Archive for Organizational Climate

Types of Conflict-2

Conflict between Individuals

Conflict can also take an interpersonal form. Conflict between individuals takes place owing to several factors, but most common are personal dislikes or personality differences. When there are only differences of opinion between individuals about task-related matters, it can be construed as technical conflict rather than interpersonal conflict. Of course, technical and interpersonal conflicts may influence each other due to role-related pressures. For a blinds store, the sales manager may put the blame for low sales volume on the production manager for not giving on time production of roller shades and woven wood shades. Because of that they were not able to meet the schedule task for sales. This may start disliking the production manger as an incompetent person. It is often very difficult to establish whether a conflict between two parties is due to manifest rational factors, or it emanates from hidden personal factors.

 

Conflicts between an Individual and a Group 

These types of intragroup conflicts arise frequently due to an individual’s inability to conform to the group norms. For example, most groups have an idea of a “fair day’s work” and may pressurize an individual if he exceeds or falls short of the group’s productivity norms. If the individual resents any such pressure or punishment, he could come into conflict with other group members.

We will discuss briefly about conflicts between an Individual and a group in next post.

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TYPES OF CONFLICT-1

A survey suggests that the modern manager spends over 20% of this time handling one form of conflict or the other. Top and middle level managers in the same survey has pointed out the importance of conflict management skills. We hope that the knowledge you will gain from this Unit will equip you better to manage conflict situations more deftly at you workplace.

 

Today we will discuss some type of organizational conflict.

Conflict within an Individual 

You can locate conflict at various levels. There could be conflict within oneself-the intrapersonal conflict. Basically, there are three types of such conflicts. You may have an excellent job offer in a city you are not wiling to go to. In such a case, you are attracted to and repelled by the same object-an approach-avoidance conflict. Similarly you may be attracted to two equally appealing alternatives like seeing a movie or going for a picnic-an approach-approach conflict. You may also be repelled by two equally unpleasant alternatives like the threat of being dismissed if you fail to report against a friendly colleague who is guilty of breaking the organization’s rules-an avoidance-avoidance conflict. We will discuss some other types of conflict in our next post.

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ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS-2

Conflict has always been widespread in society but it is only recently that it has generated a lot of interest and has been the focus of research and study. We are living in the age of conflict. Everyday the choices available to us regarding any decision are increasing in number. You may have wanted to become a manager, an entrepreneur or a computer scientist. On the other hand, your father might have wanted you to become a doctor, a lawyer or a chartered accountant. Thus you faced a conflict not only at an intrapersonal level, in term of the various choices confronting you, but also at an interpersonal level-your choice vs. your father’s choice of a career for you.

 

Conflict is not confined at the individual level alone but is manifesting itself more and more in organizations. Employees have become more vociferous in their demands for a better deal. Various departments in an organization face a situation full of conflicts due to a number of reasons like goal diversity, scarcity of resources or task interdependence etc. for example in blinds manufacturing organization one department Woven wood shades and another department is Roller shades blinds. Both departments employee fight with each other for promotional advertisement of their product.

 

Management today is faced with the awesome responsibility of ensuring optimum levels of growth and productivity in an environment that is full of conflicting situations.

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HOW CULTRURE AND ETHOS ARE MAINTAINED-4

In our last post we have discussed for Pre arrival, Encounter and Metamorphosis as part of culture and ethos in briefly. Pre arrival a stage of socialization which screens the values, attitudes and expectations of people before joining an organization. Encounter is a stage of socialization when a person explores the difference between his expectations and reality. Metamorphosis a stage of socialization where adaptation and changes take place.

 

For a very few persons, the metamorphosis stage may remain incomplete or unsuccessful. These people, as yet, have not been able to “accept” the OC and thereby remain non-conformist. This phenomenon is likely to result in atypical behavior. Sometimes they continue to ‘fight’ the system, at least for some more time, with zeal and enthusiasm. A larger number are likely to alienate them to soothe their feelings of disappointment.

 

Ethos is a Character and value of an individual or of a group. Sometimes an organization, anxious to break away from its stifling OC, may choose to deliberately appoint people without subjecting them to metamorphosis stage so that they bring organizational change. We shall take up the issue and strategy of bringing organization change in a separate unit.

 

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HOW CULTRURE AND ETHOS ARE MAINTAINED-3

Encounter: After gaining and entry into the organization new members faces and encounter stage. There is always a possibility of difference between his expectations of an organization and the OC. If the expected image and OC matches, then encounter stage passes off smoothly leading to confirmation of the image. If the imbalance between the two is acute, the person has usually two choices open. First, he undergoes further socialization which detaches him from his previous expectations, replaces these with another set of expectation and thus helps him get adjusted to the prevailing system. Second, he drops out due to disillusionment. In both the cases the final result is the same: the status quo of traditions and customs are maintained.

 

Metamorphosis: People who had discovered an anomaly between their expectations and OC, but decided not to drop out, enter into the metamorphosis stage. They must sort out their problems and go through change-hence this is called metamorphosis. When this metamorphosis is complete, the member’s developed a uniform perception of OC and feel ‘comfortable’ with the organization and job. Successful metamorphosis results in the member’s productivity being as per organization’s ‘norm’, ‘average’ commitment and lowered propensity to leave the organization. All these are indications of “typical” or “normative” behavior.

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HOW CULTRURE AND ETHOS ARE MAINTAINED-2

Through the most intense period of socialization is at the ‘fresher’ stage of entry into an organization, the process continue throughout one’s entire career in the organization. This is done to ensure traditions and to maintain uniformity. The people who do not learn to adjust to the culture of the organization become the targets of attack and are often rejected by the organization.

 

Socialization process has three stages:

  • Pre arrival
  • Encounter
  • Metamorphosis

Pre arrival: This stage tries to ensure that prospective members arrive at an organization with a certain set of values, attitudes and expectations. This is usually taken care of at the selection stage itself. Selectors try to choose the “right type” of people, who they feel, will be able to “fit” the requirements of an organization. Thus an organization, even before allowing an outsider to “join”, makes an attempt to ensure a proper match which contributes toward the creation of a uniform culture within the organization. The views of the founding fathers of an organization as well as the ethos of the present tip management influences-consciously or inadvertently the selection of the parameters of this “proper-match”.

 

We will discuss on Encounter and Metamorphosis in next post.

 

blinds, roller shades, woven wood shades

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HOW CULTRURE AND ETHOS ARE MAINTAINED-1

You may have often experienced that every organization has its own unique traditions and customs. Seldom are these traditions and customs explicitly spelt out, yet, over a period of time, organizations do develop long standing unwritten rules, regulations and rituals to commemorate special moments, standards for social etiquette, taboos about what is not to be done or spoken, jargon or special code language understood only by insiders. These, with a whole lot of other features taken together, are generally viewed as the “culture” of an organization. You may also have seen that often there is a uniform perception held about these features of an organization. Sometimes these “images” are fairly stable passing from one generation to another generation without undergoing much of a change. You might have wondered how this happens.

 

In this section, we are going to discuss this issue: How does an organization maintain uniformity of its traditions and customs? 

The process through which the people are indoctrinated to accept the tradition and maintain the homogeneity of ethos and behaviors is termed as socialization. It is a process of adaptation by which ‘new’ members of an organization.

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CHARACTERISTICS Of MANAGERIAL EHTOS-1

We continue our talk on characteristic of managerial ethos. In our previous post we have already discussed on Action goal orientation and Pro-action. Today we are going to discuss other two important characteristic of ethos and those are the internal resources and problem-solving attitude. 

 

Internal resources: Managers with high sense of adequacy are aware of their internal strength and are guide by these strengths. They are aware of their weaknesses by this awareness does not deter them from action positively or to look for opportunities for continuous self-improvement. They are open to feedback and ready to learn from experience.  

 

Problem-solving attitude: A superior ethos requires that mangers view themselves as problem solvers, rather than problem-avoiders. These managers have positive orientation to problem situations and do not want to run away from problem. They tend to approach problem situations with optimism because they have internal locus of control, i.e., a strong belief that they can change the environment through their own efforts. 

Before we move on to the next topic on Socialization Process (How OC and Ethos are transmitted), it would be useful if you complete some or all of the following suggested exercises. 

 

 

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CHARACTERISTICS Of MANAGERIAL EHTOS

Apart from these values, the managerial ethos of high order requires certain other characteristics as well. Let us describe these very briefly to you. There are numbers of characteristic for management and managerial ethos but here we are going to discuss on following Characteristic for managerial ethos:

  1. Action goal orientation
  2. Pro-action
  3. Internal resources
  4. Problem-solving attitude 

Action goal orientation: Persons with high sense of adequacy have clear goals about their future and are directed by these goals. The usually do not thing their goals in status terms (i.e., what they would like to be) buy in activity terms (i.e., what they would like to do). For example, when a junior manger thinks that he would like to direct and influence the marketing policies of the company, he is action-goal oriented. 

 

Pro-action: Proactive people do things on their own without having to be told by any one. Such initiative taking behavior leads to high level of activity and experimentation. As contrasted to these people are reactive persons or conformists who spend most of their lives in doing things that others expect them to do. Reactive people are other-directed, whereas proactive ones are inner-directed. A superior managerial ethos requires more of pro action than reaction. 

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MANAGERIAL VALUES AND ETHOS-2

Another highly rewarded value is security, both economic and emotional. Keeping a person on his toes by making him feel insecure is slowly but steadily getting discredited as a management philosophy. Even the societies which have practiced “hire and fire” policy are unmistakably shifting towards providing security of job. Office interior like window treatment makes employee feel comfortable. Window blinds and vertical blinds are safer and secure compare to curtains as it gives secure feelings.

 

Providing enough career advancement opportunities to employees is yet another contemporary managerial value. For several reasons it may not be possible for many organizations to create enough vacancies for everybody to advance in their career. However, modern mangers encourage themselves and others to continue growing through various modes of education, although, it does not necessarily lead to career advancement.

 

Besides these four values which affect a manager’s work, the manager may have a strong “Work Value”. Work Value refers to the worth a person ascribes to the opportunity of work. If you have a “strong” work value you are going to identity the worth or value of work to you in more ways than one. You may view work as an opportunity to: (a) accept challenges, (b) serve others, (c) earn money, (d) enjoy prestige and status, (e) be creative, or (f) be independent, etc.

 

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