Q.1 Define the importance of organizational behavior.

How can we relate total quality

management (TQM) with organizational behavior?
Organizational Behavior
“Organizational behavior is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups,
and structure have no behavior within organizations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge
toward improving an organization’s effectiveness.”
Have you ever got up in the morning and thought, "I really don't want to go to work today"? I
think we all have at some point in our lives. You may also have had times when you have
thought or said, "I hate my job, I hate where I work." These feelings have nothing to do with
you, your job or your workplace. The problem lies in the fact that your supervisor or manager
has no idea how to manage organizational behavior!
In simple words, organizational behavior is the way in which people react to other people and
situations in a workplace.
IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
Organizational behavior studies have become more important today than in previous years
because corporations must learn to adapt to the rapidly changing business cultures that have
stemmed from a competitive and fast-paced market.
Organizational behavior was a topic that was not discussed until the three conditions happened:
1. An employee's behavior changed
2. Productivity changed
3. Sales decreased
In today's business world, managers are paying more attention to how employees react to
situations rather than if they respond. They are beginning to view organizational behavior as an
intricate piece of training and development of the workforce. As the environment of business is
always changing, the role of the managers has become more sensitive. In order to know how to
handle a new workforce, and deal with the complication of the new environment, the supervisors
need to develop their information about attitude and behavior of individuals, and groups in
organization.
A good manager will observe employees so that they are placed in suitable positions
within the organization. If an employee is happy in their position and the situations they have to
deal with, they will be more productive. This is not only good for the business but it also gives
the employee job satisfaction. .
For example, if you had an employee who was a young, shy, softly spoken girl, you
would not put hr in the role of debt collection. Instead, you might place her in a low stress
customer service position that would suit her nature as well as help her to build self-confidence
in dealing with customers.
We can see that organizational behavior is not just about keeping employees happy. It is about
putting people in a position that suits their personality and experience as well as helping
employees to grow in a way that they become more of an asset to the business. Aside from
recognizing the importance of placing employees in positions that will make them happy and
productive, you also need to recognize people's reactions to other people. You may have an
employee who is quite happy to have you stand behind them, looking over their shoulder while
they show you something. Others, however, may feel intimidated or uncomfortable by this,
So how do you recognize if someone is uncomfortable in certain situations? Body
language! If you are standing too close or if they are uncomfortable with you standing behind
them, you will notice that they will move away from you slightly.
These are just some of the basics of organizational behavior, but as you can see, they can
have a huge impact on a person's happiness and productivity in the workplace. Good managers
will learn about organizational behavior to ensure that they can get the most out of their
employees and keep them happy at the same time.
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT WITH ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
The basic foundation of Total Quality Management is that “the organizations culture is defined
by the “continuous improvement of organizational processes, techniques, and training.” This
requires adherence to the four principals of total quality management which are:
1. Getting it right the first time.
2. Listen to and learn from customers and employees.
3. Make continuous improvement an everyday matter.
4. Build teamwork, trust, and mutual respect.
Organizational behavior management (OBM) applies Skinnerian ideas to organizational analyses
and problems. Total quality management (TQM) applies principles and theories to improving
quality of organizational performance and work life. Each of these areas of knowledge has
important implications for behavior analysts who seek to describe, understand, and develop
solutions to social problems associated with organizations.
The Contingency Approach
Using the contingency approach a leader might seek to improve a company’s system to work
better by using techniques that are “situationally appropriate”. With the contingency approach
method there is no one way to manage correctly.
Human Capital & Social Capital are additional concepts of organizational behavior. Human
capital is the investment a company makes in it’s individual employees, their education and
knowledge, skills, motivation, creativity, etc. whereas social capital is the investment the
company makes in relationships. These relationships can include shared visions, support groups,
teams, mentoring programs, cooperation, etc.
Positive Organizational Behavior Model
These human and social capital concepts fall right into Positive Organizational Behavior model,
which is “the study and application of positively oriented human resource strengths and
psychological capacities that can be measured, developed, and effectively managed for
performance improvement in today’s workplace.” Many of these strengths and capacities are the
same concepts things that companies desire when they think of developing their human and
social capital… confidence, goals, motivation, perseverance, emotional intelligence, etc.
Assuming a manager could accurately “measure” positive organizational behavior this manager
would have a great grasp on the state of his human and social capital on hand. He would also
then seek to improve company processes through total quality management such as:
 Increasing customer lifetime value and bettering customer retention via improved PR
 Permission based marketing techniques to increase the corporate capital available
 Increase the positive organizational behavior output.
Q. 2 Outline the importance of an individual’s contribution to the organization and the
factors affecting his behavior.
IMPORTANCE OF AN INDIVIDUAL’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORGANIZATION
Organizational culture can be tackled in three realms; these are;
 behavior and artifacts
 values
 assumptions and beliefs
These are usually values that have become so common to a specific organization that no one
even notices that they are there. Values are issues that determine behaviour. It should be noted
that values are more internal and are only expressed through behaviour. These can be analysed
through:
 Organizational dress code
 The way employees use technology in their tasks
 How work spaces are divided and even the way top executives are treated within the
organization.
All the above elements should be understood by managers and implemented in order to
influence and affect organisational culture.
Everyone has an attitude toward everything-attitude being defined as a personal opinion/feeling
toward any given subject. And usually attitudes lead to specific behaviors. How does this cause
and effect work within an organization, and what are factors that help and hinder the way the
employee's attitudes are changed, created, or deemed obsolete?
First we'll look into moderating factors that deal with attitude/behavior situations, and
we'll finish with the role that individual attitudes may have on an entire organization. The
prominent moderating factors tend to be the importance of the individual's attitude, the
specificity, accessibility, the presence of social pressures, and direct experience with the attitude.
Secondly To create a positive impact based on an individual's attitude, one must
influence the individual to identify with the desired attitude by creating personal interest and
value-so that person is more inclined to correspond with the desired attitude, leading to the
desired behavior.
When a specific attitude is desired, as well as a specific resulting behavior, it’s best not to, “Beat
around the bunch." as they say. If one wanted to know whether an individual was open to being
promoted, they should be direct asking,” Would you consider being promoted to specific job?,
rather than asking, " Do you have any desire to move anywhere in the company?" By specifically
stating that you are thinking of promoting them, you get a specific behavior regarding the idea of
a promotion. By simply asking where they would like to move in the company, you are giving
the individual to explain where they would like to go and why-not hinting at a promotion
because it was not implied.
 Lastly, There is social pressure which can throw anyone's predictability out the window.
Even though all individuals have morals and attitudes toward different subjects, when they are
put in a situation where peers can influence their attitude, it would be important to let each
employee know that personal attitudes are tolerated, and that the organization will work to
understand, consider, and accept-without negative repercussions.
However, if an individual likes their job-they will take pride in doing it correctly, if they like
their supervisor-they are more likely to communicate and participate with them, and if they value
the organization as a whole-they tend to look for ways to improve the company as a whole, even
when they don't have too.
Accessibility to an attitude depends on how important it is to the individual. The most significant
factor in attitude and behavior relations is the individual's experiences that shape their attitude
which leads to corresponding behaviors. If an employee has no prior experiences with a given
situation, they are far less likely to behave and react in a positive way. Yet individuals who have
experience with an attitude know how they will behave in the given situation.
FACTORS AFFECTING HIS BEHAVIOR
A successful and highly productive business can be achieved by engaging individual in
improving their behavior. There are number of factors which may be affecting the individual
behavior.
Motivation:
Motivation of the employees is ignored in small companies. The reason is being employers’
constant pressure to increase productivity, profitability and revenue growth and it often
overshadows the importance of how an unengaged workforce can negatively affect behavior.
Climate:
Climate is another factor having effect on the behavior of individual. This shows how they are
satisfied or dissatisfy with the job and its working environment. It will also discuss how the
people are treated and valued in their working place? How they are respected and how their
issues properly considered, even any small or a large issue.
Abilities and Skills:
 The physical capacity of an individual to do something can be termed as ability. Skill can be
defined as the ability to act in a way that allows a person to perform well. The individual
behavior and performance is highly influenced by ability and skills. A person can perform well
in the organization if his abilities and skills are matched with the job requirement.
Personality:
Personality can be regarded as the most complex aspect of human beings that influences their
behavior in big way. The several factors that influence the personality of an individual are
heredity, family, society, culture and situation. It implies to the fact that individuals differ in their
manner while responding to the organizational environment.
Attitude:
It can be defined as a tendency to respond favorably or unfavorably to certain objects, persons or
situations. The managers in an organization need to study the variables related to job as to create
the work environment in a favorable way that employees are tempted to form a positive attitude
towards their respective jobs. The employees can perform better in the organization if they form
a positive attitude.
Q. 3 Discuss the role of Information Technology with reference to organizational behavior
in organizations.
Organization
“An organization is a group of individual’s co-ordinate into different levels of authority and
segments of specialization for the purpose of achieving the goals and objectives of the
organization”.
Every organization has certain objectives or goals which it strives to accomplish. In order to do
so, people work together in groups .The activities of each of these individuals and groups are co-
ordinate by authority-responsibility relationships. These are determined on the basis of the
hierarchy of the jobs. The process of identifying and grouping the work to be performed,
defining and delegating responsibility and authority, and establishing relationships for the
purpose of enabling people to work most effectively together in establishing of objectives.
An organization is a machine of management in its achievement of the ends determined by its
administration. An analysis of the definition show that organizations are born out of a necessity
for a clear, well defined system or structure, which people require for execution of their work
responsibilities. It helps them to relate to each other, co-ordinate their activities, and achieve the
organizational goals or objectives. It minimizes confusion, nurtures suitable work behavior, and
maximizes effectiveness.
Organizational Behavior in Organization
“Organizational Behavior is the study of individuals and their behavior within the context of the
organization in a workplace setting. It is an interdisciplinary field that includes sociology,
psychology, communication and management”. 
Organizational behavior is a field of study, meaning that it is a distinct area of expertise with a
common body of knowledge. It studied three determinants of behavior:
 Individuals
 Groups
 Structure
In addition, OB applies the knowledge gained about individuals, groups and the effective of
structure on behavior in order to make organization work more effectively. It emphasizes
behavior as related to concerns such as jobs, work, absenteeism, employment turnover,
productivity, human performance and management.
Role of Information technology
In the world of globalization, “Information system is such where data are collected, classified
and put into process interpreting the result thereon in order to provide an integrated series of
information for further communicating and analyzing”.
An Information System is a particular type of work system that uses information technology to
detain, put on the air, store, retrieve, manipulate or display information, thereby partisan one or
more other work structure’. It may also help managers and workers investigate problems
The criteria of operational systems and the data management systems that support analytically
pass through at least four phases:
a) Introducing the system of manipulating the need to promulgate on going operational
Management system.
b) Development of the process of acquiring and configuring/installing the necessary hardware,
software and other resources.
c) Implementation, the process of making new system operational in the organization.
d) Operation and maintenance, the process concerned with the operation of the system.
The management of these processes can be achieved and controlled using a series of techniques
and management tools which, collectively, tend to be known as Structured Management System.
Information technology has multiplied job demands and is leaving employees with frequent
change in the working environment; supplying progressively more information which is found to
be difficult to handle. Due to these factors, stress levels are increased and if not regulated the
effects of technology are seen in the shape of work related stress. Challenges of information
technology in organizational behavior are:
 Information
 Knowledge
 Organizational Learning
 Intranets
 Creativity
 Innovation
The role of IT in business organizations has been crucial in automating processes by
managing and using information with the help of computer based tools and techniques. It also
entails accumulating, preserving and distribution of organizational information. Most companies
store and process data on computers that can be accessed and modified more conveniently as and
when required.
Many business organizations either purchase software packages or hire IT professionals or
companies that specialize in offering IT related services. The continuous developments and the
throat slashing competition have made incorporation of IT imperative in every business set-up.
Information technology reduces the risk of failures and increases flexibility by decreasing the
cost of adjustment.
IT has impacted on businesses and industries since its inception. Information Technology has
helped several businesses in growing the following areas:
1. Globalization- IT has helped several small organizations acquire business from different
parts of the world. A business is not restricted to particular area or a city, hence, increasing
the revenue of the business with an increase in the number of clients.
2. Payment- IT is perhaps one of the biggest achievements of the mankind so far. Within a
matter of a few minutes one can sell and buy products or services without having to travel
physically to collect payment. This convenience eventually helps in widening the client base
of the business that would again add to the revenue.
3. Convenience- By creating a website of its own, a business lets its clients/customers order,
shop or inquires about products and services conveniently.
4. Cost Effective- One need not incur heavy expenditure in running a business with the help of
IT such as rent, transportation costs, and more.
Most technological innovations in the world have been brought in by information technology.
The immense usage of internet has bridged all gaps between humans in any part of the world. IT
companies have played an important role in accelerating the business of several business
organizations all over the world. Chimpico is one such IT company that has helped several
businesses realize organizational goals and automate processes by following the principles of
usability, efficiency, customer related and a clear communication.
As information technology and organizational change grips the print industry, the online
platform gives birth to demand for a new set of skills to run the necessary infrastructure. Web
delivery methods require a shift in the employee skill base from print skills to online digital
savvy.
Q. 4 “Happy workers are productive workers”. The idea that happy workers are
productive workers developed in the 1930s and 1940s. Based on this managers
worked to make their employees happier by focusing on working conditions and work
environment. Then, in the 1980s, research suggested that the relationship between job
satisfaction and job performance was not particularly high. The authors of this
research even went so far to label this relationship as an illusion. More recently
though, it has been estimated that the correlation between job satisfaction and job
performance is moderately strong.
It is important to note here that the reverse of this relationship might be true, such
that, productive workers are likely to be happy workers, or productivity leads to
satisfaction. In other words, if you do well on your job, you feel good about it
intrinsically.
1. Discuss the above comparison and present your comments.
Comments:
Experience has shown employees who understand why they are performing certain functions,
and how those functions contribute to the company's objectives, are more proficient and
productive on the job. Once involved in the process, employees' productivity can be further
increased by measuring both individual and team performance against several objectives on a
regular basis.
 Attempting to understand the nature of job satisfaction and its effects on work performance
is not easy. Researchers have put a considerable amount of effort into attempts to demonstrate
that the two are positively related in a particular fashion: a happy worker is a good worker.
Although this sounds like a very appealing idea, the results of empirical literature are too mixed
to support the hypothesis that job satisfaction leads to better performance or even that there is a
reliable positive correlation between these two variables.
 On the other hand some researchers argue that the results are equally inconclusive with
respect to the hypothesis that there is no such relationship. As a result of this ambiguity, this
relationship continues to stimulate research and re-examination of previous attempts. This
research strives to describe the relation of job satisfaction and performance, keeping in mind the
value this relation has for organizations.
Job satisfaction:
Job satisfaction is a complex and multifaceted concept, which can mean different things to
different people. "Job satisfaction is more an attitude, an internal state. It could, for example, be
associated with a personal feeling of achievement, either quantitative or qualitative." In recent
years attention to job satisfaction has become more closely associated with broader approaches
to improved job design and work organization, and the quality of working life movement.
Relationship of job satisfaction and job performance:
The relationship between job satisfaction and performance is an issue of continuing debate and
controversy.
 One view, associated with the early human relation's approach, is that satisfaction leads to
performance.
 An alternative view is that performance leads to satisfaction.
However, a variety of studies suggest that research has found only a limited relationship between
satisfaction and work output and offer scant comfort to those seeking to confirm that a satisfied
worker is also a productive one. Labor turnover and absenteeism are commonly associated with
dissatisfaction, but although there may be some correlation, there are many other possible
factors. No universal generalizations about worker dissatisfaction exist, to offer easy
management solutions to problems of turnover and absenteeism. The study suggests that it is
primarily in the realm of job design, where opportunity resides for a constructive improvement
of the worker's satisfaction level.
Does it matter if workers are happy? Only if an organization wants to do well. One
academic study found that managers with average salaries of about $65,000 cost their
organizations roughly $75 a week per person in lost productivity if they are "psychologically
distressed." Research shows that employee well-being is inextricably tied to higher performance,
which is inextricably tied to the bottom line, After controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, job
tenure and educational attainment, it is found that an employee's psychological well-being is a
significant indicator of job performance.
Job performance is generally determined by three factors:
 Motivation, the desire to do the job
 Ability, the capability to do the job
 The work environment, the tools, materials, and information needed to do the job
If an employee lacks ability, the manager can provide training or replace the worker. If there is
an environmental problem, the manager can also usually make adjustments to promote higher
performance. But if motivation is the problem, the manager's task is more challenging. Thus,
motivation plays a vital role since it might influence negatively performance and because of its
intangible nature.
Q. 5 as sales manager Charles occasionally relies on punishment to try to improve his
employees’ performance. For instance, one time he was dealing with a salesman who
was having a bad month. He talked to the employee about what he could do to help
him move more cars. But after another week without a sale and a condescending
attitude from the employee, the manager confronted him. He screamed at the
employee, told him his performance was unacceptable, and then threw a notebook
binder at him. The manager said “I had talked to him before, said that I would help
him out, but that we had to do something about his sales numbers. The day I actually
threw my binder at him, he actually sold a couple of cars”. And the manager is
unapologetic about his behavior “I am always tough on my salespeople, but they know
the reason is that I want them do to better. Do I think its always effective? No but if
you do it once in a while, it works.”
Apparently, Charles isn’t alone. When the pressure for meeting numbers and
 deadlines is high, some managers rely on punishment to try to motivate employees. A
motivation consultant says it can backfire on a manager, when he or she avoids telling
employees that there are negative consequences for poor performance. “Positive
reinforcement is something that employees should earn” according to him. For
example, there are cases where high performing sales person refuses to do his
paperwork but still gets high praise from the boss because his numbers are good.
Many managers still rely on threats to motivate employees and it does work on some
employees. According to them, punishment can sometimes provide a much-needed
kick in the pants to salespeople who are slacking or unaware of their poor
performance. For some people, public embarrassment works.
Questions:
Ans: Q (1) what conditions, if any, do you think justify the use of punishment?
In Researcher point of view:
 Researchers say that, there are several instances in which you would want to use
punishment in the workplace, but you have to be careful when issuing punishment. Anything that
would interfere with doing the job, or would place another employee in the path of harm would
justify the use of punishment.
 The use of punishment is good when you might have the feeling that some have tuned you
out. If the employee doesn't stop, and they aren't being productive, you can easily punish then.
Tell them to take the day off, and think about how much they really want the job. Make them
work on Saturday if they don't get the work done by Friday. Usually just the threat of a
punishment will work out well.
 If an employee doesn't produce even when they know they are being watched, then you can
punish even more. Everyone will stray off the path every so often, so you have to use the right
punishment for the right crime.
Only use punishment when you really feel it is the last option. If you punish too much, you risk
alienating your people, and losing a good working relationship. If it takes a punishment to get
productivity back up then so be it.
 In My point of view:
There is no condition that can justify the use of punishment in the workplace. There are guide
lines for everyone to follow, and that guide line is there to protect you for a reason. Even if the
condition was so extreme and needed to be addressed as soon as possible there are ways of
correcting an individual without rendering a punishment.
 The use of punishment in the workplace is no longer tolerated, to many people have came
forward with lawsuits against their employers. That's the reason we are given a handbook on
rules and regulations so everyone knows their rights when it comes to disciplinary actions.
These actions are:
 The first action that will be taken is verbal warning
 Second action is being written up
 The third will be grounds to suspend/termination.
These are the proper procedures when correcting an employee in the workplace.
Q2.Do you think most managers use punishment? If so, why?
I don’t believe that most manager use punishment. If they do, it is usually assigning an employee
more work or making them stay later then usual.
 You do need to impress upon this employee the seriousness of the mistake—especially
since they don’t seem to realize the magnitude of the error. However, I doubt if punishing them
in this way will achieve the result you want. Making them correct the mistake without paying them
will backfire. Sit down and explain how much this mistake has cost, both in direct and indirect costs.
Paint a clear picture about the impact that has on the business.
 The main point here is that punishing employees for mistakes is usually not a good
practice. People don’t make mistakes on purpose. That’s why they are called mistakes. If you can
use this as a learning opportunity, they will not make the mistake again. If you make them pay
for it, you will likely lose them and create fear in everyone else.
In the end, there are lessons for both. Chalk the punishment off as part of the risk of running a
business but use it as an opportunity to change how you manage and monitor the business going
forward.
Q3. What’s the downside of using punishment? And of using positive reinforcement?
DOWNSIDE OF USING PUNISHMENT:
Punishment has some immediate rewards, but they are offset by long term disadvantages.
Punishment:
 Depends on having you or another authority present.
 Teaches them to lie and sneak around behind your back in order to avoid punishment.
  Teaches them what not to do, but not what to do
The downside of giving your workers more work/longer hours as a punishment, is that you are
expecting more out of an hand who is probably upset at the situation and is not going to give
their work their best effort and will probably kind mistakes or cut corners just to get it done so
they can progress home.
USING POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
I think the only downside of positive reinforcement is that it may cause some employees who are
really trying their hardest but still cannot seem to grasp it right feel left out and belittled. Most
people just want to be appreciated. If you're a manager, that's something to seriously think about
as you set the tone for maximum productivity. When you reward your worker, they perform
better.
The notion of the corporate team model was dreamed up by someone who realized that
all folks really want is to be appreciated for their talent and ability. If you team up four or five
well-selected people, each with a unique, highly-developed skill; cheer them on and reward them
for all their accomplishments... what you're going to get is some jacked-up productivity and a
stellar team that will follow you to the ends of the earth.
There are some ways to let your team members know how much they're valued:
 Accentuate the positive
 Open the lines of communication
 Always play fair.
 Encourage workers to 'figure it out on their own
Q4. What would your behavior response be if you had to work for a boss who uses
punishment?
I had a "boss" who only gets promoted to manager and it was her first secretarial position. She
made me do her work for the day so she could work on "marketing". I was answering phones,
working on all the files, preparing our big bosses agenda for the next day, and doing my own
position. We were shorthanded so I was doing 3 people's job all at one time. Well, I made a
mistake in our boss’s diary, and she confronted me about it in the most rude mode buy cursing at
me and asking me "what my problem was." I said "I'm sorry; I must've been doing too frequent
things at one time." She then exploded on me, cussed me out and was screaming at me within
front of my co-worker. The next daylight she wrote me up and called it "insubordination"
because I was "probing the amount of work that my manager did on a daily spring." My response
to her was that I was simply explaining the source for my error--I was doing the work of 3
people and as a result I made an oversight and that I be human. She told me that if I did it again I
would be fired. Well I had enough. I told her I be going to call our big boss and tell him
everything that happen and I did.