Carlos Hilado Memorial State College

Alijis Campus | Binalbagan Campus | Fortune Towne Campus | Talisay Campus

To be a leading GREEN institution of higher learning in the global community by 2030

(Good governance, Research-oriented, Extension-driven, Education for Sustainable Development &Nation-building)

MBA204 – HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN THE ORGANIZATION

Midterm Examination
April 08, 2021
Instructor: Dr. Ernesto A. Java Jr.
Prepared by: Ma. Cristina O. Julaton

1. Explain the leadership and power in the following areas listed below. Cite related
example based on your own organization where you are connected.

A. Leadership traits, skills, and style

Leadership trait theory suggest that leadership ability is innate/born through personality
traits, social traits, and physical characteristics. “Like father like son.” For example, traits manifested
of every leader is different in diverse organizations, this argument is evident with what the leaders
(Superintendents) in SDO-Himamaylan City, the organization I belong to convey. Each leader that
has led us have different traits and different goal focus. We have had a leader who focused on
sports and social environment, we also had one who focuses more on the utilization and proper
documentation of funds, we also had one that led us through work independence.

Skill-Based Leadership theory acknowledges that anyone can become a leader.

Individuals need only work hard to develop the skills of a good leader to be effective. This is
encouraging for people who are interested in excelling but do not have the traits or innate abilities
proposed in other leadership theories, but this theory fall short on other leadership model. The
development of many of the skills is heavily influenced by personal traits. For example, based on
my personal experience, social judgement and human skills are easier to develop for one of our
Officers whom that is naturally extroverted and have empathy. But those who have strong
personalities these human skills are sometimes taken lightly or even ignored.

Style Approach focuses on the leader’s behaviors by identifying what they do and how
they act. This approach assumes that one style of leadership behavior cannot be effective in all
situations. Therefore, the performance of leaders may sometimes be affected or influenced by
their followers or other circumstances. For instance, a task-oriented behavior facilitates goal
accomplishment and help group members to achieve their objectives which is prevalent on some
of the leadership skills we have experienced, where they focus more on the task of the employee,
how the task was delivered and its outcomes. And another, were one of our leader manifest
relationships-oriented behavior and helps us feel comfortable with each other and the situations
in which we find ourselves.
 Carlos Hilado Memorial State College
Alijis Campus | Binalbagan Campus | Fortune Towne Campus | Talisay Campus

To be a leading GREEN institution of higher learning in the global community by 2030

(Good governance, Research-oriented, Extension-driven, Education for Sustainable Development &Nation-building)

B. Contingency approaches
The realization that there is no one correct type of leader led to theories that the best
leadership style depends on the situation. These arguments try to predict which style is best on
which circumstance. The contingency theory emphasizes the importance of both the leader’s
personality and the situation in which that leader operates. Contingency theories suggest that
there is no one best way of leading and that a leadership style that is effective in one situation
may not be successful in others. For instance, when one need to make quick decisions, which
style would be best? Should a leader be more people-oriented or task-oriented? In my current
organization I can say that both styles are used depending on the leader resolving the situation
and the situation itself.

C. Leadership empowerment
Power and influence theories of leadership take an entirely different approach – these are
based on the different ways that leaders use power and influence to get things done, and they
look at the leadership styles that emerge as a result. Perhaps the best-known of these theories
is French and Raven's Five Forms of Power . This model highlights three types of positional power
– legitimate, reward, and coercive – and two sources of personal power – expert and referent (your
personal appeal and charm). The model suggests that using personal power is the better
alternative, and that you should work on building expert power (the power that comes with being
a real expert in the job) because this is the most legitimate source of personal power. These is
very visible to government organizations including the one I am currently connected with; some
are given the privileges one cannot have because they are close to the Administrative Officers
which results to unfair treatment and bias.

2. How can a Vision, Mission and Goals support the success of the company? Give
example.

The mission and vision statements of a company help direct the organizational strategy.
Both provide purpose and goals, which are necessary elements of a strategy. They outline the
audience for the business, and what that audience finds important. By identifying these
elements, the organization executives can develop a more step-by-step strategy that helps the
company achieve its mission in the short term, and its vision in the long term.

Mission and vision statements help organization to outline performance standards and metrics
based on the goals they want to achieve. They also provide employees with a specific goal to
attain, promoting efficiency and productivity.
 Carlos Hilado Memorial State College
Alijis Campus | Binalbagan Campus | Fortune Towne Campus | Talisay Campus

To be a leading GREEN institution of higher learning in the global community by 2030

(Good governance, Research-oriented, Extension-driven, Education for Sustainable Development &Nation-building)
Mission and vision statements are not only necessary for employees and business owners when
it comes to the organizational strategy. They also apply to external stakeholders like customers,
partners, and suppliers. The mission and vision statements can be used as a public-relations
tools to attract media attention, engage specific audience segments, and develop business
partnerships with like-minded companies.

3. Discuss the principles of management conflicts on the following areas.

A. Nature

Conflict can run the gamut from minor annoyances to physically violent situations. At the
same time, conflict can increase creativity and innovation, or it can bring organizations to a
grinding halt. There are many different types of conflict, including interpersonal, intrapersonal,
and intergroup. Within organizations, there are many common situations that can spur conflict.
Certain organizational structures, such as a matrix structure, can cause any given employee to
have multiple bosses and conflicting or overwhelming demands. A scarcity of resources for
employees to complete tasks is another common cause of organizational conflict, particularly if
groups within the organization compete over those resources. Of course, simple personality
clashes can create intrapersonal conflict in any situation. Communication problems are also a very
common source of conflict even when no actual problem would exist otherwise. When conflict
arises, it can be handled by any number of methods, each with varying degrees of cooperation
and competitiveness. Different situations require different conflict handling methods, and no one
method is best.

Negotiations occur during many important processes and possessing astute negation
skills can be an incredible tool. A key component to negotiations involves having a BATNA, or
“best alternative to a negotiated agreement.” Negotiations typically move through five phases,
including investigation, determining your BATNA, presentation, bargaining, and closure. During a
negotiation, it is important not to make any number of common mistakes. These mistakes can
include accepting the first offer, letting ego get in the way, having unrealistic expectations of the
outcome of the negotiation, becoming too emotional during the process, or being weighed down
by previous failures and letting the past repeat itself. It is important to keep in mind that many
cultures have preferential methods for handling conflict and negotiation. Individuals should
understand the cultural background of others to better navigate what could otherwise become a
messy situation.
 Carlos Hilado Memorial State College
Alijis Campus | Binalbagan Campus | Fortune Towne Campus | Talisay Campus

To be a leading GREEN institution of higher learning in the global community by 2030

(Good governance, Research-oriented, Extension-driven, Education for Sustainable Development &Nation-building)

B. Benefits and Costs

Potential Benefits of Effective Conflict Management

1. Reduces costs
• It enhances the ability to make better business decision
• New initiatives are implemented more effectively and with more cohesion
• Generates increased return on investment by getting teams and workforces all pulling in
the same direction.
• Reduces recruitment and training costs due to better employee retention
2. Increase’s productivity
• A more cohesive workforce reduces absenteeism and "presenters"
• It improves the quality of decision making under stress and reduces the amount of re-
work required
• Foster an environment of creative innovation which helps drive the organization forward
3. Retain your top performers
• It helps to strengthen supervisory relationships
• It keeps your teams engaged and openly communicating with each other
• Empowers your people to make a positive difference
4. Manage risk
• Prevents aggression, violence, sabotage, and vandalism amongst disgruntled staff
• Mitigates legal risks
• Fosters a better public perception of your organization’s brand and reduces bad word of
mouth

Cost of Unresolved Conflict

Work performance and quality: Higher stress amongst the conflict parties often leads to
decrease in productivity and the quality of the work done. When people are pre-occupied with a
conflict situation are more prone to overlook small details or find it difficult to handle more than
one project at a time, these distractions also block people from being creative and negatively
affects their problem solving skills so the company can miss some good ideas and smart solutions
to problems.

Lower productivity: As effort and resources are redirected into the conflict and away from the
work in hand, people may find their thoughts drifting over and recalling the conflict and thinking
what went wrong. It is fair to say that many of those experiencing a conflict situation at work do
spend a lot of precious work time thinking it over and over again.
 Carlos Hilado Memorial State College
Alijis Campus | Binalbagan Campus | Fortune Towne Campus | Talisay Campus

To be a leading GREEN institution of higher learning in the global community by 2030

(Good governance, Research-oriented, Extension-driven, Education for Sustainable Development &Nation-building)

Lost time: People in conflict often avoid each other and consequently outcomes can be delayed
which can have a direct impact on work productivity in addition to that conflict parties often spend
time venting to others and talking about the subject with other colleagues which can lead to even
more wasted time, there is a cost to that as well. There is also the possibility of increased costs to
cover negotiation preparation, negotiation time, mediation and/or arbitration costs and, perhaps,
legal costs.

Lost workdays: Parties involved in conflict can seek comfort and avoid the stress of being at work
because of the conflict situation and not show up to work by taking sick days off, there is a direct
impact and direct cost to that.

Health care costs: Stress caused from conflict situations can have a direct relation to several
health issues like ulcers, high blood pressure. Certain conflict situations if left unresolved can even
lead to heart attacks due to the increasing amount of stress on one or all the concerned parties.
In addition to the possibility of increased on the job injuries when people are preoccupied with a
conflict situation and miss important safety precautions.
Sabotage or theft: If employees reach a point where they feel no one cares about a situation, it is
not all that unusual for sabotage and theft to happen. It may sound extreme but, in some cases,
employees get so emotionally upset that they would do anything to get back to the other party
including hiding equipment they need to do their job just to cause them additional frustration.

Higher attrition rate: Obviously, an unresolved conflict can cause team members to just quit the
company increasing the overall attrition rate causing an increase in costs of hiring, interviewing,
and screening ...etc. in addition to the training time and cost spent to get the new employee up
to speed.

Legal costs: Just to prove a point some employees may take a conflict they have with their
company to court with all the associated costs of filing a lawsuit and all associated legal fees.
Inappropriate decision making: Lower interpersonal cohesion as individuals and their supporters
- take sides and begin to stereotype each other and Inappropriate decisions are made to support
the various causes and positions of the party’s status and ego become more important than
reason and reality.
 Carlos Hilado Memorial State College
Alijis Campus | Binalbagan Campus | Fortune Towne Campus | Talisay Campus

To be a leading GREEN institution of higher learning in the global community by 2030

(Good governance, Research-oriented, Extension-driven, Education for Sustainable Development &Nation-building)

C. Conflict resolution and prevention strategies

These outcomes are dependent on the approach or strategy used to deal with the conflict. The
choice among alternative strategies can spell the difference between resentment and mutual
respect. These outcomes result from five basic approached, or strategies, available to address the
conflict situation:

Collaboration: A win/win strategy based on problem solving where the interests of all parties can
be met. This approach results in maintaining strong interpersonal or inter-group relationships
while ensuring that all parties achieve their interests.

Compromise: A mini-win/mini-lost strategy based on a solution that partially satisfies the

interests of the parties involved. This approach results in the parties’ attempting to win as much
as possible while preserving the interpersonal or inter-group relationships as much as possible.

Accommodation: A yield-lose/win strategy wherein one-party yields to the other party (or
parties) to protect and preserve the relationships involved.

Controlling: A win/lost strategy based on imposing a particular preferred solution on the other
party (or parties). This approach results in sacrificing the interpersonal or inter-group relationship
to achieve a desired outcome, regardless of the consequences to the other party (or parties).

Avoiding: A lose/lose strategy based on withdrawing and choosing to leave the conflict.
This approach results in abandoning both the desired outcome and the relationships involved.

The win/win approach to conflict management is one in which the problem is viewed as external
to the persons involved. The opposing parties collaborate to seek a high-quality solution that
meets their mutual needs while preserving their relationship. The win/win strategy involves the
use of problem-solving methods and is general the ideal approach for managing both conflicts
of needs and conflict of beliefs, since it resolves the conflict and results in mutual respect between
the conflicting parties.

The other strategies for conflict management, which as a group are called forcing strategies or
approaches, are those in which each party tackles the problem separately. When the problem
comes between the parties and distances them, one or both parties end up settling for a solution
that does not meet their interests. The forcing approaches generally represent less-than-optimal
methods for managing conflicts, since they result in resentment and continue to distance the
disputing parties from one another.
 Carlos Hilado Memorial State College
Alijis Campus | Binalbagan Campus | Fortune Towne Campus | Talisay Campus

To be a leading GREEN institution of higher learning in the global community by 2030

(Good governance, Research-oriented, Extension-driven, Education for Sustainable Development &Nation-building)

4. How do you implement and adopt change in your own organization. Cite example of
change and discuss how it affects your current job.

Workers in organizations are often faced with the problem of introducing change to
procedures that may impact the status quo. Some simple changes result in strong resistance,
causing additional problems for management. Other changes are usually accepted as worthwhile
improvements. Some change implementations define why some changes are resisted, while
others are accepted, and to describe how managers can use procedures that may result in a
substantially higher rate of acceptance of proposed changes. This includes a model for analyzing
ways to improve the methods and for introducing change in each situation.

As to our organization and any other government agencies, changes are presented or
taken effect by an issuance of a memorandum. This memorandum is an official written message
to persuade the reader or employee to respond with the changes an Officer or the National
Government wanted to implement. As government employees, whether we like those changes or
not, we should conform to it, especially those imposed by the National Government. An example
of this is the issuance of DepED Memorandum 016,s. 2021 entitled “Guidelines on the New DepED
National Uniform for Teaching and Non-Teaching Personnel. In summary, these guidelines are
about the implementation of the new sets of uniform for DepEd personnel. Some teachers are not
in favor of this memorandum because it will require them to use four sets of uniforms instead of
the usual two sets only, while others find these convenient. There are also some who are not
pleased with the designs of the uniforms. These are just few of the many complaints address on
these changes yet despite these complaints, we as members of the Department of Education
needs to follow these rules imposed on us. For me following this example, it is not necessary or
the way the changes was delivered or address to the concerned does not bear significance
because as a government employees, these rules, once imposed is always final and irrevocable.