The Importance of Human Relations in an Age of Globalization

The Importance of Human Relations in an Age of Globalization

Written by: Dr.Gandham Sri Rama Krishna

Published in the Journal of PRIMAX International Journal of Commerce and Management Research (PIJCMR), Bangalore, March, 2015, Vol.II, Issue No. 4, PP.77-80. Print ISSN: 2321-3604, Online ISSN: 2321-3612.  

Abstract

Globalization refers to the increasing integration of the world countries brought largely by closer economic interaction, that is, by expanded international flows of trade, investment, human resource, capital, knowledge and information. Contemporary globalization has rapidly developed into a complex system of circuits of exchange, interactive dynamics, and structures that collectively interact at high levels to produce rapid change affecting most aspects of human life. Human relations is the study of human behaviour at work  and efforts to better action producing desired goals. Human relations have become diverse due to the increasing personal and workplace complexities. Similarly many Indians are working overseas who have their own values and norms. Globalization involves a process of stretching or extension of human activities, relations and networks across the globe.

Key Words: Human Relations,  Globalisation, Social Change, Norms, Culture                                                                                                                                      

Introduction

             Globalization is a process of change mostly affecting the social, cultural and political gamut of life. The twentieth century ends as the globe moves towards a new era characterized by a globally integrated economy, where decisions regarding production consumption and other aspects of social relations increasingly includes transnational dimensions. Forces of globalization are real and their influences are felt everywhere. It entails free trade, free mobility of both financial resource and products, technologies, information, markets,  and human resources aspects.

Globalization refers to the increasing integration of the world countries brought largely by closer economic interaction, that is, by expanded international flows of trade, investment, human resource, capital, knowledge and information. It means operating and planning to expand business throughout the world. Globalization of markets, production, investment, technology, HR. Contemporary globalization has rapidly developed into a complex system of circuits of exchange, interactive dynamics, and structures that collectively interact at high levels to produce rapid change affecting most aspects of human life. 

The spread of globalization has been so rapid and comprehensive that its effects are being felt in the smallest and most remote human communities and natural areas in both developed and undeveloped countries. It is making the world a smaller place and HRM must respond appropriately. It is a term in business that refers to the integration of an organization's operations, processes and strategies into diverse cultures, products, services and ideas. Because of its emphasis on diversity, globalization also has a deep impact on the way companies manage their employees. Understanding the effects of globalization on human relations can help managers to better equip their organizations for the increasingly global business environment.

            “Globalization can thus be defined as the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa” (Giddens,1990). “Globalization can be thought of a process which embodies a transformation in the spatial organization of social relations and transactions – assessed in terms of their extensity, intensity, velocity and impact – generating transcontinental or interregional flows and networks of activity, interaction, and the exercise of power” (Held et al, 1999).

Significance of Human Relations

          It was industrial revolution which led to the replacement of the old domestic system of production by the factory system. A large number of men worked together on machines in return for wage. This destructed the old personal tie between workers and their employee. Employer  began to regard workers as a commodity and almost  forgot that he was a human being.

An area of management in integrating people into work situation in a way that motivates them to work together productively. The term “Human Relations” applies broadly to the interaction of people. Human relations is the study of human behaviour at work  and efforts to better action producing desired goals. Human relations is integration of people into work situation that motivate them to work together productively, co-operatively to provide economic psychological and social satisfaction.

Human relations is motivating people in organizations to develop team work spirit in order to fulfill  their  needs and to achieve organizational goals efficiently and economically. The term “Human Relations” does mean the relationship  between two human beings. Human relations in industry implies that relationship between employer and employees as human beings but not in the  capacity of employment relations whereas industrial relations implies relationship between employees and employer in the process of employment. The term human relations include the relationship during and out of employment situations.

Role of Human Relations  

·        Diversified Culture

Diversity involves a wide range of group and individual characteristics. One should be capable of accepting these kinds of diversities and working with people of diverse behaviours in personal life and work places.

Diversity isn’t a slogan—it’s a reality when you’re hiring people everywhere. Robert M. Teeter, U.S. Pollster and business executive.

Globalization refers to the spread of new forms of non–territorial social activity (Ruggie, 1993; Scholte, 2000). Human relations have become diverse due to the increasing personal and workplace complexities. Similarly many Indians are working overseas who have their own values and norms. This type of diversity may be useful in learning new and more efficient ways of doing things. If the individuals are better trained in accepting the diversities they will be more successful in their personal and organizational life.

Globalization is introducing and instilling cross cultural values in people. Many people from overseas are working in various organizations in India who come from different cultures. The cultural differences may exist within the same country or from different countries. Being able to work well with people from other cultures, both outside and inside of country is important for personal and organizational success. Being able to relate to a culturally diverse customer base is also necessary for success.

Globalization brings about both evolution and extinction. On one hand, they have an inter-twining culture—learning new languages, connecting to people from different parts of the globe, getting a taste of varying music etc. On the other hand, there’s an increasing dilution of cultural inheritance and stressed relationships.

Kofi Annan proves right “arguing against globalization is like arguing against the law of gravity”. Because of globalization – which started as an initiative towards economic prosperity by opening up trade routes, eventually led to cross cultural mixing.

People from some cultures accept power distance at different organizational levels; in some other cultures people do not recognize a power hierarchy. There are cultures where people work as a team in an organization. In Indian culture there is hierarchy of power. Some cultures emphasize assertiveness and the acquisition of money and material objects. At the other end of the continuum is concern for others, an emphasis on personal relations, and the common welfare.

There are some cultures which are high context, and there are others which are low context. Chinese culture is high context culture. High-context cultures make more extensive use of body language. People in low-context cultures seldom take time in business dealings to build relationships and establish trust. Another diversity is regarding being present  or future oriented. Those people who belong to present oriented culture believe in rewards in present, whereas future oriented people believe in future rewards.

In the ‘Eiffel Tower Culture’, relationships are specific, contractual, hardboiled and formal. Managers in this rarely create off-the-job relationships with people, since they fear that it will taint their rational judgmental process. In this type culture, the boss is highly revered. In the ‘Guided Missile Culture’ is characterized by strong emphasis on equality in the workplace and orientation to the task.  All team members treat each other with respect, because of their sense of mutuality and need-based requirements from each other. UK and USA fit well into the description of this type of culture.

The main principle to recognizing cultural differences is to be alert to these differences, and to be sensitive to how they could affect to dealing with people. To improve interpersonal relationships on the job, recognize that a person’s national values might influence his or her behaviour. For example, emphasize non-verbal communication with a person from a high-context culture.

·        Processes of  Social Change 

A process can be described simply as a series of developing changes. In this sense, globalization is the process of becoming global, but not yet complete,  that is, the condition of being global. There are, however, processes that point in that direction. These processes are multiple and cover most areas of social life and human relations such as economy, polity, culture, ideology, religion. Since globalization is a work-in-progress, the end result – what a global society would look like – is yet undetermined.

·        Deterritorialization and  IT

Under conditions of globalization, territory becomes less relevant to human relations. For instance, gratitude or thanks to information technology, anyone in the world equipped with a computer and an internet connection can play the stock markets,  chat online with friends, up-load or down-load all sorts of information and data from any place in the world from other individuals similarly equipped, as well as watch a television network via satellite. Territories and borders have become irrelevant to such interactions that are therefore global in nature.

Globalization involves a process of speeding up, or increasing velocity, of human activities and relations. Developments in technologies of transportation and communication have accelerated the speed of social interactions as well as the diffusion of material goods and ideas, money and people

Practically every phenomenon that can think of has acquired such supra-territorial  qualities: electronic communications, environmental degradation, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, financial flaws, health threats, etc. All these areas of human life are being globalized insofar as they are no longer attached to specific territories but develop and affect us at a transnational level. The process of globalization, as deterritorialization, turns the world into a single space.

·        Gender equality

The relationship between globalization and gender equality, and the relevance of globalization for transforming gender relations has been increasingly well documented. The significant gender differences and disparities with respect to decision-making powers, participation, and returns for effort that prevail in different societies need to be taken into account when responding to the forces of globalization. Because of gender inequalities and discrimination in all parts of the world, women can be affected negatively by globalization processes to a greater extent than men. On the other hand, there can be significant gains for women with globalization. At the policy level, the impact of globalization on women and gender relations continues to be neglected nationally and internationally. The extension of the employment market can have both positive and negative effects for women’s situation and gender relations. In both developing and developed countries, on gender relations is still not too clear.

For many countries, trade could be the primary vehicle for realizing the benefits of globalization. Trade policies affect employment, production, distribution and consumption patterns, cultural values, social relations and the environment, all of which engage and affect women as well as men. Increases in world trade, particularly in the services, has increased the involvement of women in the various occupations and professions of the services sector.

Globalization involves a process of stretching or extension of human activities, relations and networks across the globe. Events taking place in one part of the world have an impact for other people in distant locations, a process akin to the butterfly effect. Globalization involves a process of intensification of human activities and relations. Intensification refers to the sheer magnitude of existing global relations. More and more aspects of our lives are tied, in one form or another, to locations and people in other parts of the world. Most of the consumer goods were manufactured and assembled in different places. We are also more intensively connected to the whole world through a growing number of treaties and agreements that cover practically every area of social relations, from human rights to environmental statutes to the production and sale of weapons of mass destruction.

Conclusion

             In the age of globalization, the gap between high and low income countries is not only persisting, but in many cases it is widening. Globalization brings about a change in people's lifestyles and behaviours. Globalization brings in significant changes not only in operating boundaries, but also in the corporate HR functions and strategies.   Forms of alternative income earning have grown faster than formal and secure employment. Global companies have maintained control over planning, and sent to LDCs (less developed countries) all stages of production that involve financial and human risk. Life in LDCs has become more unstable, generating and/or expanding many different types of conflict, from crime to intra-household violence, from environmental destruction to unfair competitive practices in human relations and commerce. The aftermath of liberalization and globalization has made Indian companies conscious of competition and quality and acquire a totally global mindset.

Reference

·        Dubrin, A.J. (2005). Human relations: Career and Personal Success. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 07458.

·        P.Subba Rao(2009), International Human Resource Management, Himalaya Publishing House, Mumbai.

·        Peter J.Dowling, Denice E.Wilch. (2006), International Human Resource Management, Thomson Publications.

·        Ruggie, J. G. (1993). “Territoriality and Beyond: Problematizing modernity in international relations”. International Organization 47; 139-74.

·        http://hdeshpande.blogspot.in

·        http://www.lse.ac.uk

·        https://globalsociology.pbworks.com

·        http://smallbusiness.chron.com

·        http://www.beyondintractability.org.

·        http://www.ripublication.com

   

The Dynamics of Performance Management

The Dynamics of Performance Management

Written by: Dr. Gandham Sri Rama Krishna

Published in International Journal of Academic Research, Quarterly January-March, 2015, Vol.2, Issue.1(3), PP.107-111. ISSN: 2348-7666. 

Abstract

Performance management is concerned with outputs – the  achievement of results; and with outcomes – the impact made on performance. The basic criteria for performance management are accountability, transparency, completeness, and equity. Different approaches to HR transformation drive different performance levels. HR leaders believe they are performing only adequately in implementing initiatives to support change. If organizations are truly serious about this, then HR must push to ensure that the staff is trained in performance management techniques. The first step in performance management is to be clear about an organizational strategy, performance priorities to accomplish. Transformation of performance practices can be done by clarifying strategy and priorities, set standards, design rewards and follow-up. Performance practices brings designed outcome into measurable goals and incentives that motivate people to reach the goals. Performance management is only the reliable tool available to the managers for effectively translating business strategies into firm performance, people being the key strategic resource.

Introduction

            Organizations must manage the flow of work from product or service demand through order fulfillment to make sure their obligations are met. To do so, they distribute goals to individuals & groups and set up job & organizational structures to integrate the varied output into cooperative whole. They design processes for the work itself and setup a physical environment that promotes effective and efficient work. Human Resource professionals are ideally suited to assist in all aspects of this process as well.

             HR transformation initially focused on making HR operations more efficient and effective through process standardization and technology. The next generation of HR transformation is more tightly linked to corporate strategy and to creating business value through HR services that address a company’s most pressing strategic challenges. That means anticipating critical workforce trends, shaping, and executing business strategy, identifying and addressing people related risks and regulations, enhancing workforce performance and productivity and offering new HR services to help a company improve and grow.

           Performance has two concepts, such as performance as behavior and performance as outcomes. Performance means record of outcomes on specific job functions during a specific time period. Performance management may be defined as a systematic approach for improving individual and team performance in order to achieve organizational goals. Performance management is concerned with outputs – the  achievement of results; and with outcomes – the impact made on performance.

            The basic criteria for performance management are accountability, transparency, completeness and equity. Accountability means that performance management practices should tie individual & team behaviour and outcomes to clear goals. Transparency means that financial and non-financial rewards are understood to public. Completeness means that performance management practices cover the full range of behaviours and goals required for overall business success. Equity means that those who produce more receive more. When performance management practices are transformed according to these criteria, they help create value.

      Transformation of performance management practices can be done in four steps.

·        A first step in performance management is to be clear about an organization’s strategy, performance priorities and what it is trying to accomplish.

·        The second step, once strategy has been clarified, standards and measures can be created that match the strategy. A simple test of the right performance management standards is to set them with customers or investors or both.

·        The third step, when someone meets standards, both financial and non-financial rewards should follow. As Bruce Ellig points out, financial rewards have economic, psychic & social implications and the importance of each is different for every employee. Transforming financial rewards means making choices about these three types of income: short-term cash, incentive-based cash, and long-term equity. Non-financial rewards are also an important part of transforming performance management practices.

·        The fourth step, follow-up both feedback on prior activities and what Marshall Goldsmith admirably calls “feed forward” on what‘s needed – is critical to performance. Here are some of the choices in providing follow-up: chat informally, supply data, let people draw their own conclusions, explain the why; not what do it.

In transforming performance practices, each of these four steps can be followed and upgrade performance management. With that line of sight, performance management can make sure that people understand what they need to do, how they need to do it, and why they need to do it.

HR  have the resources available to intervene in organizations that are struggling to meet performance expectations to help them develop skills or redesign structures or processes so that they will be able to meet those expectations. HR professionals manage the time and energy of the people in the organization in as focused a manner as any other valuable and scarce resource. It does this by integrating all the practices that influence how people allocate their time and energy at work. In influencing the contribution of the organization’s assets, HR practices results are based on synergy: the whole must be more than the parts.

Transforming HR practices is about more than simply making incremental improvements to each one.  HR practices had a measurable positive impact on business performance because the business leaders and employees were thrilled to have HR support after living with no HR for so long. Transformation of HR should not occur in isolation.

Outsourcing of HR     

The organizations that predominantly outsource report realizing the highest cost savings as a result of their transformation. However, most organizations - regardless of transformation strategy - report a disparity in expected versus actual cost savings, which is worrisome given the amount of due diligence applied to establishing a transformation program, as well as the implementation of service-level contracts; one would expect these efforts to drive greater correlation between expectation and outcome. Outsourcing transactional HR work enables HR professionals to focus on more strategic work. Thus, outsourcing increases the likelihood that HR professionals will become more strategic in thought and action. HR is facing new challenges because on the one hand several HR practices are being outsourced, and on the other hand, all line managers are being oriented to HR, so that they take over most of the HR work.

HRM is at fork of the road-either to continue as a peripheral service function, or to become a strategic business partner and organizational process consultant-facilitator. To play the latter role, HRM needs to do the following: Reposition HRM functions to make them more human develop HR systems help in decision about in-sourcing, out-sourcing and open-sourcing of HR functions  facilitate implementation of the HR systems provide internal organizational process internal organizational process consultancy.

HR transformation continues to focus on rules-based processes, and that may be unlikely to change soon. Different approaches to HR transformation drive different performance levels. The disparity in correlating expected with actual cost savings is a concern for organizations undertaking transformation. While there is widespread belief that transformation impacts HR’s ability to focus on strategic goals. Transformation is not driving real change retained HR staff function, Which is surprising since it could be considered a core competency of HR. HR leaders believe they are performing only adequately in implementing initiatives to support change.

Performance culture

Performance culture is about creating a culture that measures rewards performance and results. In the marketing   arena, product managers know that 80 percent of their profit comes from the top 20 percent of their products. The same principle and ratio can be argued when considering people management issues. HR must prioritize its time, services and focus on the tasks and initiatives with the highest impact, while limiting the time it spends on low performers. Instead of rewarding effort past loyalty and seniority, HR must ensure that all people initiative and activities focus on measuring and rewarding business results.

If organizations are truly serious about this, then HR must push to ensure that the staff is trained in performance management techniques. This means imparting a thorough knowledge of the processes involved and providing them with the capabilities to coach and mentor better performance from employees. Line managers need to take complete responsibility for this critical process, as HR exists to provide guidance.

HRM can transform the organization into a human system by developing their commitment, integrating the individual employees with the organizational culture and through processes achieving performance.

Transformation of the HR function

          The field of HRM has been undergoing a dramatic change. Driving its transformation as such factors as competition, globalization, technological innovations and market evolution. The present scenario unprecedented changes in the HR functions. This radical transformation of HR function has been instigated by a complex nexus of forces: pressures to reduce costs, higher expectations of customers, the constant drive to meet global competitive challenges and opportunities offered by advancements in information technology. The mix of these forces accelerates the transformation of the HR function in ways not envisioned a decade ago.

Changing resource functions as direct internet-based shifting increases and line managers develop their recruiting skills. If HR professionals are to survive and prosper under the new agenda, individual behavioural and attitudinal change must start now. HRM itself has changed over a period of time though “Peace, Stability and Growth” remained the focal points and in their importance.

The transformational functions of HR will include the following: HR people must pursue these.

·        Talent management; searching, nurturing, mentoring.

·        Among the most important issues ranked were leadership development and succession planning, HR technology, workforce planning, executive compensation and diversity, respectively.

·        Climate of trust, equity and involvement change management, including mergers and acquisitions leadership.

·        Ethics and social responsibility.

·        Reward system.

·        Work organizations must place HR at very high level, including their boards, and make demands on HR as the strategic function.

These developments produce a transformation in the management of human resources, in which MNCs play the catalyst role.

Transformation Strategy and HRM

At the level of the firms, privatized enterprise must be transformed into “high performance organizations”. They involve a difficult, long-run cultural change within the firm, a change in the whole approach to management, its development to a new level. The government, employer’s organizations and trade unions can significantly contribute to this transformation. 

Companies began to look at ways to revamp their HR departments. The role of business partners has been subject to a wide range of interpretations. Some companies have chosen to appoint hundreds of them; others have appointed just a few. One large organisati8on with 60,000 employees has 350; another, with some 50,000 employees, has just two. A 2004 study of 20 American companies by price water house Cooper’s Saratoga institute found a median ratio of one Hr business partner for every 1,000 employees.

Conclusion

The first step in performance management is to be clear about an organizational strategy, performance priorities to accomplish. Transformation of performance practices can be done by clarifying strategy and priorities, set standards, design rewards and follow-up. Performance practices brings designed outcome into measurable goals and incentives that motivate people to reach the goals.

Performance management is an approach to managing human resources which is designed to tie HR polices securely into a framework of achieving the strategic goals of the business. Performance management is only the reliable tool available to the managers for effectively translating business strategies into firm performance, people being the key strategic resource.

          HR transformation comes from the context of business and from the expectations of stakeholders. Where they identify which capabilities are most critical to their organizations future success. Re-designing HR means understanding what work is strategic and what work is transitional. In transforming HR professionals, the first step is to be clear about what is expected for success in the field, by considering HR roles and HR activities.

Reference

1.     A.M.Sarma, 2009, Performance Management System, Himalaya Publishing House, Mumbai.

2.     Dinesh K Srivastava, 2005 Strategies for Performance Management, Excel books, New Delhi.

3.     Frances Neale, 2005, Handbook of Performance Management, Jaico Publishing House, Mumbai.

4.     G.K.Suri, C.S.Venkata Ratnam, N.K.Gupta, 2004, Performance Measurement and Management, Excel books, New Delhi.

5.     Kurt Verweire and Lutgart Van den Berghe,2005, Integrated Performance Management, Sage Publications, New Delhi.

6.     Losey M, Ulrich, D and Meisinger, S., 2005, “The Future of Human Resource Management: 64 Thought Leaders Explore the Critical HR Issues of Today and Tomorrow” , John Wiley & Sons.

7.     Robert L.Cardy, 2004, Performance Management, Prientice-Hall of India Pvt,Ltd., New Delhi.

8.     R.K.Sahu, 2007, Performance Management, Excel Books, New Delhi.

9.     T.V.Rao,2010, “Transforming Human Resource Management”, Presentation for GITAM University International Conference, Visakhapatnam.

10. T.V.Rao, 2005 Appraising and Developing Managerial Performance, Excel Books, New Delhi.

11. T.V.Rao, 2007, Performance Management and Appraisal Systems, Response Books, New Delhi.

12. Ulrich, D.,1997, “Human Resource Champions: The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results”, Harvard Business School Press.

13. William J.Rothwell, Robert K.Prescott and Maria W.Taylor., 2008, Human Resource Transformation, Davies- Black Publishing, California.

14. www.TransformHR.com

15. www.HROAEUROPE.COM

16. www.citehr.com

17. www.tvrls@com.

        

Social Learning Through Emotional Intelligence

Social Learning Through Emotional Intelligence

Written by: Dr. Gandham Sri Rama Krishna

Published in International Journal of Management, Marketing and HRD, Westwind Publishing House, Mumbai, January, 2015, Vol.1, Issue.10, PP.14-20, ISSN:2321-8622.   

Abstract

In social learning and clinical psychology, the effect of behaviour has an impact on the motivation of people to engage in a specific behaviour. People wish to avoid negative consequences, while desiring positive results or effects. If one expects a positive outcome from a behaviour or thinks there is a highly probability of a positive outcome, then there will be more likely to engage in that behaviour. The behaviour is reinforced, with positive outcomes, leading a person to repeat the behaviour. Social learning suggests that a combination of environmental and psychological factors influence behaviour. On the other hand, an emotional intelligence is the area of cognitive ability involving traits and social skills that facilitate interpersonal behaviour. Intelligence can be broadly defined as the capacity for goal-oriented adaptive behaviour; Emotional intelligence focuses on the aspects of intelligence that govern self-knowledge and social adaptations. Individual skills at accurately gauging affective responses in others are usually talented at choosing socially adaptive behaviours, in their response.

Key words: Social Emotional Learning, Clinical Psychology, Emotional Intelligence.

Introduction

Social learning is learning that takes place at a wider scale than individual or group learning, up to a societal scale, through social interaction between peers. It may or may not lead to a change in attitudes and behaviour (Reed et.al, 2010). On the other hand, social emotional learning (SEL) is a process for learning life skills, including how to deal with oneself, others and relationships, and how to work in an effective manner in dealing with oneself. Social emotional learning helps in recognizing individual emotions and in managing those feelings (http://casel.org).    

Social learning theory establishes that human behaviour is influenced and affected by the individual behaviour and environment. Every person affects as well as gets affected by this triadic relationship. The theory establishes that each individual possesses the capacity to symbolize, develop self directed forethought and learn from his/her and others individual experiences (Schunk and Pajares, 2002). The self regulating system represents a process that is affected by     interdependent relationship between behaviour, personal experience and environment (Bandura, 2001). This relationship becomes a triadic interrelation that influences motivation and self-beliefs.

The self system is a part of self-regulatory system that each individual possess. The self-regulatory system aids in the development of beliefs and behaviour that will enable or discount actions. Various researches have shown that self regulatory behaviour can account for academic achievement (Pajare, 1994). As a part of this self-regulatory system, Bandura introduced the concept of self- efficacy. He defines self-efficacy as an essential part of the human functioning reciprocally motivating and perpetuating the individual’s behavior.

Bandura (2001) explains the process of thought and action as regulated by a self system that enables individuals to exercise control of their thoughts, feelings and actions. Pajare (1994) describes the self system as one that “houses one’s cognitive and affective structures and includes the ability to symbolize, learn from others, plan alternative strategies, regulate one’s own behavior and engage in self-reflection”. The self system is a self-regulatory sub-system that mediates the influences of each of the triadic parts of individual’s behavior, thoughts, feelings and motivation. Based on the results of the interactions between environment, personal characteristics and beliefs, the individual’s likelihood of similar actions to

occur increases. Each person affects his/her environment and is influenced by his/her actions. The thoughts resulting from this interrelationship becomes a mediator between knowledge and behaviour. Each person’s experience forms an important part in the development of self-regulation (Bandura, 2001).

The individual therefore accumulates perception about his or her performances that influence his/her self-belief. Through this bi-directional reciprocal process, the individual is in control of his thoughts, environment and behaviour. The self system is composed of experiences and beliefs that each person forms from his/her abilities. According to Bandura self-efficacy is the concept by which each person’s experiences, abilities and thoughts merges into one road.

According to Social Learning Theory, models are an important source for learning new behaviours and for achieving behavioural change in institutionalized settings. Social learning theory is derived from the work of Albert Bandura which proposed that observational learning can occur in relation to 3 models.

·        Lives model – In this model an actual person demonstrates the desired behaviour.

·        Verbal instruction – Here an individual describes the desired behaviour in detail and instructs the participant in how to engage in the behaviour.

·        Symbolic – In this modeling occurs by means of the media, including movies, television, internet, literature and radio. This type of modeling involves a real or factional character demonstrating the behaviour.

An important factor of Bandura’s social learning emphasises on reciprocal determinism. This notion states that an individual’s behaviour is influenced by the environment and characteristics of the person. In other words, a person’s behaviour, environment and personal qualities all reciprocally influence each other. Bandura proposed that the modeling process involves several steps:

·        Attention – In order to learn something, an individual must pay attention to the features of the modeled behaviour.

·        Retention – Humans need the ability to remember details of the behaviour in order to learn and later reproduce the behaviour.

·        Reproduction – In reproducing behaviour, an individual must organize his or her responses in accordance with the model behaviour. This ability can improve with practice.

·        Motivation – There must be an incentive or motivation driving the individual’s reproduction of the behaviour. Even if all of the above factors are present, the person will not engage in the behaviour without motivation.

 In social learning and clinical psychology, Rotter (1954) suggests that the effect of behaviour has an impact on the motivation of people to engage in that specific behaviour. People wish to avoid negative consequences, while desiring positive results or effects. If one expects a positive outcome from a behaviour or thinks there is a highly probability of a positive outcome, then there will be more likely to engage in that behaviour. The behaviour is reinforced, with positive outcomes, leading a person to repeat the behaviour. This social learning theory suggests that behaviour is influenced by these environmental factors or stimuli and not psychological factors alone.

Albert Bandura expanded on Rotter’s idea, as well as the earlier work of Miller and Dollard. This theory incorporates aspects of behavioural and cognitive learning. Behavioural learning assumes that people’s environment cause people to behave in certain ways. Cognitive learning presumes that psychological factors are important for influencing how individual behaves. Social learning suggests that a combination of environmental and psychological factors influence behaviour.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the innate potential to feel, communicate recognize, remember, describe, identify, learn from, manage, understand and explain emotions. (Laure, 2010). Emotional Intelligence is the area of cognitive ability involving traits and social skills that facilitate interpersonal behaviour. Intelligence can be broadly defined as the capacity for goal-oriented adaptive behaviour; Emotional Intelligence focuses on the aspects of intelligence that govern self-knowledge and social adaptations.

The term first appeared in 1985, in Wayne Payne’s  Doctoral thesis, “A study on Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence”. Payne’s thesis centered on the idea that society’s historical repression of emotion is the source of wide-scale problems such as addiction, depression, illness, religious conflict, violence and war.  

Goleman (2001) describes emotional intelligence as “managing feelings so that they are expressed appropriately and effectively, enabling people to work together smoothly toward their common goals”. According to Goleman, the four major skills that makeup emotional intelligence is; self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, and relationship management.

Psychologists have identified a variety of intelligence over the years (Gardner,1998). Most of these can be grouped into one of three clusters;

·        Abstract intelligence is an ability to understand and manipulate verbal and mathematical symbols,

·        Concrete intelligence is an ability to understand and manipulate objects.

·        Social intelligence is an ability to understand and relate to people (Ruisel,1992).

The Conceptualization of Emotional Intelligence:

Mental processes include appraisal and expression of emotion in the self, which suggest that people skilled in this process can recognize and so respond more appropriately, to their own emotions. Such emotionally intelligent individuals can better express these emotions to others. They also tend to be more talented at recognizing others’ emotional reactions, thus produces empathic responses to them. Individual skills at accurately gauging affective responses in others are usually talented at choosing socially adaptive behaviours, in their response. Thus others should see them as warm and genuine. In contrast, individuals who lack such skills can often appear impolite or diffident.

Emotional intelligent individuals are said to be particularly adept at regulating emotion. This process is often used as a means to meet particular goals, as it can lead to more adaptive mood states. In other words such emotionally

intelligent individuals may improve their moods and moods of others’. As a result, they can even go far as motivating others to achieve worthwhile objectives. Sometimes, however, these skills are sometimes channelled anti-socially and are used to manipulate others.

Finally, emotional intelligence can be utilized in problem solving. Fred O Walumbwa (2011) proposed that individuals tend to differ greatly in their ability to organize their emotions, in order to solve problems. Both emotions and moods have a subtle influence over the strategies involved in problem solving. They come to the conclusion that positive mood enables a greater degree of flexibility in future planning, which enables better preparation for making the most of future opportunities; similarly they claimed that a good mood is beneficial in creative thinking, as it increases an individual’s ability for developing category organizing principles. Unfortunately, the reverse of these abilities have a tendency to hold true for individuals in negative moods.

Moods may also be used to motivate one in the face of a challenge. Some people can positively channel their anxiety experienced in situations, such as exams, while others may imagine the possibility of failure, to better motivate themselves. In general, individuals with an optimistic attitude towards life construct interpersonal experiences, which result in improved outcome for themselves and those around them. All in all it can be said that emotionally intelligent individuals will be at an advantage in adaptively solving problems that are encountered in life.

Bhagavad Gita quotes “Do your duty,

It is not your duty to think of its result.”

Emotional Control

In psychology, the word emotion stands for a state of excitement in an organism. Emotion is derived from the Latin word ‘movere’ which means to stir up, to agitate or to excite. Emotions in general include happiness, surprise, love, fondness, affection, faith, compassion, devotion, anxiety, jealousy, rage, fear, hatred, horror, humiliation, apathy etc.

Emotions play an important role in life and contribute to the personal and social development of an individual. Continuous emotional disturbance affects the individual’s growth and development and gives rise to mental, physical, social and other problems. It hampers intellectual training. On the other hand, an emotionally stable individual leads a happy, healthy and peaceful life. He is at ease with himself, his surroundings and other fellow beings. Therefore, the development of emotions is extremely important for the harmonious development of the personality of an individual. Emotions influence all the aspects of an individual’s personality. Proper training and education will go a long way to enable the young people to control their emotions and obtain mental balance and stability. Emotions are the prime motive forces of thought and conduct and their control is very important. It has been rightly said, “To keep one’s emotions under control and be able to conceal them is considered a mark of strong character.

Emotions are the basic facets of individual since the expressions of feelings are vital as well as indispensable. Expression of emotions can be considered as the most fundamental need which is quite similar to the need for food, water or sleep. Emotions are aggregations of the personal subjective experiences and individual behaviour. Emotions play a significant role in guiding and directing our behaviour. Many times they seem to dominate us in such a way that we have no solution other than behaving as they want us to. Charles G. Morris stated “emotion is a complex affective experience that involves diffuse physical changes and can be expressed overtly in characteristic behaviour patterns”.

·        Emotional symptoms: These are persistent anxiety, intense conflicts and tensions, fear, hatred, jealousy, anger, inferiority complex, extreme timidity, temper-tantrum and excessive worry.

·        Signs of emotions: Emotions may be external or physiological and internal or psychological. Important signs of emotions in an individual are: increase in heart rate, rise in blood pressure, occurrence of changes in blood composition, increase in respiration, hair standing on end, dilution of eye pupil, increase in muscle tension, and increase in perspiration etc.

·        Emotional tolerance: Frustration, fear, jealousy, and envy-these are the four unpleasant emotions which everyone will inevitable face and must learn to tolerate.

·        Emotional expressions: How the person expressions his emotions affects his personality both directly and indirectly. The direct effect comes from the ability to emotional expression to clear the system of the excess energy aroused to meet the situation that stimulated the emotions. Indirect emotional expression affect the personality pattern by influencing the judgments others make of the person.

·        Emotional balance: In which the pleasant emotions outweigh the unpleasant, is essential to good personal and social adjustment and to happiness.

·        Emotional catharsis: Most individuals learn to repress the overt expressions of emotions that would lead to unfavourable social judgments. It is recognized that successful purging of the mind and body of pent-up emotional energy requires both physical and mental catharsis.

·        Emotional stress: Emotional stress is a generalized state of heightened emotionally which eventually becomes habitual.

·        Emotional climate: The emotional climate of the home directly influences the person’s characteristic pattern of behaviour and his characteristic adjustment to life. If the home climate is favourable, the individual will react to personal problems and frustration in a calm, cooperative way. If the home climate is frictional, he will develop the habit of reacting to family members and outsiders as well as a hostile or antagonistic way. While the emotional climate of the school has a strong influence on personality.

·        Emotional bank account: Deposits are smile, calling by a person his/her name and remember the names, listening, compassion, and appreciation. Withdrawals are, not criticizing others directly or indirectly and not  blaming others. Therefore you always can take the interest on deposits in your account by withdrawing unnecessary emotions and criticizes.

·        Affective Events Theory (AET): It demonstrates that employees react emotionally to things that happen to them at work and this influences their job performance and satisfaction.

·        Get rid of emotional stress: Dr. John A. Schindler has suggested the following practical aids for doing so: (I) Practical thought control. (ii). Turn every defeat into a moral victory (iii). When the things going are good and smooth, allow yourself the delightful feeling of being happy. (iv) Avoid the felling of misfortune through your mind which is like a repeating phonograph record.

Emotions can be categorized into two kinds – positive and negative emotions. Emotions like love, affection, fondness, faith, devotion, compassion, amusement, curiosity, happiness and joy which are very helpful and essential to the normal behaviour are termed as positive emotions. Whereas, unpleasant emotions like anger, fear, rage, hatred, horror, anxiety and jealousy which are harmful to the individual’s development are termed as negative emotions.

Napoleon Hill observers,

“Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind

at the same time. One or the other must dominate.”

It should be borne in mind that it is not to assume that all the positive emotions are always good and the negative emotions are bad. Excess of anything is bad. Whether an emotion will prove to be helpful or harmful to an individual depends upon the frequency and intensity of emotional experience. Emotions with too much intensity and frequency whether positive or negative bring harmful effects.

In emotional capabilities, no one is inferior to anyone. Once again it all depends on what sort of expectations you have for yourself. If you expect to be depressed, anxious, afraid, angry, then you will make these conditions regular parts of your life. You are what you choose to be yourself, and if you stop expecting emotional upset and instability, you will begin to take on the traits of a fully functioning personality.

Conclusion

          The article highlights all about emotions, emotional intelligence and how they influence the social learning. Social learning to a large extent depends on a combination of environmental and psychological factors. So learning about emotions, emotional intelligence, their effects and how to control them helps in improving our personality as well as social adaptability. There is a saying that “He who can manage himself can manage anything”. Managing oneself is nothing but managing the feeling and having a control over them. And here feelings are nothing but the emotions both negative and positive which influence a person’s behaviour. Here the emotional intelligence which focuses on the aspects of intelligence that govern self-knowledge and social adaptability is very much useful in adaptive problem solving that is encountered in life.

As emotions are inevitable and unavoidable in humans, there is a need for all humans to know about emotional intelligence which helps them in social learning, managing their emotions, inculcating adaptability which leads to a happy and peaceful life.   

Reference  

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