2- 2010

Management
Process &
Organization
Behavior,
MB0038
Assignment Set 1
SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY, MBA 1st
SEMESTER

Anish George Varghese

Reg No.- ____________
8/14/2010
Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 Reg No.:

MB0038 – Management Process and Organization Behavior

Assignment Set- 1

1. Write a note on the characteristics of Management.

Management is a distinct activity having the following salient features or characteristics.

1. Economic Resource: Management is an important economic resource together with

land, labour and capital. As industrialization grows, the need for mangers increases.
Efficient management is the most critical input in the success of any organized group
activity as it is the force which assembles and integrates other factors of production,
namely, labour, capital and materials.
2. Goal Oriented: Management is a purposeful activity. It coordinates the efforts of
workers to achieve the goals of the organization. The success of management is
measured by the extent to which the organizational goals are achieve.
3. Distinct Process: Management is a distinct process consisting of such functions as
planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. These functions are so
interwoven that it is not possible to lay down exactly the sequence of various
functions or their relative significance. In essence, the process of management
involves decision making and putting of decisions into practice.
4. Integrative Force: The essence of management is integration of human and other
resources to achieve the desired objectives. All these resources are made available
to those who manage. Managers apply knowledge, experience and management
principles for getting the results from the workers by the use of non human
resources. Managers also seek to harmonize the individual goals with the
organizational goals for the smooth working of the organization.
5. Intangible Force: Management has been called an unseen force. Its presence is
evidenced by the result of its efforts-orderliness, informed employees, buoyant spirit
and adequate work output. Thus, feeling of management is result-oriented.
6. Result Though Others: The manager cannot do anything themselves. They must
have the necessary ability and skills to get work accomplished through the efforts of
others. They must motivate the subordinates for the accomplishment of the tasks
assigned to them.
7. A Science And An Art: Management has an organized body of knowledge consisting
of well defined concepts, principles and techniques which have wide applications. So
it is treated as science. The application of these concepts, principles and techniques
requires specialized knowledge and skills on the part of the manager. Since the skills

SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

2
Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 Reg No.:

acquired by a manager are his personal possession, management is viewed as an

art.
8. System Of Authority: Management as a team of managers represents a system of
authority or a hierarchy of command and control. Manager at different levels possess
varying degrees of authority which gets gradually reduced as you go down in the
hierarchy.
9. Multidisciplinary Subject: Management has grown as a field of study taking the help
of so many other disciplines such as engineering, anthropology, sociology etc. much
of the management literature is the result of the association of those discipline.

.
2. Discuss intellectual abilities in detail.
Ability directly influences an employee’s level of performance and satisfaction through
the ability-job fit. Given management’s desire to get a compatible fit, what can be done?
First, an effective selection process will improve the fit. A job analysis will provide
information about jobs currently being done and the abilities that individuals need to
perform the jobs adequately. Applicants can then be tested, interviewed, and evaluated
on the degree to which they possess the necessary abilities. Second, promotion and
transfer decisions affecting individuals already in the organization’s employ should reflect
the abilities of candidates. With new employees, care should be taken to assess critical
abilities that incumbents will need in the job and to match those requirements with the
organization’s human resources. Third, the fit can be improved by fine-tuning the job to
better match an incumbent’s abilities. Often modifications can be made in the job that,
while not having a significant impact on the job’s basic activities, better adapts it to the
specific talents of a given employee. Examples would be to change some of the
equipment used or to reorganize tasks within a group of employees. A final alternative is
to provide training for employees. This is applicable to both new workers and present job
incumbents. Training can keep the abilities of incumbents current or provide new skills
as times and conditions change.

The following is a list of characteristics commonly displayed by person who are talented
or gifted in Intellectual Abilities:

• Understands complex concepts

• Draws inferences between content areas
• Sees beyond the obvious
• Thrives on new or complex ideas

SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

3
Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 Reg No.:

• Enjoys hypothesizing
• Intuitively knows before taught
• Uses an extensive vocabulary
• Does in-depth investigations
• Learns rapidly in comparison to peers
• 1 - 2 repetitions for mastery
• Manipulates information
3. Explain the classification of personality types given by Sheldon.
Personality can be defined as a dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed
by a person that uniquely influences his or her cognitions, motivations, and behaviors in
various situations. The word "personality" originates from the Latin persona, which
means mask. Significantly, in the theatre of the ancient Latin-speaking world, the mask
was not used as a plot device to disguise the identity of a character, but rather was a
convention employed to represent or typify that character.

DETERMINANTS OF PERSONALITY
Personality is the outcome of a continuous personal quality development process. The
role of personality becomes clear in a particular situation. Personality is recognized in a
situation. It is the result of personal quality interaction in a particular condition. The major
determinants of personality of an individual are given below:
• Biological Factors
• Cultural Factors
• Family Factors
• Social Factors
• Situational Factors
SHELDON’S THEORY
According to Sheldon there is a link between physiological traits and characteristics of an
individual with his behavior. There are basically three types.

1) Endomorphy - focused on the digestive system, particularly the stomach

(endoderm); has the tendency toward plumpness, corresponds to Viscerotonia
temperament tolerant, love of comfort and luxury, extravert
Endomorphic Body Type:
• soft body
• underdeveloped muscles
• round shaped
• over-developed digestive system

SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

4
Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 Reg No.:

Associated personality traits:

• love of food
• tolerant
• evenness of emotions
• love of comfort
• sociable
• good humored
• relaxed
• need for affection
2) Mesophorphy- focused on musculature and the circulatory system
(mesoderm), has the tendency towards muscularity, corresponds to the
Somatotonia temperament courageous, energetic, active, dynamic, assertive,
aggressive, risk taker
Mesophorph Body Type:
• hard, muscular body
• overly mature appearance
• rectangular shaped
• thick skin
• upright posture

Associated personality traits:

• adventurous
• desire for power and dominance
• courageous
• indifference to what others think or want
• assertive, bold
• zest for physical activity
• competitive
• love of risk and chance

3) Ectomorphy focused on the nervous system and the brain (ectoderm) - the
tendency towards slightness, corresponds to Cerebrotonia temperament artistic,
sensitive, apprehensive, introvert
Ectomorphic Body Type:

SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

5
Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 Reg No.:

• thin
• flat chest
• delicate build
• young appearance
• tall
• lightly muscled
• stoop-shouldered
• large brain

Associated personality traits:

• self-conscious
• preference for privacy
• introverted
• inhibited
• socially anxious
• artistic
• mentally intense
• emotionally restrained

4. What are the different barriers to perception?

Perception can be defined as a process by which individuals select, organize and
interpret their sensory impressions, so as to give meaning to their environment.
Perception is a complex cognitive process and differs from person to person. People's
behavior is influenced by their perception of reality, rather than the actual reality.

Perceptual selectivity is affected by various internal set factors and external attention
factors. Some of the internal set factors are learning, motivation and personality. External
attention factors include environmental influences like intensity, size, contrast, repetition,
motion, novelty and familiarity.

Sometimes, different individuals may perceive the same thing differently. Differences
may arise due to factors associated with the perceiver (attitudes, motives, expectations,
etc.) or the situation (time, place, etc.) or the target (novelty, background, sounds, size,
etc.).
Perceptual organization focuses on the subsequent activities in the perceptual process
after the information from the situation is received.

SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

6
Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 Reg No.:

The various principles of perceptual organization consist of figure-ground, perceptual

grouping, perceptual constancy, perceptual context and perceptual defense. The
principle of figure-ground states that perceived objects stand out from their general
background. According to the principle of perceptual grouping, people tend to group
several stimuli together into a recognizable pattern. People usually tend to group stimuli
together on the basis of closure, continuity, proximity or similarity. Even if a person is not
able to obtain sufficient information to arrive at a decision, he tries to close the gap by
grouping the available information with the information from his past experience. This is
called the principle of closure. Sometimes people tend to think only in a particular
direction. This is called principle of continuity. It may also happen that people may group
the stimuli based on their proximity and similarity.

According to principle of perceptual constancy, there are some things which are
perceived alike by all people, irrespective of the factors influencing perception. It
provides a person a sense of stability in this changing world. Perceptual context provides
meaning and value to stimuli with respect to a particular context. According to the
principle of perceptual defense, people tend to resist information that is emotionally
disturbing or clashes with their personal convictions or cultural values.

Social perception is concerned with how individuals perceive one another. The primary
factors that lead to social perception are the psychological processes that lead to
attribution, stereotyping and halo effect. Attribution refers to the way in which people
explain the cause of their own behavior or others' behavior. If a person's behavior can be
attributed to internal factors such as personality traits, motivation or ability, then it is
called dispositional attribution. If a person's behavior is attributed to external factors,
such as a machine or being under the influence of others, then it is referred to as
situational attribution.

Stereotyping and the halo effect are common problems in social perception. When an
individual is judged based on the perception about the group to which he belongs, it is
termed as stereotyping. When people draw a general impression about an individual
based on a single characteristic, it is known as the halo effect. The process by which
people try to manage or control the perceptions other people form of them is called
impression management. It is used by employees in organizations to favorably impress
their boss and move up the hierarchy.

SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

7
Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 Reg No.:

Perceptions have a crucial role in individual decision-making in organizations, by

affecting both the decisions as well as the quality of the decision. The decision taken by
an individual is a complex process involving the intake of data, screening, processing,
and interpreting and evaluating of data, based on the perception of the individual.

5. Mr. Batra is the General Manager, HR of a leading Automobile company. He is having a

meeting with Mr. Chandan, a leading HR consultant. Mr. Batra is concerned about creating
an environment that helps in increasing job satisfaction among employees. Assume that you
are Mr. Chandan, the HR consultant. What suggestions will you give to Mr. Batra, for
creating an environment that increases job satisfaction?

Job satisfaction can be influenced by a variety of factors, e.g. the quality of one's
relationship with their supervisor, the quality of the physical environment in which they
work, degree of fulfillment in their work, etc.. Numerous research results show that there
are many factors affecting the job satisfaction. There are particular demographic traits
(age, education level, tenure, position, marital status, years in service, and hours worked
per week) of employees that significantly affect their job satisfaction.
Satisfying factors motivate workers while dissatisfying ones prevent. Motivating factors
are achievement, recognition, the job conducted, responsibility, promotion and the
factors related to the job itself for personal development. Motivating factors in the
working environment result in the job satisfaction of the person while protective ones
dissatisfy him/her.
Maslow connects the creation of the existence of people's sense of satisfaction with the
maintenance of the classified needs. These are: physiological needs (eating, drinking,
resting, etc.), security needs (pension, health insurance, etc.), the need to love (good
relations with the environment, friendship, fellowship, to love and to be loved), need to
self-esteem (self-confidence, recognition, adoration, to be given importance, status, etc.)
need of self-actualization (maximization of the latent[potential] power and capacity,
development of abilities, etc.) .
Insufficient education, inability to select qualified workers for the job, lack of
communications, lack of job definitions, all affect job satisfaction negatively. It has been
asserted that participating in the management, having the decision making power,
independence on the job and the unit where the individual works, have positive impact
upon the job satisfaction. The job itself (the work conducted), and achievement and
recognition at work result in satisfaction while the management policy, relations with the
managers and colleagues result in dissatisfaction. Factors related to the job itself such
as using talents, creativity, responsibility, recognition have influence on the job

SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

8
Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 Reg No.:

satisfaction.
Age is one of the factors affecting job satisfaction. Studies conducted in five different
countries prove that the elder workers are more satisfied . Kose has also found a
meaningful relation between the age and job satisfaction.
There is a strong connection between feeling secure and saying one is satisfied with a
job. People who state their job is secure have a much larger probability of reporting
themselves happy with their work.
Similarly, by some researchers, sex is also found to have an influence on job
satisfaction. Besides, Wahba has found out that male librarians give more importance to
personal development and free decision making in their jobs than the female librarians,
and the female librarians are more dissatisfied than the male librarians.
Job satisfaction and devotion to the job, affected each other reciprocally, and they have
great impact upon performance. The most significant of the factors affecting performance
are economical, technical, socio-political, cultural and demographical ones.
However, most efforts to improve performance seem to center on improving the
conditions surrounding the work. These are worthwhile efforts, but they usually result
only in short-term improvements in attitudes and productivity, and the situation often
returns quickly to normal .
There is no strong acceptance among researchers, consultants, etc., that increased job
satisfaction produces improve job performance -- in fact, improved job satisfaction can
sometimes decrease job performance. For example, you could let workers sometime sit
around all day and do nothing. That may make them more satisfied with their "work" in
the short run, but their performance certainly doesn't improve. The individual's
willingness to get a result, his/her endeavour and expectation of maintaining the result
will push him/her to show the highest performance.
Job satisfaction varies a lot. (Researches suggests, the higher the prestige of the job, the
greater the job satisfaction). But, many workers are satisfied in even the least prestigious
jobs. They simply like what they do. Most workers like their work if they have little
supervision. The least satisfied workers are those in service occupations and managers
that work for others. Ethnic and religious orientation is associated to work attitudes, and
job satisfaction is related to education.
The difference between the results that the individual desire and those s/he maintained
will affect his/her satisfaction . There is a consistent relationship between the
professional status and the job satisfaction. High levels of job satisfaction are observed
in those professions which are deemed of good standing in the society.
The workers usually compare their working conditions with the conditions of the society,
under the variable of social conditions. If the social conditions are worse than the

SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

9
Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 Reg No.:

individual's working conditions, then this will result in satisfaction of the individual, as the
workers deem themselves relatively in good position.
No meaningful relationship between the job satisfaction and age, professional
experience, education level, level of wage, sex and professional group was found. On
the contrary, professional experience has been claimed to increase job satisfaction.

6. Given below is the HR policy glimpse of “iMagine”, an advertising company

1. It offers cash rewards for staff members
2. It promotes the culture of employee referral and encourages people to
refer people they know, maybe their friends, ex. colleagues, batch mates and
relatives.
3. It recognizes good performances and gives fancy titles and jackets to
the people who perform well and also felicitates them in the Annual Day of the
company.
What all aspects does it take care of, according to Maslow’s Need Hierarchy?

Maslow has set up a hierarchic theory of needs. All of his basic needs are instinctoid,
equivalent of instincts in animals. Humans start with a very weak disposition that is then
fashioned fully as the person grows. If the environment is right, people will grow straight
and beautiful, actualizing the potentials they have inherited. If the environment is not
"right" (and mostly it is not) they will not grow tall and straight and beautiful.

Maslow has set up a hierarchy of five levels of basic needs. Beyond these needs, higher
levels of needs exist. These include needs for understanding, esthetic appreciation and
purely spiritual needs. In the levels of the five basic needs, the person does not feel the
second need until the demands of the first have been satisfied, nor the third until the
second has been satisfied, and so on. Maslow's basic needs are as follows:

The following are the aspects of Maslow’s Need heirarchy that iMagine takes care of-
1. Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness
When the needs for safety and for physiological well-being are satisfied, the next
class of needs for love, affection and belongingness can emerge. Maslow states that
people seek to overcome feelings of loneliness and alienation. This involves both
giving and receiving love, affection and the sense of belonging.
2. Needs for Esteem
When the first three classes of needs are satisfied, the needs for esteem can

SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

10
Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 Reg No.:

become dominant. These involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem a
person gets from others. Humans have a need for a stable, firmly based, high level of
self-respect, and respect from others. When these needs are satisfied, the person
feels self-confident and valuable as a person in the world. When these needs are
frustrated, the person feels inferior, weak, helpless and worthless.
3. Needs for Self-Actualization
When all of the foregoing needs are satisfied, then and only then are the needs for
self-actualization activated. Maslow describes self-actualization as a person's need
to be and do that which the person was "born to do." "A musician must make music,
an artist must paint, and a poet must write." These needs make themselves felt in
signs of restlessness. The person feels on edge, tense, lacking something, in short,
restless. If a person is hungry, unsafe, not loved or accepted, or lacking self-esteem,
it is very easy to know what the person is restless about. It is not always clear what a
person wants when there is a need for self-actualization.

Maslow believes that the only reason that people would not move well in direction of self-
actualization is because of hindrances placed in their way by society. He states that
education is one of these hindrances. He recommends ways education can switch from
its usual person-stunting tactics to person-growing approaches. Maslow states that
educators should respond to the potential an individual has for growing into a self-
actualizing person of his/her own kind.

----XXXX----

SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

11