Organisations and Behaviour: Structure and Taylorist Methods and McGregor Theory - Assignment Example

? Business Organisations and Behaviour assignment Contents Task 3 Task 2 5 Task 3 6 Task 4 8 Reference List 10 Task Question- What were the issues arising from the hierarchal Structure and Taylorist methods? Explain the theories and changes made. An organisational hierarchy is a complex organisational structure consisting of different entities, in which every entity or department, apart from the top controller or the head of the business, is subordinate and reports to another entity. According to various surveys and research, it has been found out that traditional hierarchical structures are more suitable and easily adapted in smaller enterprises. In the present business environment, a strict and traditional top down approach or traditional hierarchy is difficult to follow. Since every department is branching out into many sub divisions and vertical as well as horizontal branches, cross communication has seen an enormous rise. Thus looking at the present scenario, a hierarchal organisational structure will lead to a lack in communication and the resultant organisational will be more bureaucratic in nature. In the given case study, Hawk Company has been observed following taylorist methods of production. A taylorist method can be described as a production process, in which the assigned tasks and works are broken down further into segments or smaller clusters, with the objective of monitoring the process and correcting any action. This can be regarded as a rigorous method of production where each and every action is flowed by strict monitoring. A taylorist approach can be accompanied by many methods of organisational structure. These can be bureaucratic, hierarchal or specialised structure. In the bureaucratic, structure, strict rules and regulations are followed and procedures are delegated in order to achieve compliance and control of subordinated from those who give orders. The second one is hierarchical in which decision makers are separated from employees who implement. Traditional methods of taylorism are highly dysfunctional and lead decrease in motivation of employees and workers. In order to achieve control and compliance in an organisation, a beurocratic structure follows strict rules and regulations and controls of all functioning within the organisation. From the above theories of organisation structure, we can conclude that because of the strict hierarchical structure and taylorist methods, the organisation faced many issues and problems. It is also evident that the arising issues and complications from the traditional methods of organisational structure and production process lead to the subsequent changes, which were implemented in the organisation. As a result of the perennial problems occurring in the organisation, the management decided to take necessary steps. The first action was to consult the workers and other staff members of the organisation and take relevant feedback about the organisation structure and satisfaction level. With the help of workers and employee feedback, many changes were made. The first change was made in the workshop and the factory. Old and traditional machinery were replaced by new and more advanced equipments. Special training was also provided to the workers for making them acquainted with the latest machinery. The traditional assembly line was changed to a more collaborative and compatible group. The new task assembly was divided into teams of workers, performing a specific job, rather than working haphazardly and simultaneously at different places. The workers were also invited to take part in management decisions and this helped in increasing their motivation to a great extent. Thus, by removing bureaucratic structure form their organisational portfolio, the manufacturing company was able to increase motivation and commitment level from their employees. With the implementation of teams in the factory, the traditional hierarchal structure also became dysfunctional, and the workers as well as the employees were able to communicate as well as contribute in various decision making process. The workers were also provided with various opportunities in career planning and future management. The workers were given opportunities for promotion which further increased their motivation. Apart from this, there was a great improvement in the environmental conditions in the manufacturing unit. Each work team were provided facilities such as individual team entrance to the work shop, separate changing room for each team as well as personal sauna facilities. Other facilities were also included such as lengthy paternity and maternity leave; leave for completion of higher education’s and better wages. All these facilities helped in overall growth and development of the human resource of the organisation, which in turned increased the overall efficiency and growth of the company. Task 2 Question: Analyse McGregor theory and management styles followed by the company before and after the changes, and relate which theory was better. The two factor theory is based on two views that are X assumption and Y assumption. X assumption are conservative and Y assumption are modern in style (Sapru, 2006). According to X Theory, employees intrinsically did not like to work and they always prefer to be guided by the superiors. The theory also states that employees must be controlled in such a way so that the objectives could be achieved with ease. The Y theory is however, different. According to this theory, employees visualize work as a natural task and they learn to hold and accept responsibility. It also states that employees like to self directed and work in such a way so that they can easily achieve the objectives. The top level managers must criticize orally but praise the employee in writing. This would help to motivate the employee. Different motivational policy is effective on different employees so the management must apply more than one motivational policy. Employee’s motivation is what makes the behaviour more energetic and vigorous. According to Kalat (2010) an individual is motivated by hunger then he tries to search for food. Employee motivation includes a set of internal and external forces that motivates an individual to behave in a certain way. Incentive is the stimuli that drive us towards certain activity. Analysing the work potential of employees and setting activities for motivation and incentives are few of the human resource strategies which can bring out overall growth and development in the organisation (Lauby, 2005). Aquinas (2009) stated that employee motivation has three aspects such as direction of behaviour, arousal of behaviour and persistence of behaviour. Employees’ motivation is essential for the success of the organization. Karmakar and Datta (2012) stated that motivation can be positive or negative in nature. Positive motivation is beneficial for the organization, whereas negative motivation is harmful. Proper motivation techniques help to motivate the employees of an organization (Robbins, 2012). The manufacturing company followed an authoritarian management style based on the X Theory. The structure of the organisation was bureaucratic as well as hierarchal, which resulted in least participation of workers in management decision. The machinery and technology used in the factories were basic and traditional, which resulted in high amount of dissatisfaction among the workers. This had also resulted in high amount of absenteeism and difficulty in recruitment. Looking at the arising issues in the factory, the company decided to change into organisational structure into participative management style or the Y theory. According to Berns (2010) many employees consider socialization as their main source of motivation. This is generally evident in case of peer pressure. Some employees can do anything to be treated at par with the other employees. The idea of been accepted in a group can be a great source of motivation. Employees can do anything to get acceptance among their co worker. With the help of participative management style, the organisation successfully implemented team building among the employees and workers. There was a subsequent reduction in absentees, internal competition and internal quarrel among employees. The company also saw a decrease in attrition rate and increase in new recruitment (Richer, Blanchard and Vallerand, 2002). Task 3 Question: Carry out an analysis of the changes made in the company supported by motivation theories to explain the effects on employees working in the company. Motivational theories can be divided into two categories that are process theories and content theories. Both theories have helped researchers as well as employers to understand the psychology and perception of employees and accordingly make changes. Hawk Car company followed many modern theories of motivation while attempting to implement certain changes in the manufacturing organisation. Maslow’s theory Maslow’s theory is an essential hierarchy of motivation in an employee which is driven by basic needs, psychological needs and self fulfillment needs. Employees are driven by their needs to perform (Sarkodie-Mensah, 2003). Physiological Needs: - When an employee can satisfy his basic needs of food, clothes and shelter then his/her psychological needs are satisfied. Safety Needs: - When an employee can satisfy his security and safety needs, then his safety needs are satisfied. Belongingness: - When an employee gets a sense that he belongs to this place then his belongingness needs are satisfied. This can be done through sufficient amount of interaction with the employees. Esteem Needs: - When an employee gets a feeling of accomplishment over the tasks done by him then esteem needs are fulfilled. He gains fame and prestige on the task completed by him. Self Actualization Needs: - When an employee achieves one’s full potential then his self actualization needs are fulfilled (Kalat, 2010). Herzberg's Dual-Factor Theory of motivation The theory states that there are some factors in the workplace which helps to create job satisfaction and there are also some set of factors that causes dissatisfaction. Herzberg stated that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are different entities and work as an independent variable. In other words there are some motivating factors as well as some de motivating factors which are individual entities. Motivators are only focused with the actual job. For example, motivating factors can be about the rewards of the project, responsibility related to it and even how interesting the project is and how much opening does it offers. Elton Mayo’s Theory of motivation Elton Mayo was an Australian sociologist and also an organizational theorist. One of his most important works was his theory of motivation. According to him employees are not only concerned about the money but gets highly motivated if their social needs are fulfilled by the company while they are at work. Mayo then conducted an experiment which will reveal the actual factors by which employees get motivated (Kandula, 2006). The above motivational theories can be related with the changes made in the company. With the help of workers and employee feedback, many changes were made. The first change was made on the workshop and the factory. Old and traditional machinery were replaced by new and more advanced equipments. Training facilities were introduced to increase the capabilities and efficiency of workers. There was an upgradation in the assembly lines, where a team will be handling specific task at a time, rather than working haphazardly and simultaneously at different places. The workers were also invited to take part in management decisions and this helped in increasing their motivation to a great extent. In terms of career development, the workers in the factory were given opportunities for promotions. This further increased the motivation among workers and helped in the reduction of absenteeism and high attrition rate. Many employees consider socialization as their main source of motivation. This is generally evident in case of peer pressure. Some employees can do anything to be treated at par with the other employees. The idea of been accepted in a group can be a great source of motivation. Employees can do anything to get acceptance among their co worker. The company encouraged greater socialization and team building among the workers which helped in increasing motivation and commitment level among the employees. Apart from this, there was a great improvement in the environmental conditions in the manufacturing unit. Each work team were provided facilities such as individual team entrance to the work shop, separate changing room for each team as well as personal sauna facilities. Thus various content and motivation theories helped the management to understand the perception of workers and make necessary changes for a better organization. Task 4 Question: Explain the effect of team work on the overall performance of workers in Hawk Car Company. Employee performance depends on various factors like employee motivation, performance appraisals, employee satisfaction, training and development as well as compensation (Mark and Akhtar, 2003). Team work is one of the effective employee behaviors. Organizational behavior aims to be positive in accomplishing the results of the organization. It helps to accelerate the development of an organizational. It is basically net satisfaction of various constituents in the process of transforming and gathering inputs. Team work can be helpful though which an organization can fulfill its objectives without depleting its own resources, without placing any undue strain on the members. Some other aspects of organizational behavior which help in building motivation among employees are: Set clear targets and expectations and then measure the performance: - Clear targets must be set by the leader so that the employees have no confusion about their work duties and responsibilities. The targets must be properly communicated to the team members so that they are aware of their exact objectives and can concentrate effectively (Chadha, 2007). Design the role of the employees: - An employee must be placed on a particular job according to his strength. The team leader must assign them those tasks where they can play according to their strengths. This is one of the best employee motivation techniques. It has been found that people are more likely to perform well if they are given work according to their strength. The employees become internally motivated and upbeat when they get an opportunity to focus on their strengths. Providing meaningful and challenging work: - When people feel that they are doing a meaningful work, they get internally motivated to do the work with precision. The work should be challenging and should bring the inner hidden talents of the individual. Providing a challenging work also helps in intrinsically motivating people. The potential of an individual needs to be challenged in order to bring out their true potential (Babbie, 2012; Bruce, 2006). Regular and supportive feedback: - Feedback is a vital part of motivation. The employees should be properly motivated so that the organization is able to achieve its goals and objectives. Feedback can be positive or negative in nature. Feedback helps in motivating and inspiring people. Feedback should be constructive and provide information to the employees about how to perform well. If the employee is making any error in performing the task then the team leader needs to pin point his/her drawbacks. Feedback must be timely and specific. The errors must be properly explained to the employees so that they are not disheartened (Brooks, 2006). The major disadvantage which can arise from team building is personal conflict and conflict of goals and motives. Another issue which is common in teams is disagreement with the team leader. Sometimes, team member’s opinions are not in agreement with the team leader and these results in group conflict. These issues can be overcome with proper leadership and delegation of powers. Thus, it can be concluded that with the help of motivation and organizational behavior theories, the organization was able to resolve conflicts and issues which occurred in the organization. Reference List Aquinas, P. G., 2009. Organisation behaviour. New Delhi: Excel Books India. Babbie, E. R., 2012. The practice of social research. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Berns, R. M., 2012. Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support. 9th ed. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Brooks, I., 2006. Organisational behaviour. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education. Bruce, A., 2006. How to motivate every employee: 24 proven tactics to spark productivity in the workplace. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Chadha, N. K., 2007. Organizational behavior. New Delhi: Galgotia Publications. Kalat, J. W., 2010. Introduction to psychology. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Kandula, S. R., 2006. Performance management. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Karmakar, A., and Datta, B., 2012. Principles and practices of management and business communication. New Jersey: Pearson Education. Lauby, S. J., 2005. Motivating employees. Virginia: American Society for Training and Development. Robbins, G., 2012. Praise, motivation, and the child. London: Routledge. Sapru, R. K., 2006. Administrative theories and management thought. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Sarkodie-Mensah, K., 2003. Managing the 21st century reference department: challenges and prospects. London: Routledge. Mark, S.K.M., and Akhtar S., 2003. Human resources management practices, strategic orientations, and company performance: a correlation study of publicly listed companies, Journal of American Academy of Business, 2(2) pp. 510-515. Richer, S. F., Blanchard, C., and Vallerand, R. J., 2002. A motivational model of work turnover. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32, pp. 1–26. Read More