MB0038 MPOB Sem 1 Aug Fall 2011 Assignment Report

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    Assignment Report of Management Process and Organization Behavior

    Master of Business Administration-MBA Semester 1

    MB0038 Management Process and Organization Behavior

    Submitted By: ROSHAN LAL

    Enrollment No: 521123894

    Question-1 Write a note on the functions of management..

    Functions of Management

    The functions of management uniquely describe managers' jobs. The most commonly cited

    functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, although some

    identify additional functions. The functions of management define the process of

    management as distinct from accounting, finance, marketing, and other business functions.

    These functions provide a useful way of classifying information about management, and most

    basic management texts since the 1950s have been organized around a functional framework.

    DEVELOPMENT OF THE FUNCTIONAL APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT

    Henri Fayol was the first person to identify elements or functions of management in his

    classic 1916 book Administration Industrielle et Generale. Fayol was the managing director

    of a large French coal-mining firm and based his book largely on his experiences as a

    practitioner of management. Fayol defined five functions, or elements of management:

    planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. Fayol argued that these

    functions were universal, in the sense that all managers performed them in the course of their

    jobs, whether the managers worked in business, military, government, religious, or

    philanthropic undertakings.

    Fayol defined planning in terms of forecasting future conditions, setting objectives, and

    developing means to attain objectives. Fayol recognized that effective planning must also

    take into account unexpected contingencies that might arise and did not advocate rigid and

    inflexible plans. Fayol defined organizing as making provision for the structuring of activities

    and relationships within the firm and also the recruiting, evaluation, and training of

    personnel.

    According to Fayol, commanding as a managerial function concerned the personal

    supervision of subordinates and involved inspiring them to put forth unified effort to achieve

    objectives. Fayol emphasized the importance of managers understanding the people who

    worked for them, setting a good example, treating subordinates in a manner consistent withfirm policy, delegating, and communicating through meetings and conferences.

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    Fayol saw the function of coordination as harmonizing all of the various activities of the firm.

    Most later experts did not retain Fayol's coordination function as a separate function of

    management but regarded it as a necessary component of all the other management functions.

    Fayol defined the control function in terms of ensuring that everything occurs within the

    parameters of the plan and accompanying principles. The purpose of control was to identifydeviations from objectives and plans and to take corrective action.

    Fayol's work was not widely known outside Europe until 1949, when a translation of his

    work appeared in the United States. Nevertheless, his discussion of the practice of

    management as a process consisting of specific functions had a tremendous influence on

    early management texts that appeared in the 1950s.

    Management pioneers such as George Terry, Harold Koontz, Cyril O'Donnell, and Ralph

    Davis all published management texts in the 1950s that defined management as a process

    consisting of a set of interdependent functions. Collectively, these and several othermanagement experts became identified with what came to be known as the process school of

    management.

    According to the process school, management is a distinct intellectual activity consisting of

    several functions. The process theorists believe that all managers, regardless of their industry,

    organization, or level of management, engage in the functions of management. The process

    school of management became a dominant paradigm for studying management and the

    functions of management became the most common way of describing the nature of

    managerial work.

    CRITICISM OF THE FUNCTIONAL APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT

    By the early 1970s, some experts suggested that the functions of management as described by

    Fayol and others of the process school of management were not an accurate description of the

    reality of managers' jobs. Chief among the critics of the functional approach was Henry

    Mintzberg.

    Mintzberg argued that the functional or process school of management was "folklore" and

    that functions of management such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling did not

    accurately depict the chaotic nature of managerial work. He felt that the functional approach

    to the managerial job falsely conveyed a sense that managers carefully and deliberately

    evaluated information before making management decisions.

    Based upon an observational study of five executives, Mintzberg concluded that the work

    managers actually performed could best be represented by three sets of roles, or activities:

    interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decision-making roles. He described the

    interpersonal roles as consisting of figurehead, leader, and liaison. He identified three

    informational roles: monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson. Finally, he described four

    decision-making roles that included entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and

    negotiator.

    Mintzberg's challenge to the usefulness of the functions of management and the process

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    Assignment Report of Management Process and Organization Behavior

    school attracted a tremendous amount of attention and generated several empirical studies

    designed to determine whether his or Fayol's description of the managerial job was most

    accurate. While this research did indicate that managers performed at least some of the roles

    Mintzberg identified, there was little in the findings that suggested that the functions of

    management were not a useful way of describing managerial work.

    Scholars continue to debate this question. Research by David Lamond suggests that both

    approaches had some validity, with Fayol's approach describing the ideal management job

    and Mintzberg describing the day-to-day activities of managers. Thus, the general conclusion

    seems to be that while Mintzberg offered a genuine insight into the daily activities of

    practicing managers, the functions of management still provides a very useful way of

    classifying the activities managers engage in as they attempt to achieve organizational goals.

    PLANNING

    Planning is the function of management that involves setting objectives and determining acourse of action for achieving these objectives. Planning requires that managers be aware of

    environmental conditions facing their organization and forecast future conditions. It also

    requires that managers be good decision-makers.

    Planning is a process consisting of several steps. The process begins with environmental

    scanning, which simply means that planners must be aware of the critical contingencies

    facing their organization in terms of economic conditions, their competitors, and their

    customers. Planners must then attempt to forecast future conditions. These forecasts form the

    basis for planning.

    Planners must establish objectives, which are statements of what needs to be achieved and

    when. Planners must then identify alternative courses of action for achieving objectives. After

    evaluating the various alternatives, planners must make decisions about the best courses of

    action for achieving objectives. They must then formulate necessary steps and ensure

    effective implementation of plans. Finally, planners must constantly evaluate the success of

    their plans and take corrective action when necessary.

    There are many different types of plans and planning.

    STRATEGIC PLANNING.

    Strategic planning involves analyzing competitive opportunities and threats, as well as the

    strengths and weaknesses of the organization, and then determining how to position the

    organization to compete effectively in their environment. Strategic planning has a long time

    frame, often three years or more. Strategic planning generally includes the entire organization

    and includes formulation of objectives. Strategic planning is often based on the organization's

    mission, which is its fundamental reason for existence. An organization's top management

    most often conducts strategic planning.

    TACTICAL PLANNING.

    Tactical planning is intermediate-range planning that is designed to develop relatively

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    concrete and specific means to implement the strategic plan. Middle-level managers often

    engage in tactical planning. Tactical planning often has a one- to three-year time horizon.

    OPERATIONAL PLANNING.

    Operational planning generally assumes the existence of objectives and specifies ways to

    achieve them. Operational planning is short-range planning that is designed to develop

    specific action steps that support the strategic and tactical plans. Operational planning usually

    has a very short time horizon, from one week to one year.

    ORGANIZING

    Organizing is the function of management that involves developing an organizational

    structure and allocating human resources to ensure the accomplishment of objectives. The

    structure of the organization is the framework within which effort is coordinated. The

    structure is usually represented by an organization chart, which provides a graphicrepresentation of the chain of command within an organization. Decisions made about the

    structure of an organization are generally referred to as "organizational design" decisions.

    Organizing also involves the design of individual jobs within the organization. Decisions

    must be made about the duties and responsibilities of individual jobs as well as the manner in

    which the duties should be carried out. Decisions made about the nature of jobs within the

    organization are generally called "job design" decisions.

    Organizing at the level of the organization involves deciding how best to departmentalize, or

    cluster jobs into departments to effectively coordinate effort. There are many different waysto departmentalize, including organizing by function, product, geography, or customer. Many

    larger organizations utilize multiple methods of departmentalization. Organizing at the level

    of job involves how best to design individual jobs to most effectively use human resources.

    Traditionally, job design was based on principles of division of labor and specialization,

    which assumed that the more narrow the job content, the more proficient the individual

    performing the job could become. However, experience has shown that it is possible for jobs

    to become too narrow and specialized. When this happens, negative outcomes result,

    including decreased job satisfaction and organizational commitment and increased

    absenteeism and turnover.

    Recently many organizations have attempted to strike a balance between the need for worker

    specialization and the need for workers to have jobs that entail variety and autonomy. Many

    jobs are now designed based on such principles as job enrichment and teamwork.

    LEADING

    Leading involves influencing others toward the attainment of organizational objectives.

    Effective leading requires the manager to motivate subordinates, communicate effectively,

    and effectively use power. If managers are effective leaders, their subordinates will be

    enthusiastic about exerting effort toward the attainment of organizational objectives.

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    To become effective at leading, managers must first understand their subordinates'

    personalities, values, attitudes, and emotions. Therefore, the behavioral sciences have made

    many contributions to the understanding of this function of management. Personality research

    and studies of job attitudes provide important information as to how managers can most

    effectively lead subordinates.

    Studies of motivation and motivation theory provide important information about the ways in

    which workers can be energized to put forth productive effort. Studies of communication

    provide direction as to how managers can effectively and persuasively communicate. Studies

    of leadership and leadership style provide information regarding questions such as, "What

    makes a manager a good leader?" and "In what situations are certain leadership styles most

    appropriate and effective?"

    CONTROLLING

    Controlling involves ensuring that performance does not deviate from standards. Controllingconsists of three steps, which include establishing performance standards, comparing actual

    performance against standards, and taking corrective action when necessary. Performance

    standards are often stated in monetary terms such as revenue, costs, or profits, but may also

    be stated in other terms, such as units produced, number of defective products, or levels of

    customer service.

    The measurement of performance can be done in several ways, depending on the

    performance standards, including financial statements, sales reports, production results,

    customer satisfaction, and formal performance appraisals. Managers at all levels engage in

    the managerial function of controlling to some degree.

    The managerial function of controlling should not be confused with control in the behavioral

    or manipulative sense. This function does not imply that managers should attempt to control

    or manipulate the personalities, values, attitudes, or emotions of their subordinates. Instead,

    this function of management concerns the manager's role in taking necessary actions to

    ensure that the work-related activities of subordinates are consistent with and contributing

    toward the accomplishment of organizational and departmental objectives.

    Effective controlling requires the existence of plans, since planning provides the necessary

    performance standards or objectives. Controlling also requires a clear understanding of where

    responsibility for deviations from standards lies. Two traditional control techniques are the

    budget and the performance audit. Although controlling is often thought of in terms of

    financial criteria, managers must also control production/operations processes, procedures for

    delivery of services, compliance with company policies, and many other activities within the

    organization.

    The management functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling are widely

    considered to be the best means of describing the manager's job as well as the best way to

    classify accumulated knowledge about the study of management. Although there have been

    tremendous changes in the environment faced by managers and the tools used by managers to

    perform their roles, managers still perform these essential functions.

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    Question-2 Discuss any two learning theories in detail.

    There are three theories of learning namely Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning

    and Social Learning. I am taking pleasure to define Classical and Operant Conditioning.

    Classical Conditioning

    Classical conditioning (also Pavlovian or respondent conditioning, Pavlovian reinforcement)is a form of conditioning that was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov (1927) The typicalprocedure for inducing classical conditioning involves presentations of a neutral stimulusalong with a stimulus of some significance, the "unconditional stimulus." The neutral stimuluscould be any event that does not result in an overt behavioral response from the organismunder investigation. Conversely, presentation of the significant stimulus necessarily evokes anatural response. Pavlov called these the unconditional stimulus (US) and unconditionalresponse (UR), respectively. If the neutral stimulus is presented along with the unconditionalstimulus, it would become a conditional stimulus (CS). Pavlov used the term conditional

    because he wanted to emphasize that learning required a dependent or conditionalrelationship between CS and US. If the CS and US always occur together and never alone,this perfect dependent relationship or pairing, causes the two stimuli to become associatedand the organism produces a behavioral response to the CP. Pavlov called this theconditional response (CR). Because of early errors in translation of Pavlov's work fromRussian to English, the term "conditioned" rather than "conditional" is very often used but isnot technically correct. A perfect conditioner is not necessary for conditioning but thestrength of the CR progressively degrades as the conditional relationship is weakened (seefor example, Rescorla, 1967 Psychological Review).

    It is often thought that the conditional response is a replica of the unconditional response butthis has been disproven. The CR may be any new response to the previously neutral CS

    that can be clearly linked to experience with the conditional relationship with the US. It wasalso thought that repeated pairings are necessary for conditioning to emerge, however manyCRs can be learned with a single trial as in fear conditioning and taste aversion learning.

    Popular forms of classical conditioning that are used to study neural structures and functionsthat underlie learning and memory include fear conditioning, eyeblink conditioning, and thefoot contraction conditioning ofHermissenda crassicornis.

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    Types of classical conditioning

    Forward conditioning

    Learning is fastest in forward conditioning. During forward conditioning the onset of the CS

    precedes the onset of the US. Two common forms of forward conditioning are delay andtrace conditioning.

    Delay conditioning: In delay conditioning the CS is presented and is overlapped bythe presentation of the US.

    Trace conditioning: During trace conditioning the CS and US do not overlap.Instead, the CS is presented, a period of time is allowed to elapse during which nostimuli are presented, and then the US is presented. The stimulus-free period iscalled the trace interval. It may also be called the conditioning interval.

    Simultaneous conditioning

    During simultaneous conditioning, the CS and US are presented and terminated on thesame time

    Backward conditioning

    Backward conditioning occurs when a conditional stimulus immediately follows anunconditional stimulus. Unlike traditional conditioning models, in which the conditionalstimulus precedes the unconditional stimulus, the conditional response tends to beinhibitory. This is because the conditional stimulus serves as a signal that the unconditionalstimulus has ended, rather than a reliable method of predicting the future occurrence of theunconditional stimulus.

    Temporal conditioning

    The US is presented at regularly timed intervals, and CR acquisition is dependent uponcorrect timing of the interval between US presentations. The background, or context, canserve as the CS in this example.

    Unpaired conditioning

    The CS and US are not presented together. Usually they are presented as independent

    trials that are separated by a variable, or pseudo-random, interval. This procedure is used tostudy non-associative behavioral responses, such as sensitization.

    CS-alone extinction

    The CS is presented in the absence of the US. This procedure is usually done after the CRhas been acquired through "forward conditioning" training. Eventually, the CR frequency isreduced to pre-training levels. Essentially, the stimulus is presented until habituation occurs.

    Theories of classical conditioning

    Stimulusresponse (SR) theory suggests that the CS is associated with the US within thebrain, without involving conscious thought. The second, stimulusstimulus (SS) theory,

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    involves cognitive activity in which the CS is associated to the concept of the US, a subtlebut important distinction.

    SS theory is a theoretical model of classical conditioning that suggests a cognitivecomponent is required to understand classical conditioning, while SR theory proposes that

    a cognitive component is merely at play. SR theory suggests that an animal can learn toassociate a CS with the impending arrival of the associated US, resulting in an observablebehavior such as salivation. SS theory suggests that the animal salivates to the bellbecause it is associated with the concept of the US, which is a very fine but importantdistinction.

    Operant Conditioning:B. F. Skinner's system is based on operant conditioning. The organism, while going aboutit's everyday activities, is in the process of operating on the environment. In the course ofits activities, the organism encounters a special kind of stimulus, called a reinforcingstimulus, or simply a reinforcer. This special stimulus has the effect of increasing the thebehavior occurring just before the reinforcer. This is operant conditioning: the behavior isfollowed by a consequence, and the nature of the consequence modifies the organism'stendency to repeat the behavior in the future. A behavior followed by a reinforcing stimulusresults in an increased probability of that behavior occurring in the future.Skinner's observations can be divided into independent variables which can be manipulatedby the experimenter, and dependent variables, which can not be manipulated by the

    experimenter and are thought to be affected by the independent variables.

    Independent variables:Type of reinforcementSchedule of reinforcement

    Dependent variables (measures of learning):

    Acquisition rate- how rapidly an animal can be trained to a new operant behavior asa function of reinforcement. Skinner typically deprived his lab animals of food for 24or more hours before beginning a schedule of reinforcement. This tended to increaseacquisition rate.

    Rate of response- this is a measure of learning that is very sensitive to differentschedules of reinforcement. In most cases, animals were given intermittentschedules of reinforcement, so they were called upon to elicit the desired response atother times as well. Rate of response is a measure of correct responses throughout atesting schedule including the times when reinforcement is not provided after acorrect response. It appears as if test animals build expectations when they are givenrewards at predictable times (Animals which are fed at the same time each daybecome active as that time approaches, and a dog whose master comes home at thesame time each day becomes more attentive around that time of day.) Also, Skinnerfound that when fixed interval reinforcement was used, the desired behavior woulddecrease or disappear just after a reinforcement, but when it was almost time for thenext reinforcement, the animal would resume the desired responses.

    Extinction rate- The rate at which an operant response disappears following the

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    withdrawal of reinforcement. Skinner found that continuous reinforcement schedulesproduced a faster rate of learning in the early stages of a training program, and alsoa more rapid extinction rate once the reinforcement was discontinued. A behavior nolonger followed by the reinforcing stimulus results in a decreased probability of thatbehavior occurring in the future.

    Types of reinforcement:

    1. Primary reinforcement- instinctive behaviors lead to satisfaction of basic survival needssuch as food, water, sex, shelter. No learning takes place because the behaviors emergespontaneously

    2. Secondary reinforcement- the reinforcer is not reinforcing by itself, but becomes reinforcingwhen paired with a primary reinforcer, such as pairing a sound or a light with food.

    3. Generalized reinforcement- stimuli become reinforcing through repeated pairing with

    primary or secondary reinforcers. Many are culturally reinforced. For example, in human behavior,wealth, power, fame, strength, and intelligence are valued in many cultures. The external symbolsof these attributes are generalized reinforcers. Money, rank, recognition, degrees and certificates,etc are strongly reinforcing to many individuals in the cultures that value the attributes theysymbolize.

    Reinforcers always follow a behavior and could be pleasant or unpleasant (noxious) and could beadded to or removed from a situation. The following table summarizes the various combinations:

    Add to a Situation After a Response:

    Pleasant = Positive Reinforcement- Reward. Increases the probability of the same responseoccurring again. (Example: praise, monetary reward, food)

    Noxious = Punishment- Administering a painful or unpleasant reinforcer after an unwantedresponse. Decreases the probability of the same response occurring again.(Examples: corporalpunishment, electrical shocks, yelling)

    Remove from a Situation After a Response:

    Pleasant = Punishment - Decrease the probability of the same response occurring again(Example: punishing a teenager by taking away his cell phone or car keys.)

    Noxious =Negative Reinforcement- Removing or decreasing an unpleasant or painful situationafter a desirable response is produced. Increases the probability of the same response occurringagain (Example: time off for good behavior)

    Schedules of Reinforcement:

    Continuous reinforcement- reinforcement is given every time the animal gives thedesired response.

    Intermittentreinforcement- reinforcement is given only part of the times the animalgives the desired response.

    Ratio reinforcement- a pre-determined proportion of responses will be reinforced.

    Fixed ratio reinforcement- reinforcement is given on a regular ratio, such as every

    fifth time the desired behavior is produced.

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    http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/glossary.htmlhttp://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/glossary.htmlhttp://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/glossary.html
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    Variable (random) fixed reinforcement- reinforcement is given for a predeterminedproportion of responses, but randomly instead of on a fixed schedule.

    Interval reinforcement- reinforcement is given after a predetermined period of time.

    Fixed interval reinforcement- reinforcement is given on a regular schedule, suchas every five minutes.

    Variableinterval reinforcement- reinforcement is given after random amounts oftime have passed.

    In animal studies, Skinner found that continuous reinforcement in the early stages of training seems toincrease the rate of learning. Later, intermittent reinforcement keeps the response going longer andslows extinction.

    Skinner specifically addressed the applications of behaviorism and operant conditioning toeducational practice. He believed that the goal of education was to train learners in survivalskills for self and society. The role of the teacher was to reinforce behaviors that contributedto survival skills, and extinguish behaviors that did not. Behaviorist views have shaped muchof contemporary education in children and adult learning.

    Question-3 Explain the classification of personality typesgiven by Sheldon.

    William Sheldon classified personality according to body type. He called this a personssomatotype. He identified three main somatotypes that are associated with certainpersonality characteristics. They are as follows:

    1) Endomorphy It is focused on the digestive system, particularly the stomach(endoderm); has the tendency toward plumpness, corresponds to Viscerotoniatemperament tolerant, love of comfort and luxury, extravert.

    2) Mesophorphy It is focused on musculature and the circulatory system(mesoderm), has the tendency towards muscularity, and corresponds to the

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    Somatotonia temperament courageous, energetic, active, dynamic, assertive,aggressive, risk taker.

    3) Ectomorphy: It is focused on the nervous system and the brain (ectoderm) the tendency towards slightness, corresponds to Cerebrotonia temperamentartistic, sensitive, apprehensive, introvert.

    On this basis, Sheldon created Atlas of Men , in which all possible body types are gradedin a scale from 1 (low) to 7 (high), based on the degree to which they matched these types;with 4 as average). Each type is represented by a series of photos, and is given a comical ordescriptive name, like "saber tooth tiger" for extreme mesomorph, "Baluchitherium" formesomorph and endomorph, "Male Mosquito" for the extreme ectomorph, and so on. On thisscale, the extreme or pure mesomorph has a score of 1-7-1, the pure endomorph 7-1-1, andthe pure ectomorph 1-1-7. Most people of course are a combination of types.

    Body Type Associated personality traits

    a. Endomorphic Body Type:

    soft bodyunderdeveloped musclesround shapedover-developed digestive system

    love of food

    tolerantevenness of emotionslove of comfortsociablegood humouredrelaxedneed for affection

    b. Mesomorphic Body Type:hard, muscular bodyoverly mature appearancerectangular shapedthick skin

    upright posture

    adventurousdesire for power and dominancecourageousindifference to what others think or want

    assertive, boldzest for physical activitycompetitivelove of risk and chance

    c. Ectomorphic Body Type:thin

    flat chestdelicate buildyoung appearancetall

    lightly muscledstoop-shoulderedlarge brain

    self-consciouspreference for privacyintrovertedinhibited

    socially anxiousartistic

    mentally intenseemotionally restrained

    But body types have been criticized for very weak empirical methodology and are not

    generally used in psychology. The use of somatotyping is used more often in alternative

    therapies and Eastern psychology and spirituality.

    Question-4 What are the factors influencing perception?

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    Individuals have a tendency to use a number of shortcuts when they judge others. Anunderstanding of these shortcuts can be helpful toward recognizing when they can result insignificant distortions. These barriers to perception are as follows:

    1) Selective Perception:

    Any characteristic that makes a person, object, or event stand out will increasethe probability that it will be perceived. It is impossible for an individual to internalize andassimilate everything that is seen .Only certain stimuli can be taken in selectively.Selectivity works as a shortcut in judging other people by allowing us to speed-readothers, but, not without the risk of drawing an inaccurate picture. The tendency to seewhat we want to see can make us draw unwarranted conclusions from an ambiguoussituation.

    2) Halo Effect:

    The halo effect occurs when we draw a general impression on the basis of a single

    characteristic. For example, while appraising the lecturer, students may give prominence to

    a single trait, such as, enthusiasm and allow their entire evaluation to be tainted by how they

    judge the instructor on that one trait which stood out prominently in their estimation of that

    person. Research suggests that it is likely to be most extreme when the traits to be

    perceived are ambiguous in behavioral terms, when the traits have moral overtones, and

    when the perceiver is judging traits with which he or she has had limited experience.

    3) Contrast Effects:

    Individuals do not evaluate a person in isolation. Their reaction to one person is

    influenced by other persons they have encountered recently. For example, an interview

    situation in which one sees a pool of job applicants can distort perception. Distortions in any

    given candidates evaluation can occur as a result of his or her place in the interview

    schedule.

    4) Projection:

    This tendency to attribute ones own characteristics to other people, which is called

    projection, can distort perceptions made about others. When managers engage inprojection, they compromise their ability to respond to individual differences. They tend to

    see people as more homogeneous than they really are.

    5) Stereotyping:

    Stereotypingjudging someone on the basis of our perception of the group to which

    he or she belongs. Generalization is not without advantages. It is a means of simplifying a

    complex world, and it permits us to maintain consistency. The problem, of course, is when

    we inaccurately stereotype. In organizations, we frequently hear comments that represent

    stereotypes based on gender, age, race, ethnicity, and even weight. From a perceptual

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    standpoint, if people expect to see these stereotypes, that is what they will perceive, whether

    or not they are accurate.

    6) First-impression error:

    Individuals place a good deal of importance on first impressions. First impressions

    are lasting impressions. We tend to remember what we perceive first about a person, and

    sometimes we are quite reluctant to change our initial impressions. First-impression error

    means the tendency to form lasting opinions about an individual based on initial perceptions.

    Primacy effects can be particularly dangerous in interviews, given that we form first

    impressions quickly and that these impressions may be the basis for long-term employment

    relationships.

    Thus, barriers to perception create distortion in judging someone.

    Question-5 Mr. Solanki is the VP- HR of a leading Financial servicescompany. He is having a meeting with Ms. Ramani leading HRconsultant. Mr. Solanki is concerned about creating an environment thathelps in increasing the job satisfaction amongst employees. Assume thatyou are Ms. Ramani, the HR consultant. What suggestions you will giveto Mr. Solanki, for creating an environment that increases jobsatisfaction

    As Ms. Ramani, the HR consultant, I suggest Mr. Solanki, that the following measures

    should be implemented for creating an environment that increases job satisfaction:

    1. Mentally Challenging Work:

    Employees tend to prefer jobs that give them opportunities to use their skills andabilities and offer a variety of tasks, freedom and feedback on how well they are doing.Under conditions of moderate challenge, most employees will experience pleasure andsatisfaction.

    2. Personality-Job Fit:

    People with personality types congruent with their chosen vocations should find theyhave the right talents and abilities to meet the demands of their jobs; and because f thissuccess, they have a greater probability of achieving high satisfaction from their ork. It is

    important, therefore to fit personality factors with job profiles.

    3. Equitable Rewards:

    Employees want pay systems and promotion policies that they perceive as beingjust, unambiguous, and in line with their expectations. When pay is seen as fair based on jobdemands, individual skill level, and industry pay standards, satisfaction is likely to result.Similarly, employees seek fair promotion policies and practices. Promotions provideopportunities for personal growth, more responsibilities and increased social status.Individuals who perceive that promotion decisions are made in a fair and just manner arelikely to experience job satisfaction.

    4. Supportiveworking conditions:

    Employees prefer physical conditions that are comfortable and facilitate doing agood job. Temperature, light, noise and other environmental factors should not be extreme

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    Assignment Report of Management Process and Organization Behavior

    and provide personal comfort. Further, employees prefer working relatively close to home, inclean and relatively modern facilities and with adequate tools and equipment.

    5. Supportive Colleagues:

    Employees have need for social interaction. Therefore, having friendly andsupportive co-workers and understanding supervisors leads to increased job satisfaction.Most employees want their immediate supervisor to be understanding and friendly, thosewho offer praise for good performance, listen to employees opinions and show a personalinterest in them.

    6. Whistle blowing:

    Whistle-blowers are employees who inform authorities of Wrongdoings of theircompanies or co-workers. Whistle blowing is important because committed organizationalmembers sometimes engage in unethical behaviour in an intense desire to succeed.Organizations can manage whistle blowing by communicating the conditions that areappropriate for the disclosure of wrongdoing. Clearly delineating wrongful behaviour and theappropriate ways to respond are important organizational actions.

    7. Social Responsibility:

    Corporate social responsibility is the obligation of an Organization to behave inethical ways in the social environment in which it operates. Socially responsible actions areexpected of organizations. Current concerns include protecting the environment, promotingworker safety, supporting social issues, investing in the community, etc. Managers mustencourage both individual ethical behaviour and organizational social responsibility.

    Question-6 Given below is the HR policy glimpse of the VARK-

    LEARNING learning and training solutions company1. It offers cash rewards for staff members2. It promotes the culture of employee referral and encourages people to referpeople they know may be their friends, ex. Colleagues batch mates, relatives.3. What all needs do it takes care off according to maslows need hierarchy4. It recognizes good performances and give fancy titles and jackets to thepeople who perform well and also felicitates them in the Annual Day of thecompany.

    According to Maslows Need Hierarchy theory, human beings have wants and desires which

    influence their behavior; only unsatisfied needs can influence behavior, satisfied needscannot. The needs are arranged in order of importance, from the basic to the complex. The

    person advances to the next level of needs only after the lower level need is at least

    minimally satisfied. The further they progress up the hierarchy, the more individuality,

    humanness and psychological health a person will show.

    The five needs given by Maslow are as follows:

    1. Physiological: Includes hunger, thirst, shelter, sex, and other bodily needs.

    2. Safety: Includes security and protection from physical and emotional harm.

    3. Social: Includes affection, belongingness, acceptance, and friendship.

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    4. Esteem: Includes internal esteem factors, such as, self-respect, autonomy, and

    achievement; and external esteem factors, such as, status, recognition, and

    attention.

    5. Self-actualization: The drive to become what one is capable of becoming; includes

    growth, achieving ones potential, and self-fulfillment.

    The HR policy of VARK-LEARNING company takes care of the following needs:

    1) The first point takes care of the esteem needs. Offering cash rewards to employees

    satisfies their self respect. They get external esteem factors such as status,

    recognition, and attention from others. the get to enjoy general esteem from others.

    2) The second point takes care of the social and self-actualization needs. When the

    employee refers to others, his need of affection, belongingness, acceptance, andfriendship are satisfied. In this way, his social needs are satisfied. When the

    employee is referring to others, his self-actualization needs are also satisfied.

    3) The third point takes care of the safety and social needs. The employees emotional

    needs are taken care of when they are praised for their good performance. Their self-

    respect is also satisfied. They get status, recognition, and attention. Their esteem

    needs are also satisfied.

    This policy creates an employer-employee friendly relationship and makes the bond strongerbetween them. And the work performance of the employees also increases.