Managing people

Organisational Behaviour Research

Aim: Explain people's behaviour * Theories á la "If A then B is likely to follow" * Dependencies, not causal relationships & formulas such as e.g. Chemistry, Physics

Taylorism

Select the best people for the job (!), instruct them in the best methods, performance-related pay.

The problems with taylorism is the inflation of the performance-related pay, and staff exhaustion.

Hawthorne effect

By showing an interest in a group the group would perform a lot better, even though there were no change in work.

Theory X / Theory Y by McGregor

Theory X

• The average human has an innate dislike of work
• There is a need therefore for coercion, direction, and control
• People tend to avoid responsibility

Theory Y

• Work is as natural as rest or play
• External control and coercion is not necessary
• Commitment and objectives is a function of reward
• The average human can learn to accept and further seek responsibility
• The capacity to exercise imagination and creative qualities distributed

Herzberg

• Hygiene or maintenance factors make you dissatisfied if they are not right, e.g. pay or working conditions
• Motivators make you feel the job is worthwhile, e.g. a sense of achievement or the challenge of the work itself

The Oldham-Hackman model

The satisfaction of a job is based on five factors, listed below. The first three factors (skill variety, task identity and task significance) make the job "meaningful" to the person who is doing it.

1. Skill variety: The number of skills used in the exercise
2. Task identiy: A sense of ownership of your work
3. Task significance: Influence on others
4. Autonomy: Responsibility, authority. Discretion about the way that you do the job
5. Feedback: Information you get back about the results of your work

According to Oldman and Hackman, activities should be designed so that staff follow the progress of a particular product and feel personally associated with it.

Stress

Stress is reduced with good project management. Manage the resources properly (no overtime), clear goals, proper monitor and control to avoid a crisis.