1.
OB and 3 Contributing Fields
Concept: Organizational Behavior (OB) is the study of what people do in
an organization and how their behavior affects performance. It is not a
single subject but a multidisciplinary field—described in your notes as a
"pav-bhaji" of multiple disciplines.
The 3 Key Fields (Inter-disciplinary nature):
1. Psychology: Focuses on the individual. It studies the mind, motivation,
perception, and decision-making.
2. Sociology: Focuses on people in relation to others. It helps
understand group dynamics, teams, and organizational culture.
3. Anthropology: Focuses on societies and cultures. It helps understand
fundamental values, beliefs, and rituals that shape the organizational
environment. (Note: Political Science is also mentioned for understanding
power/conflict)
Real-World Example:
• Psychology: Understanding why a specific employee at Infosys feels
burned out (individual stress).
• Sociology: Analyzing why the sales team conflicts with the engineering
team (group dynamics).
• Anthropology: Understanding why a merger between Air India and
Vistara faces friction due to different "cultural identities".
Question: A new manager, Rahul, notices that his team members are
individually skilled but fail to cooperate during meetings. Furthermore,
when he tries to implement a "flat hierarchy," older employees resist
because it violates their traditional values of respecting seniority. Which
disciplines of OB should Rahul apply to solve these specific problems?
Analysis:
• Sociology: To address the lack of cooperation (Group
dynamics/Teamwork).
• Anthropology: To address the resistance to the "flat hierarchy" which
stems from cultural values and traditions regarding seniority.
2. JCM Factors (Context: Job Satisfaction & Motivation)
(Note: Your source material focuses on Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
and Daniel Pink’s 3 Factors (Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose) rather than
the traditional Hackman & Oldham JCM. I will explain the factors present in
your text.)
Concept: To motivate employees, you must distinguish between what
prevents dissatisfaction and what drives actual engagement.
1. Hygiene Factors (Context): These prevent unhappiness but do not
motivate. Examples: Salary, corporate policies, job security, AC/Office
conditions.
2. Motivation Factors (Content): These drive satisfaction and
engagement.
◦ Autonomy: The desire to direct our own lives. "Freedom within a
framework".
◦ Mastery: The urge to get better at something meaningful.
◦ Purpose: The connection between daily work and a larger cause.
Real-World Example:
• Hygiene: A company provides free food and a gym. This stops
employees from complaining but doesn't make them work harder.
• Motivation: A manager tells a coder, "You own this feature, decide how
to build it (Autonomy), and here is how it helps the client (Purpose)."
Question: An employee at a top IT firm has a high salary, excellent job
security, and comfortable work conditions. However, she plans to quit
because she feels she is just "following orders" and learning nothing new.
According to motivation theories, what is missing?
Analysis: The employee has all the Hygiene Factors (salary, conditions).
She is leaving due to a lack of Motivators, specifically Autonomy (she is
just "following orders") and Mastery (she is learning nothing new).
3. Emotional Labor
Concept: Emotional labor is the effort required to manage your emotions
to meet job requirements. It is the "tax" paid when you must display an
emotion you do not feel.
Two Types:
1. Surface Acting: Faking the emotion. Putting on a mask while feeling
different inside. This leads to burnout and exhaustion.
2. Deep Acting: Trying to actually feel the required emotion by changing
your perspective (e.g., "The customer isn't yelling at me; they are just
stressed").
Real-World Example:
• Surface Acting: A flight attendant smiling at a rude passenger while
secretly wanting to scream.
• Deep Acting: An empathetic doctor trying to genuinely feel the patient's
fear to comfort them.
Question: Priya works in a call center. She is required to be "cheerful" on
every call. By 3 PM, she feels completely drained and "fake," even though
she hasn't done heavy physical work. What is she experiencing, and which
type of acting is she likely using?
Analysis: She is experiencing Emotional Labor leading to Emotional
Exhaustion. She is likely using Surface Acting because the source notes
that surface acting leads to feelings of inauthenticity and higher
exhaustion compared to deep acting.
4. MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)
Concept: A personality assessment that classifies people into four binary
pairs:
1. E/I (Energy): Extraversion vs. Introversion.
2. S/N (Information): Sensing (facts) vs. Intuition (patterns).
3. T/F (Decisions): Thinking (logic) vs. Feeling (values).
4. J/P (Lifestyle): Judging (planned) vs. Perceiving (flexible).
Critical Insight: Your sources note that MBTI is scientifically weak. It
forces people into binary categories (you are either E or I, not a mix), has
low reliability (results change over time), and is a weak predictor of job
performance.
Real-World Example:
• Sensor (S): A manager who wants the exact sales data for the last
month.
• Intuitive (N): A manager who wants to discuss the "future vision" of the
product.
Question: A company wants to use MBTI to select the best candidate for a
high-performance leadership role. Based on OB principles, is this a good
idea?
Analysis: No. According to the sources, MBTI is scientifically weak and
binary. It is often used for team building but is a weak predictor of job
performance and should not be used for hiring/selection decisions.
5. Self-Awareness and Self-Management
Concept: These are the "Self" components of Emotional Intelligence (EI).
1. Self-Awareness: Knowing what is happening inside you (emotions,
triggers, blind spots) in real-time.
2. Self-Management: The ability to control impulses and regulate
behaviors, especially under stress (e.g., avoiding an Amygdala Hijack).
Real-World Example:
• Lack of Self-Awareness: A manager thinks he is "direct," but the team
sees him as "rude/bullying" (Identity vs. Reputation gap).
• Lack of Self-Management: Amygdala Hijack. A colleague criticizes you,
and you immediately shout back before your rational brain (cortex) can
process it.
Question: During a heated meeting, Rahul feels a surge of anger when his
idea is criticized. Instead of snapping back, he takes a deep breath, counts
to six to let his rational brain engage, and then responds calmly. Which
component of EI is Rahul demonstrating?
Analysis: Rahul is demonstrating Self-Management (specifically
emotional self-control). He recognized the trigger (Self-Awareness) but
the action of pausing and regulating the impulse is Self-Management
6. Deep-Level Diversity
Concept: Most diversity focus is on "Surface Level" traits (gender, age,
race). Deep-level diversity refers to differences that are not immediately
visible but drive performance.
Types of Deep-Level Diversity:
1. Experiential: Different career paths (e.g., Startup vs. MNC experience).
2. Network: Different circles of influence (e.g., IIT alumni vs. Local business
family).
3. Cognitive: Different ways of thinking (e.g., "Jugaad" improvisation vs. Six
Sigma process thinking).
Real-World Example: A team with one person from a startup
background (values speed/risk) and one from a PSU/Government
background (values process/compliance). They look the same (surface),
but think very differently (deep).
Question: A hiring manager says, "We have a diverse team; we have men,
women, and people from different states." However, the team struggles to
solve complex, novel problems because everyone thinks exactly the same
way (all are engineering graduates from the same college). What type of
diversity is missing?
Analysis: The team has Surface-Level Diversity (gender, state) but lacks
Deep-Level Diversity, specifically Cognitive Diversity (different
problem-solving styles) and Experiential Diversity.
7. Expectancy Theory
Concept: Motivation depends on three linked beliefs. If any link breaks,
motivation drops to zero. Formula: Motivation = Expectancy ×
Instrumentality × Valence.
1. Expectancy (E → P): "If I try, can I do it?" (Effort leads to Performance).
2. Instrumentality (P → R): "If I do it, will I get a reward?" (Performance
leads to Reward).
3. Valence (V): "Do I actually want the reward?" (Value of the reward).
Real-World Example:
• Broken Expectancy: A coder is given a deadline of 2 days for a 10-day
job. (Effort won't lead to performance).
• Broken Instrumentality: A sales rep hits the target, but the boss gives
the bonus to his favorite nephew instead. (Performance didn't lead to
reward).
• Broken Valence: An employee works hard for a promotion, but she is
offered a transfer to a city she hates. (Reward has a negative value).
Question: The CEO announces a new bonus scheme: "Anyone who
doubles their sales this month gets a free ticket to a golf tournament." The
sales team believes they can achieve the sales target (High Expectancy)
and they trust the CEO to give the ticket (High Instrumentality). However,
no one tries harder. Why?
Analysis: The motivation failed due to Low Valence. The team likely does
not value the specific reward (golf tournament ticket). To them, the reward
is indifferent or irrelevant.
💡 Analogy to "Never Forget"
Think of your career as a Car Journey:
• OB & Fields: The map (Psychology is the driver, Sociology is the
passengers, Anthropology is the traffic rules).
• JCM Factors: The Fuel. Without the right fuel (Autonomy/Mastery), the
car won't run efficiently.
• Emotional Labor: The windshield wipers. You have to keep clearing away
the "rain" (stress/emotions) to see clearly, or the wipers wear out (burnout).
• MBTI: The car paint. It describes the look (Introvert/Extrovert), but
doesn't tell you how fast the engine runs (Performance).
• Self-Awareness: The dashboard. Are you overheating? (Amygdala
hijack).
• Deep Diversity: The engine parts. You need different parts (gears,
pistons, belts) working together, not just 4 identical tires.
• Expectancy Theory: The gas pedal. You only press it if you believe the
car will move (Expectancy), it will get you to the destination
(Instrumentality), and you actually want to go there (Valence).