Organizational Behavior: HP's Culture, Power, Politics, and Motivation

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ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................................... 3
TASK A............................................................................................................................................................................ 5
LO1................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
LO2................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
TASK B......................................................................................................................................................................... 17
LO3................................................................................................................................................................................ 17
LO4................................................................................................................................................................................ 22
CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................................................. 27
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................................ 28
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INTRODUCTION
Organizational behavior is a formal academic study that focuses on the activity of the
people within the organization. The study of organizational behavior benefits managers
and management of an organization to effectively predicts behaviors or employees within
an organization and try to control behavior (Starbuck, 2015). Assessing the environment of
the organization and remove bad factors that affect the business is the main aim of the
study of organizational behavior. The study of organizational behavior refers to the study
and observation of thoughts and behavior of individual or group of individual, activities
and work progress in the business organization.
The assignment is divided into two parts the first part of the assignment focuses on the
culture, power, and politics of the HP and assesses how these activities affect the mindset
of individuals working in an HP organization. Along with it, the first part also shows the
various motivation theories that helped HP organization.
The second part of the assignment presents the case of IBM in which assignment focuses on
team dynamics and development. Also, the second part presents various concepts and
philosophies of organizational behavior with respect to the IBM organization.
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Importance of Organizational Behavior (OB)
There are many benefits to the study of organizational behavior such as:
 Organizational behavior benefits the business organization in order to understand
the nature and behavior of employees in a good way.
 Organizational behavior benefits in motivating employees.
 Organizational behavior benefits in maintaining and improve the relationship
between employer and employee.
 Organizational behavior benefits in predict, assess and control human behavior.
 Organization behavior benefits in the utilization of human resource in an effective
way.

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TASK A
LO1
Culture, Power and Politics of HP
Hewlett-Packard (HP) is a U.S. based multinational company founded in 1939 by Bill
Hewlett and David Packard. The company considers as one of the best company in the field
of computer and IT services. The company provides a wide range of hardware products as
well as many types of software that significantly ease the work of the employees (Raes et
al., 2015). The services of HP widely used all around the world and used by all generation
and all types of people such as individual, company, government offices, etc. Innovation and
creativity is the main attraction point of HP.
Aims and Vision
Following are the Vision and Aim of the company:
 HP works for the customers and aims to provide the best quality products and
maintain customer loyalty.
 Maintain and improve the healthy organizational culture within the organization.
 Generate enough profit to maintain long-term sustainability.
 HP wants to grab the opportunities and grow as much as they can.
 HP aims to satisfy the needs through its innovative and creative products and
services.
Organizational Culture
Organizational culture refers to the system of morals, beliefs, shared expectations that
cause the change in the behavior of the employees within the organization. These shared
values significantly impact on the mindset of the employees that show their performance in
the job (Mannix and Neale, 2014).
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Organizational Culture (OC) of HP
The HP Company well known for its culture “The HP Way", the HP way culture of business
organization shaped many generations as the company achieved long term success for the
past 9 decades. The impact of the culture of HP in its success is very huge. It is thanks to the
culture of HP that flexible hour of work, casual dress code, opinions of the employees and
the important idea of “walking around management” is possible (Forsyth, 2018). The
culture of HP provides a significant competitive advantage as the culture helps an
organization in innovation activity continuously. The company had various benefits and
challenges with respect to maintain its culture as after the retirement of founders the
culture of HP is significantly affected and is no longer the same but the ability and
capability of new leader follow the path of their founders and maintain the culture that left
by them.
“It is really important that employees work together in unity towards their mutual goal and
strictly evade any cross purpose in any field in order to achieve the ultimate level of efficiency
within the business.” - Dave Packard (1957)
The culture of HP focuses on how can employees contribute to the organization instead of
how can be successfully gained. With respect to the culture of HP, the beliefs of
‘contribution’ significantly encourage the employees and ultimately increase their
efficiency (Chadwick and Raver, 2015).
Impacts of HP culture on the performance of Individual and Team
Following are the impacts of HP organizational culture:
 The culture of HP increases the motivation level among the employees and
encourages them for better work.
 HP culture helps in continuous innovation and creativity of the individual.
 The culture of HP benefits in maintaining a good relationship among staff within the
organization.
 The culture of HP significantly increases the efficiency and productivity of
employees that benefits in obtaining goals and objectives.
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 With respect to the culture of HP the job satisfaction level of the employees is
increased.
Power & Politics
The power and politics refer to the activity that produces changes within the organization
that profits the organization and its staff. Power refers to the activity of influence people by
force whereas politics refers to the activity that influences people mentally or by social
factors (Blowers, 2017).
Power and Politics of HP
The power and politics of HP had a critical role in HP’s success as more than directive
power HP believes in a supportive environment. The power and politics of HP change more
often than not in its 9 decades of a long journey as the leaders change the way of working
also changes within the organization. After the retirement of founders, the power and
politics of HP shifted to directive way and with the dissatisfaction of the employee's board
chairman had to involve and enforced the HP strategies model to be more consistent
(Cooper, 2015). In 1992, after the retirement of young, Lew Platt assigns the new CEO and
had given the task to restore HP way. The HP sees changes in 9 years after that like
Decentralized model introduced, later top to the down strategy used by next CEO but 1
thing remains the same the HP uses politics in its business activity rather than power.
The all new leaders of HP follow the values of HP and lead the company with supportive
power. The job of a manager at HP is to support business and maintain a personal network
with staff and motivates them for better work. The thoughts and welcomed by the leaders,
the company won't punish employees for their failures instead they had supported by
leaders (Fiedler, 2015).
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Impacts of Power and Politics in on the performance of Individual and Team
Following are the impacts of Power and Politics:
 With the power and politics of HP, the employees are more committed to their work
and try to achieve perfect results.
 Increase in the decision-making activity of the business organization.
 The HP Company faces fewer issues of conflicts among the employees.
 All the employees understand their role and responsibilities that ultimately increase
the effectiveness of HP Company.
 Helps in create and maintain long-term positive relations among employees.
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LO2
Motivation and Motivational Theories
Motivation
Motivation refers to the internal and external factors that encourage doing something or
even better and create energy for the committee to the task in order to complete or obtain
a goal. Motivation is a continuous process that increases the efficiency of people (Forsyth,
2018).
Importance of motivation
Following are the importance of motivation:
 Motivation helps to increase the productivity and efficiency of employees.
 Motivation significantly benefits the organization in order to reduce staff turnover.
 Motivation helps employees and organization to achieve their respective goals.
 Motivation benefits in better quality work.
 Motivation increase job satisfaction for the employees.
 Motivation benefits in proper utilization of human resources.
Aims and objectives of HP with respect to Motivation
 Increase productivity
 Increase in profit
 Growth of business
 Increase market share for HP
 Increase market size for HP
Content Motivational Theory
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's Hierarchy of needs motivation theory is introduced by Psychologist Abraham
Maslow that focuses on understand the factors that serve as a motivation factor for the
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individual. The theory presents the idea that the individual is motivated by a desire to fulfill
unsatisfied needs (Gilmore et al., 2015). The HP Company effective uses this theory in
order to motivate employees and achieve its goals. The theory presents the 5 stages or 5
elements that are very useful to motivate employees.
Figure 1: Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
Source: Gilmore et al., 2015
Physiological Needs
These are the most basic needs that motivate an individual for work. HP provides Job to the
individuals through whom they can satisfy their basic needs such as Food, Shelter, and
Water, etc. also the good quality and hygiene food, water provided within the HP Company
to the employees as well as accommodation provided by the company also serve as a good
motivation factor for better work (Harding, 2017).
Safety Needs
Safety of individual and his/her family as well as job security also serve as a good
motivation factor for the individual that encourages him/her for good and better work. The
individual sees HP Company as their permanent job option, also HP provides job security
for the capable individual as well as ensures the safety of employees within the
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organization that boosts the morale of the employees and encourages them (Hillson and
Murray-Webster, 2017).
Love/Belongings Needs
HP organizational culture is very good ‘The HP Way' culture of HP ensures that the within
company employees are treated equally in terms of behavior that is a huge motivation
factor for the employees in HP. HP considers human resource as its valuable assets and
maintain a good relationship with employees and maintain a good working environment
within the business that ultimately motivates employees.
Esteem Needs
HP recognizes the efforts put by the employees in their work; the company appreciates the
work among the whole group of employees and rewards them with bonuses that serve as
an Esteem motivation for them (Hermann and Pagé, 2016).
Self-actualization
It is the point where the individual aims to compete with own self like how much is his/her
full potential of work or how better can he/she work. HP appreciates the thoughts of the
employees and supports them by providing enough chances.
Maslow's Hierarchy of needs theory is very well utilized by the leaders of HP. The theory
covers all the area that provides motivation to the employees that result in obtaining the
goals and objectives of HP with respect to their human resource (Hermann and Pagé,
2016). Following are the positives and negatives of Maslow’s Theory:
Positives
 The theory is very simple to understand and effectively benefits HP Company in
order to achieve its goals.
 The theory focuses on human behaviors that suit the culture of HP Company.
 The theory covers all the aspects that significantly benefits HP in all their goals.
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Negatives
 The theory focuses on whole staff but not every individual thinks in the same way
that troublesome for HP with respect to this theory.
 The leaders of HP are having trouble to measure the level of motivation with this
theory.
 The leaders and managers need to consider the culture of employees as this theory
is ineffective in cross-culture.
Process Motivational Theory
Vroom Expectancy Theory
The theory refers to a process motivation theory that focuses on the work process as a
motivation factor. Whereas Maslow theory focuses on the behavior of the employees,
Vroom Expectancy theory calculates the efficiency and effectiveness of work (Kitchin,
2017).
Figure 2: Vroom Expectancy Theory
Source: Kitchin, 2017
Expectancy
The employees of HP have a thought that if they do good work than their good work will be
appreciated and they have been rewarded. The motivational factor comes by the rewards
employees can get through good and effective work.
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