Interpersonal Skills in Organizations 5th edition Suzanne de Janasz, Karen Dowd, Beth Schneider - Solutions

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1. Take a poll of your class (at least, the Gen-X and Gen-Y members). At school or work, how many regularly (e.g., daily or every few days) send or receive information (not entertainment) using (a) email, (b) instant messaging, (c) text messaging, (d) reading/writing blogs or microblogs (e.g.,
What role does countervailing power play in the power relationship? Give an example of your own encounter with countervailing power at school or work.
Several years ago, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) went on strike in September, just before the World Series started. The players’ contract expired at the beginning of the season (May), but they held off the strike until September when they would lose only one-sixth of their
You have just been hired as a brand manager of tooth- paste for a large consumer products company. Your job mainly involves encouraging the advertising and production groups to promote and manufacture your product more effectively. These departments aren’t under your direct authority, although
How does social networking increase a person’s power? What social networking strategies could you initiate now to potentially enhance your future career success?
List the eight influence tactics described in this chapter in terms of how they are used by students to influence their university teachers. Which influence tactic is applied most often? Which is applied least often, in your opinion? To what extent is each influence tactic considered legitimate
How do cultural differences affect the following influence factors: (a) silent authority and (b) upward appeal?
Many years ago, the CEO of Apple Computer invited Steve Jobs (who was not associated with the company at the time) to serve as a special adviser and raise morale among Apple employees and customers. While doing this, Jobs spent more time advising the CEO on how to cut costs, redraw the organization
This book frequently emphasizes that successful companies engage in organizational learning. How do political tactics interfere with organizational learning objectives?
1. What were the main sources of power that Luke Duffy used to keep everyone in line with his irregular business practices? Describe how he applied these power sources to influence employees and senior executives. 2. What contingencies strengthened Luke Duffy’s power at NAB’s foreign currency
Distinguish constructive conflict from relationship conflict and explain how to apply the former with minimal levels of the latter.
The chief executive officer of Creative Toys, Inc. read about cooperation in Japanese companies and vowed to bring this same philosophy to the company. The goal is to avoid all conflict, so that employees would work cooperatively and be happier at Creative Toys. Discuss the merits and limitations
Conflict among managers emerged soon after a French company acquired a Swedish firm. The Swedes perceived the French management as hierarchical and arrogant, whereas the French thought the Swedes were naive, cautious, and lacking an achievement orientation. Describe ways to reduce dysfunctional
This chapter describes three levels of interdependence that exist in interpersonal and intergroup relation- ships. Identify examples of these three levels in your work or school activities. How do these three levels affect potential conflict for you?
You are a special assistant to the commander-in-chief of a peacekeeping mission to a war-torn part of the world. The unit consists of a few thousand peacekeeping troops from Canada, France, India, and four other countries. The troops will work together for approximately one year. What strategies
The chief operating officer (COO) has noticed that production employees in the company’s Mexican manufacturing operations are unhappy with some of the production engineering decisions made by engineers in the company’s headquarters in Toronto. At the same time, the engineers complain that
Describe the inquisitional approach to resolve disputes between employees or work units. Discuss its appropriateness in organizational settings including the suitability of its use with a multigenerational workforce.
Jane has just been appointed as purchasing manager of Sechelt Technologies Ltd. The previous purchasing manager, who recently retired, was known for his “winner-take-all” approach to suppliers. He continually fought for more discounts and was skeptical about any special deals that suppliers
1. What are the signs (symptoms) of conflict in this case? 2. Use the conflict model to (a) identify the structural causes of conflict and (b) discuss the escalation of conflict described in this case. 3. If you were Dan Jensen, what action would you take in this situation?
Why is it important for top executives to value and support shared leadership?
Find two ads for management or executive positions. What leadership competencies are mentioned in these ads? If you were on the selection panel, what methods would you use to identify these competencies in job applicants?
Consider your favourite teacher. What supportive (people-oriented) and directive (task-oriented) leadership behaviours did he or she use effectively? In general, do you think students prefer an instructor who is more supportive or directive? Explain your preference.
Your employees are skilled and experienced customer service representatives who perform nonroutine tasks, such as solving unique customer problems or meeting special needs with the company’s equipment. Use path- goal theory to identify the most appropriate leadership style(s) you should use in
Transformational leadership is the most popular perspective of leadership. However, it is far from perfect. Discuss the limitations of transformational leadership.
This chapter distinguished charismatic leadership from transformational leadership. Yet charisma is identified by most employees and managers as a characteristic of effective leaders. Why is charisma commonly related to leadership? In your opinion, are the best leaders charismatic? Why or why not?
Identify a current political leader (e.g., prime minister, president, premier, mayor) and his or her recent accomplishments. Now, using the implicit leadership perspective, think of ways that these accomplishments of the leader may be overstated. In other words, explain why they may be due to
You hear two people debating the merits of women as leaders. One person claims that women make better leaders than do men because women are more sensitive to their employees’ needs and involve them in organizational decisions. The other person counters that although these leadership styles may be
1. Which perspective of leadership best explains the problems experienced in this case? Analyze the case using concepts discussed in that leadership perspective. 2. What can organization’s do minimize the leadership problems discussed above?
1. What leadership style did Donna use? Was it appropriate for the situation? 2. Analyze the environmental and employee contingencies in this case to determine which style she should have adopted. 3. Given the dissatisfaction her original leadership style created, what style should Donna use now?
Tim Hortons organizational structure was described at the beginning of this chapter. What coordinating mechanism is likely most common within each Tim Hortons restaurant? Describe the extent and form in which the other two types of coordination might be apparent within a Tim Hortons restaurant.
Think about the business school or other organizational unit whose classes you are currently attending. What is the dominant coordinating mechanism used to guide or control the instructor? Why is this coordinating mechanism used the most here?
Administrative theorists concluded many decades ago that the most effective organizations have a narrow span of control. Yet today’s top-performing manufacturing firms have a wide span of control. Why is this possible? Under what circumstances, if any, should manufacturing firms have a narrow
Leaders of large organizations struggle to identify the best level and types of centralization and decentralization. What should companies consider when determining the degree of decentralization?
Diversified Technologies Ltd. (DTL) makes four types of products, each type to be sold to different types of clients. For example, one product is sold exclusively to automobile repair shops, whereas another is used mainly in hospitals. Customer expectations and needs are surprisingly similar
IBM is becoming a globally integrated enterprise. What does this organization look like in terms of its departmentalization? What challenges might face companies that try to adopt the globally integrated enterprise model?
From an employee perspective, what are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a matrix structure?
Suppose that you have been hired as a consultant to diagnose the environmental characteristics of your college or university. How would you describe the school’s external environment? Is the school’s existing structure appropriate for this environment?
1. What form of departmentalization has Nokia relied on throughout most of the past three decades? Why have these forms of departmentalization been adopted? 2. Evaluate Nokia’s changing organizational structure against the changing characteristics of the external environment over this time. Has
Superb Consultants has submitted a proposal to analyze the cultural values of your organization. The proposal states that Superb has developed a revolutionary new survey to tap the company’s true culture. The survey takes just 10 minutes to complete, and the consultants say results can be based
Some people suggest that the most effective organizations have the strongest cultures. What do we mean by the “strength” of organizational culture, and what possible problems are there with a strong organizational culture?
The CEO of a manufacturing firm wants everyone to support the organization’s dominant culture of lean efficiency and hard work. The CEO has introduced a new reward system to reinforce this culture and personally interviews all professional and managerial applicants to ensure that they bring
Identify at least two artifacts you have observed in your department or school from each of the four broad categories: (a) organizational stories and legends, (b) rituals and ceremonies, (c) organizational language, (d) physical structures and symbols.
“Organizations are more likely to succeed when they have an adaptive culture.” What can an organization do to foster an adaptive culture?
Suppose you are asked by senior officers of a city government to identify ways to reinforce a new culture of teamwork and collaboration. The senior executive group clearly supports these values, but it wants every- one in the organization to embrace them. Identify four types of activities that
Socialization is most intense when people pass through organizational boundaries. One example is your entry into the college or university that you are now attending. What learning and adjustment occurred as you moved from outsider to newcomer to insider as a student here?
Acme Corp. is planning to acquire Beta Corp., which operates in a different industry. Acme’s culture is entrepreneurial and fast-paced, whereas Beta employees value slow, deliberate decision making by consensus. Which merger strategy would you recommend to minimize culture shock when Acme
1. Contrast Hillton’s earlier corporate culture with the emerging set of cultural values. 2. Considering the difficulty in changing organizational culture, why does Hillton’s management seem to be reasonably successful at this transformation? 3. Identify two other strategies that the city might
1. What negative effects, if any, does this hazing activity have on the socialization of new employees? Why? Would this type of hazing have a positive effect on socialization in any way? 2. What hazing rituals are you aware of in organizational settings? Why do they occur? Should they be
Chances are that the university you attend is currently undergoing some sort of change to adapt more closely with its environment. Discuss the external forces that are driving these changes. What internal drivers for change also exist?
Use Lewin’s force field analysis to describe the dynamics of organizational change in a typical Canadian municipality. The opening story about the City of Regina provides some information, but think about other forces for and against change in a city or community.
Employee resistance is a symptom, not a problem, in the change process. What are some of the real problems that may underlie employee resistance?
Senior management of a large multinational corporation is planning to restructure the organization. Currently, the organization is decentralized around geographical areas so that the executive responsible for each area has considerable autonomy over manufacturing and sales. The new structure will
Discuss the role of reward systems in organizational change. Specifically, identify where reward systems relate to Lewin’s force field model and where they undermine the organizational change process.\
Web Circuits is a Malaysian-based custom manufacturer for high-technology companies. Senior management wants to introduce lean management practices to reduce production costs and remain competitive. A consultant has recommended that the company start with a pilot project in one department and, when
Suppose that you are vice-president of branch services at the Credit Union of Kelowna. You notice that several branches have consistently low customer service ratings even though there are no apparent differences in resources or staff characteristics. Describe an appreciative inquiry process in one
This chapter suggests that some organizational change activities face ethical concerns. Yet several consultants actively use these processes because they believe they benefit the organization and do less damage to employees than it seems on the surface. For example, some activities try to open up
1. Identify the forces pushing for change and the forces restraining the change effort in this case. 2. Was Jim Leon successful at bringing about change? Why or why not? 3. What should Jim Leon do now?
1. Identify the different conflict episodes that exist in this case? Who was in conflict with whom? 2. What are the sources of conflict for each of these conflict incidents? 3. What conflict management style(s) did Lapierre, the international team, and Gushin use to resolve these conflicts? What
1. What symptom(s) in this case suggest that something has gone wrong? 2. What are the main causes of these symptoms? 3. What actions should Treetop Forest Products executives take to correct these problems? 4. What structural and other changes would you recommend that may improve this situation in
1. What barriers to effective communication existed in Aluminum Elements Corp.? 2. How did author deal with these? 3. What would you do differently? 4. Identify and discuss reasons why John was upset at the end of the case. 5. What do you recommend the writer should do at this time?
1. Before the reform, Chengdu Bus Group had many difficulties. Please explain these difficulties and how they were overcome? 2. Describe the way Dr Chen implemented organizational change at Chengdu Bus Group using the Action Research Approach. 3. Describe the case of Chengdu Bus group using
1. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of X-Stream’s organizational culture. 2. Analyze the sources of the resistance to the proposed changes by Gil and Alkina and discuss how the company could deal with the resistance. 3. Discuss the type of organizational structure you believe the company
1. Why didn’t money motivate Suzanne Chalmers to stay with API? 2. Do financial rewards have any value in situations such as this, where employees are relatively wealthy? 3. What innate drives seem to be motivating Suzanne Chalmers? 4. Of what importance is job design in this case? 5. If you were
1. Apply the conflict model (found in the chapter on conflict) to this case. That is, explain the facts of this case using the concepts in the model. 2. From the perspective of management, what is the problem(s) in this case? From the union/employee perspective, what is the problem(s) in this case?
1. Identify the symptoms indicating that problems exist in this case.2. Diagnose the problems in this case using organizational behaviour concepts.3. Recommend solutions that overcome or minimize the problems and symptoms in this case.
1. What symptom(s) in this case suggest that something has gone wrong? 2. What are the main causes of these symptoms? (a) Power and Influence Analysis (b) Conflict Analysis 3. What actions should Resonus Corporation executives take to correct these problems?
1. What type of team was formed here? Was it necessary, in your opinion? 2. Use the team effectiveness model and related information in this chapter to identify the strengths and weaknesses of this team’s environment, design, and processes. 3. Assuming that these four people must continue to work
Why is self-awareness so important?
You may have heard the term "personality clash" before. What does this mean and how can this be avoided?
We contend that knowing yourself is critical to a successful and satisfying professional and personal life. Why is this so?
Why do different people interpret the same situation or conversation differently? Is one person smarter or more intuitive than another?
Self-disclosure has benefits, but it also has risks. Discuss both.
Was Mary Townsend's disclosure appropriate in the chapter opening case? Why or why not? [Follow-on questions could include: "Was Mary confiding in a family friend, an employer, or a mentor?" "Would a male employee have been as open with John as Mary obviously was?”]
With so much work being done by work teams, in what ways can self-disclosure improve team performance?
Have you ever worked for a boss you didn't trust? How can this be a problem?
We contend that we might trust certain but not all aspects of a person. Do you agree or disagree?
How does trust impact organizations? How can untrustworthy members impact an entire organization? How can organizations ensure members will be trustworthy?
Comment on these statements: "Trust is fragile;" "Trust is earned."
While most of us would like to be successful in life, few of us set specific goals as to what success would look like and by when. Why is this so, and how can goal setting help make a difference?
How do values relate to goals?
We use the example that "getting into shape" is not a SMART goal and offer ways to improve this statement. What if your goal is “to be a better friend?" How can you make this goal SMART?
In the 1990s, when asked by a researcher if they had it to do all over again, over half of men aged 50 said they would have taken a different career path. What are your thoughts about this?
In large metropolitan cities like Los Angeles, organizations are allowed to pollute up to a certain amount. Beyond that amount, the organization is fined. If they pollute less than the limit, organizations can "sell" their pollution credits to other firms who'll save money by buying the pollution
People often say "I need more time" or "I don't have time for (e.g., exercise)". The truth is, we all have 168 hours per week. No more, no less. What's underlying these statements, and what are some potential remedies?
What if you're in a job where your productivity is measured in billable hours. Does work smarter not harder still apply here?
Employers are starting to recognize the value of programs geared toward time and stress management, even work-family balance. Is this a worthwhile expenditure?
How do you know what your stressors are? What if everything "stresses us out"?
We contend that emotional intelligence (EQ) is a better predictor for success than is general intelligence (IQ). Why is this so?
We discuss the growing diversity of the workforce. However, if you grew up in a fairly homogeneous town and went to a fairly homogeneous school, you may not have had much experience with diversity. Will this be a problem when you enter the workforce?
Witness the growth of popular titles that suggest men and women speak different languages. Do you think this is true? Does this mean that communication between genders is doomed from the start?
You accept an offer position that requires extensive travel abroad. What cross-cultural factors would you need to take into account regarding your communications with others in different cultures?
There is growing debate on the usefulness of affirmative action policies—in organizations' hiring practices, in school admission policies, in preferential treatment in government contracts. Debate this issue. If the mandates didn't exist, would there be sufficient diversity where it matters?
Why is active or empathic listening so hard to do?
Few would argue the importance of active or empathic listening. However, there may be times when you aren't in the mood. Should a friend or loved one catch us at this time and begin sharing a problem with you, what would you do?
One element of active listening is maintaining eye contact with the speaker. For various reasons, some people don't or can't do this. Why is this so and what impact might this have on communication?
The text discusses proxemics or the way in which we use space in communicating and how one's "safe zone" may be larger or smaller depending on the context (business or personal) and the culture. If someone were too close, how would you respond?
With so much communication occurring on-line today—in fact, it's not unusual to find people in adjacent offices using email to communicate to one another—what are some ways to ensure your message is received as it was intended?
What are some common barriers to communication? Discuss how they impact the communication process.
Picture this. It's Sunday morning, a few hours before the annual company picnic. The wife, while ironing her dress, asks her husband, "Do we really have to go to the picnic today?" The husband responds, "Yes." Is there a communication breakdown, and if so, who is responsible?
Picture this. Your roommate is a total slob. Today, you've decided you've had enough and piled all his/her dirty clothes on his/her bed and vacuumed the room you share. What message did your roommate receive from this gesture?

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Interpersonal Skills in Organizations 5th edition Suzanne de Janasz, Karen Dowd, Beth Schneider - Solutions

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