IGNOU FREE MMPC-011 Social Processes and Behavioural Issues Solved Guess Paper 2025
1. Define Organisational Behaviour (OB). Explain its nature, scope, and importance in modern organisations.
Organisational Behaviour (OB) refers to the systematic study of human behaviour in organisational settings. It examines how individuals and groups act, think, and feel within the workplace, and how their behaviour impacts overall organisational effectiveness. OB draws knowledge from psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, and management to understand motivation, leadership, communication, group dynamics, and organisational culture. The nature of OB is interdisciplinary, behavioural, humanistic, scientific, and developmental. It focuses on observable behaviour as well as internal mental processes. OB is situational because human behaviour changes depending on context and organisational environment. It is also goal-oriented, aiming at improving employee satisfaction and organisational productivity.
The scope of OB covers four important dimensions: the individual, the group, the organisation, and the environment. At the individual level, OB studies personality, attitudes, perception, motivation, emotions, and learning. At the group level, it covers communication, leadership, conflict, group decision-making, and team effectiveness. At the organisational level, OB examines culture, structure, change, power, and organisational development. Finally, it considers the external environment, including technology, social systems, and economic pressures that influence organisational behaviour patterns.
The importance of OB has increased in modern organisations due to globalisation, competitive markets, workforce diversity, technological advancements, and the need for innovation. Employees today expect meaningful work, recognition, flexibility, and work-life balance. OB helps managers understand employee needs and design better work systems. It facilitates effective leadership, team coordination, and improved communication. OB also helps in predicting and managing organisational change, reducing conflicts, enhancing job satisfaction, and improving decision-making.
In knowledge-driven economies, employees are considered key assets. OB ensures that organisations can attract, retain, and motivate talented individuals. It supports ethical behaviour, organisational citizenship, and employee well-being. With remote and hybrid work increasing, OB offers frameworks to manage virtual teams and maintain employee engagement. Overall, OB plays a transformative role by linking human behaviour to organisational goals, thereby making workplaces more productive, humane, and adaptable.
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2. Discuss the role of personality and attitude in influencing workplace behaviour.
Personality and attitude are two major intrapersonal factors that shape workplace behaviour. Personality refers to the unique combination of an individual’s traits, characteristics, and psychological processes that determine consistent patterns of behaviour. These traits may include extraversion, emotional stability, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness. Personality influences how employees perceive their job, interact with colleagues, handle stress, and solve problems. For example, a conscientious employee tends to be reliable, disciplined, and goal-oriented, whereas an emotionally unstable employee may struggle under pressure.
Managers often use personality assessments to identify the right person for the right job. The Big Five Model is widely used in organisations to predict job performance. Extraverts perform well in sales and leadership roles; agreeable individuals excel in customer service; those high in openness are creative and suitable for innovation-driven jobs. Thus, personality helps determine job fit and employee behaviour patterns.
Attitude, on the other hand, refers to a person’s evaluative feelings towards objects, people, or events. Attitudes consist of three components—cognitive (beliefs), affective (feelings), and behavioural (intentions). Job attitude, specifically job satisfaction and organisational commitment, greatly influences employee motivation and performance. A positive job attitude results in high productivity, low absenteeism, and reduced turnover. Employees with a negative attitude may create conflicts, resist change, or show disengagement.
Attitudes are shaped by work environment, organisational culture, leadership style, and personal experiences. Managers must understand the factors that influence employee attitudes, such as recognition, work-life balance, fairness, autonomy, and interpersonal relationships. They can reshape attitudes through training, counselling, effective communication, participative decision-making, and motivation.
Both personality and attitude interact to influence workplace behaviour. For example, an extravert with a positive attitude contributes to team spirit; a rigid personality with a negative attitude may resist new ideas. In conclusion, understanding these intrapersonal factors helps managers predict employee behaviour, assign suitable roles, design motivation strategies, and create a positive organisational climate.
3. Explain perception and its role in organisational decision-making. Discuss common perceptual errors.
Perception is the process by which individuals select, organise, and interpret sensory information to understand the world around them. In organisations, perception determines how employees interpret job roles, colleagues’ actions, organisational policies, and managerial decisions. Since perception is subjective, two people may see the same situation differently. This makes perception a powerful but complex factor in organisational behaviour.
The perceptual process includes three steps: selection, where individuals choose which stimuli to notice; organisation, where they arrange information into meaningful patterns; and interpretation, where they assign meaning to the information. Factors influencing perception include personal characteristics (motivation, personality, experience), target characteristics (appearance, behaviour), and situational factors (timing, context).
Perception plays a major role in decision-making. Managers make decisions about employee performance, promotions, rewards, leadership, conflict resolution, and organisational change based on their perception of people and situations. Employees also make decisions about commitment, job satisfaction, and participation based on how they perceive organisational fairness, leadership, and culture.
However, perception is prone to several errors, which can negatively impact organisational decisions:
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Halo Effect – Forming a general impression about a person based on one positive trait.
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Horns Effect – Forming a negative impression based on one undesirable trait.
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Stereotyping – Judging individuals based on preconceived notions about their group.
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Projection – Attributing one’s own feelings, motives, or characteristics to others.
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Selective Perception – Noticing only information that aligns with one’s beliefs.
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Contrast Effect – Evaluating someone by comparing them with others rather than objective standards.
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Attribution Errors – Misjudging causes of behaviour, including:
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Fundamental Attribution Error (overemphasising personal factors)
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Self-Serving Bias (attributing success to oneself and failure to external factors)
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These errors can lead to biased evaluations, poor hiring decisions, unfair treatment, workplace conflict, and low employee morale. Managers must therefore be aware of perceptual distortions and use objective criteria, standardised performance systems, and open communication to minimise bias.
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4. Explain group dynamics. How do group norms, roles, and cohesiveness influence group behaviour?
Group dynamics refers to the interactions, processes, and psychological forces that operate within a group. It includes how groups are formed, how they function, and how they influence individual behaviour. Organisations rely heavily on groups—formal teams, committees, task forces, and informal groups—to achieve their goals. Understanding group dynamics helps managers improve teamwork, communication, and productivity.
Group norms are shared expectations and rules that guide member behaviour. Norms may relate to work pace, dress code, communication patterns, or attitudes towards leadership. They provide stability and predictability within a group. Norms influence group behaviour by shaping conformity; members adjust their behaviour to fit group expectations. Positive norms enhance performance, such as punctuality or quality standards, while negative norms can reduce productivity.
Roles refer to the expected behaviour associated with a particular position in the group. Every member assumes roles consciously or unconsciously—leader, coordinator, challenger, harmoniser, or follower. Role clarity reduces conflict and increases efficiency; role ambiguity or role conflict leads to stress and poor performance.
Cohesiveness is the degree to which group members feel attached to the group and motivated to remain part of it. Highly cohesive groups exhibit strong cooperation, communication, and commitment. They perform better if norms are aligned with organisational goals. However, excessive cohesiveness can lead to groupthink, where members avoid dissent and make flawed decisions.
Group dynamics also influence problem-solving, decision-making, leadership emergence, and conflict resolution. Managers can improve group effectiveness by setting clear goals, encouraging open communication, promoting trust, and providing adequate resources. In summary, group norms, roles, and cohesiveness shape how groups function and determine their overall effectiveness.
5. Discuss organisational culture and organisational change. How can managers manage resistance to change?
Organisational culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, norms, and practices that shape employee behaviour within an organisation. It represents the “personality” of the organisation and influences everything from decision-making and communication to leadership style and employee motivation. Culture is created through organisational history, leadership behaviour, rituals, symbols, stories, and reward systems. Strong cultures promote stability, loyalty, and high performance, while weak cultures lead to confusion and inconsistency.
Organisational change refers to any alteration in structure, technology, processes, culture, or people. Organisations must continuously adapt to remain competitive in the face of technological advances, globalisation, market pressures, and workforce diversity. Change can be planned or unplanned, incremental or transformational.
However, employees often resist change due to fear of the unknown, loss of security, habit, economic concerns, or lack of trust in management. Resistance may be overt (strikes, complaints) or covert (lack of cooperation, passive resistance).
Managers can manage resistance using the following strategies:
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Communication – Clear communication reduces uncertainty and builds trust.
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Participation – Involving employees in decision-making increases ownership.
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Training and Support – Skill development helps employees adjust to new systems.
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Negotiation – Offering incentives can reduce resistance.
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Leadership Support – Leaders must be role models for change.
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Organisational Development Techniques – Team-building, counselling, and feedback promote acceptance.
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Gradual Implementation – Phased change reduces stress.
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Addressing Emotional Reactions – Empathy helps employees cope with fear or stress.
Successful change aligns strategy, structure, and culture while minimising employee resistance. Managers must balance organisational goals with human needs to ensure smooth transitions.
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6. Explain motivation. Discuss Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory.
Motivation refers to the internal and external forces that stimulate people to take action, sustain their efforts, and direct their behaviour toward organisational goals. It explains why individuals behave in certain ways and how managers can encourage better performance, creativity, and commitment. Motivation is a psychological process involving human needs, desires, and expectations. In organisations, motivated employees show higher productivity, positive attitudes, lower absenteeism, and better quality of work. Two important theories of motivation widely applied in management are Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory.
Maslow proposed that human needs exist in a hierarchical structure with five levels: physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualisation. According to him, lower-level needs must be satisfied before higher-level needs become motivators. Physiological needs include food, rest, and shelter, which organisations satisfy through wages and good working conditions. Safety needs relate to job security, safe working environments, and stability. Social needs involve belongingness, friendship, and teamwork. Esteem needs refer to recognition, responsibility, and achievement, which managers can satisfy through promotions, rewards, or praise. The highest level, self-actualisation, represents the need for growth, creativity, and realising one’s potential. Organisations encourage this through challenging work, autonomy, and opportunities for innovation. Maslow’s theory emphasises that human behaviour is driven by unsatisfied needs and that motivation is dynamic and continuous.
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory distinguishes between hygiene factors and motivators. Hygiene factors include salary, work conditions, company policy, and job security. These do not motivate employees but prevent dissatisfaction. If hygiene factors are inadequate, employees become unhappy, but improving them does not lead to increased motivation. Motivators are intrinsic factors such as achievement, recognition, responsibility, and personal growth. These factors truly motivate employees and improve job satisfaction. Herzberg emphasises job enrichment—giving employees meaningful, challenging work—as a key motivator.
Both theories highlight human needs but differ in approach. Maslow focuses on hierarchy, while Herzberg differentiates between the causes of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In practice, managers use both theories to design jobs, create supportive environments, and provide growth opportunities. Understanding motivation helps organisations harness human potential and build a committed workforce.
7. Discuss leadership. Explain major leadership styles and the relevance of transformational leadership.
Leadership is the process of influencing individuals or groups toward achieving organisational goals. Leaders give direction, build motivation, create vision, and guide people through change. Leadership is essential for teamwork, innovation, conflict resolution, and organisational success. A leader’s behaviour and style significantly impact employee morale, productivity, and organisational culture.
Common leadership styles include autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, transactional, and transformational. The autocratic leader makes decisions unilaterally, expects obedience, and maintains strong control. This style is effective in crisis situations or with unskilled workers but may create dissatisfaction in the long term. The democratic leader involves employees in decision-making, encourages participation, and values feedback. This style enhances satisfaction, creativity, and teamwork. The laissez-faire leader gives freedom to employees to make decisions and perform tasks with minimal supervision. It works well with highly skilled and self-motivated teams but may create confusion if employees lack direction.
Transactional leadership focuses on exchanges between leader and follower—rewards for good performance and disciplinary action for poor performance. It is suited for routine tasks but does not inspire long-term commitment. Transformational leadership, however, goes beyond transactions. Transformational leaders inspire employees through vision, charisma, intellectual stimulation, and personal consideration. They encourage innovation, empower employees, and foster a strong sense of purpose. Such leaders are essential for organisational change, digital transformation, and competitive markets.
Transformational leadership is highly relevant today due to rapid technological shifts, remote work environments, and knowledge-driven industries. These leaders help employees adapt to change, foster creativity, and maintain organisational culture. In modern workplaces, leadership effectiveness depends not only on authority but on emotional intelligence, communication, empathy, and integrity. Therefore, organisations increasingly focus on developing leaders who can inspire, collaborate, and lead through change.
8. Explain conflict in organisations. Discuss types, causes, and conflict resolution strategies.
Conflict refers to a situation where two or more individuals or groups perceive incompatible goals, interests, or values. It is a natural part of organisational life because people differ in opinions, expectations, and work styles. Conflict is not always negative; functional conflict can stimulate creativity and better decision-making, while dysfunctional conflict reduces cooperation and productivity.
Types of conflict include interpersonal, intrapersonal, intergroup, and organisational conflict. Intrapersonal conflict occurs within an individual due to role ambiguity or value contradictions. Interpersonal conflict arises between employees due to personality differences or communication gaps. Intergroup conflict occurs between departments or teams competing for resources or recognition. Organisational conflict involves structural issues such as unclear policies or poor leadership.
Causes of conflict include communication problems, limited resources, task interdependence, personality differences, power struggles, role conflicts, and organisational change. Miscommunication or lack of information often creates misunderstandings. When departments depend on each other, delays or errors can lead to frustration. Competition for budgets or promotions also triggers conflict. Change creates uncertainty and resistance, leading to tensions.
Conflict resolution strategies include avoidance, accommodation, competition, compromise, and collaboration. Avoidance means ignoring the conflict temporarily, useful when issues are trivial. Accommodation involves giving in to maintain harmony but may cause dissatisfaction later. Competition is assertive and involves winning at the expense of others, useful in emergencies. Compromise aims for a middle solution where each party sacrifices something. Collaboration is the most effective strategy—it seeks a win-win solution by addressing underlying issues and fostering open communication.
Managers should encourage healthy conflict while minimising destructive behaviour. Effective conflict resolution improves teamwork, communication, trust, and organisational performance.
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9. What is organisational change? Discuss Lewin’s Change Model and reasons for employee resistance.
Organisational change refers to the process through which organisations modify their structure, technology, culture, strategies, or processes in response to internal or external forces. Change is essential due to globalisation, competition, technological progress, customer expectations, and regulatory shifts. Change can be planned or unplanned, incremental or transformational.
Lewin’s three-step model is a foundational framework for understanding organisational change: unfreezing, changing, and refreezing. In the unfreezing stage, existing beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours are challenged. People must recognise the need for change. Managers communicate problems, reduce resistance, and prepare employees emotionally. In the changing stage, new systems, technologies, or behaviours are introduced. Training, support, and role modelling help employees adopt new practices. In the refreezing stage, new behaviours are stabilised. Policies, reward systems, and organisational culture must support the change to prevent employees from returning to old habits.
Employees often resist change due to fear of the unknown, job insecurity, economic concerns, disruption of routine, lack of trust, and poor communication. Resistance may be overt (complaints, strikes) or covert (slow work, lack of cooperation). Psychological factors such as anxiety, low tolerance for change, and loss of control also contribute.
Managers must address resistance through communication, participation, training, negotiation, emotional support, and leadership involvement. Successful change requires aligning organisational systems with new goals and ensuring that employees feel supported throughout the transition.
10. Discuss organisational development (OD). Explain major OD interventions used to improve organisational effectiveness.
Organisational Development (OD) is a planned, systematic process aimed at improving organisational effectiveness and employee well-being. It focuses on long-term change in organisational culture, processes, and structures through behavioural-science knowledge. OD emphasises participation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The primary goals are enhancing communication, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, innovation, and adaptability.
OD interventions are structured activities designed to bring about improvement. Major interventions include team-building, sensitivity training (T-groups), process consultation, survey feedback, job redesign, organisational restructuring, and management development.
Team-building helps improve trust, communication, and collaboration among members. It strengthens cohesiveness and clarifies roles and goals. Sensitivity training focuses on self-awareness and interpersonal relations; participants learn how their behaviour affects others. Process consultation involves a consultant helping managers understand interpersonal processes like communication, decision-making, and conflict management.
Survey feedback uses employee surveys to identify problems such as low morale, communication gaps, or leadership issues. Results are discussed and action plans created. Job redesign includes job enrichment, enlargement, and rotation to enhance motivation and satisfaction. Organisational restructuring modifies hierarchy, work flows, or departmental arrangements to improve flexibility and efficiency. Management development aims to enhance leadership, decision-making, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking.
OD values participation, openness, trust, and collaborative problem-solving. The interventions help organisations adapt to change, improve culture, reduce conflict, and foster employee commitment. In modern competitive environments, OD is essential for building resilient and innovative organisations.
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