Questions and Answers of Fundamentals Of Organizational Behaviour

To learn about the different needs of a diverse workforce.■ Lise is 28 years old. She is a divorced mother of 3 children, aged 3, 5, and 7. She is the department head. She earns $37 000 a year in
Our 6 participants work for a company that has recently installed a flexible benefits program. Instead of the traditional “one benefits package fits all,” the company is allocating an additional
1. Identify an example of someone you think of as a good leader (currently or in the past). What traits did he or she have? How did these traits differ from someone you identify as a bad leader?2.
Do you think it's ever okay to lie? If you were negotiating for the release of hostages, most people would probably agree that if lying would lead to the hostages' safety, it's okay. What about in
Talk to several managers you know and ask them what skills they think are most important in today’s workplace. Ask them to specifically consider the use of teams in their workplaces, and what
1. Using the skills listed in the Learning About Yourself Exercise, identify the 4 skills that you think all managersshould have.2. Identify the 4 skills that you think are least important for
As the father of two young children, Marshall Rogers thought that serving on the board of Marysville Daycare would be a good way to stay in touch with those who cared for his children during the day.
Talk to several managers you know and ask them what skills they have found to be most important in doing their jobs. Why did they find these skills most important? What advice would they give a
What are some of the challenges and opportunities that managers face as we move into the twenty-first century?
Can empowerment lead to greater job satisfaction?
1. Think back to your perception of this course and your instructor on the first day of class. What factors might have affected your perceptions of what the rest of the term would be like?2. Describe
When Christine Giacomoni applied for a job at the Sherwood Park (Alberta) location of the Real Canadian Superstore, she was wearing a nose stud. 145 She got the job. Six months later, however, she
A researcher doing a case study on emotions in organizations interviewed Laura, a 22-year-old customer-service representative in Australia. The following is a summary of the interview (with some
Watch the actors in an emotion-laden film, such as Death of a Salesman or 12 Angry Men, for clues to the emotions they are exhibiting. Try to determine the various emotions projected and explain how
1. Your instructor will choose 4 volunteers willing to reveal an interesting true-life background fact about themselves.Examples of such background facts are as follows:• I can perform various
Spend a day specifically looking for emotional cues in the people with whom you interact. Did this improve communication?
What is stereotyping? Give an example of how stereotyping can create perceptual distortion.
1. Identify the extent to which values overlap in your group.2. Try to uncover with your group members the source of some of your key values (for example, parents, peer group, teachers, church).3.
The Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act prohibits Canadian firms from making payments to foreign government officials with the aim of gaining or maintaining business. But payments are
You have probably been dissatisfied with a job at one time or another in your life. 132 When faced with a dissatisfying job, researchers and job holders alike usually think about how to increase job
Try to convince a friend or relative to go with you to see a movie or play that you know he or she does not want to see.
Look for data on stress levels in other countries. How do these data compare with the Canadian data presented above? Are the sources of stress the same in different countries? What might you conclude
Think of all the technical avenues enabling employees to be connected 24/7 to the workplace: email, texting, company web pages. A generation ago, most employees could go home after a day at work and
Form groups of 2. Person A is to choose any topic that he or she feels strongly about and state his or her position on the topic in 30 words or less. Person B’s task will be to try to change Person
Try to convince a friend or relative to try a different brand of toothpaste.
Find out what three Canadian organizations in three different industries have done to help employees manage stress. Are there common themes in these programs? Did you find any unusual programs? To
How much responsibility should individuals take for managing their own stress? To what extent should organizations become involved in the personal lives of their employees when trying to help them
Describe the profile of Generation-Y employees.
What is the relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism? Job satisfaction and turnover? Which is the stronger relationship?
Define motivation. What are its key elements?
Critics have described the astronomical pay packages given to Canadian and American CEOs as "rampant greed." 149 In 2010, the average total compensation (salary, bonus, share units, stock options,
1. One of the members of your team continually arrives late for meetings and does not turn drafts of assignments in on time. Choose one of the available theories and indicate how the theory explains
"It got to where I was twitching, literally, on the way into work," states Carrie Clark, a 52-year-old retired teacher and administrator. After enduring 10 months of repeated insults and
Set personal and academic goals you want to achieve by the end of this term. Prioritize and rate them for difficulty.
Tammie Arnold worked her way through college while holding down a parttime job bagging groceries at the Food Town supermarket chain. She liked working in the food industry, and when she graduated she
Where do you want to be in five years? Do you have specific five-year goals? Establish three goals you want to achieve in five years. Make sure these goals are specific, challenging, and measurable.
Describe the four ways in which goal setting motivates.
Explain cognitive evaluation theory. How applicable is it to management practice?
What is an ESOP? How might it positively influence employee motivation?
1. One of the members of your team continually arrives late for meetings and does not turn drafts of assignments in on time. In general, this group member is engaging in social loafing. What can the
Define the five core dimensions in the JCM.
Identify five different bases by which organizations can compensate employees. Based on your knowledge and experience, is performance the basis most used in practice? Discuss.
This text argues for recognizing individual differences. It also suggests paying attention to the needs of members of diverse groups. Does this view contradict the principles of equity theory?
We have noted that one of the most common problems in groups is social loafing, which means group members contribute less than if they were working on their own. We might call such individuals
Interview three managers from different organizations. Ask them about their experiences in managing teams. Have each describe teams that they thought were effective and why they succeeded. Have each
How can teams increase employee motivation?
Step 1 Each group will receive 20 index cards, 12 paper clips, and 2 marking pens. Groups have 10 minutes to plan a paper tower that will be judged on the basis of 3 criteria: height, stability, and
Jameel Saumur is the leader of a five-member project team that has been assigned the task of moving his engineering firm into the booming area of highspeed intercity rail construction. Saumur and his
Contrast a team you have been in in which members trusted one another with another team you have been in in which members lacked trust in one another. How did the conditions in each team develop?
What are the characteristics of an effective team?
How can team members harm their team?
What is the difference between task-oriented roles and maintenance roles?
What conditions Favour creating a team, rather than letting an individual perform a given task?
Have you experienced social loafing as a team member? What did you do to prevent this problem?
1. Describe a situation in which you ignored someone. What impact did it have on that person's subsequent communication behaviors?2. What differences have you observed in the ways that men and women
Consider the case of Dianna Abdala. 100 In 2005, Abdala was a recent graduate of Suffolk University's law school.She passed the bar exam and was offered a job at a law firm started by William Korman,
The topic of lying as it relates to negotiation is important because, for many people, there is no such thing as lying when it comes to negotiating. It has been said that the whole notion of
Negotiate with a team member or work colleague to handle a small section of work that you are not going to be able to get done in time for an important deadline.
This role play is designed to help you develop your negotiating skills. The class is to break into pairs. One person will play the role of Terry, the department supervisor. The other person will play
As marketing director for Done Right, a regional home-repair chain, you have come up with a plan you believe has significant potential for future sales. Your plan involves a customer information
The next time you purchase a relatively expensive item (such as an automobile, apartment lease, appliance, jewelry), attempt to negotiate a better price and gain some concessions such as an extended
What are the managerial implications from the research contrasting male and female communication styles?
List four specific problems related to language difficulties in cross-cultural communication.
Why do you think so many people are poor listeners?
From your own experience, describe a situation you were involved in where the conflict was dysfunctional. Describe another example, from your experience, where the conflict was functional. Would the
Jack Grubman was a powerful man on Wall Street. 88 As a star analyst of telecom companies for the Salomon Smith Barney unit of Citigroup, his recommendations carried a lot of weight with investors.
Jennifer Cohen thought she had a good grip on her company's dress code. She was wrong. Cohen works for a marketing firm. Before a meeting, an older colleague pulled 24-year-old Cohen aside and told
Keep a one-week journal of your behaviour describing incidents when you tried to influence others around you. Assess each incident by asking: Were you successful at these attempts to influence them?
Look for data on violence and anger in the workplace in other countries. How do these data compare with the Canadian and American data presented here? What might you conclude about how violence and
Is it reasonable to suggest, as some researchers have, that young people today have not learned to be civil to others or do not place a high priority on doing so? Do you see this as one of the causes
Contrast the bases of power and influence tactics.
You used to be the star marketing manager for Hilton Electronics Corporation. But for the past year, you have been outpaced again and again by Sean, a new manager in the design department who has
Outline a specific action plan, based on concepts in this module, that would improve your career progression in the organization in which you currently work or an organization in which you think you
Identify three Canadian organizations that are trying to foster better and/or less toxic environments for their employees. What kind of effect is this having on the organizations’ bottom lines?
What should be done about managers who create toxicity in the workplace while being rewarded because they achieve bottom-line results? Should bottom-line results justify their behaviour?
Which impression management techniques have you used? What ethical implications, if any, are there in using impression management?
Whole Foods, a fast-growing chain of upscale grocery stores with stores in Vancouver, West Vancouver, Toronto, and Oakville, a few in London, England, as well as a large number in the United States,
Cheryl Kahn, Rob Carstons, and Linda McGee have something in common. They all were promoted within their organizations into management positions. As well, each found the transition a challenge.
Think of a group or team to which you currently belong or of which you have been a part. What type of leadership style did the leader of this group appear to exhibit? Give some specific examples of
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of trait theories of leadership.
1. The class should break into pairs.2. Student A’s task is to “lead” Student B through a new-student orientation to your college or university. The orientation should last about 10 to 15
You recently graduated from college with your degree in business administration. You have spent the past two summers working at London Mutual Insurance (LMI), filling in as an intern on a number of
Observe two sports teams (either college or professional-one that you consider successful and the other unsuccessful). What leadership styles appear to be used in these teams? Give some specific
What characteristics define an effective follower?
Is there an ethical problem if leaders focus more on looking like leaders than actually being leaders? Discuss.
“Leaders make a real difference in an organization’s performance.” Build an argument in support of this statement. Then build an argument against this statement.
1. Apply the rational decision-making model to deciding where your group might eat dinner this evening. How closely were you able to follow the rational model in making this decision?2. The company
Assume that you are a middle manager in a company with about 1000 employees. How would you respond to each of the following situations?1. You are negotiating a contract with a potentially very large
Maggie Becker, age 24, is a marketing manager for Kavu, a small chain of coffee shops in eastern Ohio. Recently, Maggie's wealthy uncle passed away and left her, his only niece, $100 000. Maggie
Take 20 minutes to list as many medical or health-care-related jobs as you can that begin with the letter r (for instance, radiologist, registered nurse). If you run out of listings before time is
What is the rational decision-making model? Under what conditions is it applicable?
Every time the phone rings, your stomach clenches and your palms start to sweat. And it’s no wonder! As sales manager for Brinkers, a machine tool parts manufacturer, you are besieged by calls from
List on a piece of paper some common terms that apply to both water and finance. How many were you able to come up with?
Describe organizational factors that might constrain decision makers.
What is groupthink? What is its effect on decision-making quality?
1. Identify artifacts of culture in your current or previous workplace. From these artifacts, would you conclude that the organization has a strong or weak culture?2. Have you or someone you know
Although some of the spying Hewlett-Packard performed on some members of its board of directors in 2006 appeared to violate California law, much of it was legal. Moreover, many companies spy on their
Jay Scovie looked at his workspace. He took pride in how nice and tidy he had made it look. As it turns out, his pride was misplaced. Sweeping visible clutter from your workspace by packing it into
Choose two courses that you are taking this term, ideally in different faculties, and describe the culture of the classroom in each. What are the similarities and differences? What values about
You are the nursing supervisor at a community hospital employing both emergency- room and floor nurses. Each of these teams of nurses tends to work almost exclusively with others doing the same job.

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