END TERM SUBMISSION

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR AND LEADERSHIP

SKILLS

SUBMITTED BY:

SUBHIKSHA VENKATESWARAN
BFT/18/N1070
BFT-6
NIFT BENGALURU
Q1. Consider that the 32 of us were an Organisation from 8th to 13th Feb. As an organisation, which
elements and concepts from the entire course were observed by you? Give specific examples to
support your answer. Please specify the connected concept and then support each with your
observations and explanations. Minimum 6 concepts to be identified by you.

INTRODUCTION

Organizational Behaviour (OB) is the study of human behaviour in organizational settings, the
interface between human behaviour and the organization, and the organization itself. Its purpose is
to build better relationships by achieving human objectives, organizational objectives, and social
objectives. In order to run the businesses effectively and efficiently, the study of organizational
behaviour is very essential. The following theories are explained with various situations as an
example assuming the 32 of us in the class were an organisation.

1. TYPE THEORY (TYPE A AND TYPE B)

The theory of characterizing personalities into two types, namely TYPE A and TYPE B was done
during the 1950s by cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman. Type A individuals are said to
be high achievers, very competitive, disagreeable, aggressive, concerned with time management,
anxious, impatient, proactive and rigidly organized. They are often what we call “workaholics”.
Whereas, Type B individuals are said to be relaxed, patient, easy going and non-competitive.

FIGURE 1: TYPE A vs TYPE B

ref: https://www.simplypsychology.org/personality-a.html

Working in a team of six people, these contrasting personalities were evidently visible. With less
than 24 hours to complete a task, the stress to deliver quality work within the given time parameter
was very challenging. The theory focuses more on the relation between the types, and cardio-
vascular diseases. However, from the perspective of an organization, harmony among the group
members was very tough to maintain. Individuals who exhibited Type A personality, were extremely
concerned with quickly finishing the task, which didn’t allow other members of the team to work in
their own space and time, hence stressing them out. Members who exhibited Type B personality,
and were extremely lethargic also possessed a challenge for the team to make them work.
 2. PATH GOAL THEORY

Path goal theory is a model that is based on a leader choosing his/her style according to the
employees and the work environment. It was developed by Robert House in 1971.

The theory outlines four leadership styles

1. Directive - leader lets employees know what is expected of them and tells them how to
perform their tasks.
2. Participative - leaders consult with employees and asking for their suggestions before
making a decision
3. Supportive - leader shows concern for the employees’ psychological well-being
4. Achievement- Oriented - leader sets challenging goals for employees, expects them to
perform at their highest level
Employee Behaviours to consider
1. Perceived ability
2. Locus Of Control
3. Experience
4. Need for Affiliation

Environmental Factors:
1. Task Structure
2. Formal Authority Systems
3. Primary Work Group

FIGURE 2: PATH GOAL THEORY

During the final presentation, the team was given less than 24 hours to prepare and only two
individuals were asked to present. Work distribution became difficult, creating a chaos amongst the
team members. To resolve the conflict, a directive style of leadership was implemented.

3. COMMUNICATION NETWORK – CHAIN NETWORK

Communication network is a method or pattern adopted by the organization to pass information to
the other employees of the organization.

There are 4 types of communication network:

1. WHEEL NETWORK
2. CHAIN NETWORK
3. CIRCLE NETWORK
4. STAR NETWORK

FIGURE 3: CHAIN NETWORK

ref: http://communication-
business.blogspot.com/2011/11/types-of-communication-
network.htmlhttps://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2
Upon the assumption that the class was organization, we can say that the communication network
F%2Fcommunication-
followed was CHAIN NETWORK. The information flows from the superior to the employees
business.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F11%2Ftypes-of-
hierarchically. Any information regarding the presentation was communicated to the team leaders,
communication-
the team leaders informed the other members ofnetwork.html&psig=AOvVaw3d88kdrxwrUz2xJbWJzApY&ust=16
the team. It was a three-tier hierarchical level. Any
decision regarding the time slot, or topic, was discussed among the team, and the team leader
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reported back to the faculty. Hence, it was also observed thatTCNDg3qC3-e4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
upward and downward
communication was possible in this network.

Communication channels used were WHATSAPP, VIDEO MEETING (ZOOM).

4. Mc Gregor’s THEORY X & THEORY Y

Mc Gregor explained theory X & Y according to how the top management treats their employees.
Theory X suggests that the manager/superior is authoritative, pessimistic, believes that most
employees do not like to work and the main driving force is money or reward. Whereas Theory Y
talks about managers having an optimistic, positive opinion of their people, and they use a
decentralized, participative management style.

The class of 31 were inclined towards learning and strictly adhered to time constraint without any
excuse. Hence, Theory Y approach by the faculty worked seamlessly. The faculty had a
• Positive approach to the team members.
• Always gave positive feedback after the presentation boosting the confidence of members.
• Criticism was given hoping we would work and improve on certain areas rather than
meaning to scare us.
• Helped the team during Q&A sessions.
• Was supportive, friendly, participative, and listened to the team.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Organizational structure talks about how tasks are divided among the team members, grouped and
coordinated. They also define how activities are directed towards organisational aims. Types of
organisational structure are:
1. FLAT
2. BUREAUCRATIC
3. MATRIX
4. TEAM
5. NETWORK
6. BOUNDARY LESS

In the case of our class, I believe a matrix structure was followed, simply because there was more
than one line of reporting authorities. The team leader was held responsible for any activity that was
performed by the team. Any decision made was communicated to the faculty through the team
leader.

LATERAL THINKING
Lateral thinking is also known as horizontal communication. They take place between peers or
anyone in the same hierarchical level. The main areas where lateral thinking was observed were
during discussions, decision making, conflicts and information sharing. The main point to note here
is that if the communication is not smooth between peers, or if any member of the team tends to be
a little domineering, it leads to rivalry and weak structure. It also creates an emotional impact on
some of the peers. One such example was when we were given 8 questions and were asked to
assign/rate each individual. Although the leader of the team was Ms. Hemashree, the answer to
“who amongst us is a better leader?” had a different answer. Although the answer was agreed upon,
it still created certain discomfort among the team. Also, criticism was not taken well among the
team. The reason is because when criticising the tone of the speaker was rude. Hence to prevent
such problems from arising, guidelines should be established, peers should be taught to work
towards a common goal and not feel like a competition all the time.

CONCLUSION
Concepts such as TYPE THEORY, PATH GOAL THEORY (DIRECTIVE LEARDERSHIP), COMMUNICATION
CHAIN NETWORK, Mc GREGOR’s THEORY Y, MATRIX ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE, and LATERAL
THINKING WERE OBSERVED.
Q2. . What did you observe about your own Personality and Leadership Style through this course?
What are the 2 areas that you have identified for yourself to work on? What are the supporting
growth-focused actions that you have identified for yourself? Please be very specific – generic areas
and actions will not be considered by me while evaluating your answers. Be specific.

PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION
The word personality itself stems from the Latin word persona, which refers to a theatrical mask
worn by performers in order to either project different roles or disguise their identities.
At its most basic, personality is the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviour that
make a person unique. It is believed that personality arises from within the individual and remains
fairly consistent throughout life.
Using different theories and test I analysed my personality and came to a conclusion.

I. Myers Brigg’s Type Indicator

The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an introspective self-report questionnaire indicating
differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The test
attempts to assign four categories: introversion or extraversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or
feeling, judging or perceiving. One letter from each category is taken to produce a four-letter test
result, like "INFJ" or "ENFP".

According to the test I fall under the CAMPAIGNER PERSONALITY which means I value social
interactions and emotional bonds very much. It is also said that people who fall under this category,
can switch from passionate driven idealist in workplace to enthusiastic free spirit on the dance floor.

II. BIG 5 PERSONALITY TRAIT

Today, many researchers believe that there are five core personality traits. The "big five" are broad
categories of personality traits. While there is a significant body of literature supporting this five-
factor model of personality, researchers don't always agree on the exact labels for each dimension.
OPENNESS is when someone is curious and openminded to new experiences and knowledge. People
who rate high in openness are inventive and curious. People who rate low in openness are
consistent and cautious. Openness has 57% genetic influence

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS describes how organized and dependable you are. People who rate high in
conscientiousness are efficient and organized. People who rate low in conscientiousness are more
easy-going and laid back.

EXTROVERSION describes how you interact with people. People who rate high in extroversion
are outgoing and energetic. People who rate low in extroversion are more solitary and reserved.

AGREEABLENESS is how you feel toward others. People who rate high in agreeableness are friendly
and compassionate. People who rate low in agreeableness are more analytical and detached.

NEUROTICISM is how you deal with emotions. People who rate high in neuroticism are sensitive and
tend to be more nervous. People who rate low in neuroticism tend to be more secure and stable.

OCEAN SCORE
• O – 4.2
• N – 2.75
• C – 3.45
• A – 3.56
• E – 3.75

III. MAJOR PERSONALITY ATTRIBUTES

1. LOCUS OF CONTROL: EXTERNAL
Having an external locus of control, I tend to believe that the situations and experience I go
through are influenced by external factors.
2. AUTHORITARIANISM: LOW
I appreciate change, I’m very flexible, I’m a good listener and I prefer to follow a more
participative or supportive leadership style.
3. MACHIAVELLIANISM: HIGH
I’m a person strongly based on facts and figures, and hence it is not very easy to persuade
me.
4. SELF ESTEEM: HIGH
I truly believe holding a high self esteem in public and personally helps in boosting
confidence and keeping your mental health in check. Higher self-esteem can come
extremely handy in stressful situation and during important decision making.
5. SELF MONITORING: HIGH
Professionally I can manage to handle my emotions, personally it is exceptionally hard for
me to disguise myself. I tend to display my true attitude and true dispositions in most
situations if not in every. However, from an OB perspective I would say I possess a high self-
monitoring personality.
6. RISK TAKING: HIGH
 I’m very adventurous and enjoy seeking out new things. Sometimes I take huge risks
because I want to try new things and push the boundaries of my expertise.

ANALYTICS

STRENGTHS
1. Good in Communication
2. Energetic
3. Curious
4. Friendly
5. Empathetic

WEAKNESS
1. Highly Emotional
2. Overthink
3. Get stressed easily
4. Low focus
2 AREAS I WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON

1. EMOTIONAL BALANCE
Due to my emotional nature, I often tend to overthink situations. Although I’m very
confident, some situations tend to put me in that overthinking state. This is sometimes
extremely positive inducing a feeling that I CAN DO ANYTHING, and in some situations a little
negative inducing fear in me. Getting worked up on future and uncertainty is one of my
weak area.
Things that I can do:
• Find new hobby and stick to it
• Manage time well
• Be optimistic
• Keep myself busy
As the saying goes ‘IDLE MIND IS A DEVIL’s WORKSHOP’, I should keep myself more occupied
and work my way slowly and patiently towards my goal. Personally, I would like to keep my temper
in check and learn to be patient with my peers are manage conflicts smoothly.
Things that I can do:
• Listen and patiently respond during stressful situation
• Explain my point of view

2. GOAL ORIENTED
I would call myself a “work in the last minute” person. I possess low focus and hence it is
very hard for me to sit and complete a certain task at a stretch. I often tend to get
distracted. Hence procrastinating, adhering to timely submissions, starting work way early,
planning and sticking to it are areas I need to work on.
Things I can do:
• Meditate
• Good diet
• Read
• Take mental break
• Exercise
• Schedule my day, fix deadlines and stick to them
• Achieve small goals. Set manageable tasks
• Reduce screen time
• Fix my sleep routine
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4320720/
https://www.16personalities.com/enfp-strengths-and-weaknesses
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA009513.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK8-LhqF4N0
CLASS MODULES