Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management: Case Studies and Analysis, Assignments of Organization Behaviour

Download Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management: Case Studies and Analysis and more Assignments Organization Behaviour in PDF only on Docsity!

DATE 07-04-

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR & HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT

Santosh V Hegde Assignment: Semester- Reg.No. 190101611274 Gradable assignment ( marks) Subject: OBHRM

TERM 1 : ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR & HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT

Total : 30 Marks (Part A- 10 Marks +Part B-20 Marks) PART A: Answer Two Case Studies (One case study{CS} from OB and One case study from HR) -(2CS X5M=10 Marks) ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR CASE STUDIES:

1. Read the case carefully and answer the questions that follow : Ramesh Ambani was appointed as Operations Planning Manager in the Surepleasure Airlines last month. Immediately after reporting to his new job, Ramesh recognised that there were difficulties with the time control section. This section consisted of sixteen Junior clerks, eight senior clerks and a supervisor who reported to him. The basic function of time control section is to maintain records of all rotatable parts used on a fleet of eighty- five passenger aircraft. Records reflect the date on which a part was installed or removed and total aircraft flying time. To maintain identification, serial numbers are recorded for each controlled part. The Airport Authority rules require strict control of parts having limited life. Parts that have operated beyond their approved limit have to be removed and overhauled. The problem that Ramesh noticed was that there were numerous instances of inaccurate records. The records were in violation of Airport Authority regulations and poor record-keeping resulted in excessive overhaul costs. When Ramesh studied the situation, he observed that the employees had formed an extremely strong informal work-group. The members would accept or reject new employees into the work-group based on factors completely unrelated to the job. Some outsiders observed that if a new employee's behavior was not in tune with the informally determined norms, he or she had little chance of success within the group. The group members arranged for contributory dine-and-dance party every week-end and had a great time together. Those who did not like to participate and socialise were ignored and 'made to feel uncomfortable to the point that they would quit the organisation. This resulted in an annual turnover rate of approximately 200 percent. Ramesh realised that this problem had to be solved immediately or major problems could result for the Surepleasure Airlines in future. Questions (a) What are the dysfunctions of informal organisation in the Surepleasure Airlines? ANS – a. Not maintaining the records of identification, serial numbers are recorded for each rotatable controlling part. b. violating rules of Airport Authority regulations and poor record-keeping and resulting in excessive overhaul costs. c. The employees had formed an extremely strong informal work-group. The members would accept or reject new employees into the work-group based on factors completely unrelated to the job. d. The group members arranged for contributory dine-and-dance party every week-end and had a great time together. Those who did not like to participate and socialise were ignored and 'made to feel uncomfortable to the point that they would quit the organisation. This resulted in an annual turnover rate of approximately 200 percent.

Part of the new plan is a top-secret strategic document that outlines every new car and truck Ford will design, produce, and sell around the world through 2003. The plan calls for reducing the basic design platforms from 24 to 16 and increasing the total number of models by 50 percent, while saving billions of dollars, for example, the new 1996 Taurus serves as the platform for several other models, both in the United States and around the world. In structure, the new system is really a matrix. Rather than working in a functional organization with traditional hierarchies and centralized decision making, employees are assigned to a design center, such as small cars, and then to a group according to their specialties, such as drive trains. Managers then mediate the disputes that occur between the design centers and the specialties. Employees will have to change their ways of doing their work as they design cars and trucks to fit global markets rather than a single, relatively homogeneous one. Management knows that employees feel a great deal of insecurity and uncertainty about the company and their jobs as they make the shift. Carrying the message to all employees has been a constant Job for Trotman and Hagenlacker since the original announcement. Management also knows that Ford tried a similar design integration with their "World Car" in the late 1970s, which failed primarily due to turf battles among designers and engineers. The cars that resulted were rarely the cost savers Ford hoped for and were so dull in their design that no one bought them. Trotman expects different results this time because of the consolidation of the design centers, the new organisation structure, and because advances in technology have made the inner working of cars so similar that only the outer, visible portions of the cars need to be different to satisfy regional tastes. By mid-1996, however, the reorganisation was not going so well. The transition had left many employees still wondering whom they worked for and with a feeling that everything was out of control. The culprit seems to have been a reorganization of the reorganisation! Trotman now plans to reduce the number of design centers from five to three. People are moving and reporting relationships are changing once again. Group Vice President Jacques A. Nasser, who may succeed Trotman by 1998 or so, has promised $11 billion in savings under the new system. Some have claimed that the "new" reorganisation really puts things back the way they were before the first reorganisation. However, three design centers is a lot fewer than the dozens that existed before. But this second reorganisation, before employees really got settled into the first one, may have devastating effects. Suppliers and employees do not know whom to contact to get questions answered or disputes resolved. All they get on the phone is voice mail, since everyone is in meetings trying to work out the new reorganisation. Top management claims that these problems are inherent trying to turn around such a big organisation that has been relatively successful through the years. They say that the organisation needs to evolve to meet their ambitious goals and the competition. Questions: (a) Describe the changes in structure that Ford expects from the Ford 2000. ANS - The restructure ide lead by Chairman and CEO, Alex Trotman and Vice Chairman Edward E. Hagenlacker, eliminated more than a dozen engineering design centers around the world and consolidated them into only five. The purpose was – A. Integrate Ford's operations around the world and revolutionize the way it designs and builds more than seventy lines of cars and trucks, where Ford sells those in more than two hundred markets. B. Reduced duplication of effort, increase volume purchasing, save more than $4 billion per year, and double profitability. C. Part of the new plan is a top-secret strategic document that outlines every new car and truck Ford will design, produce, and sell around the world through 2003.

D. They forecasted reduction in the basic design platforms from 24 to 16 and increasing the total number of models by 50 percent, while saving billions of dollars. (b) How do you explain the continuing problem that employees are having with adapting to the new structure of Ford 2000? ANS – In structure, the new system is really a matrix. Rather than working in a functional organization with traditional hierarchies and centralized decision making, employees are assigned to a design center, such as small cars, and then to a group according to their specialties, such as drive trains. Managers then mediate the disputes that occur between the design centers and the specialties. Employees will have to change their ways of doing their work as they design cars and trucks to fit global markets rather than a single, relatively homogeneous one. employees feel a great deal of insecurity and uncertainty about the company and their jobs as they make the shift. And also, The transition had left many employees still wondering whom they worked for and with a feeling that everything was out of control. (c)Is a matrix structure the proper structure for Ford 2000? ANS - No, rather than working in a functional organization with traditional hierarchies and centralized decision making, employees are assigned to a design center, such as small cars, and then to a group according to their specialties, such as drive trains. Managers then mediate the disputes that occur between the design centers and the specialties. Employees will have to change their ways of doing their work as they design cars and trucks to fit global markets rather than a single, relatively homogeneous one. Management knows that employees feel a great deal of insecurity and uncertainty about the company and their jobs as they make the shift.

3. Read the following case carefully and answer the questions given at the end : Mr. Anand occupies No. 2 position in the Corporate Planning Department of multi-product company having a turnover of more than Rs. 900 crores and operating in a high technology (hi-tech) industry. For the last five years, Anand has been associated with strategic planning of the company and recently he has been deputed to a task force to reorganise the company to cope up with the changing technology and environment. At the last meeting of the Board of Directors of the company, the members expressed their concern about the falling competitive position of the company in the industry. The main reason cited by the Chief Executive was the outdated organisation structure which has not undergone any change for the last 10 years though the size, technology and environment of the company have changed tremendously. It was on the advice of the Chief Executive that the Board of Directors decided to set up a task force for the company's reorganisation. At the first meeting of the task force, Anand, who is an expert in planning, convinced the other members to adopt the following procedure : (i) Determine exactly what type of structure the company has at present. (ii) Determine the type of environment the company faces now and the weaknesses of the present structure. (iii) Forecast the environmental changes in the future and the type of technology to be used by the company. (iv) Design the organisation structure to meet the future challenges. It was discovered that the company is currently structured along classical lines and the company is operating in a highly dynamic environment. The environment in future is likely to be more uncertain because of fast changes in technology and requirements of customers and competition by MNCS. The task force concluded that the structural

(i) Determine exactly what type of structure the company has at present. (ii) Determine the type of environment the company faces now and the weaknesses of the present structure. (iii) Forecast the environmental changes in the future and the type of technology to be used by the company. (iv) Design the organisation structure to meet the future challenges. HUMAN RESOURCES CASE STUDIES

1. Read the following case carefully and answer the questions given at the end. Training for Whom? Microelectronics, a California-based electronics defense contractor, has enjoyed a smooth growth curve over the past five years, primarily because of favorable defense funding during the Reagan administration's build-up of U.S. military defenses. Microelectronics has had numerous contacts to design and develop guidance and radar systems for military weaponry. Although the favorable funding cycle has enabled. Microelectronics to grow at a steady rate, the company is finding it increasingly difficult to keep its really good engineers, based on extensive turnover analyses conducted by Ned Jackson, the human resources planning manager, Microelectronics problem seems to be its inability to keep engineers beyond the "critical" five year point. Apparently, the probability of turnover drops dramatically after five years of service. Ned's conclusion is that Microelectronics has been essentially serving as an industry college. Their staffing strategy has always been to hire the best and brightest engineers from the best engineering schools in the United States. Ned believes that these engineers often get lost in the shuffle at the time they join the firm. For example, most (if not all) of the new hires must work on non-classified projects until cleared by security to join a designated major project. Security clearance usually takes anywhere from six to ten months. In the meantime, the major project has started, and these young engineers frequently miss out on its design phase, considered the most creative and challenging segment of the program. Because of the nature of project work, new engineering often has difficulty learning the organizational culture - such as who to ask when you have a problem, what the general dos and don'ts are, and why the organization does things in a certain way. After heading a task force of human resource professionals within Microelectronics, Ned has been designated to present to top management a proposal designed to reduce turnover among young engineering recruits. The essence of his plan is to create a mentor program, except that in this plan the mentors will not be the seasoned graybeards of Microelectronics, but rather those engineers in the critical three-to-five-year service window, the period of highest turnover, these engineers will be paired with new engineering recruits before the recruits actually report to Microelectronics for work. According to the task force, the programme is twofold: (1) it benefits the newcomer by easing the transition into the company, and (2) it helps the three-to-five-year service engineers by enabling them to serve an important role for the company. By performing the mentor role, these engineers will become more committed and hence less likely to leave. As Ned prepared his fifteen-minute presentation for top management, he wondered it he had adequately anticipated the possible objections to the program in order to make an intelligent defense of it. Only time would tell. Questions :

(a) Identify the salient issues from HR point of view for this case. ANS - Although the favorable funding cycle has enabled. Microelectronics to grow at a steady rate, The issues Microelectronics facing

1. The company is finding it increasingly difficult to keep its really good engineers beyond the "critical" five- year point.
2. Microelectronics has been essentially serving as an industry college.
3. These engineers often get lost in the shuffle at the time they join the firm.
4. new hires must work on non-classified projects until cleared by security to join a designated major project.
5. Due to security clearance takes longer time new hires must work on non-classified projects until cleared by security to join a designated major project and they miss most important part of the project – The design phase.
6. Because of the nature of project work, new engineering often have difficulty learning the organizational culture. (b) lf you were to study this turnover problem; how would you conduct a needs analysis or evolve a counselling programme? ANS – After studying this turnover issue I would like handle
7. Present to top management a proposal designed to reduce turnover among young engineering recruits.
8. Create a mentoring program – rather than old employees these engineers will be paired with new engineering recruits before the recruits actually report to Microelectronics for work.
9. By mentoring these engineers by three-to-five-year service engineers, by enabling them to serve an important role for the company. By performing the mentor role, these engineers will become more committed and hence less likely to leave. (c) What are the causes of dissatisfaction and turnover in Microelectronics? ANS
10. Due to security clearance takes longer time new hires must work on non-classified projects until cleared by security to join a designated major project and they miss most important part of the project – The design phase.

aggressive and enthusiastic and that he know his job well. At the end of the year when increments were due to be sanctioned, he recommended to the management that the increments due to eleven men in his department should be stopped, for, in his opinion they were lazy and inefficient. The eleven men concerned belonged to all the four groups operating in the department. The management, though puzzled about the action recommended by Mr. Rog, acted upon it and stopped the increments due to the eleven men concerned. The management were aware that such an action was the first of its kind in the history of the company. Most of the employees were with the company for a fairly long period and there was never an instance of strained relations between the management and the employees. Soon after the action was taken, the eleven employees concerned made a representation to the management requesting them to let them know what was wrong with their work as to warrant stopping of their increments. The management were in a fix because they did not have specific reasons to give except Mr. Rog's report in which he simply mentioned that the eleven men concerned were "lazy and inefficient". The management were naturally concerned about the representation and therefore, they tried to ascertain from Mr. Rog the detailed circumstances under which he recommended the stoppage of increments. When Mr. Rog could not pin-point the reasons, the management suspected that Mr. Rog's recommendation was based on his "impressions" rather than on facts. They, therefore, advised Mr. Rog to maintain a register from then on noting the details of day to day incidents of "lazy and inefficient" workers and obtain the signatures of the workers concerned. Mr. Rog was to make the final appraisal of each worker in his department on the basis of this register and recommend each case giving specific reasons why increments should be stopped. Mr. Rog started maintaining a register as suggested by the management; but he found it difficult to report satisfactorily any case of laziness or inefficiency for want of specific reasons. The management were convinced that their action of stopping increments of eleven men on the strength of Mr. Rog's report was not a proper one. They realised that no similar action in future would be taken based on inadequate information. But, they were wondering whether the suggestion made to Mr. Rog was the proper course of action to prevent occurrence of similar situations. Questions: (a) Identify and discuss the core issue in the case. ANS –

1. Only 11 workers whose annual increments were stopped.
2. This stopping of increment action taken was not justified and that even though those workers wanted to know what their fault was.
3. This was the first time in the history of the XYZ ltd.
4. The company did not have any incentive wage system for any class of its employees and policies for wage system. (b) Was management of the company justified in implementing the recommendations of Mr. Rog, in the absence of proper report?

ANS –

The management, though puzzled about the action recommended by Mr. Rog, acted upon it and stopped the increments due to the eleven men concerned. The management were aware that such an action was the first of its kind in the history of the company. Most of the employees were with the company for a fairly long period and there was never an instance of strained relations between the management and the employees. (c) How would you view the action of Mr. Rog, if you were the M.D. of the company? Ans –

1. No, I wouldn’t justify the recommendations of Mr. Rog. Since he didn’t had any proper report to justify his recommendation.
2. If I would be the M.D of the company, a. I would ask Mr. Rog about proper reports to justify his answer. - Asking Mr. Rog to maintain a register from then on noting the details of day to day incidents of "lazy and inefficient" workers and obtain the signatures of the workers concerned. b. Implementation of process for performance measurement in wage cycle - make the final appraisal of each worker in his department on the basis of this register and recommend each case giving specific reasons why increments should be stopped. (d) Do you think the reward system instituted by the company needs to be reviewed? Substantiate your answer with logic. ANS Yes, reward system needs to be reviewed.
3. Read the case and answer the questions given at the end. SEWA - The purposeful beginning SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association) was started in 1972, by Ela Bhatt, in the form of a union of the unogranised sector, which was to be incorporated into the mainstream. It was observed that most of the production of goods and services in the country was, at that time, done through the informal sector, and hence the decision was taken io unionise this informal sector. SEWA was not like a typical union i.e., unlike the usual union of workers, it (SEWA) spoke about the solidarity of the workers themselves. It's purpose was fight for the mega system which exploited the vast working force through its labour contract systems. The whole system typically involves the middlemen and money lenders and the mindsets of the urban middle class, the educated, the upper castes, their perceptions of development. Thus,

Another effort on the pair of SEWA is to build a management system which wil help the labour force to stand firm in the market. Such a system should not only help these people to have access to credit but also help them to be literate enough to have a basic understanding of accounting, the interest rates and accessibility to market infrastructure. Another attempt of SEWA has been at coming together of women on a common platform, on the basis of work in the form of co-operatives/union/federations or as workers or producers or economic agents, cutting across barriers of caste, region and language. SEWA's Attempt at Empowering Employees The vision of Ela Bhatt, who started SEWA has always been to ensure that the informal sector is in the mainstream of labour movement with a leading role to be played by the rural women. SEWA'S aim has been to empower such women who are poor and illiterate to become economically active through the process of empowerment. This view is slowly becoming a reality, when, after joining SEWA and attending formal training programmers, such women have become bold, realized their sense of self through participating, facing, managing situations and other people and thus learning to become 'leaders' in the true sense. Thus process of empowerment has enabled them to develop an inbuilt strength to do liaison with the police, take up the causes of fellow workers, actively participate in the decision making process especially while sitting on committees, travelling and meeting people for the growth of the organization. At SEWA, there is no formal organisation structure as such. In the words of Ela Bhatt, "SEWA is like a banyan tree, it grows and takes root, then these roots grow and take root...." i.e.. SEWA's growth is totally dependent on its members who become owners, managers, beneficiaries and a truly empowered organisation in the long run. Questions : (a) What are the unique features of SEWA? (b) Discuss the worker oriented development approach of SEWA affecting the performance. Can you suggest ways in which private corporate organisation’s can also be involved in developing management programmer along with SEWA for the upliftment of the rural people?

PART B

Answer any Five Questions. Answer to the point and briefly with examples ( 5Qx4M=20)

1. Define, what is Organizational Behaviour and state why it is importance to study Organizational Behaviour? ANS – Organizational behavior (OB) is the academic study of the ways people act within groups. Its principles are applied primarily in attempts to make businesses operate more effectively. The study of organizational behavior includes areas of research dedicated to improving job performance, increasing job satisfaction, promoting innovation, and encouraging leadership. Each has its own recommended actions, such as reorganizing groups, modifying compensation structures, or changing methods of performance evaluation.

2. Describe three level of organization and discuss ethical behavior of formal and informal organization with examples? Ans – Three levels of organisation –
3. Individual Level – Individuals function within the organization
4. Group Level – How people communicate with each other and co-ordinate activities in groups
5. Organization Level – The way it is structured and functions in their environments and the effect of their operations on the employees. Ethical behavior of formal and informal organization – it’s a study of moral values and moral behavior. Formal Organisation – The official. Legitimate, and most visible part that enables people to think of organizations in logical and rational ways. In a organisation where set of rules, policies, procedures are written for example – Wipro’s company values tells about ethical behavior in a formal organisation. a. Human Values. b. Integrity c. Innovative solutions d. Value for money. Informal Organisation - Mechanisms of informal control may include a social dimension through which superiors regulate the behavior of subordinates, or employees regulate the behavior of their peers through daily interaction in compliance with the enterprise’s norms or values.
6. Define HRM Function in Business Organization? What are the various challenges faced by H R Managers in managing employees in today’s Industrial Organization ANS - HRM Function in Business Organization refers to the comprehensive set of managerial activities and task concerned with developing maintaining a qualified workforce- human resource- in a way that contributes to organizations effectiveness. Functions of HRM are
7. Human resource planning
8. Recruitment and selection
9. Training and development
10. Performance management
11. Compensation management
12. Career management and development
13. Employee relations / industrial relations
14. Managing diversity in workplace. Challenges faced by HR managers in today’s industrial organisation - Since human resources are the important resources of an organisation hiring a right people, equipping them with the right skills, providing an environment, And properly motivated so that they can truly contribute to the organisation’s growth.
15. Explain the Process of Communication and its significance in an organization.
16. Explain how personality influences behavior in organizations either using Big Five personality traits or MBTI Instrument? ANS – Personality is an individual difference that lends consistency to a person’s behavior. personality traits plays a vital role in determining the conflict resolution styles. Big five personality traits consist of five traits
17. Extroversion – The persons is gregarious, assertive, and sociable.
18. Agreeableness – the person is cooperative, warm, and agreeable.
19. Conscientiousness – The person is hardworking, organized, and dependable.

Step 6: Take action You’re now ready to take some positive action by beginning to implement the alternative you chose in Step 5. Step 7: Review your decision & its consequences In this final step, consider the results of your decision and evaluate whether or not it has resolved the need you identified in Step 1. If the decision has not met the identified need, you may want to repeat certain steps of the process to make a new decision. For example, you might want to gather more detailed or somewhat different information or explore additional alternatives.

7. Distinguish between Attitude and Aptitude and how will you explain this with reference to organization?
8. Define motivation? Explain motivation with either Maslow’s Need Hierarchy theory or Herzbergs Two Factor Theory?
9. What is difference between a Leader and a Manager? Explain basic difference between the trait ,behavioral and contingencies types or categories of leadership theory?
10. Define group and work team. Explain the benefits organization and individuals derive from working in team
11. Define conflict and negotiation in organization and Explain the nature of conflicts in organizations?
12. Describe the steps involved in selection process and explain the challenges when using social media for recruitment purpose?
13. What is fundamental goal of Training and Development? Explain how training aids organization to achieve that goal /Explain how development aids organization in achieving that goal?
14. What is performance appraisal and Management? Explain briefly how compensation and rewards are integrated with performance appraisal?
15. What is Industrial relations and labour laws? Discuss India’s growth in industrial relations under five phases (From 1950 to 2020)?.