Unit - 4

Directing

4.1 Directing

Directing refers to a process or technique of instructing, guiding, inspiring, counselling, overseeing and leading people towards the accomplishment of organizational goals.  It is a continuous managerial process that goes on throughout the life of the organization.

In the words of Koontz and O’Donnell, “Directing is the inter-personal aspect of managing by which subordinates are led to understand and contribute effectively and efficiently to the attainment of enterprise’s objectives.”

Heiman remarks, “Directing consists of the process and techniques utilized in issuing instructions and making certain that operations are carried out as originally planned.”

Thus, directing function of management concerned with initiating action. It consists of all those activities that are concerned with influencing, guiding or supervising the subordinates in their job.

PRINCIPLES OF DIRECTING

Effective direction leads to greater contribution of subordinates to organization goals. The directing function of management can be effective only when certain well accepted principles are followed. Following are the basic principles of effective direction:

1. Maximum Individual Contribution: One of the main principles of directing is the contribution of individuals. Management should adopt such directing policies that motivate the employees to contribute their maximum potential for the attainment of organizational goals.

2. Harmony of Objectives: Sometimes there is a conflict between the organizational objectives and individual objectives. For example, the organization wants profits to increase and to retain its major share, whereas, the employees may perceive that they should get a major share as a bonus as they have worked really hard for it.

Here, directing has an important role to play in establishing harmony and coordination between the objectives of both the parties.

3. Unity of Command: This principle states that a subordinate should receive instructions from only one superior at a time. If he receives instructions from more than one superior at the same time, it will create confusion, conflict, and disorder in the organization and also, he will not be able to prioritize his work.

4. Appropriate Direction Technique: Among the principles of directing, this one state that appropriate direction techniques should be used to supervise, lead, communicate and motivate the employees based on their needs, capabilities, attitudes and other situational variables.

5. Managerial Communication: According to this principle, it should be seen that the instructions are clearly conveyed to the employees and it should be ensured that they have understood the same meaning as was intended to be communicated.

6. Use of Informal Organization: Within every formal organization, there exists an informal group or organization. The manager should identify those groups and use them to communicate information. There should be a free flow of information among the seniors and the subordinates as an effective exchange of information are really important for the growth of an organization.

7. Leadership: Managers should possess a good leadership quality to influence the subordinates and make them work according to their wish. It is one of the important principles of directing.

8. Follow-up: As per this principle, managers are required to monitor the extent to which the policies, procedures, and instructions are followed by the subordinates. If there is any problem in implementation, then the suitable modifications can be made.

SIGNIFICANCE OF DIRECTING

Directing is the heart of management process as it initiates the actual action. The significance of directing is briefly discussed below:

1. Initiates Action: Each and every action in an organization is initiated only through directing. The managers direct the subordinates about what to do, how to do when to do and also see to it that their instructions are properly followed.

2. Integrates Efforts: Directing integrates the efforts of all the employees and departments through persuasive leadership and effective communication towards the accomplishment of organizational goals.

3. Motivates Employees: A manager identifies the potential and abilities of its subordinates and helps them to give their best. He also motivates them by offering them financial and non-financial incentives to improve their performance.

4. Provides Stability: Stability is significant in the growth of any organization. Effective directing develops co-operation and commitment among the employees and creates a balance among various departments and groups.

5. Helps in coping up with the Changes: Employees have a tendency to resist any kind of change in the organization. But, adapting the environmental changes is necessary for the growth of the organization. A manager through motivation, proper communication and leadership can make the employees understand the nature and contents of change and also the positive aftermaths of the change. This will help in a smooth adaptation of the changes without any friction between the management and employees.

6. Effective Utilization of Resources: It involves defining the duties and responsibilities of every subordinate clearly thereby avoiding wastages, duplication of efforts, etc. and utilizing the resources of men, machine, materials, and money in the maximum possible way. It helps in reducing costs and increasing profits.

Key Takeaway

2.     Effective direction leads to greater contribution of subordinates to organization goals.

3.     The directing function of management can be effective only when certain well accepted principles are followed.

4.     The principles of unity of command, unity of direction, leadership, informal communication et. Guide managers in directing the subordinates smoothly.

4.2 Individual and group behaviour

Individual behaviour refers to the way in which an individual reacts or behaves at his place of work. It can be defined as a combination of reactions to internal and external stimuli. Individual behaviour defines how a person will respond under distinct conditions and will express different emotions such as happiness, rudeness, love, anger etc. It refers to some concrete action by an individual. Study of individual behaviour reveals the behaviour of human at the working environment. Behaviour of an individual have a great influence on the performance of organization. Positive behaviour will lead to enhance the productivity. Whereas on another hand, negative behaviour will cause damages and bring heavy losses for company.

Various factors affecting the individual behaviour is classified into following categories: –

1. Personal Factors
2. Environmental Factors
3. Organizational Factors

Personal Factors

Personal factors are of 2 types: Biographic and Learned Characteristics

Biographic Characteristics: Biographic characteristics are genetic nature and are inherited by individual by their parents or forefathers. These are gifted features that an individual possesses by birth. All of these biographic characteristics are listed below: –

• Psychical Characteristics- Personal characteristics relates to skin, complexion, vision, height, weight, size of nose etc. which influence the performance of individual. A person with good physical characteristics has an attractive personality, they dress well and behave gently in an organization.
• Age- Age is an individual inherited characteristic that is determined by date of birth. Young people are expected to be more efficient, energetic, risk-taking, innovative and ambitious.
• Gender- Gender is an inherited characteristic as being a men or women is genetic in nature. Woman are expected to be more emotional than men and generates high turnover rates. It is due to more likeness of woman quitting their job citing personal reasons.
• Religion- Religious values of individual influence distinct aspects of his/her behaviour in organization. Highly religious person is stricter towards following moral values, ethics and code of conduct while performing their roles.
• Marital Status- Researcher indicated that with marital status, responsibilities of individual get inclined and for them having steady proper job becomes more important. Such employees have less absences, low turnovers and more job satisfaction.

Learned Characteristics: Learned characteristics refers to the changes in persons behaviour that comes from his/her interactions with environment. 

• Personality- Personality solely do not refer to physical characteristics of person but indicates the growth of individual’s psychological system. These are the personal traits of persons that comprises of patience, extrovert Ness, dominance, aggressiveness etc.
• Perception- It is a viewpoint of individual through which it interprets a particular situation. Perception is defined as a process via which information enters mind and an interpretation takes place for providing some sensible meaning to world.
• Values- These are global beliefs that guides distinct actions and judgements in several situations. It comprises of idea of an individual that is based on good, right and desirable opinions.

Group behaviour in organizations tends to follow the organizational norms and rules wherein the employees are expected to be disciplined, follow orders, and work to the requirements of the organization rather than their own whims and fancies. Indeed, the extreme form of groups conforming to the common codes of behaviour is the armed forces wherein all members at whatever level they are in are expected to follow the orders of their superiors. On the other hand, organizations such as Google and Facebook are less hierarchical and less structured with employees being allowed to work on their pet projects for a certain period every week. The difference here is that in the armed forces and many organizations, the boss is always right whereas in the start-ups and the new economy or the knowledge sector, the rules tend to be less rigid. Most organizations fall between these two extremes wherein the employees are encouraged, persuaded, and even ordered to conform to the norms of the group with some latitude and freedom being allowed for them to exercise their independence.

Advantages of Group Behaviour

There are many advantages to organizations by ensuring that employees stick to the group rules and norms. For instance, organizations are formed for a specific purpose and if the employees are allowed free run and the free rein, more often than not, the result is chaos and anarchy. Moreover, employees need to conform to group norms since organizations are not charity shows and instead, the employees are being paid to follow the group norms and in turn, contribute to the success of the organizational principles and procedures.

Further, the very basis of the organizational survival is threatened if the employees do not conform to group norms since the organization exists to make profit and not to let employees be paid to have fun. This is not to say that organizations are like prisons or slave camps. Rather, there are obvious and less obvious benefits when employees conform to group norms. This is the reason why the evolution of the modern and the post-modern corporations has been such that they impose and enjoin the employees to follow formal and informal norms of behaviour.

4.3 Motivation

"Motivation" is the process of inspiring people to perform their duties effectively and to increase their desire and motivation to work together to achieve a company's common goals.

In other words, it means inducing, inciting, inciting, or encouraging someone to take a particular course of action to achieve the expected outcome of someone.

Motivation is the power that stimulates men to do their best to accomplish their tasks.

E.F.L.'s words:

“Motivation ensures that team members effectively reduce, give loyalty to the group, perform the tasks they accept properly, and play an efficient role within the work that the group generally does. It's a general inspiration process. "

In fact, motivation may be seen as an integral part of the directional process. In coaching subordinates, managers must motivate their subordinates to enthusiastically pursue the goals of the organization. If you try to do so, you can say that the manager is interested in motivation. The term "motivation" comes from the word "motivation".

Motivation is the "internal state of energizing, activating, or moving, directing or inducing human behaviour toward a goal." Motivation is an expression of a person's needs and desires. To motivate individuals to work towards the achievement of their organization's goals and objectives, managers need to determine their motivations, in other words, the needs of their employees for their satisfaction.

Therefore, motivation may be described as a process in which an individual is given the opportunity to meet his needs by pursuing a particular purpose.

Motivation is a powerful tool in the hands of managers to guide their subordinates to act in the desired way by meeting their needs and desires. It has to do with how actions begin, are energized, started, maintained and directed.

Successful managers know that directional issues do not mean to follow, even if they are well thought out. He uses his motivation properly to encourage employees to work effectively to achieve established goals.

The concept of motivation

Motivation is a human factor in management. Managers feel some kind of challenge to motivate people in their work. Because this motivation is related to the internal power to instruct people to act in a particular way to gain something or meet their needs. From a previous survey, we found that managers work through others. Getting the job done is not easy. The manager needs to get people to work according to the instructions given to him. But the question is why people work. Why do they behave like them? What motivates people to act in a particular job?

The term motivation comes from English word Motive, and therefore the Latin word "Movere:" Movere "means to maneuverer. Motivation means an urge, need, desire, desire, or urge within an individual.

Motivation Process

1. Necessary:

The motivation process begins with needs and expectations. You can't motivate your employees without their needs and expectations. Employees run to meet and solve their needs and expectations. The need for expectations is a very important process of motivation. Business organization managers need to give due consideration to the needs and expectations of their employees. Food is a related example.

2. Drive / Action:

The drive is action oriented. After expecting, people look for a job. Actions are needed to address needs and expectations. Without action, employees cannot solve food problems. Therefore, when the need arises, people work for its implementation.

3. Incentive:

Incentives are the final process of motivation. After work, employees should be offered competitive wages. We support you in solving and addressing your needs and expectations. Employees come to the organization to market their knowledge, skills, and workforce. Employees will get incentives when they sell their workforce.

The importance of motivation

Motivation is important for both organizations and individuals. Motivation has become a very effective tool for achieving organizational goals, and managers can use this tool to motivate or motivate staff in their work so that they can work effectively and efficiently. Need to stimulate.

From an organizational and personal perspective, motivation is important, plays an important role, and is also considered an important determinant of performance.

1. Improvement of cooperation:

With effective motivation, employees are ready to help inherit the organization. By expanding active cooperation, employees can help organizations achieve their goals while solving problems and gaining satisfaction. In this way, if you truly motivate yourself within your organization, you will be able to fully capture the prosperity of both parties.

2. Higher morale of personnel:

Motivation boosts the morale of workers' work. Highly motivated workers are claimed as an asset of the organization. Motivated employees can contribute to the organization by reducing turnover and absenteeism. High turnover and absenteeism can cause many problems for your organization and negatively impact your reputation. Motivation helps lower these rates.

3. Utilization of factors of production:

Human resources are one of the important resources, and if this resource is used properly, only other factors can be used properly. Motivation ensures that human resources (employees) work in good faith and perform / complete tasks efficiently. If employees work efficiently, they may be able to take advantage of other factors of production and make the most of them. Therefore, motivation helps to utilize factors of production in a controlled manner.

4. Higher productivity:

With the help of motivation, organizations can achieve higher levels of productivity. Because by motivating subordinates, managers can entice them to work efficiently, helping the organization improve total productivity and productivity. When workers are guided by various motivational techniques, they can develop their own qualities and therefore can also be used for the prosperity of organizations and subordinates.

5. Best remedy for resistance to change:

Signs of development turn into work and work skills. Changes in an organization and how it works are a common phenomenon due to organizational changes in production technology and marketing processes, and even changes in the environment can cause many changes within an organization. If any changes occur in the organization, workers may be dissatisfied, uncomfortable, anxious, disagreeable and protest against such changes. But if they are properly, timely and skilfully motivated and the managers provide knowledge and inspiration, they will embrace the change even more enthusiastically.

6.  Sound labour relations:

Motivation creates healthy labour relations within the organization. The relationship between management and the union is very friendly. With the help of motivation, there is no conflict between management and trade unions. Therefore, motivation also provides a healthy relationship in the industrial sector.

7. Achieving organizational goals:

Motivated employees feel that they are fully involved in the work of the organization and are working diligently to achieve the goals of the organization. Employees need to be more motivated and more focused on their organizational goals. Therefore, motivation helps to achieve the organizational goals of employees.

Motivation Features

Motivation is a fascinating concept. It's a fascinating but complex phenomenon.

1. Motivation is goal-oriented.
2. Motivation is a continuous process.
3. Motivation can be positive or negative.
4. The motive can be monetary or non-monetary.
5. Motivation may be considered as a whole, not fragmentary.
6. Motivation is a psychological phenomenon that transforms ability into performance.

4.4 Motivation theories

Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory

It is probably safe to say that the most well-known theory of motivation is Maslow’s need hierarchy theory Maslow’s theory is based on the human needs. Drawing chiefly on his clinical experience, he classified all human needs into a hierarchical manner from the lower to the higher order.

In essence, he believed that once a given level of need is satisfied, it no longer serves to motivate man. Then, the next higher level of need has to be activated in order to motivate the man.

Maslow identified five levels in his need hierarchy as shown in figure below:

1. Physiological Needs:

These needs are basic to human life and, hence, include food, clothing, shelter, air, water and necessities of life. These needs relate to the survival and maintenance of human life. They exert tremendous influence on human behaviour. These needs are to be met first at least partly before higher level needs emerge. Once physiological needs are satisfied, they no longer motivate the man.

2. Safety Needs:

After satisfying the physiological needs, the next needs felt are called safety and security needs. These needs find expression in such desires as economic security and protection from physical dangers. Meeting these needs requires more money and, hence, the individual is prompted to work more. Like physiological needs, these become inactive once they are satisfied.

3. Social Needs:

Man is a social being. He is, therefore, interested in social interaction, companionship, belongingness, etc. It is this socializing and the feeling of belongingness that drive individuals to work in groups, especially the older people.

4. Esteem Needs:

These needs refer to self-esteem and self-respect. They include such needs which indicate self-confidence, achievement, competence, knowledge and independence. The fulfilment of esteem needs leads to self-confidence, strength and capability of being useful in the organization. However, inability to fulfil these needs results in feelings like inferiority, weakness and helplessness.

5. Self-Actualization Needs:

This level represents the culmination of all the lower, intermediate, and higher needs of human beings. In other words, the final step under the need hierarchy model is the need for self-actualization, self- fulfilment.

The term self-actualization was coined by Kurt Goldstein and means to become actualized in what one is potentially good at. In effect, self- actualization is the person’s motivation to transform perception of self into reality.

According to Maslow, the human needs follow a definite sequence of domination. The second need does not arise until the first is reasonably satisfied, and the third need does not emerge until the first two needs have been reasonably satisfied and it goes on. The other side of the need hierarchy is that human needs are unlimited.

However, Maslow’s need hierarchy theory is not without criticisms.

The main criticisms of the theory include the following:

1. The needs may or may not follow a definite hierarchical order. So, to say, there may be overlapping in need hierarchy. For example, even if safety need is not satisfied, the social need may emerge.

2. The need priority model may not apply at all times in all places.

3. Researches show that man’s behaviour at any time is mostly guided by multiplicity of behaviour. Hence, Maslow’s preposition that one need is satisfied at one time is also of doubtful validity.

4. In case of some people, the level of motivation may be permanently lower. For example, a person suffering from chronic unemployment may remain satisfied for the rest of his life if only he/she can get enough food.

Notwithstanding, Maslow’s need hierarchy theory has received wide recognition, particularly among practicing managers. This can be attributed to the theory’s intuitive logic and easy to understand. One researcher came to the conclusion that theories that are intuitively strong die hard.

Key Takeaway

Maslow’s theory believes that human needs can be arranged in a particular order from the lowest level need to the highest-level need.

Mc. Gregor’s Participation Theory

Douglas McGregor formulated two distinct views of human being based on participation of workers. The first basically negative, labelled Theory X, and the other basically positive, labelled Theory Y.

Theory X is based on the following assumptions:

1. People are by nature indolent. That is, they like to work as little as possible.

2. People lack ambition, dislike responsibility, and prefer to be directed by others.

3. People are inherently self-centred and indifferent to organisational needs and goals.

4. People are generally gullible and not very sharp and bright.

On the contrary, Theory Y assumes that:

1. People are not by nature passive or resistant to organisational goals.

2. They want to assume responsibility.

3. They want their organisation to succeed.

4. People are capable of directing their own behaviour.

5. They have need for achievements.

McGregor tried to draw the fencing within which a person in the organization is usually seen to behave. The fact remains that no one would actually belong either to theory X or theory Y. In reality, he/she shares the traits of both. What actually happens is that man swings from one set or properties to the other with changes in his mood and motives in changing environment.

Key Takeaway

Theory X and Y given by McGregor are based on intuitive deductions. Theory X emphasizes on management by direction and control whereas Theory Y emphasizes on cooperation between management and employees.

HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION HYGIENE THEORY

The psychologist Frederick Herzberg extended the work of Maslow and proposed a replacement motivation theory popularly referred to as Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene (Two-Factor) Theory. Herzberg conducted a widely reported motivational study on 200 accountants and engineers employed by firms in and around Western Pennsylvania. He asked these people to explain two important incidents at their jobs:

(1) When did you feel particularly good about your job, and

(2) When did you feel exceptionally bad about your job?

He used the critical incident method of obtaining data.

The responses, when analysed, were found quite interesting and fairly consistent. The replies respondents gave once they felt good about their jobs were significantly different from the replies given once they felt bad. Reported good feelings were generally related to job satisfaction, whereas bad feeling with job dissatisfaction. Herzberg labelled the work satisfiers motivators, and he called job dissatisfies hygiene or maintenance factors. Taken together, the motivators and hygiene factors have become referred to as Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation.

According to Herzberg, the removal of dissatisfying characteristics from a job doesn't necessarily make the job satisfying. He believes in the existence of a dual continuum. The opposite of ‘satisfaction’ is ‘no satisfaction’ and therefore the opposite of ‘dissatisfaction’ is ‘no dissatisfaction’.

According to Herzberg, today’s motivators are tomorrow’s hygiene because the latter stop influencing the behaviour of persons once they get them. Accordingly, one’s hygiene could also be the motivator of another.

However, Herzberg’s model is labelled with the subsequent criticism also:

1. People have a tendency to take credit themselves when things go well. They blame failure on the external environment.

2. The theory basically explains job satisfaction, not motivation.

3. Even job satisfaction isn't measured on an overall basis. It is not unlikely that an individual may dislike a part of his/ her job, still thinks the job acceptable.

4. This theory neglects situational variable to motivate an individual.

Because of its ubiquitous nature, salary commonly shows up as a motivator also as hygiene.

Key Takeaway

Herzberg’s theory concludes that there are certain factors which are consistently related to job satisfaction and certain features which are related to job dissatisfaction.

David McClelland’s Three Need Theory

David McClelland was an American Psychologist who developed his theory of needs or Achievement Theory of Motivation which revolves around three important aspects, namely, Achievement, Power and Affiliation. This theory is also known as the Acquired Needs as McClelland put forth that the specific needs of an individual are acquired and shaped over time through the experiences he has had in life. This motivation theory states that the needs for achievement, power and affiliation significantly influence the behaviour of an individual, which is useful to understand from a managerial context.

This theory can be considered an extension of Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory. As per McClelland, every individual has these three types of motivational needs irrespective of their demography, culture or wealth.

Need for Achievement

This is the drive to excel, to achieve in relation to a set of standards, and to strive to succeed. It is a behaviour directed towards competition with a standard of excellence. According to McClelland, people with a high need for achievement perform better than those with a moderate or low need for achievement.

Need for Power

The need for power is concerned with making an impact on others, the desire to influence others, the urge to change people, and the desire to make a difference in life. People with a high need for power are people who like to be in control of people and events. This gives ultimate satisfaction to man.

Need for Affiliation

The need for affiliation is defined as a desire to establish and maintain friendly and warm relations with other people. The need for affiliation, in many ways, is similar to Maslow’s social needs.

McClelland’s theory can be applied to manage the corporate teams by being identifying and categorizing every team member amongst the three needs. Knowing their attributes may certainly help to manage their expectations and running the team smoothly.

Key Takeaway

McClelland’s theory is also a need-based theory. As per McClelland, every individual has three types of motivational needs irrespective of their demography, culture or wealth- need for achievement, need for power and need for affiliation.

Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

Vroom’s model is based on the belief that motivation is determined by the nature of the reward people expect to get as a result of their job performance. People will be highly motivated if they are made to believe that if they behave in a particular way, they will receive a certain type of outcome according to their personal preference.

There are three variables in Vroom’s model given in the form of an equation. If any of the variables is zero, the probability of motivated performance tends to be zero.

MOTIVATION= VALENCE x EXPECTANCY x INSTRUMENTALITY

All these variables are explained below:

1. Valence: Valence is the attraction (or repulsion) of an outcome to the individual. Whenever an individual has preference for a reward, valence is the strength of that preference. Valence is deemed to be positive for an individual if he prefers attaining the outcome to not attaining it. Valence is negative if the individual is indifferent towards the outcome. It is negative when the individual prefers not attaining the outcome to attaining it.
2. Expectancy: Expectancy is the probability that a particular action will lead to the outcome. If the individual feels that the probability of achieving an outcome is zero, he will not even try. On the other hand, if probability is higher, he will put more efforts to achieve the desired outcome.
3. Instrumentality (Performance – Reward Probability): Instrumentality refers the belief and expectation of person that his performance will lead to a particular desired reward.

Vroom’s theory became very popular and became an alternative to content theories. According to him, those were inadequate explanations of the complex process of work evaluation. This model, however, is a step in the right direction, but from practical point of view, it does not help managers in solving the complex motivational problem.

Key Takeaway

According to Vroom, Motivation= Valence x Expectancy x Instrumentality

4.5 Motivational techniques

Techniques of Motivation

The types and techniques of motivation refer to different methods of motivating employees. All such methods are based on an application of different motivation theories. Some of the important methods or types are as follows:

1. Participation

Participation refers to an activity involving employees in management decision making and planning activities. Participation of employees in formulating corporate plans and policies provides the feeling of belonging, recognition, acceptance, accomplishment, and responsibility. As a result, employees will be motivated for a higher level of performance.

This refers to the process of enhancing employee’s behaviour with the help of different tools and techniques. Because the changed behaviour of employees can motivate themselves towards the higher level of performance. This also increases their job responsibility.

Money and financial benefits are generated externally. They are provided in terms of pay, incentives, benefits, and other tangible services. This works as a ‘carrot’ for motivating employees.

Under it, employees are categorized into different work units to fulfil their different societal needs. Then the employees are allowed to work in the group, and they discuss the quality and productivity thereby finding out the causes of deficiencies. Hence, employees are self-motivated and self-directed towards the attainment of organizational jobs and responsibilities,

It is another way of motivating employees by allowing them a certain percentage of profit. When employees directly participate in the profit of the company, they can be motivated towards earning the better profit.

This method of motivation is concerned with paying employees on the basis of skill held by them while performing the tasks. By doing so, highly skilled employees will be directly motivated towards a higher level of job performance. Similarly, employees with lower skills are induced to improve their skills and knowledge.

This means the designation of a pay system or incentive plan which is based on attempt shown by the employees in the actual workstation. If individual’s efforts and attempts are recognized by some sorts of considerations, they can motivate themselves for the higher level of performance.

It is another important form of motivating employees. Under this technique, employees are appointed in management committee to participate in decision-making activities. If the employees get representation in the management, they can present their opinions, feelings, ideas, and views clearly. Ultimately, this leads them towards their commitment to work.

4.6 Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction, an unquantifiable metric, is defined as a positive emotional response you experience when doing your job or when you are present at work. Leading organizations are now trying to measure this feeling, with job satisfaction surveys becoming a staple at most workplaces.

It’s important to remember that job satisfaction varies from employee to employee. In the same workplace under the same conditions, the factors that help one employee feel good about their job may not apply to another employee. For this reason, it is essential to have a multidimensional approach to employee satisfaction, covering the following areas:

• The challenging nature of work, pushing employees to new heights
• A level of convenience (short commutes, access to the right digital tools, and flexible hours)
• Regular appreciation by the immediate management and the organization as a whole
• Competitive pay, which employees maintain a good quality of life
• The promise of career progression in sync with employees’ personal growth targets

5 Reasons Why Job Satisfaction Is So Important 

By actively working on satisfaction in the workplace, you end up with employees who are more engaged, involved, and eager to go the extra mile. This benefits your company in several ways.

1. Satisfied employees translate into satisfied customers

If employees are unhappy at work, the chances are that this will reflect in their interactions with the customer. Contact centres, specifically, cannot afford to have dissatisfied employees – this is sure to show in every word they say and every campaign they work on.

Even in non-customer-facing jobs, low satisfaction can cause errors in the workflow – for example, a higher defect rate in manufacturing and bad code in software development. This is why employee satisfaction is vital for customer-centric companies.

2. Voluntary turnover will come down

Sometimes, turnover can be good for business, as it brings fresh talent into the organization. But voluntary turnover looks different – you risk losing top talent you have carefully trained over the years.

Also, this talent takes with it tribal knowledge once it leaves the company, which could toughen up the competition for your products and service offerings. On the other hand, a satisfied workforce is less likely to quit.

3. You increase the chances of referrals

Employee referrals are the most effective method of recruitment, bar none. A report by Jobvite found that referrals make up 7% of all applications but an overwhelming 40% of all hires. An employee satisfied with the work conditions and the pay scale is far more likely to recommend their friends than a dissatisfied employee.

Non-compensation related factors make up a big part of this benefit, as employees will assess multiple factors before recommending someone else.

4. Satisfaction is directly linked to your productivity

In a positive work environment, employees are more likely to bring their best to work every day. For example, research by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick’s Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE) found that happy employees are 20% more productive than unhappy employees on average!

There’s also a secondary reason for this – high-satisfaction workplaces prioritize employee wellness. Therefore, they are more likely to look after themselves, and address stress/burnout/health issues, before it impacts work.

5. In the long term, you can dramatically reduce HR costs

Typically, you need to plan for both fixed and variable costs as part of your HR budget. Low satisfaction could significantly dent the variable aspect of this equation – dissatisfied employees require targeted surveys, specialized learning and development, additional career assistance, and ultimately may lead to rehiring and retraining costs in the case of turnover. All of this needs you to invest more than you had expected.

By making job satisfaction a priority at your company, you can stay ahead of the curve and ensure that there are no unprecedented issues arising due to low satisfaction.

Driven by these benefits, more and more organizations are investing in job satisfaction initiatives. And this has had a marked impact on job satisfaction, as seen in the following statistics.

4.7 Job enrichment

Job enrichment means a vertical expansion of a job. It is different from job enlargement. Job enlargement means a horizontal expansion of a job. Job enrichment makes the job more meaningful, enjoyable and satisfying. It gives the workers more autonomy for planning and controlling the job. It also gives the workers more responsibility. Job enrichment gives the workers opportunities for achievement, recognition, advancement and growth. So, the workers are motivated to work harder. Therefore, Job enrichment makes the job a source of motivation.

Features of Job Enrichment

The characteristics or features of job enrichment are: -

1. Nature of Job: Job enrichment is a vertical expansion of the job. The workers are given jobs, which require higher-level knowledge, skills and responsibilities. Job enrichment improves the quality of the job.

2. Objective: The objective of Job enrichment is to make the job livelier and challenging. So, the job is a source of motivation for the workers.

3. Positive Results: Job enrichment gives positive results if the workers are highly skilled. This is because workers are given opportunities to show initiative and innovation while doing their job.

4. Direction and Control: Job enrichment encourages self-discipline. It does not believe in external direction and control.

Advantages of Job Enrichment

The importance or merits or advantages of job enrichment are: -

1. Job enrichment is useful to both the workers and the organization.

2. The worker gets achievement, recognition and self-actualization.

3. The worker gets a sense of belonging to the organization.

4. The worker finds the job meaningful.

5. Job enrichment reduces absenteeism, labour-turnover and grievances.

6. It motivates the workers to give best performance.

Job Enrichment and Job Enlargement

The difference between job enrichment and job enlargement is essentially of quantity and quality.

• Job enlargement means increasing the scope of job quantitatively by adding up more tasks, but job enrichment means improvement in the quality of job such that employees are more satisfied and fulfilled.
• Through job enrichment an employee finds satisfaction and contentment in his job and through job enlargement employee feels more responsible and worthwhile in the organization.
• Job enrichment entails the functions of planning and organizing and enlargement involves execution of the same. Both complement each other, in that job enrichment empowers and enlargement executes.
• Job enrichment depends upon job enlargement for success and the reverse in not true.
• Job enrichment means a vertical expansion in duties and responsibilities and span of control whereas in job enlargement the expansion is horizontal in nature.

Job enrichment has been found to have greater impact in terms of motivation when compared to job enlargement. Since enrichment gives employee greater insights in managerial functioning and a better work profile, it is looked upon as an indicator of growth and development. The same is not true in case of job enlargement which is seen as an employer tactic to increase the work load.

Key Takeaway

1. Job enrichment means a vertical expansion of a job.
2. It is different from job enlargement.
3. Job enrichment has been found to have greater impact in terms of motivation when compared to job enlargement.

4.8 Leadership

Concept of Leadership

Leadership can be defined as the ability of the management to make sound decisions and inspire others to perform well. It is the process of directing the behaviour of others towards achieving a common goal. In short, leadership is getting things done through others.

Leadership is very important in a firm as it leads to higher performance by the team members, it improves motivation and morale within the members, and helps to respond to change.

Leadership facilitates organizational success by creating responsibility and accountability among the members of the organization. In short, it increases value in an organization.

Styles of Leadership:

Leadership Styles

Different leadership styles exist in work environments. The culture and goal of an organization determine which leadership style fits best. Some organizations offer different leadership styles within an organization, depending on the necessary tasks to complete and departmental needs.

We find five different leadership styles in the corporate world. They are as follows−

Laissez-Faire

A laissez-faire leader does not directly supervise employees and fails to provide regular updates to those under his supervision. Highly experienced and trained employees with minimal requirement of supervision fall under the laissez-faire leadership style.

But not all employees possess these features. This leadership style blocks the production of employees needing supervision. The laissez-faire style implements no leadership or supervision efforts from managers, which can lead to poor production, lack of control and increasing costs.

Autocratic

The autocratic leadership style permits managers to make decisions alone without the input of others. Managers access total authority and impose their will on employees. No one opposes the decisions of autocratic leaders. Countries like Cuba and North Korea operate under the autocratic leadership style.

This leadership style benefits those who require direct supervision. Creative employees who participate in group functions detest this leadership style.

Participative

This is also known as the democratic leadership style. It values the input of team members and peers, but the responsibility of making the final decision rests with the participative leader. Participative leadership motivates employee morale because employees make contributions to the decision-making process. It accounts to a feeling that their opinions matter.

When an organization needs to make changes within itself, that is internally, the participative leadership style helps employees accept changes easily as they play a role in the process. This leadership style meets challenges when companies need to make a decision in a short period of time.

Transactional

Transactional leadership style is formed by the concept of reward and punishment. Transactional leaders believe that the employee's performance is completely dependent on these two factors. When there is an encouragement, the workers put in their best effort and the bonus is in monetary terms in most of the cases. In case they fail to achieve the set target they are given a negative appraisal.

Transactional leaders pay more attention to physical and security requirements of the employees.

Transformational

Transformational leadership has the ability to affect employee's perceptions through the returns that organization gets in the form of human capital benefits. These leaders have the ability to reap higher benefits by introducing knowledge management processes, encouraging interpersonal communication among employees and creating healthy organizational culture.

It helps in flourishing organizational innovation by creating a participative environment or culture. It promotes a culture where the employees have autonomy to speak about their experiences and share knowledge.

It has been seen that transformational leaders are more innovative than transactional and laisse-faire leaders.

Trait Approach Contingency

The trait approach to leadership was one of the earliest theories of leadership. Although it is not a fully articulated theory with well-developed hypotheses, the trait approach formed the basis of most early leadership research. This approach focuses on the personal attributes (or traits) of leaders, such as physical and personality characteristics, competencies, and values. It views leadership solely from the perspective of the individual leader. Implicit in this approach is the assumption that traits produce patterns of behaviour that are consistent across situations. That is, leadership traits are considered to be enduring characteristics that people are born with and that remain relatively stable over time.

The trait model of leadership is based on the characteristics of many leaders - both successful and unsuccessful - and is used to predict leadership effectiveness. The resulting lists of traits are then compared to those of potential leaders to assess their likelihood of success or failure.

Scholars taking the trait approach attempted to identify physiological (appearance, height, and weight), demographic (age, education and socioeconomic background), personality, self-confidence, and aggressiveness), intellective (intelligence, decisiveness, judgment, and knowledge), task-related (achievement drive, initiative, and persistence), and social characteristics (sociability and cooperativeness) with leader emergence and leader effectiveness.

Among the core traits identified are:

• Achievement drive: High level of effort, high levels of ambition, energy and initiative
• Leadership motivation: an intense desire to lead others to reach shared goals
• Honesty and integrity: trustworthy, reliable, and open
• Self-confidence: Belief in one’s self, ideas, and ability
• Cognitive ability: Capable of exercising good judgment, strong analytical abilities, and conceptually skilled
• Knowledge of business: Knowledge of industry and other technical matters
• Emotional Maturity: well adjusted, does not suffer from severe psychological disorders.
• Others: charisma, creativity and flexibility.

4.9 Types & theories of leadership

Types of leadership

1.Autocratic Leadership

Autocratic leadership is defined by a top-down approach when it comes to all decision-making, procedures, and policies within an organization. An autocratic leader focuses less on collecting input from team members and tends to make executive decisions that others are expected to follow.

Pros

i. Can be efficient, especially when it comes to decision making 

Ii. Keeps teams cohesive and consistent since one person is taking charge

Iii. May make everyone’s individual roles clearer since they’ll be delegated specific duties and won’t be encouraged to step outside of that role

Cons

i. Can stifle creativity, collaboration, and innovation

Ii. Doesn’t lead to diversity in thought

Iii. May led to disengaged individuals and teams who feel like they don’t have a voice 

Iv. Doesn’t allow any room for mentorship or professional growth

Recommendation rating: 1 out of 5 (least likely to recommend) 

2. Transactional Leadership

Transactional leadership is defined by control, organization, and short-term planning. Leaders who adopt this style rely on a system of rewards and punishment to motivate their followers. As you can see, there are many similarities between transactional leadership and autocratic leadership. The main difference is that transactional leadership, as the name implies, involves a clear exchange between the leader and the team members. For instance, in exchange for compliance and high performance, an employee might be rewarded with a promotion.

Pros

i. Can be an efficient way to reach short-term goals

Ii. Clearly defines expected behaviour from team members due to system of reward and punishment

Iii. Provides structure and stability 

Cons

i. Limits creativity, growth, and initiative

Ii. May not be impactful on people who aren’t driven by extrinsic motivation

Iii. Can be discouraging for those who are looking for professional and personal development opportunities 

3. Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leadership relies on a clear chain of command, strict regulations, and conformation by its followers. As the name implies, this is a leadership style that’s commonly found in government entities, as well as military and public organizations.

Pros

i. Stable in terms of job security and outcomes

Ii. Removes favouritism from the equation

Iii. Very clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations

Iv. A highly visible set of processes and regulations 

Cons

i. Inefficient since everything has to go through a chain of command

Ii. Doesn’t encourage an individual’s personal or professional growth

Iii. Stifles creativity, innovation, and free thinking

Iv. Doesn’t foster collaboration or relationship building within teams

v. Can make it difficult to respond to change 

4. Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic leadership is defined by a leader who uses their communication skills, persuasiveness, and charm to influence others. Charismatic leaders, given their ability to connect with people on a deep level, are especially valuable within organizations that are facing a crisis or are struggling to move forward.

Pros

i. Highly inspirational and motivating

Ii. Encourages a sense of camaraderie, collaboration, and union

Iii. Makes followers feel heard and understood

Iv. Creates movement toward positive change 

Cons

i. Can become more focused on themselves than their people

Ii. Has the potential to become self-serving

Iii. Frequently viewed as shallow or disingenuous

5. Transformational Leadership

Transformational leaders create a vision based on identified needs and guide their teams toward that unified goal through inspiration and motivation. The main difference between transformational leadership and the other styles we’ve covered so far is that this one is focused on changing the systems and processes that aren’t working – unlike transactional leadership or bureaucratic leadership, which don’t aim to change the status quo. 

Pros

i. Motivating for the team

Ii. Conducive to building strong relationships and encouraging collaboration

Iii. Gives team members autonomy to do their jobs

Iv. Can lead to more creativity, growth, and empathy on teams

Cons

i. May not be the best fit for specific organizations (i.e., bureaucratic)

Ii. Can cause feelings of instability while disrupting the status quo

Iii. Lots of pressure on the leader, who needs to lead by example 

6. Coaching Leadership

Coaching leadership is a style defined by collaboration, support, and guidance. Coaching leaders are focused on bringing out the best in their teams by guiding them through goals and obstacles. 

Pros

i. Encourages two-way communication and collaboration

Ii. Involves lots of constructive feedback

Iii. Facilitates the personal and professional development of individuals

Iv. Focuses on being supportive, not judgmental 

v. Creates opportunities for growth and creative thinking 

Cons

i. Resource intensive since it requires a lot of time and energy

Ii. Doesn’t always lead to the fastest, most efficient results 

Iii. May not be the ideal choice for high-pressure or strictly results-driven companies

7. Democratic Leadership

Democratic leadership, which is also commonly known as participative leadership, is about letting multiple people participate in the decision-making process. This type of leadership can be seen in a wide range of contexts, from businesses to schools to governments.

Pros

i. Encourages collaboration 

Ii. Inclusive of a variety of opinions and ways of thinking

Iii. Leads to higher group engagement and productivity

Iv. Can result in more creative solutions

The outcome is supported by the majority

Cons

i. The minority opinion is overridden

Ii. The involvement of multiple people can lead to more communication gaps and confusion

Iii. Can take a longer time to come to a decision 

Iv. An unskilled or untrained group can result in more decision making 

8. Collaborative Leadership

Collaborative leadership is focused on encouraging people to work together across functional and organizational boundaries. The purpose of this leadership style is to encourage collaboration with other teams and departments to accomplish shared goals. 

Pros

i. Can lead to more creative, innovative ways of thinking

Ii. More opportunities for diversity 

Iii. Can strengthen cross-team relationships 

Iv. Builds trust within an organization 

Cons

i. May lead to ambiguity in roles and responsibilities

Ii. Can create cross-team conflict

Iii. Potential power struggle between leaders 

9. Servant Leadership

Servant leadership puts the needs and wellbeing of followers first. In other words, these types of leaders adopt a serve-first approach and growth mindset to prioritize their organization, employees, and community above themselves.

Pros

i. Focuses on the development and growth of others

Ii. Can lead to improved performance, innovation, and collaboration

Iii. Creates a safe environment where people aren’t afraid to fail

Iv. Reduces turnover and disengagement

v. Increases trust with leaders 

Cons

i. Servant leaders can become more easily burnt out

Ii. Resource intensive

Iii. Difficult to train other leaders in the serve-first mindset

Iv. Can take longer to see results or reach goals 

v. Has the potential to be perceived as ‘weak’ 

10.Laissez-Faire Leadership

Laissez-faire leadership takes a hands-off approach to leadership and gives others the freedom to make decisions. While leaders still provide their teams with the resources and tools they need to succeed, they remain largely uninvolved in the day-to-day work. This is a leadership style you’ll commonly find in creative settings, such as advertising agencies or start-ups, due to its encouragement of independent thinking. 

Pros

i. Empowers individuals to practice their leadership skills

Ii. Can lead to increased creativity and innovation

Iii. Less fear of failure 

Iv. Encourages trust between team members and leader

v. Instil a sense of independence

Cons

i. Can result in low productivity 

Ii. Conflict amongst team members is common 

Iii. May led to confusion about roles and responsibilities

Iv. Won’t be effective with an unskilled or unmotivated team 

Theories of leadership

Leadership Theory may be a school of thinking advocated to elucidate how and why a specific individual becomes a pacesetter. Theory emphasizes the traits and behaviours that individuals can adopt to reinforce their leadership abilities.

Early studies of leadership psychology acknowledged the very fact that leadership skills are an inherent ability of individuals to change state. Formal leadership theory has only recently emerged, albeit leadership initially became an idea of interest.

Leadership at a look

Leaders are essential to the success of each team. For instance, consider an orchestra made from all the simplest musicians within the world but without a conductor. All members of the orchestra can play perfectly on their own, but produce incompatible melodies only within the absence of a conductor. An equivalent concept applies to communities, businesses and countries. Without a pacesetter, nothing runs smoothly.

Major leadership theories

1. Great man theory

According to the good Man Theory (probably called the good Man Theory), leaders are born with the proper traits and skills to exercise leadership, like charisma, intelligence, self-confidence, communication skills, and social skills.

Theory suggests that the power to exercise leadership is important which the simplest leaders are born, not born. It defines leaders as brave, mythical, and defined to require leadership within the event of a situation. At that point, leadership was reserved for men, especially military leadership, therefore the term "Great Man" was adopted.

2. Characteristic theory

The trait theory is extremely almost like the good man theory. It's supported the characteristics of varied leaders, both successful and unsuccessful leaders. This theory is employed to predict effective leadership. The identified traits are usually compared to the traits of potential leaders to work out their potential for effective lead.

Scholars studying trait theory seek to characterize leadership from a spread of perspectives. They specialise in physiological attributes like appearance, weight and height. Demographics like age, educational background, case history. Intelligence including determination, judgment and knowledge.

3. Contingency theory

Contingency theory emphasizes various variables during a particular setting and determines the design of leadership that most accurately fits things. It's supported the principle that one leadership style isn't applicable altogether situations.

Famous leadership researchers Hodgson and White believe that the simplest sort of leadership is to seek out the right balance between behaviour, needs, and context. An honest leader isn't only qualified, but also ready to assess the requirements and imminent situation of his followers. In summary, contingency theory suggests that good leadership may be a combination of the many important variables.

4. Situation theory

Situation theory is analogous to contingency theory therein it proposes that one leadership style doesn't replace the opposite. Because the name implies, theory means leadership depends on things at hand. Simply put, leaders should adapt their leadership to their situation by assessing specific variables like task type and follower nature.

As suggested by Professor Paul Hersey of the us and Ken Blanchard, a pacesetter in leadership, situational theory blends two key elements: leadership style and follower maturity. Hercy and Blanchard categorized maturity into four different degrees.

M1 – Team members don't have the motivation or tactical skills to finish the specified work.

M2 – Team members are motivated and impressive to accomplish something, but lack the required abilities.

M3 – Team members have the talents and skills to perform tasks, but aren't trying to be accountable.

M4 – Team members have all the proper talents and are willing to finish the project.

According to situational theory, leaders exercise certain sorts of leadership supported the maturity of the team.

5. Behaviour theory

Behavioural theory focuses on a leader's specific behaviour or behaviour, not on the leader's traits or traits. Theory suggests that effective leadership is that the results of many learned skills.

Individuals need three main skills to guide their followers: technical skills, human skills, and conceptual skills. Technical skill refers to the knowledge of a pacesetter during a process or technology. Human skills mean having the ability to interact with other individuals. Conceptual skills allow leaders to return up with ideas for running a corporation or society smoothly.

4.10 Effective communication

An effective communication system is an essential part of good labour management relations. The prime objective of setting up a communication is to exchange facts and information in a manner which is acceptable to concerned and which will lead to a cooperative action by all concerned. Effective communication is an essential for achieving the overall goals of an organization. Effective communication occurs when the sender obtains his intended results from the receiver. In effective communication the sender's goal is to influence the receiver so that the desired behaviour is achieved. Good communication occurs when the receiver correctly understands the message.  In communication, understanding is the goal that is achieved. While it is easy to achieve good communication, effective communication is rather difficult as it involves other aspects of behaviour such as motivation, leadership, persuasion and power. Furthermore, effective communication implies good communication but good communication itself does not ensure effective communication.

Introduction

Communication is the process of transferring information by means of speaking, reading, listening and writing. Although the act of communication is heavily dependent on these four skills, it goes beyond these and also incorporate non-verbal elements such as body language, expressions, sign language, electronically transmitted codes (Morse code etc.) etc. It is both an art and a science.

Although every individual communicates simply by being in the world, learning effective communication skills requires hard work and determination. Developing good verbal and body language skills involves learning and consciously using your skills to improve.

One must be thoroughly familiar with all styles of correspondence in order to facilitate effective communication. The form of communication intrinsically depends upon the purpose and the central idea of the message to be conveyed. For example, it is feasible to acquire information or provide information using a formal phone call or an email whereas while conveying bad news to a particular individual a face-to-face conversation is considered rather apt.

Communication can be formal or informal

1. Formal communication: Formal Communication is the exchange of official information that flows along the different levels of the organizational hierarchy and conforms to the prescribed professional rules, policy, standards, processes and regulations of the organization.
2. Informal communication: Informal Communication is the casual and unofficial form of communication wherein the information is exchanged spontaneously between two or more persons without conforming the prescribed official rules, processes, system, formalities and chain of command.

Role of Communication

The role of communication can be understood by classifying it into two broad categories:

Personal Communication

Personal communication refers to the exchange of information between two people. It may be formal or informal, social or business. Personal communication is usually carried out when both the sender and receiver of the message know each other personally and share a relationship.

Personal communications comprise of private letters, memos, some electronic forms of communications such as e-mails), personal interviews, and telephonic conversations.

Features of personal communication include:

1. Clarity- Clarity is one of the most essential requirements of communication. While writing, it is necessary to write in good handwriting with proper grammar and sentence formation. While speaking one should use proper vocabulary and speak each word clearly and carefully along with proper inflections.

2.     Active Listening- One should listen carefully what the speaker is saying in order to understand properly and provide feedback. One should be attentive while listening, ask open ended questions and should be able to summarize the information provided by the speaker.

3.  Eye-Contact in Oral Communication- While conversing one should maintain eye contact with the speaker as this shows the speaker that the message is being received by the listener.

4. Non-Verbal Communication- One’s body language often speaks as loud as his words. While communication one should show one’s reactions and interests through their body language.

5. Two-Way Conversation- It is essential to let the speaker finish talking before conveying one’s own thoughts. Interrupting is not only rude but also can be disadvantageous as one may not totally grasp the meaning of the speaker. If an interruption is absolutely necessary, one must use polite words like “pardon me” or “excuse me” instead of cutting the speaker in the middle of their thought process.

6.  Thought- It is said one must think twice before they speak. One must always consider the opinions and feelings of others before speaking their mind.

7. The Message- The message one wishes to convey must always be clear and concise, there should be no doubts in one’s mind while speaking. The central idea of the message should always be conveyed completely and indubitably.

Business Communication

In this age of globalisation every business enterprise, big or small, requires proper communication for its existence. The success of any business concern largely depends upon successful communication.

In this age of speed, complexity and competition, sending of information regarding the product to the ultimate consumer is very important. Unless they know about the product of the business enterprise, it is not possible for them to make contact and buy the product. Communication plays a vital role in this sphere.

Communication made among persons to convey their personal information, message or thought are personal communication; but exchange of information, facts and ideas relating to business may be termed as “Business Communication”. Business Communication refers to the communication relating to business activity which means providing goods and services to the consumers with a view to earning profit.

It is a process through which information, facts, ideas, orders, advices, decisions, etc. are conveyed, sent or exchanged between/among the persons associated with business. Thus, Communication relating to trade, law, Finance, administration, management, etc. of a business enterprise may be termed as ‘Business Communication’.

Characteristics of business communication include:

Below are the six main characteristics of business Communication:

1. Addresses a Particular Demographic

Documents and presentations are always created with the receiver in mind. Business communication is used to provide direct information regarding specific topics with no digressions. It is essential to create an audience profile before initiating conversation. Business conversations are direct and to the point therefore, it has no place for ambiguity or obscurity.

2.     Problem Solving

Business communication is generally carried out in order to resolve an issue or problem. It only deals with information which is relevant to the problem at hand and works towards finding resolution. Analysis and synopsis are two important elements with regards to problem solving.

3.     Reflects on Goals and Culture

Business communication is done with a common goal in mind. It respects the culture of an organisation and works towards the goal with the basic principle of being culturally appropriate. Words and phrases specific to an environment are used during discussions or discourses.

4.     Is a Collaborative Effort

Forms of business communication such as documents, projects or letters are often a result of a team of business communicators. Any informational document requires a number of people working on it. Even when a project is to be finished by a single person, the way they acquire technical information is always dependent on a number of sources.

5.     Use of Designing Features in Written Technical Communication

Documents often use various design features such as colour, typography, spacing and indenting, etc. to make the document look more attractive and professional. Apart from that design features allow the reader to navigate the document with greater efficiency and help them understand the document more easily.

6.     Use of Technology and Terminology

The terminology used during a business conversation is of the specific field it is carried out in. Words and phrases used during business communication process are often only understood by the people who are involved in it. Technological tools such as computers are often involved in business communications. Presentations and graphical representation of various topics are extremely relevant to business communication.

Importance

English Communication serves four major important functions within any group or organization. These are:

• Acquiring Jobs
• Control
• Motivation
• Emotional expression
• Information

Acquiring Jobs

Most Organizations today, be it abroad or in India deal with other countries due to globalization. And English being a world language most of the documentation and day to day operations are carried out in English. Therefore, having command over both spoken and written forms of the English language makes one desirable for these jobs. Not only fluent English makes a good impression but also facilitates deeper understanding and better communication between colleagues and external organizations.

Control

Communication in English serves a controlling function in a hierarchical structure. When a teacher has to control her students or a manager has to control his employees and ask them to perform the required tasks, controlling words and tone has to be used. This function is mostly applicable in a formal setting however there may be some exceptions (Parents and children).

Motivation

Proper communicative English can be used to motivate employees to perform well. Motivational communication includes praising people for a well-done job, inspiring them to do even better and pointing out where they are going wrong and helping them rectify their mistakes. Motivational speakers also use communication as a tool to inspire and influence people.

Emotional Expression

Communication is useful tool for showing a whole range of emotions such as frustrations, happiness, anger. Therefore, it provides for the emotional expression of feelings which can be understood and provided with proper feedback.

Information

English communication facilitates decision-making, by passing information from one party to another. News channels, newspapers, current affairs all provide information regarding the daily events taking place in the word, this keeping one well informed.

References:

1. Robins S.P. And Couiter M., Management, Prentice Hall India, 10th ed.,2009.

2. Stoner JAF, Freeman RE and Gilbert DR, Management, 6th ed., Pearson Education,2004.

3. Tripathy PC & Reddy PN, Principles of Management, Tata McGraw Hill,1999.