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Why do people behave the way they do? What cause different people to react differently
to the same situation? Why are some organizations more successful than others, even
though they appeared to be managed in the same manners? And why do managers spend
too much of their time trying to “figure out what makes people think”? All of these
questions and more are the substance of what organizational behavior is all about.
An understanding of the behavior of people in organization has become increasingly
important as more and more of us find ourselves involved with organizations and the
management of people, not only at work, but in all facets of our lives.
By having the above about the subject of organization behavior let us understand first the
term organization behavior. Organization behavior it is made up of two words
“organization” and “Behavior”.
What is an organization?
Organizations are as old as the human race. Archaeologists have discovered massive
temples dating back to 3500 B.C. that were constructed through the organizational
actions of many people. The fact that it was built suggests not only that complex
organization existed, but also that the people in them cooperated reasonably well. In
connection with this if we ask a question about the powerful constructs that we call
organization; they are group of peoples who work interdependently toward some purpose.
Organizations are not buildings or other physical structures. Rather organizations are
people who work together to achieve a set of goals. Employees have structured patterns
of interaction, meaning that they expect each other to complete certain task in
coordinated way – in an organized way.
An organization can also be defined as “a consciously coordinated social entity, with a
relatively identifiable boundary, that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve
a common goal or set of goals”.
The above definition is a mouthful of words; the meaning of the definition is discussed
below in to more relevant parts.
The words consciously coordinated imply management. Social entity means that
the unit is composed of people or groups of people who interact with each other.
The interaction patterns that people follow in organization do not just emerge:
rather, they are premeditated. Therefore, because organizations are social entities,
the interaction pattern of their member must be balanced and harmonized to
minimize redundancy yet ensure the initial task are being completed. The result is
that our definition assumes explicitly the need for coordinating the interaction
pattern of people.
We can define the term organization as two or more individuals who are interacting with
each other within a deliberately structured set up and working in an interdependent way
to achieve some common objective/s. Organizations play a major role in our lives. We
possibly cannot think of a single moment in our lives when we are not depending on
organizations in some form or the other. Right from the public transport that you use to
come to your institute, the institutes itself, the class you are attending at this moment, are
all examples of organizations.
What is Behavior?
Is it the behavior of Organization or the Behavior of the people who are working in the
organization? It is the behavior of the people working in an organization to achieve
common goals or objectives. Organization comprises of people with different attitudes,
cultures, beliefs, norms and values. So let us understand organizational behavior and
what it exactly it means.
“Organizational Behavior” can be defined as:
The study of what people think, feel, and do in and around organizations.
The study of actions of people at work that affect performance in the workplace.
The study of individual behavior and group dynamics in organizational settings.
Nature of Organizational Behavior (OB)
Organizational behavior is an applied behavioral science that is built on contributions
from a number of behavioral disciplines such as psychology, sociology, social
psychology, anthropology and economics. So now let’s see how these disciplines are
related to organizational behavior,
• Psychology
Psychology is the study of human behavior which tries to identify the characteristics of
individuals and provides an understanding why an individual behaves in a particular way.
This thus provides us with useful insight into areas such as human motivation, perceptual
processes or personality characteristics.
• Sociology
Sociology is the study of social behavior, relationships among social groups and
societies, and the maintenance of social order. The main focus of attention is on the social
system. This helps us to appreciate the functioning of individuals within the organization
which is essentially a socio-technical entity.
• Social psychology
Social psychology is the study of human behavior in the context of social situations. This
essentially addresses the problem of understanding the typical behavioral patterns to be
expected from an individual when he takes part in a group.
• Anthropology
Anthropology is the science of mankind and the study of human behavior as a whole.
The main focus of attention is on the cultural system, beliefs, customs, ideas and values
within a group or society and the comparison of behavior among different cultures. In the
context of today’s organizational scenario, it is very important to appreciate the
differences that exist among people coming from different cultural backgrounds as
people are often found to work with others from the other side of the globe.
• Economics
Any organization to survive and sustain must be aware of the economic viability of their
effort. This applies even to the non-profit and voluntary organizations as well.
• Political Science
Although frequently overlooked, the contributions of political scientists are significant to
the understand arrangement in organizations. It studies individuals and groups within
specific conditions concerning the power dynamics. Important topics under here include
structuring of conflict, allocation of power and how people manipulate power for
individual self-interest etc. The following figure depicts to highlight the interdisciplinary
nature of organizational behavior.
Why Study OB?
The main reason for studying organization behavior is that to understand, predict and
influence the behavior of others in organizational settings.
Figure 2.1 Reason for studying organizational behavior
Understanding
organizational
Event
OB
Influence Predict
organizational organizational
Event Event
Types of System: System is classified typically as either closed or open. Closed system
thinking stems primarily from the physical sciences. It views the system as self-
contained. Their dominant characteristic is that it essentially ignores the effect of the
environment on the system. A perfect closed system would be one that receives no
energy from an outside source and from which no energy is released to its surroundings.
More idealistic than practical, the closed-system perspective has little applicability the
study of organization.
The open system recognizes the dynamic interaction of the system with the environment.
No students of organizations could build much defense for viewing organization as
closed system. Organizations obtain their raw materials and human resource from the
environment. They further depend upon clients and customers in the environment to
absorb their output. A simplified graphic representation of an open system looks as
follow:
Environment
Input Transformatio
System Output
n Process
Environment
Input: Technical
Output:
-material Processing Customer
Finished
-labor Core: s
goods/services
-capital Transformation
Government
Customer advocacy
Financial Institutions
Payment of loan
Labor force
Wage
In the graphic representation of system we see inputs, technological process created for
transforming inputs into finished products / services (output). The finished product in
turn, is sold to a customers are all parts of the environment.
If you stop to think about it for a moment, it is difficult to conceive of any system as
being fully closed. All systems must have some interaction with the environments if they
are to survive.
3. Cyclical character: open system is cycles of events. The systems output furnish
the means of new inputs that allow for the repetition of the cycle.
The Experiments
Mayo took six women from the assembly line, segregated them from the rest of the
factory and put them under the eye of a supervisor who was more a friendly observer than
disciplinarian. Mayo made frequent changes in their working conditions, always
discussing and explaining the changes in advance (this is important). In particular he
changed the hours in the working week, the hours in the workday the number of rest
breaks and the time of the lunch hour. Bear in mind that when Mayo was conducting his
experiments, the workforce did not enjoy the "privileges" that today’s workers enjoy. In
these times if you didn't work-you didn't eat. In fact he occasionally would return the
women to their original, harder working conditions to no noticeable effect (in fact the
workers worked HARDER).
CHAPTER TWO
INDIVIDUAL PROCESS AND BEHAVIOR
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CHAPTER THREE
LEARNING IN ORGANIZATION
Introduction
Almost all complex human behavior is learned. If we want to explain, predict or control
behavior, we need to understand how people learn. Learning is broader concept than
“what we did when we want to school”. In actuality each of us is continuously “going to
school”. Learning is going on all the time.
Psychologists defined learning as: a relatively permanent change in behavior (or
behavior tendency) that occurs as the result of a person’s interaction with the
environment. Behavior change is the only evidence of learning. For example, if a team
leader had a tendency to be blunt or rude toward coworkers but doesn’t act this way
anymore, then we say that he/she has learned to interact with others more effectively.
Learning occurs when behavior change is due to interaction with the environment. That
means it occurs through the use of a person’s senses, study, observation, and experience.
Notice, too, that learning requires a relatively permanent change in behavior. This
distinguishes learning from situational contingencies that cause short term behavior
changes.
Learning influences ability, role perceptions, and motivation in the model of individual
behavior and performance. With respect to ability, employees develop competencies
through formal and informal learning processes. They clarify role perceptions through
learning. Lastly, Learning is a basic assumption behind many theories of motivation. For
example, employees learn to expect certain rewards(less favorable outcomes) following
their behavior and performance. They develop or lose confidence by learning whether
their effort results in desired performance.
Learning Explicit and Tacit Knowledge
When employees learn they acquire both explicit and tacit knowledge. Explicit
knowledge is organized and can be communicated from one person to another. It can be
written down and given to others. An example is information you receive in a class
lecture because the instructor packages and consciously transfers to you.
Tacit knowledge is the idea that we know more than we can tell. You have probably
said to some one: “I can’t tell you how to do this, but I can show you.” Tacit knowledge
is embedded in our actions and ways of thinking, but it not clearly understood and
therefore cannot be explicitly communicated. The knowledge and skills you want to
give to others are not sufficiently articulated, so that they cannot be communicated
through verbal messages. It is not documented; it is action oriented and known below
the level of consciousness. Tacit knowledge acquired through observation and direct
experience Examples include: Organization’s culture, Team’s implicit norms,
Operating jets (airplane), driving car, etc.
PERSPECTIVES OF LEARNING
There are four perspectives of learning: Behavior modification, Feedback, Social
learning (observation) and direct experience. These activities are not completely
different, rather they provide different views of the learning process and by
understanding each of these perspectives we can more fully appreciate the dynamics of
learning.
A. BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION:
Behavior modification (also known as operant conditioning, operant learning or
reinforcement theory) implies that learning is completely dependent upon the
environment. It is modifying behavior through the use of positive of negative
consequences following specific behaviors. Behavior modification argues that we learn
from previous interactions with the environment to alter our behaviors in such a way that
we maximize positive consequences and minimize adverse consequences. In other words,
past experience teaches us how to “operate” on environment so that we receive desired
consequences from that environment.
Behavior modification emphasizes voluntary behaviors. Researchers call them operant
behaviors, because they “operate” on the environment- they make the environment
respond in ways that we want. For example, you put a certain amount of money in a soft
drink machine and press a certain button so that the machine will provide you a particular
can of pop. You learned from past experience how to cause the environment (soft drink
machine) to deliver that brand of soft drink.
Operant behaviors are different from respondent behaviors that are involuntary responses
to the environment. These are uncontrollable responses to the environment, such as
automatically withdrawing your hand from a hot stove element or having your eyes
automatically contact when you turn on a bright light. The environment causes
respondent behaviors, where as people voluntarily engage in operant behaviors to cause
environmental responses. Our attention here is on operant behaviors because they
represent most learned behaviors in organizational settings.
Behavior modification is based on the law of effect. According to law of effect, the
likelihood that operant behavior will be repeated depends on its consequences. If
behavior is followed by a pleasant experience, then the person will probably repeat the
behavior. If the behavior is followed by unpleasant experience or no response at all, then
the person is less likely to repeat it. The law of effect explains how people learn to
associate behaviors with specific environmental responses.
Punishment and negative reinforcement are easy to mix up. Punishment reduces the
frequency or likelihood of a behavior. For instance, after your boss criticizes your
performance, you are less likely to do things (such as chatting with co-workers) that
cause slow service. Negative reinforcement, on the other hand increases the frequency or
likelihood of a behavior. Thus, you are more likely to repeat the behaviors that provide
speedier customer service.
3. Extinction – occurs when the target behavior decreases because no response follows
it. It is the attempt to weaken a behavior by attaching no consequence to it. It is
equivalent ignoring the behavior. The rationale for using extinction is that a behavior not
followed by any consequence is weakened. For example, if an employee makes practical
jokes that are potentially dangerous or costly, this behavior might be extinguished by
discouraging others from praising the employee when he or she engages in these pranks.
Behavior that is no longer reinforced tends to disappear or be extinguished. In this
respect, extinction is a do nothing strategy.
Schedules of Reinforcement
Along with the types of consequences, behavior modification identifies the schedules that
should be followed to maximize the reinforcement effect. In fact there is evidence that
scheduling the reinforcer affects learning more than the size of the reinforcer. Behavior
modification theorists have identified five schedules for reinforcement.
a. Continuous reinforcement – reinforcing every occurrence of the desired behavior.
This produces the most rapid learning of the targeted behavior. When the reinforcer is
removed, extinction also occurs very quickly. It is most effective for employees learning
new behaviors.
The other four schedules of reinforcement are intermittent because reinforcement does
not occur every time or with every behavior. Instead, intermittent schedules apply the
reinforcer after a fixed or variable time (interval) or number of target behaviors (ratio).
The intermittent schedules are described below:
b. Fixed interval schedule – occurs when behavior is reinforced over a fixed time.
Example: weekly paychecks. As long as the job is performed satisfactorily, a paycheck is
received on the appointed day.
c. Variable interval schedule – involves administering the reinforcer after a varying
length of time. Example: promotions that occur at uneven time interval( first promotion
after two years of good performance, the next after four years, the third after 18 months
and so on).
d. Fixed ratio schedule – reinforces a behavior over a fixed number of times Example:
piece rate systems where employees get paid after they produce a fixed number of units.
e. Variable ratio schedule – reinforces behavior after a varying number of times
.Example: sales incentive plans.
Note: interval schedule is time-based whereas ratio schedule is behavior based.
Limitations of behavior modification
Behavior modification is not always cost effective, and it certainly has a number of
limitations.
a. Cant reinforce non observable behavior- Behavior modification may work with easily
observable behaviors, such as work attendance, but it is more difficult to apply to
conceptual activities such as making good decisions.
b. Reinforcer tends to wear off- Behavior modification programs often suffer from
“Reward inflation” – the reinforcer is quickly forgotten or is eventually considered an
entitlement. In other words, a bonus that was once an unexpected surprise becomes an
expected part of the employment relationship. Withholding the reinforcer may represent
extinction, but it feels like punishment.
c. Variable ratio is a form of gambling- the variable ratio schedule may be best for
maintaining behavior, but it also resembles a lottery. Some people worry about ethical
nature of this schedule because employees are essentially betting that they will receive a
reinforcer after the next behavior.
d. Ethical concerns about perceived manipulation- Some critics say that behavior
modification tries to manipulate employee behavior and treat people as animals with low
intelligence. This perception occurs largely because behavior modification focuses on
behaviors and therefore pays less attention to human thoughts. However, behavior
modification experts point out that any attempt to change employee behavior is a form of
manipulation. No matter how valid this counterargument, behavior modification has an
image problem that will remain for some time to come.
Motivation is one of the key ingredients in the employee performance and productivity.
Even when people have clear work objectives, the right skill and supportive work
environment, they won’t get the job done without sufficient motivation to achieve those
work objectives.
The term motivation drives from Latin word ‘mover’, meaning ‘to move’. In the present
context motivation represents “those psychological processes that cause the arousal,
direction and persistence of voluntary action that are goal directed.
It also refers to the force within the person that affects person’s direction, intensity and
persistence of voluntary behavior. Motivated employees are willing to exert a particular
level of effort (intensity), for a certain amount of time (persistence), toward a particular
goal (direction). Managers need to understand these psychological processes if they are to
successfully guide employees toward accomplishing organizational objectives.
MOTIVATION THEORIES
Motivation theories fall in to two main categories: Content theories and Process theories
A. CONTENT THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
These theories explain the dynamics of employee needs, such as why people have
different needs at different times. By understanding an employee’s needs, we can
discover what motivates that person. Most contemporary theories recognize that
motivation begins with individual needs. Needs are deficiencies that energize or trigger
behaviors to satisfy those needs. At some point in your life, you might have strong need
for food and shelter. At other times, your social needs may be unfulfilled. Unfulfilled
needs create tension that makes us want to find ways to reduce or satisfy those needs. The
stronger your needs, the more you are motivated to satisfy them. Conversely, a satisfied
need does not motivate.
There are four content theories of motivation:
• Maslow’s need hierarchy
• Alderfer’s ERG theory
• Hertzberg’s motivator- hygiene theory
• McClelland’s theory of learned needs
Self actualization
Esteem
Love
Safety
physiological
Accordingly, when One’s physiological needs are relatively satisfied, one’s safety needs
emerge, and so on up the need hierarchy, one step at a time. Once a need is satisfied it
activates the next higher need in the hierarchy. These processes continue until the need
for self-actualization is activated.
There is one key managerial implication of Maslow’s theory worth nothing. That is, a
satisfied need may lose its motivational potential. Therefore, managers are advised to
motivate employee by devising programs / practices aimed at satisfying emerging or
unmet needs. In conclusion, managers are more likely to fuel employee motivation by
offering benefits and rewards that meet individual needs.
2. Alderfer’s ERG Theory
ERG theory of motivation was developed by Clayton Alderfer as an alternative theory of
human needs in the late 1960s. ERG theory group human needs in to three broad
categories; these are:
Existence (E): the desire for physiological and materialistic well-being. Corresponds to
Maslow’s physiological and safety need.
Relatedness (R): the desire to have meaningful relationship with significant others. It
Corresponds to Maslow’s need of belongingness.
Growth (G): the desire to grow as human being and to use one’s abilities to their fullest
potential.
Alderfer’s theory of need differ from Maslow’s in three major respects:
(i) A smaller set of core needs is used to explain behavior. From lowest to
highest level they are; existence, relatedness and growth need
(ii) ERG / Alderfer’s theory of need does not assume needs are related to each
others in stair-step hierarchy as does Maslow. Alderfer’s believes that more
than one need may be achieved at a time.
(iii) Finally, ERG theory contains a frustration-regression component. That is
frustration of higher order need can influence the desire for lower-order needs.
In other word, those who are unable to satisfy higher needs become frustrated
and regress back to the next lower need level. If existence and relatedness
needs have been satisfied but growth need fulfillment have been blocked, the
individual will become frustrated and relatedness will again emerges as the
dominant source of motivation. For example, employees may demand higher
pay or better benefit (existence needs) when they are frustrated / dissatisfied
with the quality of their interpersonal relationships (relatedness needs) at
work.
There are two key managerial implications associated with ERG theory.
- The First revolves around the frustration-regression aspect of the theory.
Managers should keep in mind that employee may be motivated to pursue lower-
level needs because they are frustrated with higher order needs.
- Second, ERG theory is consistent with the finding that individual and culture
differences influence our need states. People are motivated by different needs at
different times in their lives. This implies that managers should customize their
reward and recognition programs to meet employees’ varying needs.
Need for Achievement: Achievement theories propose that motivation and performance
vary according to the strength of one’s need for achievement. Peoples with a high need
for achievement want to accomplish reasonably challenging goals through their own
efforts. The need for achievement is defined by the following desires:
To accomplish something difficult. To master, manipulate, or organize physical objects,
human beings or ideas. To do this as rapidly and as independently as possible. To
overcome obstacles and attain a high standard. To excel one’s self. To rival and surpass
others. To increase self regard by the successful exercise of talent.
Given these characteristics McClelland proposed that high achiever are more likely to be
successful entrepreneurs.
Need for Affiliation: researchers believe that people possess a basic desire to form and
maintain a few lasting, positive and important interpersonal relationships. Need for
affiliation refers to a desire to seek approval from others, conform to their wishes and
expectations, and avoid conflict and conformation.
People with a high need for affiliation prefers to form positive relationship with others,
try to project favorable image of themselves and take other steps to be liked by others,
spend more time in wanting to be loved. Individuals with high need for affiliation are not
the most effective managers or Leaders because they have a hard time making difficult
decisions without worrying about being dislike.
Need for power: The need for power reflects an individuals desire to influence, coach,
teach, or encourage others to achieve. People with high need for power like to work and
are concerned with discipline and self respect. There is a positive and negative side in this
need. The negative effect of power is characterized by an “if I win, you lose” mentality.
In contrast, people with positive orientation to power focus on accomplishing group goals
and helping employees obtain the feeling of competence.
Because effective managers must positively influence others, McClelland propose that
top managers should have a high need for power coupled with a low need for affiliation.
One of the most widely known and influenced views of work motivation is Fred
Herzberg’s two factor theory, as part of a study of his job satisfaction. He asked
respondents to recall two separate job-related events in which their work satisfaction had
improved or declined. The response suggested that the work related factors that led to
feelings of satisfaction were different from those factors that led to dissatisfaction. The
satisfiers usually pertained to the content of job and include such factors as career
advancement, recognition, sense of responsibility and feelings of achievement. Herzberg
called these MOTIVATOR factors. The dis-satisfier most often stemmed from the
context in which the job was performed. They related to job security, company policies,
interpersonal relationships, and working condition. Herzberg called these HYGIENE
factors.
Herzberg responds that motivator factors had the potential to motivate workers to higher
level of performance because they provide opportunities for personal satisfaction.
Although the absence of these factors would not make employees unhappy, it would
leave them feeling some what neutral toward their jobs.
On the other hand, Improving hygiene’s will reduce job dissatisfaction, but the will have
almost no effect on job satisfaction or employee motivation.
Job with poor job with good Job that does not jobs offering
Company policies, company policy & Offer achievement, achievement,
Administration, administration recognition, recognition,
Technical supervision, technical stimulating work, stimulating work,
Salary, interpersonal supervision, responsibility, responsibility,
Relationship with salary, and and
Supervisors and interpersonal advancement advancement
Working condition relationship with
Working
Condition
B. PROCESS THEORY OF MOTIVATION
1. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory of Motivation
Expectancy theory is a motivation theory based on the idea that work effort is directed
toward behaviors that people believe will lead to desired outcomes. Through experience,
we developed expectation about whether we can achieve various level of job
performance. We also develop expectation about whether job performance and work
behavior leads to particular outcomes. Finally, we naturally direct our effort toward
outcomes that help us fulfill our needs.
Although many variations of expectancy theory have been proposed, the most widely
cited version was proposed by victor vroom. Vroom’s model argues that the
psychological force on an employee to exert effort is a function of his / her expectancies
about the future and the attractiveness of specific future outcomes. Two kinds of
expectations are important in Vroom’s model: the expectation that effort will lead to
performance and the expectation that performance will lead to rewards.
The key variable of interest in expectancy theory is effort- the individual’s actual exertion
of energy. An individual’s effort level depends on three factors:
1. Effort to Performance(E-P) expectancy
2. Performance to outcome(P-O) expectancy
3. Outcome Valences(V)
Employee motivation is influenced by all three components of the expectancy theory
model. If any component weakens, motivation weakens.
Effort-performance Expectancy (E → P): The effort performance expectancy is the
individual’s perception that his / her effort will result in a particular level of performance.
In deciding on a course of action, employees will consider whether their effort will
translate in to a desired accomplishment. If the obstacles are such that they cannot
reasonably expect their effort to lead to an acceptable level of performance, their
motivation to perform will be diminished.
The statement like “if I try harder, I can do better” shows E-P expectance.
Mechanisms of increasing E-P expectancies
The employees should be given:
Necessary competency
Clear role perception
Favorable situational contingency
Counseling and coaching to build self-confidence
Shaping(assign similar or fewer tasks until employees can master
them)
Behavioral modeling, etc
Valence (v): The third element in expectancy theory is the valence of each outcome that
you consider. Valance refers the anticipated satisfaction or dissatisfaction that an
individual feels toward an outcome. The valance that an individual attaches to an
outcome is a personal matter that cannot be accurately predicted by other people. Thus, it
is essential to ask an individual about the valance that he / she attach to anticipated
outcomes. The valance of a given outcome may also vary in relation to how recently how
the individual has been rewarded.
Subjective probabilities are estimates of the likelihood that one event will follow another.
In this case, respondents would be asked to report their personal probability estimate that
effort will lead to performance and the performance will lead a given outcome. These
probabilities can range from zero; including a belief that one event will definitely not
follow the other, to 1.0, indicating complete confidence that on event will follow the
other. The valance of outcome is assessed by having respondents provide an associated
value that can range from -1.0 (highly unattractive) to + 1.0 (highly attractive).
The probability estimates can be multiplied to yield an overall expectancy value. This
value can then be multiplied by associated valence to yield a summary index of the
psychological force on an individual to exert effort. In summery the mathematics
involved is:
As an example, consider a sales person who is decided whether to make additional sales
calls. The sales person believes that the additional calls (effort) will lead to additional
sales (performance) and that the additional sales will lead to a bonus (outcome). The size,
or magnitude, of the bonus (valance) must also be considered.
For illustrative purposes, imagine that the sales person’s probability estimate of E → P is
0.8, and the estimated of P → O is 0.7. Also, the anticipated bonus has valance of 0.6. The
motivational forces that is exerted on the salesperson is given by (0.8) x (0.7) x (0.6) =
0.34. If the salesperson had valued the bonus more highly, so that its valence were 0.9,
the motivational force would have been (0.8) x (0.7) x (0.9) = 0.50. If he / she felt that the
bonus were trivial, the valence portion of the equation would greatly reduce the
motivational force.
Adams point out those two primary components is involved in the employee-employer
exchange, inputs and outcomes. An employee’s, for which they expect a just return,
include education, experience, skills and efforts. On the outcome slide of the exchange,
the organization provides such things, as pay, fringe benefit, and recognition. These
outcomes vary widely depend ones organization are rank.
On the job, feelings of inequity revolve a round a persons evaluation of whether he/she
receive adequate rewards to compensate for his/her contributive inputs. People perform
this evaluation by comparing the perceived fairness of their employment exchange to that
of relevant others. This comparative process, which is based on the equity norm, was
found to generalize across countries. People tend to compare themselves to other
individuals with whom they have close interpersonal ties- such as friends or-to similar
others-such as people performing the same job or individual of the same gender or
functional level-rather than dissimilar others.
AS a result of the comparison three different equity relationships will exist: Equity,
negative inequity and positive inequity. Assume two peoples in each equity relationships
have equal background, and perform identical tasks. Only their hourly pay rates differ.
- Equity exist for an individuals when his/her ratio of perceived outcomes to input
for relevant co-workers. If the other person’s additional outcomes are due to
his/her greater inputs, a sense of equity may still exist.
- However, if the comparison person enjoys greater outcomes for similar inputs,
negative inequity may perceive.
- On the other side a person will experience positive inequity when his/her
outcomes to inputs ratio is greater than that of relevant co-workers.
OUT COMES
Core job Critical
characteristics psychological
states
High internal work
motivation
Skill variety Experienced
Task identity meaningfulness of
Task significance the work
High growth
Satisfaction
High general
Autonomy
Autonomy Experienced satisfaction
responsibility
work
for outcomes High work
outcomes effectiveness
Feedback form job
Knowledge of
results of work
activities
Fig: Job characteristic model
Moderators
Context satisfaction
Knowledge & skill
Growth needs strength
Core job characteristics
Hackman and Oldham have identified five core job characteristics. Desirable work out
comes increase when jobs are redesigned such that they include more of the following
characteristics:
1. Skill variety- refers to the use of different skills and talents to complete a variety
of work activities. For example, Sales clerks who normally only serve customers
might be assigned the additional duties of stocking inventory and changing
storefront displays.
2. Task identity- is the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole or
identifiable piece of work, such as doing some thing from beginning to end or
where it is easy to see how one’s work fits in to the whole product or service.
For example an employee who assembles an entire computer modem rather than
simply soldering the circuitry would develop a stronger sense of ownership or
identity with the final product.
3. Task significance- refers to the degree to which a job has a substantial impact on
the organization and/or larger society. For example, Air traffic controllers would
have a high degree of task significance because the quality of their work affects
the safety of other.
4. Autonomy is the degree to which the job provides employees with freedom,
independence and discretion in scheduling the work and determining the
procedures to be used to complete the work. In autonomous jobs, employees make
their own decisions rather than rely on detailed instructions from supervisors or
procedure manuals.
5. Job feedback- is the degree to which employees can tell how they are doing based
on direct sensory information from the job itself. For example, physicians can see
whether their operations have improved the patients’ health.
Critical psychological states
The five core job characteristics affect employee motivation and satisfaction through
three critical psychological states.
a. Experienced meaningfulness- the belief that one’s work is worth while or
important. Skill variety, task identity and task significance directly contributed to
the job meaningfulness. If the job has high levels of all these three characteristics,
employees are likely to feel that their job is highly meaningful. The
meaningfulness drops as the job loses one or more of these characteristics.
b. Experienced responsibility for work out comes- work motivation and performance
increase when employees feel personally accountable for the outcomes of their
efforts. Employees must be assigned control of their wok work environment to
feel responsible for their successes and failures. Autonomy directly contributes to
this feeling of experienced responsibility.
c. Knowledge of results of work activities- employees wants information about the
consequences of their work effort. It can originate from co-workers, supervisors,
or clients. However, job design focus on knowledge of result from the work itself.
Feedback from job contributes to knowledge of result.
Individual differences
Job redesign doesn’t increase work motivation for every one in every situation
because of individual differences. It can improve work motivation of employees
under the following conditions:
1. Employees must have the required skill and knowledge to master the more
challenging work. Otherwise, job redesign tends to increase stress and reduce job
performance.
2. Employees must reasonability satisfied with their work environment (working
condition, job security, salaries, etc) before redesign affects work motivation.
3. Employees must have strong growth needs. People with strong growth needs have
satisfied their relatedness or existence needs and are looking for challenges from
work itself. In contrast, improving the core job characteristics will have little
motivational effect on people who are primarily focused on existence or
relatedness needs.
Increasing work motivation through job design
Three main strategies potentially increase the motivational potential of jobs are job
rotation, job enlargement, and job enrichment.
1. Job rotation- the practice of moving employees from one job to another, typically
for short period of time. The reasons to introduce job rotation are to;
Reduce boredom
Reduce the incidence of repetitive strain injuries
Develop a flexible work force. Helps employees learn new tasks
and thereby increasing their ability to move to jobs where they are
needed
2. Job enlargement- refers to increasing the number of tasks employees perform
with in their job. We might combine two or more complete jobs in to one or just add
one or two more tasks to an existing job. Job enlargement improves customer service
because assigning all tasks to one employee minimizes coordination problems.
However, employees are motivated by job enlargement when they have task variety,
autonomy and knowledge.
3. Job enrichment – this occurs when employees are given more responsibility for
scheduling, coordinating and planning their own work.
Ways to enrich jobs are:
• Empowering employees- refers to feeling of control and self efficacy that
emerges when people are given power in a previously powerless situation.
Empowered employees have autonomy, task significance, and control over
performance feedback.
• Forming natural work units: to organize tasks in to a natural grouping
such as completing a whole product. It increases task identity and task
significance because employees perform a complete product or service.
For example, the jobs would be redesigned around natural units by having
each employee take responsibility for all human resource activities (like
recruitment, selection, training and development, compensation, etc) for
specific group of employees.
• Establishing client relationship: Putting employees in direct contact with
their clients rather than using the supervisor as a go between.
CHAPTER FIVE
ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP
DEFINITION: Leadership is the process of influencing and directing the behavior of
people toward achievement of goals. The process involves setting a direction for the
organizations, aligning people with that direction through communication, and
motivating people to action through empowerment and basic need gratification. The
influence and the power are central elements of leadership. The influence is any action
that brings change in the behavior of other persons. Power refers to the capacity/ability to
influence others i.e. A has power over B means that A can influence the behavior of B,
and B does some thing that otherwise would not do. So the leaders use power in order to
shape the behavior and action of their followers.
Develop Maintain
Inspire Control
Originate Initiate
LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVES/THEORIES
Leadership is the outcome of complex relationship between leader, subordinates, the
organization, social values, economic and political conditions. It is influenced by
numerous factors relating to traits, behaviors, and situations. Based on these factors there
are three leadership theories such as Trait theory, Behavioral theory, and Contingency
theory.
1. Trait theory: It is the theory of leadership that suggests personality
characteristics/traits and physical attributes distinguish leaders from non leaders.
Physical attributes include height, weight, physique, energy, appearance and even
age. According to the trait theory the important leadership competencies may
include: drive, leadership motivation, integrity, self confidence, intelligence,
knowledge of business, and emotional intelligence.
a. Drive- refers to inner motivation that leaders possess to pursue their goals.
b. Leadership motivation- leaders need for socialized power to accomplish
team/organizational goals.
c. Integrity- leader’s truthfulness and tendency to translate words in to deeds.
d. Self confidence- leaders belief in his/her own leadership skills and ability to
achieve objectives.
e. Intelligence- Leaders above average cognitive ability to process enormous
amount of information. This does not mean that leaders should be necessarily
genius, but they should have superior ability to analyze alternative scenarios
and identify potential opportunities.
f. Knowledge of the business – leaders understanding of the company’s
environment to make more intuitive decisions.
g. Emotional intelligence – leaders ability to monitor his/her own and others’
emotion, discriminate among them and use the information to guide his/her
thought and actions.
Generally, trait theory states that leaders were basically born: you either had it or did
not. That is the one who have desirable physical attribute and the above mentioned
competencies is recognized to become the leader by his/her very nature. So according to
this theory we cannot made leaders through training and development methods.
The limitation of trait theory:
• Acceptance of universality – it assumes that great leaders have the same
personality characteristics and all of them are equally important in all situations.
But the right actions in one situation are not necessarily right for a different
situation. So it ignored the situational factors.
• Emphasis on personality characteristics-There is insufficient evidence to conclude
that leaders can be distinguished from followers on the basis of physical attributes
and personality traits.
The implication of trait theory is that, if it is implemented properly assuming the
prescription of the theory works; it might help organizations to select the right individuals
for leadership positions. It recognizes that some people possess personal characteristics
that offer them a higher potential to be great leader, so the organization can hire people
for future leadership position.
2. Behavioral theories
Behavioral theories are groups of theories of leadership which states that specific leaders’
behavior differentiate leaders from non leaders. It is concerned with describing leaders’
actions and behaviors. Like trait theory, these theories exclusively emphasize the leaders,
as opposed to situational characteristics. Behavioral theories do not consider
characteristics of the followers themselves or of the leadership situation in understanding
the leadership process.
Behavioral theories help organizations train and develop leaders rather than selecting
them. In other words, if there were specific behaviors that identified leaders, then we
could teach leadership. This was surely a more exciting avenue, for it would mean that
the supply of leaders could be expanded. If training worked, we could have an infinite
supply of effective leaders. The behavioral theories are classified in to two parts: The
basic leadership style and two dimensional theories.
A. The basic leadership style
The earliest research on leadership style, conducted by Kurt Lewis and his students,
identified three basic styles: Autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire.
1. Autocratic style: a leadership style in which the leader uses strong, directive,
controlling actions to enforce the rules, regulations, activities and leaderships in the
work environment. In this style of leadership, subordinates are excluded from the
process of decision making. The leaders assign work with out consulting subordinates
or knowing their inclinations and desires. Leaders are more tasks oriented and less
concerned about human element.
2. Democratic style: a style of leadership in which the leader takes collaborative,
responsive and interactive actions with followers concerning the work and work
environment. Democratic leaders are effective and more productive because they consult
subordinates on various matters and include them in the process of decision making.
They are more oriented toward both task and human element.
3. Laissez-faire style: A style of leadership in which the leader fails to accept the
responsibilities of the position. The leaders have little or no confidence in their leadership
ability, do not set goals for the group and do not enhance group interaction and
communication. They leave the employees alone, assuming that they are responsible. In
fact, the laissez –faire types of leader do little supervision. Consequently, the group has to
make many on the job decisions. There are a variety of reasons why a leader may exhibit
this style of leadership. Some leaders perceive that the costs associated with leading are
greater than the benefits. The specific reason may be lack of self- confidence, fear of
failure, or the perceived social cost of ostracizing by the work group. We can immediately
question why a leader who feels this way is occupying this type of role. On the positive
side, a leader may adopt this style because he or she feels that subordinates will perform
better if they are given a great deal of discretion.
B. The two dimensional theories.
1. Ohio state leadership studies
The most comprehensive and replicated of the behavioral theories resulted from research
that began at Ohio state university in the late 1940s. These studies sought to identify
independent dimensions of leader behavior. The group identified two dimensions i.e.
initiating structure and consideration.
a. Initiating structure: refers to the extent to which a leader is likely to define and
structure his or her role and those of subordinates in the search for goal
attainment. It includes behavior that attempts to organize work, work relationships
and goals. The leader characterized as high in initiating structure could be
described in terms such as “assign group members to particular tasks”, “expects
workers to maintain define performance standards”, and “emphasizes the meeting
of deadlines”.
b. Consideration: Refers to the extent to which a person is likely to have job
relationship characterized by mutual trust, respect for subordinates’ ideas, and
regard for their feelings. The leader high in consideration could be described as
one who helps subordinates with personal problems, is friendly and approachable,
and treats all subordinates as equals.
The Ohio study identified that the different degree of combination of leaders orientation
to the dimensions would give rise to four different leadership styles:
1. low consideration, low structure
2. low consideration, high structure
3. high consideration, low structure
4. high consideration, high structure
The conclusion arrived is that leaders high in initiating structure and consideration (a
“high-high” leader) tended to achieve high subordinate performance and satisfaction
more frequently than those who rated low in either an initiating structure, consideration
or both.
2. University of Michigan study
This study was a contemporary to the Ohio studies and had similar research objectives: to
locate behavioral characteristics of leaders that appeared to be related to measures of
performance effectiveness. The Michigan group also came up with two dimensions of
leaders’ behavior, which they labeled employee oriented and production oriented.
A. Employee oriented - Employee oriented leaders were described as emphasizing
interpersonal relations; they took a personal interest in the needs o their
subordinates and accepted individual differences among members.
B. Production oriented –leaders tended to emphasize the technical or task aspects of
the job- their main concern is in accomplishing their group’s tasks, and the group
members are a means to that end.
The conclusions arrived at by the Michigan researchers strongly favored the leaders who
were employee oriented in their behaviors. Employee oriented leaders were associated
with higher group productivity and higher job satisfaction .production oriented leaders
tended to be associated with low group productivity and low worker satisfaction.
3. Managerial grid:
A graphic portrayal of two dimensional views of leadership styles was developed
by Robert Blake and Jenny Mouton. They proposed a managerial grid based on
the style of concern for people and concern for production which essentially
represent the Ohio state dimension of consideration and initiating structure or the
Michigan dimensions of employee oriented and production oriented. The grid has
nine possible positions along each axis, creating 81 different positions in which
the leader’s style may fall. However, the model emphasizes on five major
leadership styles.
Concern for people
9 (1,9)- (9,9)-
Country club Team
mgmt
8
7
6
5 (5,5)-
Middle
of the
road
4
3
2
1 (1,1)- (9,1)-
Impoverished Authority
mgmt compliance
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Concern for production
Performance
Good task oriented
Relationship
Poor Favorable Moderate Unfavorable
Category 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Leader Good Good Good Good Poor Poor Poor Poor
member
r/ns
Task high high low low high High low low
structure
Position Strong weak stron weak stron weak strong weak
power g g
Fig. Fielder model
Fiedler concluded that task oriented leaders tend to perform better than relationship
oriented leaders in situations that are very favorable (category1, 2, &3) to them and in
situations that are very unfavorable (category7&8) to them. Relationship oriented leaders,
however perform better I moderately favorable situations (category 4, 5, & 6).
Given the fielders’ findings, how would you apply them? You would seek to find to
match leaders and situations. However, Fiedler viewed an individual’s leadership style as
being fixed. That is either relationship oriented or task oriented. Therefore, there are only
two ways in which to improve leaders’ effectiveness.
First, you can choose the leader who best fits the situation. So, for example, if situation is
unfavorable (requires task oriented leader) but is currently led by a relationship oriented
leader, the group performance could be improved by replacing that manager with one
who is task oriented. Second, you can change the situation to fit the leader. This could be
done by restructuring tasks or increasing or decreasing the power that the leader has to
control factors such as salary increases, promotions and disciplinary actions.
B. The path-goal theory
Developed by Robert House, path-goal theory is a contingency model of leadership
that extracts key elements from the Ohio state leadership research on initiating
structure and consideration and the expectancy theory of motivation. The term path-
goal is derived from the belief that effective leaders clarify the path to help their
followers get from where they are to the achievement of their work goals and make the
journey along the path easier by reducing road blocks and pit falls.
According to path-goal theory, a leader’s behavior is acceptable to subordinates to the
degree that it is viewed by them as immediate source of satisfaction or as a means of
future satisfaction. The theory also states that effective leaders influence employee
satisfaction and performance by making their need satisfaction contingent on effective
job performance. This could be possible using two ways;
1. Leaders can strengthen the P-O expectance and outcome valence by ensuring that
employees who perform their jobs well have a higher degree of need fulfillment
than employees who perform poorly.
2. Leaders can strengthen E-P expectance by providing the information, support and
other resources necessary to help employees complete their tasks.
According to path-goal theory, leaders motivate and satisfy employee by adopting one
or a combination of four leadership’s styles such as directive, supportive, participative
and achievement –oriented.
1. Directive- the leader clarifies performance goals, the means to reach those goals,
and the standard against which performance will be judged. It includes judicious
use of rewards and disciplinary actions.
2. Supportive- these behaviors provides psychological support for subordinates. The
leader is friendly and approachable, makes the work more pleasant, treats
employees with equal respect, and shows concern for the status, needs, and well-
being of employees.
3. Participative- these behaviors encourage and facilitate subordinates involvement in
decision making beyond their normal suggestions, and takes these ideas in to
serious considerations before making decision.
4. Achievement –oriented - these behaviors encourage employees to reach their peak
performance. The leader sets challenging goals, expects employees to perform at
their highest level, continuously seeks improvement in employee performance and
shows high degree of confidence that employees will assume responsibility and
accomplish challenging goals.
Path-goal theory states that each of these four leadership style will be effective in
some situations but not in others. The theory specified two sets of situational variables
that can moderate the relation ship between a leader’s style and effectiveness.
I. Employee contingencies: This includes skills/experience and Locus of control
II. Environmental contingencies: This includes task structure and team dynamics
Employee contingencies
-Skill and experience
-Locus of control
Leaders
behavior
Leader
effectiveness
-Employee
-Directive motivation
-Supportive -Employee
-Participative satisfaction
-Achievement -Leader acceptance
-oriented
Environmental contingencies
-Task structure
-Team dynamics
SERVANT-LEADERSHIP
Servant leadership is more a philosophy of managing a testable theory. The term servant-
leadership was coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970. Greenleaf believes that great leaders
act as servants, putting the needs of others, including employees, customers, and
community, as their first priority. Servant-leadership focuses on increased service to
others rather than to oneself.
Because the focus of servant-leadership is serving others over self-interest, servant-
leaders are less likely to engage in self-serving behaviors that hurt others (e.g., stock-
holders and employees). More and more companies are trying to instill a philosophy of
servant-leadership in to their organizational cultures.
Servant-leadership takes mote than words to embed servant-leadership into an
organization’s culture. It must be reinforced through organizational structure, systems,
and rewards for it take hold. At the individual level, however, managers also need to
commit to a set of behaviors underlying servant-leadership.
According to Jim Stuart, co-founder of the leadership circle in Tampa, Florida,
“Leadership derives naturally from a commitment to service. You know that you’re
practicing servant-leadership if your followers become wiser, healthier, more
autonomous- and more likely to become servant-leaders themselves.” Servant-leadership
is not a quick-fix approach to leadership. Rather, it is a long-term, transformational
approach to life and work. Table 7.3 present ten characteristics possessed by servant
leaders.
Organizationa Effect on
l culture Leader followers and Outcomes
behavior work group
- Adaptive - leaders establish - increased intrinsic - personal
a vision motivation, achievement commitment
orientation and goal to leader and
pursuit vision
Charismatic leaders first engage in three key sets of leader behavior. If done effectively,
these behaviors positively affect individual followers and their work groups. These
positive effects, in turn, influence a variety of outcomes. Before discussing the model of
charismatic leadership in more detail, it is important to note two general conclusions
about charismatic leadership. First, the two –headed arrow between organizational culture
and leader behavior in Figure 5.4 reveals that individual with charismatic behavioral
tendencies are able to influence culture. This implies that charismatic leadership
reinforces the core values of an adaptive culture and helps to change dysfunctional
aspects of an organization’s culture that develop over time. Second, charismatic
leadership has effects on multiple levels within an organization. For example, Figure 7.4
shows that charismatic leadership can positively influence individual outcomes (e.g.,
motivation) group outcomes (e.g., group cohesion), and organizational outcomes (e.g.,
financial performance). You can see that the potential for positive benefits from
charismatic leadership is quite widespread.
Charismatic leader behavior the first set of charismatic leader behaviors involves
establishing a common vision of the future. A vision is “a realistic, credible, attractive
future for your organization. According to Burt Nanus, a leadership expert, the “right”
vision unleashes human potential because it serves as a beacon of hope and common
purpose. It dose this by attracting commitment, energizing workers, creating meaning in
employees’ lives, establishing a standard of excellence, promoting high ideals, and
bridging the gap between an organization’s present problems and its future goals and
aspirations. In contrast, the “wrong” vision can be very damaging to an organization. The
second set of leader behaviors involves two key components:
1. Charismatic leaders set high performance expectations and standards because they
know challenging, attainable goals lead to greater productivity.
2. Charismatic leaders need to publicly express confidence in the followers’ ability
to meet high performance expectations. This is essential because employees are
more likely to pursue difficult goals when they believe they can accomplish what
is being asked of them.
The third and final set of leader behaviors involves being a role model. Through their
actions, charismatic leaders model the desired values, traits, beliefs, and behaviors
needed to realize the vision.
Motivational mechanisms underlying the positive effects of charismatic leadership
Charismatic leadership positively affects employee motivation. One way in which this
occurs is by increasing the intrinsic value of an employee’s effort and goals. Leaders do
this by emphasizing the symbolic value of effort; that is, charismatic leaders convey the
message that effort reflects important organizational values and collective interest.
Followers come to learn that their level of effort represents a moral statement. For
example, high effort represents commitment to the organization’s vision and values,
whereas low effort reflects a lack of commitment.
Charismatic leadership increases employees’ self esteem and self efficacy. Leaders also
increase the intrinsic value of goal accomplishment by explaining the organization’s
vision and goals in terms of the personal values they represent. This helps employees to
personally connect with the organization’s vision. Charismatic leaders further increase
the meaningfulness of actions aimed toward goal accomplishment by showing how goals
move the organization toward its positive vision, which them gives followers a sense of
growth and development, both of which are important contributors to a positive self
concept.
CHAPTER – SIX
GROUP DYNAMICS
INTRODUCTION
Group is two or more individuals interacting and interdependent who come together to
achieve particular objectives. It is two or more people having common interest or
objectives. Group dynamics is the study of groups, and also a general term for group
processes. In group dynamics, the phrase "group process" refers to the understanding of
the behavior of people in groups, such as task groups, that are trying to solve a problem
or make a decision. In other words, group process refers to how an organization's
members work together and get things done. If you've ever wondered about your group's
morale, membership participation, how decisions are made and by whom, or how people
get along, then you've been affected by "group process."
An individual with expertise in 'group process, such as a trained facilitator, can assist a
group in accomplishing its objective by diagnosing how well the group is functioning as a
problem-solving or decision-making entity and intervening to alter the group's operating
behavior. Because they interact and influence each other, groups develop a number of
dynamic processes that separate them from a random collection of individuals. These
processes include norms, roles, relations, development, need to belong, social influence,
and effects on behavior. The field of group dynamics is primarily concerned with small
group behavior
Features of group:
• Definable membership
• Group consciousness (psychological aware of one an other)
• Sense of shared purpose
• Interaction and interdependence
• Decisions are usually based on consensus, not majority vote
TYPES OF GROUP
Group can be broadly classified as formal and informal group.
Formal group is the group that is defined by organization’s structure, with designated
work assignments establishing tasks and groups. It is created by management and have
clearly stated organizational task. In formal groups the behaviors that one should engage
in are stipulated by and directed toward organizational goals.
The formal group can further subdivided into two: command group and task group.
Command group is composed of the subordinates who report directly to a given manager.
They have formal organizational task and visible in organizational structure. For
example, the combination of the principal of the high school and the teachers form
command group. Task group is also organizational determined, represent persons
working together to complete a job. However, a task group’s boundaries are not limited
to its immediate hierarchical superior. It can cross command relationships. Not visible in
organizational structure because they came from different organizational parts. E.g.
disciplinary committee, recruitment and selection committee
Note that all command groups are also task groups, but the reverse need not be true
because task group can cut across the organization.
Reasons Benefits
1. Security individuals can reduce the insecurity of “standing alone” .People feel
stronger, have fewer self doubts, and are more resistant to threats when
they are part of a group.
Adjourning
Perfor
ming Return to
independen
ce
Normi
ng
Stormi Dependence/
ng Interdependen
ce
Formin
g
Independenc
e
iv. Performing: the group becomes more task-oriented in the performing stage
because it shifts from establishing and maintaining relations to accomplishing
its objectives. In high performance group, members are highly cooperative,
have a high level of trust in each other, and are committed to group objectives.
The group is more cohesive.
v. Adjourning: this is the stage in which group is disbanded. The group
eventually end because of completion of project, when several members leave
the organization, lay offs or plant shutdowns, etc. what ever the cause of team
adjournment, members shift their attention away from task orientation to a
socio emotional focus as they realize that their relationship is ending.
Role Episodes: A role episode, as illustrated in Figure 6-1 consists of a snap-short of the
ongoing interaction between two people. In any given role episode, there is a role sender
and a focal person who is expected to act out the role within a broader context. One may
be simultaneously a role sender and a focal person. For the sake of social analysis,
however, it is instructive to deal with separate role episodes.
Role episodes begin with the sender’s perception of relevant organization’s or groups
behavioral requirements. Those requirements serve as a standard for formulating
expectations for the focal person’s actual behavior. The role sender then cognitively
evaluates the focal person’s actual behavior against those expectations. Appropriate
verbal and behavioral messages are then sent to the focal person to pressure him or her in
to behaving as expected.
Figure 6-2 A Role Episode
Roles sender
Focal person
Perceived organizational/
Group requirements Perceived role
expectations
Comparative evaluation Role modeling Experienced role
of overload, role conflict,
- Role expectations role ambiguity
For focal person Communication of Constructive/destructiv
- Focal person’s e response
Approval or need
behavior
Need for change
Feed back
On the receiving end of the role episode, the focal person accurately or inaccurately
perceives the communicated role expectations and modeled behavior. Various
combinations of role overload, role conflict and role ambiguity are then experienced.
(These three outcomes are defined and discussed in the following sections.) The focal
person then responds constructively by engaging in problem solving, or destructively
because of undue tension, stress, and strain.
Role Overload: According to organizational psychologist Edgar Schein, role overload
occurs when “the sum total of what role senders expect of the focal person far exceeds
what he or she is able to do” Students who attempt to handle a full course load and
maintain a decent social life while working 30 or more hours a week know full well the
consequences of role overload. As the individual tries to do more and more in less time,
stress mounts and personal effectiveness slips.
Role Conflict: Have you ever felt like you were being torn apart by the conflicting
demands of those around you? If so, you were a victim of role conflict. Role conflict is
the conflict that occurs when expectation for a person role differs from the person
perception or belief and when it differs among role set members. Role conflict can be in
either of the following forms:
a. Inter-role conflict- occurs when an employee has two roles that are in
conflict with other.
b. Intra role conflict- when individuals receive contradictory messages from
different people.
c. Person role conflict- when organizational values and work obligations are
incompatible with personal values.
We can better understand an individual’s behavior in specific situations if we know what
role that person is playing. If you are dealing with employees, it helps to think in terms of
what group they are predominantly identifying with at the time and what behaviors would
be expected of them in that role.
Role Ambiguity: Those who experience role conflict may have trouble complying with
role demands, but they at least know that is expected of them. Such is not the case with
role ambiguity, which occurs when “members of the role set fail to communicate to the
focal person expectations they have or information needed to perform the role, either
because they do not the information or because they deliberately withhold it. In short,
people experience role ambiguity when they do not know what is expected of them.
Organizational newcomers often complain about unclear job descriptions and vague
promotion criteria. According to role theory, prolonged role ambiguity can foster job
dissatisfaction, erode self-confidence, and hamper job performance.
As might be expected, roe ambiguity varies across cultures. In 21-nation study, people in
individualistic cultures were found to have higher role ambiguity than people in
collectivist cultures. In other words, people in collectivist or “we “cultures had a clearer
idea of others’ expectations. Collectivist cultures make sure everyone knows their proper
place in society. People in individualistic “me” cultures may enjoy more individual
discretion, but comparatively less input from others has it’s price-namely, greater role
ambiguity.
As mentioned earlier, these role outcomes typically are experienced in some
combination, usually to the detriment of the individual and the organization. In fact, a
study documented lower job performance when employees experienced a combination of
role conflict and role ambiguity.
2. Norms
Norms are acceptable standards of behavior with in a group that are shared by group’s
members. Or the informal rules and expectations that groups establish to regulate the
behavior of their members. Norms guide the way team members deal with clients, how
they share resources, whether they are willing to work longer hours, and many other
behavior in organizational life.
Norms may be explicit (outwardly stated) or implicit (known only by observation).They
tell the group members how to behave or how not to behave in different situations.
Norms are more encompassing than roles. While roles involve behavioral expectations
for specific positions, norms help organizational members determine right from wrong
and good from bad. According to one respected team of management consultants: “a
norm is an attitude, opinion, feeling, or action-shared by two or more people-that guides
their behavior,” Although norms are typically unwritten and seldom discussed openly,
they have a powerful influence on group and organizational behavior.
Group members positively reinforce those who adhere to current norms with friendship
and acceptance. On the other hand, nonconformists experience criticism and even
ostracism, or rejection by group members or Newcomers who do not follow these rules
may be excluded from the group. Anyone who has experienced the “silent treatment”
from a group of friends knows what potent social weapon ostracism can be. Norms can
be put in to proper perspective by understanding how they are enforced.
Why Norms Are Enforced: Norms tend to be enforced by group members when they
• Help the group or organizations survive.
• Clarify or simplify behavioral expectations.
• Help individuals avoid embarrassing situations.
• Clarify the groups or organization’s central values and/or unique identity.
3. Group cohesiveness:
Cohesiveness refers to the extent to which group members are attracted to each other and
are motivated to stay in the group. Assuming other things constant cohesiveness is
positive attribute of group. Cohesiveness is related to group’s productivity. The
relationship of cohesiveness and productivity depends on the performance related norms
established by the group. The more cohesive the group, the more its members will follow
its goals. Performance related norms include high out put, quality work, cooperation with
individuals outside the group, etc. The following chart illustrates how performance norms
influence the relationship between cohesiveness and productivity.
Performance norms
Cohesiveness
High Low
High Strong increase in Moderate increase in
productivity productivity
Low Decrease in productivity No significant effect on
productivity
If the cohesiveness is high and performance norms are also high, the productivity of
the group increases. If the group is less cohesive and performance norms are high, the
productivity also increases but not as much as in high cohesiveness and high
performance norms situation. The productivity decrease when the group is highly
cohesive and the performance norm is also high. When both cohesiveness and
performance norm are low, no significant effect on productivity.
Determinants of cohesiveness
Size- smaller group is more cohesive than larger group
Compatibility- the homogeneous group (similar characteristics of members) is
more cohesive than heterogeneous group (members have different
background)
Permanence- permanent group is more cohesive than temporary group
Entry barrier -difficulty of attaining membership enhances cohesiveness
External threats -competition with other group increases cohesiveness
Nature of task- the job that need frequent interaction and inputs from different
people increase the cohesiveness. The self contained job makes the group less
cohesive.
Communication pattern- the face to face communication enhances
cohesiveness than impersonal communication.
Past success/ failure- the group that experienced success is more cohesive
than the one that experienced failures.
Stage of maturity- the cohesiveness of the group is high in performing stage of
group development.
Measures to be taken to encourage group cohesiveness
• Making the group smaller
• Encourage agreement with goals
• Increase the time members spend together
• Increase the status of the group and the perceived difficulty of attaining
membership in the group.
• Stimulate competition with other group
• Give rewards to the group rather than to members
• Physically isolate the group, etc
Symptoms of groupthink
To make groupthink testable, Irving Janis devised eight symptoms indicative of
groupthink.
1. Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk
taking.
2. Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group's assumptions.
3. Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore the
consequences of their actions.
4. Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased, spiteful,
disfigured, impotent, or stupid.
5. Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group,
couched in terms of "disloyalty".
6. Self censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.
7. Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence are viewed as agreement.
8. Mind guards — self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting
information.
Groupthink resulting from the symptoms listed above results in defective decision
making. That is, consensus-driven decisions are the result of the following practices
of group thinking:
1. Incomplete survey of alternatives
2. Incomplete survey of objectives
3. Failure to examine risks of preferred choice
4. Failure to reevaluate previously rejected alternatives
5. Poor information search
6. Selection bias in collecting information
7. Failure to work out contingency plans.
Groupthink Research and Prevention Laboratory studies using college students as
subjects validate portions of Janis’s groupthink concept. Specifically, it has been found
that
• Groups with a moderate amount of cohesiveness produce better decisions
than low or high-cohesive groups.
• Highly cohesive groups victimized by groupthink make the poorest decisions,
despite high confidence in those decisions.
Janis believes prevention is better than cure when dealing with groupthink. He
recommends the following preventive measures:
1. Each member of the group should be assigned the role of critical
evaluator. This role involves actively voicing objections and doubts.
2. Top-level executives should not use policy committees to rubber-stamp
decisions that have already been made.
3. Different groups with different leaders should explore the same policy
questions.
4. Subgroup debates and outside experts should be used to introduce fresh
perspectives.
5. Someone should be given the role of devil’s advocate when discussing
major alternatives. This person tries to uncover every conceivable negative
factor.
6. Once a consensus has been reached, everyone should be encouraged to
rethink their position to check for flaws.
2. Social Loafing
Is group performance less than, equal to, or greater than the sum of its parts? Can three
people, for example, working together accomplish less than, the same as, or more than
they would work separately? An interesting study conducted more than a half century ago
by a French agricultural engineer named Ringelmann answer to be “less than.” In a rope-
pulling exercise, Ringelnann reportedly found that three people pulling together could
achieve only two and a half times the average individual rate. Eight pullers achieved less
than four times the individual rate. This tendency for individual effort to decline as group
size increase has come to be called social loafing. Social loafing is the failure of group
member to contribute personal time, effort, thought, or other resources to the group. It is
the situation in which people perform at lower level (exert less effort) when working in
groups than when working alone. It is most likely to occur in large groups where
individual output is difficult to identify.
Minimizing social loafing
1. Forming smaller group: In smaller groups each person’s performance becomes
more noticeable and important for group performance. Moreover, smaller groups
also potentially increase cohesiveness.
2. Task specialization: it is easier to see everyone’s contribution when each group
member performs a different work activity. Moreover, measuring individual
performance can reduce social loafing
3. Increase job enrichment: social loafing could be minimized when group members
are assigned more motivating jobs, such as requiring more skill variety or having
direct contact with clients. This minimizes social loafing only if members have
growth need. Social loafing is less common among employees with high job
satisfaction.
4. Select motivated employees: Selecting job applicants who are motivated by the
task and have a collectivist value work harder for the group because they value
their membership in the group.
TIPS
Dysfunctional Behaviors in Groups
•Cutting off others
• Attacking people rather than issues
• Topic jumping
• Withholding reactions, feelings or information
• Dominating
• Attending to side issues -nitpicking
• Side grouping –side conversations
• Avoiding responsibility
• Operating on assumptions – “not checking it out”
Helpful Behaviors in Groups
• Seek to make each person welcome
• Ask or comments from those reacting nonverbally
• Encourage each to listen to others
• Request that all state their feelings
• Give positive feedback or support
• Involve everyone – ask for everyone’s reactions
• Keep relationships honest and supportive
• Maintain a sense of freedom and mutual responsibility
• Listen to those who speak
• Encourage group members to state their opinions
• Avoid direct argument with a group member
• Ask individuals to try something –never insist
• Use inclusive language (i.e. “we”)
• Exhibit “Sharing Behavior” (offer rides, bring snacks)
Compiled Material