Organisational Behaviour & HRM: Competitive Advantage Strategies

This report delves into the significance of Organisational Behaviour (OB) and Human Resource Management (HRM) within the context of Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company. It highlights the importance of OB and HRM in motivating employees, building an effective work environment, improving labor relations, and predicting human behaviors to achieve competitive advantages. The report outlines various tools and methods, including employment security, high wages, selective recruitment, incentive pay, and training and development, while also addressing challenges such as team dynamics, organizational values, diverse personalities, and technological advancements. Recommendations are provided to help managers and leaders understand employee behavior and improve organizational performance. The report concludes with a discussion on the key factors that contribute to a competitive advantage through effective HRM and OB practices.

Organisational Behaviour -
Assessment 2

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Importance of organisational behaviour & HRM.......................................................................1
Tools and methods of OB & HRM to attain competitive advantages.........................................2
Challenges & forces of organisational behaviours......................................................................4
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Organisational behaviour reflects the ways in which a business firm is operating and
managed. It consist as the term that showcase the study of human resources within groups and
teams, because they are the core of business (Robbins and Judge, 2019).
Human resource is defined as the term which is used to derive formal system needed for
management of employees within the organization. Organisational behaviour recognize how
members of staff and teams, structures that affect workers separately (Borkowski and Meese,
2020).
Unilever is a British multinational company that offer consumer goods such food, energy
drinks, baby food, soft drinks, ice cream etc. the company founded in 1929 with its
headquartering in London, UK.
This report is based on organisational behaviour and human resource management within
respective firm. It cover the importance of OB & HRM in attainment of competitive advantages
with tools and method. Furthermore challenges in today's business environment and suggestions
are given to overcome these challenges.
MAIN BODY
Importance of organisational behaviour & HRM.
Organisational behaviour and human resource management is important as it gives the
insights of how employees behave and perform within teams and groups that helps business
leaders to understand the aspects that motivates employees and staffs (Gagné, 2018). In context
of Unilever importance of OB and HRM are considered as follows: Helps in motivating employees: Study of organisational behaviours helps the leaders and
managers to motivate employees and staffs which results in effective organisational
performance leading to job satisfaction. This contributes towards accomplishment of
goals of respective firm and improves employee performance and commitment at
workplace. For instance organisational behaviour provides understanding of factors that
motivate employees and helps to satisfy needs of employees that motivate them for
effective performance. Helps to build effective work environment: Organisational behaviour plays significant
importance within developing healthy and friendly relationship between staff and
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organisation that builds effective working environment within the firm. This is crucial in
employee commitment and helps to manage citizenship of firm. Thus in term of Unilever
study of organisational behaviour helps to provide better understanding about structure
and culture of organisation that has immense supports towards effective management of
organisational behaviour. For instance it helps to evaluate factors that cause the diverse
behaviours at workplace and helps to implement different theories in order to manage and
control the behaviour of employees (Urinov, 2020). Helps in improving industrial and labour relations: Another important benefit of
studying organisation behaviour that helps to understand the root cause that creates
problems in achievement of business objectives. And it helps to predict future aspects
that helps to take actions and control negative impacts of the problems. Thus it makes
managers aware about positive and negative aspects of behaviours, helps to make it
enable for managers of respective firm to build friendly and healthy industrial/labour
relations which results in peace and harmony at workplace. Helps in predicting and improving human behaviours: Organisational behaviour plays
significant importance within understanding employees reactions and responses towards
different situation and helps to predict how to deal with them. This makes it enable for
business managers and leaders of Unilever to improve performance and commitment of
employees at workplace in order to attain higher business results.
 Helps in utilise human resources effectively: Study of organisational behaviours helps to
manage human resources of firm effectively. Knowledge and nature of behaviours of
employees of organisation helps to mange behaviour of individuals as well as
organisation effectively. In terms of Unilever it helps managers to inspire and encourage
employees for achievement of higher productivity which results in effective performance
of the firm (Tasselli, Kilduff and Landis, 2018).
Tools and methods of OB & HRM to attain competitive advantages. Employment security: In order to gain competitive advantage mangers and leaders of
respective firm should provide employment guarantee to its employees in terms of stating
that none of employee will be laid of for lack of work. This provide employee
commitment and creates loyalty and willingness towards extra efforts for
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accomplishment of business objectives. Thus it reflects as an effective method that
ensures competitive advantages for the success of firm (Organ, 2018). High wages: Another ways to get competitive benefits as setting wages higher than the
market in order to attract more talented, better qualifies candidates and creates an
effective image within market as it value its employees. This helps the management of
respective organisation in terms of getting competitive benefits as compared to other
players within market. Selectivity in recruitment: Highly qualified employee, performs higher as compared to
lower qualified employee thus, selection of right employee in right manner is important
in terms of attaining competitive benefits. In terms of Unilever being selective in terms of
recruitment process as it is clearly communicate with candidates as they becoming a part
of reputed firm that expect higher performance from them will result in competitive
advantages (Stewart, Courtright and Manz, 2019). Incentive pay: Another method of getting competitive benefits is providing incentives for
the hard working employees and who works for extra time and over time in order to
achieve desired business objectives. This helps to build faire and equality within
employee pay. Participation & empowerment: Decentralised decision making and participation of
employees within decision making activities and giving employee authority towards
accomplishment of work in own pace helps to gain competitive benefits. Increment in
training & skill development, employee incentives etc. provides a sense of fairness and
justice at workplace. Training & development: Offering skills development required for perform of work
helps to take advantages. Training may not only helps in managing employees effectively
but derive commitment of business firm towards its employees. Thus in terms of
respective organisation uses training and development for attainment of better
competitive position (Quelhas and et. al., 2019). Redesign of teams & jobs: Teams bring powerful influence over other individuals
through setting norms with respect to quantity and quality of work. Group efforts results
in getting higher performance and makes firm enable to obtain effective competitive
position.
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 Long terms perspective: Accomplishment of business objectives takes time thus, a long
perspective is important for business firm. When short term profits are achieved it is
needed for respective organisation to gain competitive advantages through effective
practices of HRM. For instance training, employment security etc.
 Measurement of practices: In terms of getting competitive advantages it is important for
respective firm to measure attitudes of employees, various programs & practices that
build the moral of employees, and levels of employee's performance. It helps the firm to
get feedback based on comparison between performance standards and actual
performance.
Challenges & forces of organisational behaviours.
There are several forces that impact the behaviours of employees within organisation.
Such as- organisational culture, group dynamics and many more. Thus it is important for the
leader of firm to understand these forces that drive human resources at workplace (Gagné, Deci
and Ryan, 2018). In context of Unilever these forces and challenges are discussed below with
their impacts on current and future environment: Team Dynamics: Employees and human resources build internal system of organisation
which includes individuals, group of individuals in formal or informal manner and can be
large or small that creates challenges of manager in terms of managing them effectively.
It makes it difficult for management to assist and guide people who have different
educational background, talent and knowledge. Thus in terms of respective organisation,
mangers needs to understand the behaviours of different employees and control them for
effective performance. Understanding their needs, behaviours helps the management to
predict their reaction towards different situations and satisfy them in order to achieve
business goals. Organisation Values: This consist as the core principles and ethics of business
organisation which the firm will abide by. Organisation values inspire employees for
better performance. It demonstrate the behaviour of employees at workplace and has
prominent role in developing positive culture. Sometimes hard rules and policies may
leads to confusion and dissatisfaction for employees that impact the behaviours of
employees at workplace that affects their performance in negative manner. Thus in terms
of leaders of respective firm should clearly defines and communicate organisational
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values towards its employees so as to obtain desired results and reflects effectiveness of
business. Diverse Personalities: There are diversity in terms of employees comes from different
backgrounds, societies and have different skills, abilities and qualities that has prominent
impact over each other's behaviour. This reflects diversities within values, attitudes and
opinions of employees that affects their work performance as well as motivation factor.
Thus in terms of managers of respective organisation needs to understand behaviour of
different employees that helps to satisfy their needs at workplace. Employee Motivation:It is another factor that reflects behaviour of employees at
workplace that leads significant impact over performance of employees. There are several
factors that motivates employees such as- monetary, non-monetary, leaves and some
more. Differences in motivation factors brings challenge for leaders towards influencing
employees for better performance. For instance if someone facing financial problems
thus, leaves or holidays not attract and motivate someone to perform better. Thus it is
important to know diverse motivational factors of employees and fulfil them (Ristianti,
Putrajaya and Fathurrochman, 2020). Organisational Structure: It defines formal relations of people within organisation
including managers, employees and others assembled to accomplish different objectives
and activities. They are structurally connected in order to work effectively with proper
coordination. Many organisation' s structures have become flatter. Thus downsizing and
restructuring reflects pressure of lower costs in order to remaining competitive. Thus
organisational structure also creates force for employees performance and organisational
productivity. Organisational Change: It is the part of general and business environment of an
organisation. Change will be results in internal conflicts and misunderstandings that
results in poor employee performance and lower productivity of firm. Thus it is important
to study and understand the organisational behaviour for manager in order to
implementing change effectively for accomplishment of desired business goals. Mangers
needs to understand what change is and where it comes from ,evaluate the ways that
helps to overcome their employees natural towards change. This will help in obtaining
effective performance of employees.
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 Technology: It is also an significant challenge for business organisation that impact
organisational behaviour. Technology provides resources that helps employees to work
effectively and accomplish their tasks and objectives. It allows employees to do more and
perform better results. Sometimes implementing of new technology creates barriers in
effective performance of employees and productivity of firm. If a person has lack of
technological skills or knowledge it makes it difficult for firm to gain productive results
from them. Thus technology also brings challenge for organisational behaviours.
 Environment: It is the broader concept within which organisations works. It refers as the
part of larger system that involve several other elements such as- government,
competitors, family etc. that affects performance of a person at workplace. There are
several trade unions of organisation impacted by technology directly. Thus factors and
elements of environment directly impact behaviour of employees at workplace.
RECOMMENDATIONS
As per above analysis it is recommended for managers and leaders of respective firm to
understand the behaviour of employees at workplace in order to predict their reactions regarding
different situation that has prominent impact in terms of reaching better performance. In term of
getting perfective performance it is recommend to communicate goals and tasks with employees
so as to make them understand what is want from them. Provide them effective training and
development programs so as to build their moral towards higher performance. It is also important
to make effective relationships between management and employees for reaching higher
potential from employees that leads higher productivity.
CONCLUSION
Although above discussion it is summarised that organisational behaviour is the study of
employee's behaviour with one another at workplace that plays significant impact over their
performance. Thus it is very important to understand the behaviours of employees within groups
and teams so as to influence them for effective results. For the purpose importance and tools of
organisational behaviours and human resource management are provided so as to manage
employees performance effectively.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Borkowski, N. and Meese, K.A., 2020. Organizational behavior in health care. Jones & Bartlett
Publishers.
Gagné, M., 2018. From strategy to action: transforming organizational goals into organizational
behavior. International Journal of Management Reviews. 20. pp.S83-S104.
Gagné, M., Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M., 2018. Self-determination theory applied to work
motivation and organizational behavior.
Organ, D.W., 2018. Organizational citizenship behavior: Recent trends and
developments. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational
Behavior. 80. pp.295-306.
Quelhas, A.D. and et. al., 2019. Model to measure adherence of culture, climate, and
organizational behavior in a construction company. Journal of Management in
Engineering. 35(4). p.05019003.
Ristianti, D.H., Putrajaya, G. and Fathurrochman, I., 2020. Organizational behavior management
through group counseling discussions as a radicalism preventive effort. Jurnal
Konseling dan Pendidikan. 8(1). pp.23-31.
Robbins, S.P. and Judge, T.A., 2019. Organizational behavior. Pearson.
Stewart, G.L., Courtright, S.H. and Manz, C.C., 2019. Self-leadership: A paradoxical core of
organizational behavior. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and
Organizational Behavior. 6. pp.47-67.
Tasselli, S., Kilduff, M. and Landis, B., 2018. Personality change: Implications for
organizational behavior. Academy of Management Annals. 12(2). pp.467-493.
Urinov, B.N., 2020. THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND
CORPORATE CULTURE. Economics and Innovative Technologies. 2020(2). p.15.
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