Organizational Behavior - Assignment Example

of the of the Submitted Organizational Behavior- Discussion Board Responses WEEK Discussion Questions Discuss the consequences of job dissatisfaction to the organization. Discuss your jobs (or jobs of people they are familiar with) relative to things that make you satisfied or dissatisfied. Job satisfaction or dissatisfaction can be one of the most uplifting or damning things for an organization and its management to ponder. It directly affects the morale of the workers and contributes to the success or failure of the enterprise to achieve its goals. Herzberg found that there were two sets of factors that impacted on the job satisfaction level of employees. He called the positive ones Motivation factors and the negative ones Hygiene factors (Weichrich et al., 332). In my friend’s job as a clerk at a University, I have found that she often complains of the low salary and restrictive and archaic company policies. However she has taken this job just to support her studies at the University. At the same time it helps her understand how the University is run. On the other hand, she has a good working relationship with her boss as well as her peers, which helps her survive and look forward to the next working day. For me, I plan to take a more career oriented job, and would like to be challenged by exciting work assignments, with a sense of achievement and opportunities for further advancement and growth into a responsible managerial position. I would also like to be remunerated well for my efforts because I believe that money is a great motivator and can help one get many comforts in life. But I would also agree that in any organization, there must be enough incentives to let the employees do the work in peace and quiet and be properly appraised for it, so that they see that their effort is being recognized. 2. Take the short personality inventory related to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The MBTI is the most popular psychological assessment tool for employee development. http://www.personalitytype.com/career_quiz Tell us your profile and whether or not it reflects what you know to be true about your personality. After taking the MBTI test, I have been typeset as INTJ or Introvert, Intuitive, Thinker, Judger. This reflects about 2 to 4 percent of the U.S population. I find this assessment to be quite a faithful and correct representation of my character or personality. I am quite shy around people and do not automatically want to hug the limelight. I prefer to let my deeds speak for themselves. I also am a quiet sort of person and have trouble starting conversations with strangers, usually of the opposite sex. I usually start conversations by getting to the point after exchanging pleasantries and would find it difficult to make small talk just to pass the time. I am known to be direct but considerate at the same time. I like to judge situations and events and would be the first to point out mistakes and errors. I do not mean to be critical but it is really a natural trait. I would have trouble praising myself and am rather appalled at the way some other people readily praise themselves and picture themselves to be the heroes or people most sought after in every situation. It is as if the world would come to a stop without their presence. That said, I am quite confident and self assured in what I do and think. I think that I know what I am worth without any airs and pretensions. I believe that I should be rewarded for my contributions and hard work and would be upset if these were overlooked. I think that this sums up my personality quite well 3. Look at the Rokeach instrumental and terminal values in Exhibit 5-3 on page 147 of the text. According to your own personal values, rank the list from 1-18 with #1 being the most important to you and # 18 being the least. List your responses in order and tell us what insights you gained from this exercise. TERMINAL VALUES 1. A Comfortable Life 2. A World at Peace 3. A World of Beauty 4. A Sense of Accomplishment 5. An Exciting Life 6. National Security 7. Family Security 8. Happiness 9. Inner Harmony 10. True Friendship 11. Mature Love 12. Equality 13. Freedom 14. Social Recognition 15. Wisdom 16. Self Respect 17. Pleasure 18. Salvation INSTRUMENTAL VALUES 1. Ambition 2. Cheerfulness 3. Self-Control 4. Capability 5. Courage 6. Honesty 7. Imagination 8. Independence 9. Intellect 10. Broad-Mindedness 11. Logic 12. Love 13. Cleanliness 14. Politeness 15. Obedience 16. Helpfulness 17. Responsibility 18. Forgiveness Terminal Values are desired end states, while Instrumental Values are Preferred Modes of Behavior that help achieve the Terminal Values. I would start with ambition, cheerfulness and self control, moving on with capability and courage. I would need honesty, imagination and independence to help me along the way. Intellect, broadmindedness and logic would prevail while love, cleanliness and the other softer factors would bring up the rear. As to the objects to be pursued, I feel that a comfortable life and a world of peace and beauty are the most desired end states of all, followed by national security and freedom etc. Then I would go on to name personal characteristics and feelings that are important like inner harmony, peace and love. Of course, in a just and equitable world equality, freedom and social recognition are desired attributes while wisdom, self respect, pleasure and salvation would make up the rear. I think this exercise was really interesting and how we rate the importance of the different attributes tells us whether we are self centered or other centered by nature. As I would want the world to be at peace and live a comfortable life, I would like to believe that I am other centered and think of the world to be a better place for everyone. Once we have changed our perspectives from selfishness to selflessness, we will be able to achieve greater and more worthwhile goals. It’s time we gave the world and others a better chance and left a better future for our generations to come. Conservation and best use of resources would make this possible. WEEK 2 Discussion Questions 1. Use motivation theories in chapter 7 to discuss the following: You are managing a 10 person branch of a regional bank. Due to economic conditions, the CEO has announced layoffs system wide. No determination has yet been made about who and how many will be laid off. You have noticed that productivity is down among the associates. Using the motivation theories in chapter 7 such as Maslow, Herzberg, Equity and Expectancy theories, analyze what is happening in your branch with the associates you are managing. After the CEO’s announcement about the layoffs, it is likely that everyone is concerned about whether or not their name will be on the list. No wonder productivity is down. In terms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory (Weichrich et al., 330) employees are experiencing a deficiency of Safety and Security needs, leading to fear and de-motivation. There is low morale and this is likely to continue till the final list is published. The employees who are spared at this point are likely to feel a sense of euphoria and there will be a spike in productivity for a short while, after which things will settle down again. It might be possible that in terms of Equity Theory, each employee is evaluating himself against his peers as to his inputs and outcomes. There will be some distress experienced if outcomes are less or more than expected. In terms of Vroom’s Expectancy Theory (Weichrich et al., 333), people always choose those behaviors that are expected to bring them the rewards they desire. So it is highly possible that some people will be apple polishing just to get in their bosses good books and hope to be spared the layoffs. While some Benevolents would look to be under-benefitted, the Entitled would expect to be overcompensated for their efforts at work, and the Equity Sensitive employees would expect to be treated at par with their co-workers. So at the moment it is a curious mix of happenings taking place, with everything expected to fall in place once the final list of slashed workers is made known. 2. While using chapter 8, once again think of the bank branch and the associates: Three months have gone by and the layoffs have taken place. Your branch lost one member of the team. As manager, you have noticed that productivity has not returned to pre-layoff levels. You are meeting with other branch managers to come up with a plan to recommend to top management to improve morale and motivation. Use concepts in Chapter 7 and 8 to develop a plan. It is indeed disconcerting to note that despite three months having gone by since the layoffs, the productivity of my branch has not returned to pre-layoff levels. True, we have lost one member of our team but that is no real reason for the loss in productivity. Looking back, the lost member was one of the most experienced workers, an informal leader and a Benevolent who always put others ahead of himself. Maybe it is being thought of as unfair and that is why the hurt and loss of morale prevails (Mullins, 237). To get things back on track again, I would recommend the following at the Branch Manager meeting to improve morale and motivation: 1. Restart and revamp the company training and employee recognition programs as needed. 2. Celebrate every success, even the small ones. Show employees that their efforts are appreciated. 3. Give employees recognition through positive feedback and words of encouragement. 4. Start teambuilding efforts through team games and team exercises. 5. Begin family events such as picnics and other outdoor and social activities. 6. Involve employees in a cause that benefits the local community. 7. Start hiring again where required in order to show employees that the worst is over and the bank is looking forward to grow and prosper. 8. Cross-train interested employees so that they increase skill levels and are less apprehensive about the future. 9. Start an employee suggestion program, implementing and rewarding the best ideas every month. 10. If necessary, a one on one talk with each employee can be arranged to get them to state what is worrying them and how management can help in allaying their fears. 3. Why is understanding perception important for managers in the above scenarios? Why might top managers at headquarters have a different perception than lower level associates at the branches? Explain. Perception refers to our understanding and awareness of the environment around us. When one steps into an office, one can usually sense whether there is tension in the air, or whether the employees are relaxed or ill at ease. Understanding perception is important for managers because it helps them deal with subordinates and their problems better. It is quite likely that the managers themselves have experienced layoffs and low morale elsewhere in another job and so they might be able to understand and relate to how the employees are feeling at present. Losing a member of your team, especially when he is experienced and well respected may have come as a shock and sent them a message that they might also be given the axe some day. It is usually seen that top managers at headquarters have very different perceptions of things as compared to lower level associates at branches. For instance Human Resources may need to reduce headcount and may look at removing the oldest and most high salaried workers, but at the Branch level these very staff might have the respect and admiration of their peers and subordinates. While top management at head office only looks at personnel files and performance appraisals, people at the Branch encounter the real person on a daily basis so the effect is very different. It is small wonder then that head office personnel are often unaware of the real problems at bank branches and are regarded as clinical and cold blooded in their perception of things while people at the branches are more humane and considerate in their approach to handling problems. Works Cited Mullins, L.J. Management and Organizational Behavior. Weihrich, H. Cannice, M.& Kootnz, H. Management: A Global and Entrepreneurial Perspective, 13th ed. Tata McGraw Gill, 1990. Print. Accessed on 22 March 2012. Read More