EXECUTIVE DIPLOMA

IN MANAGEMENT
(ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS)
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
COURSE CODE : UESM 1105
COURSE TITLE : ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
MATRIC NUMBER : USM13125
NAME : PARITHI MALAR LOKANATHAN
(013-20 202!)
LECTURER : DR T" M" CARLTON PMC# P$K# PKL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Importance of Organization Bea!ior
".0 #anageria$ %er&pecti!e& on Organizationa$ Bea!ior
".1 #anagement Function' (o$e& and S)i$$&
".2 #anageria$ Function
"." #anageria$ (o$e&
*.0 A+&enteei&m
*.1 Common (ea&on& +eind A+&enteei&m
*.1 Co&t A&&ociated ,it A+&enteei&m
*.2 Con&e-uence& of A+&enteei&m
*.* Strategie& to #anage A+&enteei&m
*.. /e!e$op an Attendance %o$ic0
*.1 Cange #anagement St0$e
*.2 Cange 3or)ing Condition&
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4Continue..5
..0 Turno!er
..1 O!er!ie,
..2 6ig7Turno!er Indu&trie&
.." Organizationa$ Cu$ture
..* Con&ideration&
6.0 %roducti!it0
2.0 (ECO##EN/ATION
8.0 (eference&
O(9ANI:ATIONAL BE6A;IO(
1.0 Introduction
Organizational behavior is an academic discipline concerned with
describing, understanding, predicting, and controlling human behavior in an
organizational environment. The field is particularly concerned with group
dynamics, how individuals relate to and participate in groups, how leadership is
exercised, how organizations function, and how change is effected in
organizational settings. When organizational behavior theory is directed
specifically at ways in which management can control an organization, it is
sometimes known as Organizational Behavior Management, or OB#.
Organizational behavior is a fairly new discipline, dating back to the early
2th century, although some experts suggest that it came into existence right
after the !.". #ivil War. Organizational behavior has evolved from early
classical management theories into a complex school of thought, and it continues
to change in response to the dynamic workforce in which today$s businesses
operate.
2.0 Importance of Organization Bea!ior
The importance of organizational behavior rests in understanding how
individuals, groups, and organizational structures interact and affect one another.
Organizational studies examine communication patterns between individuals and
groups, as well as the structure and culture of organizations. % detailed look at
workplace behavior, business culture, and organizational practices generates
greater insights about communication patterns and conflicts. "uch findings
sometimes spark solution&oriented policies and organizational change, causing
leaders to implement rewards systems, new communication methods, or
innovative management approaches.
"tudying the ways that individuals and groups interact is often critical for
explaining challenges within an organization. 'ue to fear of change, employees
may be reluctant to embrace a new piece of technology, thereby interfering with
an organization$s advancement efforts. The importance of organizational
behavior in such a situation is highlighted by an effort to understand and
effectively manage fear of change across the organization. (n this case, fine
tuning of leadership strategies may be necessary for the organization to meet
and exceed its goals. %s a solution, managers might hold one&on&one meetings
with employees, establish incentives, and)or implement training sessions to help
employees adapt to new systems.
".0 #anageria$ %er&pecti!e& on Organizationa$ Bea!ior
*irtually all organizations have managers with titles like marketing
manager, director of public relations, vice president for human resources, and
plant manager. +ut probably no organization has a position called
organizational behavior manager. The reason for this is simple organizational
behavior is not an organizational function or area. (nstead, it is best described as
a perspective or set of tools that all managers can use to carry out their ,obs
more effectively.
+y understanding organizational behavior concepts, managers can better
understand and appreciate the behavior of those around them. -or example,
most managers in an organization are directly responsible for the work&related
behaviors of a set of other people and their immediate subordinates. Typical
managerial activities in this area include motivating employees to work harder,
ensuring that their ,obs are properly designed, resolving conflicts, evaluating their
performance, and helping them set goals to achieve rewards. The field of
organizational behavior abounds with theory and research regarding each of
these functions.
!nless they happen to be #.Os, managers also report to others in the
organization /even the #.O reports to the board of directors0. (n working with
these individuals, understanding 12basic issues associated with leadership,
power and political behavior, decision making, organization structure and design,
and organization culture can also be extremely beneficial.
%gain, the field of organizational behavior provides numerous valuable
insights into these processes. 3anagers can also use their knowledge from
the field of organizational behavior to better understand their own behaviors
and feelings. -or example, understanding personal needs and motives, how to
improve decision&making capabilities, how to respond to and control stress,
how to better communicate with others, and the way in which career dynamics
unfold can all be of enormous benefit to individual managers. Organizational
behavior once again provides useful insights into these concepts and processes.
3anagers must also interact with a variety of colleagues, peers, and
coworkers inside the organization. !nderstanding attitudinal processes,
individual differences, group dynamics, intergroup dynamics, organization
culture, and power and political behavior can help managers handle such
interactions more effectively. 3any useful ideas from the field of organizational
behavior have provided a variety of practical insights into these processes.
-inally, managers also interact with various individuals from outside the
organization, including suppliers, customers, competitors, and government
officials, representatives of citizens4 groups, union officials, and potential ,oint
venture partners. *irtually all of the behavioral processes already noted can be
relevant. (n addition, special understanding of the environment, technology, and,
increasingly, international issues is also of value. 5ere again, the field of
organizational behavior offers managers many different insights into how and
why things happen. Thus, management and organizational behavior are
interrelated in many ways.
!nderstanding and practicing management without considering the field of
organizational behavior is essentially impossible. %nd organizational behavior
itself can provide a useful set of tools and perspectives for managing
organizations more effectively. We now turn to the nature of the manager4s ,ob in
more detail.
".1 #anagement Function' (o$e& and S)i$$&
3anagement is defined as the process of working with and through others
to achieve organizational ob,ectives in a changing environment. The ,ob of a
contemporary manager can be conceptualized in many different ways. The most
widely accepted approaches, however, are from the perspectives of basic
managerial functions, common managerial roles, and fundamental managerial
skills.
".2 #anageria$ Function
The four basic managerial functions in organizations are planning,
organizing, leading, and controlling. +y applying these functions to the various
organizational resources, human, financial, physical, and informational, the
organization achieves different levels of effectiveness and efficiency. 6lanning
the managerial function of planning is the process of determining the
organization4s desired future position and deciding how best to get there. The
planning process at "ears, 7oebuck, for example, includes scanning the
environment, deciding on appropriate goals, outlining strategies for achieving
those goals, and developing tactics to execute the strategies. +ehavioral
processes and characteristics pervade each of these activities. 6erception, for
instance, plays a ma,or role in environmental scanning, and creativity and
motivation influence how managers set goals, strategies, and tactics for their
organization.
Organizing the managerial function of organizing is the process of
designing ,obs, grouping ,obs into manageable units, and establishing patterns
of authority among ,obs and groups of ,obs. 6rocess designs the basic structure,
or framework, of the organization. -or large organizations like "ears, the
structure can be expensive and complicated. %s noted earlier, the processes and
characteristics of the organization itself are a ma,or theme of organizational
behavior.
8eading is the process of motivating members of the organization to work
together toward the organization4s goals. % manger must hire and train
employees. 3a,or components of leading include motivating employees,
managing group dynamics, and leadership per se, all of which are closely related
to ma,or areas of organizational behavior.
#ontrolling % final managerial function, controlling, is the process of
monitoring and correcting the actions of the organization and its people to keep
them headed toward their goals. % manger has to control costs, inventory, and so
on. %gain, behavioral processes and characteristics play an important role in
carrying out this function. 6erformance evaluation and reward systems for
example, are all aspects of controlling.
"." #anageria$ (o$e&
(n an organization, as in a play or a movie, a role is the part a person
plays in a given situation. 3anagers often play a number of different roles. 3uch
of our knowledge about managerial roles comes from the work of 5enry
3intzberg.
*.0 A+&enteei&m
%bsenteeism is an unscheduled absence from work. %bsenteeism is
expensive to companies because of its fickle nature. When an employee has an
unscheduled absence from work, companies put effort to find substitution
workers at the last minute. This may involve hiring conditional workers, having
other employees work overtime, or scrambling to cover for an absent colleague.
The cost of absenteeism to organizations is estimated at 9:2 billion. %ccording to
a 3ercer 88# human resource consulting study, 1;< of the money spent on
payroll is associated to absenteeism.
"ome absenteeism is noticeable and is related to health reasons. -or
example, reasons such as lower back pain, migraines, accidents on or off the
,ob, or acute stress are significant reasons for absenteeism. 5ealth&related
absenteeism is expensive, but dealing with such absenteeism by using
organizational policies disciplining absenteeism is both unreasonable and unfair.
% sick employee who shows up at work will infect co&workers and will not be
productive. (nstead, companies are finding that programs aimed at keeping
workers healthy are effective in dealing with this type of absenteeism.
%bsenteeism can be divided into three main broad categories as follows=
a0 "ickness ) (llness %bsence
b0 .xcused ) "cheduled %bsence
c0 !nexcused ) !nscheduled %bsence
*." Common (ea&on& +eind A+&enteei&m
"ome of the common reasons behind absenteeism are as under=
"erious accidents and illness=
8ow morale=
Workload=
.mployee discontent with the work environment=
7emuneration which continue returns during periods of illness or
accident=
The continuation of income shield plans /collective agreement0=
6oor working conditions=
+oredom on the ,ob=
(nsufficient leadership and poor management=
6ersonal problems /financial, marital, substance abuse, child care etc.0=
6oor bodily fitness=
The existence of income protection plans /collective agreement0=
Transportation trouble=
"tress
*.2 Co&t A&&ociated ,it A+&enteei&m
.mployer face cost due to the absence of their employees and these
costs can be categorized as follows=
6ayroll costs for temporary staff=
%dministrative costs associated with rescheduling staff or hiring staff=
Overtime may have to be scheduled to fill positions left by absent staff=
%dded cost of training supervisors in the cost of absenteeism=
3any organizations average the total number of absent days and
schedule extra staff to cover overstaffing and to compensate for the lost
productivity=
#osts associated with statutory sick pay and the increasing administrative
work faced by payroll drive up costs=
#ost of time as how much does it cost the company every time an
employee is away from their desk due to dentist ) doctor appointments=
7educed productivity as managers may have to shut down departments
or reduce operations to compensate for a reduction in staffing levels.
*." Con&e-uence& of A+&enteei&m
%o&iti!e Negati!e
Indi!idua$
& 7eduction of ,ob related stress
& +enefit from compensatory non work
activities
& 8oss of pay
& 'iscipline, formal and
informal
& %ltered ,ob perception
Co7,or)er
& >ob variety
& "kill development
& Overtime 6ay
& (ncreased work load
& !ndesired overtime
& (ncreased accidents
& #onflict with absent worker
3or)
9roup
& Work group$s knowledge of multiple
,obs
& ?reater flexibility in responding to
absenteeism and to production problems
& (ncreased accidents
& 'ecreased productivity
<nion
Officer
& 6ower position is strengthened as they
are often seen by management as a
means to get employees back to work
& Where absence is high, lose
credibility for being unable to
control their members
& (ncreased costs in
processing grievances
Fami$0
& Opportunity to deal with health or
illness problems, marital, child and other
family related issues
& 8ess earnings
& 'ecline in work reputation
Societ0
& 7eduction of ,ob stress and mental
health problems
& 6articipation in community political
processes
& 8oss of productivity
*.* Strategie& to #anage A+&enteei&m
There are numbers of strategies and approaches that can be adapted by
organizations in order to reduce the level of absenteeism in their companies.
%ccording to >ohnson et al. /2@0, successful absenteeism management
strategies begin with the belief that something can actually be done to reduce
absenteeism. 3anagers need to keep in mind that there is no Aone&size&fitsA all
solution that is appropriate for all organizations. .very organization is uniBue and
absenteeism reduction strategies should be customized to the particular work
environment.
.mployers should distinguish between short and long&term absence when
dealing with the problem of absence. The author mentions that for short&term
absence, an effective sickness absence policy should be implemented. This
policy should indicate the procedure to be followed as well as the possible
conseBuences of unacceptable sick leave levels. -or long term absences, an
employer should keep record of these events as well as ensuring that medical
certificates are supplied. (n cases where employees$ health is not improving and
they are unable to perform their work, a fair incapacity process should be
followed.
Organizations should have policies in place that create a work
environment where employees want to work in, including flexible working
arrangements and rewards for good attendance, as such policies have been
found to reduce sickness absence advance two general strategies that can be
employed to develop a work environment that is more conducive to attendance.
-irst, efforts can be made to create a more inviting workplace which relates
more to the physical environment. "econdly, attention can be given to create a
work culture that fosters attendance rather than absence.
3any employees care for children or elderly relatives and these
responsibilities are a freBuent cause of absence. -amily&friendly initiatives by
organizations could be an effective way of cutting absence. This may mean
providing more flexible working hours, child care facilities and time off
personal lives.
Telecommuting is another strategy employed by some organizations as it
gives employees freedom to work in an environment that fits their personal
needs, without ,eopardizing the outputs expected by the employer. With
telecommuting, employees can schedule their personal appointments to fit
into their work schedules. This could help to reduce the number of unscheduled
absence. 5owever, also cautions against telecommuting as there could be
employees who abuse this privilege.
The following 6oints are crucial for the success of any incentive 6rogrammeC
a0 .mployers should communicate the goals of the 6rogramme and the
rewards for achieving those goals=
b0 .mployees need to understand how the incentive programme can improve
the absenteeism rate=
c0 .mployees should be involved from the beginning so that the rewards can
be relevant to them=
d0 The success of the programme needs to be measured and monitored to
determine whether there is a reduction in absence levels and this needs to
be shared with the employees.
*.. /e!e$op an Attendance %o$ic0
.very business should have an attendance policy. %n attendance policy
allows a supervisor to mediate with an employee who is regularly absent.
+esides stress as a primary reason for employee absenteeism, other causes
relate to alcoholism, domestic violence, and family problems. (f you tackle an
employee about his or her regular absenteeism, and they inform you it is due
to personal problems, consider referring the employee to an .mployee
%ssistance 6rogram /.%60.
.arly identification of these employees will get them back to work as fast
as possible. 8astly, make sure that you have an advocate review your
attendance policy to make sure it does not breach any "tate or -ederal labour
laws. +y incorporating the above four strategies into your company you
will not only reduce absenteeism you will reduce employee burnout, turnover,
poor morale, and workplace negativism.
*.1 Cange #anagement St0$e
We are all aware of the fact that when employees call in ill, it does not
mean they are actually too physically ill to work. One reason, outside of illness,
that employees are absent is stress, and the number one reason employees
are stressed has to do with their relationship with their manager)supervisor.
"upervision styles that are too demanding tend to promote high levels of
absenteeism among employees. %uthoritarian managers are managers who
have poor listening skills, set inaccessible goals, have poor communication skills,
and are inflexible. (n other words, they yell too much, blame others for problems,
and make others feel that it must be their way or the Ahighway.A dictatorial
managers tend to produce high absenteeism rates. +y identifying managers who
use an dictatorial style, and providing them with management training, you will be
taking a positive step not only toward falling absenteeism level, but also reducing
turnover, ,ob burnout, and employee health problems such as backaches and
headaches
*.2 Cange 3or)ing Condition&
The employees an organization probably work in a well&lighted climate
controlled building. The working conditions ( am referring to relate to co&
worker contact. Dot only does relationship stress occur between the employee
and manager, but it also exists between employees. Often employees say they
did not go to work because they are afraid of or angry with another employee.
These employees usually report they ,ust could not deal with Aso and soA today,
so they called in ill. Organizations that adopted policies and values that promote
employee respect and professionalism, and promote an internal conflict
resolution procedure, are companies that reduce employee$s stress. % reduction
in employee$s stress reduces employee absenteeism.
..0 Turno!er
5igh turnover and organizational culture have a difficult, symbiotic
relationship. 5igh turnover creates fractured workplace relationships and an
organizational culture that doesn$t encourage long and productive working
relationships. +uilding an organizational culture in a company with high
turnover reBuires employers to develop methods that improve employee
retention= benefits and training are two methods that may increase
..1 O!er!ie,
Turnover is the number or percentage of employees who leave your
organization, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. *oluntary terminations initiated
by the employee include resignation due to other employment, relocation or
employee dissatisfaction. .mployees who leave involuntarily may be terminated
because of poor performance, absenteeism, violation of workplace policy or ,ob
elimination. Turnover is distinguishable from attrition in that companies typically
hire replacement workers when turnover occurs= however, attrition refers to a
decline in the employee base that employers don$t intend to recover.
..2 6ig7Turno!er Indu&trie&
.mployers in many industries experience high turnover due to the nature
of the work, typically low wages or poor working conditions. The food&and&
beverage or restaurant business is one such area where employers contend
with high turnover. ?enerally speaking, in the low&level positions of the food&
and&beverage industry, employees aren$t looking to make a career out of
tending bar, waiting tables or seating restaurant patrons. "ome food&and&
beverage employers experience turnover that exceeds 1 percent. %n
industry&trend analysis titled, A7etaining 5ourly .mployeesC Debraska4s Euick
"ervice 7estaurant (ndustry 'ilemma,A by professor and hospitality&management
specialist, 7obin 'i6ietro, states that Buick&service restaurant turnover can
be as high as 1; percent. "he attributes such high turnover to employees$
age, inexperience and the demands the food&and&beverage industry puts on
employees in exchange for relatively low wages.
.." Organizationa$ Cu$ture
The organizational culture present in high&turnover industries lends itself
to short&lived relationships not ,ust with supervisors and managers, but with
coworkers and colleagues as well. .mployees in high&turnover industries
typically don$t spend enough time on the ,ob to develop collegial relationships
and friendships with their coworkers. #onseBuently, the phenomenon of high
turnover can make teamwork impossible. .mployers also may be reluctant to
invest too much of their time and resources in training and employee
development because that simply adds to the already high cost of replacing
workers.
..* Con&ideration&
(n light of otherwise&depressing high unemployment and fewer ,ob
opportunities, there may be a silver lining that creates low turnover in industries
with traditionally high&turnover rates. 8ess movement from ,ob to ,ob can
strengthen employer&employee relationships, as well as relationships among
employees. (n addition, changes such as health care reform may encourage
greater stability in the workforce. The future of health care reform could compel
employers to hold off on offering group health benefits to short&term employees.
.mployees who stay with their employers longer may not earn substantially
higher wages= however, they might get benefits, which are far more valuable in
terms of the alternative to paying health care costs out&of&pocket. -urther,
employers that offer training and employee development may realize that the
relatively low cost of investing in employees can improve retention rates and
thereby improve turnover a small price to pay compared to the enormous bills
associated with replacing workers in high&turnover industries.
1.0 %roducti!it0
6roductive and counterproductive behavior in the workplace helps to
determine the productivity of a company and the ,ob satisfaction of
employees. +ehavior, an important aspect of business, can be either productive
or counterproductive. This article will discuss the impact of these types of
behaviors as well as recommend strategies to increase productive behavior and
decrease counterproductive behavior in organizations.
There are many strategies for increasing productive behavior and
decreasing counterproductive behavior. To ensure that employees are
practicing productive behavior instead of counterproductive behavior,
prevention and promotion should be considered first. There are also many
physical means of increasing productive behavior and decreasing
counterproductive behavior in an organization.
6revention is a necessary step to productivity, and methods of preventing
counterproductive behavior while promoting productive behavior is important to
any organization. 6reventing counterproductive behavior can start with employee
appraisals= these evaluations can help a manager determine what areas an
employee should work on to promote productivity and prevent counterproductive
behavior. (t is also important to inBuire about the abilities and habits of
employees prior to hiring them= this will help determine their ability to be
productive ahead of time. These strategies can be used to prevent
counterproductive behavior while promoting productive behavior.
Other strategies for increasing productivity and decreasing
counterproductive behavior are through physical actions. 3anagers can
evaluate the methods being used in a company to determine if the methods
are counterproductive. These methods can be changed to promote productive
behavior. %dding cameras and drug screenings are other strategies for
promoting productive behavior while decreasing counterproductive behavior.
There are many strategies that can promote productive behavior and discourage
counterproductive behavior, and it is important to take into consideration the
situation at hand when deciding what strategy to use.
6roductive behavior and counterproductive behavior highly impact the
performance of an organization and the ,ob performance of employees. These
types of behaviors should be understood and dealt with effectively to increase
productivity and decrease counterproductive behavior. !nderstanding strategies
that will prevent and promote behavior as well as increase and decrease
behavior is important to all organizations because productive behavior is a
valuable tool to all organizations.
2.0 (ECO##EN/ATION
To effectively combat these challenges, a proper plan of action must be
implemented by the company that would help address the specific problems
mentioned. To prevent employees from leaving the #ompany, a necessary study
on the factors that pushes them to leave the #ompany must be established.
-actors must be identified to be able prevent this phenomenon. While the
company is highlighting the reasons why employees leave the #ompany, they
must also implement programs that would motivate its present employees to
achieve efficiency while making them happy and contented in their work to
prevent short employment. 3otivation must be instilled on the minds of the
employees. (ncentives and other programs must be started while a workable
employee motivation program must be properly laid out. 3otivating factors such
as greater benefits, higher wages, faster advancement, good working conditions
and effective rewards and punishment guidelines can be used to be able to elicit
a Buality of work that is acceptable. These steps towards motivating the
employee can also boost the ,ob performance of an employee and the whole
company as a whole.
To combat the negative publicity that is being shed against the #ompany.
%n appropriate campaign must be launched to erase this negative perception
about the #ompany. The manager must also have leadership Bualities and
characteristics to inspire his)her subordinates to respect customs and traditions.
5e must exude motivation, self confidence and necessary skills that are suitable
for the ,ob at hand.
8.0 (eference&
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