SBenegaL

Category: Organizational Behavior

  • Dimensions of Differentiation

    In the last byte, we looked at the role an organization chart plays in designing organization structure. In today’s byte, we look at differentiation in greater detail.
     
    As mentioned earlier, differentiation is the process of deciding how to divide the work in an organization. It ensures that all essential organizational tasks are assigned to one or more jobs and that the tasks receive the attention they need.
     
    There are 4 dimensions of differentiation that have to be considered in designing organization:
    1. Manager’s goal orientation
    2. Time Orientation
    3. Interpersonal Orientation
    4. Formality of structure
    Differentiation could be further classified into three different forms:
    • Horizontal
    • Vertical
    • Spatial

  • The Organizational Chart

    In the last byte, we looked at the definition of differentiation and integration and its relation to the organizational design and structure. In today’s byte, we continue the discussion further on organizational structure – specifically a brief on organizational chart.
     
    As mentioned earlier, organizational chart is a visible representation of the organization’s stucture and its underlying components. Most organizations have a series of organizational charts showing reporting relationships throughout the system. Some of the components represented in an organizational structure are:

    • Formal likes of authority and reponsibility
    • Formal systems of communication, coordination and integartions.
    Through the first point listed above, the organizational structure designates reporting relationships in the way jobs and departments are grouped.
     
    The second point mentioned above summarizes the fact that, organizational structure designates the expected patterns of formal interaction among employees.

  • Differentiation and Integration:Definition

    In the last byte, we began our discussion on the larger concept of organizational design and structure. In today’s byte, we define the concepts of differentiation and integration.

    Definitions:
    • Differentiation is the process of deciding how to divide the work in an organization
    • Integration is the process of coordinating the different parts of an organization
    Differentiation is the design process of breaking the organizational goal into tasks and integration is the design process of linking the tasks together to forma a structure that supports goal accomplishments.
     
    These two processes are really the key to designing the organization successfully. Organization structure helps prevent chaos through an orderly set of reporting relationships and communication challenges.
     
    An understanding of the key design processes and organizational structure helps an individual understand the larger working environment and may prevent confusion in the organization.This organizational structure and the underlying components are represented through an organizational chart.

  • Organizational Design & Structure

    In the last byte, we looked at the managerial implications of the discussion on work/task design. In today’s byte, we begin our discussion on Organization Design.

    Organization design refers to the process of constructing and adjusting an organization’s structure to achieve its goals.
     
    The starting point of this design process is the organization’s goals – these goals are then broken down into tasks as the basis for jobs. These jobs are grouped into departments [Recollect the earlier discussion on the business functions here] and these departments are linked into forming the organizational structure.

    Going ahead we shall discuss about:
    1. Design Processes of Differentiation and Integration
    2. Design dimensions of an organizational structure
    3. Structural Configurations of organizations
    4. Size, technology, environment, strategy and goal – their inter relations
    5. Forces shaping today’s organization

  • Managerial implications of the discussion on work design

    In the last byte, we looked at counter-role behavior. In today’s byte we look at the managerial implications in the changing nature of work.

    In addition to the managerial expertise, it is important that manager have to have a wide range of nontechnical skills to be effective in their work. The following thought would be extremely important. 
    Work forms an important aspect of a healthy life – it satisfies two central needs in human nature – engaging in productive work and forming healthy relationship with others. Given that the meaning of work means different things depending on the culture; the design of jobs mus be done with a sensitivity to cultural values and beliefs.
     
    Managers would need to craft work tasks and assignments that fit the jobs to people who are doing them. There is no universally accepted way of designing work. The changing nature of work mandates that managers find new ways to define work and design jobs.
    Flexibility is crucial in job design in the modern era. Dramatic global, economic and organizational changes dictate the managers to be flexible in job/work design in organizations.
     
    Another important aspect to make note of is the role technology that has evolved since the nature of work has changed.

  • Counter Role Behavior and Task Revision

    In the last byte, we began looking at the concept of task revision. We continue the discussion in today’s byte with a short discussion on counter role behavior. 

    Counter Role Behavior often happens when the incumbent acts contrary to the expectations of the role or exhibits deviant behavior. This raises an issue if the role is correctly defined – lets take an example to understand the same.
     
    Lets take the example of a nursing supervisor who displays counter-role behavior. Imagine a scenario where the nursing supervisor decides to simply trust the nurses and not verify the medication that the in charge nurse is expected to provide and this results in a fatality!
    Clearly when a role or task is correctly and properly defined, counter-role behavior leads to poor performance if not a fatality as indicated in the above example.
     
    Task-revision is a counter-role behavior in an incorrectly specified role, and is a useful way to correct the problem in any role specification. Task revision thus is a form or role innovation that could help long-term adaptation when the current role specification is no longer applicable. 

  • Performance Consequences

    In the last byte, we looked at work design and well-being. In today’s byte, we look at task revision.

    Task revision refers to the modification of incorrectly specified roles or jobs. It assumes that the organizational roles and job expectations may be correctly or incorrectly defined. Note that the person’s behavior is a work place has very different performance consequences depending on whether the role is currently  or incorrectly defined.

    The following table summarizes the performance consequences of Role Behavior:

  • Work Design and Well-being

    In the last byte, we looked at how JDS could be used to redesign jobs. In today’s byte, we discuss about Work Design and Well-being.

    Organizations need to redesign jobs in order to increase worker control and reduce worker uncertainty, while at the same time time remembering to manage conflicts and task/job demands. 

    Following are some ways in which control in work organizations could be increased:
    1. Workers would be given the opportunity to control several aspects of the work and the work place
    2. Designing machines and tasks for optmal response times and/or ranges
    3. Implementing performance-monitoring systems as a source of relevant feedback
    To reduce uncertainty we could use the following:
    1. Providing employees with timely and complete information needed for the work
    2. Making clear and unambiguous work assignments
    3. Improving communication at shift change time
    4. Increasing employee access to information source
    Conflicts could be managed by:
    1. Participative decision making to reduce conflict
    2. Using supportive supervisory styles to resolve conflicts
    3. Having sufficient resources available to meet work demands

  • Redesigning Jobs

    In the last byte, we looked at the moderation effect in the Job Characteristic model. In today’s byte, we look at some uses of this theory in redesigning jobs.

    Job Characteristic theory added a more comprehensive perspective in the design of jobs. The JDS developed was useful in job redesign efforts through one of the fived implementation concepts:
    1. Combining tasks into larger jobs
    2. Forming natural work teams to increase task identity and task significance
    3. Establishing relationships with customers
    4. Loading jobs vertically with more responsibility
    5. Opening feedback channels for the job incumbent
    Job Characteristics Inventory (JCI) is an alternative to the Job Characteristics Model but is not as comprehensive. JCI doesnt include coritical psychological states, personal and work outcomes, or employee needs.

  • Job Characteristic Theory – 4

    In the last byte, we looked at how we could calculate MPS based on a assessment tool. In today’s byte we discuss the job characteristic theory a bit further. 

    The Job Characteristics Model includes growth need strength as moderator in the model. It is seen that people with high growth need strength respond favorably to jobs with high MPSs, and individuals with low growth need strength respond less favorably to such jobs.

    The theory suggests that core job dimensions stimulate three critical psychological states according to the relationships specified in the model. These critical psychological states are defined as follows:
    • Experienced Meaningfulness of the work: the degree to which the employee experiences the job as one that is generally meaningful, valuable, and worthwhile.
    • Experienced responsibility for work outcomes: the degree to which the employee feels personally accountable and responsibile for the results of the work he or she does.
    • Knowledge of results: the degree to which the employee knows and understands, on a continuous basis, how effectively he or she is performing the job.
    We shall continue  the discuss further in the next byte.