PERSONALITY

Personality is a concept which may be seen as consisting various characteristics that explain why a person behaves in a particular manner. Some of these characteristics are: conscientiousness, agreeableness, independence and self-control. Studies of personality can be divided into two main approaches: nomothetic (nature) and idiographic (nurture).

Nomothetic approach, also known as nature, is the idea that our personalities and traits are down to our genetic predispositions. In other words, they are handed down to us by our parents.

Idiographic approach, also known as nurture, is the idea that our personalities are influenced heavily by environmental factors; so the way we have been brought up and the culture around us. People think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so.

There have been different views expressed about the approaches of personality. Scientists have been able to distinguish between the nomothetic and idiographic approach. People have unique personalities, a way of experiencing the world and participating in it that is all their own. So for example, it would be difficult to change someone’s personality if it is has been inherited through their genetic make-up. On the other hand, the idiographic view suggests that some traits possessed by only one person hence having a unique psychological structure. In addition, some traits may differ in importance from person to person. Peoples’ personalities can adapt to change therefore it is difficult to compare and distinguish between two people’s personalities. The lifestyle someone lives can influence the way they behave. Also, the way they have been brought up can relate to their behaviour. (Shady Guirguis, 2004)

I believe that some traits are passed down from our parents as people tend to have similar personalities to their family members. My personality is similar to my father in the sense that we are quick thinkers and tend to approach things methodically. However, there are also nature factors that relates to how I behave. Once people gain lifetime experiences in different environments, their personality can change. As for me, I believe I have a mixture of both the nature and nurture that makes up my personality but nurture is the more dominant factor that makes up my personality. This is because I enjoy socialising with my friends and exploring different things.

ONLINE PERSONALITY TRAIT TEST

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/whatamilike/index.shtml

Openness- I scored 3.2 out of 5 for Openness. People with scores like yours tend to have a less broad range of interests. They usually stick to what they know rather than being overly enthusiastic about trying new things. You may find that generating lots of imaginative ideas is not your biggest strength.

Conscientiousness- I scored 3.9 out of 5 for Conscientiousness. You scored high on Conscientiousness. People with scores like yours tend to be extremely dependable and organised. It's likely that your life is well-planned and you approach things in a thorough manner. At work, you probably approach tasks methodically and thoroughly, with everything in its right place.

Extroversion- I scored 3.5 out of 5 for extroversion. People with scores like yours are likely to be comfortable meeting new people and will usually enjoy social occasions. You are likely to have a generally positive outlook on life and may display a greater gift for leadership compared to those with low scores on this trait.

Agreeableness- I scored 4.4 out of 5 for Agreeableness. People with scores like yours are likely to find it very easy to get along with other people. You probably find that you are sensitive to the feelings of others and that people find it easy to warm to you. As a 'people person' you will probably be very comfortable in situations that require teamwork.

Neuroticism- I scored 2.3 out of 5 for Neuroticism. People with scores like yours are often seen as being calm and even-tempered. They cope well with stressful situations and may seem tranquil despite adverse circumstances.

Personality as a concept is difficult to determine, especially because there is not an actual place where it is stored or created. However, the evidence collected from observation and careful study can lead us to believe that there is no one method by which personality achievement and differences can be explained; only by a mix of internal and external factors, inclined and random can personality be formed.

REFERENCES

Nature vs Nurture (2010) [online]. Available from:

http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/courses/classes/NE24%20Olander/Equalitarinism_vs_Hereditarinism.htm

M.Simpson (2010) PowerPoint presentation.

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 9^th ed. England: Prentice Hall

PERCEPTION & COMMUNICATION

MY WRONG PERCEPTION

During the summer last year, I decided to get temporary summer job in men’s clothing retailers. Having successfully got through the interview, I went in for training where everyone seemed helpful and pleasantly friendly. Their friendliness and warm welcoming attitude led me to believe this is the right place for me to get some sort of experience. I was hoping to stay with the company on a temporary basis for couple of months, but I only stayed with them for best part of a month. My reason for leaving early was when I got to know everyone thoroughly well and did not get along with one of my colleagues. During the end of my first week there, I was helping a customer out when one of the co-workers decided to interfere and end up having lost a sale, when the customer left without purchasing anything. This was just a first of a few incidents that occurred over the course of the month. I knew full well that I wasn’t being taken seriously as I was only there on a temporary basis. My perception of her changed as I didn’t get along with her; she did not seem friendly and not someone I would want to work with, hence why I left. I did not want to bring this matter up to the manager as I was only there on a temporary basis and did not want to stress over that matter. I decided to look for another temporary job thereafter and managed to get one where I did not encounter any problems. In the future, I will make sure I find out about the company thoroughly and make sure the staff review is exceptional and the environment is a positive one to work in just in order to avoid making similar judgments again. I came about quite reserved since this was my second ever interview and was just glad I was offered the temporary position as a sales assistant. 

Ways to improve communication between University and Students.

Article:

http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2010/07/how-to-improve-staff-communication.htm

Idea 1 Keep the personal touch

“Employees value face-to-face communication highly. The challenge is to ensure that managers develop the skills and confidence to hold meaningful two-way conversations – even on difficult topics. It’s important to let people know that you value these attributes. Consider them as part of the assessment and development process for team leaders” (People Management, 2010)

University students would benefit incredibly from having face-to-face communication with their tutors to discuss their university life and any issues they may have. These meetings could be held once or twice every semester. The student should be comfortable with whom they are discussing the matters. If they are not comfortable discussing issues with their tutors, then they should feel free to discuss matters with someone else who understands what the course is about and is approachable. Face-to-face communication is highly valuable as it allows both the student and the lecturer to express each other’s views on the matter. Also, confidence is vital. Expressing matters to someone is not as easy as it may seem. Therefore, the student should only discuss matters to someone they feel comfortable talking to.

Idea 2 Consider your channels

“Many organisations are embracing new communication media. One company in our recent research into M&As and employer branding used a CEO’s blog successfully during a takeover. Some employers use social networking sites to engage their graduate recruits before they join the organisation formally” (People Management, 2010)

Some of the ways in which Universities keep in touch with their students is via emails and using systems such as Blackboard. One other way which would benefit both the lecturers and the students is the use of forums on Blackboard. This would enable the student to keep in touch with all the students who want to discuss their work. When the students have group assignments to carry out, they could use the forum to ask for help. This way the tutor and the students are involved in the conversation and forums are an effective way of communicating with one another. Also, tutors can give feedback on the group work in the forum. The forum can be accessed anytime and there is that academic connection between the lecturer and the student which enables them to stay in touch about the work.

Idea 3 Have a shared purpose

 “Creating a shared sense of purpose is an important starting point for a strategic approach to communication. People need to understand the collective goal they are working towards and to appreciate the difference they can make” (People Management, 2010)

Once the lecturer gets to know the students better and understand their capabilities, he/she can easily draw up targets for the students. Both the student and lecturer should agree on the targets and feedback should be given on a regular basis so that the student knows how he/she is doing and whether they are on the right path. They will have a shared purpose as they are aiming for the same goal. 

REFERENCE

Rebecca Clake (2011) How to improve staff communication [online] Available from:

http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2010/07/how-to-improve-staff-communication.htm

ENTERPRISE WEEK

Everyone had a chance to attend events organised by the university as part of the enterprise week. Various events were held over the two week period where successful businessmen and other speakers came to discuss their lifetime experiences and whether they had been successful in starting up their own businesses. The two events which appealed to me the most were ‘Ella’s Kitchen’ and ‘If it all goes wrong, I will get a proper job’. As an Accounting and Finance student, my future ambition is to start my own business and build a successful firm, hence why I chose to attend the events mentioned above. The spokesmen were going to discuss the motivation behind starting up their own business and also offer advice on what to do and what not to do when setting up a firm. The event that will be outlined in this blog is ‘Ella’s Kitchen’, simply because it appealed to me more than ‘If it all goes wrong, I will get a proper job’.

Paul Lindley (Ella’s Dad), the founder of Ella’s Kitchen, discussed the company, all the sacrifices he had to make and gave us advice on starting up a business. Paul’s business is about making healthy and unique blend of foods for children. He got this idea of creating such products from his daughter, Ella, who disliked eating fruits and vegetables as they did not appeal to her. He believes that Ella and her generation should have the opportunity to eat better food and also to discover that eating healthy food can be fun, cool and tasty.

The target market for this business was children between the ages 6 months and 6 years and Paul’s focus was to approach things from a child’s point of view when creating their products; their packaging is colourful and fun, which attracts kids. In addition, they connect with kids via flavours, colours, textures and even names that will appeal to all of their senses. Paul set the company up as a sole trader. He invested £20,000 interested in getting all the samples done and conducting market research. He remortgaged his house once companies started demanding products. Ella’s kitchen has been trading for 5 years and achieved plenty of success. Below are few of the successes the company has achieved:

·         Food and Drink brand of the year

·         £30,000,000 Sales last year

·         10% of the baby food market in 5 years of trading

·         9^th fastest growing company

In addition, Ella’s Kitchen have expanded and now trade in 6 countries (UK, Ireland, USA and 3 Scandinavian countries); they retail 46 different baby food products. Paul brought success to Ella’s Kitchen in various ways. Firstly, he has had previous experience when it comes to working with children; he used to work for Nickelodeon before he started Ella’s Kitchen. Finally, his expertise in financial aspects in a business has benefited him largely to gain further knowledge on this sector of his business.

What benefited me was the advice he provided after he had spoken about his company. He went on to describe the steps and key things that needed to be considered when deciding to start up your own business. The key point he made was having the passion and drive in order to make the business work. Paul took the risk in order to earn the reward in the near future. Moreover, he used Greiners model of organisational lifecycle; looking at age and size. He described a graph on his presentation in relation to kids. This was beneficial as it showed he meant business and had conducted thorough research and not just rushed into making meaningless decisions in order to grow.

As mentioned in the introduction, my future ambition is to start my own business and build a successful firm.  After having listened to the presentation from Paul, in order to become successful owner of a business, there are various things needed to take into consideration; my aspirations for the future have not changed as I still want to achieve my future ambition. However, following the speech, I now have a better idea of how to go about starting a business and getting through a range of obstacles that may be present on my way to success. 

CONFLICT

Conflict is simply a dispute; disagreement about something important. Conflict arises when there is an incompatibility of goals arising from opposing behaviours whether in a group or at an organisational level. Above all, it can obstruct achievement of someone’s goals.

EXPERIENCE OF CONFLICT

During my time at high school, we had to carry out a group presentation as part of our assessment. Everyone had to work in groups of four (chosen by the teacher) and gather ideas as well as complete the presentation, which was to be presented in class after a couple of weeks. When I found out the members I was working with, I was not satisfied with having to work with one of the members. The reason behind this is that that individual hardly turned up to lessons and never used to listen in the class. Nevertheless, I did not complain and decided to give it a go. Initially, we had to elect a group leader, who would prioritise the tasks between each group member and what each of us would have to carry out. To save any arguments from taking place, we decided to vote on who best fits as a group leader. However, having casted the votes and gathered the results, we found out that everyone’s opinions were different. Some issues were raised and arguments broke out; this did not help as we had not elected a group leader as well as thought of any ideas of how we were going to go about carrying out the project. In the end, we decided to ask our teacher to choose a group leader as we had no other ways to choose a leader without inflicting conflict. Once the leader was chosen, we decided to carry out research individually and bring together the research we had gathered. When we met up, three of us had managed to carry out the research thoroughly whereas the fourth member had made no effort in getting it done. He was the one that I initially had doubts about. This led to further conflict as we argued about why he hadn’t managed to carry out the work. In the end, he managed to get his act together and get the work done as he realised this assessment would affect everyone’s final grade.

SOURCES OF POWER

The most common description of power is French and Raven (1960). This divides power into five different forms. They are as follows:

·         Reward power- it is the ability to give other people what they want and getting them to carry out something in return. Employees wish to maximise job satisfaction and by receiving a reward, this can be achieved. Having rewarded an employee for hard work, there will be no negative outcomes arising. An example of when reward power can take place in a working environment is when a manager presents an employee with commission for having made fair share of sales.

·         Coercive power- this is similar to reward power, except it relies on the use of threats and other punishments to achieve objectives. An example of when employers take advantage of coercive power is when an owner of a football team presents the team coach with an ultimatum. For example, the manager may get told to win certain amount of games or else face the risk of getting sacked.

·         Expert power- this is where one person has the most prowess compared to the rest of the team. This power is based on creditability and clear evidence of knowledge or expertise. For example, in a football team, a captain may be given the power to make decisions for others because he is an expert at the sport.

·         Legitimate power- this concerns the hierarchical structure in an organisation. This power is based on authority and related to a person’s position within an organisation. In other words, people higher up in the organisation tend to have power over those below them in the hierarchical structure. For example, in the army, a soldier of senior rank, who is a commanding officer, literally has absolute control over the soldiers under his command. This is a consequence of legitimate power that he possesses due to his rank in the chain of command.

·         Referent power- this is the power of fame and charisma. Employees in a workplace look up to someone in an organisation and wish to follow their footsteps. They admire the quality someone possesses and hope to acquire the qualities themselves. An example of this could be a young individual wanting to follow in the footsteps of a hero or someone they get an inspiration from.

STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME CONFLICT

Every organisation must try and overcome any conflict that may arise in the workplace. Conflict is one of the reasons which can lead to firms losing their reputation. Although conflict may be inevitable, there are various ways in which a firm can avoid what follows the conflict. Some of these are:

·         Clarification of goals and objectives- One of the ways in which conflict can be overcome is to make sure the employees are aware of what the business expects from them and what the company aims are. If they are clear on goals and objectives, there will be no issues or mix-ups taking place. Making those in conflict working together to achieve the targets may help diffuse unfriendliness and lead to more supportive behaviour.

·         Non monetary rewards- Job satisfaction is vital for workers and when financial resources are limited, non monetary rewards help employees to perform better at work and gain satisfaction. Some examples of non monetary rewards are: flexible working hours, unofficial perks and more interesting and challenging work.

·         Human resource management policies and procedures- Policies can be put in place to make sure the employees are treated with respect and everyone has equal opportunity to contribute at work. The policies can be set by HRM to help reduce conflict. One of the main policies is the grievance policy, which allows employees to have their say on any issues that may have taken place. By being able to raise the issue as soon as it comes about, the conflict will not stretch for longer periods; it will be solved fairly quickly.

·         Involvement in decision making- Employers can get advice on plans and other ideas from the employees and together they reach on an agreement. This makes the employees feel that they are a fundamental part of the organisation; they feel that their analyses are valued by the business.

·        Group activities- by carrying out group activities, the employees will bond together as a team, which improves their communication skills. Such activities help build morale, hence reducing conflict.

CONCLUSION

The idea of conflict is foreseeable as it is something that will always be present whether in an organisation, school or at home. Conflict is one of the main reasons why employees sometime become unsatisfied at work. In the modern world, there is more competition for roles within a business and those with the best jobs tend to have growing reputation within that organisation. Everyone would want to be that one person who has glowing presence and is seen as a leader in the organisation, hence having to compete to get to the top. This leads to confrontation and personality clashes, which could hamper their chances of being recognised as one of the superior employees. It is vital for the employees to raise any issues they have so that the organisation can solve them instantly. If the issues are not raised, they will carry on to create conflict within members of the organisation thus having negative impact. Having various procedures in place to deal with conflict allows the organisation to carry on normally without much hesitation. However, the employees must also be able to confident enough to speak up and let the manager of the conflict that may have taken place as well as own up if it is their fault why the clash started off  in the first place.

REFERENCES

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 9^th ed. England: Prentice Hall

M.Simpson (2010) PowerPoint presentation.

ChangingMinds (2010). Sources of Power [online]. Available from: http://changingminds.org/explanations/power/french_and_raven.htm

LEADERSHIP

Management vs. Leadership

“An effective leader doesn’t have to be a manager. Likewise a manager doesn’t necessarily have to be a leader. Yet the most effective managers generally have some leadership traits” (James Clausen)

Managers focus attention and energy on how things get done and their role in events that take place. In addition, they make decisions based on true facts; they do things by the book and think inside the box. They have the authority to direct work and behaviour. On the other hand, leaders are more concerned with ideas (consider big picture) and take into consideration what events and decision mean to people. In addition, a leader does what is right. Leaders have influence through example, persuading, motivating and teaching.

A good leader will generate an atmosphere of teamwork. Managers need to ensure their subordinates reach their goals either separately or collectively. Conversely, leaders have the ability to ensure the subordinates perform the tasks up to the standard required. They do this via inspiration or encouragement. 

Explanation of the managerial grid developed by Blake and Mouton (1964)

M.Simpson (2010)

The grid above was developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton in the early 1960s. Known as the Managerial Grid, it plots the level of ‘concern for people’ against the ‘concern for production’ and classifies five combinations as diverse leadership styles.  ‘Concern for people’ is the degree to which a leader considers the needs of team members and their interests when deciding how to best complete a task. Alternatively, ‘concern for production’ is the level to which a leader emphasises existing objectives, high output and organisational efficiency when deciding how best to complete a task.

The five leadership styles are described as follows:

·         Social- This style of leadership is mainly concerned about members within an organisation rather than the outcome. These people operate under the belief that as long as team members are happy and content then they will continue to work hard and remain motivated. The downside to this is that production suffers due to lack of direction and management.

·         Team- This is the ideal style as both production concerns and people concerns are equally taken into consideration. The belief is that members of staff are involved in understanding the needs for organisational production. Employees’ needs and production are equivalent when they are dedicated to their work and can recognise the company’s achievement. This leads to a top notch team environment, which then leads to high contentment and motivation and consequently, high production.

·         Middle-of-the-Road- This is where the manager balances the concerns equally. They avoid taking untested risks by relying on tried and trusted technique. As the concerns for both people and production are average, the performance will remain of a satisfactory standard rather than top quality.

·         Impoverished- This type of style is poor management style as the concerns, for productivity along with working atmosphere that is motivating, are low. Objectives are not met due to lack of motivation and a disorganised workplace.

·        Authoritative- managers in this category have great concern for production and little concern for people. As a result, they impose strict rules and procedures in order to achieve productive efficiency. Employees carry out the work and meet the objectives set, but remain dissatisfied. 

I carried out work experience at Halifax Plc for a couple of weeks. In the two weeks I was there, the manager ensured each member of staff remained motivated in getting the job done. In addition, he regularly checked up on the staff to see how they were getting on and whether they were achieving the objectives set. The type of style which relates to him the most is ‘middle-of-the-road’ management style. This is because he made sure the employees were satisfied at work as well as making sure the work was done to a satisfactory level.

A STRONG LEADER

Martin Luther King is probably the most famous person associated with civil rights movement. To many, Martin Luther King typified what the civil rights campaign was all about and he brought substantial international cover to the movement. He was able to convince thousands into believing what he believed in. People gained trust in him and that's one vital thing you need as a good leader: trust from followers. His determination and self-belief is what made him a courageous leader who dove right into the conflict and made people love him for his courage to stand up. He was a leader because he called for a change (justice for African Americans). In doing so, his main leadership trait was courage; the readiness to stand up and having to face the possibility of threats.

EVALUATION

Having thoroughly studied leadership as a topic, I fully understand the main differences between a manager and a leader. Every organisation needs a manager, but the most effective type of manager is someone who manages through leadership. Both managers and leaders have different traits enabling us to distinguish between the two. The Blake and Mouton Managerial grid helped me understand the distinct styles of management.

REFERENCES

Mindtools (2010). Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid [online]. available from: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_73.htm

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 9^th ed. England: Prentice Hall

M.Simpson (2010) PowerPoint presentation.

Leadersdirect (2010). Martin Luther King Leadership [online]. Available from: http://leadersdirect.com/LeadersDirectBlog/?p=15

CULTURE

VISUAL ASPECTS IN ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

Visual aspects are formal aspects of an organisational iceberg- a way to recognise why people behave as they do at work. There are various characteristics that need to be taken into consideration when looking at the formal organisational culture. These are:

·         Goals

·         Strategy

·         Structure

·         Systems and procedures

·         Products and services

·         Financial resources management

“What sinks a ship isn’t always what sailors can see, but what they can’t see”

(Hellriegal, Slocum, & Woodman)

Firstly, during my work experience at Halifax, the branch manager held a meeting with the team and identified several goals that the team had to meet within a week. The workers took this on board and started working on the targets, which were fairly straightforward. One of the targets set was attracting the customers to the new type of account that was on offer, which was the ‘Reward Current Account’. This account paid customers £5 every month they paid in £1000, whether in credit or overdrawn. It was a way of Halifax saying thank you to their loyal customers. By the end of the day, a small number of customers had acquired the account, which shows great deal of commitment along with good communication and teamwork.

Following that is the notion of strategy. Being the only student on work experience at that time, I had to prioritise the tasks that I carried out in order of importance. For example, when I started in the morning, I had to make sure the ATM machines were clean and fully working. In addition, I had to fill the empty leaflet stands so if and when a customer required any information on savings or various accounts, they can easily find it on the leaflets provided. Over the two weeks of work experience, I was able to use my own initiative and complete all the work that needed to be done in a strategic way.

Thirdly, the structure of Halifax was hierarchical. During my first day, the manager introduced me to all the colleagues that worked under him. Everyone had their position written underneath their name on the name badge so it was not difficult to spot out what their job was in the company. Moreover, having a clear structure in an organisation benefits them in more than one way, such as: giving focus and direction to an organisation and having clear and defined reporting lines, making it easy for employees to know whom to report to.

Being a bank, Halifax had to ensure all the systems and procedures were in place in case of an emergency. During my first day there, the manager thoroughly explained the procedure in case there is an emergency.  All the back rooms and doors were alarm coded allowing only the staff, who knew the code, through. In addition, the lift, leading to the upper floor, was also alarm coded; a member of staff had to accompany a customer, who had an appointment with an advisor, to the right room on the upper floor. All the members of staff were safe in the working environment at Halifax due to the systems and procedures in place.

Halifax offers a great deal of service to their customers. One of the services being offered is the “Halifax Secure, which is a new service certified by Visa International, offering secure Internet shopping, using your preferred form of Internet payment - the credit card. Halifax Secure lets you add a personal password to your existing Halifax Visa card, getting added security and the reassurance that only you can use your Halifax Visa card online. Halifax Secure is a part of Visa's global Verified by Visa scheme.” The main service Halifax offers is storing every person’s money safely. However, during my experience at the bank, my knowledge on the services being offered developed significantly. Halifax has grown into corporate giant with offerings across the board. The customer service at Halifax is of high quality. The staff are always there for the customers if they have any queries that need answering. In many businesses worldwide, customers are said to be their main priority and it is no different with Halifax.

The final aspect is financial resource management. During my time at Halifax, I helped the cashiers count the money at the end of the day, pack it all into bags and put it away safely in the safe. Halifax always used to be busy during my time there; many customers came in and deposited money, so there was a lot of money that needed counting. Also, the firm attracted many new customers, who opened accounts with Halifax, and whose financial data was taken care of.  On the whole, the staff managed to look after the financial resources extremely well.

Handy’s explanation of the different organisational cultures

ü  POWER CULTURE: Within this culture, having the control is vital. Power cultures are normally found within fairly small businesses. Decision making displaying such culture tends to be based around one key member of the organisation. When decisions are made, there is no consultation involved as these decisions are not made by a group of people but by an individual who has power. In other words, there is no team work involved in power culture. Nonetheless, this culture has its problems; lack of consultation can lead to staff feeling undervalued and de-motivated. A good example of firm with task culture present is owner of a football team. For example, John W Henry just took over Liverpool; he now has the control of the club and the power to make decisions. In addition, he has experience in having control of a big brand.

ü  ROLE CULTURE: In a role culture, individuals have different roles to carry out from one another. This culture has a benefit of specialisation. The employees focus on the role assigned to them by their job description, which leads to increased productivity for their firm. The main power in role culture is the power of the employee’s position in the company. However, this culture is bureaucratic and is quite logical to organise in larger organisations. A good example of firm with task culture present is Topman. Staff will work to their job title and description, for example, a supervisor and sales assistant, who both have different job descriptions.

ü  TASK CULTURE: This culture is mainly about teamwork. It is taking a team based approach when looking to complete a set task. Task culture is familiar with modern businesses as they tend to engage their employees in specific tasks, which motivates the staff as they are empowered to make decisions within their team. A good example of firm with task culture present is Cadburys. Teamwork is at hand so as to work together to ‘create brands people love’.

ü  PERSON CULTURE: such cultures are normally found in few organisations and local charities. Individuals are of focal attention to the organisation. A good example of firm with person culture is a solicitors firm.

Culture is a difficult notion to denote. Every organisation has a unique culture. Nevertheless, there are businesses out there that have a mix of culture present. Each business operates in its own unique way and therefore employees experience different methods of working. Also, each individual has unique attributes that he/she brings to a business. If these attributes are steady with the culture at work then they will be satisfied with their job. Organisations can easily change cultures in due course, with adapting new system and procedures. Moreover, in current economy, there are firms taking over other firms, for example, Kraft taking over Cadburys. Due to the takeover, there is a possibility of cultures changing over time. On the whole, it is difficult to classify culture into one of the four types mentioned above.

EVALUATION

Organisational culture has been one of the most enduring catchphrases of popular management. Many may wonder why this is the case and what the appeal is of this concept. Well, many organisations in the modern world try and find ways to prevent its competitors from building its market share. To prevent this, they use different methods, with different cultures being experienced, to increase their own market share and try reducing competition.  Also, different cultures can exist in a working environment when employees, with different attributes and skills, are working together in a team. Moreover, the culture of an organisation is also often likened to the personality of an individual. Conversely, there have been questions raised of whether or not organisational culture can be managed. There is no right or wrong answer to this question; people make judgements and those interested in understanding and analysing culture tend to say no. On the whole, organisations that experience culture tend to perform better than organisations with ineffective culture. After having studied culture, I have learnt that everyone does things differently and have different skills and attributes that they bring to a business. In addition, everyone’s definition of culture may not be the same; they perceive culture in various ways.

REFERENCES

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 9^th ed. England: Prentice Hall

M.Simpson, 2010, powerpoint presentation.

http://fds.oup.com/www.oup.co.uk/pdf/bt/fincham/Chapter15.pdf  (Accessed: 11^th November 2010)

http://www.halifax.co.uk/creditcards/secure_home.asp (Accessed: 11th November 2010) 

IMPROVING STAFF PERFORMANCE

IMPROVING STAFF PERFORMANCE

CONTENT & PROCESS THEORIES

Cognitive theories of motivation can be split into two different categories: content theories and process theories.

Content theories (needs theories) are based upon the needs of an individual. Thus, such theories describe why human needs tend to change from time to time, with the motivating factors being the centre of attention for the change. If, for whatever reason, these needs of individuals are not satisfied, then it is highly unlikely for them to be motivated to carry out the duties to their utmost potential in order to meet the objectives set. Every human being is unique therefore having varied ways of being motivated; businesses need to know the kind of person they have employed and what motivates them. 

  Chief content theories of motivation are as follows:

  §  Herzberg’s two-factor factory theory;

  §  Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory;

  §  Alderfer’s modified need hierarchy model;

  §  McClelland’s achievement motivation theory.

    

    On the other hand, process theories tend to concentrate mainly on behavioural and psychological processes that motivate an individual. Such theories enable us to improve our understanding on the whole compound nature of work motivation. Also, if businesses have the intention to expand in the coming future, they need to know how to motivate their staff, which can lead to numerous benefits, such as: improvements in decisions being made and higher levels of productivity.

    

  Chief process theories of motivation are as follows:   

                                                             

  §  Expectancy-based models –Vroom, Porter & Lawler;

  §   Equity theory- Adams;

  §  Goal theory- Locke;

  §  Attribution theory- Heider & Kelley.

     

Having looked at both categories of cognitive theories of motivation, it is clear to see the difference between them.

     Simpson,M (2010)

This report will focus on Cadbury Plc and looking into depth on how they motivate their staff. Having studied Cadbury in GCSES and visited their site in Bournville, Birmingham, have a fairly clear idea on how they motivate their employees. Firstly, Cadburys have adapted various management styles so as to have the best management styles in place; this being in terms of efficiency, training and knowledge and to focus more on the loyalty of workers at Cadbury.  One of these styles is democratic management, which is when all the members work together as a team; they have a greater say in decision-making and various procedures, for example. This management style is good for Cadbury as it motivates the employees with having the power to make decisions and being involved more in the business. By motivating the workers, this makes them feel respected and part of the organisation.  

Cadburys core purpose: “working together to create brands people love”. Cadbury are always looking to create innovative products and getting everyone involved enables them to meet the demands of consumers. This approach of “working together to create brands people love” enables Cadburys to carry out the tasks as a team and help improve their market share. The competitive environment and worthy brands presents ample opportunities for the workers to learn and grow within the organisation. Being able to grow within the organisation, such as promotions, motivates the staff to perform to their utmost and being able to meet all the objectives set. Cadburys also seek to engage their employees on environmental issues and carry out various projects. This allows the employees to further develop their skills and carry out something different. In addition, there are competitions for charities and for fun, which the employees take part in. This further engages them in doing something different and improves team working and communication skills. 

  

From this, it is fairly straightforward to see how the employees are motivated and what Cadburys do to motivate them. Being the market leader in the confectionery market, they have been able to grow massively as a business and have been able to keep their staff satisfied with their jobs. 

    

Cadburys motivate their staff by using goal-setting theory. Having visited Cadbury World in Birmingham and the distribution centre in Perivale, the staff confided how they are set certain goals that need to be met.  Goals are the source of motivation because they indicate what has to be done and how much effort ought to be exerted. Achievements of goals satisfy the individual’s achievement and boost the self-esteem. Thus, it can be said that specific goals increase the performance than general goals. Similarly, difficult goals result in higher performance provided they are acceptable to the individual. Feedback also plays a vital role. It helps individuals to perform better every time from the received feedback. Once the required performance and goals are accomplished, Cadburys may reward the employees in reasonable terms.

    

 Simpson,M (2010) 

  Sources: 

      

http://www.cadbury.co.uk/cadburyandchocolate/OurCommitments/Environmental%20Commitments/Pages/EngagingOurColleagues.aspx

      

http://www.graduatejobs.com/training_scheme/Cadbury_graduate-jobs/

http://collaboration.cadbury.com/careers/whatmatters/Pages/whatmatters.aspx 

http://collaboration.cadbury.com/careers/meetourpeople/Pages/meetourpeople.aspx

In this blog, I looked at how Cadburys uses process theory to motivate its employees. During GCSEs, when I studied Cadburys as a company, they were the market leader and having just conducted further research, they are still the market leaders in the confectionery market with additional market share. This clearly shows that they have grown as a business and most of the effort has been put in by the staff. They have been highly motivated to make decisions, meet goals and engage with their colleagues to create brands people love. If goals are set accurately and are not impossible to carry out, it can impact hugely positively on the company and its employees. 

REFERENCES:

M.Simpson, 2010, powerpoint presentation.

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 9^th ed. England: Prentice Hall

Cadbury World Staff/ Website (2007-2010)