Chapter – 7 Directing - V. Imp. Chapter (2+3+3=8 marks)

Effectiveness of motivation contributes to the success of an organisation? How? Explain giving any four points.

Or

Why is it important to motivate employees in an organisation? Give any 3 reasons

Motivation is important in the organisation due to the following reasons:

Motivation improves workers’ efficiency

  • Motivation infuses willingness in employees to achieve a high level of performance.
  • A motivated employee feels pleasure in performing their duties. This helps to improve productivity, reduce cost of operations and secure overall efficiency.
  • Motivation is essentially goal directed. Therefore, more the subordinates are motivated higher are the chances of achieving the goals of the organisation.

Reduction in resistance to change

Employees normally resist changes in the organisation. However if employees are motivated they are likely to support the change even if it means more efforts on their part. This is because they identify their own progress with the prosperity of the organisation.

Reduction in employee turnover:

Motivation secures loyalty of the employees and creates confidence in them. As a result employee turnover is reduced. This results in maintaining stability in work force.

Motivation facilitates achievement of organisation goals

By motivating employees through suitable rewards in the form of money, promotion, recognition of efficient work, management can secure the cooperation of subordinates to contribute their best efforts towards fulfilling their assigned tasks and thus achieve the goals of the organisation.

Explain any 4 NEEDS that motivate an employee to work?

Or

State any three types of needs that govern human motivation? – 3 marks

Or

Briefly explain Abraham Maslow’s HIERARCHY OF NEEDS? – PESS

Physiological needs:

It includes basic needs required for survival and maintenance of human life such as food, clothing, shelter, water and other necessities of life.

ESTEEM NEEDS: (Define – v. imp)

It includes a desire for self-image and self respect on one hand and respect, recognition from others. These needs are satisfied by recognising good performance of employees, providing challenging job assignments, good job titles, nice office, extra authority, etc.

Security needs:

People want physical, economical as well as social security. They want security for themselves, their property and a safe environment to live in.

Physical security : includes protection against fire, accidents, disease, crime etc.

Economical security : includes having a permanent job and money to fulfil basic needs on a permanent basis.

Social security : includes need for security in old age, illness, disability, etc.

Social needs:

It includes a desire to give and receive love and affection and the need to be accepted by the peers. These needs are satisfied by friendship, family and community relations outside the workplace.

COMMUNICATION

Define the term “Communication”? – 2 marks

  • Communication means exchange of messages between two or more persons.
  • These messages could mean idea, opinions, facts, information, instructions and anything that conveys a meaning.
  • These messages may be conveyed in words, pictures, and actions or gestures
  • Effective communication takes place only when the receiver is able to interpret the message as desired by the sender and responds to it.

What do you mean by “noise”. How does it interfere in the communication process – 3 marks

When there is a disrupted interference anywhere in the communication process, it is termed as “noise”.

  • Examples:
    • Someone coughing,
    • two people talking close at hand,
    • a truck driving,
    • a letter being lost in the mail,
    • a telephone line going dead or one of the persons being called away before the communication process is completed.
  • Noise may also arise because a manager is not able to express himself well or if the listener is not being attentive or memos are poorly written and therefore hard to read.
  • However if communication is two-way, the communicator can find out if the message was received and if has produced the intended response.

Enumerate any 3 advantages of “informal communication” from the point of view of members of an organization and from the point of view of management – 3 marks

Advantages of informal communication from view of members are:

  • Employees can develop friendly relations and derive social satisfaction through informal exchange of ideas and information
  • Employees can give a free and frank expression of their views, which cannot be done through official channels.
  • It helps employees who are not linked through the official chain of command to communicate.

Advantages of informal communication from view of management are:

  • It helps to communicate those messages, which is not possible through official channel.
  • It can be used for speedy communication in emergency
  • It reduces tensions in employer-employee relations & provides emotional relief to workers.
  • Employee’s reactions and attitudes can be easily ascertained.

Difference between:

 
FORMAL COMMUNICATION
INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
Channel It follows established line of command It arises as a result of personal relations
Nature It is rigid and cannot be modified It is flexible as it arises as a result of social interaction
Expression It is mostly in written form It is mostly in oral form
Responsibility It is easy to fix responsibility in formal communication As the source cannot be traced, it is difficult to fix responsibility
Needs It serves organizational needs It serves organizational as well as individual needs
Records Records are kept for future reference No records are kept
Speed It is usually slow It is usually fast

Explain any four factors that are likely to disrupt effective communication? – 3 marks

Or

Enumerate 4 barriers of communication? – 2 or 3 marks (PCS) - Important

The following are the factors that are likely to disrupt effective communication:

Predispositions:

Sometimes the person who receives the message may be biased or predisposed i.e. he may ignore the suggestions for change from the subordinate because he thinks the subordinate is always complaining about something.

Poor listening skills:

Some people are poor listeners. When someone is talking to them they are distracted. This problem occurs both with superiors and subordinates.

Complex Organisation structure:

An organisation having a long chain of command also acts as a barrier to effective communication

Selective reception:

Selective reception takes place when people tend to hear only what they want to hear and block out that part of the information that disagrees with what they believe. As a result communication gets distorted.

Status difference:

Effectiveness of communication can be adversely affected when status of communicator is not equal.