay rich dividends in times to come.

External Environment

What we have so far discussed is various components of an organization that should be managed properly. External environment also plays an important role in managing the points discussed above. When we talk about managing people in the organization, what we have to study and manage is the influence of culture and its impact on the individual. A manager should examine as to how he is going to cope up with the changes. Study of external environment is very wide and encompasses economic, cultural, social, government rules and regulations, legal aspects, political climate, demographics and its impact. If one scans the external environment that is prevailing in Indian context, one will find that individuals are racing to catch up the upper class as it relates to standards of living, material possession, higher education, attempt to copy western culture, food habits, dressing pattern and the like. Beauty parlors, pubs and cyber cafes around each corner are an ample evidence of the impact of external environment. This trend has an impact on what products or services are on priority in the society and Indicates the behaviour of an individual. If the above factors are evaluated appropriately, a manager will be able to examine and predict human behaviour in the organization. It is therefore important to evaluate market situation, competitors, and availability of raw material, technology, availability of skilled, semi skilled and non-skilled personnel. In addition, evaluate prevailing culture and how individuals are likely to respond to the call of the organization. Some factors like government rules, and political stability keep changing, the organizations must cater for such contingencies. Manager must therefore keep in mind the internal and external factors and make the best amalgam and work to achieve organizational effectiveness.

Attitude

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 !!!

Personality Dimensions

The word personality stems from the Latin word persona, which referred to a theatrical mask worn by performers in order to either project different roles or disguise their identities.Almost everyday we describe and assess the personalities of the people around us.While our informal assessments of personality tend to focus more on individuals, personality psychologists instead use conceptions of personality that can apply to everyone.

A brief definition would be that personality is made up of the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that make a person unique.Although no single definition is acceptable to all personality theorists, we can say that personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person's behavior."(Feist and Feist, 2009) 

Dimensions of Personality 

Authoritarianism

Authoritarianism refers to build acceptance of authority. Authoritarian people believe in obedience and respect for authority. They rightly adhere to conventional values, are generally conservative endorse strong parental control in keeping the family close and together are concerned with toughness and power, are close minded and are generally less educated.

 Because of their beliefs in the hierarchical order they make good followers, work better under directive supervision and are more productive within Authoritarian organizational structure.

Bureaucratic Personality

A Bureaucratic person differs from an Authoritarian person in that his respect of authority is not total and blind. But is based on respect from organizational rules and regulations. A bureaucratic person values subordination, rules, conformity, and orderly process in the organization and impersonal and formal relationships. They are generally not innovative, do not take risks and are at ease in following established directives. Bureaucratic mangers are better supervisors in type of works that are routine repetitive and procedural.

Machiavellianism

Machiavellianism personality emerges in manipulating others for purely personal gains and gaining and keeping control of others. People with Machiavellianism have high level of self-confidence and high self-esteem. They are cool and calculating and have no hesitation in using others or talking advantages of others in orders in order to serve their own goals. They believe that ends justify means and do not feel guilty in using unethical means to serve their own interest. They are skilled in influencing others and they approach the situations thoughtfully and logically. They would not hesitate to lie if necessary and they are not easily swayed by a sense of friendship, trust or loyalty. They are especially successful in exploiting structured situations and vulnerable people.

Locus of Control

Locus of control means whether people believe that they are in control of events or events control them. Those who have an internal sense of control believe that they control and shape the course of events in their life’s, those who have external locus of control tend to believe the events occur purely by chance or because of factors beyond their own control. Former categories of people seek opportunities for advancement, and rely more on their abilities and judgements at work – while later category of people remain mostly inactive and allow the events occur on their own.

Introvert and Extrovert Personalities

Introvert persons are basically shy, prefer to be alone and have difficulty in communicating. Introverts are behaviourally described as quite, introspective, intellectual, well ordered, emotionally inexpressive and value oriented – prefers small group of intimate friends and plans well ahead. Extroverts are outgoing, objective, and aggressive and relate well with people. Introverts are behaviorally described as ‘sociable, lively, impulsive, seeking novelty and change, carefree and emotionally expressive’.

Type A and B Personality

Personality has been grouped into two categories denoted by alphabets A and B Type A people feel a sense of time, urgency, or highly achievement oriented exhibit a competitive drive, and are impatient when their work is slowed for any reason. Such people are more to heart attack. On the other hand type B people are easy going do not have urgency for time and do not experience the competitive drive.

Self Esteem

Self-esteem is a measure of self-confidence and respect for ones abilities and motivation. Self-esteem is positively related to assertiveness, independence and creativity. High self-esteem people are very friendly, affectionate, find it easy to form interpersonal attachment and find good in other people. Low self-esteem people are usually critical of others, are generally depressed and blame others for their own failures.