Organizational Behaviour: Impact of Culture, Politics, and Power on Individual and Team Behaviour

This report discusses the impact of culture, politics, and power on individual and team behaviour in ASDA. It evaluates content and process theories of motivation and how they enable the achievement of goals in an organization. It also compares effective and ineffective teams and different group development theories.

ORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOUR

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION

Organisational behaviour is being defined as the study of the people working within the
company. This is very essential for the reason that the company is working on the basis of people
only and in case people will not be managed properly then it will be affecting the efficiency of
the company to a great extent. the current study is being based on ASDA which is a British
supermarket chain being founded in the year 1949 and is being headquartered in UK. The current
report will start by examining the impact of different culture theory and its application in
managing the business along with discussion on politics and power affecting the business. further
the discussion will take place on evaluation of content and process theory and how it assists in
managing the performance of employees. Moreover, the different between effective and
ineffective team will be outlined and how different theories relating to team development can be
used. In the end, the discussion relating to the concept and philosophies relating to organizational
behaviour will be discussed.
MAIN BODY
Analysing the culture, politics and power within the company and its influence over individual
and team behaviour
For the successful working of the company it is very essential that the human resource
and the employees of the company are being managed in proper and effective manner. In case
the culture of the company will be managed in proper and effective manner then it will be
improving the efficiency of the business and will be helpful in attaining the goals of the business
in better manner. Thus, for this the use of Handy culture model will be helpful to ASDA in
managing a good and cordial relation and culture with one another. This model involved four
different types of culture which can be followed by the company for the effective management of
culture which are as follows- Power- this is a type of culture wherein the culture involves limited power distribution
that is centralised system of decision making. This involves a culture where there are few
people only who can take the decision and there is no other involvement of other people. Task- this is another type of culture wherein the focus in on forming team so that work is
being done in much better and effective manner (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2019). When
the work is being accomplished in team then there are more ideas to work and people are
in better position to work.

 Role- This is the type of culture where the work is being distributed in accordance with
the capability of the person (Bratton, 2020). Here the major emphasis is being laid over
the areas in which the employees excel and in accordance to it only work is provided to
them.
 Person- within this type of the culture, the employees feel that they are the most precious
thing within the company and without them the work will not be undertaken. hence, this
type of culture is more person centred and they feel that without them company cannot
perform.
With reference to this, it is recommended to ASDA that they must follow the combination of role
and task culture in the company. The reason underlying this fact is that when ASDA will be
focusing on the effective team working and delegating work according to role and capability of
the person then it will be improving the efficiency of company and good culture will be
maintained.
Along with management of good culture, it is very necessary that power is also being managed
in proper and effective manner. The power is the motivation which influences the person to work
in better and effective manner. In accordance to model of power of French and Raven there are
different types of power which ASDA can follow. The different types of power under this model
are as follows- Coercive- this is a type of power wherein one forces another person to follow the same
thing even when the person does not want to perform it. This power is being applicable in
case the person wants to make others achieve by way of punishing someone. Reward power- this is a type of power wherein the rewards are being provided to people
for making them work. This is very important as these rewards help the company in
motivating others to work in better and effective manner. Legitimate power- this is another type of the power which focuses on deriving the power
from the position at which the employee is working (Wilson, 2018). This involves the
power which the person has from their chair or the position at which they work. Expert power- this is another type of power which the person enjoys by the expertise and
level of knowledge which the person possesses. Here there is no role of position at which
the person is working. In case the person has expertise and good level of knowledge then
they will be having good power.

 Referent power- this is a type of power which the person gains by the level they are
being liked by others. This type of power is being earned by the person due to their
perceived values, attractiveness and attitude.
With the help of this it is clear that for ASDA it is very essential that good level of power is
being distributed within the company so that it can work properly (Coccia, 2018). For the
effective management it is very necessary that ASDA must focus on reward and expert power
combination. This is required to be followed as both these power motivates the employees to
work in better and effective manner and to guide other employees better.
Along with this it is also very crucial for ASDA to avoid organizational politics. The reason
underlying this fact is that too much involvement of employees within politics will be degrading
their working efficiency and it will be affecting the overall working of company. thus, it is
crucial for ASDA that they try to avoid organisational politics so that the working can be
managed in better and effective manner. The better maintenance of organizational culture, power
and politics will be affecting individual and team working and behaviour. The reason beneath
this fact is that when all these three things are managed in better way then it increases the
efficiency of company and employees in better and effective manner.
Evaluating how content and process theories of motivation and motivational techniques enables
achievement of goals in an organization:
Content models of motivation is to determine “whats” in the process of motivation that
can define how the process can be utilised effectively (Gillespie. and et.al., 2018). They
specifically focus on what are the basic requirement of motivating people and what they might
need in their lives. The motivating process of people will be dependent on the things they
themselves think that they might need in the course of stimulating themselves. The main theory
behind such a method is to understand needs and wants of the people that can help in motivating
them to do something.
The process model and theories of motivation focuses on hows of motivation analysing
the behaviour of people that can be psychological and behavioural patterns that are processed by
humans and that will always tend to increase with the recent trends and senses. It is of prominent
nature because the theory enables to understand the actions, interactions and contexts that people
often indulge themselves into (Alrawahi. and et.al., 2020). Motivating such indulging employees

in an organization is of beneficial to the firm as it deals in the global marketing activities that
require efficient role of management and motivation.
1. Content models of motivation:
a. Maslow's theory of motivation:
Maslow's hierarchy of motivation of needs is known to be the oldest and preferable
theory of motivation that puts emphasis on 5 human needs that have to be met in order to
motivate an individual in an organization that will help in the evaluation of profitability rates.
This theory includes basic needs at the bottom that requires more attention in order to reach to
the top level needs. This can only happen when the basic needs are fulfilled effectively that can
further allow to satisfy the top level needs. These are physiological needs, concerned with
survival needs that must be satisfied such as the individual can move on to the next level.
Examples are food, water, clothing, roof, etc. Safety needs, that include protection from
uncertainties and emotional imbalances as well as financial stability. Love and belonging needs,
that can be bondings with others, interactions, intimate relations should be satisfied. Esteem
needs, are the egoistic needs that are mainly related with self-respect, dignity, respect, etc. Self
actualisation needs, describes the carrying out of the activities with full potential to occupy a
higher rank.
ASDA, a global marketer is required to carry out these motivational programmes in its
organizational activities that will help them in securing a desired position in the market share.
The theory is of a growth need that best describes the deficiency needs which make a difference
in meeting the deviations. In the chosen organization, the leaders play an important role in
motivating employees by providing them with the awards and recognitions that they deserve
(Barton. Schaefer. and Canavati. 2018). By employing them in the firm they are already
satisfying them in terms of physiological needs and are able to fulfil others as well through
building good relations and effective teamwork.
2. Process models of motivation:
Reinforcement theory of motivation was introduced by BF Skinner that tends to overlook
an individual's inner thoughts and drivers that influence them in a manner that this theory ignores
them. The relation is with the external environment of an organization that has to be designed
effectively to motivate the individuals. Four methods are followed, positive reinforcement,
implies giving the employees a positive answer for their hard work and demands appraisal.

Negative reinforcement means rewarding an employee by eradicating negative aspects that is
required to increase desirable behaviour. Punishment is connected with negative consequences
in which an employee is punished because of his mistakes and no behavioural concern is
showed. Extinction is the absence of reinforcements lowering the possibilities of undesirable
behavioural patterns of the employees that can create misunderstandings.
ASDA believes in providing its employees with the positive points and aspects that can
motivate them to contribute towards the goals of an organization. On basis of which the firm
even chooses to award and reward their employees in order to make them feel special and
connected with the organization (Content and process theories of motivation. 2022). The firm
tries to fulfil the goals with the view of keeping its employees motivated and in which the
behavioural patterns are taken into consideration, as compared to the reinforcement theory. It is
because, according to the firm, motivating employees is the only way to achieve success b y
satisfying the customers through effective products and services provided and that is possible
through motivating and stimulating employees to reach the targeted point of profit.
Evaluation of content and process theories of motivation and its effective attainment of goals of
business
Comparison of effective team with ineffective team and different group development theories
Effective team Ineffective team
In an effective team, the goals for working are
very clear and concise and are structured in better
way so that effective work can be managed.
On the other side, within an ineffective team, the
gaols and objectives are not being clarified and
this will be affecting the efficiency of the
business to a great extent.
Within the effective team all the work is being
decided on mutual basis that is after the
discussion with whole team.
In against of this the decision making power is in
hands of many few people and they do not
consider undertaking the work in team.
In case of effective team, the leader does not
impose the decision on others and they make
them understand the work to the employees and
then they implement the strategies.
Within the ineffective team, there is not any
discussion relating to the decision and the final
decision is just imposed over other team members
and they have to just follow it at any cost.
The division of work is being managed and
maintained in proper and effective manner as the
Here there is no chain of command being
followed by the team and this might create

focus in on completing the work in efficiency
manner.
confusion relating to the way the work is being
distributed.
With help of this difference it is clear that it is very crucial for ASDA that they
implement the working in better and effective manner and for this it is very necessary that
effective team is formed so that all the working of the company is being implemented in better
manner (Yu and et.al., 2020). When the team will be formed in better and effective way then it
will be providing a clarity of role and working will be improved. Hence, for this the use of
Tuckman team development theory will be helpful for the company to improve the working.
Stages Description
Forming This is the first stage where in ASDA forms the
team in order to complete the work within
group of people. This stage is very important
for the company to follow as in case the team
will not be formed properly then it will be
affecting the whole working of team.
Storming This is the next stage wherein ASDA will be
focusing on the fact that all the team members
must know one another (Xia, Ng and Wu,
2021). This informal setup is being created by
the manager so that all the team members get
acquainted with others in better manner.
Norming This is the next stage wherein the rules and
regulations are being formed for the working of
team. These regulations are to be followed so
that all the team members are efficiently
working.
Performing In this stage the team members actually
perform the job and it is very necessary for
them to work in such a manner that the
objectives for which the team is formed are

attained.
Adjourning This is the final stage in which the team of the
company adjourns as the objectives have been
attained. This stage is very important for the
reason that it will end the team because the
objective for which it was formed has been
accomplished.
After the forming of team, it is very necessary that the roles and responsibilities are being
properly divided among the team so that effective work is being managed. Thus, for this ASDA
can undertake the use of Belbin team role model so that roles can be divided in better and
effective manner. In accordance to this model there are three different types of the roles which
can be made within the team. These are as follows-
Type of role Description
Action oriented This is a type of role which emphasises on the
fact that people must be action oriented so that
they work in better and effective manner.
When the focus is being laid on action then it
will be providing a better base to team member
to work in better manner (Maiorano, 2018).
This role involves three different types of role
that is shaper, implementer and complete
finisher. All these people have a focus that they
have to attain the objectives in such a manner
that work is completed by the action.
People oriented This is another type of role which is being
prevalent within making of team. This type of
people within the team are more focused
towards team working and coordinated
working (Caputo and Ayoko, 2021). This
involves three different types of role that is

coordinator, team worker and resource
investigator. All these three different types of
role are much focused towards encouraging
cooperation among the employees and try to
attain the objectives in better and effective
manner.
Thought oriented This is another type of role which involves the
working of people based on the thinking
capability. Here the major emphasises is over
making and monitoring the work in better and
effective manner so that objectives are being
attained in better and effective manner. This
involve the three different roles that is plant,
monitor- evaluator and specialist. All these
three roles focus on providing specialisation.
Applying concept and philosophies of OB within company
The organizational behaviour is being defined as the study of the individual and groups
who interact with one another for attaining the objectives of business. in case the human resource
will not be managed in proper manner then this will be affecting the attainment of objectives to a
great extent (Smith, Yellowley and McLachlan, 2020). the concept of OB need to be followed by
ASDA in order to improve the working in better and effective manner. When this concept will
not be implemented within the company then it will be affecting the efficiency of employees.
The concept of OB involves different elements like individual difference, whole person, human
dignity, mutuality of interest, caused behaviour, organization are social system, holistic concept
and others will be included by ASDA while managing the working of company and its
employees (Organizational Behaviour – Concepts, 2022). Further it is also necessary for ASDA
to implement the philosophy of OB and for this path goal theory is beneficial. This is pertaining
to the fact that this theory states that there is not any single type of leadership style which is
applicable in every situation. Hence, the selection of the leadership style is being based on the

situation and person as well. the path goal theory involves four different style of leadership style
which can be used by ASDA and these are as follows- Directive- this is a type of leadership style wherein the company or the leader provides
guidance to the subordinate and they have to follow them it in any condition. Here the
suggestions are not taken from the employees and rather the decision is being imposed on
them and they need to follow it in same condition. Supportive- this is another type of leadership style under path goal theory that ASDA can
use (Ugoani, 2020). This type of leadership involves being friendly with the subordinates
and to motivate them continuously to work in better and effective manner. Participative- this is another style of leadership which can be used by ASDA under the
path goal theory. This style of leadership lays emphasis over leader believing in group
decision making. Before making any decision the suggestion from subordinates are being
taken and then it is being implemented.
 Achievement oriented- this is another type of the leadership style wherein the focus on
the leader is to attain the objectives of the business. it is the role of leader that they set
some challenging task and goals relating to business so that employees work in better and
effective manner. These challenging goals will be assisting the company in motivating
the employees to work in better and effective manner.
Thus, with help of this it is clear that ASDA must undertake the use of path goal theory
for effective management of OB and leadership within the company. The reason underlying this
fact is that all these four type of the leadership style will be providing a better base to the
company to take decision and make the working of company better and smooth (Bracher and
May, 2019). The combination of all these four path goal theory will be providing a good base to
the researcher for improving and managing the work in better and effective manner. This is
pertaining to the fact that the combination of four will be applicable in different situation and all
type of situation can be managed in better and effective manner.

CONCLUSION
The above report about organizational behaviour has now come to end with the definition
and importance of organizational behaviour. There were application of various cultural, political
as well as the ethical behaviour in an organization. There were depiction of theories and models
about an organization in general and the these theories were connected with the chosen
organization that is a UK firm, ASDA. The firm specialises in the retail supermarket and has
operations worldwide that makes it suitable for a desired competitive market range. Further, it
was even evaluated that how the employees are being motivated in such a grand organization
having complex structure and functions to operate with. Along with these, proper theories were
applied that were suitable for the organization that it can utilise to ensure team work and
collaboration of the activities. Group development theories were also optimised in order to
evaluate how the firm can effectively analyse its growth rates with effective team participation in
its activities as well as how to ensure a suitable sustainable business environment. These
included how the chosen firm can apply appropriate organisational models to develop and
enhance its group development structures that will collectively help them in the achievement of
its organisational goals and objectives.

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<https://www.tutorialspoint.com/organizational_behavior/organizational_behavior_con
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Content and process theories of motivation. 2022. [Online]. Available through:
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