Organisations & Behaviour (OB) Assignment - Dissertation Example

?Table of contents Introduction ----------------------------------------------------------------------2 Task Organisational structure and culture---------------------------------2 1a) Difference between organisational structure and culture- ----2 1 b) Factors that influence individual behaviour--------------------4 Task 2 Approaches to Management and leadership--------------------------5 2 a) Managerial power--------------------------------------------------5 2 b) Approaches to management--------------------------------------6 2 c) Leadership styles---------------------------------------------------6 Task 3 Motivational theories----------------------------------------------------7 Task 4 Working with others, teamwork, groups & group dynamics------10 4 a) Difference between groups and teams--------------------------10 4 b) Elements of team working at Tarmac---------------------------11 4 c) Impact of technology on team performance---------------------11 Bibliography------------------------------------------------------------------------13 Introduction The concept of organisational behaviour is very important in the operations of any given organisation. The human resources form the basic component of each organisation and their behaviour has an impact on their performance as well as the way the organisation operates. From this assertion, this report seeks to evaluate different factors that affect human behaviour through an analysis of two organisations namely Tarmac and Google. The report will focus on organisational structure and culture, approaches to management and leadership, motivational theories as well as teamwork in the chosen organisation. Task 1 Organisational structure and culture 1 a. Difference between organisational structure and culture In order to compare and contrast organisational structure of Tarmac and Google Inc, it is important to define the terms first as a way of gaining a clear understanding. An organisational structure is mainly concerned with the way job tasks are divide among the employees working in the organisation (Robbins, Odendaal & Roodt 2001). Organisational culture on the other hand is defined as values, norms, beliefs as well as attitudes that are shared among the members of the organisation and these also shape their behaviour and the way they interact (Armstrong 1994). Tarmac has an organisational structure that provides clear lines of control, responsibility and communication (http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-study--how-roles-functions-contribute-to-organisational-performance--109-355-1.php). Tarmac is a large business hence it is important for the individuals to understand their roles and responsibilities which is a major contributor to the success of the organisation. In its operations, it uses the best practice approach and it is committed to uphold ethical principles as well as responsibility among the members and this helps the members of the organisation to understand their role expectations so that they can pull their efforts towards the attainment of the set organisational goals. One advantage of this structure of Tarmac is that it is adaptive and it emphasises on flexibility to adapt to the changing environment in which the organisation operates. This can positively enhance performance and it can be noted that the success story of the organisation is mainly as a result of the structure of the organisation which is functional in nature and the roles are clearly defined such that every member knows what is expected of him or her. On the other hand, Google Inc has a flat structure whereby every employee has the opportunity to contribute towards the decision making process in the organisation. The organisation also uses the best practice approach to ensure that the employees are satisfied with their work. This approach also emphasizes on motivation of the employees for them to put optimum performance in their operations. One advantage of this structure is that in a decentralized organisation, action can be taken more quickly to solve problems. Many people are involved in the decision making process and they do not feel discriminated by the superiors in the organisation. This type of structure is geographically based and has greatly contributed to the success of the organisation which employees more than 200 000 people worldwide. Tarmac's culture is specifically role culture and its long-term aim is to develop high performance teams who work within a culture of quality and continuous improvement. Tarmac employees are given the opportunity to contribute their ideas on how to achieve good results for the organisation. Through contributing their ideas to the managers as well as development teams, the employees are made to feel part of the greater team which gives them the opportunity to understand business as well as strengthen their commitment to the organisation. Learning is encouraged in this organisation where members can share ideas that can be helpful in finding solutions to the problems that can be encountered during their work. Through learning, norms, values, shared beliefs as well as assumptions are developed and these form the culture of the organisation. When members learn from each other and create an organisational culture, it will be a very big advantage given that the values that will shape their behaviour will be home grown. Thus, to enhance an organisation’s cohesion, it is imperative to create a culture that promotes innovation whereby the members of the organisation will be encouraged to identify problems as well as find the solutions to those problems. According to information obtained from the official website of Google, it can be seen that the organisation has a culture in place that encourages innovation among all the employees whereby they have something that is important they can contribute to the organisation as a whole (www.google.com/corporate). This is accommodative culture which is used and it is very effective with regards to job satisfaction because all the employees will have a sense of belonging to the organisation. 1 b) Factors that influence individual behaviour “HRM is a system of philosophies, policies, and practices that affect the people who work in the organization. It includes activities related to staffing, training and development, performance review and evaluation as well as compensation,” (Jackson et al 2001:242). Human resources in an organisation are the most valuable assets that determine the success or failure of the organisation. In this case, the human resources function involves recruitment and selection, human resources development through training, coaching and learning. This kind of human resource approach is applied at Tarmac. According to this approach, the organisation seeks to satisfy the needs of the employees so as to encourage them to put optimum performance which will be beneficial to the organisation as it will remain viable in its operations. According to Carell et al (1995), this approach must meet the needs of both the employees as well as the organisation such that there will be mutual understanding which also helps in creating trust among the people involved. As noted already, the human resource is the most valuable asset in the organisation and it is of paramount importance to keep on developing the human resources. It is this reason why Tarmac strives to recruit the best candidates and uses the coaching style to develop the employees to manage themselves. Individual employee behaviour is affected by certain variables present in all the individuals and these include attitudes, personality, perception and learning. In the case, of Tarmac it can be seen that it takes a positive approach towards these values which is a great motivator to the employees within the organisation. Through efforts to develop the employees, their behaviour is also positively changed. Task 2 Approaches to management and leadership 2 a) Managerial power According to Kleynhans et al (2006), management is mainly concerned with ensuring that the organisational goals are achieved and in this particular case, managers are expected to be good at planning, organising and making decisions and they should be able to analyse situations and find solutions to the problems that may exist. Interpersonal power is used in the organisations in question. The kind of managerial power that is used by the managers in both organisations to earn respect from the employees is expert power. This kind of power is when an agent has the information or knowledge that the target needs and the agent can be perceived as an expert in that area (Schulzt et al 2005). The target must trust that the information is accurate, relevant and useful and the target must have faith in the agent’s credibility. Thus, through the coaching style in both organisations, the manager focuses on developing the employees to manage themselves rather than managing every task and this will enable them to generate task knowledge. Through this approach, the role expectations of the employees are clearly defined and they know what they are supposed to do in their tasks. This way, they are also given the responsibility to make necessary decisions that will affect their day to day operations. This greatly helps in creating a sense of belonging among the employees to the organisation as a whole. 2 b) Approaches to management Different organisations use different approaches to management. Tarmac for instance uses scientific management which is also referred to as mechanist approach where the scientific management methods apply principles of mechanical engineering to design a job (Susan EJ & Randal S 2000). This involves the use of time as well as other scientific means to determine the best method of performing a task. On the other hand, the contingency approach used by Google Inc posits to the effect that organisations are more effective when their design characteristics match their environment (Schultz et al 2004). In other words, Google Inc has an organic structure whereby measures are put in place to anticipate the changes that can take place within the environment it is operating in. Decision making is decentralised and communication channels operate both vertically and horizontally. 2 c) Leadership styles There are many styles of leadership and it can be noted that leadership is closely related to management. The leader initiates change and the manager implements that change and it can be seen that these are complimentary to each other. In the case of Tarmac, both the management and leadership work hand in hand in order to achieve the vision of the organisation. Another relationship between management and leadership is that a leader takes a leading role in developing and inspiring staff while the manager supervises staff with the aim of attaining the organisational goals set. It can be seen that this style of leadership used at Tarmac is supportive. Democratic, participatory leadership style is used at Google and it enhances positive performance of the subordinates since they are given high levels of autonomy to contribute in decision making. In this regard, the leaders communicate the vision of the organisation and encourage subordinates to find solutions to problems in an innovative way. It can be noted that leaders who empower individuals in decision making or solving problems in their own way are more likely to produce better performance standards. Task 3 Motivational theories 3. Motivation is concerned with goal-directed behaviour (Armstrong 1994). Basically, motivation is loosely defined as the enthusiasm we get from doing something given that we will be assured of getting something out of that action. In terms of organisational behaviour, this plays a big role in encouraging the employees to be productive (Jackson et al 2000). People are motivated to do something if they think it is worth their while to do it and in this case of Google, people can motivate themselves by seeking, finding and carrying out work which satisfies their needs. Whilst there are various motivation theories that can be used to contribute to the levels of motivation of the employees, it can be noted that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, goal setting and Herzberg’s two factor theories of motivation are more suitable in analysing motivation of the employees at Google. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory is very popular in the area of human resources management. Maslow suggests that the needs of individuals develop from grassroots levels and they develop through stage (Carrell 1995). The hierarchy comprises of five levels of needs namely physiological, security, social, self esteem and self actualisation needs. At the top of the hierarchy are esteem and self actualisation needs and when it comes to the workplace environment, skilled workers would feel that they should be rewarded on the basis of their importance, coupled with their performance to the company.These factors include responsibility (feeling that the work is important), freedom to act as well as autonomy to make decisions where opportunities for advancement will also be advocated. This theory is applicable to Google and the organisation has managed to operate successfully besides the fact that the employees are scattered across the globe. They are motivated to perform their job tasks seriously. There is need to persuade and inspire the employee to do the job which is the essence of motivation. Somebody who is demoralised is unproductive. Thus, motivation in an organisation is mainly influenced by various factors which include rewards in terms of financial gains as well as recognition for excellent performance such as being given the autonomy to make decisions in the organisation as a way of creating a sense of belonging to it. This can be enhanced on the nature of the organisational structure which defines how the employees can be involved in the decision making process of the organisation. Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory of motivation identifies factors which cause dissatisfaction as hygiene and those which cause satisfaction as motivators (Carrell et al 1995). Money is not the only way of motivating people but some of them will be more concerned with being given the responsibility to make decisions as well as given due recognition for their sterling work. This theory shows that people are motivated by other things which are not money and this theory can be applicable to the case of Google. The employees are given the opportunity to contribute towards making decisions that affect their operations. In most cases, it can be noted that motivated employees are more productive compared to demoralised employees. In this case, it can be noted that Google is able to motivate its employees regardless of the fact that they are scattered all over the world. An individual who is recognized in the organisation is highly motivated since he is regarded as useful to the organisation hence very productive unlike somebody who is disgruntled and not happy about the job. This also entails job enrichment which is another strategy that is employed at Google which is concerned with growth as a way of motivating the employees. According to Carrell (1995), the worker must be given the opportunity to decide how the job is done, planned, controlled and even make decisions concerning the whole process. Depending on the level of position or skills, a sense of responsibility is a great motivator to the employees. In this regard, it can be noted that organisations should thrive on giving the skilled workers the ability to make decisions as well as influencing the decision making process as a way of retaining them since they will have a feeling of belonging to the organisation. Task 4 Working with others, teamwork, groups and group dynamics 4 a) Difference between teams and groups “A group is a cluster of two or more people who have come together for a specific purpose normally for the benefit of the members in the group (Schultz et al 2004). The only criteria that need to be satisfied in for a number of people to be considered a group is the need of mutual understanding and cooperation towards the attainment of one identifiable goal. Basically, there are two different types of groups in an organisation. The other one is formal and the other one is informal. In a formal group, behaviours are stipulated by and directed towards organisational goals and in an informal group, there are alliances that are neither structured nor organisationally determined. According to Robbins et al (2001), teamwork is concerned with individuals who participate collectively, pull their efforts together towards the attainment of certain goals as well as objectives within a given organisation. Team work is mainly characterised by learning from each other and they can learn from their mistakes and achievements as well as this will positively contribute to the growth of the organisation. From this assertion, it can be noted that the underlying principle towards the success of teamwork is sharing of ideas and the willingness to learn from other team members among the team. A team is characterised by synergy, in other words, learning and sharing of ideas and all efforts are geared towards the attainment of one organisational goal where individual efforts in a team are greater than the sum of the individual inputs (Robbins 2001: 258). 4 b) Elements of team working at Tarmac Tarmac specifically uses teams to perform the core work of the organisation whereby there is absence of hierarchical structures that use teams for specific projects. In the case of Tarmac, the teams are empowered with responsibility for and participation in the production process. Teams in this case are powerful to exert pressure on its individual members because there is cohesion where all the members of that particular team work towards the attainment of one similar thing. Thus, in a team, there is sharing of ideas and there is a cordial relationship since all the members would be working as a single entity towards the attainment of the organisational goal. Another interesting element of teamwork at Tarmac is that the management still sets the direction but the teams determine how to operationalize these goals. Instead of supervising, the spirit at Tarmac is that the leaders are seen as coaches to provide guidance and to co-ordinate activities rather than deal with day to day issues. Instead, members are encouraged to manage themselves and there is a rewarding structure in place. However, elements of decision making can be affected by the level of understanding within a given team at Tarmac. This is influenced by the level of involvement of the members of the same team in decision making. If there is misunderstanding among the members of the group, there is likely to be conflicts. This emanates from the fact that Tarmac employs a diverse range of people. 4 c) Impact of technology on team performance The major notable impact of technology on teamwork is the fact that some of the tasks can be done by a single person operating the machinery. In this way, there is no direct interaction of the members whereby they can share ideas or learn from one another. If people cannot work together as a team as a result of the fact that machinery used these days can be operated by individuals, the element of teamwork is blurred. With the increase use of new information and communication technology such as the use of cell phones, it can be noted that communication can be direct whereby the members of the organisation do not need to be physically close to each other. E-mails can also be used for communication purposes so the element of proximity among the members of the team is removed as a result of the new information and communication technology. Bibliography Armstrong M. (1994). Improving organisational effectiveness. London. Kogan Page. Carrell, R. et al (1995), Human Resources Management: Global Strategies for managing a diverse workforce, 5th Edition, USA. Prentice Hall. Jackson, S.E. & Schuler R. (2000). Managing Human Resources: A Partnership Perspective. NY. South Western College Publishing. Google official website (ND). Available at: http://www.google.com/corporate [Accessed 15 February 2010]. Kleynhans R. et al (2007), Human Resource Management: fresh perspectives, Prentice Hall SA Mullins L — Management and Organisational Behaviour 5th Edition (Pitman Publishing, London, 1999) ISBN: 0273651471 Robbins S — Essentials of Organisational Behaviour 4th Edition (Prentice Hall International, 2003) ISBN: 0582820758 Robins S.P., Odendaal A.& Roodt G. (2001), Organisational Behaviour, Pearson Education Rollinson D. et al (2008). Organisational behaviour and analysis: An integrated approach. 4th Edition. Pearson Schultz et al (2003). Organisational behaviour. CT. Van Schaik Publishers. Susan EJ & Randal S (2000), Managing Human Resources: A Partnership Perspective, South Western College Publishing. Susan EJ & Randal S (2000), Managing Human Resources: A Partnership Perspective, South Western College Publishing. Tarmac case study (ND) Available at: http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-study--how-roles-functions-contribute-to-organisational-performance--109-355-1.php [Accessed on 16 February 2011] Read More