The OB'11 Poster Slide Show! Version1 ...more to come

You might like to watch this video related to leadership, groups, conflicts etc. Watch out for more! Enjoy! 

Alderfer's ERG theory

The theory that Needs for Existence, Relatedness, and Growth serve as motivators (as per Alderfer).Alderfer categorized the lower order needs (Physiological and Safety) into the Existence category. He fit Maslow's interpersonal love and esteem needs into the Relatedness category. The Growth category contained the self actualization and self esteem needs. Alderfer also proposed a regression theory to go along with the ERG theory. He said that when needs in a higher category are not met then individuals redouble the efforts invested in a lower category need. For example if self actualization or self esteem is not met then individuals will invest more effort in the relatedness category in the hopes of achieving the higher need.1 

Is workforce diversity an important factor to develop Teams?

Workplace diversity dynamics involve the combination of workers, and management, to work in unison to achieve company objectives least obtrusively and efficiently. Forming teams encompasses stages like forming,storming (involves struggle and dilemmas), norming (clarity), performing and disbandment. Chennai based industries workplaces as in any other state or will exhibit workplace diversity on several grounds. They could be in obvious areas like gender, age, religion, or other profile variable. Other diversity issues also exhibit themselves over time through habits, learning, cultural moorings, experience, attitudes, etc. the best way to deal with them is to understand, respect and work with them. The ultimate challenge is to guide employees towards organisational goals achievement (growth and profitability), encouraging mentorship, enhancing communication skills, persistence, 

What are the various approaches to Conflict Management?

This question relates to Qs.2 in Test2 OB paper 2011.  Note: Miranda's answer is also quoted here.

Conflict means Tension between parties when each feels the other is thwarting its own goals. A conflict arises when one party negatively affects or is about to affect what the other party cares about (Miranda 2011). Conflict Resolution approaches involve the settlement of disagreements arising from friction between the parties. Conflict hinders the achievement of goals by individuals. There are many types of conflicts: task, process, relationship, interpersonal etc. It needs to be managed properly and not necessarily avoided. Measures to manage conflict are competing, accomodating, compromising, collaborating, avoiding etc. Miranda Anusha Maria 2011, Various approaches to conflict, Dept of Commerce,Loyola College, Chennai, Qs. 2, Test2, Organisational Behaviour

Test II Questions

1. Comment on the LPC scale, job stressors and group think.

2. What are the various approaches to Conflict Management?

3. Is workforce diversity an important factor to develop Teams?

4. What are the unique differences between ERG theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory?

5. What are the elements of Organisation structure?

PART-B : ANSWER ANY TWO

6. What are the different Social Networking Norms experience  or practiced by any ONE of the following?

South Indian Communities

Student Groups

Employees

Religious Practitioners

Tourists

Any others (please Specify)

7. What are the various bases of Power, as per French & Raven? Comment on the use or misuse of power on any ONE of the following?

Politics

Educational Administration

Religion

Teaching

Entrepreneurs

8. Briefly describe any TWO:

Work life Balance

Providing Idiosyncratic Credit

Quality of Work life

Promoting Desirable Behaviour

360 Degree evaluation

Steve Jobs (Apple) as a CEO/ Leader

Group Think!

Here is a Brilliant assessment of how to test the tendency for group think, by Irving, which is worth noting. To make groupthink testable, Irving Janis devised eight symptoms indicative of groupthink (1977).

Type I: Overestimations of the group—its power and morality

1. Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk taking.
2. Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore the consequences of their actions.

Type II: Closed-mindedness

1. Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group's assumptions.
2. Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased, spiteful, impotent, or stupid.

Type III: Pressures toward uniformity

1. Self-censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.
2. Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as agreement.
3. Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group, couched in terms of "disloyalty"
4. Mind guards — self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting information.

Groupthink, resulting from the symptoms listed above, results in defective decision-making. That is, consensus-driven decisions are the result of the following practices of groupthinking

1. Incomplete survey of alternatives
2. Incomplete survey of objectives
3. Failure to examine risks of preferred choice
4. Failure to reevaluate previously rejected alternatives
5. Poor information search
6. Selection bias in collecting information
7. Failure to work out contingency plans.

Janis argued that groupthink was responsible for theBay of Pigs Invasion 'fiasco' and other major examples of faulty decision-making. The UK bank Northern Rock, before its nationalisation, is thought to be a recent major example of groupthink. In such real-world examples, a number of the above groupthink symptoms were displayed.