NMIMS Global Access

School for Continuing Education (NGA-SCE)

Course: Organisational Behaviour
Internal Assignment for September 2021 Examination

1. Organisational Behaviour.
(a) In simple words, organisational behaviour (OB) is the study of human
behaviour at work. It examines the human behaviour in an organisation with
regard to the interactions among individuals and group of individuals.

(b) Development of OB (as a field/ discipline).

(i) Scientific Management – Fredrick W Taylor (1856-1915)
(ii) Administrative Management – Henri Fayol (1841-1925)
(iii) Bureaucratic Management – Max Weber (1864-1920)
(iv) Hawthorne Experiments (1924-1932) – Elton Mayo
• 1924-1927 – Effect of Illumination on productivity of labour
• 1927 Effect of rest periods and work hours on production levels
(v) 1940 – OB emerged as a separate field of study
(c) Importance of OB. The importance of OB in organisations can be
understood with the help of OB’s major roles in an organisation. These roles
of organisational behaviour are as follows: -
(i) Attaining organisational effectiveness
(ii) Sustaining changes in business environment
(iii) Overcoming competition
(iv) Fulfilling human needs
(d) Approaches to OB.
(i) Classical Approach. It comprises of the following management
theories: -
(aa) Scientific Management: This is based on the concept of
planning of work to achieve efficiency, standardisation,
specialization, and simplification.
(ab) Bureaucratic Management: This theory considers the
organisation as a part of the broader society.
(ac) Administrative Management: This theory was proposed
by Henry Fayol and is based on several principles of
management.
(ii) Neo-classical Approach. The neo-classical theory states that
the fulfilment of employee needs with regards to recognition, role in
 decision making and overall satisfaction is essential to improve employee
efficiency.
(iv) Modern Approach. The modern approach of organisational
behaviour seeks to overcome the limitations of the traditional
approaches (classical and neo-classical). The modern approach is
based on the scientific explanations of the complexities of
organisational structure. The modern approach can be further divided
into two separate approaches as follows: -

(aa) Systems Approach. This approach was postulated

in the 1950s and considered the organisation as a system of
consciously coordinated activities of various individuals in an
organisation. Organisations are viewed as purposely unified
systems consisting interrelated parts or subsystems, such as
the technical system, managerial subsystem, production
system, marketing system, social and political system, which
are mutually dependent. There are three basic interlinks that
connect one subsystem to another. These interlinks are:
• Communication process
• Decision-making process
• Balancing process

(ab) The Contingency Approach. The circumstances

across organisations vary in structure and complexity as they
depend on different variables. Thus, each situation must be
analysed carefully to determine the significant variables in order
to establish the most effective organisational practices. The
contingency approach argues that the external environment and
the internal environment of an organisation form the basis of the
organisational structure. Organisational behaviour varies in
different situations depending on the individual and groups in the
organisation, technology, structure and the environment facing
the organisation.

(e) I think the modern approach of OB is very much relevant in the current
times. Now, I would like to justify my statement by sharing my personal
experience of my professional life until now. The organisation works optimally
based on its elements of which the most important is people/ humans. Here,
I would like to mention that the system cannot work without people and vice
versa. Presently, there are many challenges which we are facing especially
when we talk of the pandemic times during Covid 19. Now, again it has been
proven in every organisation that the modern approach is very much valid as
all the organisations have been functioning with the adaptability to the current
situation. Organizational behaviour can also help to improve an organization in
the following areas:

• Better customer service

• Cooperative teamwork
• Creativity and innovation
 • Effective leadership
• Ethical behaviour among staff and management
• Job performance
• Positive, upbeat atmosphere

2. Big Five Personality Traits. There are several traits that can be used to
describe the behaviour of a person. However, all the traits are not equally important
in an organisational setup. Only a few traits resemble to positive behaviour in a
workplace. There is a consensus among researchers on five major traits that
correspond to meaningful behavioural tendencies in a workplace. Collectively,
these traits are called Big Five. These traits are elaborated as follows:
(a) Extroversion: Some of the major psychologists involved in the
research of this trait include Carl Jung, Hans Eysenck and Raymond Cattel.
Extroversion refers to the degree to which a person is outgoing and derives
energy from being around with other people. It refers to the degree to which
an individual: -
• Enjoys being with others
• Is warm to others
• Opens up in a group setting
• Stays cheerful and likes excitement
• Maintains a vigorous pace
Researches show that extroversion is positively connected to job
satisfaction at a workplace. Extroversion is very important in jobs related to
customer services.

(b) Conscientiousness: It refers to the goal-orientation of an individual. In

other words, it refers to the degree to which a person:
• Feels capable of achieving goals
• Is organised
• Is reliable and possesses a drive for success
• Is an effective thinker and focuses on completing tasks
Research shows that individuals with high levels of conscientiousness
perform better in most jobs and are effective team players. This personality
trait is important for top level managers and employees working in
leadership positions.
(c) Agreeableness: It refers to the extent to which a person is outgoing
and tolerant. In other words, it refers to the degree to which an individual:
• Is honest and straightforward
• Believes in the honesty of others
• Is helpful
• Tends to yield under pressure
• Exhibits humility and sensitivity to others
Agreeableness is especially important in jobs where team work is involved.
(d) Emotional stability: It relates to how a person reacts in a stressful or
demanding situation. Some of the specific features of this trait include
the degree to which a person:
• Is relaxed and capable of handling stressful situations
 • Maintains calm and does not exhibit anger
• Becomes embarrassed and discouraged
• Handles difficult situations
Emotional stability is important in all levels of jobs in an organisation.
(e) Openness to experience: It refers to the degree to which a person
seeks new experiences and thinks creatively about the future. To be more
specific, openness refers to the degree to which a person:
• Is imaginative
• Appreciates art and beauty
• Values and respects others` emotions
• Is curious
• Is open to change
Individuals who are more open to new experiences perform well at creative
jobs, for example, fashion designing, advertising, and media. In addition, this
trait can help managers and leaders understand people better.
Now, the second part is to pick up any two individuals from my personal/
professional life and rate them on a scale of 1 – 10 (min – max). The same is
as follows: -

Big Five Trait Friend’s Rating Co-worker’s Rating

Extroversion 8 9
Conscientiousness 8 7
Agreeableness 8 8
Emotional stability 6 7
Openness to experience 7 8

3 (A). Goal Setting Theory. Propounded by Edwin Locke, explains that

specific and difficult goals lead to higher performance. It constantly motivates
employees by helping them to keep their goals in mind and improve their
performance. According to this theory, feedback and commitment lead to higher
performance and bridge the gap between the actual and expected performance of
individuals. In addition, it suggests that for self-improvement, an individual should
have goals that are specific (S), measurable (M), attainable (A), relevant (R), and
time-bound (T), known as SMART goals. The goal setting theory is based on five
basic principles, which are as follows:
(a) Clarity: Implies that goals of individuals should be measurable and
unambiguous.
(b) Challenge: Implies that goals should be somewhat difficult to attain.
However, goals must not be so challenging that they sound unrealistic.
(c) Commitment: Refers to the dedication of employees to achieve their
goals. When goals are challenging, they increase the commitment of
employees. High commitment levels ensure improvement in the
 performance of employees.
(d) Feedback: Helps employees understand goals clearly and overcome
the obstacles in achieving these goals.
(e) Task Complexity: Refers to the level of difficulty involved in a task.
A challenging task keeps employees motivated.

Implementation of Goal Setting during Pandemic times. During the

ongoing pandemic if we think about the industry, we get the following questions
in our minds. What if the market continues to be unstable? What if my company
can’t hold in-person events? What if states or cities implement more lockdowns?
What if a key member of my team gets seriously ill?

The deviation from SMART format and being creative during the current times will
help us achieve the best out of Goal setting theory. Here are a few things we can
do to achieve the best out of goal-setting process during the current times:

1. Focus on Activity Goals - Don’t go for outcome goals (like revenue, or new
clients), rather go for activity goals (like number of phone or video calls made,
number of webinars held, etc.).
The reason is quite simple that we can’t really control outcome goals because of
external factors beyond our control. However, we can, control activity goals.

2. Give Yourself and Subordinates Options – We have to be a little less specific

on some of our goals.
We can be clear about what we want to achieve, but we have to be flexible in how
we get there.

3. Get Creative – We should use this opportunity to get out of our comfort zone
and try with new strategies and plans. When we are noticing that the tried methods
of reaching our goals isn’t available, we can pivot and try to be creative.

4. Be Flexible – During these times we all should be allowed to change our goals.
Make short term and smaller goals for self and subordinates. We should then
recognise even achievement of small goals to stay motivated and motivate others.
Plan a periodical check-in to review and revise your goals if required.

3(B). McClelland’s Needs Theory - David McClelland. As per this theory,

every individual is driven by the following three motivators:
• Achievement
• Power
• Affiliation

These three motivators exist in all individuals in varying degree. How- ever, most
people are not aware of what drives them. Let us discuss these motivators as
follows:
(a) Achievement: People who are driven by achievement are driven by
complex challenges, and they want to find solutions of problems. In
addition, they are goal oriented and desire feedback to improve further.
 These people are motivated by standards of excellence, precise goals, and
clear roles. They are concerned about achieving excellence through
individual efforts.
(b) Power: These people want to have control over a situation, and they
are very influential. It has been observed that executives are strongly
motivated by power. Power motivation is also strong in case of influential
leaders.
(c) Affiliation: Affiliation-oriented people have a strong desire to belong.
They are deeply concerned about relationships, and they strive to reduce
uncertainty. In addition, they are good team players. Affiliation-oriented
people tend to be less assertive and depend on others. These people are
motivated by what they can accomplish with people they know and trust.
During these rough times of pandemic, we need to really know the men we are working
with. There is a strong need to know the drivers in each of the individuals we are
working with. We should be aware of the motivational factors which needs to be applied
in the present workplace. It is very important that we identify the qualities in each
employee at our workplace and then as a true leader assign them their work and
recognise their best efforts. The managers should keep everyone engaged and
motivated at all times to get good results for the growth of organisation.
The following pointers can act as a guide to manage team members who are
driven by each three motivators as mentioned in McClelland's theory :

(a) Achievement - The employees who are motivated by achievement need

challenging projects. They flourish on overcoming difficult problems or
situations, so the managers should make sure to keep them engaged this way.
The managers should note that employees motivated by achievement work
effectively alone or with other high achievers.

(b) Affiliation - The employees who are motivated by affiliation work best in
a group, so the manager should try to integrate them with a team. The
managers should note that these employees don't like uncertainty and risk.

(c) Power – The employees who are motivated by power work best when
they are in charge. They enjoy competition and do well with goal-oriented
projects or tasks. They are also effective in negotiations or in situations in
which another party must be convinced of an idea or goal. Hence, the manager
should try and use it in the best possible way.