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Objective

Unit 4 Group p Behaviour

Groups Contributing factors Group Norms Formal and informal characteristics Group Decision Making Leadership Role in Group Decision . Managerial Grid Types & C T Causes Conflict Resolution .

A.Sriraman

The students will be able to understand and apply the following concepts:

Group Dynamics

Leadership styles Group Conflicts

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Objective [Contd.]

Inter group relations and conflict Organization centralization and decentralization Formal and informal Organizational Structures

Unit 4.1

Organizational Change and Development

Change Process Resistance to Change g Culture and Ethics.

Group Behaviour

Communication

Process Barriers to communication Effective communication.

Organizational Culture & Ethics

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Group Norms

Why are Group Norms Enforced ?

The most important reason is to ensure group survival. They are also enforced to simplify or make predictable the expected behaviour of group members. That is, they are enforced to help groups avoid embarrassing interpersonal problems, to express the central values of the group and to clarify what is distinctive about it group, it.

A.Sriraman

Group norms are the informal rules that groups adopt to regulate members' behaviour. Norms are characterized by y refer to what should be their evaluative nature; that is, they done. Norms represent value judgments about appropriate behaviour in social situations. situations If each individual in a group decided how to behave in each interaction, no one would be able to predict the behaviour of any group member; b chaos h would ld reign. i Norms guide behaviour and reduce ambiguity in groups.

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Group Behaviour

Group Behaviour [contd.]

Special forms of large group behaviour are:

Group behaviour in sociology refers to the situations where people interact in large or small groups. The field of group y deals with small g groups p that may y dynamics reach consensus and act in a coordinated way. Groups of a large number of people in a given area may act y to achieve a g goal that differs from what simultaneously individuals would do acting alone (herd behaviour). A large group (a crowd or mob) is likely to show examples of group behaviour when people gathered in a given place and time act in a similar wayfor example, joining a protest or march, participating in a fight or acting patriotically.

crowd "hysteria" spectators - when a group of people gathered together on purpose to participate in an event like theatre play, cinema movie, football match, a concert, etc. public - exception to the rule that the group must occupy the same physical place.

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Dimensions of Group Process

Group Decision making

A.Sriraman

Aspects of group process include: Patterns of communication and coordination Patterns of influence Roles / relationship Patterns of dominance ( (e.g. g who leads, who defers) ) Balance of task focus vs social focus Level of group effectiveness How H conflict fli t is i h handled dl d Emotional state of the group as a whole, what Wilfred p Bion called basic assumptions.

Group decision making is a situation faced when people are brought together to solve problems in the anticipation that they are more effective than individuals under the idea of synergy. There are several aspects of group cohesion which have a negative effect on group decision making and hence on group effectiveness Risky-shift phenomenon, group polarisation, and group-think thi k are negative ti aspects t of f group d decision i i making ki which hi h have drawn attention. Group-think is one of the most dangerous traps in our decision making. ki It' It's particularly ti l l because b it taps t into i t our deep d social i l identification mechanisms - everyone likes to feel part of a group and our avoidance of social challenges .

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Formal Systems

Formal System [contd.]

Majority requires support from more than 50% of the members of the group. Thus, the bar for action is lower than with unanimity and a group of losers is implicit to this rule. Plurality, where the largest block in a group decides, even if it falls short of a majority.

Consensus decision-making tries to avoid "winners" and "losers". Consensus requires that a majority approve a given y agree g to g go along g with course of action, but that the minority the course of action. In other words, if the minority opposes the course of action, consensus requires that the course of j features. action be modified to remove objectionable Voting-based methods

Range voting lets each member score one or more of the available options options. The option with the highest average is chosen chosen. This method has experimentally been shown to produce the lowest Bayesian regret among common voting methods, even when voters are strategic.

Delphi p method is structured communication technique q for groups, originally developed for collaborative forecasting but has also been used for policy making Dotmocracy is a facilitation method that relies on the use of special forms called Dotmocracy Sheets to allow large groups to collectively brainstorm and recognize agreement on an unlimited number of ideas they have authored. authored

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Leadership Role in Group Decision Making

Why Leadership is NOT a Role ?

A great example of leading conceived strictly as informal influence is that of Martin Luther King. When his p Court to rule demonstrations led the U.S. Supreme segregation on buses unconstitutional, his actions moved a public organization to act over which he had no formal y We also talk about market leadership p or league g authority. leading teams in sports. There is also leading by example and promoting new products to your boss boss, what could be called bottom-up or thought leadership.

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We associate leadership in business and politics with making good decisions. When someone is appointed or elected to a position, we effectively y authorize them to make senior p decisions for us and, naturally, we expect them to make wise ones. We want them to make choices that serve our interests g , state or country. y and those of our organization, This focus on decision making, however, yields a very narrow concept of leadership, one that results from our emphasis on being at the head of a group. group

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Formal & Informal Characteristics

Leadership
It is interpersonal influence exercised in order to guide people toward g goal achievement.

Unit 4.2

Traits

Leadership Styles

Self confident; well integrated, & emotionally stable Responsible & competent in handling new situation Identify goals & values of group they lead Warm, sensitive, & sympathetic toward people, & give practical suggestions Intelligent in relation to other group members.

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Leadership Styles

Managerial Grid

Leadership Styles

A.Sriraman

Autocratic Participative Free-reign leader

Morale

Thoughtful attention to needs of people leads to a friendly & comfortable organization atmosphere & work tempo

Work accomplished is from committed people with independence through a common stake in organization purpose & with trust & respect

Self-confidence

Improving Morale

Delegating g gp power Group decision Job rotation & relieving monotony.

Exertion of minimum effort is required to get work d done & sustain t i organization i ti morale.
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Adequate performance through balance work requirements & maintaining satisfactory morale

Efficiency results from arranging work in such a way that th t human h elements l t have little effect

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3-D Managerial Grid by Redding

3-D Managerial Grid by Redding

Developer Benevolent

Executive

Bureaucrat

Related

Integrated

Rela ationship Or riented

S Separated t d

D di t d Dedicated

Task Oriented

Missionary

Compromiser

Deserter

Autocrat

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3-D Managerial Grid by Redding

3-D Managerial Grid by Redding

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Grievance

Unit 4.3

Group Conflict

Definition any genuine / ingenuine feeling - discontent / dissatisfaction expressed / unexpressed arising out of y g connected with organization g that an employee p y think / anything believes/ feels unfair / unjust / inequitable. Grievances handling procedure

Simple easy to understand / operate operate. Best settled at lower level Referred to proper channel Permit appeal against lower level decision

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Organizational Conflicts

Positive Aspect of Conflict

It provide opportunities to individuals / groups to think & take a more creative view of situation. Leads to innovation Brings cohesiveness in groups. Provide challenging work environment. Conflicts shortcomings in organization brings attention to management. Conflict relieves frustration / tension. tension

A.Sriraman

Antecedent conditions of conflict full behavior, such as scarcity of resources / policy differences. Affective stages of individuals involved, such as stress tension, hostility, anxiety, etc. Cognitive states of individuals i.e., their perception / awareness of conflictual situation situation. Conflictual behavior ranging from passive resistance to over aggression.

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Individual Level Conflict

Role Conflict
Factors in Role Conflict:

Approach Approach Conflict

Individual decision more than one mutually exclusive goals attractive qualities. q Least impact on organizational behavior.

Role ambiguity Organizational position Personal characteristics

Approach Avoidance Conflict

Variables affecting Role Conflict:

Positive & Negative feeling a goal attractive & repulsive qualities. Quiet relevant for organizational behavior.

Avoidance Avoidance Conflict

Awareness of role conflict Acceptance of conflicting job pressures Ability to tolerate stress General personality make-up

Individual decision more than one mutually exclusive goals repulsive quality. Tendency to stay unresolved.

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Interpersonal Conflict

Group Conflict
Intra Group Conflict

Vertical conflict

Supervisor subordinate

A.Sriraman

Horizontal conflict

Same hierarchical

Factors affecting interpersonal conflict Inter Group Conflict

When groups face a novel problem/task. Where new values are imported from social environment Where a persons extra-group role comes into conflict with intragroup role.

Ego states Value systems Situational variable Goal incompatibility Resource sharing Task relationship Absorption of uncertainty Attitudinal sets.

Interest conflict Role ambiguity

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Conflict Management

Changing Structural Arrangement

Unit 4.4

Reduction in interdependence Reduction in shared resources Exchange of personnel Creation of special integrators R f Reference to t superiors i authority th it

Organizational Change & Development

Taking Conflict Resolution Actions

Problem solving Avoidance Smoothing Compromise Confrontation

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Organizational Change

Organizational Change

Change is the single most important factor in business today:

A.Sriraman

every business is an ongoing source of change. every professional discipline is a process of change. every fundamental business principle directs us to change.

Change with times, or get left behind. You will be hired to bring about change; not to just maintain the status quo. You will need to become a change agent. People who drive change are change agents. We are all agents of change:

Every market force (customers, competitors, technology, regulations, l ti di distribution t ib ti channels, h l suppliers, li etc.) t ) creates t change that forces our change in response. Globalization of markets demands globalization of businesses.

Change-agent skills are as important to our success as our professional discipline p p skills. The purpose of our jobs is to change what is possible, as companies and as individuals, by adding value every day.

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Organizational Change

Organizational Change

Driving forces of change are:

Change is everywhere its constant. Everyone is affected by change. The pace of change is accelerating. accelerating
If the above is true, why do people and organizations resist change?

Technology Nature of the workforce International effects Mergers competition E Economic i shocks h k Social trends

We, as leaders, have a responsibility to bring about planned change.

If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong. Charles Kettering.

Managing today would be more accurately described as long periods of ongoing change, interrupted occasionally by short periods of stability.

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Why People Resist Change

Why Do Organizations Resist Change?

Group inertia Peer pressure, group norms. Security. Threat to established power relationships relationships. Threat to established resource allocations. Limited focus of change g Change g affects others in the organization. Poor communication. Threat to expertise expertise.

A.Sriraman

Habits We are creatures of habit. Fear of the unknown. Security The higher the need for security security, the stronger the resistance. Economic factors. Selective information processing We all have our own ideas of what is right.

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Lewins Three-Step Change Model

Organizational Change

Unfreezing

Desired St t State

Restraining Forces

Status Quo

Refreezing

Movement or Transition

Driving Forces

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Organizational Change

What Can Change Agents Change?

Three options to bring about change:

A.Sriraman

increase the driving forces. decrease the restraining forces. do a combination of the two approaches.

Getting People and Organizations to Change (Driving Forces):

Structure Change agents can alter one or more of the key elements in an organizations design. Technology Competitive factors or innovations within an organization often require change agents to introduce new equipment, tools, or methods. People Change agents help individuals and groups within the organization work more effectively together. Physical Settings Change agents can affect their environment.

Education and training Participation and cooperation Support Economic incentives Increased communication Negotiation Coercion Forcing

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Organizational Change

Resistance is not all bad. Resistance:

Unit 4.5

Communication

forces management to check and recheck the proposals proposals. helps identify specific problem areas where change is likely to cause difficulty. gives management information about the intensity of employee emotions on the issues. provides a means of release of emotions. This causes employees to think and talk more about the changes changes.

The trouble with the future is that it usually arrives before were ready for it. - Arnold H. Glasow.

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Communication

Communication Process
Who?
Source / originator of information Verbal / Non verbal symbols of the information Oral / written / gesture Intentional / un-intentional un intentional receiver of message Message interpreted accurately & responded to appropriately

Types of Communication What? In which channel?

A.Sriraman

Formal & Informal Vertical & horizontal Oral / written / gestures

Efficient & Effective Communication To whom? With what effect?

Minimizing time & cost information exchange.

Purpose of Communication

Increase acceptance p of organizational g rules Gain greater commitment to organizational goal Provide necessary data for decision making Clarify task responsibility

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General Model of Communication

Barriers to Communication
Lack of openness Filtering Degree of motivation Either or thinking Assumptions Sh Sharp reactions ti Snap reactions

Fear Language Time constraints Perceptions Stereotyping H l effect Halo ff t Projection

Step 1: Sender Planner Step 2: Encoding Step 3: Message & Medium Step 4: Receiving Step p 5: Decoding g Step 6: Response Step 7: feedback.

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Means to Effective Communication

Improving Perception Unit 4.6

Using Human Relation Tools

A.Sriraman

Recognize receiver as active. Develop close relationship Create favorable climate Beware of uniqueness of individuals

Organizational Culture

Recognizing the essentiality of communication in management

Plan, Plan Create positive climate Use grapevine Empathize Use p pictures Be open to feedback Keep it short, stupid (KISS)

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Definition of Organisational Culture

Function of Culture
What does it do to benefit the organization?
Establishes Organizational Identity Fosters Commitment Promotes Stability Allows sense making

The accepted way of thinking, feeling, and acting in an organization Shared Shared beliefs about what is important and how things are done An interdependent set of values and ways of behaving that are common in an organization Social forces through which people learn norms and values. They are rewarded when they accept them and ostracized when they do not. What goes on around here

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Developing Culture

Developing Culture (Contd.)

A.Sriraman

How do you develop culture? You can get a competitive advantage by developing a strong culture.

History how its been in the past influences the future. Observation people observe and consequently behave in a manner similar to current members members behaviors and practices practices. Use modeling and communication to foster the environment you want to create. Membership Staffing. Staffing

Interaction socialization techniques and allowances regarding decision making can lead to a culture which enhances satisfaction consequently improving productivity Stories and rites Hazing, mild ragging, initiation etc. along with slogans, symbols, ceremonies.

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Levels of Culture

Values in Organizational Culture

There are 2 kinds of values
Terminal value a desired goal the organization seeks to achieve e.g. g excellence, profitability, p y quality, q y morality, y innovation Instrumental values a desired mode of behavior the organization wants members to observe to achieve terminal values e.g. respecting p g authority y and tradition (military), ( y) being g conservative and cautious (I-Banks), being honest, taking risks etc.

Behavior Observable, visible things done by people as well as tangible artifacts. Values and Beliefs Provide the operating principle for guiding behavior. The mission statement is a slogan that conveys values and beliefs. Assumptions Understanding based on perception of of, Thats just the way its done around here!

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Strong vs Weak Cultures

Measuring Culture

Strong cultures have:

A.Sriraman

Cohesive sets of values and norms that binds members together Employees who share assumptions, know values and beliefs, and behave as expected.

Weak cultures have:

Employees could help develop it. Is it static or dynamic? Is there one best culture? How to measure it?
Kilmann-Saxton Culture Gap Survey Gaining Control of the Corporate Culture (Ralph H. Kilmann)

Little guidance about how employees should behave Rigid organizational structures that may substitute for a lack of implicit values and norms.

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Organisational Ethics

Organisational Ethics

Standards of right and wrong that influence behavior

The legal test Is the proposed action or decision legal? Established laws are generally considered minimum standards for ethics. The four- way test Managers can feel confident that a decision is ethical if they can answer yes to the following questions:

The golden rule Act in a way you would expect others to act toward you. y The utilitarian principle Act in a way that results in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The professional ethic Take actions that would be viewed as proper by a disinterested panel of professional peers. The TV test Managers should always ask, Would I feel comfortable explaining to a national TV audience why I took this action?

Is the decision truthful? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and friendship? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

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Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Becoming Socially Responsible

Whats social responsibility?

Go beyond the law to act responsibly for social concerns

A.Sriraman

What s the difference between social obligations vs Whats vs. social responsiveness?

Understand ethics and its implications for what it is, and not take it at face value. Use a code of ethics in the organization. What should be in it?

Obligation is what you have to do. R Responsiveness i i is guided id d by b social i l norms that th t can provide id managers with a meaningful guide for decision making. Its how to do.

Document of primary values and ethical rules the organization expects managers and employees to follow. In isolation, isolation they do little, little but if management considers them important, ethics can be well imbibed.

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References

Herald Koontz and Heinz Weihrich, Essentials of Management, McGraw Hill Publishing Company, Singapore International Edition, 1980. M. Govindarajan and S. Natarajan, Principles of Management, Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2007.

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