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MCOM 1^ST SEMESTER

 

COURSE CODE: MCO-01

COURSE TITLE: Orgnisation theory & Behavhior

ASSIGNMENT CODE  - MCO - 01/TMA/2026

Q. 1 Explain various functions and roles of managers. How are they useful in enhancing the efficiency of the organisation?

1. Introduction

Managers play a vital role in achieving organisational goals. They are responsible for planning activities, coordinating resources, leading employees, and ensuring that the organisation works efficiently and effectively.

In simple words:

Managers are the backbone of an organisation as they guide, control and coordinate all activities to achieve objectives.

I. Functions of Managers

The main managerial functions are:

1. Planning

Planning means deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and who will do it.

It involves:

·        Setting objectives

·        Forecasting

·        Formulating policies and strategies

Contribution to Efficiency:

·        Reduces uncertainty

·        Avoids wastage of resources

·        Provides clear direction

2. Organising

Organising involves arranging tasks, grouping activities, and allocating resources.

It includes:

·        Division of work

·        Departmentalisation

·        Delegation of authority

Contribution to Efficiency:

·        Avoids duplication of work

·        Ensures proper utilisation of resources

·        Establishes clear responsibility

3. Staffing

Staffing means recruiting, selecting, training and developing employees.

Contribution to Efficiency:

·        Ensures right person for right job

·        Improves productivity

·        Enhances employee morale

4. Directing

Directing includes leading, motivating, supervising and communicating with employees.

Contribution to Efficiency:

·        Improves coordination

·        Boosts employee motivation

·        Ensures smooth execution of plans

5. Controlling

Controlling means measuring performance, comparing it with standards and taking corrective actions.

Steps involved:

·        Setting standards

·        Measuring performance

·        Correcting deviations

Contribution to Efficiency:

·        Minimises errors

·        Ensures achievement of goals

·        Maintains discipline

II. Roles of Managers

According to Henry Mintzberg, managers perform three major roles:

1. Interpersonal Roles

·        Figurehead

·        Leader

·        Liaison

They build relationships and guide employees.

2. Informational Roles

·        Monitor

·        Disseminator

·        Spokesperson

They collect and share important information.

3. Decisional Roles

·        Entrepreneur

·        Disturbance handler

·        Resource allocator

·        Negotiator

They make strategic decisions and solve problems.

III. How Managers Enhance Organisational Efficiency

Managers improve efficiency by:

1.     Proper planning and goal setting

2.     Effective utilisation of resources

3.     Motivating employees

4.     Ensuring coordination among departments

5.     Reducing conflicts and solving problems

6.     Monitoring performance regularly

7.     Encouraging innovation and improvement

Efficient management leads to higher productivity, lower costs, and better performance.

Conclusion

Managers perform essential functions such as planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. Through these functions and roles, they ensure optimal utilisation of resources, coordination of activities and achievement of organisational objectives. Thus, effective management significantly enhances organisational efficiency.

 

Q. 2 Define Communication. Explain the basic principles of good communication.

1. Meaning of Communication

Communication is the process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, feelings, or messages between two or more persons with the objective of achieving mutual understanding.

In simple words:

Communication is the sharing of information in such a way that the receiver understands the message exactly as intended by the sender.

Communication involves the following elements:

·        Sender

·        Message

·        Medium (Channel)

·        Receiver

·        Feedback

Effective communication ensures that organisational activities run smoothly.

2. Basic Principles of Good Communication (Explained)

These principles are also called the 7 C’s of Communication.

1. Clarity

Clarity means the message should be simple, clear, and easily understandable.

The sender should:

·        Use simple language

·        Avoid technical jargon (unless necessary)

·        State the purpose clearly

👉 Example:
Instead of saying:
“Kindly expedite the execution of the assigned task.”
Say:
“Please complete the task quickly.”

Why important?
If the message is not clear, the receiver may misunderstand it, leading to mistakes and confusion.

2. Completeness

Completeness means providing all necessary information so that the receiver can understand and act properly.

The message should answer:

·        What?

·        Why?

·        When?

·        Where?

·        How?

👉 Example:
Instead of saying:
“Submit the report.”
Say:
“Submit the sales report by Friday at 4 PM to the HR department.”

Why important?
Incomplete information causes repeated questions and delays.

3. Conciseness

Conciseness means conveying the message in a brief and direct manner without unnecessary words.

👉 Example:
Instead of saying:
“I would like to inform you that due to the fact that…”
Say:
“Because…”

Why important?
Long messages waste time and reduce attention. Short and precise communication is more effective.

4. Correctness

Correctness means:

·        No grammatical errors

·        Accurate facts and figures

·        Correct language and tone

👉 Example:
If you write wrong data in a financial report, it may lead to wrong decisions.

Why important?
Errors reduce credibility and professionalism.

5. Concreteness

Concreteness means the message should be specific and supported by facts.

👉 Example:
Instead of saying:
“Our sales are improving.”
Say:
“Our sales increased by 15% in the last quarter.”

Why important?
Specific information builds trust and makes the message more convincing.

6. Courtesy

Courtesy means being polite, respectful, and positive in communication.

👉 Example:
Instead of saying:
“You made a mistake.”
Say:
“There seems to be a small error. Let’s correct it.”

Why important?
Politeness maintains good relationships and a healthy work environment.

7. Consideration

Consideration means thinking from the receiver’s point of view.

The sender should:

·        Understand the receiver’s background

·        Use language suitable to their level

·        Show empathy

👉 Example:
While explaining technical matters to a new employee, use simple explanations.

Why important?
When communication matches the receiver’s understanding level, it becomes more effective.

Conclusion

Good communication is not just about speaking or writing. It is about ensuring that the message is clearly understood. By following the 7 C’s — Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Correctness, Concreteness, Courtesy, and Consideration — communication becomes effective and enhances organisational efficiency.

 

Q. 3 What do you mean by perception? Describe managerial situations in which concept of perception can be applied.

1. Meaning of Perception

Perception is the process by which individuals select, organise, and interpret information from their environment to give meaning to it.

In simple words:

Perception is how a person sees, understands, and interprets a situation.

Different people may perceive the same situation differently because perception depends on:

·        Past experience

·        Attitudes

·        Values

·        Beliefs

·        Emotions

Thus, perception is subjective in nature.

2. Importance of Perception in Management

In an organisation, managers deal with people having different backgrounds and viewpoints. Therefore, understanding perception helps managers:

·        Avoid misunderstandings

·        Improve decision-making

·        Handle conflicts effectively

·        Motivate employees properly

3. Managerial Situations Where Perception Is Applied

The concept of perception is applied in various managerial situations:

1. Recruitment and Selection

Managers form perceptions about candidates during interviews.

·        First impression may influence decision.

·        Halo effect (judging based on one good quality).

👉 Application: Managers should avoid bias and evaluate candidates objectively.

2. Performance Appraisal

Supervisors evaluate employee performance based on their perception.

·        Personal liking may affect evaluation.

·        Stereotyping may lead to unfair judgement.

👉 Application: Use measurable standards to reduce perceptual errors.

3. Motivation

Employees perceive rewards differently.

·        One employee may value money.

·        Another may value recognition.

👉 Application: Managers must understand individual perceptions to motivate effectively.

4. Conflict Management

Conflicts often arise due to different perceptions of the same situation.

👉 Application: Managers should understand both sides before making decisions.

5. Leadership

Employees’ perception of a leader affects their performance.

·        If employees perceive a leader as supportive, they perform better.

·        If perceived as unfair, morale decreases.

👉 Application: Managers should maintain transparency and fairness.

6. Communication

Miscommunication occurs when the sender and receiver perceive messages differently.

👉 Application: Managers should ensure clarity and feedback.

7. Change Management

During organisational change, employees may perceive change as a threat.

👉 Application: Managers must explain benefits clearly to create positive perception.

4. Conclusion

Perception is the process of interpreting information and giving meaning to situations. In management, perception plays a crucial role in recruitment, performance appraisal, motivation, leadership, communication, and conflict resolution. By understanding perceptual differences and avoiding biases, managers can improve organisational effectiveness and maintain a positive work environment.

 

Q. 4 What do you mean by the term attitude? Describe the functions and process of formation of attitude.

1. Meaning of Attitude

Attitude refers to a person’s positive or negative feelings, beliefs, and behavioural tendencies towards a particular object, person, situation, or idea.

In simple words:

Attitude is the way a person thinks, feels, and behaves toward something.

Attitude has three main components (ABC Model):

1.     Affective Component – Feelings or emotions (I like my job).

2.     Behavioural Component – Action tendency (I work sincerely).

3.     Cognitive Component – Beliefs or thoughts (My job is important).

Thus, attitude influences how individuals behave in an organisation.

 

2. Functions of Attitude

Attitudes serve important psychological and social functions. The main functions are:

1. Adjustment Function

Attitudes help individuals adjust to their environment.

People develop positive attitudes toward things that satisfy their needs and negative attitudes toward things that create discomfort.

👉 Example: An employee develops a positive attitude toward a company that offers good salary and growth opportunities.

2. Ego-Defensive Function

Attitudes protect a person’s self-image and self-esteem.

👉 Example: If an employee fails in a task, they may blame external factors to protect their ego.

3. Value-Expressive Function

Attitudes allow individuals to express their values and beliefs.

👉 Example: A person who values honesty will develop a positive attitude toward ethical organisations.

4. Knowledge Function

Attitudes help individuals understand and organize information.

👉 Example: Employees may form attitudes about a new policy based on past experiences.

 

3. Process of Formation of Attitude

Attitudes are not inborn; they develop over time through experience and learning. The main sources and process are:

1. Family and Social Environment

From childhood, family influences beliefs and values.

👉 Example: A person raised in a disciplined environment may develop a positive attitude toward punctuality.

2. Direct Personal Experience

Personal experiences strongly shape attitudes.

👉 Positive experience → Positive attitude
👉 Negative experience → Negative attitude

3. Peer Groups

Friends and colleagues influence attitudes.

👉 Employees may adopt attitudes similar to their team members.

4. Media and Communication

Newspapers, television, and social media influence opinions and attitudes.

5. Organisational Factors

Company culture, leadership style, policies, and reward systems influence employee attitudes.

6. Learning Process

Attitudes are formed through:

·        Classical Conditioning (association)

·        Operant Conditioning (rewards and punishment)

·        Observational Learning (imitation of others)

4. Conclusion

Attitude is a psychological tendency expressed through feelings, beliefs, and behaviour toward an object or situation. It performs important functions such as adjustment, ego-defense, value expression, and knowledge organization. Attitudes are formed through family influence, personal experiences, peer groups, media, and organisational environment. Understanding attitudes helps managers improve motivation, job satisfaction, and organisational effectiveness.

 

Q. 5 Comment briefly on the following statements:

a) “Personality development takes place in various stages and a host of factors influence the development”.

b) “Stress is moderated by anxiety and burnout”.

c) “Theory X and Theory Y are dialectically opposite in their assumptions about the pre-dispositions of the individuals”.

d) “Organisational Behaviour is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human behaviour in organisations”.

(a) “Personality development takes place in various stages and a host of factors influence the development.”

Personality refers to the unique pattern of behaviour, thoughts and emotions that distinguish one individual from another. It does not develop overnight; rather, it evolves gradually through different stages of life such as childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

According to Sigmund Freud, early childhood experiences play a significant role in shaping personality. Similarly, Erik Erikson explained that personality develops through psychosocial stages, where each stage involves certain challenges that influence behaviour.

Several factors influence personality development:

• Heredity – Genetic traits inherited from parents (e.g., temperament).
• Family environment – Parenting style, values and emotional climate.
• Culture and society – Traditions, beliefs and social norms.
• Education and peer groups – School experiences and friendships.
• Life experiences – Success, failure, trauma and achievements.

Thus, personality is shaped by both biological and environmental factors over time.

 

(b) “Stress is moderated by anxiety and burnout.”

Stress is the body’s reaction to external demands or pressures. However, its intensity varies from person to person because of individual psychological differences.

Anxiety is a feeling of fear or worry about uncertain events. People with high anxiety tend to perceive situations as more threatening, which increases their stress level.

Burnout is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, especially at work. It results in reduced motivation, low productivity and detachment from work.

Therefore:

• Anxiety increases the sensitivity to stress.
• Long-term stress without coping leads to burnout.

Hence, anxiety and burnout act as factors that influence how stress affects an individual.

 

(c) “Theory X and Theory Y are dialectically opposite in their assumptions about the pre-dispositions of the individuals.”

This statement refers to the motivational theories proposed by Douglas McGregor.

Theory X assumes:

• Employees dislike work.
• They avoid responsibility.
• They must be controlled and supervised strictly.

It represents a negative view of human nature.

Theory Y assumes:

• Work is natural and enjoyable.
• Employees are self-motivated.
• They accept responsibility and are creative.

It represents a positive view of human behaviour.

The two theories are “dialectically opposite” because they present completely contrasting assumptions about employees. Management style depends largely on which assumption the manager believes in.

 

(d) “Organisational Behaviour is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human behaviour in organisations.”

Organisational Behaviour (OB) studies how individuals and groups act within an organisation. It is interdisciplinary because it combines knowledge from various fields:

• Psychology – understanding personality, perception, motivation.
• Sociology – understanding group dynamics and teamwork.
• Anthropology – understanding organisational culture.
• Economics and Political Science – understanding power, authority and decision-making.

By integrating ideas from different disciplines, OB helps managers understand employee behaviour and improve organisational effectiveness.

Conclusion

These statements highlight important aspects of organisational behaviour. Personality develops gradually under multiple influences; stress is shaped by anxiety and burnout; Theory X and Theory Y reflect opposite managerial assumptions; and organisational behaviour draws knowledge from various disciplines to understand workplace behaviour.

 

Q. 6 Difference between the following:

a) Classical conditioning and operant conditioning

b) Job enrichment and job enlargement

c) Formal and Informal Group

d) Functional structure and Divisional structure

(a) Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning

Basis	Classical Conditioning	Operant Conditioning
Meaning	Learning by association between two stimuli.	Learning through consequences (rewards and punishment).
Focus	Stimulus → Response	Behaviour → Consequence
Developer	Proposed by Ivan Pavlov	Developed by B. F. Skinner
Type of Behaviour	Involuntary behaviour (reflex actions).	Voluntary behaviour.
Example	Employee feels nervous when seeing strict manager due to past scolding.	Employee works harder after receiving bonus.

Explanation:
Classical conditioning involves automatic responses due to association. Operant conditioning involves modifying behaviour using rewards or punishments.

 

(b) Job Enrichment and Job Enlargement

Basis	Job Enrichment	Job Enlargement
Meaning	Adding more responsibility and authority to a job.	Increasing the number of similar tasks at the same level.
Nature	Vertical expansion	Horizontal expansion
Purpose	Improve motivation and satisfaction.	Reduce monotony.
Skill Requirement	Requires higher skills.	Same skill level required.
Example	Giving decision-making power to an employee.	Assigning more tasks of the same type.

Explanation:
Job enrichment increases depth and responsibility, while job enlargement increases the number of tasks without increasing authority.

 

(c) Formal and Informal Group

Basis	Formal Group	Informal Group
Formation	Created by management.	Formed naturally by employees.
Purpose	Achieve organisational goals.	Satisfy social needs.
Structure	Official and structured.	Flexible and unstructured.
Leadership	Appointed leader.	Emergent leader.
Example	Department team.	Friends group in office.

Explanation:
Formal groups are officially established, while informal groups arise from social interactions among employees.

 

(d) Functional Structure and Divisional Structure

Basis	Functional Structure	Divisional Structure
Meaning	Organisation divided based on functions (marketing, finance, HR).	Organisation divided based on products, regions or customers.
Specialisation	High functional specialization.	Product/region-based specialization.
Decision-making	Centralized.	More decentralized.
Suitability	Suitable for small or medium firms.	Suitable for large organisations with diverse products.
Example	Separate marketing and finance departments.	Separate divisions for different product lines.

Explanation:
Functional structure focuses on specialization by function, while divisional structure focuses on output (product or region).

 

Q. 7 Write short notes on the following:

a) Total Quality Management (TQM)

b) Management by Objectives (MBO)

c) Schedule of Reinforcement

d) Motivators

a) Total Quality Management (TQM)

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach that focuses on continuous improvement in the quality of products, services, and processes by involving all employees of the organisation.

It aims at:

• Customer satisfaction
• Continuous improvement
• Employee participation
• Long-term success

TQM emphasizes that quality is not the responsibility of one department but of the entire organisation.

Major contributors to TQM include W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran, who highlighted the importance of quality control and continuous improvement.

Key Principles:

• Customer focus
• Teamwork
• Process improvement
• Prevention of defects

Importance:

TQM improves productivity, reduces cost, enhances reputation, and increases customer loyalty.

(b) Management by Objectives (MBO)

Management by Objectives (MBO) is a management technique in which managers and employees jointly set specific, measurable goals to achieve organisational objectives.

It was developed by Peter Drucker.

Features:

• Goal setting with participation
• Clear and measurable objectives
• Periodic performance review
• Feedback and appraisal

Steps in MBO:

1. Setting organisational objectives
2. Setting departmental goals
3. Setting individual goals
4. Performance evaluation
5. Feedback and corrective action

Benefits:

• Improves clarity of roles
• Enhances motivation
• Encourages participation
• Increases accountability

(c) Schedule of Reinforcement

A Schedule of Reinforcement refers to the pattern or timing by which rewards or punishments are given to shape behaviour.

It is based on the theory of B. F. Skinner under operant conditioning.

Types of Reinforcement Schedules:

1. Continuous Reinforcement – Reward given every time behaviour occurs.
2. Fixed Ratio – Reward after a fixed number of responses.
3. Variable Ratio – Reward after a varying number of responses.
4. Fixed Interval – Reward after a fixed time period.
5. Variable Interval – Reward at varying time intervals.

Importance:

Proper reinforcement strengthens desirable behaviour and improves performance.

(d) Motivators

Motivators are factors that stimulate individuals to work effectively and achieve organisational goals.

According to Frederick Herzberg, motivators are intrinsic factors that lead to job satisfaction.

Examples of Motivators:

• Achievement
• Recognition
• Responsibility
• Growth opportunities
• Challenging work

Motivators increase job satisfaction and encourage higher performance.

Conclusion

TQM focuses on continuous quality improvement; MBO emphasizes goal setting and participation; reinforcement schedules shape behaviour through rewards; and motivators encourage employees to perform better. Together, these concepts help improve organisational effectiveness and employee productivity.