Week 2| Contrasting management

Question 1

What is the definition of Organisational behaviour?

Answer 1

It si the study of how people think, feel and do in and around organizations

Question 2

What does organisational behaviour study? What does it involve?

Answer 2

OB studies the impact of individuals, groups and social structures on behaviour within organization
It involves:
- Multidisciplinary e.g psychology, sociology, anthropology and political science and others
- Invovles the use of research based evidence to develop understanding
- Seeks to apply knowledge generated to improving management practice and organisational effectiveness

Question 3

What are the foundations of OB?

Answer 3

Systematic research anchor: use systematic research to study organisations
Multidisciplinary anchor: Import knowledge from other disciplines, not just create its own knowledge
Contingency anchor: recognise that the effectiveness of an action may depend on the situation
Multiple levels of analysis anchor: analysis OB from three levels, individuals, team and organisation

Question 4

What are the three eras of management ?

Answer 4

Era 1: Mass production- Growth through efficiency and optimized execution
Era 2- knowledge based: knowledge through best socialisation of information
Era 3: Empathy: Using emotional intelligence to align all stakeholders

Question 5

What are the four elements of scientific management?

Answer 5

Job design: managers should design job efficiently, precisely specifying every element of an employee’s work.

Human resources management: Managers should select, train and develop employees

Performance management: managers should be responsible for ensuring all work is done according to their specifications. Workers are paid according to output

Development of management profession: The division of labour should be based on expertise Managerial authority over employees should be based on scientific impartiality

Question 6

What are the key elements of scientific management?

Answer 6

1. Process and tasks are simple and require minimum skill to deliver maximum efficiency
2. Simple, repetitive tasks - passing pieces down the assembly line
3. Managament are responsible for designing and controlling production, with very strict management control - there is only “one best way’ to do the task
4. Managers tell workers exactly what they are gonna do and workers do as they are told

Question 7

What are the key elements of human relations school?

Answer 7

1. Value workers attitude and input
2. Workers and managers makes decision together
3. Workers do variety of different tasks to complete whole piece of work
4. Workers enjoy degree of control over how they work
5. Workers see an end product from their work and feel that they are responsible for it
6. Workers may work in groups and work together on one task than just working on one task

Question 8

What is the difference between an informal and formal group?

Answer 8

Formal (visible): the visible part of an organisation e.g. span of control, organisation charts, policies and procedures

Informal: the backbone of an organisation, emotional

Question 9

What are some important findings of the Hawthorne studies?

Answer 9

1. Despite isolating effects of standardization and the increasing technical division of labor, work remains a group activity
2. As a result of their need for recognition, security and sense of belonging, workers will gravitate toward informal groups, whether formal work organization reflected this or not
3. An informal group exercises a strong form of social control over work habits and attitudes of its members
4. Managers should recognize the impact of these informal groups in exerting an influence on productivity
5. Organisations should seek to ensure a good “fit” between informal and formal work structures