Organizational Behavior - Development

Organizational Development is a field of research, theory, as well as practice

devoted to expanding the knowledge and effectiveness of how people
accomplish successful organizational change and performance.

Organizational development is not an overnight transformation that can be

done in an organization, rather it is a gradual process that has to be
executed systematically and by taking care of the external environment.

Organization Development Techniques

Companies adopt organizational development technique to modify the
behavior of people who are resisting change. It is a program to bring a
change in the values, norms, attitudes, perception, and behavior of people
and improve the quality of inter-personal relations. Some of the major
organizational development techniques are

Sensitivity technique

Survey feedback

Process consultation

Team building

Intergroup development

Now let us have a look at all these techniques.

Sensitivity Technique
Here sensitivity refers to the psychological aspect of human mind that has
to be shaped to act as expected by the group. In this technique, ones own
weakness is exposed and members understand how others react towards
them. Stress is on group dynamics and tackling inter-relationship disputes.
The idea is to improve the behavior of people in order to maintain smooth
inter-personal relationship without any power or influence. Members are
motivated to have an open, heart-to-heart talk to develop mature
relationship. Sensitivity training borders on psychotherapy where the
emotions as well as body language are considered.

Survey Feedback
In this technique, the discrepancies among a group are weeded out using
questionnaires, which identify the difference in perception amongst the
same working family, group or department. The collected data is then
tabulated and distributed for further deliberations. This acts as the basis for
further discussions and the discrepancies if any can be sorted out by open
discussions with all concerned, defending and opposing till a consensus is
reached. This technique mainly focuses on ideas and not on persons who
put up those ideas.

Process Consultation
In this technique, a firm may either seek the support of experts from within
the firm or from outside. The firm must check that process consultation is
done through an external expert with the needed support provided by the
authorities from within the organization.

Team Building
In this technique, attempts are made at the group or inter-group level. The
main objective is to improve co-ordination thereby improving the
performance as a group. This can be done by goal setting, development of
inter-personal relations, role analysis to identify roles and responsibilities
and team process analysis.

Intergroup Development
Inter group development technique attempts to change the perceptions of
groups about themselves or about other groups. This can be done by
organizing independent group meeting, developing a list consisting of
perception of itself, views about other departments and how others view
them, trying to understand and resolve the actual cause of conflicts, or sub
grouping the groups to remove difference in perceptions and impressions
that groups have about each other.

Organizational Behavior - Change

Organizational change can be defined as the alteration in structure,

technology or people in an organization or behavior by an organization.
Here we need to note that change in organizational culture is different from
change in an organization. A new method or style or new rule is
implemented here.

An organizational change occurs due to two major factors namely

External factor External factors are those factors that are present outside
the firm but force the firm to change or implement a new law, rule etc. For
example, all banks are bound to follow the rules laid down by the RBI.

Internal factor Internal factors are those factors that are caused or
introduced inside an organization that forces a change. For example, no
smoking in the workplace.

Kurt Lewins Force Field Analysis

Kurt Lewin, is a noted organizational theorist, who proposed the force field
analysis for organizational change. In this theory, he has prioritized two
factors for change in an organization, namely

Driving force Driving force can be defined as an organizational force that

makes a change with respect to structure, people and technology. In short, it
drives the organization from one culture to another.

Restoring force Restoring force is the force which changes the culture from
the existing state to the old state. It indicates a backward motion while the
driving force indicates a forward motion.
Importance of Organizational Change
There is a need of change in an organization because there is always a hope
for further development, and in order to survive in a competitive market,
the organization needs to be updated with changes. However, we have
listed some reasons to explain why changes are deliberately made and
carefully planned by the organization before implementation.

It improves the means to satisfy the economic requirements of people.

It enhances the profitability of organization.

It promotes employee satisfaction and well-being.

Planned Change
We can define planned change as any kind of alteration or modification
which is done in advance and differently for improvement.

The Need for Planned Change

Planned change takes places in an organization when there is a demand for

change due to two types of forces. These forces are grouped into internal
sources and external sources.

Internal forces that lead to a planned change in an organization include

obsolescence of production and service, new market opportunities, new
strategic direction, increasing workforce diversity, and shift in socio-cultural
values.

External forces that lead to a planned change in an organization include

regulators, competitors, market force, customers, and technology. Each of
these forces can create pressing demand for change in small or big, public
or private, business or non-business organizations.
Process of Planned Change

Once the management decides to implement some changes in the

organization, it needs to be done carefully as it is a very sensitive issue. It
is very important for all the employees to adapt to change. According to
Kurt Lewin, the planned organizational change is implemented in three
different stages. They are

Unfreezing In this stage, the organization studies if the change is required or

not, what and why is the change necessary. Considering the entire situation, the
organization decides for appropriate change. Thus a plan and strategy is
formulated as required.

Changing In this stage, the organization executes the plan and program for
change. For this purpose, proper precautions are taken in order to maintain
cooperation and coordination between the employees and management,
avoiding miscommunication or disputes. Adequate supervision and control is
arranged as needed.

Refreezing This is the final stage, in order to bring organizational change. By

way of supervision, the organization tries to evaluate the effectiveness of
change. Collecting all this information, the management interprets whether to
continue or replace change by some other alternatives or to make further minor
changes.

Types of Planned Change

On the basis of a companys requirement planned change is classified into
three types. They are

Change in structure

Change in technology

Change in people
Change in Structure

We say that the planned change required is change in structure when

development is required in these following areas

Change in management

New management

Change in position or location

Change in objective, rules, regulations etc.

Launching new branches

Change in Technology

We say that the planned change required is change in technology when

development is required in these following areas

Need of office automation

Installing new hardware and software

Executing new working procedures

New methods in production function

Producing new products and devices

New training, research and development program

Change in People

We say that the planned change required is change in people when

development is required in these following areas

New candidate requirement

Promotion or demotion
 Transfer to other location

Suspension or dismissal

Deputation

Training and development

What is Group Dynamics?

Group dynamics deals with the attitudes and behavioral patterns of a group.
Group dynamics concern how groups are formed, what is their structure and
which processes are followed in their functioning. Thus, it is concerned with
the interactions and forces operating between groups.

Group dynamics is relevant to groups of all kinds both formal and informal. If
the UPA government has set up Group of Ministers for every governance
issue, the Supreme Court of India has 27 Group of Judges committees
overseeing all manner of non-judicial work in the apex court. In an
organizational setting, the term groups are a very common and the study of
groups and group dynamics is an important area of study.

What is A Group?

Every organization is a group unto itself. A group refers to two or more people
who share a common meaning and evaluation of themselves and come
together to achieve common goals. In other words, a group is a collection of
people who interact with one another; accept rights and obligations as
members and who share a common identity.
Characteristics of a Group:

Regardless of the size or the purpose, every group has similar

characteristics:

(a) 2 or more persons (if it is one person, it is not a group)

(b) Formal social structure (the rules of the game are defined)

(c) Common fate (they will swim together)

(d) Common goals (the destiny is the same and emotionally connected)

(e) Face-to-face interaction (they will talk with each other)

(f) Interdependence (each one is complimentary to the other)

(g) Self-definition as group members (what one is who belongs to the group)

(h) Recognition by others (yes, you belong to the group).

Process/Stages of Group Development/Evolution:

Group Development is a dynamic process. How do groups evolve? There is a

process of five stages through which groups pass through. The process
includes the five stages: forming, storming, forming, performing, and
adjourning.
Forming:

The first stage in the life of a group is concerned with forming a group. This
stage is characterized by members seeking either a work assignment (in a
formal group) or other benefit, like status, affiliation, power, etc. (in an informal
group). Members at this stage either engage in busy type of activity or show
apathy.

Storming:

The next stage in this group is marked by the formation of dyads and triads.
Members seek out familiar or similar individuals and begin a deeper sharing of
self. Continued attention to the subgroup creates a differentiation in the group
and tensions across the dyads / triads may appear. Pairing is a common
phenomenon. There will be conflict about controlling the group.

Norming:

The third stage of group development is marked by a more serious concern

about task performance. The dyads/triads begin to open up and seek out
other members in the group. Efforts are made to establish various norms for
task performance.

Members begin to take greater responsibility for their own group and
relationship while the authority figure becomes relaxed. Once this stage is
complete, a clear picture will emerge about hierarchy of leadership. The
norming stage is over with the solidification of the group structure and a sense
of group identity and camaraderie.
Performing:

This is a stage of a fully functional group where members see themselves as

a group and get involved in the task. Each person makes a contribution and
the authority figure is also seen as a part of the group. Group norms are
followed and collective pressure is exerted to ensure the Process of Group
effectiveness of the group.

The group may redefine its goals Development in the light of information from
the outside environment and show an autonomous will to pursue those goals.
The long-term viability of the group is established and nurtured.
Adjourning:

In the case of temporary groups, like project team, task force, or any other
such group, which have a limited task at hand, also have a fifth stage, This is
known as adjourning.

The group decides to disband. Some members may feel happy over the
performance, and some may be unhappy over the stoppage of meeting with
group members. Adjourning may also be referred to as mourning, i.e.
mourning the adjournment of the group.

The readers must note that the four stages of group development mentioned
above for permanent groups are merely suggestive. In reality, several stages
may go on simultaneously.

Types of Groups:

One way to classify the groups is by way of formality formal and informal.
While formal groups are established by an organization to achieve its goals,
informal groups merge spontaneously. Formal groups may take the form of
command groups, task groups, and functional groups.

1. Command Groups:

Command groups are specified by the organizational chart and often consist
of a supervisor and the subordinates that report to that supervisor. An
example of a command group is a market research firm CEO and the
research associates under him.
2. Task Groups:

Task groups consist of people who work together to achieve a common task.
Members are brought together to accomplish a narrow range of goals within a
specified time period. Task groups are also commonly referred to as task
forces. The organization appoints members and assigns the goals and tasks
to be accomplished.

Examples of assigned tasks are the development of a new product, the

improvement of a production process, or designing the syllabus under
semester system.

Other common task groups are ad hoc committees, project groups, and
standing committees. Ad hoc committees are temporary groups created to
resolve a specific complaint or develop a process are normally disbanded
after the group completes the assigned task.

3. Functional Groups:

A functional group is created by the organization to accomplish specific goals

within an unspecified time frame. Functional groups remain in existence after
achievement of current goals and objectives. Examples of functional groups
would be a marketing department, a customer service department, or an
accounting department.

In contrast to formal groups, informal groups are formed naturally and in

response to the common interests and shared values of individuals. They are
created for purposes other than the accomplishment of organizational goals
and do not have a specified time frame. Informal groups are not appointed by
the organization and members can invite others to join from time to time.
Informal groups can have a strong influence in organizations that can either
be positive or negative. For example, employees who form an informal group
can either discuss how to improve a production process or how to create
shortcuts that jeopardize quality. Informal groups can take the form of interest
groups, friendship groups, or reference groups.

i. Interest Group:

Interest groups usually continue over time and may last longer than general
informal groups. Members of interest groups may not be part of the same
organizational department but they are bound together by some other
common interest.

The goals and objectives of group interests are specific to each group and
may not be related to organizational goals and objectives. An example of an
interest group would be students who come together to form a study group for
a specific class.

ii. Friendship Groups:

Friendship groups are formed by members who enjoy similar social activities,
political beliefs, religious values, or other common bonds. Members enjoy
each others company and often meet after work to participate in these
activities. For example, a group of employees who form a friendship group
may have a yoga group, a Rajasthani association in Delhi, or a kitty party
lunch once a month.

iii. Reference Groups:

A reference group is a type of group that people use to evaluate themselves.
The main objectives of reference groups are to seek social validation and
social comparison. Social validation allows individuals to justify their attitudes
and values while social comparison helps individuals evaluate their own
actions by comparing themselves to others. Reference groups have a strong
influence on members behavior. Such groups are formed voluntarily. Family,
friends, and religious affiliations are strong reference groups for most
individuals.

Factors Affecting Group Behaviour:

The success or failure of a group depends upon so many factors. Group

member resources, structure (group size, group roles, group norms, and
group cohesiveness), group processes (the communication, group decision
making processes, power dynamics, conflicting interactions, etc.) and group
tasks (complexity and interdependence).

1. Group Member Resources:

The members knowledge, abilities, skills; and personality characteristics

(sociability, self- reliance, and independence) are the resources the group
members bring in with them. The success depends upon these resources as
useful to the task.

2. Group Structure:

Group Size:

Group size can vary from 2 people to a very large number of people. Small
groups of two to ten are thought to be more effective because each member
has ample opportunity to take part and engage actively in the group. Large
groups may waste time by deciding on processes and trying to decide who
should participate next.

Evidence supports the notion that as the size of the group increases,
satisfaction increases up to a certain point. Increasing the size of a group
beyond 10-12 members results in decreased satisfaction. It is increasingly
difficult for members of large groups to identify with one another and
experience cohesion.

Group Roles:

In formal groups, roles are always predetermined and assigned to members.

Each role shall have specific responsibilities and duties. There are, however,
emergent roles that develop naturally to meet the needs of the groups.

These emergent roles will often substitute the assigned roles as individuals
begin to express themselves and become more assertive. Group roles can
then be classified into work roles, maintenance roles, and blocking roles.
Work roles are task-oriented activities that involve accomplishing the groups
goals. They involve a variety of specific roles such as initiator, informer,
clarifier, summarizer, and reality tester.

Maintenance roles are social-emotional activities that help members maintain

their involvement in the group and raise their personal commitment to the
group. The maintenance roles are harmonizer, gatekeeper, consensus tester,
encourager, and compromiser.

Blocking roles are activities that disrupt the group. Blockers will stubbornly
resist the groups ideas, disagree with group members for personal reasons,
and will have hidden agendas. They may take the form of dominating
discussions, verbally attacking other group members, and distracting the
group with trivial information or unnecessary humour.

Often times the blocking behaviour may not be intended as negative.

Sometimes a member may share a joke in order to break the tension, or may
question a decision in order to force group members to rethink the issue. The
blocking roles are aggressor, blocker, dominator, comedian, and avoidance
behaviour.

Role conflicts arise when there is ambiguity (confusion about delegation and
no specific job descriptions) between the sent role and the received role which
leads to frustration and dissatisfaction, ultimately leading to turnover;
inconsistency between the perceived role and role behaviour (conflict between
work roles and family roles); and conflicting demands from different sources
while performing the task.

Group Norms:

Norms define the acceptable standard or boundaries of acceptable and

unacceptable behaviour, shared by group members. They are typically
created in order to facilitate group survival, make behaviour more predictable,
avoid embarrassing situations, and express the values of the group.

Each group will create its own norms that might determine from the work
performance to dress to making comments in a meeting. Groups exert
pressure on members to force them to conform to the groups standards and
at times not to perform at higher levels. The norms often reflect the level of
commitment, motivation, and performance of the group.
The majority of the group must agree that the norms are appropriate in order
for the behaviour to be accepted. There must also be a shared understanding
that the group supports the norms. It should be noted, however, that members
might violate group norms from time to time.

If the majority of members do not adhere to the norms, then they will
eventually change and will no longer serve as a standard for evaluating
behaviour. Group members who do not conform to the norms will be punished
by being excluded, ignored, or asked to leave the group.

Group Cohesiveness:

Cohesiveness refers to the bonding of group members or unity, feelings of

attraction for each other and desire to remain part of the group. Many factors
influence the amount of group cohesiveness agreement on group goals,
frequency of interaction, personal attractiveness, inter-group competition,
favourable evaluation, etc.

The more difficult it is to obtain group membership the more cohesive the
group will be. Groups also tend to become cohesive when they are in intense
competition with other groups or face a serious external threat to survival.
Smaller groups and those who spend considerable time together also tend to
be more cohesive.

Cohesiveness in work groups has many positive effects, including worker

satisfaction, low turnover and absenteeism, and higher productivity. However,
highly cohesive groups may be detrimental to organizational performance if
their goals are misaligned with organizational goals.
Highly cohesive groups may also be more vulnerable to groupthink.
Groupthink occurs when members of a group exert pressure on each other to
come to a consensus in decision making. Groupthink results in careless
judgments, unrealistic appraisals of alternative courses of action, and a lack of
reality testing.

Evidence suggests that groups typically outperform individuals when the tasks
involved require a variety of skills, experience, and decision making. Groups
are often more flexible and can quickly assemble, achieve goals, and disband
or move on to another set of objectives.

Many organizations have found that groups have many motivational aspects
as well. Group members are more likely to participate in decision-making and
problem-solving activities leading to empowerment and increased productivity.
Groups complete most of the work in an organization; thus, the effectiveness
of the organization is limited by the effectiveness of its groups.

3. Group Processes:

Decision-making by a group is superior, because group generates more

information and knowledge, generates diverse alternatives, increases
acceptance of a solution, and increases legitimacy. But it is also true, that
decision making is like munde munde matirbhinna.
Decisions take longer time, minority is dominated, pressure is applied to
conform to group decisions, and none is responsible for the decisions. Group
processes also include communication, conflict management, and leadership
that we shall discuss in details in the chapters to follow hereafter.

Turning Groups into Effective Teams:

All teams are groups but not all groups are teams. Teams often are difficult to
form because it takes time for members to learn how to work together. People
in every workplace talk about building the team, working as a team, and my
team, but few understand how to create the experience of team work or how
to develop an effective team. Belonging to a team, in the broadest sense, is a
result of feeling part of something larger than oneself. It has a lot to do with
your understanding of the mission or objectives of your organization.

In a team-oriented environment, one contributes to the overall success of the

organization. One works with fellow members of the organization to produce
these results. Even though you have a specific job function and you belong to
a specific department, you are unified with other organization members to
accomplish the overall objectives. The bigger picture drives your actions; your
function exists to serve the bigger picture.

It is on record that teams are better than groups, because they are more
flexible and responsive to dynamic environment. A work group has no
opportunity to involve in collective works.

It is the work team whose members work intensely on a specific, common

goal using their positive synergy, individual and mutual accountability, and
complementary skills.
Team-building helps to increase intra-group and inter-group effectiveness to
bring members together, make them share their perception of each other and
understand each others point of view.

Thus, resolve problems and work together in a cooperative and collaborative

mode. Teams can be of four types problem-solving teams (only making
suggestion), self-managed, teams (operate without a manager), cross-
functional teams (a group of experts from different specialities), and virtual
team (members collaborate online). In terms of size, teams may be
institutional (comprising of hundreds of members) and operational (a small,
cooperative group, in regular contact and contributes responsibly to achieve
task at hand).

Eight Cs for Team Building:

To show business results and profitability, ways are explored by the

executives to improve their productivity.
Successful team building, that creates effective, focused work teams,
requires attention to each of the following:

1. Clear Expectations:

The managers must clearly tell the team members of the expected
performance and the team members must understand the reason for its
creation. For it the organization must support the team with resources of
people, time and money.

2. Commitment:

Team members must participate in the team, feel that the team mission is
important, and show commitment to accomplishing the team mission and
expected outcomes. Commitment will come if team members perceive their
service as valuable to the organization and to their own careers.

3. Competence:

Team members must have the knowledge, skill and capabilities, the
resources, strategies and support needed to accomplish its mission to
address the issues for which the team was formed.

4. Control:

The team must have not only enough freedom and empowerment to feel the
ownership necessary to accomplish its charter, but also the accountability.
There has to be a defined review process.
5. Collaboration:

The team should understand group processes and work effectively and
cooperatively with other members of the team. For it they have to understand
the roles and responsibilities of team members, team leaders, and team
recorders.

6. Communication:

To make team members clear about the priority of their tasks, and receive
regular feedback, team members must clearly and honestly with each other.
Diverse opinions be welcome and conflicts be taken up positively.

7. Creativity:

The team should value creative thinking, unique solutions, and new ideas; and
reward members who take reasonable risks to make improvements. If
necessary, it should provide the training, education, access to books and
films, and field trips to stimulate new thinking.
The creative development of new products, new technologies, new services,
or new organizational structures is possible because teams may have variety
of skills needed for successful innovation.

Team members can uncover each others flaws and balance each others
strengths and weaknesses. Managers should empower the team and make it
accountable for the innovation process.

8. Coordination:

Teams should understand the concept of internal customer to whom they

provide a product or a service. Team efforts need to be coordinated by a
central leadership team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for
success.

The cross- functional and multi-department teams must work together

effectively. The organization should develop a customer-focused and process-
focused orientation and move away from traditional departmental thinking.

Spend time and attention on each of these eight tips to ensure your work
teams contribute most effectively to your business success. Your team
members would love you, your business will see new heights, and
empowered people will own and be responsible to their work processes

Informal Group:

In every organisation along with formal groups there exists informal groups
which emerge naturally due to the response and common interests of the
members who can easily identify with the goals or independent activities of
the informal groups.
Sometimes the efforts may be driven by a common goal that may compliment
or work against the goals of the formal group. An informal group can be
defined as a group that evolves spontaneously, not shown in the
organizations structure, with the objective of fulfilling personal and social
need of its members.

Informal Group Vs Informal Organisation:

An informal group is a voluntary group of people casually acquainted with

each other for their own personal fulfillment because they have some common
and shared backgrounds, characteristics and concerns (values / interests /
hobbies / friendship).

Whilst it is easy to differentiate between a formal group and a formal

organisation, the differences between informal group and informal
organisation tend to be difficult. The difference between informal organization
and informal group is that informal organisation is a larger entity consisting of
all informal groups in an organization.

Informal Organisation= Sigma Informal Groups:

An informal group is the nucleus of informal organization. When an informal

group adopts a formally defined structure and group processes, it no longer
remains an informal group.

Informal Group vs. Formal Group:

The two are different in very many ways.

Characteristics of Informal Groups:

1. Creation:

It is not created by the organisation but springs up spontaneously.

2. Satisfaction of Needs:

The needs which cannot be satisfied within the framework of formal

organisation, like social and psychological needs of people, such people
create informal groups.

3. Voluntary Membership:
Nobody is compelled to join an informal organization.

4. Multi-Group Membership:

A member of an informal group can be a member of more than one informal

group to pursue different interests.

5. Systems and Processes:

Members of such groups follow their own norms, leadership, communication,

etc. to remain cohesive. The communication channels are referred to as
Grapevine. Grapevine i.e., informal channel runs very fast to spread the
information across the organization.

6. Leadership:

Every informal group has a leader, selected by the group, and who is capable
of helping to realize their goals. The moment it is realized that the leader is
incapable, (s) he is replaced with a new leader.

Reasons for the Emergence of Informal Groups:

1. People working together may come together.

2. People with similar values, beliefs, attitudes, and interests often feel
attraction to come together.

3. Need satisfaction to belong, to associate, etc.

4. Removal of monotony of routine tasks to get rid of monotony and
psychological fatigue, job-related boredom and frustration provides an
opportunity to behave in a natural and relaxed manner.

5. Promotion of other interests and pursuit of goals People join Rotary or

Lions Club to expand their contacts which may help them to satisfy their
personal goals.

Benefits of Informal Groups:

The benefits of an informal group are as follows:

1. Blending with formal group allows people to work for the formal
organisation.

2. Informal work group lightens the workload for the formal manager.

3. Brings satisfaction and stability to the organisation as a whole.

4. Provides a useful channel of communication.

5. Encourages managers to plan and act more carefully.

Limitations of Informal Groups:

The limitations are as follows:

1. Resistance to Change because they do not want to deviate from existing

norms and learn new ways.
2. Informal group provides most fertile ground for Rumour Mongering because
of maliciousness, lack of proper communication systems and processes and
ambiguous circumstances.

3. Since a member of an informal group is also a member of a formal group,

at times it creates role conflict.

4. Creativity of group member (s) is restricted because of strong pressure for

conformity applied by the group.

organizational behaviour-value
CONTANT :
CONTANT Introduction of Organization Behaviour Meaning of Value Type of values Importance of Values in an
Organization Conclusion

Introduction of Organization Behaviour :

Introduction of Organization Behaviour Organization Behaviour means OB is the study of human behavior The study
is about behavior in organization Knowledge about human behavior would be useful in improving an organization's
effectiveness

Values :
Values Values represent stable, long-lasting beliefs about what is important Values are different form Attitudes Values
are general beliefs about life Whereas attitude are directed towards specific objects, events, or people

Type of values :
Type of values Terminal Value Terminal Values are those things that we can work towards or we think are most
important and we feel are most desirable terminal values are desirable states of existence Terminal Values include
things like happiness, self respect, family security, recognition, freedom, inner harmony, comfortable life, professional
excellence, etc
Type of values:
Type of values Instrumental Value Instrumental Values are core values, permanent in nature, comprise personal
characteristics and character traits . like honesty, sincerity, ambition, independence, obedience, imaginativeness,
courageousness, competitiveness, and also some negative traits too.

Other category of Values :

Other category of Values Theoretical : Values the discovery of truth and emphasises critical and rational approach to
problem. Economic : Values utility and practicality and emphasises standard of living. Aesthetic : Values form grace
and harmony and emphasises the artistic aspects of life. Social : Values love of people and altruism and emphasises
competition and winning. Religious : Values unity and peoples relationship to the universe and emphasises high
ideals and the search for the purpose of being on earth.

Importance of Value :
Importance of Value Recruiting - Values should be the qualities we look for during job interviews. People, who
demonstrate our organizational values, should be the ones we hire. For example, if having a customer focus is one
of your company values, then asking questions about delivering would be the key. Training Every company should
include their organizational values in orientation. In fact, they should be reinforced during every company training
program. Think about the impact of being able to link company values to leadership. Performance - Performance
appraisal systems should include the companys organizational values. We should reward performance that supports
organizational values.

Importance of Value:
Importance of Value Organizational values are unique to each company. They shouldnt just be politically correct
marketing terms. Let me repeat that values shouldnt just be politically correct marketing terms . Values should
represent the culture of the business. Its okay to be competitive and profit driven. In some industries, its a
necessity. As youre starting to plan for next year, think about your organizational values and whether theyre
representative of your organization. If they are, thats great. If theyre not, could it be time for a change?

Why Values are important in an Organization? :

Why Values are important in an Organization? Every individual and every organization on this planet is involved in
making decisions on a daily basis The decisions organizations make reflects the cultural beliefs about what the
organization thinks is important. In other words, the decisions we make are a reflection of our personal and
organizational values

Continue:
C ontinue When the values of an individual are the same as the values of their organization, then there is a values
alignment . Vice versa The first step in creating values alignment is to find out what the values of employees are . The
second step is to find out how employees perceive the values of their organization Based on this information,
organizations are able to choose core values that are meaningful to all employees.
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Continue For an organization to reap the benefits of a strong set of core values, the values must be lived by the
senior people in the organization. What every employee wants, no matter where they are in the hierarchy, is to find as
much personal fulfilment as they can through their work.

Conclusion :
Conclusion Values are the ideals of an individual personal importance. However, to be successful in an organization,
managers need to learn adopted values, a set of values that are part of the organisations culture. When personal
values (intended) and organizational values (adopted) are congruent, these become highly pragmatic operative
values. Thus, they provide a frame of references for consistency in making decision and relationship with others.
Organization grows and prospers when operative values are strong.

What are Attitudes?

Mental states, developed through experience, which are always ready to exert an active
influence on an individuals response to any conditions or circumstances to which the person has
been directed

ertain regularities of an individuals feelings, thoughts and predispositions to act toward some
aspect of his [sic] environment

Secord and Backman (1969)

ABC
There are said to be three components of an attitude, which can easily be remembered using ACB.
These three components are;

Affective Component feelings of an attitude For example if a person is scared of spiders

or dogs.
Behavioural Component Predispositions to act towards an attitude. For example if the
person scared of spiders sees one, they will react and scream.
Cognitive Component Thoughts about an attitude. For example this is why they justify
their actions against the spider, believing it to be dangerous in some way.

The main point about the ABC model is that we believe a person will be consistent with the attitudes
towards things that they have. For example a person will always be scared when they see a spider.
However, this is not always true, most people have the attitude that drinking excessively will be
damaging to their health, yet despite this their behaviour around alcohol is to carry on drinking.

Attitudes in the Workplace

Attitudes come into the workplace under four different headings, these are;

Work Situation Attitude towards the actual job; pay, co-workers, working conditions, etc.
This will influence how the culture is in the company, how people see the work situation will
change their behaviours. If they believe they are not being paid enough, they may well act out
behaviourally.
Personality The way someone attitude is in the first place. Completely dependant on the
actual employee and a reason why the hiring process can be such a big part of a business, to
ensure that they hire the right personality, the right person whose attitudes and behaviours fit in
with those already working in the organisation.
Values What comes out of the work. The attitude towards the standard of work.
Social Influences What co-workers, managers etc. attitudes are like. If fellow co-
workers are lazy, then the attitude is likely to by well why should I work harder? and this will
cause the behaviour of not working hard enough just because others are.

Power - The Concept and Theory in Organizational Behavior

Power is an important dynamic (concept or variable) in organizational behavior.

Power - The Concept

Max Weber: "The probability that one actor within a social relationship will be in a position to carry out
his own will despite resistance."

Pfeffer: "The potential ability to influence behavior, to change the course of events, to overcome
resistance, and to get people to do things that they would not otherwise do."

The concept of power needs to be distinguished from authority and influence.

The concept of power needs to be distinguished from authority and influence.

Authority is the right to direct others and ask them to do things which they would not otherwise do, but
it is legitimate and is exercised in the working of organizations.

Influence is conceived as more broader and it is the ability to alter actions of other people in general
ways by changing their satisfaction criteria and thus improve their performance. Authority is different
from power because of its legitimacy and acceptance in an organizational context and leadership is
broader than power and indicates a willingness on the part of the follower to follow in the absence of
authority.

Luthans remarked that operational definition of power is still lacking.

The classifications of Power

Psychologists John French and Bertram Raven provided five categories

1. Reward power
2. Coercive power (punishment power)
3. Legitimate power
4. Referent power
5. Expert power

Contingent Explanations of Power

Power comes to people from being in the right place.

1. Power comes to people who have control over resources such as budgets, physical facilities and can
allocate them with discretion.
2. Control over access to information can give power.
3. Formal authority and legitimate power comes from organizational positions.

Some of the propositions related to power in contingent explanations are:

1. The greater the professional orientation of group members, the greater relative strength referent
power has in influencing them.
2. If the high ranking participants show less interest in managing a task, low ranking participants
obtain more power.
3. The greater the target's dependency on agent, the more targets are manipulated against their will.
4. If people are uncertain about the appropriateness or correctness of their behavior, they allow the
powerful people to manipulate them.

Politics in Organization
Modern organizations are the fertile land for the politics to thrive, this term is very often
heard from those who are working in organizations, be it large or small, public or private.
When people in the organizations transform their power into action, then they are said to be
engaged in politics. At times, it becomes one of the most disturbing elements for
employees, and they might even decide to quit the organization if the political waters get
above their heads. An employee who has a great deal of knowledge, skill & expertise, but
does not have the ability to counter the political environment, will get easily disappointed
and this will in turn affect his/her level of output.

Organization politics can be defined as the accomplishment of the individual motives and
upholding of individual interest over the organizational interest, without regard to the
impact on the organization. Although politics is generally regarded as negative and
undesirable, but politics may be both sometimes good for the organization. Politics is
inevitable in any organization.
The power play and the use of politics in the organization is demonstrated in the figure
below, where people unduly create problems in the growth of an employee. As he/she rise
up the success ladder in the career path, imposed problems comes in his or her way. Such
problems are not genuine ones but are deliberately created to pull one down and hinder
ones growth.

Having gone through the concept, let us now consider a few definitions on politics in
organizations.

Politics refers to the structure and process of the use of authority and power, to affect
definition of goals, direction and other major parameters of the organization. Decisions are
not made in a rational way, but rather through compromise, accommodation and
bargaining. -Tushman

Politics is defined as those activities that are not required as a part of ones formal role in
the organization, but that influence, or attempt to influence the distribution of advantages
and disadvantages within the organization. - Farrell and Peterson

From the above definitions, following points emerge:

1. Political behaviour rests outside the range of the requirements of the job.

2. It includes all possible attempts to control goals, criteria, or processes required for
the process of decision making.

3. It includes variety of political behaviour such as confining crucial information from

decision makers, whistle blowing, spreading rumours, leaking confidential
information, etc.

4. It involves the use of some kind of authority, power or pressure over other person or
groups.

5. Political behaviour is self-serving in nature.

Dimensions of Politics in Organizations

There are primarily two distinct dimensions of politics. These are:

1. Legitimate Political Behaviour: It refers to the normal everyday politics, for example, complaining
to your supervisor, bypassing the chain of command, forming coalition, obstructing organizational
 policies or decision through inaction or excessive adherence to rules and developing contacts
outside the organization through ones professional activities.

2. Illegitimate Political Behaviour: It can be defined as the behaviour that violates the
stated rules of game. This kind of behaviour shows the extreme political behaviour
that violates the stated rules and regulations of the organization that are pre-decided
by the people at the strategic positions. Activities like sabotage, whistle blowing,
symbolic protests, etc. are the examples of illegitimate political behaviour.

The majority of all organizational political behaviors are legitimate in nature.

Illegitimate behavior poses a real level of risk of loss to the organizational setting.

Factors Contributing To Political Behaviour

Certain factors contribute to political behavior in the organizations. Some of them can be
described as follows:

1. Lust for power - People want to acquire and enhance power so that they can
influence other people around them.

2. Discretionary power Certain positions in the organization have discretionary powers

that can be used in case of emergency. Such power rests in the hands of the position
holder. That is why people indulge themselves in politics to grab such kinds of
position.

3. Scarce resources Some resources in the organizations are scarce. Any person who
has the control over the allocation of such limited resources enjoys more power.

4. Organizational changes Changes in organization keep taking place. Whenever there

is a rearrangement of organizational policies, people in powerful position try to take
advantage and avail the opportunity to play political games to suit their interest.

5. Moving up in organization hierarchy - To rise in ones career, one has to acquire the
level of competence and learning from experience. But people generally prefer to
have a short cut and make rapid progress in moving to higher positions in the
organization. At times, they lack specific skills or abilities and try to rise through
political influence. This gives rise to political behaviour in the organization.

6. Organization culture If the organization culture is characterised by low trust, role

ambiguity, poor or biased performance evaluation system; high pressure for
performance will create a fertile ground for politicking.

7. Safeguarding oneself during downsizing - When organization downsizes to improve

its efficiency, people may engage in some sort of political actions to safeguard their
existing status quo.
The above figure depicts that there are two factors that influence the political behavior in
the organization, individual factors and the organizational factors. Individual factors include
certain traits of the individual that are likely to be related to the political behaviours.
Employees, who possess high self-monitors, regularly keep check on their performance, and
are more sensitive to the social cues. Those who have internal locus of control believe they
can control the environment and can easily manipulate things and have a very high need of
power. The Machiavellian personality is characterized by the desire to manipulate others and
acquire power in the organization. These kinds of employees are more prone to engage in
some sort of political behaviors in the organization. Also individuals high expectation of
success fosters political behavior.

Organizational Factors also give rise to the political behavior in the organization. If the
organization is characterized by low level of trust, unclear performance evaluation system,
scarcity of resources, etc. political behavior in the organization rises from low to high levels.
The outcome of the political behavior may be positive or negative depending upon the level
of politics in the organization, low or high respectively, and might induce the use of rewards
or punishments consequently.

5.4 Tactics Of Organization Politics (Power Tactics)

Both individuals and groups play politics in the organization for different reasons, like to
safeguard their level of interest, to have a greater say in the process of decision-making, or
to have a greater autonomy over the allocation of limited resources. The most commonly
used power tactics that helps to translate some power bases into a specific action are:

1. Negotiation or bargaining: This tactic involves negotiation for sharing of benefits

between the groups. Negotiating helps in avoiding the conflicts. The individual or
group with higher bargaining power is able to get more benefits than the sacrifices
made.

2. Competition for acquisition of power: Groups working in organizations compete

regularly with each other to have a greater share of scarce resources. In order to
achieve this, they often try to influence the criteria used for resource distribution.

3. Cooptation: Under this strategy, the power holder tries to associate the
representatives of other groups in decision making so as to avoid the grounds of
criticism about the misuse of power.

4. Alliance with other groups: Using this tactic, two or more groups in the organization
may form a coalition or temporary alliance on the basis of the minimum common
program. It serves as an interesting mix of competition and cooperation. Members of
such groups cooperate in order to compete with other non-group members.
5. Rational persuasion: Persuasion can be used as a political strategy to exercise
greater influence in the organization. In a persuasive attempt, people present logical
arguments and factual evidence to others to demonstrate that their request is
reasonable in nature. For example, a person who is likely to be considered for
promotion to the post of Vice President (VP) of a company, may try to prove
consistently that he/she is a deserving candidate, possesses the right skills,
knowledge and expertise for the post, is able to handle matters dealt at the VP level
with efficiency, in order to demonstrate rationally by providing evidence his/her
suitability for the post.

6. Coercion or pressure: People using coercion or pressure use warnings, repeated

demands or threats. Generally, when persuasion fails, coercive or pressure tactics
are employed. For example, on the denial of the management to accept the demands
of the trade union, the trade union might threaten to strike or slow down.

7. Control over the agenda of the meetings: A politically inclined person(s)may have
the control over deciding the agenda of the meeting. Such person(s) can easily
manipulate the things to suit their personal interest.

8. Ingratiation: It is one of the most common power tactics. People use flattery, praise
or friendly behaviour prior to making any request. It is a tactic to make someone feel
important or good before making a request to them. One can increase the chances of
success by using such tactic.

9. Personal appeals: This tactic involves asking for compliance based on friendship and
loyalty.