Behaviour at Work: Intelligences, Leadership, Communication & Occupational Stress — Practice

Question 1

Name the five components of Goleman's emotional intelligence.

Accepted Answer

Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills.

Question 2

Name the three leadership styles identified by Kurt Lewin.

Accepted Answer

Autocratic, in which the leader decides alone; democratic or participative, in which decisions are shared; and laissez-faire, in which the leader gives little direction.

Question 3

What is cultural intelligence and why does it matter in administration?

Accepted Answer

Cultural intelligence, or cultural quotient, is the capability to function effectively across cultural settings, described by Earley and Ang. In India's diverse administration, it helps officers work with different languages, communities and customs, avoid misunderstandings and build trust with citizens and colleagues.

Question 4

Describe the barriers to communication in organisations.

Accepted Answer

Physical barriers include noise and distance. Semantic barriers include jargon and ambiguity. Psychological barriers include bias, prejudice and emotions. Organisational barriers include hierarchy, filtering of information and poor channels. Remedies are clear language, feedback, active listening and open channels.

Question 5

What are electronic distortions in workplace communication?

Accepted Answer

They are problems specific to digital channels: loss of tone and non-verbal cues, misreading of short messages, information overload, misdirected or unread emails, distraction from constant notifications and hasty replies. Good practice includes clear subject lines, concise messages, and choosing a call or meeting for sensitive issues.

Question 6

Explain Karasek's job demand-control model.

Accepted Answer

The model says stress depends on the combination of job demands and the control an employee has over how to meet them. High demands with low control produce the highest strain, while high demands with high control can be stimulating. Organisations reduce strain by increasing control, clarifying roles and giving support.

Question 7

Compare transformational and transactional leadership. (~150 words)

Accepted Answer

Transactional leadership rests on exchange: the leader sets goals, monitors performance and gives rewards or penalties. It suits stable, routine work and gives clarity, but rarely creates commitment beyond what is rewarded. Transformational leadership, described by Burns and developed by Bass, inspires followers beyond self-interest through vision, intellectual stimulation, individual attention and role-modelling. It raises motivation and readiness for change, especially in reform and crisis. In public administration a Collector needs both: transactional discipline for routine service delivery and transformational vision to mobilise staff and citizens for programmes such as water conservation or literacy drives. Effective leaders combine the two according to the situation.

Question 8

Discuss gender issues at the workplace and measures to address them. (~150 words)

Accepted Answer

Women face a glass ceiling, unequal pay, sexual harassment, work-family conflict and safety concerns in travel and shifts, and unconscious bias in evaluation and promotion. Legal measures include the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, which requires Internal Committees, and the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, which provides 26 weeks of paid leave for the first two children. Organisational steps include flexible work, child-care support, mentoring, transparent promotion criteria, gender-sensitisation training and safe transport. Lasting change also needs shifts in attitudes, equitable sharing of care work and data-based monitoring of pay and promotion gaps, so that participation rises and workplaces become inclusive.

Practice — Behaviour at Work: Intelligences, Leadership, Communication & Occupational Stress

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