MMPC-011 Solved Question Paper

Selected term: Jan 2025

Question 1: Classical Management Movement and Evolution of Organisational Behaviour

Reframed question: What is meant by the classical movement of management, and how did it influence the later development of organisational behaviour as a discipline?

Answer:

The classical movement refers to the early period in management thought (roughly 1900–mid-1930s) when scholars tried to develop universal principles for managing work and organisations in a rational, systematic way. The main contributors were F. W. Taylor (scientific management), Henri Fayol (administrative principles) and Max Weber (bureaucracy).

Key features of the classical movement:

• Organisation viewed as a formal, rational structure with clearly defined roles and hierarchy.
• High emphasis on work planning, standardisation and technical efficiency.
• Stress on division of labour and work specialisation to increase productivity.
• Importance of rules, procedures and formal authority relationships.

Role in the evolution of organisational behaviour (OB):

• Provided the starting point: Classical theorists showed that human work behaviour can be studied systematically (e.g., Taylor’s time and motion studies), which later encouraged behavioural scientists to look beyond machines to people.
• Revealed limitations that OB later tried to correct: Excessive focus on control, repetitive tasks and treating workers like “cogs” led to fatigue, low morale and union unrest. These problems pushed researchers towards human relations, motivation and group dynamics, which are central themes in OB.
• Clarified the formal side of organisations: Classical ideas on structure, authority, division of labour and span of control still form the “formal organisation system” within which individual and group behaviour is studied today.
• Influenced management practice in India: Many Indian public sector undertakings and traditional manufacturing units were initially designed on classical lines—tall hierarchies, clear rules and strict supervision. Over time, when these organisations faced issues like absenteeism, low commitment and industrial conflict, managers realised that understanding human behaviour was as important as improving processes, thereby reinforcing the need for OB.

In simple terms, the classical movement gave us the “skeleton” of organisations. Organisational behaviour added the “flesh and blood” by focusing on people, motivation, groups and culture inside that structure.

Question 2: Systems View of Organisational Behaviour and OB Models

Reframed question: How is organisational behaviour viewed as a system, and what are the main OB models or components that help in understanding behaviour at work?

Answer:

The systems view treats an organisation as an open system which receives inputs from the larger society, processes them through various subsystems, and produces outputs such as products, services and also patterns of employee behaviour.

Systems view of OB:

• Organisations draw inputs from society: objectives, resources (people, money, technology), and institutional norms.
• These inputs are processed through three interacting subsystems:
  • Formal Organisation System (FOS): structure, hierarchy, technology, rules, authority and formal expectations.
  • Individual System (IS): personality, attitudes, perception, motivation, learning and values of each person.
  • Social System (SS): informal groups, norms, culture and relationships.
• The interaction of FOS, IS and SS produces organisational behaviour and leads to outputs such as performance, job satisfaction, innovation or conflict.

Managers therefore cannot look at any one level alone; changes in structure, technology or policies influence individual attitudes and group relations, and vice versa.

Important OB models/components (as discussed in the course):

• Stimulus–Response (S–R) model: Behaviour is caused directly by external stimuli. Useful to understand how specific organisational cues (e.g., strict deadlines) trigger responses.
• Response–Stimulus (R–S) / Operant model: Behaviour is shaped by its consequences. Rewards and punishments influence whether a behaviour is repeated, forming the basis for reinforcement and OB modification.
• Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) model: Recognises that people interpret stimuli differently because of their internal characteristics (beliefs, attitudes, past learning). Same rule may produce different reactions in two employees.
• SOBC model (Stimulus–Organism–Behaviour–Consequence): Integrates environment, individual differences, actual behaviour and its consequences. It is closely related to the systems model of OB and to social learning theory, which sees behaviour as a result of continuous interaction between person, behaviour and environment.

Practical illustration: In an Indian IT services company, a policy of “flexi-time” (stimulus) will be interpreted by employees based on their personal values and needs (organism). Some may use it responsibly, improving work–life balance and productivity; others may misuse it. Management then adjusts rewards, feedback and monitoring (consequences) to shape behaviour. This is exactly how the systems and OB models operate in practice.

Question 3: Behaviour Modification – Concept and Process

Reframed question: What is behaviour modification, and how is the behaviour modification process carried out in organisations? Illustrate with suitable examples.

Answer:

Concept of behaviour modification

Behaviour modification is the systematic use of learning principles to change observable behaviour by increasing desirable actions and reducing or eliminating undesirable ones. It is based largely on operant conditioning, which says that behaviour followed by positive consequences tends to be repeated, while behaviour followed by negative consequences or no reinforcement tends to decline.

In organisational settings, this leads to Organisational Behaviour Modification (OBM), where managers identify critical work behaviours (e.g., safety practices, punctuality, quality of work) and apply planned reinforcement to shape them.

Steps in the behaviour modification process (typical sequence):

1. Identify the target behaviour:
   • Specify clearly whether behaviour is in excess (e.g., frequent arguments) or in deficit (e.g., very little initiative).
   • Example: A sales executive regularly ignores documentation, causing billing errors.
2. Behavioural assessment and analysis (ABC):
   • A – Antecedents: What happens before the behaviour (e.g., tight targets, unclear instructions)?
   • B – Behaviour: The specific action (e.g., skipping documentation steps).
   • C – Consequences: What follows (e.g., no immediate penalty, so the behaviour continues).
3. Select suitable intervention:
   • Decide whether to use positive reinforcement (praise, incentives), negative reinforcement (removal of an unpleasant condition when behaviour improves), punishment or extinction (withholding reinforcement).
   • Example: Supervisor announces that teams with error-free documentation for a month will receive recognition and a small bonus; repeated errors will require mandatory re-training.
4. Implement the intervention consistently:
   • Employees are informed clearly about expectations, performance criteria and the link with rewards or consequences.
   • Reinforcement is provided soon after the behaviour to strengthen learning.
5. Evaluate and follow up:
   • Check whether the frequency, duration or intensity of the behaviour has changed.
   • If no improvement, revise the reinforcement plan or communicate expectations more clearly.

Realistic example:

In an Indian manufacturing plant, workers were not wearing safety helmets on the shop floor. After an accident scare, management used OBM:

• Target behaviour – consistent use of helmets.
• Antecedent – helmets available but no checking.
• Consequence – no one questioned them, so unsafe behaviour continued.
• Intervention – daily briefing on safety, supervisors appreciating teams with full compliance, notice board displaying “safety star of the week”, and counselling for repeated non-compliance.
• Result – within two months, helmet usage reached nearly 100%, and workers themselves started reminding newcomers, showing internalisation of the new behaviour.

Thus, behaviour modification translates learning theory into practical tools for improving performance and safety at the workplace.

Question 4: Motivation Theories and Their Relevance in Indian Organisations

Reframed question: Explain any two theories of motivation and show how they are relevant in the context of Indian organisations.

Answer:

Motivation refers to the inner urges, needs and desires that energise, direct and sustain behaviour towards goals. OB literature discusses several theories; here we consider M aslow’s Need Hierarchy and McClelland’s Achievement Motivation Theory.

1. Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory

• Maslow proposed that human needs are arranged in a hierarchy:
  1. Physiological needs (food, rest, basic salary).
  2. Safety/security needs (job security, safe working conditions).
  3. Social needs (belongingness, friendship, team spirit).
  4. Esteem needs (recognition, status, responsibility).
  5. Self-actualisation needs (growth, creativity, realising one’s potential).
• Lower-level needs must be reasonably satisfied before higher-level needs become dominant.

Relevance in Indian organisations:

• In many Indian sectors—such as contract labour, logistics or small manufacturing—employees are still strongly driven by physiological and safety needs. Regular wages, PF/ESI, safe equipment and stable employment remain powerful motivators.
• In IT, banking and FMCG companies, basic needs are mostly satisfied; employees look for esteem (designation, recognition programmes) and self-actualisation (challenging projects, overseas assignments, learning opportunities). Many firms now offer internal job postings, fast-track leadership programmes and certification support precisely to tap these higher-order needs.
• Managers who recognise at which need level their employees are operating can design more effective reward packages instead of relying only on salary hikes.

2. McClelland’s Theory of Needs (Achievement, Power, Affiliation)

• McClelland emphasised three learned motives:
  • Need for Achievement (nAch): desire to excel, take moderate risks, get concrete feedback and take personal responsibility for results.
  • Need for Power (nPow): desire to influence, control or have impact on others and resources.
  • Need for Affiliation (nAff): desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships.
• Different roles require different dominant needs. For example, high nAch is useful in entrepreneurial or sales roles; nAff in HR or customer service; nPow in leadership roles.

Relevance in Indian organisations:

• Government schemes encouraging entrepreneurship (start-ups, MSMEs) rely heavily on individuals with high nAch; many management institutes in India use achievement-motivation training to nurture such behaviour.
• In family-owned businesses, promotions sometimes go only to relatives, ignoring high nAch non-family employees. This can demotivate talented staff. Understanding McClelland’s theory helps owners design transparent growth paths for high achievers, reducing attrition.
• In service sectors like hospitals and hospitality, managers often prefer people with strong affiliation needs, because they build warm relationships with patients or guests, improving the quality of service experience.

Both theories help Indian managers to move from a “one-size-fits-all” incentive mindset to a more nuanced approach, linking rewards and job design to different categories of employee needs.

Question 5: Perception and Factors Influencing It

Reframed question: What is perception in the context of organisational behaviour, and what are the major factors that shape how people perceive the same situation differently?

Answer:

Concept of perception

Perception is the process through which individuals receive, select, organise and interpret information from the environment in order to give it meaning. It involves all the senses—seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling—but more importantly, it involves how the brain organises this sensory input into a subjective picture of reality.

In organisations, people rarely respond to the “objective” situation; they respond to what they think is happening. Hence, perception becomes a critical determinant of behaviour at work.

Key factors influencing perception (as discussed in the course):

• Factors in the perceiver (the person who is seeing):
  • Attitudes and values: An employee who believes “management never supports staff” will interpret even neutral actions with suspicion.
  • Motives and interests: When someone is planning to buy a car, they suddenly “notice” car advertisements and models on the road more than usual.
  • Past experience: A manager who previously dealt with an unreliable vendor may carry that impression to new vendors from the same region.
  • Personality and self-concept: Confident individuals may view feedback as an opportunity to grow, whereas those with low self-esteem may see the same feedback as personal attack.
• Factors in the target (object/person being perceived):
  • Novelty, size and intensity of the stimulus—bright, loud or unusual events attract attention.
  • Behaviour of the target—e.g., a colleague who always comes late gets labelled “careless”, even if some delays are genuine.
• Factors in the situation or context:
  • Time of day (we may be more tolerant in the morning than at the end of a long shift).
  • Work setting (busy production floor versus relaxed team lunch).
  • Social and cultural norms (e.g., speed of work, acceptable ways of disagreeing) which differ across societies.

Practical impact at workplace:

• Performance appraisal: Stereotypes, halo effect and first impressions often distort a supervisor’s rating of subordinates.
• Interpersonal conflict: Two team members may perceive the same email as “direct and clear” versus “rude and insulting”, leading to unnecessary friction.
• Change management: A new technology may be perceived by some employees as “opportunity to learn” and by others as “threat to job security”.

Managers can reduce perceptual errors by seeking multiple viewpoints, encouraging open communication, giving factual feedback and being aware of their own biases.

Question 6: Sources of Conflict and Frameworks of Conflict Management

Reframed question: What are the important sources of conflict in organisations, and how can conflict be managed using two recognised frameworks?

Answer:

Key sources of conflict (as discussed in Unit 9):​

• Competition for limited resources: Departments competing for budget, headcount, or access to senior management time.
• Diversity of goals: Marketing may want higher variety and aggressive promotion; Production may focus on standardisation and cost control.
• Interdependence of tasks: Delay or poor-quality output from one team (e.g., design) affects another (e.g., manufacturing), leading to blame.
• Differences in values, perceptions and communication styles: For example, young managers may value speed and risk-taking, whereas senior managers may value stability, giving rise to clashes.
• Role ambiguities and overlapping authority: Unclear job boundaries, dual reporting lines or matrix structures often generate confusion and friction.

Framework 1: Thomas’ Conflict-Handling Framework:

This framework uses two dimensions—assertiveness (concern for one’s own interests) and cooperativeness (concern for the other party’s interests)—to identify five styles:

• Competing (high assertiveness, low cooperativeness): “I win, you lose.” Used when quick, decisive action is vital (e.g., safety issue), but overuse can damage relationships.
• Collaborating (high assertiveness, high cooperativeness): Both parties attempt to find a win–win solution by exploring underlying interests. Useful for complex problems or long-term relationships.
• Avoiding (low assertiveness, low cooperativeness): Withdrawing from or postponing the issue. Suitable when the matter is trivial, or emotions are too high temporarily.
• Accommodating (low assertiveness, high cooperativeness): Placing the other party’s interests above one’s own for the sake of harmony or when the issue is more important to the other party.
• Compromising (moderate on both dimensions): Each side gives up something to reach a middle ground—common in wage negotiations or inter-departmental adjustments.

Simple example: In an Indian hospital, the nursing supervisor and HR manager disagree on shift schedules. Initially, they compete (each pushing their own plan). Later they move to collaboration by jointly analysing patient load and staff preferences, finally designing a schedule that balances safety, cost and staff well-being.

Framework 2: Pareek’s Conflict Management Framework:

Pareek classifies eight styles into two broad modes:

• Avoidance modes:
  • Resignation: Feeling helpless and giving up the issue.
  • Withdrawal: Physically or psychologically distancing oneself from the conflict (e.g., asking for transfer).
  • Defusion: Postponing or softening the issue to buy time.
  • Appeasement: Trying to please the other party to secure temporary peace without resolving the root cause.
• Approach modes:
  • Confrontation: Openly addressing the issue to obtain a solution, sometimes aggressively.
  • Compromise: Mutual give-and-take to reach a workable arrangement.
  • Problem solving: Jointly exploring alternatives to arrive at a mutually beneficial solution.
  • Restructuring: Changing roles, systems or processes to remove the source of conflict (e.g., redefining responsibilities).

Practical illustration: In a large Indian PSU, conflict between operations and maintenance over downtime was initially handled through appeasement—top management simply urged both sides to “cooperate”. The conflict kept recurring. Later, they shifted to problem solving and restructuring by creating a cross-functional team to plan preventive maintenance and by revising performance indicators for both departments. The result was reduced breakdowns and better coordination.

These frameworks help managers choose a conflict-handling style consciously rather than reacting impulsively, improving both task outcomes and relationships.

Question 7: Spiritual Intelligence Quotient and Spirituality at the Workplace

Reframed question: What is meant by spiritual intelligence quotient (SQ), and how does spiritual intelligence operate at the workplace? Illustrate with examples.

Answer:

Concept of spiritual intelligence

Spiritual intelligence refers to the capacity to use one’s inner resources, values and sense of meaning to guide thinking and behaviour. It helps individuals to see their work and life in a larger perspective, shifting focus from ego-driven concerns to deeper purpose or “soul level” understanding.

Neurological studies cited in the course suggest that synchronous processing of the brain (40Hz oscillations) integrates different parts of the brain and is associated with presence, awareness and spiritual intelligence.

Spiritual Intelligence Quotient (SQ)

• Similar to IQ (cognitive intelligence) and EQ (emotional intelligence), SQ indicates the level to which a person has developed spiritual capacities such as:
  • Ability to find meaning and purpose in work and life.
  • Alignment of personal values with actions (integrity).
  • Compassion, empathy and concern for the larger good.
  • Inner stability in the midst of change and uncertainty.
• A manager with high SQ is usually more self-aware, less driven by ego, and more guided by long-term ethical considerations.

Spirituality at the workplace

The course explains workplace spirituality as recognising that employees have an inner life that is nourished by meaningful work in a community. An organisation that supports spirituality tends to:

• Encourage meaningful, purpose-driven work rather than purely routine tasks.
• Promote values such as benevolence, integrity, justice, respect, responsibility and trust.
• Foster a sense of community, where people feel connected and cared for.

Examples from organisational life:

• Values-based leadership: A hospital CEO decides not to compromise on quality of medicines even when a cheaper supplier is available, because patient welfare is a non-negotiable value. This decision reflects SQ—seeing profit as important but not the ultimate purpose.
• Meaningful work in NGOs and social enterprises: Employees in a microfinance organisation may accept moderate salaries because they experience a sense of mission in supporting rural women entrepreneurs.
• Practices that nurture inner life: Some Indian IT and manufacturing companies have introduced short meditation or mindfulness sessions, quiet rooms or yoga programmes. Employees report higher calmness and better ability to handle pressure, which is a direct benefit of developing spiritual intelligence.
• Leadership effectiveness: Research discussed in the course notes that leaders with higher spirituality scores often lead better performing units, because they inspire trust and commitment and are more adaptable to change.

In sum, spiritual intelligence quotient is not about religion; it is about depth of meaning, values and inner stability. When applied at work, it supports ethical decisions, long-term orientation and genuine care for people, all of which strengthen organisational performance and employee well-being.

Question 8: Psychological Stressors and Inclusive Organisation

Reframed question: (A) What are psychological stressors? (B) What is an inclusive organisation and what are its key features?

Answer:

(A) Psychological stressors

Stress is a dynamic state in which a person faces demands (stressors) that require adaptation. Psychological stressors are those demands which arise mainly from mental and emotional conditions rather than directly from physical events.

According to the course material, psychological stressors include:

• Cataclysmic phenomena: Sudden, powerful events affecting large numbers of people—such as earthquakes, floods or major industrial accidents—which can create long-term psychological stress.
• Individual crises: Highly stressful personal events that affect fewer people, like the death of a close relative, serious illness, job loss or divorce.
• Daily hassles: Repetitive, relatively minor irritations such as traffic jams, constant system breakdowns, unclear instructions or frequent interruptions. Over time, these small stressors can add up and cause significant strain.

These psychological stressors influence how people feel and behave at work. For example, an employee facing family crisis may become irritable or withdrawn; staff constantly dealing with daily hassles such as poor IT support may show reduced motivation and job satisfaction. If prolonged, such stress can lead to burnout, absenteeism and lower performance.

Managers can respond by offering counselling support, reasonable workload, clear roles, flexibility where possible and a climate where employees can share difficulties without fear.

(B) Inclusive organisation

An inclusive organisation is one that not only accepts diversity but actively ensures that people from different backgrounds—such as gender, disability, caste, religion, region, age or sexual orientation—feel valued, respected and able to contribute fully.

Key characteristics of an inclusive organisation (from Unit 13):

• Diversity at all levels: People from varied cultures, languages and social groups are visible throughout the hierarchy, not only in entry-level positions.
• Measurable roles and competencies: Jobs, performance standards and competencies are clearly defined so that evaluation is based on merit, not on personal bias.
• Transparent policies and procedures: Rules regarding recruitment, promotion, grievance handling and discipline are open, understandable and applied consistently to everyone—no hidden rules.
• Consistency in interactions: Employees experience similar respect and fairness regardless of department, location or identity; there are no “favoured” groups.
• Learning culture: Career development, coaching and mentoring opportunities are available for all employees, including those from under-represented groups. Mistakes are treated as learning opportunities rather than labels on a person.
• Effective conflict resolution: There are formal systems to address conflicts (including those arising from cultural misunderstandings) in a fair and confidential manner.
• Community engagement: The organisation actively participates in community initiatives and seeks to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves—for example, by recruiting persons with disabilities or from marginalised regions.

Illustrative example:

A large Indian bank decides to become more inclusive. It starts barrier-free branches to employ people with physical disabilities, creates gender-neutral HR policies, sets up internal support groups for women returning from maternity break, and conducts awareness sessions on unconscious bias for managers. Performance appraisal formats are redesigned to focus on measurable results rather than background or personal similarity. Over a few years, the bank notices lower turnover among women employees, higher job satisfaction scores and improved customer image.

Thus, while psychological stressors show how individuals can be strained by internal and external demands, the idea of an inclusive organisation shows how systems and culture can be designed to support all employees, especially those who might otherwise be excluded or undervalued.