NMIMS December 2020: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

 

NMIMS Global Access
School for Continuing Education (NGA-SCE)
Course: Organisational Behaviour
Internal Assignment Applicable for December 2020 Examination
Assignment Marks: 30

1. Anand has been raised in economically modest family and has seen family struggle to
make ends meet. What worked well for Anand was his hard work and sheer dedication
because of which he was able to get through to civil services exam in the first attempt
itself. As soon as Anand’s training finished he was placed as a District Magistrate. Soon
he notices a scam under a government scheme involving huge amount of money. He
raised the concern to the higher authorities to which he was asked to be involved in it and
get a huge part of the deal. Anand is now in dilemma as he is in need of money to look
after his family requirements. Bring out how the three personality traits as per the
psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud act on him. (10 Marks)

 

Answer: Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality argues that human behavior is the result of the interactions among three component parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego. This theory, known as Freud’s structural theory of personality, places great emphasis on the role of unconscious psychological conflicts in shaping behavior and personality. Dynamic interactions among these fundamental parts of the mind are thought to progress through five distinct psychosexual stages of development. Over the last century, however, Freud’s ideas have since been met with criticism, in part because of his singular focus on sexuality as the main driver of human personality development.

Freud’s Structure of the Human Mind

According to Freud, our personality develops from the interactions among what he proposed as the three fundamental structures of the human mind: the id, ego, and superego. Conflicts among these three structures, and our efforts to find balance among what each of them “desires,” determines how we behave and approach the world. What balance we strike in any given situation determines how we will resolve the conflict between two overarching behavioral tendencies: our biological aggressive and pleasure-seeking drives vs. our socialized internal control over those drives.

 The Id

The id, the most primitive of the three structures, is concerned with instant gratification of basic physical needs and urges. It operates entirely unconsciously (outside of conscious thought). For example, if your id walked past a stranger eating ice cream, it would most likely take the ice cream for itself. It doesn’t know, or care, that it is rude to take something belonging to someone else; it would care only that you wanted the ice cream.

The Superego

The superego is concerned with social rules and morals—similar to what many people call their ” conscience ” or their “moral compass.” It develops as a child learns what their culture considers right and wrong. If your superego walked past the same stranger, it would not take their ice cream because it would know that that would be rude. However, if both your id and your superego were involved, and your id was strong enough to override your superego’s concern, you would still take the ice cream, but afterward you would most likely feel guilt and shame over your actions.

The Ego

In contrast to the instinctual id and the moral superego, the ego is the rational, pragmatic part of our personality. It is less primitive than the id and is partly conscious and partly unconscious. It’s what Freud considered to be the “self,” and its job is to balance the demands of the id and superego in the practical context of reality. So, if you walked past the stranger with ice cream one more time, your ego would mediate the conflict between your id (“I want that ice cream right now”) and superego (“It’s wrong to take someone else’s ice cream”) and decide to go buy your own ice cream. While this may mean you have to wait 10 more minutes, which would frustrate your id, your ego decides to make that sacrifice as part of the compromise– satisfying your desire for ice cream while also avoiding an unpleasant social situation and potential feelings of shame.

Freud believed that the id, ego, and superego are in constant conflict and that adult personality and behavior are rooted in the results of these internal struggles throughout childhood. He believed that a person who has a strong ego has a healthy personality and that imbalances in this system can lead to neurosis (what we now think of as anxiety and depression) and unhealthy behaviors.

Psychosexual Stages of Development

Freud believed that the nature of the conflicts among the id, ego, and superego change over time as a person grows from child to adult. Specifically, he maintained that these conflicts progress through a series of five basic stages, each with a different focus: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. He called his idea the psychosexual theory of development, with each psychosexual stage directly related to a different physical center of pleasure.

Across these five stages, the child is presented with different conflicts between their biological drives (id) and their social and moral conscience (supereg0) because their biological pleasure-seeking urges focus on different areas of the body (what Freud called “erogenous zones”). The child’s ability to resolve these internal conflicts determines their future ability to cope and function as an adult. Failure to resolve a stage can lead one to become fixated in that stage, leading to unhealthy personality traits; successful resolution of the stages leads to a healthy adult.

Criticism of Freud’s Theories

Although Freud’s theories have many advantages that helped to expand our psychological understanding of personality, they are not without limits.

Narrow Focus

In his singular emphasis on the structure of the human mind, Freud paid little to no attention to the impact of environment, sociology, or culture. His theories were highly focused on pathology and largely ignored “normal,” healthy functioning. He has also been criticized for his myopic view of human sexuality to the exclusion of other important factors.

No Scientific Basis

Many critics point out that Freud’s theories are not supported by any empirical (experimental) data. In fact, as researchers began to take a more scientific look at his ideas, they found that several were unable to be supported: in order for a theory to be scientifically valid, it must be possible to disprove (“falsify”) it with experimental evidence, and many of Freud’s notions are not falsifiable.

Misogyny

Feminists and modern critics have been particularly critical of many of Freud’s theories, pointing out that the assumptions and approaches of psychoanalytic theory are profoundly patriarchal (male-dominated), anti-feminist, and misogynistic (anti-woman). Karen Horney, a psychologist who followed Freud, saw the mainstream Freudian approach as having a foundation of “masculine narcissism.” Feminist Betty Friedan referred to Freud’s concept of “penis envy” as a purely social bias typical of the Victorian era and showed how the concept played a key role in discrediting alternative notions of femininity in the early to mid-twentieth century.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Shritika is an entrepreneur, she has her own HR consultancy firm. In her work Shritika
gets to meet a lot of clients which she really enjoys. Whenever she is stressed because of
her work, she goes out with her friends or family and then resumes work with new
enthusiasm and energy. She is one such boss that whenever the employees face any
problem they do not hesitate to share with her. At times when the client is annoyed and
loses his cool Shritika still maintains her composure and tries to solve his concerns. Based
on all the above narration discuss Shritika’s personality on the basis of Big Five/OCEAN
(10 Marks)

 

Answer:

The "big five" are broad categories of personality traits. While there is a significant body of literature supporting this five-factor model of personality, researchers don't always agree on the exact labels for each dimension.

It is important to note that each of the five personality factors represents a range between two extremes. For example, extraversion represents a continuum between extreme extraversion and extreme introversion. In the real world, most people lie somewhere in between the two polar ends of each dimension.

These five categories are usually described as follows.

Openness

This trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight.¹ People who are high in this trait also tend to have a broad range of interests. They are curious about the world and other people and eager to learn new things and enjoy new experiences.

People who are high in this trait tend to be more adventurous and creative. People low in this trait are often much more traditional and may struggle with abstract thinking.

High

·         Very creative

·         Open to trying new things

·         Focused on tackling new challenges

 

·         Happy to think about abstract concepts

 

Low

·         Dislikes change

·         Does not enjoy new things

·         Resists new ideas

·         Not very imaginative

·         Dislikes abstract or theoretical concepts

Conscientiousness

Standard features of this dimension include high levels of thoughtfulness, good impulse control, and goal-directed behaviors.¹ Highly conscientious people tend to be organized and mindful of details. They plan ahead, think about how their behavior affects others, and are mindful of deadlines.

High

·         Spends time preparing

·         Finishes important tasks right away

·         Pays attention to detail

·         Enjoys having a set schedule

Low

·         Dislikes structure and schedules

·         Makes messes and doesn't take care of things

·         Fails to return things or put them back where they belong

·         Procrastinates important tasks

·         Fails to complete necessary or assigned tasks

Extraversion

Extraversion (or extroversion) is characterized by excitability, sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness, and high amounts of emotional expressiveness.¹ People who are high in extraversion are outgoing and tend to gain energy in social situations. Being around other people helps them feel energized and excited.

People who are low in extraversion (or introverted) tend to be more reserved and have less energy to expend in social settings. Social events can feel draining and introverts often require a period of solitude and quiet in order to "recharge."

High

·         Enjoys being the center of attention

·         Likes to start conversations

·         Enjoys meeting new people

·         Has a wide social circle of friends and acquaintances

·         Finds it easy to make new friends

·         Feels energized when around other people

·         Say things before thinking about them

Low

·         Prefers solitude

·         Feels exhausted when having to socialize a lot

·         Finds it difficult to start conversations

·         Dislikes making small talk

·         Carefully thinks things through before speaking

·         Dislikes being the center of attention

 How Extroversion in Personality Influences Behavior

Agreeableness

This personality dimension includes attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviors.¹ People who are high in agreeableness tend to be more cooperative while those low in this trait tend to be more competitive and sometimes even manipulative.

High

·         Has a great deal of interest in other people

·         Cares about others

·         Feels empathy and concern for other people

·         Enjoys helping and contributing to the happiness of other people

·         Assists others who are in need of help

Low

·         Takes little interest in others

·         Doesn't care about how other people feel

·         Has little interest in other people's problems

·         Insults and belittles others

·         Manipulates others to get what they want

Neuroticism

Neuroticism is a trait characterized by sadness, moodiness, and emotional instability.¹ Individuals who are high in this trait tend to experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and sadness. Those low in this trait tend to be more stable and emotionally resilient.

High

·         Experiences a lot of stress

·         Worries about many different things

·         Gets upset easily

·         Experiences dramatic shifts in mood

·         Feels anxious

·         Struggles to bounce back after stressful events

Low

·         Emotionally stable

·         Deals well with stress

·         Rarely feels sad or depressed

·         Doesn't worry much

·         Is very relaxed

Are the Big Five Traits Universal?

McCrae and his colleagues have also found that the big five traits are also remarkably universal. One study that looked at people from more than 50 different cultures found that the five dimensions could be accurately used to describe personality.

Based on this research, many psychologists now believe that the five personality dimensions are not only universal; they also have biological origins. Psychologist David Buss has proposed that an evolutionary explanation for these five core personality traits, suggesting that these personality traits represent the most important qualities that shape our social landscape.

What Factors Influence the Big Five Traits?

Research suggests that both biological and environmental influences play a role in shaping our personalities. Twin studies suggest that both nature and nurture play a role in the development of each of the five personality factors.²

One study of the genetic and environmental underpinnings of the five traits looked at 123 pairs of identical twins and 127 pairs of fraternal twins. The findings suggested that the heritability of each trait was 53 percent for extraversion, 41 percent for agreeableness, 44 percent for conscientiousness, 41 percent for neuroticism, and 61 for openness. 

Longitudinal studies also suggest that these big five personality traits tend to be relatively stable over the course of adulthood. One study of working-age adults found that personality tended to be stable over a four-year period and displayed little change as a result of adverse life events.

Studies have shown that maturation may have an impact on the five traits. As people age, they tend to become less extraverted, less neurotic, and less open to the experience. Agreeableness and conscientiousness, on the other hand, tend to increase as people grow older.

3. As the famous saying goes by, “What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on
where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.”
a. Justify this statement by throwing more light on the concept of perception. (5 Marks)

 

Answer: While our sensory receptors are constantly collecting information from the environment, it is ultimately how we interpret that information that affects how we interact with the world. Perception refers to the way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced. Perception involves both bottom-up and top-down processing. Bottom-up processing refers to the fact that perceptions are built from sensory input. On the other hand, how we interpret those sensations is influenced by our available knowledge, our experiences, and our thoughts. This is called top-down processing.

One way to think of this concept is that sensation is a physical process, whereas perception is psychological. For example, upon walking into a kitchen and smelling the scent of baking cinnamon rolls, the sensation is the scent receptors detecting the odor of cinnamon, but the perception may be “Mmm, this smells like the bread Grandma used to bake when the family gathered for holidays.”

Although our perceptions are built from sensations, not all sensations result in perception. In fact, we often don’t perceive stimuli that remain relatively constant over prolonged periods of time. This is known as sensory adaptation. Imagine entering a classroom with an old analog clock. Upon first entering the room, you can hear the ticking of the clock; as you begin to engage in conversation with classmates or listen to your professor greet the class, you are no longer aware of the ticking. The clock is still ticking, and that information is still affecting sensory receptors of the auditory system. The fact that you no longer perceive the sound demonstrates sensory adaptation and shows that while closely associated, sensation and perception are different.

There is another factor that affects sensation and perception: attention. Attention plays a significant role in determining what is sensed versus what is perceived. Imagine you are at a party full of music, chatter, and laughter. You get involved in an interesting conversation with a friend, and you tune out all the background noise. If someone interrupted you to ask what song had just finished playing, you would probably be unable to answer that question.

 

b. Also, discuss in depth about few perceptual distortions/errors/bias. (5 Marks)

 

Answer: A perceptual error is the inability to judge humans, things or situations fairly and accurately. Examples could include such things as bias, prejudice, stereotyping, which have always caused human beings to err in different aspects of their lives.

Perceptual error has strong impact in organisation and it hampers in proper decision making skill while hiring,performance appraisal,review,feedback etc

There are many types of perceptual errors in workplace

1.Selective Perception-People generally interpret according to their basis of interests,idea and backgrounds.It is the tendency not to notice and forget the stimuli that cause emotional discomfort.For example we might think that fresher graduates with above 80 % marks will exceptionally do well in technical interviews of respective subjects

2.Halo Effect-We misjudge people by concentrating on one single behavior or trait.It has deep impact and give inaccurate result most of the time.For example we always have an impression of a lazy person can never be punctual in any occasion.

3.Stereotypes-We always have a tendency to classify people to a general groups /categories in order to simplify the matter.For example-Women are always good homemakers and can do well in work life balance

4.Contrast Effect-We again sometimes judge people in comparison to others . This example generally found in sports,academics and performance review

5.Projection-This is very common among Perceptual errors.Projection of one's own attitude,personality or behavior into some other person.For example- To all honest people,everybody is honest.

6.Impression-We all know the term "first impression is the last impression" and we apply that too .For example-During the time of hiring, thought like this "The most decent and modest person in the interview can do very well in every roles and responsibilities " always arise.

Strategies for Improving Perceptual Skills: 7 Strategies

1. Knowing Oneself Accurately: One of the powerful ways to minimize perceptual distortions is to know yourself.
2. Emphathize with Others:
3. Have a Positive Attitude:
4. Postpone Impression Formation:
5. Communicating Openly:
6. Comparing One's Perceptions with that of Others:
7. Introducing Diversity Management Programs

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