1)

a. DEFINE ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (OB) AND EXPLAIN HOW IT USED IN

THE ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING.

An organization consists of individuals with different tasks attempting to accomplish a common

purpose. (For a business, this purpose is the creation and delivery of goods or services for its

customers.) Organizational behavior is the study of how individuals and groups perform together

within an organization. It focuses on the best way to manage individuals, groups, organizations,

and processes. From the smallest nonprofit to the largest multinational conglomerate, firms and

organizations all have to deal with the concept of organizational behavior. Knowledge about

organizational behavior can provide managers with a better understanding of how a firm or

organization attempts to accomplish its goals. This knowledge may also lead to ways in which a

firm or organization can make its processes more effective and efficient, thus allowing the firm

or organization to successfully adapt to changing circumstances.

Organizational setting is the method by which an organization communicates, distributes

responsibility and adapts to change. According to the Reference for Business, organizational

setting is how a company utilizes its resources to achieve its goals. A company needs to keep its

setting dynamic so that it can respond to the things that impact organizational setting. The

company that can adapt is better able to survive.

A major factor that impacts organizational setting is company growth. As a company

grows, the impact on the setting of the organization is significant. This can be especially true

when the organization begins to expand to other geographic regions and the structure of the

organization is spread out over many miles. A company may start out small, but, as time goes by,

more employees may be hired, necessitating the introduction of departmental managers to help

create a managerial structure. Additionally, an executive team may be required to run the various

aspects of the business, and there may be the need for middle managers who would report to the

managers.

Customer service is important in business, so many companies have created entire

divisions dedicated to customer service and retention. If a particular customer awards a large

contract to a company, and may need to rearrange certain parts of the company organization to

accommodate the contract. For example, there may need to be an entire sales division created

just for that customer and manufacturing may need to create a sub-process to build specialized

products as well. As the needs of customers shift, so too will the setting of the company’s

organization.

Technology can have an impact on how organization is set up and how work flows. The

Reference for Business points out that when computer networks became popular it became easier

for people to work as groups. People did not need to be in the same room, or even the same

building, to be efficient. Technology can create positions within the company and it can

eliminate positions. When filing is done electronically, there is no longer a need for as many file

clerks as once had but there is a need for a department of technicians to maintain and grow the

computer network. As technology continues to change the function of jobs in the workplace, the

landscape of organizational settings changes with it.

b. THERE ARE LOT OF CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TODAY FOR

MANAGER TO USE OB CONCEPTS. LIST AND EXPLAIN 3 SUCH CHALLENGES

AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR OB.

There are always opportunities for managers to motivate employees and ensure that they

feel empowered and ‘part of the team’. This responsibility, should it be respected, will ultimately

mean that the employees allow the company to meet its goals and succeed in the marketplace.

One of challenge and opportunities for manager to use OB concepts is in a business that is

growing a manager is becoming a role model. This mean a manager is being somebody that

employees can look up to and seek help from allows them to remain motivated and ensured that

they are doing the right things. This paternal style of leadership is generally common in small

organisations, but done right, can ensure that the business keeps hold of a team of staff who are

capable, motivated, and inspired to do everything they can to make the business succeed.

This style of leadership also means that the employees will be able to learn as they work, taking

tips from the manager who has already dealt with the same problems as them and eventually

overcome them.

Second challenge is improving quality and productivity. Toward improving quality and

productivity, managers are given opportunities in implementing programs such as TQM (Total

Quality Management) and Reengineering programs that require extensive employee

involvement. The Organizational behaviour offers important insights into helping manager work

through those programs. Organizational behavior represents relevant concepts and theories that

can help a manager to predict and explain the behavior of people at work. In addition, it also

provides insights into specific people skills that can be used on the job. Organizational Behavior

also helps at improving a manager's interpersonal skills.

Third challenge is managers are now regarded as a “coach.” In conjunction with this role

as a supportive facilitator, managers are now focusing on efficiently and effectively utilizing the

intellectual capital of an organization. Intellectual capital consists of the knowledge, expertise,

and dedication of an organization’s workforce. The management of intellectual capital is

necessary in order to get the most out of an organization’s material resources and achieve

organizational goals. In practice, managers accomplish organizational goals through the process

of defining goals, organizing structures, motivating employees, and monitoring performance and

outcomes. In performing these processes a manager often takes on several different roles. These

roles were described by Henry Mintzberg and include interpersonal roles, informational roles,

and decisional roles. Interpersonal roles are ways in which a manager works and communicates

with others. Informational roles are ways in which a manager acquires, processes, and shares

information. Decisional roles are how a manager uses information to make decisions, which

involves identifying opportunities and problems and acting on them appropriately, allocating

resources, handling conflicts, and negotiating.

2) CHOOSE 2 MOTIVATION THEORIES IN THE WORKPLACE AND DO THE

FOLLOWING:

a. DEFINE AND DESCRIBE THE THEORY.

Theory is a system of ideas intended to explain something, such as a single or collection

of facts, events, or phenomena. Typically, a theory is developed through the use of contemplative

and rational forms of abstract and generalized thinking. Furthermore, a theory is often based on

general principles that are independent of the thing being explained. Depending on the context,

the results might for example include generalized explanations of how nature works. The word

has its roots in ancient Greek, but in modern use it has taken on several different related

meanings. A theory is not the same as a hypothesis. A theory provides an explanatory framework

for some observation and from the assumptions of the explanation follows a number of possible

hypotheses that can be tested in order to provide support for, or challenge, the theory.

One modern group of meanings emphasizes the speculative and generalizing nature of

theory. For example in the arts and philosophy, the term "theoretical" may be used to describe

ideas and empirical phenomena which are not easily measurable. And by extension of the

philosophical meaning, "theoria" is also a word still used in theological contexts. As already in

Aristotle's definitions theory is very often contrasted to "practice" a Greek term for "doing",

which is opposed to theory because pure theory involves no doing apart from itself. A theory can

be "normative (or prescriptive), meaning a postulation about what ought to be. It provides "goals,

norms, and standards". A theory can be a body of knowledge, which may or may not be

associated with particular explanatory models. To theorize is to develop this body of knowledge.

B. EXPLAIN HOW EACH ONE IS APPLIED IN THE CONTEXT OF

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR.

Motivation is an important driver in an organization and is crucial to the management of

intellectual capital. Motivation underlies what employees choose to do, how much effort they

will put into accomplishing the task, and how long they will work in order to accomplish it.

Employees who are motivated will work more effectively and efficiently and shape an

organization’s behavior. A motivated workforce will have a strong effect on an organization’s

bottom line. Motivation is strongly tied to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is how individuals

feel about the tasks they are supposed to accomplish and may also be influenced by the physical

and social nature of the workplace. The more satisfied employees are with their jobs, the more

motivated they will be to do their jobs well. There are several important studies relating to

motivation. These include Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Frederick Herzberg’s study of

hygiene and motivational factors, Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y, Theory Z,

Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, J. Stacy Adams’ Equity Theory, and Reinforcement

Theory.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

In 1943 Abraham Maslow developed a theory about human motivation called the

hierarchy of needs. This theory has been popular in the United States and describes human needs

in five general categories. According to Maslow, once an individual has met his needs in one

category, he is motivated to seek needs in the next higher level. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

consists of physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and the fifth is self-

actualization.

Every employee can be motivated to work through each of these levels in the context of

organizational behavior. As they do so, this provides positive effects for each employee and the

organization. For example in physiological needs, management can offer competitive salaries to

their employees. This gives them the means to acquire the basic needs for living. This allows

employees to choose those benefits that suit them. This can includes childcare vouchers, cash

alternatives to company cars and discounted life assurance schemes. These savings and

competitive salaries help workers' pay go further and so motivate them to be loyal to the

company.

Rather than that, for the safety needs management should make sure the safety of all

employees. A company should commit to providing a safe and healthy work environment to

prevent accidents. Employees are however accountable, whereby they have to take responsibility

for observing the health and safety rules and practices. Management also should offer employees

a range of working patterns. Some may want to work part-time whereas others may want career

breaks or undertake homeworking. This helps employees to choose the best option for a healthy

work-life balance.

For the third, social needs and these are associated with a feeling of belonging. So,

companies can come out with weekly group 'huddles'. These can help in provide informal

opportunities for employees to receive and request information on any part of the business,

including sales data and company products. This helps strengthen teams and enhances workers'

sense of belonging. Having an open approach to communication keeps everybody focused on the

company’s aims and helps individuals contribute to the company. They include values such as

being positive, seeing the best in people and recognizing diversity. Companies also should

positively recognize and rewards staff achievements. Whereas for the, self-actualization

companies can provide employees with the opportunity to take on challenging and stimulating

responsibilities. For example, the business provides the opportunity for individuals to take

ownership of projects. This enables them to develop and improve.

As individuals move higher in the corporate hierarchy, they may see higher-order needs

as being more important than those of lower orders. Needs may also vary based on career stage,

organizational structure, and geographic location. The hierarchy of needs could also lack

effective application in different cultural contexts. Certain cultures may value social needs over

psychological and safety needs. In addition, the theory necessitates that a manager be able to

identify and understand an employee’s needs. This is not always easy and can lead to inaccurate

assumptions. Taken in the proper context, however, recognizing the importance of needs is a

useful method for conceptualizing factors of employee motivation and thus being able to direct

an organization’s behavior.

REINFORCEMENT THEORY

Reinforcement theory proposes that of changing someone's behavior by using

reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. Rewards are used to reinforce the behavior that we

want and punishments are used to prevent the behavior we do not want.

Extinction is a means to stop someone from performing a learned behavior. The technical

term for these processes is called operant conditioning. The fundamental concepts of this theory

are reinforcement, punishment and extinction. Reinforcement can be divided into positive

reinforcement and negative reinforcement.

How this theory can be used in working place in context of organizational behavior?

First of all, positive reinforcement occurs when you provide a positive response when an

employee behaves in an appropriate manner. For example, if an employee stays late to finish an

important project, your thanks and praise is a positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement also

can involve giving the employee some sort of reward, such as a bonus or gift card. Employees

who receive positive reinforcement may be more likely to repeat the behavior in the future,

particularly if they view expressions of thanks as genuine and spontaneous. “ALN magazine”

notes that employees are more cooperative, more enthusiastic about their jobs and more

accepting of change when achievements are recognized.

Whereas, sometime negative reinforcement also need to be used in working place.

Negative reinforcement encourages an employee to behave in a desired way by removing a

negative consequence when he meets goals or objectives. If an employee fails to meet several

deadlines, you might require him to submit a progress report every day. The employee may view

this requirement negatively, especially if he previously worked independently. When the

employee demonstrates that he can meet deadlines consistently, removing the negative

consequence of the progress reports acts as a negative reinforcement. While negative

reinforcement can be effective, positive reinforcement is more effective in achieving a long-

lasting effect in the context of organizational behavior.

Most managers want to encourage positive employee behavior such as punctuality, strong

teamwork and quality production. According to reinforcement theory, choosing one positive

attribute to target at a time and applying positive reinforcement techniques with a focus on

extinction of the negative behavior can help you turn desirable traits into strong work habits over

time. According to reinforcement theory, choosing one positive attribute to target at a time and

applying positive reinforcement techniques with a focus on extinction of the negative behavior.

Extinction occurs when you stop reinforcing behavior. As time goes by, you might feel that you

no longer need to provide the same level of positive reinforcement to an employee. You might

think that the employee should know that he’s doing a good job. When the employee no longer

receives positive reinforcement, he might feel unappreciated, which could eventually result in

decreased morale and lower productivity. According to Skinner, extinction of undesired behavior

results from the absence of positive reinforcement, not from punishment. This means offering an

incentive when work exceeds expectations, positive reinforcement, and focusing on extinction by

withholding it or withholding additional privileges when targets are not met. For example, you

might offer a bonus for sales in excess of your weekly target, a long lunch for meeting the target

and a standard lunch, withholding both the bonus and the long lunch, for failing to meet it. So, to

overcome any negative reinforcement among the employees, management should be careful

because different strategies yield different results. Rewarding a behavior, such as an excellent

performance, each time it occurs will quickly result in repeated performances. However,

rewarding the same behavior intermittently often yields even better results as employees work

harder in case the bar has been raised and is more likely to facilitate a lasting change in behavior.

Intermittent reinforcement also makes it easier to wean your employee away from her

dependence on reinforcement and turn the desired behavior into a habit. Future reinforcement

efforts can then be targeted to different behaviors with an expectation of similar results.

Praise has the greatest impact right after an employee completes a project or performs

particularly well. Make a habit of praising good work as soon as it occurs, either in person or

with a note or e-mail. If you provide a reward, make sure that it’s something that will motivate

the employee. A prime parking spot won’t mean anything to an employee who takes the train to

work. Think carefully about the behaviors you want to reinforce before you offer positive

reinforcement. The Poynter website notes that rewarding a specific behavior one day and a

contradictory behavior on another day will confuse your employees.

3)

a. WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY THE TERM A LEARNING ORGANIZATION?

Organization that acquires knowledge and innovates fast enough to survive and thrive in

a rapidly changing environment. Learning organizations create a culture that encourages and

supports continuous employee learning, critical thinking, and risk taking with new ideas, allow

mistakes, and value employee contributions, learn from experience and experiment, and

disseminate the new knowledge throughout the organization for incorporation into day-to-day

activities.

b. LIST THE CHARACTERISTIC OF A LEARNING ORGANIZATION.

There is a multitude of definitions of a learning organization as well as their typologies.

According to Peter Senge, a learning organization exhibits five main characteristics systems

thinking, personal mastery, mental models, a shared vision and team learning. It encourages

organizations to shift to a more interconnected way of thinking. Organizations should become

more like communities that employees can feel a commitment to. They will work harder for an

organization they are committed to.

SYSTEMS THINKING

The idea of the learning organization developed from a body of work called systems

thinking. This is a conceptual framework that allows people to study businesses as bounded

objects. Learning organizations use this method of thinking when assessing their company and

have information systems that measure the performance of the organization as a whole and of its

various components. Systems thinking states that all the characteristics must be apparent at once

in an organization for it to be a learning organization. If some of these characteristics are missing

then the organization will fall short of its goal. However O’Keeffe believes that the

characteristics of a learning organization are factors that are gradually acquired, rather than

developed simultaneously.

PERSONAL MASTERY

The commitment by an individual to the process of learning is known as personal

mastery. There is a competitive advantage for an organization whose workforce can learn more

quickly than the workforce of other organizations. Individual learning is acquired through staff

training and development, however learning cannot be forced upon an individual who is not

receptive to learning. Research shows that most learning in the workplace is incidental, rather

than the product of formal training, therefore it is important to develop a culture where personal

mastery is practiced in daily life. A learning organization has been described as the sum of

individual learning, but there must be mechanisms for individual learning to be transferred into

organizational learning.

MENTAL MODELS

The assumptions held by individuals and organizations are called mental models. To

become a learning organization, these models must be challenged. Individuals tend to espouse

theories, which are what they intend to follow, and theories-in-use, which are what they actually

do. Similarly, organizations tend to have ‘memories’ which preserve certain behaviours, norms

and values. In creating a learning environment it is important to replace confrontational attitudes

with an open culture that promotes inquiry and trust. To achieve this, the learning organization

needs mechanisms for locating and assessing organizational theories of action. Unwanted values

need to be discarded in a process called ‘unlearning’. Wang and Ahmed refer to this as ‘triple

loop learning.’

SHARED VISION

The development of a shared vision is important in motivating the staff to learn, as it

creates a common identity that provides focus and energy for learning. The most successful

visions build on the individual visions of the employees at all levels of the organization, thus the

creation of a shared vision can be hindered by traditional structures where the company vision is

imposed from above. Therefore, learning organizations tend to have flat, decentralized

organizational structures. The shared vision is often to succeed against a competitor, however

Senge states that these are transitory goals and suggests that there should also be long term goals

that are intrinsic within the company.

TEAM LEARNING

The accumulation of individual learning constitutes Team learning. The benefit of team

or shared learning is that staff grows more quickly and the problem solving capacity of the

organization is improved through better access to knowledge and expertise. Learning

organizations have structures that facilitate team learning with features such as boundary

crossing and openness. Team learning requires individuals to engage in dialogue and discussion,

therefore team members must develop open communication, shared meaning, and shared

understanding. Learning organizations typically have excellent knowledge management

structures, allowing creation, acquisition, dissemination, and implementation of this knowledge

in the organization.

c. GIVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO MANAGE STRESS

We all sometimes talk about stress, and feeling stressed, usually when we feel we have

too much to do and too much on our minds, or other people are making unreasonable demands

on us, or we are dealing with situations that we do not have control over. Stress is not a medical

diagnosis, but severe stress that continues for a long time may lead to a diagnosis of depression

or anxiety, or more severe mental health problems. You can reduce the effects of stress by being

more conscious of the things that cause it, and learning to handle them better, using relaxation

techniques as well as other lifestyle changes.

First of all, figure out where the stress is coming from. Oftentimes, when we’re stressed,

it seems like a big mess with stressors appearing from every angle. We start to feel like we’re

playing a game of dodge ball, ducking and darting so we don’t get smacked by a barrage of balls.

We take a defensive position, and not a good one at that. Instead of feeling like you’re flailing

day to day, identify what you’re actually stressed about. Is it a specific project at work, an

upcoming exam, a dispute with your boss, a heap of laundry, a fight with your family? By

getting specific and pinpointing the stressors in your life, you’re one step closer to getting

organized and taking action.

Moreover, manage your time well in order to manage your stress. This is because one of

the biggest stressors for many people is lack of time. Their to-do list expands, while time flies.

How often have you wished for more hours in the day or heard others lament their lack of time?

But you’ve got more time than you think, as Laura Vanderkam writes in her aptly titled book,

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. We all have the same 168 hours, and yet

there are plenty of people who are dedicated parents and full-time employees and who get at

least seven hours of sleep a night and lead fulfilling lives. Here are Vanderkam’s seven steps to

help you check off your to-do list and find time for the things you truly enjoy.

The third way to manage your stress is by doing the activities that makes you happy. It’s

so much easier to manage pockets of stress when the rest of your life is filled with activities you

love. Even if your job is stress central, you can find one hobby or two that enrich your world.

What are you passionate about? If you’re not sure, experiment with a variety of activities to find

something that’s especially meaningful and fulfilling. Even, exercise has been proven to have a

beneficial effect on a person's mental and physical state. For many people exercise is an

extremely effective stress buster. Meanwhile, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to manage with

stress. Make sure you have a healthy and balanced diet.

Rather than that, always try to be positive. Give yourself messages as to how well you

can cope rather than how horrible everything is going to be. "Stress can actually help memory,

provided it is short-term and not too severe. Stress causes more glucose to be delivered to the

brain, which makes more energy available to neurons. This, in turn, enhances memory formation

and retrieval. On the other hand, if stress is prolonged, it can impede the glucose delivery and

disrupt memory."

Another mind-set that can exacerbate stress is perfectionism. Trying to be mistake-free

and essentially spending your days walking on eggshells is exhausting and anxiety-provoking.

Talk about putting pressure on yourself! And as we all know but tend to forget: Perfectionism is

impossible and not human, anyway. As researcher Brene Brown writes in her book The Gifts of

Imperfection, “Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are,

Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be your best. Perfectionism is not about healthy

achievement and growth and it’s not self-improvement”.

Nothing good can come from perfectionism. Brown writes, “Research shows that

perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it’s often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction and

life-paralysis all the opportunities we miss because we’re too afraid to. put anything out in the

world that could be imperfect”. Plus, mistake-mistaking can lead to growth. To overcome

perfectionism, Brown suggests becoming more compassionate toward you.

In a conclusion, people’s tolerance of stress varies. A situation that is intolerable to one

person may be stimulating to another. What you feel is determined not just by events and

changes in the outside world, but how you perceive and respond to them. The important point is

that you can learn to recognise your own responses to stress and develop skills to deal with it

well.

4)

a. DESCRIBE 3 POSITIVE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURES AT YOUR

ORGANIZATION AND ELABORATE HOW THOSE CULTURES DISTINGUISH

YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE FROM THE COMPETITOR

Every organization has a culture. Some are more positive than others. Schools and

religious organizations have fairly positive and stimulating cultures. Even gangs have cultures

that, while positive to their members, are generally considered by the rest of society as negative.

My company has a culture too. Before getting into that, perhaps it's appropriate at this point to

define just what organizational culture is. There are many definitions. My preferred definition is

Culture is the sum total of everything that has been and continues to be on going in an

organization. Knowing the various aspects of culture can make us to clearly guide us and our

employees to a better understanding of the company goals, visions, and approaches to increased

productivity, perhaps with the use of valuable technology. Culture influences the way we think,

what we do, how we work, and what is acceptable in the company environment.

First and foremost, the great culture in my organization starts with a vision or mission statement.

These simple turns of phrase guide my organization’s values and provide it with purpose and this

help to distinguish my organization from the competitor. That purpose, in turn, orients every

decision employees make. When they are deeply authentic and prominently displayed, good

vision statements can even help orient customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Non-profits

often excel at having compelling, simple vision statements than competitor. A vision statement

can be simple but foundational element of culture. This is because "if you don't know where you

are going, you will probably end up somewhere else!" Anecdotal surveys show that the

overwhelming majority of employees are clueless about their overall company vision. While it's

true that most know they should do a good job, many are unclear about the specifics and the

nuances. Sure, the vision of the Ford Motor Company is to make cars, the local mattress factory

to produce bedding, and the accounting company to prepare your tax returns. But to what degree

of quality? And what about customer service? Where in the company environmental equation

does that fit? Surprisingly, these questions occasionally go unanswered. To help the employee

better understand the culture, the entrepreneur and the employees all need to understand

specifically where the organization is going, how it will get there, by when, and with what

degree of quality and success. Without this knowledge, the company is doomed to be an

underperformer or possible to fail from their competitor.

Rather than that, my organization also believes that clear, consistent and constant communication

termed as a hallmark of operations in any culture. To be effective, my organization practice

communication of two-way process which requires feedback and follow-up. This can make

everyone be encouraged to speak up, ask questions and seek clarification of issues to avoid

misunderstandings. Besides that, in a positive culture, everyone enjoys a sense of belonging and

involvement. Silverzweig described the ability to delegate responsibility as yet another form of

communication, a way of informing and involving others in an operation. In today's sophisticated

environment, being able to delegate responsibility may be crucial in meeting customer

expectations and deadlines, according to Silverzweig. Moreover, an "open door" policy will help

an organization to make success than their competitor. This is because such a policy along with

regular meetings that include members of management and a sampling of employees can help to

review major goals, problems, opportunities, and to make sure they can perform well with the

teamwork of management and their employees. The strong relationship and teamwork between

management and employees is important because, it help to distinguish my organization with

other competitor.

A company’s values are the core of its culture. While a vision articulates a company’s purpose,

values offer a set of guidelines on the behaviours and mind-sets needed to achieve that vision.

My company for example, has a clearly articulated set of values that are prominently

communicated to all employees and involve the way that firm vows to serve clients, treat

colleagues, and uphold professional standards. And while many companies find their values

revolve around a few simple topics the originality of those values is less important than their

authenticity. One reason many people chose to work in an organization is because of its value

honesty, pride, concern for others, independence, positive reinforcement for a job well done or

well begun. These values may be unwritten but, nevertheless, are still potent qualities that exist

to inform employees about the company, especially when a clash of values occurs. Is it more

important, for example, to get products/ information/services out the door? Is it more valuable to

complete one polished product or many that are in great shape but dull in appearance? The

confusion can lead to diminished performance. So, an organization should give an important to

the values and practice it in order to distinguish the performance of organization than the

competitor. Rather than that, this values can make an organization to satisfy their employees

where help the employees to work hard to increase the performance of the organization.

Lastly, by reviewing these attributes of corporate culture, an empowering entrepreneur can better

assess the current status of an organization with an eye to modifying or eliminating the parts that

are dysfunctional or impractical, then replacing them with qualities that will improve working

environment, productivity, and employee satisfaction.

b. HOW DOES AN ORGANIZATION CREATE A CUSTOMER-RESPONSIVE

CULTURE?

Creating an organizational culture that builds a strong and loyal customer base is

generally rewarded with revenue growth in better financial performance.

First of all, management must make the measurement of service quality and feedback

from the customer a basic part of everyone's work experience. This information must be

available and understood by everyone, no matter what their level. The entire organization must

become obsessed with what the customer wants. A printing firm has signs all over the shop

saying, "Is it good enough? Ask the customer." This statement serves as a constant reminder to

everyone that customers are the ultimate judge of whether the service is what it should be, and

that all employees must be constantly surveying customers for what and how they want it. The

firm regularly sends out questionnaires about the quality of their service and then posts these

results for all to see. When you survey your customers on the quality of service, make sure that

everyone, from the top down, knows of the results and receives recognition for the things that are

going well. Behavioral research has shown that you get more of the behavior you reward. So

don't make the mistake of mentioning only the area of poor performance; also mention and

reward those who are doing well, and involve all employees in brainstorming ways to improve

the things that are unsatisfactory.

Secondly, management should be very clear about specifying the behavior that

employees are expected to deliver, both with external customers and their coworkers.

Thirdly, management should explain to their employees why giving excellent customer

service is important not only for the company, but for the world. What does company does that

makes life easier for everyone? What does your product or service add? Be sure to include this in

the reasons for achieving customer service excellence. A good example of this principle at work

is in the field of health care. People are often drawn into this profession because they enjoy

helping and caring for people. Smart health care organizations show how their desired customer

service behaviors enable employees to help and care for the patients and their families. Reward

people for their good service behaviors. Cash awards are nice, yes, but there are many other

ways to say, "job well done." Extra time off, for instance, or an article in the company

newsletter, a trophy or plaque awarded at a special recognition dinner, tickets to special events

tied to an employee's interests, or a simple written note are all ways to reward the kinds of

behaviors you want to see more of.

Then, management should create ways to communicate excellent examples of customer

service both within and outside the company. Institute celebrations, recognition ceremonies,

logos, and symbols of the customer service culture and its values. This is where you want the

mugs, buttons, and banners. Have a customer service bulletin board to feature service incidents

that were special. Seize every opportunity to publicize the times when employees do it right. A

newsletter should be developed to boast of customer service successes so that the idea of service

is constantly in front of everyone. One company, a major utility, devoted an entire issue of the

company magazine to "24 Karat Customer Service." It featured examples of how individual

employees defined customer service, stories of humorous or unusual customer service situations,

an article on the importance of internal customer service, and other ideas designed to keep

employees aware of the importance of their efforts in achieving quality customer service.

A hospital not only touts their customer service "hero stories" in their newsletter, they

also have a giant pep rally once a quarter for everyone to share their stories. Individual teams get

together often to focus on what has gone right as well as wrong in their patient and other

customer relations. Even if you are a very small business with only a few employees, post

instances of superior customer service of your own and others that you read about. Talk about

customer service and its importance every day. Indoctrinate and train everyone in the culture as

soon as they are hired. Disney is famous for this. It puts all newcomers through a "traditions"

course that details the company history with customer relations and how it is the backbone of

Disney. Your orientation program is a key part of the ultimate success of your customer service

efforts. Make sure that it contains more than an explanation of benefits and a tour of the

facilities. It can be an important element in planting the customer service culture of the company

so it can flourish and grow.

Rather than that, management also must encourage a sense of responsibility for group

performance. This will help employees see how their performance affects others and to

emphasize the importance of "internal customer service." Help everyone to see that if you don't

serve each other well, you can never hope to serve your ultimate customer. Do accounts payable

or shipping see that the timeliness of their service to other employees makes a big difference in

how the customer is served? Does the cook realize how important it is to get the order exactly

right in the kitchen so the wait-staff can please the restaurant customer? Even something as

seemingly insignificant as returning from lunch break on time can affect the quality of the

customer service you offer by determining whether you have enough coverage to serve

employees promptly. Repeat again and again that customer service is the responsibility of

everyone in the organization, not just the "customer service department."

Management also can establish policies that are "customer friendly" and that show

concern for their customers. Eliminate all routine and rigid policies and guidelines. Knock

yourself out to be a company that is easy to do business with. Never let your customer service

representatives say, "Those are the rules I have to follow; there's nothing I can do about it."

There is always a way to satisfy the customer. You must give your employees the power to do

so.

Then, remove any employees who do not show the behavior necessary to please

customers. Too many companies allow frontline service representatives to remain on the job

when they are not suited to a customer service position. If employees do not want to serve the

customer in the best way possible, document their behaviors and use this information to help

them change or to move them to areas away from customer interaction. In order for a culture of

customer service excellence to grow and thrive, management must have a burning desire for it to

be that way and the energy to ensure that this desire spreads throughout the organization and

remains there permanently. You must become a totally customer-focused organization.

Everyone, from the top down, must believe that they work for the customer.

5)

a. YOU ARE LIKELY TO BE PROMOTED TO A SENIOR MANAGER'S POSITION.

WHAT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP STYLES YOU ARE GOING TO APPLY? WHAT

SITUATIONS DO YOU THINK THE STYLES BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO YOU?

Leadership is a very important aspect that is prominent in our professional life. If a team

is led by an effective good leader, the team is more likely to perform well as per the expectations

of the project. On the other hand, if the leader is a person who just issues orders and commands

the tasks to be done, the team is demotivated and does tend to perform less than they actually

can. If you are a working professional, you might have got an idea about the types of leadership

styles and techniques. The working and managing style of a leader plays a very important part in

making the leadership role effective.

There are various managers who adopt different leadership styles and methods for

employee and process management. Each leadership style has its own methods, behavior, effects,

and aspects. Participative leadership is a very significant leadership style that is most beneficial

to employees, managers alike. This is way when I am promoted to a senior manager’s position I

would like to apply participative or well known as democratic leadership style in my working

place.

As the name suggests, this leadership style relates to a method of having things done by

involving team members in goals setting and decision making. Since there is an involvement of

team members and employees in being a part of the management, this is by far the most useful

management style in the business world. Though there is employee participation, the leader is

handed over the responsibility of taking the final decision. In this corporate leadership style, the

manager works with the team and not over the team, which is why he can determine even the

minutest errors of the processes that have to be executed.

As a senior manager I can improve the morale of a workplace by using a participative

leadership approach. This is because employees will feel more engaged when they have a voice

in business decisions and activities. When employees feel like their role is more submissive and

restricted, they have more of a tendency to withdraw and focus on task completion. Participative

management gives employees the sense that they are also key stakeholders in the evolution of the

department or company.

Moreover, participative leadership often goes hand-in-hand with a team-oriented

workplace. In both cases, the point is to get employees to open up and share ideas and discuss

perspectives on those ideas before making decisions. As a senior manager when I have a

participative atmosphere, employees more easily develop the attitude that their voice matters.

When they collaborate in functional or project work teams, their discussions and activities mirror

those of the participative culture. Employees also can share ideas and discuss conflicts openly.

Innovative thinking is often fostered in a culture of participative leadership. Employees in

this environment recognize that their ideas and feedback are not only appreciated, but often put

into action. In fact, I as a senior manager will reward employees that come up with new product

or service ideas or alternative ways for companies to grow revenue or mitigate costs. This is

because, entrepreneurial-minded employees can work in a participative culture and make use of

their creativity and entrepreneurship without the risks of going it alone in business.

Rather than that, employee self-worth tends to peak when they feel the work they do has

high value to the organization and its customers or clients. This is more likely when employee

input is used even in high-level decisions. This can even make the employees tend to buy-in to

the company more when their voices are heard. This is especially important in retail

organizations, where employees have regular and direct contact with customers. And I am as a

senior manager wants my employees to feel empowered and important to improve commitment

and focus to customers.

Whether you are managing a team at work, captaining your sports team or leading a

major corporation, your leadership style is crucial to your success. Consciously, you will no

doubt use some of the leadership styles featured below, at least some of the time. By

understanding these leadership styles and their impact, you can become a more flexible, better

leader.

b. EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONFLICT THAT OCCUR IN AN

ORGANIZATION.

Conflict amongst people is as old as Adam and Eve and Cain and Able. As long as

human beings are together there will be conflict or at least the potential of conflict will exist.

Obviously, we as a species have survived dealing with conflict. Not only have we survived; we

have grown and matured. People’s relationships in many cases become better by dealing with

conflict. Trust is built, relationships strengthened, and great things accomplished. But what is

conflict and how can it turn out to be healthy?

There are several definitions in the research for conflict, such as “a process of social

interaction involving struggle over claims to resources, power and status, beliefs, and other

preferences and desires” or “disagreements and frictions among the team members generated by

perceived incompatibilities or divergence in perceptions, expectations, and opinions”. Though

these definitions cover broad ideas of conflict they lack certain key components such as conflict

eliciting emotion, they minimize the relationship aspects, and do not cover communication issues

as a key contributors. These three items will be important later on in the blog to help understand

best practices for resolution.

There are three types of conflict occur in an organization. Thompson’s (2011) examines

three conflict types when it comes to team conflict: Relationship, task, and process. Before

leadership in an organization can deal with conflict it first must determine which type of conflict

they face. The process of resolution and the steps necessary will be dependent upon this

diagnosis. After the type of conflict is diagnosed the leader must also determine if there are

factors around culture present driving conflict, the level of proportion and perception around the

conflict and whether or not the conflict is real or symbolic (Thompson, 2011). All of these things

must be examined closely to determine the approach necessary to work through healthy conflict

resolution.

The first type of conflict that is examined is relationship conflict. Relationship conflict is

also called affective, emotional, or type A (Thompson, 2011). This piece will use relationship

and affective interchangeably throughout the writing dependent upon the source being cited.

Relationship conflict is people based, personal in nature, and often involves issues around ego,

gender, culture, or title. Another other area that will be examined in a future piece is simple

personality differences that can lead to relationship-based conflicts. The examination of

relationship conflicts is important for leaders in understanding team development and conflict

resolution approaches.

Relationship conflict is the area that most managers and leaders struggle with and often

times try to avoid. Relationship or affective conflict is dysfunctional and has the greatest long

term negative effects on teams. According to research, affective conflict has the result in

members of the team withdrawing from those things that assist in reaching team effectiveness.

They also show that creativity and quality are lost due to the lack of different perspectives not

occurring from the necessary open discussions. It therefore becomes imperative that managers

and leaders not avoid relationship conflicts but recognize them early on and have the necessary

tools to help members reach resolution.

The second type of conflict that is discussed by Thompson (2011) is task conflict or

cognitive conflict. Task or cognitive conflict is not about personal related issues but rather occur

around plans, ideas, or projects. In their research on team diversity, conflict, and trust, Cureu and

Schruijer (2010) add viewpoints and opinions to the reasons for task conflict. The key difference

is the depersonalized aspects of task conflict allow for greater diversity in opinions and ideas.

The third type of conflict that is mentioned by Thompson (2011) is process conflict. This

type of conflict will be the least examined but bears mentioning. Like task conflict, process

conflict does not have the personal aspects that are found in relationship conflict. The difference

in process conflict from task conflict is that the conflict does not exist in the task but rather in the

approach to handling the task. The conflict is the result of disagreements on how to achieve the

goals and who is responsible for what part (Thompson, 2011). We will group process conflict

into task conflict because both lack a personal nature but deserved mentioning and clarification.

Processes will become much more important in determining the success of resolution.

The research is clear on the subject of functionality of conflict on team performance.

Both relationship and task conflicts have negative effects on team performance (De Dreu &

Weingart, 2003). Relationship conflict interferes with team members’ ability to give full effort

on a task because of spending time worrying about threat, struggling for leverage of power, and

reconciling relationship issues (Thompson, 2011). The emotion associated with relationship

conflict also pulls people further from their neo-cortex and interferes with a member’s ability to

process information at a cognitive level. When relationship conflict reaches higher levels of

emotion it can lead members to disassociate from the group or become out rightly defiant with

their behaviour.

Task or cognitive conflict has been shown in some studies to have a positive effect on

team performance. Quotes include, “Conflict itself, especially when innovative alternatives are

being analysed and challenged, is a necessary ingredient in the creative process”, “much of the

functional outcomes of conflict arise from cognitive conflict because it occurs as team members

examine, compare and reconcile differences of opinions and perspectives”. The key is balancing

the task conflict to avoid it from becoming relationship conflict.

“How conflict is managed within the group can bring out the best or the worst of team-

oriented organizations” (Appelbaum & Shapiro, 1999, p. 60). The key to successfully utilizing

the benefits of task conflict while reducing the unhealthy relationship conflicts rests in building

healthy relationships at an early stage in teams. By developing principles of healthy relationships

into teams conflicts can arise around differences in tasks and procedures but still not have a

negative impact by turning into relationship conflicts that threaten to splinter teams. According

to Appelbaum and Shapiro (1999) managers spend twenty percent or more of their time either

trying to avoid or dealing with conflict. If leaders and managers would spend this time

developing trusting relationships amongst team members, educating them on personality styles

and role modelling healthy relationship characteristics, they would see the benefits that come

with good healthy task conflict.