University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 COM369 Human Aspects of Projects Unit 7

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Human Aspects of Projects Introduction –organisational behaviour staff selection, development and motivation –creating effective team –staff motivation is often the key to success –many risks associated with staffing that can affect a projects success –ability of staff to do the job is important when allocating tasks

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Understanding behaviour How people behave within organisations should be understood. People are the key to successful projects There have been many studies on how people behave and act within organisations Different environments affect how people act Main early theorists: Taylor, Mayo and McGregor

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Background to Organisational Behaviour Organisation behaviour studies started by Frederick Taylor in late 19th century and early 20th century Studied mainly manual workers –selecting the best person for the job –instructing person in best methods –giving incentives in the form of higher wages Major work centred on Bethlehem Steel Works

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Background to Organisational Behaviour Elton Mayo –Researched how workers output varied with different conditions –Major work carried out at Hawthorne Works of Western Electric in Chicago –Hence came about the Hawthorne Effect

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Background to Organisational Behaviour Donald McGregor –Developed the idea of Theory X and Theory Y Theory X –average human dislikes work –need coercion, direction and control –people tend to avoid responsibility Theory Y –work is natural –coercion, direction and control not only way of managing –average human can learn to accept responsibility –capacity to use imagination and be creative

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Selecting the right person Belbin suggests that skills rather than experience is important Belbin distinguishes between those that are eligible for a job and those that are suitable Therefore don’t be narrow minded in the selection process

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Motivation Taylorist model –This is reflected in him advocating piece rate working –Rewards have to be related in a simple and direct way to work produced this is not easy to do when developing a computer system

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Motivation Hierarchy of Need –developed by Abraham Maslow –different people are motivated by different things –As lower level needs are satisfied then higher level needs emerge –therefore team members needs will vary

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Motivation Herzberg’s two factor theory –hygiene or maintenance factors these can make you dissatisfied if they are not right –e.g. level of pay or the working conditions –motivators things that make you feel the job is worth while –e.g. sense of achievement or the nature of the work itself

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Improving motivation Setting specific goals Providing feedback Job design Job enlargement Job enrichment

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Becoming a team Tuckman and Jensen’s classification –forming –storming –norming –performing –adjourning

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Team roles Belbin’s suggestion on the people types found in a balanced team –The chair –The plant –The Monitor-evaluator –The shaper –The team worker –The resource investigator –The completer finisher –The company worker

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Belbins team people types –The chair not necessarily a brilliant leader but must be good at running meetings, being calm, strong personality, tolerant –The plant someone who is essentially very good at generating ideas and potential solutions top problems –The Monitor-evaluator good at evaluating ideas and potential solutions and helping to select the best ones

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Belbins team people types –The shaper rather a worrier, who helps to direct the team’s attention to the important issues –The team worker skilled at creating a good working environment and motivating people –The resource investigator adept at finding resources in terms of both physical resources and information

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Belbins team people types –The completer finisher good at completing tasks –The company worker a good team player who is willing to undertake less attractive tasks if they are needed for team success

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Group performance Additive tasks –effort of all participants are added together Compensatory tasks –judgements of individual group members are pooled so that errors are compensated for

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Group performance Disjunctive tasks –there is only one correct answer –someone must find this and the others recognise the fact Conjunctive tasks –progress governed by the slowest performer

University of Sunderland COM369 Unit 7 Conclusion People in projects – organisational behaviour –motivation – teams – group performance