Organisations & Behaviour

I have been given two companies “SYNGENTA” and “FORESTRY COMMISSION” to

analyze and evaluate the impact of structure, culture and management theories. I
will also be discussing how these factors influence and impact the individual
behavior at work.

TASK 1:

SYNGENTA
Syngenta is a world-leading plant science business. In the year 2000 the
agricultural divisions of ZENECA and NOVARTIS merged and formed SYNGENTA. It
promotes sustainable agriculture through it innovative technology. Its motive is
”bringing plant potential to life”. More than 24000 people are employed at
SYNGENTA in over 90 countries. Its customers range from farmers to
governments. The core strength of SYNGENTA are its well-qualified innovative
scientists. However, the company also needs people in other supporting roles to
ensure the products that its scientists develop can reach their chosen markets
and customers. Its strategy of recruiting and developing its employees makes
SYNGENTA consistently a major player in a highly competitive market. The
business prides itself on attracting motivated, talented and involved employees.
Once people are recruited, it fully utilizes the breadth and depth of their available
talent. The company has a wide range of product line in crop protection,
professional products and garden plants.

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FORESTRY COMMISSION
The Forestry commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible
for the forestry in Great Britain. It was set up in 1919 to expand Britain’s forests
and woodland after depletion during the First World War. To do this the
commission bought large amount of former agricultural land, eventually
becoming the largest brand owner in Britain.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The purpose of structure is the division of work among members of the
organisation, and the co-ordination of their activities so they are directed towards
the goals and objectives of the organisation. Structure is the pattern of
relationships among positions in the organization and among members of the
organisation. Structure makes possible the application of the process of
management and creates a framework of order and command through which the
activities of the organisation can be planned, organized, directed and controlled.
The structure defines tasks and responsibilities, work roles and relationships, and
channels of communication. Structure is clearly important for any organisation,
whatever its size. However, in the smaller organisations there are likely to be
fewer problems of structure. The distribution of tasks, the definition of authority
and responsibility, and the relationship between members of the organisation can
be established on a personal and informal basis. With increasing size, however,
there is greater need for a carefully designed and purposeful form of
organisation, there is need for a formal organisational structure.

Within any organisation there are likely to be

several layers of authority. The number of levels depends upon whether the

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business has a hierarchical or flat structure. Some hierarchies have many layers
within them. This often leads to a narrow span of control. This means that each
manager is responsible for only a small number of people.

(REF: MANAGEMENT & ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR by LAURIE J.MULLINS)

This hierarchical structure does not suit SYNGENTA because of its innovative style.
Syngenta is committed to empowering its staff so like many large businesses
working in both national and international markets, SYNGENTA has adopted a
matrix structure.

An organization design termed matrix organization attempts to maximize

the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of both the functional and product
bases. In practical terms, the matrix design combines functional and product
departmental bases. Companies such as IBM, Proctor & Gamble, BMW, Boeing,
American Cyanamid, Caterpillar Tractor, Hughes Aircraft, ITT, Monsanto Chemical,
National Cash Register, Prudential Insurance, TWR, and Texas Instruments are
only a few of the users of matrix organization. Public sectors users include public
health and social service agencies. Although the exact meaning of matrix
organization varies in practice, it’s typically seen as a balanced compromise
between functional and product organization, between departmentalization by
function and by product. Matrix organizations achieve the desired balance by
superimposing, or overlaying, a horizontal structure of authority, influence, and
communication on the vertical structure. For example, manufacturing, marketing,
engineering, and finance specialists are assigned to work on one or more projects
or products. As a consequence, personnel report to two managers: one in their
functional department and one in the project or product unit. The existence of a
dual authority system is a distinguishing characteristic of matrix organizations.

The potential conflict between allegiance to one’s functional manager and

one’s project manager must be recognized and dealt with in matrix organizations.
Matrix structures are found in organizations that require responses to rapid

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change in two or more environments, such as technology and markets; face

uncertainties that generate high information processing requirements; and must
deal with financial and human resources constraints. Managers confronting these
circumstances are most likely to realize certain advantages with matrix
organization. Matrix organization facilitates the use of highly specialized staff and
equipment. Each project or product unit can share the specialized resource with
other units, rather than duplicating it to provide independent coverage for each.
This is a particular advantage when projects don’t require the specialist’s full-time
efforts. For example, a project may require only half a computer scientist’s time.
Rather than having several underutilized computer scientists assigned to each
project, the organization can keep fewer of them fully utilized by shifting them
from project to project. Such flexibility speeds response to competitive
conditions, technological breakthroughs, and other environmental changes. Also,
these interactions encourage cross-fertilization of ideas, such as when a computer
scientist must discuss the pros and cons of electronic data processing with a
financial accounting expert. Each specialist must be able to listen to, understand,
and respond to the other’s views. At the same time, specialists maintain ongoing
contact with members of their own discipline because they are also members of a
functional department.
(REF: MANAGEMENT & ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR by LAURIE J.MULLINS)

A hierarchical structure does not suits the FORESTRY COMMISSION as well.

FORESTRY COMMISSION has a flat geographical organisational structure. This has
fewer layers and a wider span of control. Communication is generally quicker in
this structure and enables creative approaches and the freedom to explore new
options. Employees at the FORESTRY COMMISSION work together to find better
ways of using forest resources by:

1. Protecting what we already have

2. Reducing deforestation
3. Restoring the world’s forest cover
4. Using wood for energy
5. Replacing other materials with wood

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6. Planning to adapt to our changing climate

For this structure to be effective, workers need to be able to take

responsibilities for their decisions. Forestry commission employees work within a
flat organisition structure. Their skills and experiences are used effectively to
share ideas about ways in which sustainable forestry can help to combat climate
change. Flat organization (also known as horizontal organization) refers to an
organizational structure with few or no levels of intervening management
between staff and managers. The idea is that well-trained workers will be more
productive when they are more directly involved in the decision making process,
rather than closely supervised by many layers of management.

This structure is generally possible only in smaller organizations or

individual units within larger organizations. When they reach a critical size,
organizations can retain a streamlined structure but cannot keep a completely flat
manager-to-staff relationship without impacting productivity. Certain financial
responsibilities may also require a more conventional structure. Some theorize
that flat organizations become more traditionally hierarchical when they begin to
be geared towards productivity.

The flat organization model promotes employee involvement through a

decentralized decision-making process. By elevating the level of responsibility of
baseline employees and eliminating layers of middle management, comments
and feedback reach all personnel involved in decisions more quickly. Expected
response to customer feedback becomes more rapid. Since the interaction
between workers is more frequent, this organizational structure generally
depends upon a much more personal relationship between workers and
managers. Hence the structure can be more time-consuming to build than a
traditional hierarchical model.

Benefits or advantages of a flat organisation structure are as follows:

1. Flat Organisation is less costly because it has only few managers.

2. It creates fewer levels of management.

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3. Quick decisions and actions can be taken because it has only a few levels of
management.
4. Fast and clear communication is possible among these few levels of
management.
5. Subordinates are free from close and strict supervision and control.
6. It is more suitable for routine and standardized activities.
7. Superiors may not be too dominating because of large numbers of
subordinates.

Disadvantages of Flat Organisation Structure

Limitations or disadvantages of a flat organisation structure are as follows:

1. There are chances of loose control because there are many subordinates
under one manager.

2. The discipline in the organisation may be bad due to lose control.

3. The relations between the superiors and subordinates may be bad. Close
and informal relations may not be possible.

4. There may be problems of team work because there are many

subordinates under one manager.

5. Flat organisation structure may create problems of coordination between

various subordinates.

6. Efficient and experienced superiors are required to manage a large number

of subordinates.

7. It may not be suitable for complex activities.

8. The quality of performance may be bad.

As FORESTRY COMMISSION has national committees for each Scotland, England

and Wales, it has a geographical structure. This geographical structure has two
main advantages. Firstly, it creates a regional base allowing decisions in Scotland,

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Wales and England to be made and managed at a regional level. This takes into
account local conditions, needs and expertise.

Delegating decision-making down the hierarchy is referred to as decentralisation.

Each country is engaged in:

 Forest management activities on the government's forest estate, such as

planting and harvesting trees, recreation or education
 Conservation activities for the protection and re-planting of trees and
nature sites owned by private sector landowners.

The Forestry Commission's structure also allows it to benefit from centralisation.

While forest policy differs between the three countries, some internal policy
decisions are still made at the top of the hierarchy. This ensures consistency
where necessary throughout the whole of the Forestry Commission, for example,
making certain that Britain adheres to international rules for sustainable forest
management.

Centralisation also provides benefits from economies of scale, e.g. by having

central departments to provide shared services, including Human Resources,
Finance and Information Services.
(REF: MANAGEMENT & ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR by LAURIE J.MULLINS)

ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE
Organizational culture is the collective behavior of humans that are part of an
organization, it is also formed by the organization values, visions, norms, working
language, systems, and symbols, it includes beliefs and habits. It is also the
pattern of such collective behaviors and assumptions that are taught to new
organizational members as a way of perceiving, and even thinking and feeling.
Organizational culture affects the way people and groups interact with each
other, with clients, and with stakeholders.

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Ravasi and Schultz (2006) state that organizational culture is a set of shared
mental assumptions that guide interpretation and action in organizations by
defining appropriate behavior for various situations. At the same time although a
company may have "own unique culture", in larger organizations, there is a
diverse and sometimes conflicting cultures that co-exist due to different
characteristics of the management team, The organizational culture may also
have negative and positive aspects.

(REF: Molly Rose Teuke, CREATING CULTURE OF INNOVATION, Oracle Magazine, February 2007)
( REF: Montana, P., and Charnov, B. (2008) Management (4th ed.), Barrons Educational Series, Hauppauge:NY)

Syngenta uses the skills and competencies of its people to bridge its functional
areas. By using people with specific scientific knowledge or experience to lead
teams in areas like marketing and production, communication is better within the
team.  Team members know that the leader understands the issues they face.
This can also help to ensure that problems are understood and resolved quickly.
These profiles help to demonstrate how Syngenta uses this 'cross-over' of talent.
This reflects a ROLE culture in SYNGENTA. Syngenta has a culture of empowering
its workers. This enables them to be in control of their work. To fulfil Syngenta's
aims and objectives, employees must also demonstrate specific skills and
competencies. Dr Kathryn Brocklehurst explains what this means for her: 'As a
manager and scientist, time management, planning and communication are key
skills. I manage a research team and it is vital that our work meets deadlines in
order to get products developed for our customers.'

Melanie Wardle is a scientist who now works in Syngenta's marketing team.

Melanie uses her scientific knowledge to help market Syngenta products
throughout the UK.

'My role covers communications planning for all crops and products. This includes
advertising and publicity campaigns to meet the marketing objectives for the
Syngenta brand. I manage the PR, advertising and design agencies that we work
with as well as our internal team, to ensure these activities are implemented on

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schedule and on budget. I also co-ordinate our presence at major industry events
and exhibitions. I enjoy the variety of the work itself and the fact that I get to work
with different departments and people, as well as having a close connection to our
customers.'

The Forestry Commission has a culture of Continuous Professional Development

(CPD). This is supported by a system of regular appraisals. An appraisal involves
employees reviewing performance with their line managers to identify areas
where they want or need to learn more. They then develop a training plan to fill
the gaps. Part of the appraisal involves setting SMART objectives so the trainee
knows what to expect. A job role is made up of the tasks and responsibilities a
person takes on at work. The Forestry Commission needs a wide range of skills
and abilities to fulfil its variety of roles. People can join at different entry levels. 
There are different levels of responsibility within the organisation. Murray
Livingstone recently started a two-year apprenticeship with the Forestry
Commission. Murray works in the West Argyll Forest District as a forest
craftsperson, harvesting trees for timber. His initial training involved learning
about different types of machines and health and safety on the forest site. This is
a first line job which one day could go on to a middle management post as a
senior Forester.

Julie McMorran is a civil engineer. Some of her projects involve building new
roads and bridges for timber lorries to get in and out of forestry areas.
Alternatively, she might create concepts, and design and test models for
footbridges, walkways or towers. These form part of the Forestry Commission's
recreational work for walkers, cyclists or even theatre events.

At a higher level within the organisation, Gordon Donaldson is a Forest District

Manager. His work includes managing the restoration of forest land at Loch
Katrine in Scotland. This involves removing non-native plants and re-establishing
farming of highland cattle in the area.

LEADERSHIP STYLE

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A leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction,

implementing plans, and motivating people. There are many different leadership
styles that can be exhibited by leaders in the political, business or other fields.
(REF: Martindale, N (2011). Strategic Communication Management 15 (8): 32–35)

Dr. Kathryn Brocklehurst explains what this means for her: 'As a manager and
scientist, time management, planning and communication are key skills. I manage
a research team and it is vital that our work meets deadlines in order to get
products developed for our customers.'

Kathryn's planning skills are essential as delays could mean that competitors bring
out new products first. As a result, Syngenta could lose business. Investment costs
are high in the research area. Large research projects can run for 10 years, costing
up to £100 million per project. Clear leadership is essential to make this product
development work as efficiently as possible.

The employees at SYNGENTA are being treated at a DEMOCRATIC leadership

style. Leadership skills at this level take time to develop. Kathryn's career has
taken her through many different areas of the business. This experience has
helped her develop her understanding of good practice throughout the business.
It has allowed her to appreciate what other departments have to offer, enabling
her to select the right people for her projects. According to FORESTRY
COMMISSION, the board of commissioners is responsible for overseeing the work
of the forestry commission across Great Britain as a whole. Decision making is on
ground level but orders are passed by senior management. Their management
has adapted a democratic leadership style as the higher level of management
have delegated the decision making authority down the lower ones i.e the
regional departments.

The democratic leadership style consists of the leader sharing the decision-
making abilities with group members by promoting the interests of the group
members and by practicing social equality.

This style of leadership encompasses discussion, debate and sharing of ideas and
encouragement of people to feel good about their involvement. The boundaries

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of democratic participation tend to be circumscribed by the organization or the

group needs and the instrumental value of people's attributes (skills, attitudes,
etc.). The democratic style encompasses the notion that everyone, by virtue of
their human status, should play a part in the group's decisions. However, the
democratic style of leadership still requires guidance and control by a specific
leader. The democratic style demands the leader to make decisions on who
should be called upon within the group and who is given the right to participate
in, make and vote on decisions.

Research has found that this leadership style is one of the most effective and
creates higher productivity, better contributions from group members and
increased group morale. Democratic leadership can lead to better ideas and more
creative solutions to problems because group members are encouraged to share
their thoughts and ideas. While democratic leadership is one of the most effective
leadership styles, it does have some potential downsides. In situations where
roles are unclear or time is of the essence, democratic leadership can lead to
communication failures and uncompleted projects. Democratic leadership works
best in situations where group members are skilled and eager to share their
knowledge. It is also important to have plenty of time to allow people to
contribute, develop a plan and then vote on the best course of action.

(REF: Martindale, N (2011). Strategic Communication Management 15 (8): 32–35)

EFFECTIVENESS & EFFICIENCY IN

BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
 Training provides the opportunity to gain or improve relevant skills or
knowledge.
The Forestry Commission invests heavily in a range of training essential for the
organisation's growth and development:
 health and safety training, for example, in the safe use of equipment and
pesticides. Regular refresher training is required under health and safety
laws
 technical skills, such as how to handle and work safely with powerful
machines

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 other skills such as communication and leadership. These are required, for
example, by employees in both logging areas and tourism roles
 customer care skills necessary for working with the public, other
organisations and internal customers.                                                                                            
The Forestry Commission has a culture of Continuous Professional Development
(CPD). This is supported by a system of regular appraisals. An appraisal involves
employees reviewing performance with their line managers to identify areas
where they want or need to learn more. They then develop a training plan to fill
the gaps. Part of the appraisal involves setting SMART objectives so the trainee
knows what to expect. The Forestry Commission is proud of its status as an
Investor in People (IiP). This award is given to organisations that show a high
commitment to looking after the needs of all their people. It sees training as an
investment that helps the organisation to meet its aims and objectives.
Training allows staff like Julie McMorran to engage in learning that has clear links
to their current or future roles. Julie wants to take more responsibility for her
work so she is now studying for a Masters Degree in timber engineering.
Training can motivate employees and help them to work their way up through the
organisation. They can develop their skills and knowledge to allow them to take
their next career step. Becoming office manager might be the next step for an
administrative support worker. A forest craft worker might move up to become a
works supervisor.

 Syngenta has many sections and departments. It is organised into these

functional areas:
 research and development (R&D)
 global supply (including supply chain management, manufacturing and
logistics)
 sales and marketing
 global support functions (providing, for example, legal, financial and HR
services).
These functional areas effectively run independently. However, by using a matrix
management structure, all areas can contribute to the vast range of projects that
are running at any one time.
Syngenta uses the skills and competencies of its people to bridge its functional
areas. By using people with specific scientific knowledge or experience to lead
teams in areas like marketing and production, communication is better within the
team.  Team members know that the leader understands the issues they face.

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This can also help to ensure that problems are understood and resolved quickly.
These profiles help to demonstrate how Syngenta uses this 'cross-over' of talent.
When Syngenta was formed in 2000 from them merger of Novartis Agribusiness
and Zeneca Agrochemicals, expectations were high. As the leading agribusiness
company in a $40 billion global industry, Syngenta was closely watched by the
industry and financial markets. The company’s Executive Committee set the
expectation that the merger would quickly be successful in terms of market share
and earnings, and also remain strong over the long term. Today, Syngenta is the
overall agribusiness leader with reported sales of $9.2 billion in 2007. It employs
over 24,000 people in more than 90 countries.

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

Syngenta is a global business operating in a competitive market. It relies heavily
on its scientists to research and develop new products. These products enable
countries throughout the world to grow sufficient food to feed the ever-
increasing world population.

With over 24,000 staff working in 90 countries, Syngenta must organise its
resources and use the talents of its people effectively. It uses a matrix
management structure, as this is best suited to bringing together people with
diverse skills into project teams. This works better than having a tall hierarchical
structure with many layers. Team leaders in charge of project teams are trained
and supported to help their teams perform to the highest standards.

Syngenta has a commitment to recruiting people with skills and abilities which the
business can develop long-term. This benefits employees by providing more
challenging role opportunities and it benefits the company by ensuring it has the
right talent resources in place for future growth.

People who work for the Forestry Commission perform a wide variety of jobs.
They are all important in contributing to the overall aims and objectives of the
organisation.

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To carry out their roles effectively they need training. Development helps them to
grow as individuals and take on extra responsibility, which adds value to the
organisation.

The Forestry Commission's investment in training and development enables

employees like Murray Livingstone, Gordon Donaldson and Julie McMorran to
develop more confidence in their roles. It also allows them to become more
equipped to achieve their own and the organisation's objectives. The result is a
better managed 'green' forest resource that everyone can benefit from people,
animals, plant life, and our planet.

TASK 2:
1. Organizational culture creates a number of various concepts, strategies,
and situations which affect every level of planning when it comes to any
type of hierarchical institution. The implications of organizational structure
and culture apply to companies, corporations, charitable organizations,
governments, and even sports teams/organizations.

Organizational culture, and the organizational structure that both partially

defines, and is partially defined by, that very culture. Understanding how the
internal structure and culture operates, and machinery behind the scenes that
runs it, will allow those within the organizational culture to organize and
strengthen the good, cut away the bad, and actually manufacture an environment
that breeds and encourages success among its members.

Why is the culture and the internal processes so important? Many leadership
theorists and coaches have found that ineffective leadership often tends to be
one of the major causes of an organization's diminishing and weakening. Even a
government example from history can be ancient Rome. During a series of
terrible emperors, the structure and culture was strong enough to often
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overcome it, even for decades at a time-but without strong top end leadership
eventually the mid level governing and organizational culture collapsed, resulting
in the eventual failure of the culture.

To be healthy for the long term, a corporation must have strong leadership and a
strong organizational culture. Even though some of the strongest companies or
organizations may be able to tread water for a long period of time, or even do
well, if the culture starts to erode, it's only a matter of time until the larger
structure collapses.

So if top leadership is so important, why does the rest of the organizational

culture also have to be functional in order to have an efficient governing body?
Great leadership is needed for an organization to have strong culture, but the
reversal is also true. Even great organizational culture will eventually dull, then
erode completely without strong leadership to help keep everything running
smoothly.

Leadership and organizational culture are seen by theorists and practicing

business executives alike as being tightly intertwined. Leaders must have a deep
understanding of the identity and impact of the organizational culture in order to
understand what kind of management and adjustment is needed within the
company, as well as knowing how to communicate their vision to the rest of the
company.

The model and study of how organizational structure and organizational culture
works makes the practical study of implications of organizational structure and
culture important. From corporations to government to sports teams, the study
of how structure and culture impacts the overall picture can show a better way to
make an entity work. Use a sports team as an example: most teams who have the
head coach as the GM don't do as well as the teams who split the duties between
two individuals who can work together towards the same common goal.

This has shown that an excellent organizational structure with good personnel
that has everyone looking at the same goal is better than excellent but conflicted

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personnel. Those are only a few of the implications that result from a close study
of corporate culture and structure.

Syngenta is committed to empowering its staff and a hierarchical structure is not

suited to its innovative style. Like many large businesses working in both national
and international markets, Syngenta has adopted a matrix structure.

A matrix structure is often referred to as the project team structure. In this

approach, team leaders manage specific tasks and projects. Each team will consist
of members from different departments, each with their own specialisms and
expertise related to the project. It takes employees out of their usual functional
areas to work with other employees with different expertise and specialisms. This
ensures the project has all the skills it needs to achieve its target. It also means
the employees may benefit from each other's abilities.

Some teams are only formed for a short period of time. They disband when their
projects have been completed and the team members are redeployed on other
projects. Other teams have a longer or sometimes permanent remit. The matrix
structure is not an alternative to functional management but works alongside it.
Syngenta's project teams all support one or more of its business strategies.

2. Training provides the opportunity to gain or improve relevant skills or

knowledge.

The Forestry Commission invests heavily in a range of training essential for the
organisation's growth and development:

 health and safety training, for example, in the safe use of equipment and
pesticides. Regular refresher training is required under health and safety
laws
 technical skills, such as how to handle and work safely with powerful
machines
 other skills such as communication and leadership. These are required, for
example, by employees in both logging areas and tourism roles
 customer care skills necessary for working with the public, other
organisations and internal customers.                                                                                            

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The Forestry Commission has a culture of Continuous Professional Development

(CPD). This is supported by a system of regular appraisals. An appraisal involves
employees reviewing performance with their line managers to identify areas
where they want or need to learn more. They then develop a training plan to fill
the gaps. Part of the appraisal involves setting SMART objectives so the trainee
knows what to expect. The Forestry Commission is proud of its status as an
Investor in People (IiP). This award is given to organisations that show a high
commitment to looking after the needs of all their people. It sees training as an
investment that helps the organisation to meet its aims and objectives. Training
allows staff like Julie McMorran to engage in learning that has clear links to their
current or future roles. Julie wants to take more responsibility for her work so she
is now studying for a Masters Degree in timber engineering. Training can
motivate employees and help them to work their way up through the
organisation. They can develop their skills and knowledge to allow them to take
their next career step. Becoming office manager might be the next step for an
administrative support worker. A forest craft worker might move up to become a
works supervisor. This reflects the HERZBERG’s motivation and hygienic theory.

The Two-factor theory (also known as Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory and

Dual-Factor Theory) states that there are certain factors in the workplace that
cause job satisfaction, while a separate set of factors cause dissatisfaction. It was
developed by Frederick Herzberg, a psychologist, who theorized that job
satisfaction and job dissatisfaction act independently of each other.

Two-factor theory fundamentals: Attitudes and their connection with industrial

mental health are related to Maslow's theory of motivation. His findings have had
a considerable theoretical, as well as a practical, influence on attitudes toward
administration. According to Herzberg, individuals are not content with the
satisfaction of lower-order needs at work, for example, those associated with
minimum salary levels or safe and pleasant working conditions. Rather,
individuals look for the gratification of higher-level psychological needs having to
do with achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and the nature of
the work itself. So far, this appears to parallel Maslow's theory of a need
hierarchy. However, Herzberg added a new dimension to this theory by proposing
a two-factor model of motivation, based on the notion that the presence of one
set of job characteristics or incentives lead to worker satisfaction at work, while
another and separate set of job characteristics lead to dissatisfaction at work.
Thus, satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not on a continuum with one increasing
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as the other diminishes, but are independent phenomena. This theory suggests
that to improve job attitudes and productivity, administrators must recognize and
attend to both sets of characteristics and not assume that an increase in
satisfaction leads to decrease in unpleasurable dissatisfaction.

The two-factor, or motivation-hygiene theory, developed from data collected by

Herzberg from interviews with a large number of engineers and accountants in
the Pittsburgh area. From analyzing these interviews, he found that job
characteristics related to what an individual does — that is, to the nature of the
work he performs — apparently have the capacity to gratify such needs as
achievement, competency, status, personal worth, and self-realization, thus
making him happy and satisfied. However, the absence of such gratifying job
characteristics does not appear to lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
Instead, dissatisfaction results from unfavorable assessments of such job-related
factors as company policies, supervision, technical problems, salary, interpersonal
relations on the job, and working conditions. Thus, if management wishes to
increase satisfaction on the job, it should be concerned with the nature of the
work itself — the opportunities it presents for gaining status, assuming
responsibility, and for achieving self-realization. If, on the other hand,
management wishes to reduce dissatisfaction, then it must focus on the job
environment — policies, procedures, supervision, and working conditions. If
management is equally concerned with (as is usually the case), then managers
must give attention to both sets of job factors.

The theory was based around interviews with 203 American accountants and
engineers in Pittsburgh, chosen because of their professions' growing importance
in the business world. The subjects were asked to relate times when they felt
exceptionally good or bad about their present job or any previous job, and to
provide reasons, and a description of the sequence of events giving rise to that
positive or negative feeling.

Here is the description of this interview analysis:

Briefly, we asked our respondents to describe periods in their lives when they
were exceedingly happy and unhappy with their jobs. Each respondent gave as
many "sequences of events" as he could that met certain criteria—including a
marked change in feeling, a beginning and an end, and contained some
substantive description other than feelings and interpretations…

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The proposed hypothesis appears verified. The factors on the right that led to
satisfaction (achievement, intrinsic interest in the work, responsibility, and
advancement) are mostly unipolar; that is, they contribute very little to job
dissatisfaction. Conversely, the dis-satisfiers (company policy and administrative
practices, supervision, interpersonal relationships, working conditions, and salary)
contribute very little to job satisfaction.

Two-factor theory distinguishes between:

 Motivators (e.g. challenging work, recognition, responsibility) that give

positive satisfaction, arising from intrinsic conditions of the job itself, such
as recognition, achievement, or personal growth, and

 Hygiene factors (e.g. status, job security, salary, fringe benefits, work
conditions) that do not give positive satisfaction, though dissatisfaction
results from their absence. These are extrinsic to the work itself, and
include aspects such as company policies, supervisory practices, or
wages/salary.

Essentially, hygiene factors are needed to ensure an employee is not dissatisfied.

Motivation factors are needed to motivate an employee to higher performance.
Herzberg also further classified our actions and how and why we do them, for
example, if you perform a work related action because you have to then that is
classed as movement, but if you perform a work related action because you want
to then that is classed as motivation.

Unlike Maslow, who offered little data to support his ideas, Herzberg and others
have presented considerable empirical evidence to confirm the motivation-
hygiene theory, although their work has been criticized on methodological
grounds.
(REF: The Motivation to Work, 2nd ed. (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1959)

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LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS - BEFORE AND NOW AREAS SHOWING THE

GREATEST POSITIVE CHANGE:

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TASK: 3
INFLUENCE OF ORGANISATIONAL SRUCTURE AND
CULTURE ON THE INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR AT
WORK AT SYNGENTA.

Human behavior is complex and every individual is different from another, the
challenge of an effective organization is in successfully matching the task, the
manager and the subordinate. Under ideal situation, a manager would first
analyze the task, then determine the required skills and assemble a team that
complement each other skills; thereby creating an enriching & conflict free team.
At SYNGENTA, the managers are using the existing resources for a given task, and
have the ability to understand the differences in individual behaviors and use
them appropriately to increase the synergy.

There are five factors that influence the individual behavior at work;

1. The philosophy and standards of the organization.

2. The leadership style of supervisors and management.

3. How meaningful, important, and/or challenging the work for the workers.
4. How the individual fits with their coworkers.
5. Personal characteristics of the worker such as abilities, interests, values,
expectations, and especially their aptitude for the job.

Syngenta has a low uncertain avoidance index as uncertain avoidance degree

relates to the degree of anxiety a individual feels in ambiguous situations
.Syngenta’s teams work under an informal environment with informal means of
communication always prepared for changes and risks hence they tend to dislike
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unnecessary rules or structures and if imposed lead to absenteeism in employees.

Such individuals express curiosity over differences and evaluate before expressing
their opinion.

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