The Impact of Stereotyping on Organisational Behaviour - Coursework Example

Name Management Tutor Date The impact of stereotyping on organisational behaviour Stereotype judgement is usually based on an ideal situation and other impressions that are formed about a certain group. It is considered that one individual’s behaviour or characteristic represents the entire group. For example if one employee is considered to be well behaved the entire group of employees is considered to be good. If a manager in a certain organization is known to be very helpful towards the employees then it is generalised that the entire organization is helpful to the employees. It is more of an inductive method of making conclusions that is aggregated from individual performances (Ashkanasy, 2005). Stereotyping has been known to be generalising which has advantages such as saving time. This is because for example, if management had earlier employed sportsmen and athletes and they were successful workers, then they are likely to appoint sportsmen again. This would be done without considering other procedures of selection. This method can be heavily disastrous especially when used without proper scrutiny and examination of individual characteristics. Most stereotyping has effects on age, sex, social status, and nationality (Biebly, 2005). Most stereotyping effects in social perception, considers the attributes, traits, and other qualities members may have within a social organization. The qualities are generalised as qualities of the social group yet this is not always the case since all the qualities may not be found in all cases. Stereotyping has become part of human beings based on ethnic groups, socio-economic groups, demographic groups, and other different groups. Stereotyping is influenced by several things. For example it is influenced by cultural factors, and differences between people of high and low status. Such stereotypes mainly bring about career failure to discriminate. Some stereotypes such as men being justifiable to have anger and women to be emotional are in most cases believed to be true. There are sex role stereotypes as well. Meaning different roles are believed to belong to specific sex. It is a common practice that stereotypes mostly are meant for the less fortunate in the society or the minorities. For example it is possible to have stereotypes towards some ethnic minorities within a certain workforce (Devine, 2009). In the recent years there has been a high rate of observed cultural diversity within most organizations’ labour force. Stereotyping has emerged as the main obstacle to acceptance of the cultural diversity in the organizations. Mostly stereotyping is practiced by the leaders and managers in organizations, however, even amongst the other employees it has been observed. There are several issues that are caused by stereotyping of any kind to any group. The wellbeing of the entire organization is affected by stereotyping especially when the results are negative (Mark, 2004). Despite the diversity that exists in the organizations, the differences and values should be respected no matter the gender, race, sexual orientation, and other categorization people belong to. Stereotyping prevents equality of policies and lack of social justice leading to social discrimination. If some people are devalued and neglected then it will only result into failure. In most cases stereotype is accompanied by prejudice and often is inaccurate. In workplace stereotype is a very poor manner especially when involving human resource management. Stereotyping has been seen to be salient and problematic in organizations that have diverse labour force co-existing. When people rely on stereotype they have no idea of its effect on their perceptions or their behaviour. Most people heavily rely on stereotype to get insight of other individuals. The use of stereotypes in organizations has led to employees being evaluated wrongly. Leaders tend to give assignments depending on their preference based on the stereotypes causing injustices to some. People in workplaces get subjected to vulnerable preferences as a result of stereotyping (Fadil, 2006). Stereotypes are the main sources of discrimination at work place. Stereotypes can be divided into two types, the descriptive and prescriptive stereotypes. The descriptive stereotypes are responsible for distorting people’s’ behavioural impressions. The descriptive stereotypes therefore, reinforce discrimination. The prescriptive stereotypes are used as standards to evaluate other peoples’ behaviour. When discrimination at work place occurs as a result of stereotypes it can be very depressing to an individual thus being unable to work within the environment. When stereotypes are used there develops a problem in communication within an organization. This arises as people aim at justifying their judgement. Stereotypes generalize and categorise individuals thus influencing the interpersonal perceptions of individuals. For example new staff gets generalized before they even get a chance to show the skills they possess, or to show their personality. In most organizations it has been reported that there is a problem and complications in the communicative actions in workplaces as a result of stereotypes. Some leaders are not even able to recall their subordinate since they are used to stereotyping them and filling in gaps. No one likes being stereotyped since it is a limit to freedom and causes constrains in lives. Organizations that stereotype employees tend to be progressing very slowly in terms of culture. Organizations also get labelled for stereotyping thus limiting their progression. Stereotyping is a major reason why some organizations do not include employees’ differences thus organizations fail to support a diverse workforce (Biebly, 2005). Stereotypes affect the decisions that employers and employees make in the labour market. This has led to huge mistakes being made in the process of categorization of individuals. Such decisions hinder change within an organization thus underdevelopment. The employers have expectations that their staff will change yet the current status is worth exploiting. Stereotyping causes ethical problems within an organization through laying a foundation for prejudice. When there is prejudice in an organization then there is a formed negative emotion towards people who belong to the group that is being stereotyped. Stereotyping can also be a cause of sexual harassment within a working environment. Some individuals could possess unwelcome sexual nature conduct that affects the work related environment. When people believe in some stereotypes that have been labelled upon them they tend to behave in the ways that people are expecting them to behave. Stereotypes also cause inaccuracies when retrieving information thus can easily prevent managers or other employees from accurately assessing and fulfilling their needs. Motivation at work Motivation at work is from within an individual as well as beyond an individual. It is important that organizations get to learn what motivates its employees. Motivation involves an individual’s concern to approach the positive and avoid all negative incentives. Motivation encourages productive behaviour. It is important that organizations get to understand and structure a work environment that will motivate employees. Motivation involves three processes which are; arousal, intensity, and direction. Arousal initiates action and is fuelled by an individual’s need for something they feel is missing in their lives at a particular moment. Direction is the path that individuals choose in order to achieve all the goals they have set. Intensity refers to the vigour or energy that an employee puts in work performance. These three processes result into different outcomes. Arousal results into direct attention, and stimulates an individual to put effort. Motivation causes persistence and prevents an individual from deviating from achievingset goals. Motivation, on the other hand results in task strategies (Chen, 2007). A company’s success in the long run is basically influenced by internal motivation of employees to work. Employees need to be motivated to do a good job for the good of the organization. Businesses need to realize that investing in motivation of employees is like investing in their own businesses. Teaching and training them is only a part of the investment in employees, however, it is important to follow them up and make sure they are motivated. This is because it creates a feeling of being involved and being heard (James, 2010). Motivation does not only come from the end month salary that employees get. Employees are happy when they learn lessons from their employers. Motivating employees helps businesses to be equipped to meet falling demands or meet changing. Employers can motivate employees by simply developing their competence within the workplace instead of looking for competent employees. However, employees should also be careful to balance motivation to avoid strengthening some parts while others weaken (Madura, 2007). An employers’ personality will determine how well he or she is able to motivate an employee. Assessments and books are examples of tools that can be used to project and inspire employees to achieve what matters most to them. Leaders need to create relationships that are meaningful and matter with their employees. Leaders need to have an incentive to motivate their employees at all times. A leader who motivates employees is one who is trustworthy. When a leader has an employees’ back for the best interests of the employee, then the employee feels motivated. A manager who is always looking out for his juniors motivates them. A leader should be able to communicate his performance expectations and give direct feedback. A leader who involves the junior staff and lets them attend to meetings with senior staff motivates them to get to another level. Trust is a very powerful motivation tool in organizations. Leaders or employees who are transparent with their employees always get good results from their employees (Kramer, 2009). Employer should find ways through which they can elevate their employees’ high potentiality. Employers should help employees in increasing their relevancy to cultivate high performance. When employers help employees get discovered then they elevate their desire to achieve set goals. An employee or a leader should know that it is important that the employees get encouraged to exceed expectations. A leader should encourage employees to take responsible risks through embracing diverse thinking and measuring the individual’s ability to innovate. Employees are highly motivated when they know that there is an ability to advance that awaits them. Therefore the employees need to be mindful of opportunities beyond what they seek. Employees need to create chances for advancements and help the employees get to the point they would want. Employees should learn to motivate employees so that they do not get disappointed in themselves and the company. As an employer this can be achieved by helping the employee carry their guilt through sharing with them. Telling them of the failures and successes one went through to achieve the level he or she is would help. They need help to be able to embrace what is unexpected and to go through change and uncertainty. Employees get motivated by being given perspectives that they need to achieve. Everyone wants to have a stable future for safety and security.as an employee one should be mindful enough to provide security stability in the organization through how well the employees are led. Motivational levels rise when an individual aims at attaining security and stability. Employees get motivated to achieve the best through the opportunity to make impact. Everyone wants to contribute in a way that measures achievements. Thus, as an employer it is important to ensure sustainable impact in work performed. Employees should be left to make some significance in order to get motivated (James, 2010). Happiness is the fuel to one’s self esteem and gives individuals hope for a better tomorrow. Sometimes we tend to take work too seriously and thus it is important that employees get motivated to enjoy working rather than just work too hard. When an employer makes employees happy then achieving the organizational goals will be much easier. An employee can easily smile to save a job when he or she is not happy, therefore an employer should not ignore the employees are happy but interacting with them will help them in knowing. Employees are more motivated when the task being accomplished is clear. It is everybody’s joy at the end of the day when it is possible to give an account of work done. For motivation employees should learn to work and achieve something they can account for at the end of the day. Employers can also motivate the employees through creating skill variety. It is boring to do one thing every day. When an employer makes sure that employees are able to engage in different skills then they motivate them to work more. Motivation is integrated with creativity;therefore, employers need to be creative in order to motivate their employees (Chen, 2007). The role of leadership for organisational success Leaders in any organization play a very important role. One of them is managing organizational values. It is the role of leaders to keep employees happy and motivated. Leaders are able to spot potentiality in employees and nurture it. They work their best to make a lasting impact on the employees. In organizations, leaders are the role models to the employees. How leaders conduct themselves reflects the company’s management ethics and the organizational values. A leader who is a good role model is an indicator of the organization’s future success. As a role model the leader is able to share opinions, provide guidance, and promote the organizational values. A good leader is also a good team leader since teamwork improves productivity and makes it easier to achieve project goals. Teamwork promotes unity and diversity and a leader should always ensure that the contributions made by employees are taken as valuable contributions. A leader who is success oriented is not only a leader but also a teacher. Instead of just giving orders a leader should share experiences, teach through use of friendly words, and use helpful demonstrations (Branson, 2008). Leaders are able to achieve organizational success by achieving successful change. By achieving success in this context means sustaining the change. In order to achieve this success leaders manage issues that can hinder the change. Leaders ensure that there are proper systems, technologies, structures, processes, and rewards in place to achieve success. The issues that leaders manage in order to achieve organizational success are categorized into two. One is instrumental aspect and the other one is emotional aspect.Different leaders possess different values and beliefs about people and change and therefore, they adopt different roles in managing the technical aspect and emotional aspects of change (Burke, 2009). Leaders are shapers in achieving organizational success. A leader traditionally was known to be one who controls everything to ensure that everything turns out as planned and that there are no unwanted outcomes. A leader plays the role of one who is in control of what is being done, sets a pace for the others, and expects that the others will follow their example. A leader is believed to know the right change for the organization that will lead to success in the end. A leader has a directive role and has a lot of influence over his followers. A leader who leads and acts is more likely to help an organization to its success. Such a leader leads and acts in accordance with the organization’s values. The most important thing is what the leader says and does in order to get the job done. Despite these, a leader also needs to understand some essential elements that describe or make up a successful organization. A leader should aim at achieving integrity, discretion and tolerance as the first attributes towards achieving a successful organization. A leader should be able to maintain simplicity in an organization. Any successful organization is simple with its functions and its core functions. The leader helps in making decisions of the organization.A successful organization is able to make decisions quickly and clearly. Decisions always involve risks for certain situations and many are times the information available is incomplete. Therefore, leaders need to be able to make wise decisions for the success of organizations (Drotter, 2007). Leaders play the role of leading with vision, integrity and inspiration. They are responsible for making the future of organizations and maintaining the values and ethics of an organization. It is the leaders’ responsibility to make sure that all people are valued and empowered in order to achieve both the organizational goals and personal goals. They have a role of enhancing innovation within the organization. A leader should be able to be visionary and capable to communicate, bring employees together and be able to motivate them towards achieving success. He or she realises that success in an organization starts at the top meaning the leader is responsible for the final success of the organization (Duchon, 2011). A leader plays the role of creating an ethical environment within an organization. It starts with the leader being ethical to be able to have an ethical leadership. Ethical leadership starts with how the leader conceptualizes the world around him or her. Ethical leadership is one core development concept that an organization needs. Ethical leaders are able to guide human potential towards achieving the goals of the organization. A leader should be able to reason and act with the organization’s purpose in mind. He or she needs to be able to express knowledge when acting in decision making in the organization. A leader inspires the employees but still maintains authority. A leader plays a role of integrating all components and modes through using the authority that is granted to him or her in achieving purposes of the organization. He or she makes sure that the organization’s purpose is known and shared. Leaders need to possess certain skills and competence to achieve effective leadership for success of the organization (Nixon, 2010). A leader plays the role of enablers since change for success in organizations needs leaders to involve people rather than doing things for them. The leaders play a role of enabling transformation within an organization through creating a conducive environment for growth and encouraging people to contribute to growth. They provide technical framework that is necessary for change and bring about emotional alignment to give an organization full control over change(Lauby, 2005). There is always need for strict management interventions and the leaders play the role of being enabling mangers. Through this, the leaders are able to be in control and influence the direction of development and change in attaining success in an organization. Leaders have a role in formation of identity relationships in organizations. Creation of these relationships is achieved through various ways including, role modelling, communicating, and through paying attention to relationship values. Leaders need to have a shared direction and sense of purpose towards achieving the organizational goals to achieve success (Nixon, 2010). References Ashkanasy, M. (2005). Diversity and Emotion in organizational behavior reserach. Journal of Management, 2-20. Biebly, W. (2005). Minimizing Workplace Gender and Racial Bias. Contemporary sociology, 120-130. Branson, C. (2008). Leadership Competencies. JOurnal of organizational managemnt, 147-163. Burke, W. (2009). 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