Organizational Behavior and Securing Competitive Advantage - Assignment Example

Case Study Analysis Question 1 The problems that George experienced at ABC Consulting can be analysed in terms of the basic concepts of organisational behaviour at both individual and organisational levels. To begin with, one key concept of organisational behaviour that can be analysed in terms of the problems that George faced at ABC Consulting is the role of management in an organisation. Management plays a key role in organisational behaviour by determining the performance and general direction which an organisation is taking (Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2010, p. 18). This is achieved through the four core functions of management which include, planning the overall strategy of the organisation; organising the structure in the entire organisation; leading the organisation by providing motivation to the employees; and finally, controlling the performance of an organisation through monitoring and evaluation (Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2010, p. 22). For the case of George at ABC Consulting, his problems were as a result of failure of the management of the company to provide leadership in terms of adequate motivation, giving directions on how to tackle tasks and resolving the conflict about the conditions for qualifying to receive the bonus. In addition to failing to deliver its functions, the management team at ABC Consulting also failed in delivering its roles within the organisation. For instance, because the management failed in its role in making decisions with regard to disseminating accurate information to employees about performance appraisal as well as providing liaison and the right resources for the employees, George experienced uncertainty regarding the bonus, lost motivation in his job and got overwhelmed with the tasks. Apart from problems to do with management practice at ABC Consulting, George’s problems at the company also resulted from issues to do with the nature of the job he was assigned to do. In organisational behaviour, a job refers to the sum total of an individual’s assignment at the workplace and the various activities that need to be done for the job to be accomplished (Srivastava, 2005, p. 93). There are five defining characteristics of jobs and tasks which determine whether the job provides motivation to employees and by extension, contributes to organizational effectiveness. These include: one, the extent to which tasks utilize different skills and talents of the employees; two, how complete individuals regard a task; three, the level of autonomy employees have in carrying out the tasks; four, how meaningful or significant employees think a task is to the lives of others; and lastly, feedback from the job, which means whether individuals can assess their input and derive satisfaction from their work (Pomsuwan, 2007, p. 179; Lussier, 2011, p. 188; Hellriegel & Slocum, 2007, p. 130-131). All these characteristics were lacking in George’s first assignment at ABC Consulting. The negative feedback he received from Janet and Daniel both during the meeting and when he handed in his last report on the project contributed to his loss of enthusiasm for the job. Lastly, another concept of organisational behaviour which can be analysed in terms of the problems that existed for George at ABC Consulting as regards individual and group relationships within an organisation. Individuals as well as groups make up the internal social systems of an organisation (Mills, Bratton, Forshaw & Mills, 2007, p. 276). Since people are vital to the overall performance of an organisation, it is the duty of the management to ensure that the human resource of an organisation is well managed in terms of interactions between individuals, groups and in dyadic relationships involving an element of superior-subordinate interactions between individuals (Mills et al., 2007, p. 283). This was the case in the relationship involving George, Daniel and Janet when working on the project and between George and Janet when George was getting hired at ABC Consulting. Question 2 According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory (cited by Mullins, 2005, p. 478), human behaviour can be explained in terms of three propositions; one, human behaviour is driven by the need to satisfy wants and needs. These are the things that define a human being. The second proposition is that human behaviour is motivated by needs that are yet to be satisfied. This implies that once a need is satisfied it ceases to be a motivator for behaviour in humans. The third proposition entails the hierarchy of importance of human needs. According to this theory, human needs are arranged in a hierarchical order; beginning with the most basic ones like safety and social needs and rising to the needs for belongingness and self-actualization (Mullins, 2005, p. 484). This theory can be used to explain the behaviour and attitudes of George as described in the case study. In general, the behaviour and attitude of George can be explained in terms of the hierarchy of needs. It is important to point out that since there are individual exceptions to the general ranking of needs, certain individuals may be obsessed with higher needs while the lower ones go unnoticed (Carducci, 2009, p. 245). This is the case for George during his stay at ABC. For instance, George showed that he was motivated by the need to achieve work-life balance, to be creative, to have freedom and to work with colleagues who are both supportive and collaborative. These needs to correspond with the higher category of needs like the social category, which entails the need for compatible and friendly work groups, and the ego category, represented by the need to merit for pay increase and achieve a high status at the place of work (Carducci, 2009, p. 253). Although George’s behaviour was motivated by the need to satisfy higher needs on the scale, the desire to meet other needs still influenced his attitude and behaviour at ABC. For instance, although not explicit, his choice for the job was based on the need to meet his basic physiological and safety needs represented by the following: a basic salary, safe working conditions, job security and fringe benefits in terms of the bonus. The four drive theory of motivation is based on how the four basic drives of acquiring, bonding, comprehending and defending, interact with social norms, personal values and past experiences to direct drive-based emotions into choice and behaviour in individuals in a workplace environment (Nohria, Groysberg & Lee, 2008, p. 3). Different aspects of George’s behaviour at ABC correspond with different aspects of this theory. For instance, his acceptance of the offer to work at ABC was driven by the desire to work with good people on interesting projects. This corresponds with the drive to bond – which entails the drive to form relationships and social commitments at the place of work (Nohria, Groysberg & Lee, 2008, p. 4). This forms the basis for the social identity developed by George, which was to seek an employer that provides a collaborative and friendly work group experience. Also, George’s effort at accomplishing the first project task corresponds with the drive to acquire, which relates to the drive to keep objects and experiences (Mullins, 2005, p. 489). His effort to beat the deadline and general industriousness in working to produce the report on the first project corresponds with the drive to acquire, which is the basis of hierarchy and status in the workplace. In addition, during the course of reviewing the report of the project, George’s behaviour was motivated by the drive to understand the general environment of what working for a consultancy firm is all about and also how he himself could satisfy the need to make quick and sensible deductions from a large source of information and beat deadlines within an extremely short period of time. Lastly, the decision by George to resign from ABC can be explained in terms of the drive to defend. Individuals are motivated by the need to protect themselves from the conditions they react to in the workplace (Srivastava, 2005, p. 123). Their reaction to these conditions forms the basis of whether to stay on and adjust or leave. In the case of George, it can be seen that his decision to resign from the company was as a result of failing to fulfil the four drives with regard to his personal values and social norms. Question 3 The company can implement a number of strategies to prevent high rates of turnover among its new employees. According to the Service-Profit Chain theory, the degree of job satisfaction among the employees of an organisation influences a host of other factors such as service delivery and customer commitment, which in turn determine the level of profitability of the organisation (Ranganayakulu, 2005, p. 256). This means that the practices within an organisation determine the level of employee satisfaction and commitment, which in turn determine the extent and value of employee motivation, behaviour and retention within the organisation (Pomsuwan, 2007, p. 239). By enhancing affective organisational commitment, an organization can influence the retention, performance, organisational citizenship and motivation of employees (Pomsuwan, 2007, p. 240). ABC can reduce the rate of employee turnover by implementing strategies that increase the level of affective commitment in new consultants joining the company. This is because a high level of affective commitment in new consultants will enable them to develop a high degree of identification with and involvement in the activities of the organisation, thus reducing the need to leave (Mullins, 2005, p. 398). This can be achieved by implementing the following measures. The first one is setting up a justice and support mechanism as part of the culture of the organisation. This will ensure that new employees experience support for their wellbeing and the humanitarian values being applied in handling their conditions. This will reduce the possibility of new employees feeling treated in an inhumane manner as was the case for George with regard to the issue of his bonus pay and performance after the first project. Also, the company can build affective commitment in new consultants by ensuring that the new employees are helped to understand the past, present and future of the company as fast as possible (Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2010, p. 49). This means that the company should ensure that key issues regarding pay, performance expectations and working culture are communicated to the new employees fast and clearly in order to avoid uncertainty. Further, ABC should incorporate values of trust and employee involvement in the company’s organisational culture and practices. Enhancing employee involvement within an organisation demonstrates trust for both the organisation and new employees (Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2010, p. 56). Such a strategy will help new employees develop trust for their seniors and, in the process, have a sense of job security that will discourage them from leaving the company early. Lastly, in order for ABC to enhance affective commitment in its new employees, it should develop a culture of shared values in its employees. Such an approach will enhance the level of commitment in new employees by helping them develop congruence between their personal values and the expected performance in the company (Nohria, Groysberg & Lee, 2008, p. 7). On the other hand, stressful conditions at the work place contribute to decreased job satisfaction among employees, which may influence the rate of employee turnover (Ranganayakulu 2005, p. 238). Because of this, ABC should seek to retain new consultants who join the company by removing or reducing conditions that cause work-related stress to employees. For the case of George, it can be seen that his condition was a result of two categories of stress: work overload and task control. By implementing strategies that reduce the need to work intensely beyond individual abilities as well as helping new consultants develop control over how and when their tasks are done, ABC can reduce instances of burnout and frustration, which contribute to low job satisfaction among its new employees. Incorporating such a support mechanism within the practice of the company will also help new employees not only develop the vital balance between their work and personal lives but also have a sense of control and responsibility over the tasks that they handle. References Carducci, B. J. (2009). The Psychology of Personality. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons. Hellriegel, D. & Slocum, J. W. (2007). Organizational Behaviour. New York: Cengage Learning Lussier, R. N. (2011). Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development, 5th ed.: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development. New York: Cengage Learning Mills, J. C. H., Bratton, J., Forshaw, C. & Mills, A. J. (2007). Organizational Behaviour in a Global Context. Ontario: Broadview Press. Mullins, L. J. (2005). Management and Organizational Behaviour. London: Prentice Hall. Retrieved 26 August 2013, from: http://licf.ronaldboadi.com/ebooks/0273688766.pdf Nohria, N., Groysberg, B. & Lee, L. (2008). Employee motivation: A powerful new model. Harvard Business Review, 1 – 8. Retrieved 26 August 2013, from: http://www.stanford.edu/group/designx_lab/wikiupload/b/bb/HBR_Employee_Motivation.pdf Pomsuwan, S. (2007). Organizational Behaviour: Theories and Concepts. Bangkok: Bangkok University Press. Ranganayakulu, K. C. S. (2005). Organizational Behaviour. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers. Srivastava, S. K. (2005). Organizational Behaviour and Management. New Delhi: Sarup and Sons. Wagner, J. A. & Hollenbeck, J. R. (2010). Organizational Behaviour: Securing Competitive Advantage. New York: Routledge. Read More