KAZIAN GLOBAL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Organizational Behaviour

Case 1 Difficult Transitions 1. Identify several concepts and characteristics from the field of organizational behavior that this case illustrates?

The concepts and characteristics areIndividual differences: Every individual in the world is different from others. This idea is supported by science. Each person is different from all others, probably in million ways, just as each persons DNA profile is different. The idea of individual difference comes originally from psychology. From the day of birth, each person is unique, and individual experiences after birth tend to make people even more different. Perception: Peoples perceptions are also differ when they see an object. Two people can differently present a same object. And this is occurring for their experiences. A person always organizes and interprets what he sees according to his lifetime of experience and accumulated value. Employees also see work differently for differ in their personalities, needs, demographics factors, past experiences and social surrounding. Motivated behavior: An employee has so many needs inside him. So, they want to fulfill those needs. That's why; they had to perform well in the organization. Some motivations are needed to enrich the quality of work. A path toward increased need fulfillment is the better way of enriches the quality of work. Desire for involvement: Every employee is actively seeking opportunities at work to involve in decision-making problems. They hunger for the chance to share what they know and to learn from the experience. So, organization should provide them a chance to express their opinions, ideas and suggestion for decision-making problem. A meaningful involvement can bring mutual benefit for both parties. Value of the person: An employee wants to be treated separately from other factor of production (land, capital, labor). They refuse to accept the old idea that they are simply treated as economic tools because they are

best creation of almighty Allah. For this reason, they want to be treated with carrying respect, dignity and other things from their employers and society. The nature of organization There are two assumptions as to nature of organization. Social Systems: Organizations are social systems and governed by social and psychological laws. They have social roles and status. Their behavior influenced by their group's individual drives. Organization environment in a social system is dynamic. All parts of the system are interdependent. Mutual interest: In order to develop the organization behavior mutually of interest organizations and people is necessary. Organizations need people and people in tern need organizations. People satisfy their needs through organization and organization accomplish their goal through people. Ethics:In order to attract and retain valuable employees in an era in which good workers are constantly required away, ethical treatment is necessary. To succeed, organization must treat employees in an ethical fashion. Every Company is required to establish codes of ethics, publicized statements of ethical values, provided ethics training, rewarded employees for notable ethical behavior, publicized positive role models, and set up internal procedures to handle misconduct.
2. What advice can you give Tony? How would this advice be supported or tempered by behavioral concepts and processes?

Although all people have some characteristics in common, the composite of our individual characteristics makes us unique. We react in individual ways to common messages. We want to be our own person. With the growing emphasis on behavioral aspects in management, new attention has been focused on understanding humans as dynamic beings with constantly changing needs and desires. As a result, business has adopted policies and practices that are more people oriented than thing oriented. Although it is often difficult to implement, the newer philosophy could perhaps be phrased like this: "The right person for the job" is a temporary solution because people change; rather " the right job for the person" is no doubt a more viable policy. Employees to be motivated by: 1.Physiological needs. The needs related to food, shelter, and protection from the elements. 2.Security and safety needs. The needs to be free from physical danger and to be secure in the feeling that physiological needs can be met. 3.Social needs. The needs to be loved, to be accepted, and to belong.

4.Ego needs. The needs such as those to be heard, to be appreciated, to be wanted. These needs deal with status. 5.Self-actualizing needs. The needs to achieve one`s fullest potential through professional, philanthropic, political, educational, and artistic channels. As people satisfy needs at the first level, they are then motivated by those at the second level. As second-level needs are satisfied, those at the third level prevail, and so on. Each need level is always with us, however. Lower needs simply diminish in importance as motivators as we satisfy them.

3. Is it possible to find an "ideal" place to work? Explain.

For many Americans, looking for a job means finding an employer who will hire you and pay a decent salary - few take the time to ensure the company is a good fit over the long haul. "Many people do more research when they buy an air conditioner than when taking a job," said Alan Johnson, managing director of Johnson Associates, a compensation consultancy in New York. "When you buy an air conditioner, you read Consumer Reports, you talk to people," he said. But "people take jobs almost on whims." Before you can determine whether a workplace matches your ideal, you'll need to know what that ideal is. Some people want a lot of freedom to make their own mistakes. Others don't want to work long hours, said Tag Goulet, chief executive of FabJob.com, a publisher of career guides. "People have to make up their own list. Usually a good starting point is what didn't they like at their previous job." It is always essential to attire the component when interviewing for a work. People have a tendency to see a person who a person who's dressed properly as a far more skilled prospect. You don't must make oneself stand out whenever, but outfit for the aspect regardless if you're just decreasing away from a continue or program. Have questions in place prior to your interviewer. You will often occasions be questioned if there are actually inquiries. Don't restrict yourself by only applying for a single label because so many jobs could possibly have multiple titles. Research on the web to find very similar brands to do the job titles that complement what you will be looking for. This will allow you to sign up for more work available. However the organization could allow staff members to dress casually, it pays to offer on your own within a skilled approach.

Case 2 Humanized Robots? 1. How successful do you think Helen Bowerss new plan will be?

Although Helen grew up in the family business, she never understood her fathers approach. Jake had treated his employees like part of his family. In Helens view, however, he paid them more than he had to, asked their advice far more often than he should have, and spent too much time listening to their ideas and complaints. When Helen took over, she vowed to change how things were done. In particular, she resolved to stop handling employees with kid gloves and to treat them like what they were: the hired help. In addition to changing the way employees were treated, Helen had another goal for Bowers. She wanted to meet the challenge of international competition. Japanese firms had moved aggressively into the market for heavy industrial equipment. She saw this as both a threat and an opportunity. On the one hand, if she could get a toehold as a parts supplier to these firms, Bowers could grow rapidly. On the other, the lucrative parts market was also sure to attract more Japanese competitors. Helen had to make sure that Bowers could compete effectively with highly productive and profitable Japanese firms. From the day Helen took over, she practiced an altogether different philosophy to achieve her goals. For one thing, she increased production quotas by 20 percent. She instructed her first-line supervisors to crack down on employees and eliminate all idle time. She also decided to shut down the company softball field her father had built. She thought the employees really didnt use it much, and she wanted the space for future expansion.
2. What challenges does Helen confront?

All in all, Helen thought, things should be going much better. Output should be up and costs should be way down. Her strategy should be resulting in much higher levels of productivity and profits. But that was not happening. Whenever Helen walked through one of the plants, she sensed that people werent doing their best. Performance reports indicated that output was only marginally higher than before but scrap rates had soared. Payroll costs were indeed lower, but other personnel costs were up. It seemed that turnover had increased substantially and training costs had gone up as a result. In desperation, Helen finally had hired a consultant. After carefully researching the history of the organization and Helens recent changes, the consultant made some remarkable suggestions. The bottom line, Helen felt, was that the consultant thought she should go back to that "humanistic nonsense" her father had used. No matter how she turned it, though, she just couldnt see the wisdom in this. People worked to make a buck and didnt want all that participation stuff.

3. If you were Helens consultant, what would you advise her to do?

Before you can make the business organized, you must first be organized. If your organizational skills are average or below average, perform a self-evaluation by asking these questions: How long does it take you to complete each task? Are they being done correctly so that you won't have to redo them? Are you prioritizing everything correctly? Are you spending too much time on certain tasks? Have you structured your files so that you can access them quickly? Are you becoming overwhelmed by too much paperwork? Have you been doing everything you need to do to be an organized worker? Pinpoint the areas you need to improve on, and prepare to tackle them. Once you have determined the areas you need to improve on, it is time to act on your admittance. Your daily tasks are your responsibilities; therefore, you should treat them as such. Plan in advance for each task by marking your duties for the week in your planner. As things come up, record them immediately. Keep visible paperwork to a minimum, keeping only what is needed for the moment on your desk. Maintain a computerized and paper filing system. Label all materials and put all related content in the same folder. When your work schedule becomes hectic and you experience constant interruptions, tend to them in order of priority. If an interruption calls for immediate attention, before tending to it, check to see how your other responsibilities will be affected. In prioritizing, you will find that some assignments can wait. Tackle each task according to priority, and you will meet your deadlines.

Good organizational skills in business may come naturally to you, or you may have to work at it. By applying discipline and practice, it is a skill that almost anyone can master. Do it every day and it will become a habit. Poor organizational skills result in an imbalanced workload, which leads to your confusion. This confusion can cause you to miss appointments and decreases your problem-solving abilities, reflecting negatively on your professional image. Plan each day ahead of time, write down important information, do not accept more work than you can handle, and always follow up on phone calls and emails. Balance will follow.

Case 3 Teams at Evans RV Wholesale Supply and Distribution Company?

1. What mistakes has Alex already made in developing a team-based organization?

For this case, there are a few mistakes Alex has already made in developing a team-based organization. First of all, this type of decision is not one that can be made quickly, if fact, the planning should take place in two phases: making the decision and preparingfor implementation. Before making the decision, Alex should have discussed it with top management to establish the leadership for the change, developed a steering committee, and conducted a feasibility study. These steps are neccessary to ensure that the work processes within the company are condusive to team use, that the employees are willing to work in teams, and if managers are willing to learn and apply a hands-off managerial style. Alex should have addressed these issues before reaching his decision and then prepared for implementation. This includes: clarifying the mission, selecting the site for the first work team, preparing the design team, planning the transfer of authority, and drafting the preliminary plan. Alex should have taken all of these steps before deciding to switch to a team-based organization.
2. If Alex were to call you in as a consultant, what would you tell him to do?

If I were a consultant for Alex, I would advise him to go back and go though all of these steps and to then decide if he still wanted to swith to a team based-company. During the preparation for implementation, I would suggest to him that he develop a mission statement that expresses the purpose of the teams and summarizes the long-range benefits he hopes to gain; this must also be consistent with the company's strategy. It should also set the parameters and boundaries within which the change will take place. Next, I would tell Alex he needs to advise his steering committee to decide where the first team will be implemented. The best site is one that includes workers from multiple jobs, one where improving performance is feasible,and one where the workers are open to the change. After the mission statement has been developed and the initial sites have been chosen, I would tell Alex to advise his steering committe to set up the team that will design the other teams. This team should be a select group of employees, supervisors, and managers who will work out the staffing and operational details to make the teams perform well. I would stress to Alex that considering the composition of the teams is one of the most important decisions throughout this process. Next, I would advise Alex to transfer authority from managers to team members. this step can take up to several years and is the most imperative and difficult part and is basically a cultural change for the company. The last step I would advise Alex to take is to write a tentative plan for the initial work teams. This plan is used as a map throughout the transformation and will act as a guiding force. It should recommend a process for selecting people who will be on the first teams, describe roles and responsilibilites for those who will be affected, explains the training that will be needed,

specifically identifies which work processes will be involved, and lays out a schedule for the next two to three years. As a consultant I would stress to Alex that this change should not be taken lightly and the entire organization needs to be prepared for this change.
3. Using the organization chart of Evans RV Wholesale Supply and Distribution, describe how you would put the employees together in teams

CEO & President

Vice President

GM

Managers

Sales team

Evans RV Wholesale Supply and Distribution Company sells parts, equipment, and supplies for recreational vehicles-motor homes, travel trailers, campers, and similar vehicles. In addition, Evans has a service department for the repair and service of RVs. The owner, Alex Evans, bought the company five years ago from its original owner, changed the name of the company, and has finally made it profitable, although it has been rough going. The organization is set up in three divisions: service, retail parts and supplies, and wholesale parts and supplies. Alex, the owner, CEO, and president, has a vice president for each operating division and a vice president of finance and operations. The organization chart shows these divisions and positions. In the warehouse there are three groups: receiving (checking orders for completeness, returning defective merchandise, stocking the shelves, filling orders), service parts, and order filling for outgoing shipments. The warehouse group is responsible for all activities related to parts and supplies receiving, storage, and shipping. The retail sales division includes all functions related to selling of parts and supplies at the two stores and in the mobile sales trailer. Personnel in the retail division include salespeople and cashiers. The retail salespeople also work in the warehouse because the warehouse also serves as the showroom for walk-in customers. In the service department the service manager supervises the service writers, one scheduler, and lead mechanics and technicians. The service department includes the collision repair group at the main store and the service department at the satellite store. The collision repair group has two service writers who have special expertise in collision repair and insurance regulations. Two drivers who move RVs around the "yard" also work in the service division

Case 4 Stress Takes Its Toll 1. What signs of stress was Larry Field exhibiting?

I think the first sign of stress for Larry Field is that when he and Alice had their first baby. Because the article said that the baby is like a shock to Field. Field just graduated from high school for one year, but he had married and has a baby. I think his mental age is still a high school student. He couldnt handle the marriage and children yet. So the baby became a huge stress to him. The reason is he started has fewer free time to hang out with his friends just like theyre in high school. Also he has a harder economic pressure. The second sign of stress is that Fields boss made Field a crew chief because Field want to raise his salary. But the problem is that Field cannot handle this work because he doesnt know how to use the instruments specifically. Every morning he wakes up he started worry about todays work and became strange in his wifes eyes. He began smoking, stammer and turn res in the face. All of these are derived from his work. He found its hard to be a boss and hes afraid be quit all the time. The third sign is from Fields family. Because he and Alice seldom to see each other and his wife wanted to move to another city because she dissatisfied with her work. But Field didnt know what he could do about it.
2. How was Larry Field trying to cope with his stress? Can you suggest more effective methods?

Larrys action is negative and useless. As his wife said, he began doing things that his wife thought he had outgrown. He frequently talked so fast that he would stumble over his own words, stammer, and turn red in the face. Also he began smoking. His reason is to keep his hands from shaking when hes working. My idea is that he could manage tress in the workplace. Such as exercise, relaxation, time management and role management. Field could do some exercise and spend more time with his family to reduce his pressure. In conclusion, I think if Larry had better coping methods, he could potentially save his personal and professional lives. It sounds like he needs to work on his time management and role management and possibily add in some time to relax a little and take some time for himself. He should seek more clarification from his boss on how to properly manage his coworkers and possibly even join a support group of some kind, maybe a trade management group or even make more of an effort to get out with friends so he could vent or talk it out. Larry should also work on his time management and maybe go to his boss to discuss a more flexible work schedule that would allow him more time with family and still allow an income. Some effective method to cope with stress are: Learn how to say no Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when youre close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress. Avoid people who stress you out If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you cant turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.

Take control of your environment If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffics got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online. Avoid hot-button topics If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when its the topic of discussion. Pare down your to-do list Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If youve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the shoulds and the musts. Drop tasks that arent truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

3. Identify methods through which creativity can be nurtured

Is it possible to teach or enhance creativity. Or is it a skill that some are born with or an innate ability that if properly nurtured only matures in some but not others. Research psychologists with an interest in creativity seek empirically based answers to these questions. They research how people cultivate skills in order to produce novel and original ideas, develop innovative solutions to lifes toughest problems, or simply live more creative, fulfilling, and meaningful lives. Yet these researchers differ on how creativity seems natural to some, yet such a struggle if not a deficit in others. And some only study eminent creativity or world-changing creativity, while others specialize in personal creativity for all. Some believe its the environment that greatly influences creativity, others investigate genetics, and some focus on personality traits. Still others research specific forms of thinking and cognition how it relates to the brains anatomy.