BHUMIKA VERMA

:OB ANSWERS:
MCQ:-
1. Human behavior
2. Technology
3. True
4. Negatively
5. All of above
6. Supportive
7. Career concerns
8. Status and recognition
9. Y theory
10. Authority
11. Autocratic
12. Job enlargement
13. Behavior
14. Perception
15. Substantive
16. Job enrichment
17. Job enrichment
18. Analyzing
19. Event
20. Stress management
 21. Eustress
22. All of these
23. Alarm,resistance and exhaustion
24. Diagnoses the problem
25. The problem solving style
26. Time consuming
27. Both A and B
28. value
29. Realization

SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS:-

1. Organizational Behavior (OB) can be defined as the
understanding, prediction and management of human behavior both
individually or in a group that occur within an organization. Internal
and external perspectives are the two theories of how organizational
behavior can be viewed from an organization's point of view.
Challenges and Opportunities of Organizational Behavior:-
1. Improving People’s Skills: – Technological changes, structural changes, environmental
changes occur at a rapid pace in the business sector. Unless employees and executives are
equipped to have the necessary skills to adapt to those changes, targeted goals may not be
achieved in a timely manner. These are two different categories of skills – managerial skills
and technical skills. Some of the managerial skills include listening skills, motivational skills,
planning and organizing skills, leading skills, problem solving skills, decision making skills.
These skills can be enhanced by conducting a range of training and development
programmes, career development programmes, induction and socialisation.
2. Improving Quality and Productivity: – Quality is the extent to which customers or users
believe that the product or service exceeds their needs and expectations. For example, a
customer who buys an automobile has a certain expectation, one of which is that the
automobile will start when the engine is started. If the engine does not start, the customer’s
expectations will not be met and the customer will find the quality of the car to be poor. The
major dimensions of quality are as follows: –
o Performance: -Primary rating characteristics of a product such as signal coverage, audio
quality, display quality, etc.
 o Features: – Secondary features, additional features, such as calculator, and alarm clock
features in the handphone
o Conformity: – meeting specifications or industry standards, the degree of workmanship
to which the product’s design or operating characteristics match pre-established
standards
o Reliability: – The probability of a product falling out within a specified period
2.
o Durability: – It is a measure of the life of a product having both economic and technical
dimensions.
o Services: – Problem and complaints resolution, Ease of repair
o Feedback: – Human-to-human interfaces, such as Courtesy of Dealer « Aesthetics:
Sensory features such as exterior finishes.
o Reputations: – Past performance and other abstractions, such as being in the first place.
More and more managers are facing challenges to meet the specific needs of customers.
To improve quality and productivity, they are implementing programs like total quality
management and reengineering programs that require extensive employee participation.

3. Total Quality Management (TQM): – Total Quality Management (TQM) is a philosophy of

management driven by continuous achievement of customer satisfaction through
continuous improvement of all organizational processes. The components of TQM are: –
o an intense focus on the customer,
o concern for continuous improvement,
o improving the quality of what the organization does,
o accurate measurement and,
o Empowerment of employees.
4. Managing Workforce Diversity: – It refers to employing different categories of employees
who are heterogeneous in terms of gender, caste, ethnicity, affiliation, community,
physically disadvantaged, elderly people etc. The primary reason for employing a
heterogeneous range of employees is to harness talent and potential, harness innovation, to
achieve synergistic effects among the divorced workforce. In general, employees wanted to
maintain their personal and cultural identity, values, and lifestyle, even if they were working
in the same organization with similar rules and regulations. The biggest challenge for
organizations is to become more accommodating to different groups of people by
addressing their different lifestyles, family needs and work styles.
5. Responding to Globalization: – Today’s business is mostly market-driven; wherever the
demands exist irrespective of distance, locations, climatic conditions, the business
operations are expanded to gain their market share and to remain in the top rank, etc.
Business operations are no longer restricted to a particular locality or region. The
company’s products or services are spreading across the nations by using mass
communication, internet, fast transportation etc. More than 95% of Nokia handsets are sold
outside their home country of Finland, Japanese cars are being sold in different parts of the
world, Sri Lankan tea is exported to many cities across the world, Garment products from
Bangladesh are exported to USA and EU countries. Executives of multinational corporations
are very dynamic and move more frequently from one subsidiary to another.
6. Empowering People: – The main issue is to delegate more power and responsibility to the
lower-level cadre of employees and to provide more freedom to make choices regarding
their schedules, operations, procedures and method of solving problems related to their
work. Encouraging employees to participate in work-related decisions will significantly
 increase their commitment to work. Empowerment is defined as putting employees in
charge of the work they do by gaining some kind of ownership. Managers are going far
ahead by allowing employees complete control over their work. The movement implies
constant change, with an increasing number of organizations using self-managed teams,
where workers largely work without bosses.
7. Coping with Temporariness: In recent times, product life cycles are shortening, operating
methods are improving, and fashion is changing very rapidly. In those days, managers were
required to undertake major transformation programs once or twice a decade. Today,
change is an ongoing activity for most managers. The concept of continuous improvement
refers to continuous change. In the old years, there used to be a long period of stability and
sometimes interrupted by a short period of change, but at present, the change process is an
ongoing activity due to competition in developing new products and services with better
features. Everyone in the organization today is facing permanent impermanence. The actual
work to be done by the workers is in a permanent state of flow. Hence, workers need to
constantly update their knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of the new job.
8. Stimulating Innovation and Change: – Today’s successful organizations must foster
innovation and master the art of change; Otherwise, they will become candidates for
extinction over time and disappear from their field of business. Wins will go to
organizations that maintain flexibility, continually improve their quality, and beat the
competition with a constant stream of innovative products and services in the market place.
For example, Compaq was successful in making more powerful personal computers than
EBNM or Apple for the same or less money, and in getting their products to market faster
than larger competitors.
9. The Emergence of E-Organisation & E-Commerce: – It refers to business operations
involving electronic mode of transaction. This includes presenting products on websites and
filling orders. Most of the articles and media attention given to using the Internet in business
has focused on online shopping. The process involves marketing and selling of goods and
services on the Internet. In e-commerce, the following activities are happening quite
frequently – with a tremendous number of people shopping on the internet, business houses
setting up websites where they can sell goods, following transactions such as receiving
payments and fulfilling orders.
10. Improving Ethical Behavior: – Complexity in business operations is forcing the workforce
to face ethical dilemmas where they need to define right and wrong conduct to carry out
their assigned activities. For example, should employees of a chemical company blow the
whistle if they uncover that its untreated waste in the river is polluting its water resources?
Do managers give an inflated performance appraisal to an employee of their choice,
knowing that such an appraisal could save that employee’s job? The basic rules governing
the components of good ethical behavior are not clearly defined, separating right things
from bad behavior becoming more blurred. It has become a common practice to follow
unethical practices such as successful executives who use insider information for personal
financial gain, employees in competing businesses participating in mass cover-ups of
defective products, etc.
11. Improving Customer Service: – OBs can contribute to improving organizational
performance by showing how employee attitudes and behaviors are correlated with
customer satisfaction. In that case, the service must first be production-oriented, using
technological opportunities such as computers, internet, etc. We also need to provide sales
service and also after-sales service in order to improve customer service.
12. Helping Employees Balance Work-Life Conflicts: – In the 1960s or 1970s, normal
workers showed up at the workplace from Monday to Friday and worked 8 or 9 hours a day.
Workplaces and hours were specified. This is no longer true for a large part of today’s
workforce. Employees are increasingly complaining that the line between work and non-
work time has become blurred, leading to personal conflict and tension. Several forces have
contributed to the blurring of the lines between the working life and personal life of the
employees, such as
o The creation of global organizations means that their world never sleeps. For example,
at any given time and on any given day, there are thousands of General Electric
employees working somewhere.
o Communication technology allows employees to do their jobs at home, in their cars or
on the beach in Cox’s Bazar.
o Organizations are asking employees to work longer hours.
o In the end, fewer families have only one breadwinner. Today’s married worker is usually
part of a couple with a dual career. This makes it difficult for married employees to find
time to meet commitments to the home, spouse, children, parents, and friends.
o Today’s married worker is usually part of a couple with a dual career. This makes it
difficult for married employees to find time to meet commitments to the home, spouse,
children, parents, and friends. Employees are increasingly recognizing that work is
squeezing personal lives and they are not happy with it.
13. Flattening World: Thomas Friedman’s book The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the
Twenty-First Century outlines that the Internet has “flattened” the world and created an
environment in which more access to information is needed. There is a level playing field.
This access to information has led to an increase in innovation, as knowledge can be shared
quickly across time zones and cultures. It has also created intense competition, as the pace
of business is getting faster and faster all the time. In his book Wikinomics, Don Tapscott
notes that large-scale collaboration has changed the way people work, how products are
made, and the ability of people to work without ever meeting.

2.
Motivation is essentially the underlying drive of individuals to accomplish tasks and goals.
There are many factors that can influence employee motivation including organizational
structure, integrity of company operations, and company culture. In the workplace, it is
especially important to motivate employees so that they meet their full potential. Whether
you’re a manager with decades of experience or a new hire finishing their first week on the
job, motivation is a vital element that can help retain good employees and let them reach
their full potential.
Maslow’s Need Hierarchy theory provides an understanding of the complex phenomenon of
motivation. According to Maslow, within each individual there exists a set of five needs that
can be arranged in a hierarchy. Knowledge of these needs helps the manager in
understanding the behaviour of employees. With identification of the needs of the
employees, appropriate motivation can be provided to them.
Assumptions
Maslow’s theory is based on the following assumptions.
 (i) People’s need influences their behaviour.
(ii) Needs of the individuals can be arranged in a hierarchical order.
(iii) An individual can move to a higher level need only when the lower level need in the
hierarchy is satisfied.
(iv) Once a need is satisfied, an individual can be motivated only through the next higher
level need.
Theory
The following is the hierarchy of needs as given by Maslow.
1. Physiological Needs: Such needs comprise of essential requirements for sustenance of
life. They are at the top of the hierarchy. The fulfilment of these needs is necessary for
survival. For example, food, clothing, shelter are physiological needs. An employee requires
a certain basic salary for the satisfaction of these needs.
2. Security Needs: These needs relate to physical and economic security and well being. For
example, an employee desires job security, income stability, etc.
3. Belongingness Needs: Such needs comprise of the social needs of an individual such as
affection, acceptance, companionship, etc. as every individual yearns for social acceptance
and belongingness.
4. Esteem Needs: These needs include such elements as respect, dignity, recognition, etc. as
every individual wants to command respect and acknowledgement in the peer group.
5. Self-Actualisation Needs: This need refers to achieving what one aims or aspires. It is the
highest level need in hierarchy. For an employee such needs relate to growth, work
satisfaction, etc.
Maslow’s theory is widely appreciated and is used as basis for motivation by the managers.
However, sometimes it can happen that needs of an individual do not follow the exact order
of hierarchy. Nevertheless an understanding of the needs as given by Maslow helps the
managers in practicing efficient motivation.

3.
Leadership can be defined as the ability of the management to
make sound decisions and inspire others to perform well. It is the
process of directing the behavior of others towards achieving a
common goal. In short, leadership is getting things done through
others.

1. Koontz and O’Donnell, Leadership is the ability of a manager to

induce subordinates to work with confidence and zeal.
2. Dubin, R.Leadership is the exercise of authority and making of
decisions.

Nature and Characteristics of Leadership:

An analysis of the definitions cited above reveals the
following important characteristics of leadership:
1. Leadership is a personal quality.

2. It exists only with followers. If there are no followers, there is no

leadership?

3. It is the willingness of people to follow that makes person a leader.

4. Leadership is a process of influence. A leader must be able to

influence the behaviour, attitude and beliefs of his subordinates.

5. It exists only for the realization of common goals.

6. It involves readiness to accept complete responsibility in all

situations.

7. Leadership is the function of stimulating the followers to strive

willingly to attain organizational objectives.

8. Leadership styles do change under different circumstances.

9. Leadership is neither bossism nor synonymous with; management.

4.
An employee counselling session is a meeting between the supervisor
and the employee which may focus on a specific incident, a particular
aspect of an employee’s performance which the supervisor has
identified as needing improvement, or the employee’s overall
performance or conduct.Employees may become frustrated and
stressed due to personal or family problems, office politics,
deadlines, targets, etc. This reduces their productivity greatly and
also affects their team spirit and the overall work environment.
Now-a-days, organizations have realized the importance of having a
motivated and stress-free workforce. Employee counselling has
emerged as the latest HR tool to attract and retain the best
employees and increase the quality of the workforce. In today’s fast-
paced corporate world, there is virtually no organization free of
stress or has employees who are stress-free. The employees can be
stressed, depressed, suffering from too much anxiety arising out of
workplace related issues like managing deadlines, meeting targets,
lack of time to fulfil personal and family commitments, or bereaved
and disturbed due to some personal problems.

Employee Counselling – Characteristics

Main Characteristics of Employee Counselling are:

(a) Service offered to employees.

(b) Service is conducted in organisation.

(c) Focus is on problems faced by employees.

(d) Objective of counselling is problem solution.

(e) Employee counselling serves all concerned.

(f) Employee counselling is a continuous process.

(g) Role of counsellor is important in counselling.

(h) Half knowledge is a dangerous thing, is completed through

counselling.

5.
Stress is defined in terms of how it impacts physical and psychological
health; it includes mental, physical, and emotional strain. Stress occurs when
a demand exceeds an individual’s coping ability and disrupts his or her
psychological equilibrium. Stress occurs in the workplace when an employee
perceives a situation to be too strenuous to handle, and therefore threatening
to his or her well-being.

Stress

Symptoms of stress: Stress can manifest as various symptoms affecting

one’s body, mind, behavior, and/or emotions.

Negative or overwhelming work experiences can cause a person substantial

distress. Burnout, depression, and psychosomatic disorders are particularly
common outcomes of work-related stress. In general, individual distress
manifests in three basic forms: psychological disorders, medical illnesses,
and behavioral problems.

Psychological Disorders
Psychosomatic disorders are a type of psychological disorder. They are
physical problems with a psychological cause. For example, a person who is
extremely anxious about public speaking might feel extremely nauseated or
may find themselves unable to speak at all when faced with the prospect of
presenting in front of a group. Since stress of this type is often difficult to
notice, managers would benefit from carefully monitoring employee behavior
for indications of discomfort or stress.

Medical Illnesses
Physiological reactions to stress can have a long-term impact on physical
health. In fact, stress is one of the leading precursors to long-term health
issues. Backaches, stroke, heart disease, and peptic ulcers are just a few
physical ailments that can arise when a person is under too much stress.

Behavioral Problems
A person can also exhibit behavioral problems when under stress, such as
aggression, substance abuse, absenteeism, poor decision making, lack of
creativity, or even sabotage. A stressed worker may neglect their duties,
impeding workflows and processes so that the broader organization slows
down and loses time and money. Managers should keep an eye out for such
behaviors as possible indicators of workplace stress.

Organizational Effects of Stress

 Stress in the workplace can be, so to speak, “contagious”—low job
satisfaction is often something employees will discuss with one another. If
stress is not noted and addressed by management early on, team dynamics
can erode, hurting the social and cultural synergies present in the
organization. Ultimately, the aggressive mentality will be difficult to remedy.

Managers are in a unique position when it comes to workplace stress. As they

are responsible for setting the pace, assigning tasks, and fostering the social
customs that govern the work group, management must be aware of the
repercussions of mismanaging and inducing stress. Managers should
consistently discuss job satisfaction and professional and personal health with
each of their subordinates one on one.

6.

Causes/Sources of work stress include:

 Being unhappy in your job
 Having a heavy workload or too much responsibility
 Working long hours
 Having poor management, unclear expectations of your work, or no say in
the decision-making process
 Working under dangerous conditions
 Being insecure about your chance for advancement or risk of termination
 Having to give speeches in front of colleagues
 Facing discrimination or harassment at work, especially if your company
isn’t supportive.

ife stresses can also have a big impact. Examples of life stresses are:

 The death of a loved one

 Divorce
 Loss of a job
 Increase in financial obligations
 Getting married
 Moving to a new home
 Chronic illness or injury
 Emotional problems (depressions, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, low self-
esteem)
 Taking care of an elderly or sick family member
 Traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, theft, rape, or violence against
you or a loved one

Organizational Stressors:

Organizational stressors may relate to task demands, physical demands, role

demands, or inter-personal demands.

1. Task demands are stressors associated with the specific task or job the
person is performing. Some occupations are naturally more stressful than
others.

2. Physical demands are stressors associated with the job setting. Environ-
mental temperatures, poorly designed offices, and threats to health can lead to
stress.

3. Role demands are stressors associated with a particular position in a group

or organization. Examples are role ambiguity and the various role conflicts
that people experience in groups.

4. Inter-personal demands are stressors associated with the characteristics of

the relationships that confront people in organizations. Examples are group
pressure, personality style, and leadership style.

Stress and Burnout:

Burnout is a general feeling of exhaustion that may develop when an

individual simultaneously experiences too much pressure and too few sources
of satisfaction. The effects of burnout are mostly, constant fatigue and
feelings of frustration and helplessness.
Individual Approaches to Managing Stress:

People have different ways of managing stress. One way is exercise. Another
method is relaxation. Individuals can use time-management techniques to
help them manage time. Role management can be used to avoid role
overload, ambiguity, and conflict. Finally, people can manage stress by
developing and maintaining support groups.