4com plc Case Study: Organisational Behaviour and Team Dynamics

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Organisational Behaviour
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
LO1 Analyse the influence of culture, politics and power on the behaviour of others in an
organisational context................................................................................................................4
L02 Evaluate how to motivate individuals and teams to achieve a goal...................................8
LO3 Demonstrate an understanding of how to co-operate effectively with others.................12
LO4 Apply concepts and philosophies of organisational behaviour to a given business
situation....................................................................................................................................14
Conclusion................................................................................................................................16
Reference List..........................................................................................................................17
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Introduction
Organizational behaviour can be described as a combination of comprehension, assumption,
and management of employees within the system. This is the backbone of an organization for
running operations smooth and flawless. It is essential to understand human behaviour as an
individual and in a group to assess their personalities against the external and internal
stimuli’s. This is anticipated by an organization’s point of view. A study inculcates the team
behaviour and organizational culture that is associated with the benefits of organization and
employee relationship. An effective team spirit offer solutions to the redundancy of
preventive practices .It causes an organization to suffer less by incorporating to the principles
of Tuckman’s model of development and Belbin’s topology. In order to maintain a healthy
and balanced working culture, interpersonal relationships between employees and higher
subordinates need to be understood. 4com plc is a premium British Internet and telecom
service provider, headquarters in Bournemouth, Dorset. Md Daron Hutt founded the company
in 1999. Since its inception, 4com plc, has managed to rank in top 20’s in the field of
telecommunication. Being the Most Trusted Brand, 4com plc has employee strength of 300
people.
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LO1 Analyse the influence of culture, politics and power on the behaviour of others in
an organisational context.
P1 Analyse how an organisation’s, politics, and power influence individual and team
behaviour and performance.
The organizational culture defines a broad aspect of behavioural approach of working
individuals within the workplace. This is an amalgamation of ethics, mixed reactions, and
shared opinions towards a common goal in perspective of working employees with the
organization. This entire cycle includes ground level staff to senior management. The
decision is in the hand of employees who are the decision makers of their own fates. An
organization’s analytical point of view accumulates the core competencies of its employees
(Intezari and McKenna, 2018).
Below are the listed features within the workforce management system
Teamwork
People come of different backgrounds, traits, skill sets, intelligence, and values. Hence, to get
them work under single management system is called value of integrity. This develops an
effective teamwork. A team spirit prevails by building trust within the team.
Stability
The employee is an important entity in decision-making. Therefore, they should be well
aware of the system they are working in. Cohesiveness of team members imparts the sense of
stability and embarks on organization culture.
Innovation
The employees at 4complc are committed to provide dynamic outcomes, which is a proof of
creativity. A sense of responsibility and common working principles work together when it
comes to the question of delivering modified telecommunication services.
Charles Handy’s Model of Organizational culture
Every organization has some values and principles, which sets that company apart from
others. The behavioural structure and working culture of an organization can be linked to the
features of Task culture and roles culture those are well defined in Charles Handy’s Model.
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For the smooth function for organization like 4com plc, this model present a new concept
(Quang, 2017). Charles Handy’s Model of organizational culture has been taken into
consideration.
Role Culture
Employees get maximum security and benefits which causes an employee to stay. So in role
culture, Stability is a measuring factor and this is highly job oriented approach that can get
implemented mostly on Company’s norms, procedures and agreements. This culture is not
very flexible as ownership of tasks takes place by means of clear job instructions. Rules are
more important than results. Think alike people with common interests come together to
build a team
Task Culture
A person in this culture can work independently and they are experienced. They drive
towards solving problems relying on both their own expertise as well as of colleagues. In
order to work with close cooperation, Task culture organizations deploy temporary teams.
Result is more important than rules. Task gets accomplished via strong hierarchical power
operated through the entire organization (Analoui, 2017).
Hofstede’s dimension of culture
This is an internally acknowledged standard for understanding cultural and social values in
terms of an organization within a framework of parameter assessment. People from different
cultures can act as barrier to identify employees’ core competency. In this model, it has been
depicted why people from different cultural background and demographics can get along to
effective communication. Hofstede, a psychologist identified four dimensions (Beugelsdijk et
al., 2017).
Power Distance Index:
4complc is transparent about their employee’s position and contribution to the company.
They represent a hierarchical distribution of power and that of a degree of inequity. This is
accepted between members with or without power in the system. In this system, people do
not need to strive for inequality. They just follow their manager to complete a task.
Individualism v/s Collectivism
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In collectivism, people belong to a group where individual’s interest is taken care of and they
being loyal to their group take charge of one another’s performance. This model is applicable
to the core structure of a closely-knit team and thus is for 4complc. Whereas individualism
refers to the people who do not take one’s another’s responsibility and think of each other’s
well being.
Uncertainty Avoidance Index
This company refers to the weak UAI indexes, which is in turn a boon for the organization.
People are encouraged to think out of box. They can go far away from their conventional
process of workflow. Innovative additions to the unorthodox ideas are appreciated and
valued. This deploys restraint versus indulgence. 4complc has reputation of motivating
employees to maintain the goodness within their staff. This leads to the path of success for an
organization. Therefore, the organization works on indulgence to enhance employee’s
performance (Favaretto et al., 2016).
Influence of politics within the organisation
Organizational politics is associated with personal interests to influence management aiming
to survive their dignity and established their work. Regardless of organization’s goal to
achieve success, persuasion of self-esteem in an organization is likely to be considered as
business politics. It may sound dirty word but this is accomplished tactfully through variety
of affairs. This is not the survival strategy for the fittest but to those who seek undue attention
from the seniors. Politics may end up resulting less productivity of an organization.
Individuals might get affected who do not want to be into politics, therefore decreases the
outcome of that individuals. Politically exposed staffs do their job better than a normal
employee does (Johnson, 2018).
They acquire more power in making favourable decision. Being expertise in stress relief; they
enact better outcomes of the organization. Besides having negative effects, barriers, somehow
4complc has enlightened their growth from the aspect of differentiation and integration. The
employees are committed to keep his promises by enhancing scope of opportunity with the
influence of politics. Furthermore, pros and cons are there to resist negative effects of politics
within system. Organizational politics can relied on four metaphoric domains that directs
4com plc to shape up the political terrain within the organization. 4 com plc is following the
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mechanism of integration and differentiation model to come along with organizational
politics for the organization and by the organization (Jackson, 2019).
Employees are the base of pillars of an organization. They get optimistic working together
and synchronize their job roles. This way the company improves its performance level and
gear up to maximum level. Employee well being in workplace is a measurable unit of
integration and differentiation for 4com plc. The themes of this theory demonstrate the
passion for work. Employees explore the scope of opportunity to perform.
Influence of Power within the organisation
The foremost concern of referent power is to inspire employees by the leadership quality of
the managers. (Neil et al., 2016)This is well narrated by French and raven model, which can
be related to that of prevailing power of influence within organizational working culture at
4com plc. This company has proved to be a benevolent employer by their approach to
referent power. The role played by the manager influences other employees to practice the
principles in their job roles. This eradicate any doubts, hence the employee can perform best
productivity. This implies behavioural changes in employees and performance are hiked.
Leaders with analytical approach should segregate the ownership among their staffs.
Managers should conduct periodic training to guide their employees. During training
employees are mentored, empowered. They have part in training to strengthen their skill sets.
The managers are being able to figure out the drawbacks within their employees and that can
be corrected. If one can grow as individual then it is contributing to the overall growth of the
organization (Pak and Kim, 2018).
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L02 Evaluate how to motivate individuals and teams to achieve a goal.
For motivating an employee, organisation needs to analyse the internal and external factor
that develop interest and desire in employee’s mind for work. Therefore, different
motivational theories have been created in corporate world that affect the employee’s
behaviour in organisational context. After an evaluation of business environment of 4com
plc, it has been understood that this organisation considers its employee an asset and
therefore, apply different motivational theories to motivate its employees. Among these
motivational theories, content and process theory is old and effective for motivating the
employee. 4com plc has applied content and practices theory on its employee and
management has observed behavioural change in employee’s performance.
The content conveys that particular factor which motivates an individual and practices are the
techniques that need to follow in the process of motivation. This theory is also known as
content theory. Content theory mainly comprises of fours approaches Maslow hierarchy,
Herzberg motivator-hygiene, Alderf ERG concept and McClelland’s three-need concept.
Maslow hierarchy state the fulfilment of needs and growth of an individual. Aligning this
concept with organisation’s business environment, employee has to fulfil the lower need of
company before going to next ladder in business. From the business perspective, Maslow
theory mentions both deficiency and need of an employee.
Deficiency presents the psychological, security and social needs in the Maslow hierarchy
whereas growth requires involving self-actualization and self-esteem of an individual
(Lazaroiu, 2015). 4com plc require catering the psychological need of an employee in order
to increase the engagement of employee in its work. Employees need a favourable working
environment so that employee can conduct critical analysis for any complicated project. An
optimistic environment in an organisation motivate employee to work dedicatedly to achieve
the business goal. Safety is important factor that 4com plc follow which comes next in
Maslow concept. Employee wants to feel safe from the employment perspective for oneself
and for employee’s family. A fear of losing the job would affect the performance of
employee and influence negatively in organisation’s business process. Therefore, 4com has
made some specific criteria or norms for employee to follow that would keep their
employment continue in the organisation. In this way, 4com provide security in employment
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to their employees to develop their morale high and motivate them to be a responsible
employee for this organisation.
Social needs of Maslow are associated with companionship and acceptance. The leaders of
4com plc motivate their employees to feel themselves as an important part of a team. This
would help to generate a workplace where employee will get opportunities to interact with
other employee. 4com facilitate networking session for employees in free time in office in
order to build faith among the employees in a team. For developing self-actualisation and
esteem, employee needs appreciation from its leader or manager and colleagues.
4com plc reward their employees on monthly and quarterly basis for their good performance.
There is another way to improve the self-esteem of employee and that is training programs
conduct by management of organisation. This is a technique by which organisation can
analyse the approach of employee toward the management and would enhance employee
esteem. 4com plc enhance the confidence of its employee by providing tools by which
employee can use its maximum potential to achieve the business goal. Achieving the
challenging task enhances confidence of employee and employee can conduct self-evaluation
with respect to its job.
Figure: Maslow Hierarchy of needs in the context of business
(Source: Jonas, 2016)
Duel structure theory helps the organisation to find out those factors, which motivate
employee, and secondly which de-motivate employee in their work place. This theory is also
termed as Herzberg-Hygiene theory (Ogunnaike et al., 2017). The approach provides a
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different perception for the causes that influence the job satisfaction level of an employee in
an organisation. Herzberg analysed that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not separate
elements. It is state of mind of employee which build up due to external factors exist in an
organisation.
According to duel structure theory, employee can be motivated with the approach of its
manager and second element is hygiene factor. Second element hygiene factor does not
motivate employee to perform well but it de-motivate employee in its workplace (Mehrad,
2015). This factor might de-motivate employee gradually and affect the employee’s work.
4com plc has incorporated some steps that would guide leader to manage the team and
management would be able to track hygiene factor in its workplace. In order to manage
workplace stuff, 4com plc has concentrated on three elements those are responsibility,
recognising the cause and achieving the objective. This reduces the causes for job satisfaction
in employees and enhances their performance in the business. Salary, supervision,
relationships are some of the factors comes under hygiene factor. 4com plc has managed
these two factors with the help of development team of organisation and conduction of
training programs.
Process theory concentrates on psychological and behavioural process that motivate
employee of an organisation. Equity theory for motivation and expectancy theory are popular
approach for motivating employee. Victor Vroom stated the expectancy theory, which relates
the psychological status of employee regarding its job. According to this theory, employee
believes that putting more effort would give positive result in business of an organisation
(Vito et al., 2018). Good result would lead the management to reward the employee for their
performance. All this opinion formed in the mind of employee is known as expectancy
theory.
This theory mainly comprises of three factors, which are termed as expectancy,
instrumentality and valence. Instrumentality is defined as opinion of an employee where it is
considered that better performance would result in valued outcome. 4com’s work culture is
formed in a way that employee has this belief and therefore, work performances are first
priority for 4com’s employee. Valence is similar concept alike of instrumentality where
employee gives importance to its work.
Equity theory presents a concept where one employee is influenced with appreciation of other
employee for their performance (Ryan, 2016). This concept is based on the reward and prices
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that organisation provide to employee based on their performance. For example, if one
employee get higher increment in its salary in comparison to its co-worker and co-workers
are doing the same job without any increment. Consequently, co-worker would perform low
in its duty as no appreciations are coming from the management of organisation in the form
of high increment or other kind of reward. Therefore, this theory indicates toward a threat for
4com plc and compels its management to conduct a research in its organisation so that it can
prevent its business from any internal conflict.
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LO3 Demonstrate an understanding of how to co-operate effectively with others
An efficient team is decided by capability of team members to communicate effectively
among each other. Equilibrium model for development of organisational group has been
introduced in this context, as emotional intelligence is gist of this discussion. According to
Belbin’s topology, the role of a coordinator is to make a link among the team members in
order to enhance the communication between each other. Therefore, coordinator
responsibility defined in this context, which states that coordinator must improve the
communication skill of team member. The different factors of Belbin’s topology are
incorporated in-group management by 4com plc and this helped the 4com to create an
effective team communication. From this Belbin’s approach, company would understand the
discrepancy happens in terms of communication happens among the team member. Manager
applies this concept to understand the differences among the employees those can
communicate effectively and ineffectively.
Effective decision and measurable objectives:
An efficient team understand different objectives formed by the organisation and customise
their decision according to the situation of business. An efficient team will always align their
responsibility with business objective. Therefore, Tucker’s five stages for team development
are explained in this context to explain the team’s capacity for optimal performances. The
role of Belbin’s topology is to cater the need of particular attribute for building effective team
member. Loyalty and practicality are those two factors, which are responsible for effective
decision-making and identification of objective. In the context of 4com plc, this discussion
has reflected on assigned responsibility of team leader designation with respect to the role of
implementer in case of efficient team formation in telecommunication industry.
Improvement of performance and sticking to principle for result oriented approach
An efficient team put constant effort to improve the performance of team and implement
strategies that give a flow to the team for result-oriented activities. From the clusters of
Belbin’s behaviour, the Plant and Monitor evaluator has two main approaches that help to
analyse this topic. These both Belbin’s behaviour states the weakness and strength of team
member in the context of business. In the concept of plant, it presents innovative idea, solving
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