Case Study - Organizational Behaviour

TOPIC: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

ASSIGNMENT NO: 1

ASSIGNMENT NO: 1 Case Study No. 1 on Organizational behavior •

Problem o

Women Discrimination

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Gender Bias

Protagonist o

Meena Mehta

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Sonali Jain

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Rekha Pandey

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Team Lead Kalpa Bioscience

Parameters o

Promotion denial to women employee

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Rate of salary hike is very less

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Treatment differs based on gender

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Invisible barriers which obstructs women to senior positions

Assumptions o

Women capable to handle only family responsibilities

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Women performance cannot be equivalent to Men

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Contribution to job will be limited for married women due to children and other family responsibilities.

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Cost impact to organization on encouraging women employee, because it will force organization to implement social systems

Various Solutions o

Organization Top management should implement transparent system in place which avoids women discrimination

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Organization sets up committee to identify & remove invisible barriers

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Self development / Training programme

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o

Organization should employ team leaders who can lead the company with proper system & give opportunities to employee based on merits

o

Pre-determined quota system to be implemented in each organization to avoid discrimination

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Organizations can allow / recognize women workers committee so that their voices are heard

Evaluation of the solutions o

Organization Top management should implement transparent system in place which avoids women discrimination 



Merits •

Recruitment procedures are fixed

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Promotion based on periodic system

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Assessment & Grading by team lead should be transparent & to be recorded, so that they are accountable for both positive & negative comment on the individuals

Demerits •

o

assessment & Grading

System should be user friendly but in vain it becomes system friendly

Organization sets up committee to identify & remove invisible barriers 

Merits •

Committee prepares observation reports & solution, the same is highlighted to the management in equal intervals.

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Act as a monitoring & control department

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Increase in bureaucracy

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Internal politics

Merits •

Replacement / Succession plan.

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Stable organization structure

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Growth process

Demerits •

Cost impact

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Employees shift jobs for better pay

Organization should employ team leaders with good leader ship qualities. 

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Self development / Training programme 

o

Demerits

Merits •

Increment & promotion based on performance

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Organization Milestones are achieved ahead due to team work

Demerits •

Organization becomes dependent on individuals

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Shortage of dynamic team leaders

Pre-determined quota system to be implemented in each organization to avoid discrimination 

Merits

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o

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Discriminations can be minimized.

Demerits •

Qualified employee gets demotivated due to traditional systems

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Quota system does not allow merit students to come up

Merits •

Problems are presented to Top management at equal intervals by the committee leader

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Demands are kept to Top management & time frames are kept for each demand

Demerits •

Strikes for unnecessary issues

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Demands will be an never ending process since human beings are complex

Final Solution o

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Auto promotion system based on no. of years of service

Organizations can allow / recognize women workers committee 

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•

Organization Top management should implement transparent stem in place which avoids women discrimination

Contingency plan o

Step 1

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o

Step 2 

o

Organization Top management should implement transparent system in place which avoids women discrimination

Organization sets up committee to identify & remove invisible barriers

Step 3 

Self development / Training programme

1. Describe the phenomena which best explains the gender bias at kalpa? Mention the reasons behind this attitude of management in organizations?

Gender discrimination is popularly referred to as “glass ceiling effect”. “Ceiling” stresses the limitation of upward progress a woman is subjected to and “glass” refers to the fact that though the limitation is apparently not written in any rule book, it is nevertheless a defeated fact understood by both the sexes. It explains the invisible barrier which affect’s working women the most as it diminishes any chances of advancement for someone who is career conscious. Such discrimination leads women to have feelings of low self-esteem, decreased motivation and a slowing down of interest in their jobs. One of the many fangs of the glass ceiling effect is the evident difference in wages for the same job. Also, women are given inferior statuses within the same job and in most places are treated as subordinates to their male counter partners. Workplace discrimination is witnessed in all levels from blue collar jobs to professional careers. However it has been found that the glass ceiling effect also has major derivations from traditional gender biases cultivated in the minds of people since ages. As defined by tradition, men were the earners and the women homemakers and that is still ingrained in the modern minds. Women tend to choose careers that give them enough time to take care of domestic chores and they end up with jobs that are financially inferior to those chosen by men. Hence, though literacy and education have had far reaching effect, we still have a long way to go if the glass ceiling effect has to be minimized to the least if not eradicated. The structural and institutional reasons contributing to a 'glass ceiling' include:

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Woman’s ability to combine both Job and family responsibilities is often questionable. Women cannot work for long hours, because of family responsibilities. Women holding senior positions may disturb the work culture of male sub-ordinates. Woman’s capability in decisional roles is inferior to men. Women are more emotional and ethical than men.

2. Organizations such as softpro and AMC are taking initiatives to break the glass ceiling

that effects the career growth of female employee’s adversely. What could be the measures taken by modern organizations to break the glass ceiling and thereby reduce the adverse effects of gender bias?

Recruitment and promotion measures to be identified, including establishing procedures to make recruitment and promotion more objective and making the recruitment and promotion process more structured and transparent Setting up a committee to identify and remove barriers, put an action plan in place and assign deadlines for meeting targets and instructing recruitment officers to make special efforts to find women candidates. Launch an executive development programme, with the objective of providing equal development opportunities for all employees; ensure that performance assessment procedures use neutral and measurable criteria; and make employment and development policies gender-neutral. A focus on 'diversity management' is also recommended. It is suggested that determinants of a diversity programme could include: strong senior management support; an assessment and modification of organizational culture; the provision of education and training; and the development of the business case for promoting diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity. Training measures are also identified as a means to increase the pool of qualified women. To this end, companies could: identify potential women managers and ensure that they receive

'cross training' (training in different areas to gain broad experience to equip them with higher line management skills; remedy any factors that might limit women's access to training; and provide equal opportunities training.