Impact of Poor Communication on Team Performance

Poor communication among employees in the HRM department can hinder productivity due to lack of coordination and unawareness about who to contact. Unclear goals and lack of managerial involvement can also lead to team de-motivation. However, teamwork can enhance creativity, learning, and overall productivity by sharing knowledge and blending strengths. Technology has improved team functioning through efficient communication, information storage, and access, but it requires training and adaptation from employees.

Organisation and Behaviour
Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................2
TASK 1..........................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 What is the culture and use of an organizational structure in an organization? How the team
formed have compared and contrasted their organizational structure and culture to other possible
organizations...........................................................................................................................................3
1.2 Further explain the importance of the relationship of structure and culture and how both can have
an impact on the performance of a business..........................................................................................5
1.3 List and explain all the factors which could influence individual behaviour at work and the likely
problems a manager should be aware of, in relation to developing new policies...................................6
TASK 2..........................................................................................................................................................8
2.1 Compare the effectiveness of different leadership style in different organizations and situations...8
2.2 The functions and the nature of management that would be suited to the sales department.......10
2.3 Explain with the use of different organizations how you would evaluate the different approaches
to management skills & theories and which could be applied to the sales department.......................13
TASK 3........................................................................................................................................................14
TASK 4........................................................................................................................................................17
4.1 How an effective team was selected by you to carry out the task within the HRM department.....17
4.2 Describe the barriers which prevented the development of an effective team in the HRM
department and how did the team perform once it became cohesive.................................................19
4.3 Evaluate what was the impact of technology on the team functioning within the HRM department
...............................................................................................................................................................21
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................22
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................23
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INTRODUCTION
Organization and its behaviour can be described as a methodical research and a deliberate
application of observing how employees of an organization, be in group or as an individual act at
workplace. Organizational behaviour further aims of identifying the ways through which the
employees can act more effortlessly. Organizational behaviour can also be considered as an
applied science which furnishes effective tools at the various levels of study i.e. from individual,
social relations, intergroup and the entire structure of the organization.
(mayrsom.com, 2012)
The study of organization and its behaviour helps to understand, influence and predict the
organizational events. The purpose of this study is to outline how an employee should behave
under the regulations set by the organization and simultaneously understand why the employees
behave in the way they do.
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TASK 1
1.1 What is the culture and use of an organizational structure in an
organization? How the team formed have compared and contrasted their
organizational structure and culture to other possible organizations
The structure of an organization is process through which an organization functions and executes
its business activities whereas the culture of an organization is the philosophies, perspectives,
beliefs and the practices which further represent the organization. The culture of an organization
is a mere reflection of the characteristics which help an organization to differ itself from another.
In other words we can say that the organizational culture in general relates to the image of the
organization where each of it reinforces and appraises the other. (Flamholtz, 2012)
There are various kinds of organizational structures which varies depending upon their
functionalities and purposes. These are:
In centralised organization structure the decision making power lies in the hands of limited
influential people working in the top management of the organization. These people show their
command and control over the entire operations of the organization and does not normally
appreciate or empower others to involve in the process.
In participative organizational structure, everyone working in the organization are equally
valued and motivated to involve in decision making process giving more empowerment in their
hands. Hence, this structure allows empowerment to express individual ideas or opinions on
various matters in a participative manner.
In Tall organizational Structure, the chain of command is widely distributed and structured into
various levels and hence has clarity of roles and functions. Hence, control becomes easier and
well executed.
In Flat organizational Structure, there is no separate secondary level and the entire functions
are controlled and monitored under the supervision of top management. The top level enjoys
authoritative capacity.
Organizations structure and culture
It has been observed that every organization possesses its very own unique structure and culture.
The structure of an organization exemplifies a coherent administration in the management and
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passing on of information which further helps in adequate allocation of the human resources and
other assets of the organization. It is necessary that organizational structure is elementary in
nature as it will further help to assimilate the individual working of an employee and the
management. An organization should raise a kind of culture which will further help in cultivating
a name for the organization as it is known fact that the culture of an organization which makes it
extraordinary and different from the other organizations. It has been observed that a culture
presents a transparent interpretation of the prospect and approach of the organization. An
organization gets to be known because of its culture and beliefs it has derived since its inception.
The management of the organization is solely responsible for making decisions and ensure that
all the operations of the business are efficiently executed in compliance to the ground rule set in
the organization. The employees are expected to work accordingly under the guidelines given by
the management. The jobs are allocated accordingly to every employee and a timeframe is set so
that all employees can give their contribution in achieving the goals of the organization by
coordinating with each other and if necessary, work together as a team. The workforce is divided
as per their expertise which further empowers them to excel in their respective fields. Also the
manager of every department who is answerable to the management supports the team when and
wherever needed which helps in scheduled accomplishment of the job given.
Organisational culture is based on workplace environment where all people have shared
assumptions, values and beliefs, which govern how people behave in organisation. On the other
side firm’s structure is laid on formal functions where whole management coordinate and control
entire system of the firm. It is a formal arrangement of roles and responsibilities with in
enterprise.
In this context HR department has been asked to form a team that can study on different aspects
of culture, structure, policies, leadership and management styles to motivate the sales team and
resolve their concerns. The newly built HR team has analysed and identified various culture and
structures across leading companies and has decided to reform to adapt to new changes. Some of
the other organization’s that were analysed are:
Take for example, Hartridges which is a soft drink manufacturing company has a centralized
organizational structure has helped it to gain empowerment, increase in productivity and lower
the level of crisis. The influence of Hartridges culture can be seen in its operations. It has been
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observed that Hartridges thinks of the welfare of its employees along with the customers and
hence ensures that healthy working environments are provided to the employees and quality
products are send in the market for customer consumption. The marketing strategies of
Hartridges aim to target maximum number of customers and because of availability of variety in
the products it has also become easier for the customers to choose a drink which suites their taste
buds. Being a global exporter Hartridges emphasizes that its employees bring innovation in their
working styles. The management also organizes adequate training programs so that the
employees can enhance their skills in order to remain competitive in the market. Training also
boosts their confidence level and prepares them to deal with crisis situations. The organizational
culture of Hartridges believes in acquiring goodwill and grandeur.
Another example is CITI which is a leading global bank. They have Tall structure where each
level and function has department heads who oversee and command functional responsibilities.
Thus their approach is strategic and aggressive where new possibilities are first explored and
marketed at discounted tariffs to catch market volume as compared to their rivals and once they
set off, a more in-house model is being followed.
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1.2 Further explain the importance of the relationship of structure and culture
and how both can have an impact on the performance of a business
It has been observed that the operations of an organization get influenced by the relationship
between its structure and culture. The success and failure of an organization is entirely dependent
on the kind of structure and culture it promotes. By cultivating a competitive organizational
structure and culture an organization easily seek the attention of the customers and effectively
deal with constant competition it faces from the rival companies. The overall productivity of an
organization depends on its structure even if the employee strength of the organization is
minimal. The productivity of a change in the structure of an organization is dependent on the
organizational culture. By maintaining an efficient culture, an organization can further derive a
well planned organizational structure which will help the business to expand its network around
the world. The culture of an organization engages its structure in spite of being interconnected.
Organizational culture represents a larger prospect which contains countless problems and
organization’s aspects whereas the organizational structure refers the facilities required for the
smooth functioning of the business along with infrastructural development. The structure and
culture of an organization help the management to set goals and objectives for the business. A
competent culture and structure will further help the workforce to evolve professionally.
Organizational structure improves the overall performance of the business whereas
organizational culture establishes coordination at workplace. (Becker, 2013)
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1.3 List and explain all the factors which could influence individual behaviour
at work and the likely problems a manager should be aware of, in relation to
developing new policies
An employee’s behaviour at workplace is usually influenced by both the internal and external
factors of the atmosphere where they work. It has been observed that in spite of providing
suitable working conditions and friendly environment at workplace, employees are often found
to be temperamental which means some external factors or struggles in their personal lives is
influencing their workplace behaviour which ultimately is affecting the productivity of the
organization.
(blog.commlabindia.com, 2011)
Mentioned below are the factors influencing individual behaviour at work:
 Leadership: a manager plays a major part in influencing employee behaviour at work as
he/she is liable to drive the team towards a decisive direction. It has been observed that in
most of the workplaces where the manager is unfriendly in nature or is excessively harsh
towards the employees, in such a case employees are not happy to work under such
managers. Also it is the responsibility of the manager to emerge as a role model for the
employees. Take for example, a manager cannot expect the employees to reach the office
on time and stand by the company rules if he/she breaks the same.
 Work culture: it is important that the employees are being provided with comfortable
workplace which will help them in keeping a positive thinking and will give satisfaction
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at work. Also the management should ensure that the rules imposed are equal for every
employee and maintain transparency at all levels. Reporting to the managers should be
encouraged and the system for the same should be uncomplicated. Apart from this,
security in job is also an essential factor which influences employee behaviour at work.
When an employee sees that the management stands by the employee through thick and
thin then automatically the employees will also move back from their commitment
towards the organization.
 Job duties: a manager should distribute work as per the capabilities of the employees.
Forcing an employee to do something they are not good at will only affect the
organization as in such a situation the employees will work half heartedly. Also the
manager should ensure that the employees are not overburdened as they tend to get
irritated if they get burdened under responsibilities and the affect of this can be seen in
their performances.
 Communication: a manger should establish effective communication amid the employees
as an employee feels that he/she is not being accepted as a part of the group then they
tend to lose interest and focus in their work. Employees should be encouraged to share
their views and keep their grievances without any hesitation.
 Personal life: the behaviour of an employee gets affected if he/she is going through some
personal turmoil. Struggles in personal lives make them irritated and they lose their focus
on the job. It has often been found that an employee who is facing a tensed relation with
his/her family tend to sit late at work.
 Workplace relations: a manager should encourage the employees to develop friendship
with each other so that they can share their prior experiences both at personal and
professional levels. Working in isolation can bring changes in the behaviour of an
employee. Restricting interaction with co-workers can lead to frustration and stress in the
employees which can bring a negative environment at workplace.
(Furnham, 2002)
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TASK 2
2.1 Compare the effectiveness of different leadership style in different
organizations and situations
Various studies on organizational behaviour have proved that the numerous styles of leadership
practised in an organization are the major factors behind the success of the business. An
organizational leader who is competent is mostly persistent in their approach of trying to
influence the employee behaviours.
(www.cygnusconsultants.com, 2015)
A manager’s behaviour is very complicated and cannot be illustrated through a single style
because he/she often change their leadership styles as per the situation.
Mentioned below are various leadership styles:
Teamwork leadership: this is the most popular style amongst managers as they understand that by
establishing teamwork it becomes easier to motivate the team. Working together as a team further inspires
the employees to share their ideas and resolve everyday problems they face at work much faster than they
would have done single handily. Also teamwork will bring out more productive outcome. A manager
adopts this style when he/she needs to speed up any project or optimize a process. Example, Bill Gates,
Ex-CEO, Microsoft followed this style. These leaders are visionaries and set standards to lead by
examples. They always are way ahead in envisioning future ahead of their rivals.
Autocratic leadership: in the style it is the manager who single handily takes all decisions at workplace
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without discussing the issues with the team. Such a kind of manager assumes that an employee does not
have the capability to complete a given job on their own and they needed to be pushed to do so. An
autocratic manager tells the team what to do, how to do and when to do. This kind of a leadership style is
usually implemented to meet tight deadlines. Example, when Thomas Cook faced tourism revival
concerns, then Harriet Green demonstrated autocratic style in her leadership and management being a
change leader. Her controlled decisions and experience helped Thomas Cook reform a turnaround.
Laissez-faire leadership: a manager usually practices this style he/she has confidence
that the employees have the competency to complete a given job on their own. Organizations
where this leadership style is being practiced, the employees make decisions and set policies
without the manager. This style is successful amongst employees who are experienced and are
self-motivated. Example, Hartridges manager is a follower of laissez faire leadership style as it is
an industrial system that is further based on an individual and self-interest and is apt for a small
organization like Hartridges. Practice of this style helps in improving the understanding and
thinking abilities of the employees and they are further motivated in performing a task without
seeking help from the manager. It has been observed that Hartridges approach of working with
experienced employees has worked best for the company.
Participatory leadership: managers following this style believe in integrating the contributions
made by different groups to complete a job. He/she motivates the team by showing them a
direction to work for a bigger goal in future. The employees are encouraged to give suggestions
on how to complete a job. This leadership style works best in a situation when employees need
the support of their manager. Example, participative or democratic style of leadership when was
introduced at Ford Motors, helped them redefine their remarkable success in automobile
industries. This style empowered the staff with more decision making powers thereby making
them more enthusiastic with the process. This greater involvement helped Ford Motors achieve
better outcomes due to committed talented manpower.
Coaching leadership: this style is effective in situations where a manager expects the team to
accomplish a given job on their own and will help whenever a crisis situation arises. A manager
who practices this style further acts as a coach who empower the employees to finish a job.
(Bertocci, 2009) Example, Nick Bollettieri, the Great American Tennis Coach to star players such as
Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova etc practised coaching leadership. These leaders know the strengths of
their team and believe that knowledge transfer is a continuous process of evolution., which helps their
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team emerge as winners. But this style may create increased dependencies on leaders, leading further to
micro-managing, hence is not suitable for large teams or companies.
There are various effectiveness of leadership styles:
 Proper leadership provides goal determination and guidance to achieve success.
 Leadership styles provide co-ordination in an organisation and create healthy workplace
environment.
 In leadership, attributes of leaders helps to provide innovative facilities for working methods and
give them inspirations.
 Leadership styles helps to provide a proper team work environment and maintain work efficiency.
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2.2 The functions and the nature of management that would be suited to the
sales department
Organizational theory in general tries to infiltrate into the behaviour of an employee who may
either be an individual or an entire team and studies the impact of their behaviour on that of an
organization. Studies based on leadership qualities have proven that a manager who is not happy
with his/her job roles and is always irritated because of the responsibilities does not have the
potentiality of becoming a good leader. The definition of a good leader is someone who is clear
of the purpose and goals of the organization and has the competency to drive the team towards a
right direction in achieving the goals by inculcating motivation and participation. There is a
strong relationship between the structure and culture of an organization and both leave an impact
on its overall performance. The management of Hartridges not only aims to secure a sustainable
growth for the organization but simultaneously ensures that the employees are satisfied with their
job roles and are wilfully happy to work not because of any pressure being mounted on them.
The management and organizational theories are quite hard to practice together at the same time.
In case these theories are forced on the employees they become highly dissatisfied and tend to
lose their focus. Take for example, a sales department manager consistently aims of reaching the
goals of the organization by following its structure. In case if the HR department suddenly
decides to bring a change in the organizational structure then it can create problems for the
manager of the sales department as confusion will spread in his/her team and will further take
time to get themselves adjusted with the same. This confusion can leave an impact on the
performances of the team. If the strengths and interest of the employees gets underpinned by the
structure of the organization then it should be transformed into practice management which will
cultivate satisfaction and growth amid the employees. In order to run a business successfully
various theories of management and organizational theories are implemented. In order to adjust
with the organizational structure and culture of an organization it is necessary that employees
have the desire to learn new things to achieve the goals and objectives of the company. In an
organization the HR department plans the operations and employees are expected to modify their
style of working as per the structure provided to them. These frequent changes affect the
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performance of an employee as he/she is busy in adapting the changes which is taking most of
their time. The theories of management further lend support to the integrity and ethics of an
individual employee. They are encouraged to perform readily in accordance to the policies set by
the organization even if they disagree with the same and focus only on successful fulfilment of
the job. Moreover, a subjective understanding between the manager and the team should be there
as implementation of organizational and management theories is a challenge for both the
management and the manager. Its successful implementation is dependent on relationship
between the employees and the management as ultimately it is the organization which will get
affected by the changes made in the structure and culture of an organization.
Mentioned below are the 5 functions of management:
(international.businesxxl.com, 2015)
 Planning: this is the prime function of the management and basically deals with preparing
an action plan on how the preset goals will be achieved successfully. In other words
planning involves what to do, when to do and how to do. It is a kind of exercise that helps
in solving problems and making decisions. Planning ensures that the resources of an
organization be it human resources or non-human resources are been utilized adequately.
 Organizing: under this process the management aims to bring together physical, fiscal
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and the manpower and further develop a kind of productive relation in between them in
order to attain the goals of the organization. Organizing a business further comprises of
many activities such as determining and furnishing both human and non-human resources
to the structure of the organization. It basically involves identifying the activities,
allocation of the activities, assigning job responsibilities, delegating and coordinating
authority.
 Staffing: it is about preparing the structure of the organization and maintaining it. The
need of adequate staffing has evolved in recent years with rise in technology, increase in
the size of the business and complicated employee behaviour. The prime reason behind
staffing is to assign right employee on a right job. It basically involves planning of
manpower, enrolment, selection and employment, training, compensation, appraisals and
promotions.
 Directing: this activity impels effective working of the activities within an organization in
order to achieve the goals. It further is treated as a life-spark for the organization which
brings the employees into motion. Directing can be described as an inert-personnel facet
of the management who further influences, guides, supervises and motivates the
employees to reach the goals of the organization. There are four basic elements of
direction namely supervision, motivation, leadership and communication.
 Controlling: it entails the measure of achievements against the standards of an
organization and further corrects if any deviation is found in order to ensure that the goals
of the organization are achieved. The main purpose behind controlling is to make sure
that all the activities are materializing within the standard set by the management.
(Evans, 2001)
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2.3 Explain with the use of different organizations how you would evaluate the
different approaches to management skills & theories and which could be
applied to the sales department
To answer this question we will consider few examples and access their respective approaches.
L’Enclume and Ledbury are two well known restaurant chain in UK who further have a different
kind of approach to management skills and theories that is varied from one another and also from
Atkins which is a civil engineering construction company.
Situation based approach followed by L’Enclume is basically based on the external factors which
helps the management to maintain a balance between the internal and external atmosphere of the
eatery. The practice of this kind of an approach has helped the restaurant to drive in better
profits. A situation based approach is flexible and is very productive in nature and can be
exercised in any situation. This approach does not have any comprehensive thumb rule and can
vary from one organization to another. (Whetten, 2005)
Ledbury follow the operational approach which is commonly known as management approach.
This approach follows a universally defined rule which further cannot be changed according to
the situation an organization faces in practical. This kind of approach has its own reservations.
Ledbury pursues this approach while planning, organizing and staffing. It follows the human
behaviour management approaches where decisions are made by the management and employees
are expected to simply follow the instruction given to them. This kind of an approach demands
creativity and employee productivity by understanding and studying the dynamics that influence
human behaviour, their preferences and perceptions. Ledbury focuses on using this approach to
inspire and improve their communication and cooperation with employees, which leads to better
work coordination and motivation. Ledbury believes in improving efficiency by bringing in
personal human touch and bonding at work.
Management Science or Quantitative Measurement Approach concentrates on use of
mathematical, statistical, scientific and computational models or tools to solve workplace
problems. This approach identifies problems by use of scientific principles and research and
hence help to generate more expected yields as techniques applied are more specific based on the
nature of problems. Hence, they allow better management control based on rationality and
precision. Example, Construction and civil engineering companies such as Atkins who deal with
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project planning works uses critical path analysis which is a mathematical model to estimate time
of completion of projects or plan other tasks that are associated. This helps in efficient use of
resources and planning proactively to cope with shortages or work overloads.
Classical approach: In this approach management will focus on productivity and outputs rather than
employee working efficiency. This approach can be performed in manufacturing industry where they
totally focus on productivity of products.
Behavioral approach: In this approach management will only focus on need of employees and behavior
where they satisfy their all expectations of employees which can be helpful to increase their performance
level.
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TASK 3
Handouts
Slide 4
Leadership is the approach of direction to achieve expected outcomes in a capable guidance. It is
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more of mentoring that leads to proper channelization of activities and responsiveness under an
Impact of different leadership on motivation and performances of employees:
Autocratic: this style creates lack of participation and un-fulfilled contribution from employees
as they feel less enthusiastic due to non-association in decision making process. But, when
executed aggressively by capable leaders who have rich personal experience and expertise can
create wonders by improving the performance of staff as well as organization by establishing
high standards. As the leaders are capable of making quick decisions it increases job satisfaction
too. The leaders control and supervise the employees closely which helps to elevate their
productivity. Example: Army
Bureaucratic: this leadership is more oriented to maintain rules and policies and is not flexible to
employees need. So, they find low scope of development. Here, the scope for creativity is visibly
low as things can’t be changed beyond set parameters. As a result, employees feel deprived of
creativity. This creates low motivation for managing change in environment as managers are
more concerned with policies to practice management styles. Example: Government
organizations
Democratic: in this employees are encouraged for brainstorming to explore opinions and
consequences for different problems encountered. In democratic style, focus is on employees as
they are treated as valuable assets for the organization. Hence, they are included in the decision
making process as their opinions are creditable for managing changes. This is important as
employees are the end users for any kind of strategic implementation. So, this style not only
drives inner motivation but also high level of focus on creative aspects and better performance.
Situational: it is highly flexible to meet instant changes but the major drawback it faces is risk of
employee acceptance to process change. This can lead to confusion and chaotic situations if
handled by in-experienced leaders. As it more result oriented to changes which is based on
practical experiences of leaders so it is highly efficient to meet needs and outcomes. Thus it
improves motivation and job satisfaction when the team is highly loyal to leaders.
Transformational: this style is best suited as it believes in changing employee’s outlook. So,
identifying the problems and then strategically targeting to change temperament, creates high
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adaptability and work output once this process is smoothly completed. This style is most
efficient of all forms of leadership as it believes in changing the fundamentals or perceptions of
team. When the thought process can be controlled then efforts come out spontaneously. As a
result, this style creates high involvement, better performance and higher output among
employees.
Organisations in periods of change have a deep impact where management focus on all
employees working practices . They ensure all employees cope up as soon as possible. So in that
situation leaders mainly focus on their team mates, where leaders provide guidance to new
working practices. Leader may provide motivations to deal with their new working policies.
Slide 5
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Good leadership has many evident impacts on performance and employee motivation. The nature
of leadership can help to create better understanding between leader and employees helping to
promote open and interactive communication, which determines job satisfaction of employees.
For example, at Ford Motors, the friendly and accommodating style of CEO Alan Mullaly ,
helped to generate increased interests among the employees as they were highly satisfied by their
leader. In another example, of Thomas Cook, better leadership style demonstrated by Harriet
Green, CEO helped to redefine the success of this travel giant when better working conditions
were provided within the organization. This helped to increase employee’s efficiency and they
were inspired to provide better service quality to their customers.
Hence, in context to the scenario, the managers for this organization should focus on creating
transformational changes by targeting and changing the perception of the sales team. They
should immediately re-structure their policies by cutting down on strict supervision, so that a
relaxed working atmosphere can be promoted within the sales department. But a monitoring
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system needs to be maintained so that individual performance and expected outputs are weighted
against some concrete standards. Also, flexibility will help to promote responsiveness towards
different roles as the team would not feel stressed. Moreover, with change in perception, attitude
and behaviour can be re-oriented towards performance based results. As sales are the critical
function of the business process so the work of the team should be linked to performance based
outputs to push them towards their objectives.
Slide 6
Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory demonstrates five levels of needs from basic physiological needs to
self actualization level. This motivation concept can be applied in the sales department
effectively when managers understand individual needs of employees and offer scope of benefits
in the form of reward such as incentives or job security. Thus employees will be motivated to
improve their outputs so that they can enjoy the benefits offered, this will ultimately drive
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productivity in sales team.
Slide 7
Herzberg’s Theory demonstrates two factors i.e. Motivators and Hygiene factors which influence
employee’s motivation at work. Motivators such as higher level of job responsibilities and
appreciation for contribution can add to satisfaction among employees within sales team, which
can add to higher work productivity and efficient work quality. On the other hand, Hygiene
factors such as adequate remuneration, job security and better working condition like flexibility
can help to decrease dis-interest among sales team thereby influencing their focus on objectives,
which will help to achieve desired results.
Slide 8
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Comparison of motivational theories:
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Maslow theory Herzberg’s theory
• Based on human specific needs
aspects
• It is based on five order of needs
structured in hierarchy.
• It is descriptive based on
experience
• Wide applicability where money
is motivator factor
• Based on application of
motivator factors and prospect
for growth
• Based on two factors, hygiene
and motivators. Hierarchy of
needs absent.
• It is prescriptive
• Narrow applicability where
achievement is considered
bigger than money
It is most essential to apply various motivational theories and concepts in organisation so that it
would help in achieving high success. There are some motivation theories which can be applied
within company like Maslow, Herzberg’s, Theory X and Y etc. Moreover, the company can take
help of approaches to effectively implement the motivation like Management by objectives,
employee recognition programs, employee involvement program and skill based programs where
effectively used motivation theories.
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Slide 9
Other motivation theories and their benefits:
As per Vroom’s Theory expected results and performances can be achieved only if efforts are
properly channelized. In the case of this organization’s sales department, efforts of team can be
driven when their expectations are met, so the management should think of re-defining their
policies to promote positive work culture and interdependent trust. This fulfilment of expectancy
will foster strong working relationship between managers and sales team. Moreover, it will lead
to value creation and transparency in process.
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Slide 10
Benefits:
Performance oriented approach of employees that is linked with objectives fulfillment
Efficient use of available resources
Proper communication of information and expected outcomes
Mutual dependency on faith and recognition
Higher motivation due to transparent structure
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Slide 11
According to McGregor’s Theory, an organization consists of two basic types of employees
namely X and Y. For type X employees, managers need to provide extrinsic support to drive
interest and efforts. Such as incentives to push their productivity. Thus X type employees need to
be constantly controlled. Whereas, type Y employees are self enthusiastic and responsible in
nature. They are born achievers and need no external push from managers to keep work going
smoothly. They feel motivated when appreciated.
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Slide 12
Benefits:
Proper identification of employees within organization
For X type employees managers need to put in thrust to inspire their focus, whereas for Y type
they only have to support them for encouragement
Proper channelization of efforts and less drain of inputs
Segregated and specialized leadership
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Thus we can conclude that right mix of leadership attitude coupled with proper motivational
theories can help the managers of the organization achieve responsible management style that
can help them overcome the problems of poor motivation, lack of interest and over-controlled
policies.
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TASK 4
4.1 How an effective team was selected by you to carry out the task within the
HRM department
Selection is the process through which the HRM department chooses the best suitable candidate
from thousands of applicants who have applied for a vacant position raised in an organization.
Selecting a competent candidate is the most challenging job played by the HR department and
the entire process involves multiple stages which are depicted through the diagram.
Process of selection
Selection process comes after recruitment process where the management try to select
candidates that can be formed into an effective group. Organisations must focus on group
behavior where management divided candidate according their skills so in that case candidates
will perform well in workplace. According to task behavior team show their own skills to
accomplishment of goals.
The executives who are involved in the process of recruitment should be competent enough to
understand the needs of the position and accordingly measure the skills of the applicants. The
various stages of recruitment process combine designing criteria, scanning resumes, telephonic
or face to face discussion with candidates to gauge their proficiencies. Discussed below are the
stages:
 Criteria development- being an HR manager at this stage I identify the vacancy and
sources of information and prepare criteria through which the needs of that position will
be fulfilled. Understanding the criteria incorporates scrutiny of the propensities, scope of
the job and skills need for the job.
 Application and resume review- once the criteria is made, I scan through the resumes
received either though the applicants directly or on employment portals. I adopt various
techniques to scan the resumes which are often manual but with the rise in technology I
often take help of software which help me to scan for resumes and evaluate them.
 Interviewing- after the scanning of resumes, my job is to sort lists the candidates who fit
in the eligibility criteria and take a telephonic interview at the initial round to understand
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their communication skills. The candidates who cross this round are then scheduled for a
face to face interview.
 Test administration- after the initials round of interview preliminary tests are conducted
such as medical and subjective tests. In few cases I also conduct reference and
background checks and verification of the records in order to check the authenticity of
candidates.
 Making offer- in the final stage if the candidate is found to be suitable for the position
and is selected then I call them for a final round where I offer them the position and
discuses the pay packages and other perks and gives a brief description about the
company policies. If the candidate accepts the offer then I provide them with a letter of
joining. (Keen, 2003)
To select an effective and strong team which consists of people with various talents and
personality who share not only ideas but also interests to develop a better and collaborative
working atmosphere, I tried to apply principles of Belbin’s Team Role, which is one of the best
applicable ways to select an effective team in HR department to tackle with the existing issues in
the sales department of our organization. This helped me form a team with people having
different sets of personality based on 3 types of roles i.e. action focussed, people focussed and
cerebral oriented. Firstly I looked for members who could be Shapers as they have dynamic
personality and never give up attitude to look at every possible solution for rescue and overcome
from obstacles. As these people are extrovert in nature they can gel well with existing sales team
to handle their challenges. Then I looked for Implementers, who could execute the ideas
practically with their well organised and methodical skills. Next I myself chose to lead the role
of Completer-Finisher, to ensure that all strategic actions are completed within time with highest
accuracy. I focussed on every minute detail in order to proceed with error free tasks. Also, I
played the role of Coordinator and guided my team by delegating and explaining everyone with
their roles and objectives. Next, I selected Team workers whose responsibility was to support
sales team with flexible approach. They contributed to building team cohesion and cooperation
with sales department. They also played the role of Resource Investigator and looked at every
possible resource utilization scope with their effective negotiation and communication skills.
This was necessary to explore possible solutions before the sales team and inspire them avail
those options. Then, I selected a member in sales team who could play the role of Plant. Their
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innovation capabilities would help sales team address the issues with creative thinking. This
person also played the role of Specialist as they have specialised knowledge and talent to lead
team to desired yields. Finally, the role of Monitor-Evaluator was played by our HRD Director,
who tested and evaluated the feasibility of entire ideas under practical simulation to evaluate
their pros and cons.
4.2 Describe the barriers which prevented the development of an effective
team in the HRM department and how did the team perform once it became
cohesive
The barriers preventing development of effective team are:
 Poor Communication: lack of communication amid the employees can hamper the
productivity of the HRM department as they do not coordinate with each other. Lack of
communication brings unawareness amongst the employees who are uninformed of who
to contact whenever needed and this inhibits their growth as an individual and as a team.
 Uncertain Goals: a team is formed to meet the goals of the organization which can be
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project specific or open-ended goals which represents the purpose of the business. If
management’s fails to present the goals clearly then the responsibilities of the team
members remains unclear and they cannot perform efficiently and their commitment
towards the job gets wry.
 Lack of Managerial Involvement: a manager builds a team to accomplish the projects but
the team feels de-motivated if he/she has no time get involved and direct them to execute
the functions and fails to cultivate an effective teamwork environment.
(Hoole; Hennum, 2011)
How can a team perform once became cohesive
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(Laura Hutton, 2014)
Encouraging the employees to work as a team has helped the management to cultivate creativity and
learning. By bringing together the unique aspects of every member will enhance overall productivity.
Working as a team further escalates the sharing of knowledge which helps in learning new skills.
 Teamwork has helped the employees to blend their strengths and overcome each other’s
weaknesses. By promoting teamwork a manager further establishes strong relations amid
the employees. Teamwork is a foundation that can sustain workplace conflicts.
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4.3 Evaluate what was the impact of technology on the team functioning
within the HRM department
The use of technological application has made the team functioning efficient by improving their
performance by changing or managing the way of approach to tackle with objectives or issues
that may arise while executing different tasks across organization. As modern technologies
rapidly undergo upgradation, so it is crucial to provide adequate training and learning facilities to
equip the members with new knowledge and acquired skills, as some of them may be unaware of
their usability. Hence, focus is concentrated on empowering the team with training so that they
get accustomed to use of modern technologies that are used in organization to achieve higher
yields. Also, communicating within teams has become more convenient and efficient with use of
modern technologies such as emails, shared group networks, intranet, video conferencing and
instant messaging. This has helped improve team functioning as effective communication is
possible irrespective of geographic distance. Similarly, SAP, MIS and other advanced
computational software’s helps team to store, process and distribute information more efficiently
on real time. Even access to various information has become easier and transparent making team
functioning more open and barrier free. (Beyerlein, 2013)
Technology advancement affect to the whole organisational process, where new technologies have an
impact on working practices of their existing employees. In an organisation, there are so many employees
who are necessary to be enabled to work with new technologies. Unfamiliarity with new advancements
can demotivate staff from workplace environment and they switch from existing company to another
firm. One of the positive impact of technology advancement is it help to increase working efficiency and
performance level in their organisation.
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CONCLUSION
The study of organizational behaviour helps to understand how an organization functions. The
structure and culture of an organization further helps in determining the future of the business.
The success and failure of an organization is dependable on the kind of culture it practices which
further influences the creditability of the employees. An innovative and encouraging culture of
an organization advocates the growth of the employees at both personal and professional levels.
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REFERENCES
Becker, K. (2013). Culture and International Business. Routledge
Bertocci, D. (2009). Leadership in Organizations: There is a Difference between Leaders and
Managers. University Press of America
Beyerlein, M. (2013). Work Teams: Past, Present and Future. Springer Shop
Evans, D. (2001). Supervisory Management: Principles and Practice. Cengage Learning
Flamholtz, E. (2012). Effective Management Control: Theory and Practice. Springer Shop
Furnham, A. (2002). Personality at Work: Individual Differences in the Workplace. Routledge
Hoole, E; Hennum, K. (2011). Tracking Your Development. John Wiley & Sons
Keen, T. (2003). Creating Effective and Successful Teams. Purdue University Press
Whetten, D. (2005). Developing Management Skills. Pearson Education India
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