Month: April 2020

Perception is a process of sensory organs. The mind gets information through the five sense organs, viz., the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. The stimulation coming to these organs may be through action, written messages, oral communication, odour, taste, touch of the product and people. The perception starts with the awareness of these stimuli. Recognizing these stimuli takes place only after paying attention to them. These messages are then translated into action and behaviour.

1. Stimuli

The receipt of information is the stimulus, which results in sensation. Knowledge and behaviour depend on senses and their stimulation. The physical senses used by people are vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Intuitions and hunches are known as the sixth sense. These senses are influenced by a larger number of stimuli, which may be action, information, consideration and feelings, etc.

The stimuli may be in the form of objects or physical commodities. The human body itself is developed through the acceptance of the stimuli. The mind and soul are the victims of these stimuli occurring in the surroundings of the people. The family, social and the economic environment are important stimuli for the people. The physiological and psychological functions are the result of these stimuli.

The intensive and extensive forms of stimuli have a greater impact on the sensory organs. The physical work environment, sociocultural environment and other factors have certain stimuli to influence the employee’s perception. In all, the perception begins only when people deal with stimuli; that is, stimulating factors give information about the situation.

2. Attention

People selectively attend to stimuli. Some of the stimuli are reacted to while others are ignored without being paid any attention. The stimuli that are paid attention depend purely on the people’s selection capacity and the intensity of stimuli. Educated employees pay more attention to any stimuli, viz., announcement of bonus, appeal for increasing productivity, training and motivation. The management has to find out suitable stimuli, which can appeal to the employees at the maximum level.

If the attention of the employees is not drawn, the organization cannot expect proper behaviour from the employees. An organization should be aware of all those factors, which affect the attention of the employees. During the attention process, sensory and neural mechanisms are affected and the message receiver becomes involved in understanding the stimuli. Taking employees to the attention stage is essential in an organization for making them behave in a systematic and required order.

3. Recognition

After paying attention to the stimuli, the employees try to recognize whether the stimuli are worth realizing. The messages or incoming stimuli are recognized before they are transmitted into behaviour. Perception is a two-phase activity, i.e., receiving stimuli and translating the stimuli into action. However, before the stage of translation, the stimuli must be recognized by the individual.

The recognition process is dependent on mental acceptability. For example, if a car driver suddenly sees a child in front of his running car, he stops the car. He recognizes the stimuli, i.e., the life of the child is in danger. His mental process recognizes the danger after paying attention to the stimuli. If he does not pay attention to the stimuli, he cannot recognize the danger. After recognizing the stimuli, he translates the message into behaviour.

4. Translation

The stimuli are evaluated before being converted into action or behaviour. The evaluation process is translation. In the above example, the car driver after recognizing the stimuli uses the clutch and brake to stop the car. He has immediately translated the stimulus into an appropriate action. The perception process is purely mental before it is converted into action. The conversion is translation. The management in an organization has to consider the various processes of translating the message into action. The employees should be assisted to translate the stimuli into action.

For example, the announcement of bonus should be recognized as a stimulus for increasing production. The employee should translate it into appropriate behaviour. In other words, they should be motivated by the management to increase productivity. During the translation period, psychological mechanism commonly known as sensory and mental organs is affected. They influence perception. The incoming stimuli are interpreted and perception is developed.

5. Behaviour

Behaviour is the outcome of the cognitive process. It is a response to change in sensory inputs, i.e., stimuli. It is an overt and covert response. Perceptual behaviour is not influenced by reality, but is a result of the perception process of the individual, his learning and personality, environmental factors and other internal and external factors at the workplace.

The psychological feedback that may influence the perception of an employee may be superior behaviour, his eye movement, raising of an eyebrow, the tone of voice, etc. The behaviour of employees depends on perception, which is visible in the form of action, reaction or other behaviour. The behavioural termination of perception may be overt or covert.

The overt behaviour of perception is witnessed in the form of physical activities of the employees and covert behaviour is observed in the form of mental evaluation and self-esteem. The perception behaviour is the result of the cognitive process of the stimulus, which may be a message, or an action situation of management function. Perception is reflected in behaviour, which is visible in different forms of employees’ action and motivation.

6. Performance

Proper behaviour leads to higher performance. High performers become a source of stimuli and motivation to other employees. A performance-reward relationship is established to motivate people.

7. Satisfaction

High performance gives more satisfaction. The level of satisfaction is calculated with the difference in performance and expectation. If the performance is more than the expectation, people are delighted, but when performance is equal to expectation, it results in satisfaction. On the other hand, if performance is less than the expectation, people become frustrated and this requires a more appealing form of stimulus for developing proper employee work behaviour and high performance.

It is essential to understand the factors that influence the perception process and mould employees’ behaviour towards the corporate objectives and self-satisfaction. Individuals observe several stimuli every day. They confront these stimuli, notice and register them in their minds, interpret them and behave according to their background and understanding.

Employees confronted with stimuli select only a few stimuli of their choice and leave other stimuli unattended and unrecognized. Factors influencing the selective process may be external as well as internal, organizational structures, social systems and characteristics of the perceiver.

1. Subjective Methods

(a) Observation

Observation of behaviour of a person over a long period is one of the techniques of assessing personality traits.

(b) Case Study Method

In this method the case history has to be re-organized and re-written from infancy upto adulthood. Really speaking, on the basis of this method, the reality of the personality is found out.

(c) Interview

It is a process of communication or interaction in which the interviewee gives the needed information verbally to the interviewer in a face-to-face situation or one-to-one situation.

(d) Autobiography

Autobiography method is also used to assess personality. The child is asked to write his own autobiography and certain personality characteristics can be studied from them.

(e) Cumulative Record Card

The cumulative record is a useful and permanent record which includes various information about the child.

2. Objective Methods

Following are some objective methods of personality measurement that eliminate the subjectivity of interpretation:

(a) Rating Scales

Rating scales are used to rate the various personality traits, adjustment, emotions, interests, attitudes performance on a task.

(b) Check lists

Carefully prepared check list can be employed to collect data about a person.

(c) Controlled Observation

Controlled observation under laboratory conditions or under controlled conditions can be used to study certain aspects of the personality of an individual.

(d) Sociogram

With the help of this method, the sociability of the subject is measured. With the help of this method relationship of the students is judged.

(e) Personality Inventories

Ari individual’s written account of the past behaviour, feelings and wishes can be a good source of information about his personality. Self-ratings can be done through personality inventories and paper and pencil test.

Some popular personality inventories are:

• California Tests of Personality
• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
• Bell’s Adjustment Inventory
• Woodworth Personal Data Sheet
• Edward Personal Preference Schedule
• Cornell Index
• Boyd’s Personality Questionnaire
• Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey
• Minnesota Counselling Inventory
• Thurstone Temperament Schedule
• Eysenck’s Personality Inventory
• The Shipley Personal Inventory
• P.P. Personality Inventory Test
• Comrey Personality Scales
• Saxena’s Personality Inventory
• Mittal’s Adjustment Inventory

3. Projective Methods

These techniques enable a subject to project his internal feelings, attitudes, needs, values or wishes to an external object. In the projective test situation, the individual responds freely to relatively unstructured yet standard situation to which he is asked to respond.

Some of the major projective techniques are:

(a) Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

The TAT was developed by Morgan and Murray in 1935. It requires the subject to look at the picture and to interpret it by telling a story. He is invited to say what led up to the scene in the picture. Why such events occurred, and what the consequences will be?

(b) Children’s Apperception Test (CAT)

It was developed by Leopold Bellak. The test consists of ten pictures meant for children of the age group 3 to 10. Pictures are shown one after another and reactions (responses) are noted and interpreted.

(c) Rorschach’s Ink-Blot Test

This test was developed by Hermann Rorschach in 1921. It uses ten irregular-ink-blots standing against a white background. Each inkblot is shown in a fixed number of ways and the testee is asked to report what he sees.

(d) Projective Questionnaires

In this technique the subject is given a series of questions to answer in his own way. Through such questionnaires it is possible to obtain information regarding the subject’s emotional life, his values, his attitudes and sentiments.

(e) Sentence Completion Test

These tests present a series of incomplete sentences to be completed by the testee in one or more words.

Some sample items are given below:

• I am worried over………….
• I feel proud when………….
• My hope is…………….
• I am afraid of………………

(f) Psychodrama

It requires the subject to play spontaneously a role assigned to him in a specific situation. Psychodrama deals with interpersonal relationships and maladjustment problem within the individual.

(g) Drawing, Painting and Sculpture

Artistic productions can also be used as projective techniques.

4. Psycho-Analytic Methods

(a) Word Association Test

In such test the subject is presented a list of words, one at a time and is asked to give the first word that comes to his mind. The responses given by the subject and the time taken by him are recorded by the tester for interpretation.

(b) Free Association Test

In this test the subject is allowed to talk for hours together and from it certain traits and behavioural problems are noted.

(c) Dream Analysis

In this technique the dream of the subject is analysed and unconscious behaviour is interpreted. Since ‘Dream is the royal road to unconscious’, the dream analysis is an effective psychoanalytic method to locate unconscious behaviour of the individual.

Intergroup relations between two or more groups and their respective members are often necessary to complete the work required to operate a business. Many times, groups inter-relate to accomplish the organization’s goals and objectives, and conflict can occur. Some conflict, called functional conflict, is considered positive, because it enhances performance and identifies weaknesses. Dysfunctional conflict, however, is confrontation or interaction between groups that harms the organization or hinders attainment of goals or objectives.

Intergroup conflict refers to disagreements that exist between two or more groups and their respective members. However, this can also reflect any type of formal or informal disagreements between varying groups such as political parties or activist groups. Intergroup conflict is in many ways the source of the out group bias that discriminates against those that are not part of the “in-group.”

Causes of Inter-Group Conflict

(i) Lack of Communication

Faulty communication leads to suspicion and a lack of trust.

(ii) Relative Deprivation

It arises due to comparison when members of a group feel that they do not have what they desire to have or are not doing well in comparison to other groups.

(iii) Belief of being Superior from the Other

It occurs when one party believes it is better than the other and every member wants to respect the norms of his/ her group.

(iv) Respect for Norms

Conflict arises when there is a feeling that the other group violates norms.

(v) Harm done in the Past

Some harm done in the past could be the reason for conflict.

(vi) Biased Perception

Feelings of ‘they’ and ‘we’ lead to biased perceptions.

(vii) Competition

Groups compete over scarce resources both material resources e.g. territory and money as well as social resources e.g. respect and esteem.

(viii) Contributions

If you contribute more and get less, you are likely to feel irritated and exploited.

Solutions to Intergroup Conflict

There are numerous choices available to circumvent conflict, to keep it from becoming damaging, and to resolve conflict that is more serious. These include simple avoidance where possible, problem solving, changing certain variables in the workplace, and in-house alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs. Any resolution method should depend on why the conflict occurred, the seriousness of the conflict, and the type. A face-to-face meeting, as in problem solving, can be very effective in conflicts of misunderstanding or language barriers. The groups can discuss issues and relevant information, with or without a facilitator, to reach resolution.

Where groups have differing goals, it may be prudent to establish some type of goal that can only be reached when the conflicting groups work together. A superordinate goal not only helps alleviate conflict, it focuses more on performance, which is what the organization needs to survive. A downside to this option is the identification of a common enemy of the conflicting groups, who must come together to prevail. Eventually, the solidarity crumbles and groups begin to again turn against each other.

Another stopgap solution to conflict is simply avoiding it. Although this does not resolve the problem, it can help get a group through a period of time, in which those involved may become more objective, or a greater, more immediate goal would have been met. Along those lines, another solution is smoothing the groups by focusing on common interests and de-emphasizing the differences between them. This approach is especially effective on relatively simple conflicts and is viewed as a short-term remedy.

Yet another quick fix is the authoritative command, where groups, who cannot satisfactorily resolve their conflict, are commanded by management. This response does not usually deal with the underlying cause of the conflict, which is likely to surface again in some way. This would probably be a choice of last resort in this era of individual independence and self-determination.

Although it is not always possible to change a person’s behavior, by focusing on the cause of the conflict and the attitudes of those involved, it will lead to a more permanent resolution. It is also possible to change the structural variables involving the conflicting groups, such as changing jobs or rearranging reporting responsibilities. This approach is much more effective when the groups themselves participate in structural change decisions. Without meaningful input, this resolution method resembles avoidance or forcing and is not likely to succeed, further frustrating all involved.

Any method or response to conflict, lost productivity, miscommunication, or unhealthy work environment can be reconstituted in many forms of ADR. Alternative dispute resolution should also be appropriate to the needs of those involved. It is crucial that the organization determines the needs of its stakeholders, the types of conflict that occur, and the conflict culture (how conflict is dealt with) within the organization before initiating an ADR program. Any program must allow for creativity, approachability, and flexibility if people are asked to utilize it. All employees should be aware or involved in the establishment of an ADR program, if it is to work properly. Without full involvement or input, needs assessment is hit or miss, and assumptions lead to actions, which lead to the same place you were before. This assumicide behavior by an organization’s leadership would not be tolerated in marketing a new product or acquiring a capital asset, so why are people less important?

Any collaborative process intended to address and manage intergroup conflict should have objectives to encourage it. In this major commitment of time and resources, success is its best reward, but to ensure an ADR approach suitable for you, it is important to:

• Build trust
• Clearly define participants’ roles and authorities
• Establish ground rules
• Promote leadership
• Bring a collaborative attitude to the table
• Maintain participant continuity
• Recognize time and resource constraints
• Address cultural differences and power imbalances
• Build accountability and organizational commitment
• Make this a consensus process
• Produce early measurable results
• Link decision making and implementation
• Promote good communication and listening skills

Conflicts within or between groups can be destructive or constructive, depending on how the conflict is handled.

When an organization is creating a dispute resolution process, there are key factors to success:

• A critical mass of individuals who are committed to the process;
• A leadership group who perceive it in their best interest and the best interests of the people they serve;
• Strategic cooperation among historical enemies;
• Realistic and satisfactory outcomes;
• A moratorium on hostilities or conflict-seeking behavior.

There also are barriers to success:

• Fear of losing power
• Unwillingness to negotiate
• No perceived benefit
• Corporate philosophy
• Top leadership reluctance
• Lack of knowledge about ADR
• Lack of success stories

Responsible measures to reduce barriers and encourage a true paradigm shift are training, incentives, marketing, periodic review, case studies, and top management support and participation. Facilitators trained in mediation and other forms of ADR are a necessary resource from outside or within the organization. The workplace of the new millenium will have in-house mediation or other conflict management programs to reduce formal claims and act as a risk management business practice.

Conflicts are inevitable when number of people will be working together. Conflict is defined as “difference in opinion or some kind of disagreement between two or more parties”. Conflicts need to be resolved effectively. It is not only important to resolve the conflict, but also is equally important to ensure that the parties involved in conflict do not unnecessarily end up being in any kind of emotional stress during the resolution process of the conflict. Striking a balance between resolving the conflict to find the decision and maintaining the emotional wellbeing of people involved will be critical to successful conflict management.

Hence it is important to understand clearly, what is a conflict, why conflict occurs, challenges in resolving conflicts and various methods for resolving conflicts.

There are two views on conflicts or the so called differences in opinion between people. The traditional view says “conflicts are bad and should be totally discouraged”, and the new modern view says” conflicts can be constructive and good and different ways of thinking should be encouraged to get multiple ideas and solutions to problems in hand”.

Some of the conflict resolution techniques are as follows:

1. Problem Solving / Collaboration / Confronting

In this method, people involved in the conflict or having a difference in opinion, they come forward to discuss the problem at hand with a very open mind. They focus on resolving the conflict and finding the best alternative/solution for the team. They discuss by rising above personal emotions with the sole intention to finding what is best for the team. This leads to a win-win kind of an outcome. Here everyone collaborates.

2. Compromising/Reconciling

Sometimes for certain conflicts, there will be a need for the involved parties to think of a middle path wherein both parties decide to give up something and identify a resolution. This kind of solution will be temporary for that moment and are not long lasting solution. This leads to  lose-lose kind of an outcome as both parties may feel they have lost something.

3. Withdrawing/Avoiding

In some situation one of the parties in the conflict may decide to retract from the discussion and allows going with the other person’s opinion. Or some situation, one of the parties may decide to completely avoid the conflict by maintaining silence. This works well in situation where one of the parties in the conflict is emotionally charged up or is angry. Hence avoiding any conflict resolution provides a “cooling off” period to the people involved so that they can later come back for meaningful resolution.

4. Forcing/Competing

In some situations, a person with authority and power can force his/her opinion and resolves the conflict without giving any chance to the other party/person. This leads to a win-lose kind of an outcome. Someone may end up feeling as a loser while the other person with authority may feel as a winner. This technique can be used if we see the conflicts are unnecessary and mostly destructive for the team.

5. Smoothing/Accommodating

This is a technique which is used when the atmosphere seems to be filled with apprehension/distrust among the parties involved. And no one is coming forward for resolving the conflict. In these kind of scenarios, one of the parties can take charge and tries to smooth the surrounding by using nice words and by emphasizing on the points of agreements and playing down on the points of disagreements. This can work as catalyst to break the discomfort between the involved parties by creating a feeling of trust and encourages them to come forward and resolve the conflict.

1. Transformational

When a leader follows the transformational model of managing employees, they can provide quite effective support of the company’s operation by inspiring workers.

Although such managers can be considered quite demanding, they motivate individuals to perform their job duties “beyond the expected levels” and “think beyond self-interest” since they show “positive qualities and ethics”, as it was noted by Opoku and Ahmed in Leadership and Sustainability in the Built Environment.

Such a model of leadership is quite effective in achieving organizational goals.

2. Charismatic

The charismatic model of leadership is no less effective than a transformational one since it also includes creating enthusiasm for the team.

However, in contrast, this one implies that a leader shapes the values of other people instead of making them work beyond requirements.

So a charismatic leader can achieve a company’s goals via personal “characters and behaviors” because they are communicative and responsive.

3. Ethical

Consequently, such a leader is following their own ethics, providing employees with both fair rewards and reasonable criticisms.

Moreover, ethical leaders are good at decision-making because their way of thinking is primarily moved by logic and justice, but not always emotions and feelings.

There may be no doubts that the manager, following an ethical leadership model, will perform consistently for the team and the company’s goals.

4. Laissez-faire

A laissez-faire model of leadership contains both the pros and cons of its implementation.

On the one hand, laissez-faire leaders let their employees do the job and make decisions by themselves. And it can be considered as a positive and beneficial action when workers are entirely educated, experienced, and skilled.

On the other hand, such passiveness in performing leadership duties can lead to such an issue as uncontrolled production. I can note that laissez-faire leaders have a lack of motivational influence on employees.

For instance, when the manager takes a small part in performing a job, their opinion about work can be considered insufficient.

5. Bureaucratic

The bureaucratic leadership model is quite useful in the field of production. Such leaders are primarily moved by established rules, standards, and norms.

Thus, while working with mechanisms requires following safety regulations and properly using the equipment, the bureaucratic leader can control these processes effectively.

However, it is also necessary to take into account that the bureaucratic leadership model has a lack of flexibility. So it can have an adverse impact on performance if the leader works with creative tasks.

6. Democratic

In contrast to more passive models of leadership like laissez-faire and bureaucratic, a democratic model can really motivate team members to work effectively. This model goes about involving employees in the decision-making process.

So employees become more motivated to work, knowing their mission at a company. Despite the fact that such a model of leadership can lead to slow performance, the results pay off.

This way of being a leader can be used in various fields of activity, both creative and routine.

7. Autocratic

One more model of leadership is autocratic, which is quite different from the above-noted models.

To exemplify, if a person is following the autocratic model, then their team members will not have any chance to make suggestions concerning work.

While in creative work, the autocratic model of leadership is not an effective way to manage employees, a routine job with no necessity for specific skills can benefit from such an approach.

However, my personal experience has shown that an autocratic leader lacks strong communication with employees, which has an adverse impact on relations between workers and managers.

Organizational Goals

In conclusion, it is worth saying that the listed models of leadership are effective in performing management. It is evident that all of them can not be without cons, but can be implemented in all fields of activity.

Nevertheless, these models follow organizational goals and are useful in managing your team.

Stress is an inevitable part of life, something we must all deal with at some point. And although everyone will have different types of stress and individual ways to deal with it, stress generally progresses through the same general stages.

Learning the different stages of stress is important to identify what stage you may be experiencing. By knowing the different stages of stress, and being able to identify what you’re experiencing, you can take the appropriate steps to resolve it before it progresses to an unhealthy stage.

Stress can be helpful at times in the sense it may motivate us to achieve tasks, but if not kept in check, it can lead to a chronic condition that can have detrimental impacts to your overall health.

These are the 5 Stages of Stress

1. The Alarm Stage

The first stage of stress is commonly referred to as the “fight or flight” response. It is how your body immediately reacts to something that is stressful. Adrenaline quickly pulses throughout your body, increasing your mental focus and reflexes. Your heart rate quickens in order to send increased blood flow and oxygen to your limbs, readying them for whatever response you decide.

The alarm stage prepares your body the best it can in order to deal with or solve the stress you’re facing. Situations that can induce the alarm stage may include things like needing to stop a vehicle suddenly to avoid an accident, or realizing you forgot to perform a task like meeting a deadline or paying a bill.

Although the alarm stage can cause a great deal of changes within your body, it usually has no long-lasting detrimental effects so long as the stress is quickly dealt with. Only when something continues to bring on continual stress can it become more harmful.

2. The Resistance Stage

During the resistance stage, your body tries to return back to its normal state. Many of the changes that occur to your body during the alarm stage cause inflammation, therefore your body releases anti-inflammatory hormones to try and ease things.

Your body’s reactions during the resistance stage attempts to make the initial shock of stress fade away, which might make it seem like the stressful event has been dealt with effectively. However, this is simply a temporary fix until you fully solve or remove the stressor at fault. If not truly dealt with, the stress can ultimately lead to the exhaustion stage. This will, in turn, create even more stress on your body, where you run the risk of chronic debilitating disease brought on by tissue breakdown.

3. The Recovery Stage

Hopefully, you can solve the stressful situation and your body can begin to recover, restoring your body’s systems to natural healthy levels. Even if the stressful event has not been fully dealt with, taking a step back to calm down and relax can allow your body to recover so you can effectively deal with the stress at hand without causing lasting harm to your body.

The cellular demand for vitamins and minerals needed during the alarm stage may need to be replaced with the help of supplements. Restoring your body’s normal biology is vital for a successful recovery. Adequate sleep along with taking time out of your busy schedule to unwind will allow for a quicker and more effective recovery.

4. The Adaptation Stage

If you do not take the necessary steps to recover by either solving your stress or resting, you then enter what is known as the adaptation stage. Instead of dealing with stress, you simply accept it as a part of your everyday life. Your stress becomes chronic which begins to really take a toll on your overall health.

When you are chronically stressed, you may have difficulty sleeping and therefore have decreased energy. You may find that both your eating habits and weight will change and you will have a harder time dealing with your emotions. Your relationships may begin to suffer and you may find you have less motivation even in regards to enjoying your hobbies.

The adaptation stage is definitely not a solution to dealing with stress, and steps must be taken in order to avoid the next stage which is exhaustion.

5. The Exhaustion Stage

The body can only handle so much, and can only adapt to deal with short-term stress. If stress becomes chronic, your body begins to break down and its nutrients begin to be depleted. Hospitalization may be required at this stage or you may need the assistance of a mental health doctor to deal with depression-like symptoms.

You may be unaware of just how much of an impact stress is having on your body. Your body’s continual battle with stress can lead to a weakened immune system, making you more prone to sickness and you may develop a range of skin problems such as acne or breakouts.

Now is the time to fully make strides to remove whatever it is that is causing you stress. You may need to seek the help of close family members or friends and quite possibly professional treatment. Until the stress is resolved, your body will not be able to recover and may continue to only get worse.

Organizational change can be defined as the alteration in structure, technology or people in an organization or behavior by an organization. Here we need to note that change in organizational culture is different from change in an organization. A new method or style or new rule is implemented here.

An organizational change occurs due to two major factors namely:

• External factor: External factors are those factors that are present outside the firm but force the firm to change or implement a new law, rule etc. For example, all banks are bound to follow the rules laid down by the RBI.
• Internal factor: Internal factors are those factors that are caused or introduced inside an organization that forces a change. For example, no smoking in the workplace.

Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Analysis

Kurt Lewin, is a noted organizational theorist, who proposed the force field analysis for organizational change. In this theory, he has prioritized two factors for change in an organization, namely:

• Driving force: Driving force can be defined as an organizational force that makes a change with respect to structure, people and technology. In short, it drives the organization from one culture to another.
• Restoring force: Restoring force is the force which changes the culture from the existing state to the old state. It indicates a backward motion while the driving force indicates a forward motion.

Importance of Organizational Change

There is a need of change in an organization because there is always a hope for further development, and in order to survive in a competitive market, the organization needs to be updated with changes. However, we have listed some reasons to explain why changes are deliberately made and carefully planned by the organization before implementation.

• It improves the means to satisfy the economic requirements of people.
• It enhances the profitability of organization.
• It promotes employee satisfaction and well-being.

Planned Change

We can define planned change as any kind of alteration or modification which is done in advance and differently for improvement.

The Need for Planned Change

Planned change takes places in an organization when there is a demand for change due to two types of forces. These forces are grouped into internal sources and external sources.

Internal forces that lead to a planned change in an organization include obsolescence of production and service, new market opportunities, new strategic direction, increasing workforce diversity, and shift in socio-cultural values.

External forces that lead to a planned change in an organization include regulators, competitors, market force, customers, and technology. Each of these forces can create pressing demand for change in small or big, public or private, business or non-business organizations.

Process of Planned Change

Once the management decides to implement some changes in the organization, it needs to be done carefully as it is a very sensitive issue. It is very important for all the employees to adapt to change. According to Kurt Lewin, the planned organizational change is implemented in three different stages. They are −

1. Unfreezing

In this stage, the organization studies if the change is required or not, what and why is the change necessary. Considering the entire situation, the organization decides for appropriate change. Thus a plan and strategy is formulated as required.

2. Changing

In this stage, the organization executes the plan and program for change. For this purpose, proper precautions are taken in order to maintain cooperation and coordination between the employees and management, avoiding miscommunication or disputes. Adequate supervision and control is arranged as needed.

3. Refreezing

This is the final stage, in order to bring organizational change. By way of supervision, the organization tries to evaluate the effectiveness of change. Collecting all this information, the management interprets whether to continue or replace change by some other alternatives or to make further minor changes.

Types of Planned Change

On the basis of a company’s requirement planned change is classified into three types. They are:

• Change in structure
• Change in technology
• Change in people

1. Change in Structure

We say that the planned change required is change in structure when development is required in these following areas:

• Change in management
• New management
• Change in position or location
• Change in objective, rules, regulations etc.
• Launching new branches

2. Change in Technology

We say that the planned change required is change in technology when development is required in these following areas:

• Need of office automation
• Installing new hardware and software
• Executing new working procedures
• New methods in production function
• Producing new products and devices
• New training, research and development program

3. Change in People

We say that the planned change required is change in people when development is required in these following areas:

• New candidate requirement
• Promotion or demotion
• Transfer to other location
• Suspension or dismissal
• Deputation
• Training and development

Organizational development

Organizational Development is a field of research, theory, as well as practice devoted to expanding the knowledge and effectiveness of how people accomplish successful organizational change and performance.

Organizational development is not an overnight transformation that can be done in an organization, rather it is a gradual process that has to be executed systematically and by taking care of the external environment.

Organization Development Techniques

Companies adopt organizational development technique to modify the behavior of people who are resisting change. It is a program to bring a change in the values, norms, attitudes, perception, and behavior of people and improve the quality of inter-personal relations. Some of the major organizational development techniques are:

• Sensitivity technique
• Survey feedback
• Process consultation
• Team building
• Intergroup development

1. Sensitivity Technique

Here sensitivity refers to the psychological aspect of human mind that has to be shaped to act as expected by the group. In this technique, one’s own weakness is exposed and members understand how others react towards them. Stress is on group dynamics and tackling inter-relationship disputes.

The idea is to improve the behavior of people in order to maintain smooth inter-personal relationship without any power or influence. Members are motivated to have an open, heart-to-heart talk to develop mature relationship. Sensitivity training borders on psychotherapy where the emotions as well as body language are considered.

2. Survey Feedback

In this technique, the discrepancies among a group are weeded out using questionnaires, which identify the difference in perception amongst the same working family, group or department. The collected data is then tabulated and distributed for further deliberations. This acts as the basis for further discussions and the discrepancies if any can be sorted out by open discussions with all concerned, defending and opposing till a consensus is reached. This technique mainly focuses on ideas and not on persons who put up those ideas.

3. Process Consultation

In this technique, a firm may either seek the support of experts from within the firm or from outside. The firm must check that process consultation is done through an external expert with the needed support provided by the authorities from within the organization.

4. Team Building

In this technique, attempts are made at the group or inter-group level. The main objective is to improve co-ordination thereby improving the performance as a group. This can be done by goal setting, development of inter-personal relations, role analysis to identify roles and responsibilities and team process analysis.

5. Intergroup Development

Inter group development technique attempts to change the perceptions of groups about themselves or about other groups. This can be done by organizing independent group meeting, developing a list consisting of perception of itself, views about other departments and how others view them, trying to understand and resolve the actual cause of conflicts, or sub grouping the groups to remove difference in perceptions and impressions that groups have about each other.