Chapter 1 Questions

Chapter 1
Essay Questions
1) Define the concept of an organization and briefly describe the characteristics of an
organization.
- organization is consciously coordinated social unit
• A consciously coordinated social unit:

– composed of a group of people / two or more p
– functioning on a relatively continuous basis
– to achieve a common goal or set of goals
– service-oriented or manufacturing-oriented
– large or small private firms;
– large or small public organization
– can be unionized or non- unionized;
– publicly traded or privately held
– managers may own shares in a private firm;
– operate in profit or non-profit sectors (
– Examples can be drawn from text, class discussion, Internet, newspapers such as
Globe and Mail, etc.)
Manufacturing and service firms are organizations, and so are schools, hospitals, churches,
military units, retail stores, police departments, volunteer organizations, start-ups, and local, state
and federal government agencies. There are a variety of organizations that comprise the
Canadian workplace.
Organizations can be located in the public sector or the private sector, they can be unionized or
not, they can be publicly traded, or they can be privately held. If they are publicly traded, senior
managers typically are responsible to a board of directors, which may or may not take an active
role in how the firm is run. The managers themselves may or may not own shares of the firm. If
the firm is privately held, it may be run by the owners, or by managers who report to the owners.
Firms can also operate in the for-profit or the non-profit sector.
2) List and describe some of the issues the Canadian workplace must address as it moves into the
next decade. Provide examples to support your response. Page Ref: 12-20
The dramatic changes in organizations make it important for managers to understand OB. As a
result of these changes new employment parameters have emerged. Employees have a variety of
options at different stages of their careers.
(see Exhibit 1-2 Employment Options)
The most critical issues confronting managers for which OB offers solutions present challenges
that also bring opportunities for organizations.
Challenges and Opportunities
• Dramatic changes in organizations
• Understanding OB has never been more important for managers
• Change has resulted in new employment options being offered or requested by employees
• May depend on career timing or preferences
There are dramatic changes in organizations due to globalizations and technological shift.. The typical employee is
getting older; more women and members of visible minorities are in the workplace; corporate downsizing and the
heavy use of temporary workers are severing the bonds of loyalty that tied many employees to their employers; and
global competition requires employees to become more flexible and cope with rapid change. The global recession
has brought to the forefront the challenges of working with and managing people during uncertain times.
As a result of these changes and others (for example, the rising use of technology), new employment options have
emerged. Some of the types of options individuals may find offered to them by organizations or for which they
would like to negotiate. Under each heading in the exhibit, you will find a grouping of options from which to choose
—or combine. For instance, at one point in your career you may find yourself employed full-time in an office in a
localized, non-union setting with a salary and bonus compensation package, while at another point you may wish to
negotiate for a flextime, virtual position and choose to work from overseas for a combination of salary and extra
paid time off.
As a result of recent years dramatic changes in organizations including technological evolution, globalization,
demographic shift, diversity, etc. new employment options have emerged (categories, type, compensations, location,
condition).
In short, today’s challenges bring opportunities for managers to use OB concepts. In this section, we review some of
the most critical issues confronting managers for which OB offers solutions—or at least meaningful insights toward
solutions.
Managing employees well when times are tough is just as hard as when times are good—if not harder. But the OB
approaches sometimes differ. In good times, understanding how to reward, satisfy, and retain employees is at a
premium. In bad times, issues such as stress, decision making, and coping come to the fore.
To ensure success as businesses move toward globalization, it is important for managers and employees to know the
cultural practices of the workforce in each country where they do business. The ever-changing global competitive
environment means that not only individuals but also organizations have to become increasingly flexible by learning
new skills, new ways of thinking, and new ways of doing business.
An important challenge for organizations is workforce diversity, a concept that recognizes the heterogeneous nature
of employees in the workplace. Whereas globalization focuses on differences among people from different
countries, workforce diversity addresses differences among people within given countries. Workforce diversity
acknowledges that the workforce consists of women and men; many racial and ethnic groups; individuals with a
variety of physical or psychological abilities; and people who differ in age, sexual orientation, and demographic
characteristics.
One workforce diversity challenge in Canadian workplaces is the mix of generations—members of the Baby
Boomer, Generation X, and Millennial groups—who work side by side. Due to their very different life experiences,
they bring different values and different expectations to the workplace.
We used to assume that people in organizations who differed from the stereotypical employee would somehow
simply fit in. We now recognize that employees don’t set aside their cultural values and lifestyle preferences when
they go to work. The challenge for organizations, therefore, is to accommodate diverse groups of people by
addressing their different lifestyles, family needs, and work styles.27 (Karpen et al., 2015)
OB can increase the success of employee-customer interactions by showing how employee attitudes and behaviour
influence customer satisfaction. Many organizations have failed because their employees failed to please customers.
Management needs to create a customer-responsive culture. OB can provide considerable guidance in helping
managers create such cultures—in which employees are friendly and courteous, accessible, knowledgeable, prompt
in responding to customer needs, and willing to do what is necessary to please the customer. (Shellenbarger, 2012)
One of the biggest challenges to maintaining employee well-being is the new reality that many workers never get
away from the virtual workplace. OB offers a number of suggestions for designing workplaces and jobs that can
help employees deal with work–life conflicts and manage work–life balance.
 Responding to economic pressures:
 Responding to globalization / competition
 Understanding workforce diversity

 Improving customer service
 Improving people skills

 Social media
 Working in networked organizations
 Enhancing employee well-being at work
 Creating a positive work environment

 Job satisfaction and behaving ethically (Examples can be drawn from text, class
discussion, Internet, newspapers such as Globe and Mail, etc.)
Responding to Economic Pressures (LO6)

Managing employees well when times are tough is just as hard as when times are good—if not
harder. But the OB approaches sometimes differ. In good times, understanding how to reward,
satisfy, and retain employees is at a premium. In bad times, issues such as stress, decision
making, and coping come to the fore.
• OB approaches may differ between good and bad times
– In good times, focus is on rewards, satisfaction, and retention of employees
– In bad times, issues such as stress, decision making and coping are important
• When the US Economy entered into a recession in 2008, most other economies
worldwide followed. Canada also faced widespread layoffs and job losses, and those who
survived the axe were often asked to accept pay cuts. When times are bad, as they were
during the recession, managers are on the front lines with employees who are asked to
make do with less, and who worry about their futures, and who sometimes must be fired.
The difference between good and bad management can be the difference between profit
and loss or, ultimately, between business survival and failure.
• When times are bad, managers are on the front lines with employees who
– may be terminated
– may be asked to make do with less
– worry about their future
After 2008 the large economies around the world plunged into recession or near recession.
Companies were forced into widespread layoffs and job losses.
Managing employees well when times are tough is possibly harder than when times are good, but
the OB approaches may differ.
In good times the focus may be on how to reward, satisfy, and retain employees.
In bad times issues such as stress, decision making, and coping come to the fore.
Teaching Tip: This may be a good time to introduce the Case Incident: Era of the Disposable
Worker?
Continuing Globalizaton
Organizations are no longer constrained by national boundaries and Canadian businesses face
tough competition from foreign firms.
To survive, companies have to reduce costs, increase productivity and improve quality. Some
have outsourced jobs to countries where labour costs are lower in order to remain profitable.
Increasing country involvement in trading blocs have significantly reduced tariffs and barriers to
trade.
Internet enables companies to become more globally connected.

As a result, managers and employees must become capable of working with people from
different cultures, as well as be knowledgeable in local laws and regulations.
Organizations and employees have to become increasingly flexible by learning new skills, new
ways of thinking and new ways to doing business.
Teaching Tip: The two topics covered here lead well into the Case Incident: Apple Goes Global
• In recent years, Canadian businesses have faced tough competition from the United
States, Europe, Japan, and China, as well as from other companies within our borders.
• Examples: Lululemon has a network of 491 storefronts in 17 countries across North
America, Europe, Australia and Asia. The network includes locations for Lululemon's
Ivivva brand, a series of sportswear designed specifically for young girls. moved almost
all of its manufacturing overseas.
International investments may provide good great opportunity to gain new customers/increase sales,
low work-force/cost, but also pose some challenges and risks :
political stability of a country/changing policies
Political risk such as regime change. military invasions by hostile countries, unpredictable business
environment, Level of corruption (i.e. fraudulent deals, frequent lawsuits, Lululemon’s Vendor Code of
Ethics/VCoE)
Frequent changes in government policies/growing tensions in the global environment increase
uncertainty & limit the growth opportunities.
Bureaucracy interference (i.e. licensing, contracting, etc.)

excessive bureaucratic barriers
Intellectual property/IP protection: improper protection of IP/rights of bus. orgs. Causing a higher risk of
ideas being stolen.
Anti-trust laws/ consumer goods regulations: 1 Pricing regulations, competition act, product
quality/safety control, bid-rigging, product labeling, etc.
Foreign trade policy: High tariff/trade restrictions/sanctions which is unfavorable for investment.
Restrictions negatively impact merchandise sourcing/exports/ harm relationships with foreign trade
partners & make business more complex.
Tax policy, rates and incentives: High taxation impact global trade & makes exports less competitive
- High tariff/trade restrictions with china is unfavorable
- Lululemon has moved more production out of China (Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.) to avoid the
high tariffs, yet opening more retail outlets to increase its sale 2
• Montreal-based Bombardier, a leading aerospace and transportation company in the

world, takes globalization seriously as part of its strategy. It helped build a bullet train for
Italy, using Japanese technology, and has designed award-winning trams for a number of
European cities. (Langton et al., 2019)
• To survive, they have had to reduce costs, increase productivity, and improve quality.
1
https://marcomm.mccarthy.ca/pubs/antitrus_overview.pdf
2
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/how-lululemon-is-avoiding-china-tariff-trouble-181009494.html
• Some employers have outsourced jobs to other countries where labour costs are lower to
remain profitable.
• National borders no longer protect most firms from foreign competitive pressures.
– Trading blocks (e.g., NAFTA and EU) reduce tariffs and barriers to trade
– Internet has also enabled companies to become more globally connected
• Managers and employees must become capable of working with people from different
cultures:
– Multinational corporations are developing operations worldwide.
– Companies are developing joint ventures with foreign partners.
– Workers are pursuing job opportunities across national borders.
Responding to Workforce Diversity

Workforce diversity recognizes that the workforce consists of women and men, many racial and
ethnic groups, individuals with a variety of physical or psychological abilities, and people who
differ in age, sexual orientation, and demographic characteristic.
It is important to recognize that employees don’t set aside their cultural values and lifestyle
preferences when they go to work.
– recognizes the heterogeneous nature of employees in the workplace

– Women and men
– Many racial and ethnic groups
– Individuals with a variety of physical or psychological abilities
– People who differ in age, sexual orientation, and demographic characteristics
• Diversity Challenge – mix of generations such as Baby Boomers, Generation X, and
Millennial groups
– Due to different life experiences, bring different values and expectations to the
workplace
– Employees don’t set aside their cultural values and lifestyle preferences when
they go to work
– Need to accommodate diverse groups of people by addressing their different
lifestyles, family needs, and work styles
• Examples:
– Regina-based SaskTel was named one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers in

2014 because of its commitment to diversity.25 It has diversity programs for
women, people with disabilities, visible minorities, and Indigenous people. While
the company received this award for a number of reasons, its work with
Indigenous people is particularly outstanding. Indigenous people are well
represented in the SaskTel workplace: 10 percent of its employees and 8.1 percent
of its managers are Indigenous. Indigenous people currently represent 15 percent
of the Saskatchewan population, and that number is expected to grow to 21 to 24
percent in 20 years.
– Canada is known for its multiculturalism and for being a refuge for people from
diverse cultural backgrounds. Although business literature points to the fact that
increasing diversity makes business sense, visible minority employees continue to
face discrimination in the Canadian workplace
– Several research studies have reported that labor market outcomes, employment,
unemployment, weeks worked, and representation in better-paying jobs for visible
minorities are poorer when compared with nonvisible minorities in Canada.
Research has shown that access to job opportunities, upward mobility, earnings,
and income have also been poorer. (Samuel et al., 2006) The unemployment rate
for visible minorities has been persistently higher than that of the total population
(Statistics Canada, 2014). In 2016, visible minorities represented 20% of the labor
force, up from 10% in 1996. (Statistics Canada, 2019)
Improving Customer Service
The shared characteristic of the service employees’ jobs is substantial interaction with the
company’s customers. OB can increase the success of these interactions by showing how
employee attitudes and behaviour influence customer satisfaction.
• Majority of employees in developed countries work in service jobs (78 percent in

Canada) [CITATION Per15 \l 1033 ]
• Many organizations failed because their employees failed to please customers.
Management needs to create a customer-responsive culture. OB can provide consider-
able guidance in helping managers create cultures that establish rapport with customers,
put customers at ease, show genuine interest, and are sensitive to a customer's individual
situation. (Karpen, 2015)
– Substantial interaction with customers
– OB can increase the success of these interactions by showing how employee
attitudes and behaviour influence customer satisfaction
– Management needs to create a customer-responsive culture
– OB can provide guidance to help managers create such cultures – where
employees are friendly, accessible, knowledgeable, and responsive, to please the
customer
(Langton et al., 2019)
Improving People Skills
OB can help understand relevant concepts and theories that can help explain and predict the
behaviour of people at work. Issues such as how to design motivating jobs, improving listening
skills, and creating more effective teams are an important part of people skills.
• OB provides many concepts and theories to help you explain and predict the behaviour of
people at work (Langton et al., 2019)
• Goal is to gain insights into people skills that you can use on the job
– Design motivating jobs
– Improve your listening skills
– Create more effective teams
Enhancing Employee Well-Being at Work
The line between work and nonwork time has become blurred creating conflicts and stress.
Organizations are asking employees to be available in off-work hours resulting in longer work
hours causing burnout and fatigue.
Work-life balance is a more important definition of career success than money, recognition, and
autonomy.
Organizations are asked to help employees achieve work-life balance or face a bigger problem of
attracting and retaining capable and motivated workers.
• Employees are increasingly complaining that the lines between work and private life
have blurred. (Langton et al., 2019)
– has led to more personal conflicts and stress.
• Why?
– Creation of global organizations; the world never sleeps
– Communication technology; people bring work home
– Organizations are asking employees to work longer hours
• Organizations must help employees strike a balance or risk losing key employees
and future candidates.
Social Media
Ethical questions regarding the use of social media are relevant to HR professionals, managers,
and employees.
Appropriate employee use of social media at work is increasingly relevant in OB.
• Organizations struggle with employee use of social media

• Employees have been fired for inappropriate tweeting
• Recruitment practices can be influenced by social media
• Access to social media throughout the day can influence employee mood and thus
performance [ CITATION Jaf14 \l 1033 ]
Working in Networked Organizations
Networked organizations allow people to communicate and work together even though they may
be thousands of kilometres apart.
Motivating and leading people require different techniques from managers when employees
work from home or from nonoffice locations.
Both managers and employees must develop new skills and OB can provide valuable insights to
help in these situations.
• Allow people to communicate and work together even though they may be located
elsewhere
• Manager’s job is different in these organizations
• Motivating and leading people, making collaborative decisions online requires different
techniques
• Managers and employees need to develop new skills
• OB can provide insights to help with improving those skills
Creating a Positive Work Environment
Organizations are trying to realize a competitive advantage by encouraging a positive work

environment, not through the physical environment but through work experiences.
Positive organizational scholarship (or positive organizational behaviour) studies how

organizations develop human strengths, foster vitality and resilience, and unlock potential.
Focus is shifting, no on what is wrong with the organization, but to what is good about
organizations. Issues such as:
 Engagement
 Hope
 Optimism
 Resilience in the face of strain
“Reflected best self” allows employees to focus on situation in which they were at their personal
best and exploit that strength rather than think about our limitations.
Enhancing Employee Well-Being at Work: Employees are increasingly frustrated as the

definition of the workplace has expanded to include anywhere a laptop or smartphone can go.
However, even if employees work flexible hours at home or from halfa continent away,
managers need to consider their well-being at work. (Major et al., 2002) (Brett et al., 2003) (Brady,
2002)
• Positive Organizational Scholarship

– An area of OB research that focuses on how organizations develop human
strength, foster vitality and resilience, and unlock potential.
– This approach challenges researchers and companies to look at OB through a new
lens.
– Focus is placed on how to exploit employee strengths rather than dwelling on
their limitations.
Improving Ethical Behaviour
Ethics is the study of moral values or principles that guide out behaviour and help us “to do the
right thing.”
Increasingly employees face ethical dilemmas and ethical choices in the face of changing
pressures in the workplace.
Ethics is not necessarily black and white because what is good ethical behaviour has not been
clearly defined.
Individuals who strive to create their own set of ethical values will more often do the right thing.
Companies can influence employee behaviour by promoting a strong ethical mission and strong
ethical leadership.
• Ethics
– The study of moral values or principles that guide our behaviour
– Inform us whether actions are right or wrong
– Help us “do the right thing”
• Ethical Dilemmas and Ethical Choices
– Required to identify right and wrong conduct
– Pressured to cut corners, break rules, engage in other questionable practices
Example:
Enron faced an ethical accounting scandal in 2001 after using “mark-to-market” accounting to fake their profits and
misused special purpose entities, or SPEs. Enron worked to make their losses look like less than they actually were,
and “cooked the books” to make their income look much higher than it was. (Langton et al., 2019)
In 2015, SNC-Lavalin and two of its subsidiaries - SNC-Lavalin Construction and SNC-Lavalin International - were
charged with corruption of a foreign public official and fraud. (BBC News, 2019)
Canadian banks have had the bragging rights of not following in their southern neighbors’ footsteps during the
financial collapse of ‘08/’09. However, recent allegations from employees of Canada’s five major banks of intense
pressure to meet sales goals, even at the unethical expense of misleading clients, sounds eerily similar to the recent
Wells Fargo scandal.
(Viewpoint, 2017)
(Johnson, 2017 )
condition).
solutions.
characteristics.
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Applied Psychology, February 2003, pp. 67–78.
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big banks reveal upsell pressures. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/banks-
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Outcomes. Journal of Retailing 91(1), 89-108.
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https://www.macvw.ca/research/tag/Ethics
3) List the particular issues that challenge organizations today at the individual level.
Page Ref: 18-20
- attitudes and stress

- task performance
- citizenship behaviour
- withdrawal behaviour
Attitudes and Stress

Employee attitudes are the evaluations employees make, ranging from positive to negative, about objects, people,
or events. For example, the statement, “I really think my job is great,” is a positive job attitude, and “My job is
boring and tedious” is a negative job attitude. Stress is an unpleasant psychological process that occurs in response
to environmental pressures.
Employee attitudes often have behavioural consequences that directly relate to organizational effectiveness. The
belief that satisfied employees are more productive than dissatisfied employees has been a basic tenet among
managers for years, although only now has research begun to support it. Ample evidence shows that employees who
are more satisfied and treated fairly are more willing to engage in the above-and-beyond citizenship behaviour so
vital in the contemporary business environment. For more information on the causes and consequences of stress as
well as coping mechanisms,
87% of Canadian employers don’t measure the health status of the majority of their employees. 87% of Canadian employers are
not confident that they can address the mental health issues of their employees. Only 43% of Canadian employees report using up
all of their annual vacation days. The Canadian economy lost $16.6 billion in 2012 due to absenteeism. (Twenge et al., 2010)
Workplace stress can arise from a variety of factors: (Meglino et al., 1989):
 Environmental factors. Uncertainty is the biggest reason people have trouble coping with organizational changes
(Balazas, 1990) Three common types of environmental uncertainty are economic, political, and technological.
 Organizational factors. There is no shortage of factors within an organization that can cause stress. Pressures to avoid
errors or complete tasks in a limited time, work overload, a demanding and insensitive boss, and unpleasant co-workers
are a few examples. We have categorized these factors around task, role, and interpersonal demands.
Task Performance
The combination of effectiveness and efficiency at doing your core job tasks is a reflection of your level of task
performance. If we think about the job of a factory worker, task performance could be measured by the number and
quality of products produced in an hour. The task performance of a teacher would be the level of education that
students obtain. The task performance of a consultant might be measured by the timeliness and quality of the
presentations they offer to the client firm. All these types of performance relate to the core duties and responsibilities
of a job and are often directly related to the functions listed on a formal job description. (Langton et al., 2019)
Obviously task performance is the most important human output contributing to organizational effectiveness, so in
every chapter we devote considerable time to detailing how task performance is affected by the topic in question.
Organizational Citizenship Behaviour
The discretionary behaviour that is not part of an employee’s formal job requirements, and that contributes to the
psychological and social environment of the workplace, is called organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB).
(Organ, 1988) Recent research has also looked at expanding the work on OCB to team behaviour. (Ehrhart et al.,
2004)
Toronto-based BBDO Canada, one of the country’s leading creative agencies, encourages an entrepreneurial spirit
as a way of inspiring organizational citizenship behaviour. The agency’s president and CEO, Gerry Frascione, notes
that a team leader on the Campbell Soup account overheard a Campbell’s representative musing about a program
that would launch Campbell Soup ads when the temperature dipped. “Instead of waiting to get approvals, she acted
very entrepreneurially and took it upon herself and made the whole thing happen in one week,” says Frascione. “She
went back to the client, analyzed the situation, fleshed out the opportunity, came up with an integrated
communication plan, came up with a budget, and it was all done within five days.” (Langton et al., 2019) (Ehrhart et
al., 2004)
Withdrawal Behaviour
Withdrawal behaviour is the set of actions that employees take to separate themselves from the organization.
There are many forms of withdrawal, ranging from showing up late or failing to attend meetings to absenteeism and
turnover. Employees withdraw from work due to negative job attitudes, emotions and moods, and negative
interactions with co-workers and supervisors.
Employee withdrawal can have a very negative effect on an organization. The cost of employee turnover alone has
been estimated to run into the thousands of dollars, even for entry-level positions. Absenteeism also costs
organizations significant amounts of money and time every year. For instance, a recent survey found the average
direct cost to employers for absenteeism in Canada is $16.6 billion. (Nguyen, 2013) In Sweden, an average of 10
percent of the country’s workforce is on sick leave at any given time. (Hoge, 2002)
It’s obviously difficult for an organization to operate smoothly and attain its objectives if employees fail to report to
their jobs. The workflow is disrupted, and important decisions may be delayed. In organizations that rely heavily on
assembly-line production, absenteeism can be considerably more than a disruption; it can drastically reduce the
quality of output or even shut down the facility. Levels of absenteeism beyond the normal range have a direct impact
on any organization’s effectiveness and efficiency. A high rate of turnover can also disrupt the efficient running of
an organization when knowledgeable and experienced personnel leave and replacements must be found to assume
positions of responsibility.
All organizations, of course, have some turnover. If the “right” people are leaving the organization—the marginal
and submarginal employees—turnover can actually be positive. It can create an opportunity to replace an
underperforming individual with someone who has higher skills or motivation, open up increased opportunities for
promotions, and bring new and fresh ideas to the organization. (Sturman et al., 2001) In today’s changing world of
work, reasonable levels of employee-initiated turnover improve organizational flexibility and employee
independence, and they can lessen the need for management-initiated layoffs.
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Twenge, J. M., Campbell, S. M., Hoffman, B. J., & Lance, C. E. (2010). Generational
Differences in Work Values: Leisure and Extrinsic Values Increasing, Social and
Intrinsic Values Decreasing. Journal of Management 36(5), 1117–1142.
4) How does employee withdrawal challenge organizational survival? Provide examples to

support your response. Page Ref: 22
- organizations need highly skilled labour and provide specific training to grow employees
- withdrawal can be lateness, absenteeism or turnover, all of which lessen efficiency and
effectiveness (Examples can be drawn from text, class discussion, Internet, newspapers such as
Withdrawal behaviour is the set of actions that employees take to separate themselves from the organization.
There are many forms of withdrawal, ranging from showing up late or failing to attend meetings to absenteeism and
turnover. Employees withdraw from work due to negative job attitudes, emotions and moods, and negative
interactions with co-workers and supervisors.
Employee withdrawal can have a very negative effect on an organization. The cost of employee turnover alone has
been estimated to run into the thousands of dollars, even for entry-level positions. Absenteeism also costs
organizations significant amounts of money and time every year. For instance, a recent survey found the average
direct cost to employers for absenteeism in Canada is $16.6 billion. (Nguyen, 2013) In Sweden, an average of 10
percent of the country’s workforce is on sick leave at any given time. (Hoge, 2002)
It’s obviously difficult for an organization to operate smoothly and attain its objectives if employees fail to report to
their jobs. The workflow is disrupted, and important decisions may be delayed. In organizations that rely heavily on
assembly-line production, absenteeism can be considerably more than a disruption; it can drastically reduce the
quality of output or even shut down the facility. Levels of absenteeism beyond the normal range have a direct impact
on any organization’s effectiveness and efficiency. A high rate of turnover can also disrupt the efficient running of
an organization when knowledgeable and experienced personnel leave and replacements must be found to assume
positions of responsibility.
All organizations, of course, have some turnover. If the “right” people are leaving the organization—the marginal
and submarginal employees—turnover can actually be positive. It can create an opportunity to replace an
underperforming individual with someone who has higher skills or motivation, open up increased opportunities for
promotions, and bring new and fresh ideas to the organization. (Sturman et al., 2001) In today’s changing world of
work, reasonable levels of employee-initiated turnover improve organizational flexibility and employee
independence, and they can lessen the need for management-initiated layoffs.
International Herald Tribune, 8.
Nguyen, L. (2013, September 23). Canadian Economy Loses $16.6B Annually Due to
Absenteeism, Toronto Star.
https://www.thestar.com/business/economy/2013/09/23/absenteeism_cost_canada_lost_1
66_billion_study.html
and Turnover Literatures. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(4), 684–
696. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.4.684
5) Organizational behaviour is an applied behavioural science built upon contributions from a

number of different disciplines. What are these disciplines and what are the contributions of each
discipline? Be complete in your response and include four different behavioural science
disciplines. Page Ref: 9
- psychology
- social psychology
- sociology
- anthropology (Examples can be drawn from text, class discussion, Internet, newspapers such as
The Building Blocks of OB
OB is an applied behavioural science that builds upon contributions from a number of behavioural disciplines:
mainly psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Psychology’s contributions have been
primarily at the individual, or micro, level of analysis, while the other three disciplines have contributed to our
understanding of macro concepts, such as group processes and organization. (Langton et al., 2019).
Study of these four disciplines helps one understand the underlying principles that build the overall
science of Organizational Behavior. A simple composite definition of Organizational Behavior could
be a science that studies the behavior, influence, relationship, and activity within groups. The
discipline of Organizational Behavior helps one apply the knowledge and understanding gained from
the study of groups to manipulate the activities of the group to achieve specific goals.
It frequently requires a team to accomplish a task. Each member of a well-balanced team

contributes a meaningful part of the entire effort to complete the task successfully. This team
concept can be applied to the study of Organizational Behavior.
Organizational Behavior is an applied behavioral science built on concepts contributed by a number

of related behavioral disciplines (Robins & Judge, 2009). The most influential members of the
Organizational Behavior team are psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology (see
Appendix). Study of these four disciplines helps one understand the underlying principles that build
the overall science of Organizational Behavior.
psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology

Psychology seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behaviour of humans and other
animals.
Social psychology, generally considered a branch of psychology, blends concepts from both
psychology and sociology to focus on people’s influence on one another.
Psychology focuses on the individual, sociology studies people in relation to their social
environment or culture. Sociologists
Anthropology is the study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities.
Psychology
Psychology seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behaviour of humans and other animals. Those
who have contributed and continue to add to the knowledge of OB are learning theorists, personality theorists,
counselling psychologists, and, most important, industrial and organizational psychologists. Early industrial and
organizational psychologists studied the problems of fatigue, boredom, and other working conditions that could
impede efficient work performance. More recently, their contributions have been expanded to include:
 Learning
 Motivation
 Personality
 Emotions
 Perception
 Training
 Leadership effectiveness
 Job satisfaction
 Individual decision making
 Performance appraisal
 Attitude measurement
 Employee selection
 Work design
 Work stress
Psychology is a science that tries to “measure, explain, and sometimes change the behavior of
humans and other animals” (Robins et at., 2009). Ramamoorti (2008) distills the definition of
psychology into “the science of human behavior.” Callahan (2008) wrote about how individual
responses to various emotional events can influence an organization. When people are extremely
sad or happy, their emotions can affect their productivity. Positive emotions, such as joy, affection,
and happiness help an individual form and maintain positive attitudes about their organization.
Hellriegel (2009) observed that negative emotions are incongruent with what most managers are
striving to achieve, while positive emotions encourage people to “think more creatively, seek out new
information and experiences, behave more flexibly, have greater confidence in their competencies,
and be more persistent.” Hellriegel and Slocum (2009) also pointed out that negative emotion,
unfortunately, tends to produce “larger, more long-lasting effects than positive emotions.” Negative
feelings stay with a person longer than positive feelings.
“Personal incentives and perceived pressure drive human behavior” (Ramamoorti, 2008).
Understanding what motivates a person to take a particular action, as well as recognizing internal
perceived pressures, will help a manager better understand why a person does what she does.
Additionally, this understanding can guide a manager toward selecting the most effective
motivational techniques to encourage workers to accomplish specific objectives.
Social Psychology
Social psychology, a branch of psychology that blends concepts from both psychology and
sociology, “focuses on peoples’ influence on one another. (Langton et al., 2019) ”Many things
people do can influence the actions of another. Callahan (2008) argued that “communication
activities are among the most emotional [activities] in organizations.”
Social psychologists also contribute to:
 Behavioural change (measuring, understanding, and changing attitudes)

 Attitude change Communication
 Group processes
 Group decision making
 communication patterns /building trust

 Power
 Conflict
 Intergroup behaviour
Examples of how communication among a group of people within an organization can influence the
behavior of others are: the possibility of triggering jealousies among co-workers, fears about saying
the wrong thing to the wrong person, excitement about the anticipation of collaborating with a
colleague, and anticipation about learning new tasks (Callahan, 2008). When someone does not like
working with a co-worker, a project may suffer because of the subtle silent conflict raging between
the two individuals. “Leaders who express positive emotions encourage employees to feel positive
emotions.” (Hellriegel et al., 2009)
Thompson (2003) suggested that individual behavior can be perceived as organizational action or
policy. When an individual decision maker responds to a customer’s request for refund with the
statement, “the company has a policy of no refunds,” that statement may truly be just an individual
not wanting to fill out the paperwork required to process a refund. If the customer accepts the no-
refund statement without argument, in that customer’s mind, the no-refund policy is perceived as a
fact about the company. “Organizational actions can therefore be individual behavior under the cloak
of a larger, more impersonal entity.” (Thompson, 2003)
Thompson (2003) cited several studies that showed a frequent direct correlation between the
personality of key leaders and the actions of an organization. “Psychological research can be
applied to these individuals in order to explain organizational actions.” (Thompson, 2003) Thompson
(2003) recounted that some organizational behaviorists categorize this group of influential individuals
as the dominant coalition, thus “depersonalizing them into a sociological entity.” While the influence
of this dominant coalition may be good for an organization, Thompson (2003) cautioned that “due to
a need to justify prior behavior, a decision maker may increase his commitment in the face of
negative consequences, and this higher level of commitment may, in turn, lead to further negative
consequences.”
Sociology
While psychology focuses on the individual, sociology studies people in relation to their social environment or
culture. Sociology can be thought of as an expanded version of psychology. Sociology “studies
people in relation to their social environment or culture.” (Robins et al., 2009). People, and thus
business organizations, often adopt the actions and attitudes of the other members of an industry.
The study of the culture of a particular industry many offer meaningful insight into the expected
actions of a specific firm within that industry.
Sociologists have contributed to OB through their study of group behaviour in organizations, particularly formal and
complex organizations. Perhaps most important, sociologists have studied:
 Communication
 Power
 Conflict
 Formal organization theory

 Organizational technology
 Organizational change
 Organizational culture
Fligstein (2008) noted the work of Paul DiMaggio and Walter Powell which explain that managers of
large firms frequently adjust their company policies and actions to be similar to principle competitors,
what they perceive to be successful organizations, what experts suggest are best practices, and
what regulators tell them to do. Many times the way an organization operates within a particular
industry is not directed by the competitive process, “but, instead, may be the outcome of isomorphic
pressures to look like other firms, regardless of whether or not the adopted course is efficient”
(Fligstein, 2008).
Many large corporations wield a significant amount of power which can affect general society, as
witnessed by the recent U.S. Government bail-out of the U.S. auto industry (Baker, 2008). Many
people may have interpreted the successful defense of the bail-out plan to have been motivated by a
desire to help the many workers and products which would have been adversely affected if the auto
industry failed. However, “when we open up the firm, we discover real people engaging not in
pragmatic economic actions to bring products to market at the cheapest price, but in politics,
contestation, and compromise.” (Fligstein, 2008) Individuals and the societies in which they function
have a significant impact on each other.
Anthropology
“Anthropology is the study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities” (Robins et
al., 2009). Throughout history, work has had a significant impact on the lives of the people who work.
Some occupations shortened the lives of workers, some occupations helped workers build personal
wealth, and some occupations gave workers a great deal of inner satisfaction. Most occupations
forced workers to choose how to spend their time. Darrah (2007) observed that “since the early
1990s scholars have paid increasing attention to the often competing demands of work and family in
the United States.”
Anthropology is the study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities. Anthropologists’ work on
cultures and environments has helped us understand differences in fundamental values, attitudes, and behaviour
between people in different countries and within different organizations. Much of our current understanding of
organizational culture, organizational environments, and differences among national cultures is the result of the
work of anthropologists or those using their methodologies.
Anthropology address:
 Comparative values
 Comparative attitudes
 Cross-cultural analysis
 Organizational environment
 Power
Darrah (2007) emphasized the importance of anthropology in the study of business. He argued that
“research on the relationship between work and family is the starting point for any discussion of
busyness [sic].” Even for workers without families, one can consider Darrah’s arguments in any
circumstance where work demands compete with other demands of life bounded by a finite and
inflexible time limit. There are a set number of hours in which to allocate all spheres of life.
For many people, work and family are “irreducible building blocks of everyday life” (Darrah, 2007).
The in-dissolvable relationship between these two domains helps to shape both work and family in
many situations. An example of how family life affects work is the efforts many businesses put in
place to offer day care and flex-time solutions. Work can affect family life by dictating vacation times
and sharing business time management techniques that can be applied to family life.
Organizational Behavior draws from the disciplines of psychology, social psychology, sociology, and
anthropology. A simple composite definition of Organizational Behavior could be an applied science
that studies the behavior, influence, relationship, and activity within groups. The discipline of
Organizational Behavior helps a manager apply the knowledge and understanding gained from the
study of groups to manipulate the activities of the group to achieve specific goals.
References
Baker, D. (October 2008). Progressive conditions for a bailout. Real-world Economics Review,

47, 243-249. http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue47/whole47.pdf#page=80
Callahan, J. L. (Summer 2008). The four C’s of emotion: A framework for managing emotions
in organizations. Organizational Development Journal, 26(2), 33-38.
Darrah, C. N. (Fall 2007). The anthropology of busyness. Human Organization, 66(3), 261-269.
Fligstein, N. (Summer 2008). Chandler and the Sociology of Organizations. Business History

Review, 82(2), 241-251.
Ramamoorti, S. (November 2008). The psychology and sociology of fraud: Integrating the
behavioral sciences component into fraud and forensic accounting curricula. Issues in
Accounting Education, 23(4), 521-533.
Robins, S. P, and Judge, T. A. (2009). Organizational behavior (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pretence Hall.
Hellriegel, D. and Slocum, J. W. (2009). Organizational behavior (12th ed.). Florence, KY:
South-Western Cengage.
Thompson, L. L. (Ed.). (2003). The social psychology of organizational behavior. New York:
Psychology Press.
6) Having a broad range of interpersonal skills upon which to draw makes us more effective
organizational participants. What kinds of interpersonal skills do we need in today's workplace?
Provide examples to illustrate your points. (You may want to refer to the Competing Values
Framework Model as the basis for your answer). Page Ref: 24,25
- interpersonal skills or people skills defined- how they impact the workplace in social
relationships
- creating pleasant workplaces (Examples can be drawn from text, class discussion, Internet,
newspapers such as Globe and Mail, etc.)
Having a broad range of interpersonal skills makes us more effective organizational participants.
Because organizations face a variety of demands in the workplace, it is important for managers
and employees to recognize that having a variety of skills will help them function better in
different situations and changing environmental demands. While it is probably true that we all
have a preferred style of operating, it is also true that we can develop new skills to meet the
challenges of the new workplace.
• Recognition of the importance of developing interpersonal skills is closely tied to the

need for organizations to get and keep high-performing employees.
• In a 2012 survey, executives said that employees lack “communication, collaboration,
critical thinking and creative skills.” (American Management Association , 2013) In a
recent survey, 34 percent of Canadian chief financial officers said that a job applicant’s
people skills were more important than industry experience and software proficiency.
Five years earlier, only 1 percent cared about interpersonal skills. (Immen, 2009)
• A recent survey of hundreds of workplaces, and over 200 000 respondents, showed that
the social relationships among co-workers and supervisors were strongly related to
overall job satisfaction. Positive social relationships also were associated with lower
stress at work and lower intentions to quit. So, having managers with good interpersonal
skills is likely to make the workplace more pleasant, which in turn makes it easier to hire
and keep qualified people.
• Creating a pleasant workplace makes good economic sense.
– Wages and benefits are not the main reasons people like their jobs or stay with an
employer. Social relationships among co-workers and supervisors are strongly
related to overall job satisfaction.
Interpersonal skill is the ability to interact with people through effective listening and

communication. Interpersonal communication skills can help you be productive in
the workplace, build strong and positive relationships with your colleagues and
complete team projects smoothly and effectively. The benefits of good interpersonal
skills can affect the morale and productivity of your entire team or department.
Interpersonal skills are also known as social skills. The process of using social skills is
called socialization. We all learned socialization skills at an early age. Before we could
even talk we were learning socialization skills from the caregivers around us. In the
workplace, social skills are known as interpersonal skills. Both social skills and
interpersonal skills refer to the same thing—interaction with others.
In the workplace, you will work with many people every day. Strong interpersonal skills
will enable you to talk to and work with all types of people, including managers,
coworkers, and customers. Interpersonal skills do more than give you the ability to
communicate with other people. Interpersonal skills also help you to develop
relationships with people. Strong relationships with the people you work with will help
you succeed in the workplace.
Research shows that poor interpersonal skills are the number one reason why people
don’t get along, don’t get promoted or, even worse, lose their jobs.
Here are seven interpersonal skills tips that will help you develop strong relationships
and get along great with people in the workplace:
1. Managing relationships
2. Understanding the feelings of others
3. Cooperating with others
4. Great Attitude
5. Showing respect
6. Appropriate contact
7. Active Listening
 Organizations that invest in the development of employees’ interpersonal skills are more likely to attract
and keep high-performers. (Langton, 2019)
 A recent survey of hundreds of workplaces, and more than 200 000 respondents, showed that the social
relationships among co-workers and supervisors were strongly related to overall job satisfaction.
(Humphrey et al., 2007)
 Having managers with good interpersonal skills is likely to make the workplace more pleasant , and
research indicates that employees who know how to relate to their managers well with supportive dialogue
and proactivity find that their ideas are endorsed more often, further improving workplace satisfaction.
(Burris, 2012)
 Organizations that invent in the development of employee’s interpersonal skills are
more likely to attract and keep high-performers.
 Outstanding employees are always in short supply/ Succeeding in the workplace takes
good people skills.
 Positive social relationships also were associated with lower stress at work and lower intentions to quit. .
(Humphrey et al., 2007)
 The social relationships between co-workers and supervisors were strongly related to
overall job satisfaction and lowered at work stress/intentions to quit.
 Having managers with good interpersonal skills helps hire and keep qualified employees.
Creating a pleasant workplace appears to make good economic sense, particularly because wages and benefits
are not the main reasons people like their jobs or stay with an employer. (Galinsky, 2007)
We note in this chapter that having a broad range of interpersonal skills to draw on makes us more effective organizational
participants. So what kinds of interpersonal skills does an individual need in today’s workplace?
Robert Quinn, Kim Cameron, and their colleagues have developed a model known as the “Competing Values Framework” that
can help us identify some of the most useful skills. (Quinn, 1991) They note that the range of issues organizations face can be
divided along two dimensions: an internal-external and a flexibility-control focus. This idea is illustrated in Exhibit 1-6 The
internal–external dimension refers to the extent that organizations focus on one of two directions: either inwardly, toward
employee needs and concerns and/or production processes and internal systems; or outwardly, toward such factors as the
marketplace, government regulations, and the changing social, environmental, and technological conditions of the future. The
flexibility–control dimension refers to the competing demands of organizations to stay focused on doing what has been done in
the past vs. being more flexible in orientation and outlook.
Because organizations face the competing demands shown in Exhibit 1-6, it becomes obvious that managers and employees need
a variety of skills to help them function within the various quadrants at different points in time. For instance, the skills needed to
operate an efficient assembly-line process are not the same as those needed to scan the external environment or to create
opportunities in anticipation of changes in the environment. Quinn and his colleagues use the term master manager to indicate
that successful managers learn and apply skills that will help them manage across the range of organizational demands; at some
times moving toward flexibility, at others moving toward control, sometimes being more internally focused, sometimes being
more externally driven. (Quinn et al., 1990)
EXHIBIT 1- Competing Values Framework
As organizations increasingly cut their layers, reducing the number of managers while also relying more on the use of teams in
the workplace, the skills of the master manager apply as well to the employee. In other words, considering the Competing Values
Framework, we can see that both managers and individual employees need to learn new skills and new ways of interpreting their
organizational contexts. Continuing to use traditional skills and practices that worked in the past is not an option. The growth in
self-employment also indicates a need to develop more interpersonal skills, particularly for anyone who goes on to build a
business that involves hiring and managing employees.
Exhibit 1-8 outlines the many skills required of today’s manager. It gives you an indication of the complex roles that managers
and employees fill in the changing workplace. The skills are organized in terms of four major roles: maintaining flexibility,
maintaining control, maintaining an external focus, and maintaining an internal focus. Identifying your own strengths and
weaknesses in these skill areas can give you a better sense of how close you are to becoming a successful manager.
On the flexibility side, organizations want to inspire their employees toward high-performance behaviour. Such behaviour
includes looking ahead to the future and imagining possible new directions for the organization. To do these things, employees
need to think and act like mentors and facilitators. It is also important to have the skills of innovators and brokers.
On the control side, organizations need to set clear goals about productivity expectations, and they have to develop and
implement systems to carry out the production process. To be effective on the production side, employees need to have the skills
of monitors, coordinators, directors, and producers. The Experiential Exercise on page 29 helps you better understand how
closely your views on the ideal skills of managers and leaders match the skills needed to be successful in the broad range of
activities that managers and leaders encounter.
At this point, you may wonder whether it’s possible for people to learn all of the skills necessary to become a master manager.
More important, you may wonder whether we can change our individual style, say from more controlling to more flexible. Here
is what Peggy Kent, chair, former president, and CEO of Century Mining Corporation (a mid-tier Canadian gold producer), said
about how her managerial style changed from controlling to more flexible over time: “I started out being very dictatorial.
Everybody in head office reported to me. I had to learn to trust other executives so we could work out problems together.”
(Maley, 1997) So, while it is probably true that each of us has a preferred style of operating, it is also the case that we can
develop new skills if that is something we choose to do.
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.( Langton, 2019) But he never dreamed that he
would become involved in union–management negotiations with daycare-centre employees.
Late one Sunday evening, in his ninth month as president of the daycare centre, Rogers received a phone call from Grace Ng, a
union representative of the Provincial Government Employees’ Union (PGEU). Ng informed Rogers that the daycare employees
would be unionized the following week. Rogers was stunned to hear this news. Early the next morning, he had to present his new
marketing plan to senior management at Techtronix Industries, where he was vice-president of marketing. Somehow he made it
through the meeting, wondering why he had not been aware of the employees’ unhappiness, and how this action would affect his
children.
Following his presentation, Rogers received documentation from the Labour Relations Board indicating that the daycare
employees had been working to unionize themselves for more than a year. Rogers immediately contacted Xavier Breslin, the
board’s vice-president, and together they determined that no one on the board had been aware that the daycare workers were
unhappy, let alone prepared to join a union.
Hoping that there was some sort of misunderstanding, Rogers called Emma Reynaud, the Marysville supervisor. Reynaud
attended most board meetings, but had never mentioned the union-organizing drive. Yet Reynaud now told Rogers that she had
actively encouraged the other daycare employees to consider joining the PGEU because the board had not been interested in the
employees’ concerns, had not increased their wages sufficiently over the past two years, and had not maintained communication
channels between the board and the employees.
All of the board members had full-time jobs elsewhere, and many were upperand middle-level managers in their own companies.
They were used to dealing with unhappy employees in their own workplaces, although none had experienced a union-organizing
drive. Like Rogers, they had chosen to serve on the board of Marysville to stay informed about the day-to-day events of the
centre. They had not really thought of themselves as the centre’s employer, although, as board members, they represented all the
parents of children enrolled at Marysville. Their main tasks on the daycare-centre board had been setting fees for the children and
wages for the daycare employees. The board members usually saw the staff members several times a week, when they picked up
their children, yet the unhappiness represented by the union-organizing drive was surprising to all of them. When they met at an
emergency board meeting that evening, they tried to evaluate what had gone wrong at Marysville.
American Management Association. (2013). 2012 Critical Skills Survey.

http://www.amanet.org/uploaded/2012-Critical- Skills-Survey.pdf
Burris, E. R. (2012). The Risks and Rewards of Speaking Up: Managerial Responses to
Employee Voice. Academy of Management Journal 55(4), 851–875.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0562
Galinsky, E. (2007). The Changing Landscape of Work. Generations: Journal of the American Society
on Aging, 31(1), www.jstor.org/stable/26555503.
Humphrey, S. E., Nahrgang, J. D., & Morgeson, F. P. (2007). Integrating motivational, social,
and contextual work design features: A meta-analytic summary and theoretical extension
of the work design literature. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(5), 1332–
1356. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.5.1332
Immen, W. (2009, October 23). People Skills Win Out, Survey Finds. Globe and Mail, B15.
Maley, D. (1997, October 20). Canada’s Top Women CEOs. Maclean’s, 52.
Quinn, R. E., Faerman, S. R., Thompson, M. P., & McGrath, M. R. (1990). Becoming a Master
Manager: A Competency Framework. Wiley.
7) Identify and describe the three levels of organizational behaviour. Page Ref: 24,25
MULTIPLE LEVELS OF ANALYSIS
One of the main reasons for this interdisciplinary approach is
because the field of organizational behavior involves multiple
levels of analysis. These different levels of analysis are
necessary for understanding individual behavior within
organizations because people always act within the context of
their environment, which includes both objects and other
people. Workers influence their environment and are also
influenced by their environment, making the study of
organizational behavior a multi-level endeavor. The different
levels of analysis used in the field of organizational behavior
are: the individual level, the group level, and the organizational
level.
Individual Level of Analysis . At the individual level of
analysis, organizational behavior involves the study of learning,
perception, creativity, motivation, personality, turnover, task
performance, cooperative behavior, deviant behavior, ethics,
and cognition. At this level of analysis, organizational behavior
draws heavily upon psychology, engineering, and medicine. For
example, a study of organizational behavior at the individual
level of analysis might focus on the impact of different types of
overhead lighting on such factors as productivity and
absenteeism.
Group Level of Analysis . At the group level of analysis,
organizational behavior involves the study of group dynamics,
intra- and intergroup conflict and cohesion, leadership, power,
norms, interpersonal communication, networks, and roles. At
this level of analysis, organizational behavior draws upon the
sociological and socio-psychological sciences. For example, a
study of how different personality types correspond to different
leadership styles and levels of results operates at the group
level of analysis.
Organization Level of Analysis . At the organization level of
analysis, organizational behavior involves the study of topics
such as organizational culture, organizational structure, cultural
diversity, inter-organizational cooperation and conflict, change,
technology, and external environmental forces. At this level of
analysis, organizational behavior draws upon anthropology
and political science. The various studies on organizational
cultures, from William Ouchi's classic Theory Z: How American
Business Can Meet the Japanese Challenge (1981) to the more
recent Organizational Culture and Leadership (2004) are
examples of organizational behavior conducted at the
organization level of analysis.
A number of important trends in the study of organizational

behavior are the focus of research efforts. First, a variety of
research studies have examined topics at the group level of
analysis rather than exclusively at the individual level of
analysis. For example, while empowerment has largely been
investigated as an individual-level motivation construct,
researchers have begun to study team empowerment as a
means of understanding differences in group performance.
Similar research has focused on elevating the level of analysis
for personality characteristics and cooperative behavior from
the individual level to the group level.
Another research trend is an increasing focus on personality as a factor in individual-

and group-level performance. This stems from the movement toward more organic
organization designs, increased supervisory span of control, and more autonomous
work designs. All of these factors serve to increase the role that personality
plays as a determinant of outcomes such as stress, cooperative or deviant behavior,

and performance.
Personality traits that are related to flexibility, stress hardiness, and personal initiative
are also the subject of research. Examples of these personality traits include a tendency
toward individualism or collectivism, self-monitoring, openness to experience, and a
proactive personality. Forms of behavior that are constructive and change-oriented in
nature are also studied. These forms of behavior are proactive in nature and act to
improve situations for the individual, group, or organization. Examples of these
behaviors include issue selling, taking initiative, constructive change-oriented
communication, innovation, and proactive socialization.
Organizational behavior is a central concern of human resource managers. Research at

all levels of organizational behavior continues to be an active field in both academia and
management. A wide variety of issues and concerns are the focus of on-going studies
and management techniques.
– Answer: Individual, Group, Organization
A model is a simplified representation of a real-world phenomenon

– Proposes three types of variables (individual, group, organizational)
– Proceeds from left to right
– Inputs leading to processes; processes leading to outcomes
– Outcomes can also influence inputs in the future
A model is an abstraction of reality, a simplified representation of some real-world phenomenon. OB model

includes three types of variables (inputs, processes, and outcomes) at three levels of analysis (individual, group, and
organizational).
The three levels of analysis of organizational behavior model constitute - Individual level, group
level, and organizational level. These three levels are similar to building blocks in a way that
each level is built upon the previous level. Group concepts arise from the foundation set in the
individual section; structural constraints are overlaid on the individual and group to arrive at
organizational behavior. A brief description on the three levels:
Individual level:
 At individual level organizational behavior comprises the study of learning, motivation,

perception, personality, creativity, task performance, cooperative behavior, turnover,
ethics, deviant behavior, and cognition.
 At this level of analysis, organizational behavior draws heavily upon engineering,
psychology, and medicine.
Group level:
 At the group level oft analysis, organizational behaviors comprises the study of intra- and
inter group cohesion and conflict, leadership, power, group dynamics, networks,
interpersonal communication, and roles.
 At this level of analysis, organizational behavior draws upon the socio-psychological and
sociological sciences
Organizational level
 At the organization level of analysis, organizational behavior comprises the study of

organizational culture and structure, inter-organizational cooperation and conflict,
cultural diversity, technology, change management, and extermal environmental forces.
 At this level of analysis, organizational behavior draws upon political science and
anthropology.
• Inputs are variables such as personality, group structure, and organizational culture that
lead to processes
– Often determined in advance of the employment relationship
• Processes are actions that individuals, groups, and organizations engage in as a result of
inputs that lead to certain outcomes
– Individual level – emotions and moods, motivation, perception, decision making
– Group level – communication, leadership, power and politics, conflict and
negotiation
– Organizational level – change practices
• Outcomes are key variables that you want to explain or predict
– Individual level – attitudes and stress, task performance, organizational
citizenship behaviour, and withdrawal behaviour
– Group level – group cohesion and functioning
– Organizational level – overall productivity, profitability, and survival
• Isn’t organizational behaviour common sense? Or just like psychology?
– OB is built on contributions from a number of behavioural disciplines, including
psychology, sociology, social psychology, and anthropology. It goes beyond
“common sense.”
Inputs
Inputs are the variables like personality, group structure, and organizational culture that lead to processes. These
variables set the stage for what will occur in an organization later. Many are determined in advance of the
employment relationship. For example, individual diversity characteristics, personality, and values are shaped by a
combination of an individual’s genetic inheritance and childhood environment. Group structure, roles, and team
responsibilities are typically assigned immediately before or after a group is formed. Finally, organizational
structure and culture are usually the result of years of development and change as the organization adapts to its
environment and builds up customs and norms.
Processes
If inputs are like the nouns in organizational behaviour, processes are like the verbs. Processes are actions that
individuals, groups, and organizations engage in as a result of inputs and that lead to certain outcomes. At the
individual level, processes include emotions and moods, motivation, perception, and decision making. At the group
level, they include communication, leadership, power and politics, and conflict and negotiation. Finally, at the
organizational level, processes include change practices.
Outcomes
Outcomes are the key variables that you want to explain or predict, and that are affected by some other variables.
What are the primary outcomes in OB? Scholars have emphasized individual-level outcomes such as attitudes and
stress, task performance, citizenship behaviour, and withdrawal behaviour. At the group level, cohesion and
functioning are the dependent variables. Finally, at the organizational level, we look at overall profitability and
survival. Because these outcomes will be covered in all the chapters, we will briefly discuss each here so you can
understand what the “goal” of OB will be.
Level Inputs Processes Outcomes
Individual  Diversity  Emotions and moods  Attitudes and stress

 Personality  Motivation  Task performance
 Values  Perception  Citizenship behaviour
 Decision making  Withdrawal behaviour
Group  Group structure  Communication  Group cohesion

 Group roles  Leadership  Group functioning
 Team  Power and politics
responsibilities  Conflict and
negotiation
Organizational  Structure  Change practices  Productivity
 Culture  Survival
Bowditch, J. L., & Buono, A. F. (2007). A Primer on Organizational Behavior (7th ed.). Wiley.
DeCenzo, D. A., & Stephen P. R. (2006). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (9th

ed.). Wiley.
Hersey, P. H., Blanchard, K. H., & Dewey, E. (2007). Johnson. Management of Organizational

Behavior (9th ed.). Prentice Hall.
Hitt, M. A., C., Miller, C., & Colella, A. (2005). Organizational Behavior: A Strategic
Approach. Wiley.
Hofstede, G., & Hofstede, G. J. (2004). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. (2nd
ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Schein, E. H. (2004) Organizational Culture and Leadership. Jossey-Bass.
Schermerhorn, John, James G. Hunt, and Richard N. Osborn. Organizational Behavior. 10th ed.
New York: Wiley, 2008.
1. What is organizational behaviour (OB)?
Organizational behaviour is a field of study that looks at the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on
behaviour within organizations for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organization’s
effectiveness.
OB is applied to topics such as: jobs, absenteeism, turnovers, productivity, motivation, working
in groups and job satisfaction.
Because the organizations studied are often business organizations, OB is often applied to topics such as jobs, work,
absenteeism, employment turnover, productivity, human performance, and management. OB also examines the
following core topics, although debate exists about their relative importance: 2
 Motivation
 Leader behaviour and power
 Interpersonal communication
 Group structure and processes
 Attitude development and perception
 Change processes
 Conflict and negotiation
2. What is the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace?
- interpersonal skills or people skills defined- how they impact the workplace in social
relationships
- creating pleasant workplaces (Examples can be drawn from text, class discussion, Internet,
newspapers such as Globe and Mail, etc.)
• Recognition of the importance of developing interpersonal skills is closely tied to the

need for organizations to get and keep high-performing employees.
• A recent survey of hundreds of workplaces, and over 200 000 respondents, showed that
the social relationships among co-workers and supervisors were strongly related to
overall job satisfaction. Positive social relationships also were associated with lower
stress at work and lower intentions to quit. So, having managers with good interpersonal
skills is likely to make the workplace more pleasant, which in turn makes it easier to hire
and keep qualified people.
• Creating a pleasant workplace makes good economic sense.
– Wages and benefits are not the main reasons people like their jobs or stay with an
employer. Social relationships among co-workers and supervisors are strongly
related to overall job satisfaction.
Interpersonal skill is the ability to interact with people through effective listening and

communication. Interpersonal communication skills can help you be productive in
the workplace, build strong and positive relationships with your colleagues and
complete team projects smoothly and effectively. The benefits of good interpersonal
skills can affect the morale and productivity of your entire team or department.
Interpersonal skills are also known as social skills. The process of using social skills is
called socialization. We all learned socialization skills at an early age. Before we could
even talk we were learning socialization skills from the caregivers around us. In the
workplace, social skills are known as interpersonal skills. Both social skills and
interpersonal skills refer to the same thing—interaction with others.
In the workplace, you will work with many people every day. Strong interpersonal skills
will enable you to talk to and work with all types of people, including managers,
coworkers, and customers. Interpersonal skills do more than give you the ability to
communicate with other people. Interpersonal skills also help you to develop
relationships with people. Strong relationships with the people you work with will help
you succeed in the workplace.
Research shows that poor interpersonal skills are the number one reason why people
don’t get along, don’t get promoted or, even worse, lose their jobs.
Here are seven interpersonal skills tips that will help you develop strong relationships
and get along great with people in the workplace:
1. Managing relationships
2. Understanding the feelings of others
3. Cooperating with others
4. Great Attitude
5. Showing respect
6. Appropriate contact
7. Active Listening
 A recent survey of hundreds of workplaces, and more than 200 000 respondents, showed that the social
relationships among co-workers and supervisors were strongly related to overall job satisfaction. ()
 Having managers with good interpersonal skills is likely to make the workplace more pleasant , and
research indicates that employees who know how to relate to their managers well with supportive dialogue
and proactivity find that their ideas are endorsed more often, further improving workplace satisfaction. 11
 Organizations that invent in the development of employee’s interpersonal skills are
more likely to attract and keep high-performers.
 Outstanding employees are always in short supply/ Succeeding in the workplace takes
good people skills.
 Positive social relationships also were associated with lower stress at work and lower intentions to quit. 10
 The social relationships between co-workers and supervisors were strongly related to
overall job satisfaction and lowered at work stress/intentions to quit.
 Having managers with good interpersonal skills helps hire and keep qualified employees.
Creating a pleasant workplace appears to make good economic sense, particularly because wages and benefits
are not the main reasons people like their jobs or stay with an employer. 12
3. What are the major behavioural science disciplines that contribute to OB?
The Building Blocks of OB
OB is an applied behavioural science that builds upon contributions from a number of behavioural disciplines:
mainly psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Psychology’s contributions have been
primarily at the individual, or micro, level of analysis, while the other three disciplines have contributed to our
understanding of macro concepts, such as group processes and organization.
psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology
Psychology seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behaviour of humans and other
animals.
Social psychology, generally considered a branch of psychology, blends concepts from both
psychology and sociology to focus on people’s influence on one another.
Psychology focuses on the individual, sociology studies people in relation to their social
environment or culture. Sociologists
Anthropology is the study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities.
Psychology
Psychology seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behaviour of humans and other animals. Those
who have contributed and continue to add to the knowledge of OB are learning theorists, personality theorists,
counselling psychologists, and, most important, industrial and organizational psychologists.
Early industrial and organizational psychologists studied the problems of fatigue, boredom, and other working
conditions that could impede efficient work performance. More recently, their contributions have been expanded to
include:
 Learning
 Motivation
 Personality
 Emotions
 Perception
 Training
 Leadership effectiveness
 Job satisfaction
 Individual decision making
 Performance appraisal
 Attitude measurement
 Employee selection
 Work design
 Work stress
Social Psychology
Social psychology, generally considered a branch of psychology, blends concepts from both psychology and
sociology to focus on people’s influence on one another. One major study area is behavioural change—how to
implement it and how to reduce barriers to its acceptance. Social psychologists also contribute to:
 Behavioural change (measuring, understanding, and changing attitudes)

 Attitude change Communication
 Group processes
 Group decision making
 communication patterns /building trust

 Power
 Conflict
Sociology
While psychology focuses on the individual, sociology studies people in relation to their social environment or
culture. Sociologists have contributed to OB through their study of group behaviour in organizations, particularly
formal and complex organizations. Perhaps most important, sociologists have studied:
 Communication
 Power
 Conflict
 Formal organization theory

 Organizational technology
 Organizational change
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities. Anthropologists’ work on
cultures and environments has helped us understand differences in fundamental values, attitudes, and behaviour
between people in different countries and within different organizations. Much of our current understanding of
organizational culture, organizational environments, and differences among national cultures is the result of the
work of anthropologists or those using their methodologies. Anthropology address:
 Comparative values
 Comparative attitudes
 Cross-cultural analysis
 Organizational environment
 Power
4. Why is systematic study of value to OB?
OB Has Few Absolutes
There are few simple and universal principles that explain organizational behaviour.
Human beings are very complex. They are not alike, which limits the ability to make simple,
accurate, and sweeping generalizations.
Teaching Tip: Students can be uncomfortable with the notion that there are few absolutes. You
might remind them that this is true of most aspects of life. If they had siblings, did the parents
treat each child exactly the same, or was there some adjustment do to situation, age, personality,
etc. This is no different, really, than what is suggested when OB researchers note that the context
is an important variable.
OB Takes a Contingency Approach
OB considers behaviour in context in which it occurs.
OB concepts must reflect situational or contingency conditions, and hence predictions about
human behaviour are at best probabilistic, not absolute.
That is, X is likely to lead to Y, but only under conditions specified in Z (the contingency
variables).
The point-counterpoint debates at the end of each chapter underscore the fact that there is
significant disagreement about many of the concepts in this developing field.
The rigour from OB

 The belief that behaviour is not random
 Marketing has the closest overlap with OB: trying to predict consumer behaviour is not
that different from trying to predict employee behaviour.
 Both require an understanding of the dynamics and underlying causes of human
behaviour
 OB looks at consistencies
 Consistencies are important because they allow predictability.
 Systematic study: looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and
effects, and drawing conclusions based on scientific evidence.
 Evidence based management (EBM): basing managerial decisions on the best available
scientific evidence.
 Intuition: A gut feeling not necessarily supported by research.
 Contingency approach: an approach taken by OB that considers behaviour within the
context in which it occurs.
 Perception
OB Looks Beyond Common Sense
Throughout our lives, we are all accustomed to reading people, that is, trying to interpret and anticipate their
behavior by observing their actions, and understanding what we can expect of them in different situations.
Unfortunately, the casual or common-sense approach to reading others can often lead to erroneous predictions.
However, by supplementing out intuition with a more systematic approach, we can improve our predictive
ability.
behaviour is not random. We can identify certain fundamental consistencies underlying the behaviour of all
individuals and modify them to reflect individual differences. The systematic approach uncovers important facts
and relationships and provides a base to make more accurate predictions of behaviour.
These fundamental consistencies are very important. as they allow predictability. Behaviour is generally
predictable, and the systematic study of behaviour is a means to making reasonably accurate predictions. When we
use the phrase systematic study, we mean looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and effects, and
basing our conclusions on scientific evidence—that is, on data gathered under controlled conditions and measured
and interpreted in a reasonably rigorous manner.
Evidence-based management (EBM) complements systematic study by basing managerial decisions on the best
available scientific evidence. We would want doctors to make decisions about patient care based on the latest
available evidence, and EBM argues that managers should do the same, becoming more scientific in how they think
about management problems. For example, a manager might pose a managerial question, search for the best
available evidence, and apply the relevant information to the question or case at hand. You might think it’s difficult
to argue against this (what manager would say that decisions should not be based on evidence?), but the vast
majority of management decisions are still made “on the fly,” with little or no systematic study of available
evidence.18
Common Research Methods in OB

Laboratory
Field Studies Surveys Case Studies Meta-analyses
Studies
 Data  Data  Data  Data  Data
collected on-site collected through collected in collected through an collected by
 Investigatio questions laboratory settings in-depth combining and
n generally involves  Surveys  Sometimes investigation of an analyzing the
observation of usually conducted by difficult to generalize individual or a group findings of multiple
individuals and phone, email, the findings to over time studies
groups interview, or online everyday settings  Methods  Method
used include direct permits stronger
observation, conclusions about
interviews, and hypothesis
document research
Systematic study and EBM add to intuition, or those “gut feelings” about what makes others (and ourselves) “tick.”
Of course, the things you have come to believe in an unsystematic way are not necessarily incorrect. Jack Welch
(former CEO of GE) noted, “The trick, of course, is to know when to go with your gut.”19 If we make all decisions
with intuition or gut instinct, we are likely working with incomplete information—imagine making an investment
decision with only half the data about the potential for risk and reward.
Relying on intuition is made worse because we tend to overestimate the accuracy of what we think we know.
Surveys of human resources managers have also shown that many managers hold “common sense” opinions
regarding effective management that have been flatly refuted by empirical evidence.
We find a similar problem in looking to the business and popular media for management wisdom. The business
press tends to be dominated by fads. As a writer for the New Yorker put it, “Every few years, new companies
succeed, and they are scrutinized for the underlying truths they might reveal. But often there is no underlying truth;
the companies just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”20 Although we try to avoid it, we might also
fall into this trap. It’s not that the business press stories are all wrong; it’s that without a systematic approach, it’s
hard to know the truth.
5. Why do few absolutes apply to OB?

Laws in the physical sciences—chemistry, astronomy, physics—are consistent and apply in a wide range of
situations. They allow scientists to generalize about the pull of gravity or to confidently send astronauts into space to
repair satellites.
Social scientists study human problems—and human beings are complex. Because people are not all alike, our
ability to make simple, accurate, and sweeping generalizations is limited. Two people often act very differently in
the same situation, and the same person’s behaviour changes in different situations. Not everyone is motivated by
money, and people may behave differently at a religious service than they do at a party.
6. What workplace challenges provide opportunities to apply OB concepts?
 Responding to Economic Pressures
 Responding to Globalization
 Understanding Workforce Diversity
 Improving Customer Service
 Improving People Skills
 Working in Networked Organizations
 Enhancing Employee Well-Being at Work
 Creating a Positive Work Environment
 Improving Ethical Behaviour
condition).
solutions.
characteristics.
Works Cited
Karpen, I. O., Bove, L. L., Lukas, B. A., & Zyphur, M. J. (2015). Service-Dominant Orientation:
Measurement and Impact on Performance Outcomes. Journal of Retailing, 91(1), 89–
108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2014.10.002
Shellenbarger, S. (2012, May 23). Single and Off the Fast Track. Wall Street Journal. eastern
ed., (Eastern Ed.), p. D1, D3.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304791704577420130278948866
7. What are the three levels of analysis in this book’s OB model?
– A model is a simplified representation of a real-world phenomenon

– Proposes three types of variables (individual, group, organizational)
– Proceeds from left to right
– Inputs leading to processes; processes leading to outcomes
– Outcomes can also influence inputs in the future
A model is an abstraction of reality, a simplified representation of some real-world phenomenon. OB model

includes three types of variables (inputs, processes, and outcomes) at three levels of analysis (individual, group, and
organizational).
The three levels of analysis of organizational behavior model constitute - Individual level, group
level, and organizational level. These three levels are similar to building blocks in a way that
each level is built upon the previous level. Group concepts arise from the foundation set in the
individual section; structural constraints are overlaid on the individual and group to arrive at
organizational behavior. A brief description on the three levels:
Individual level:
 At individual level organizational behavior comprises the study of learning, motivation,

perception, personality, creativity, task performance, cooperative behavior, turnover,
ethics, deviant behavior, and cognition.
 At this level of analysis, organizational behavior draws heavily upon engineering,
psychology, and medicine.
Group level:
 At the group level oft analysis, organizational behaviors comprises the study of intra- and
inter group cohesion and conflict, leadership, power, group dynamics, networks,
interpersonal communication, and roles.
 At this level of analysis, organizational behavior draws upon the socio-psychological and
sociological sciences
Organizational level
 At the organization level of analysis, organizational behavior comprises the study of

organizational culture and structure, inter-organizational cooperation and conflict,
cultural diversity, technology, change management, and extermal environmental forces.
 At this level of analysis, organizational behavior draws upon political science and
anthropology.
• Inputs are variables such as personality, group structure, and organizational culture that
lead to processes
– Often determined in advance of the employment relationship
• Processes are actions that individuals, groups, and organizations engage in as a result of
inputs that lead to certain outcomes
– Individual level – emotions and moods, motivation, perception, decision making
– Group level – communication, leadership, power and politics, conflict and
negotiation
– Organizational level – change practices
• Outcomes are key variables that you want to explain or predict
– Individual level – attitudes and stress, task performance, organizational
citizenship behaviour, and withdrawal behaviour
– Group level – group cohesion and functioning
– Organizational level – overall productivity, profitability, and survival
• Isn’t organizational behaviour common sense? Or just like psychology?
– OB is built on contributions from a number of behavioural disciplines, including
psychology, sociology, social psychology, and anthropology. It goes beyond
“common sense.”
Inputs
Inputs are the variables like personality, group structure, and organizational culture that lead to processes. These
variables set the stage for what will occur in an organization later. Many are determined in advance of the
employment relationship. For example, individual diversity characteristics, personality, and values are shaped by a
combination of an individual’s genetic inheritance and childhood environment. Group structure, roles, and team
responsibilities are typically assigned immediately before or after a group is formed. Finally, organizational
structure and culture are usually the result of years of development and change as the organization adapts to its
environment and builds up customs and norms.
Processes
If inputs are like the nouns in organizational behaviour, processes are like the verbs. Processes are actions that
individuals, groups, and organizations engage in as a result of inputs and that lead to certain outcomes. At the
individual level, processes include emotions and moods, motivation, perception, and decision making. At the group
level, they include communication, leadership, power and politics, and conflict and negotiation. Finally, at the
organizational level, processes include change practices.
Outcomes
Outcomes are the key variables that you want to explain or predict, and that are affected by some other variables.
What are the primary outcomes in OB? Scholars have emphasized individual-level outcomes such as attitudes and
stress, task performance, citizenship behaviour, and withdrawal behaviour. At the group level, cohesion and
functioning are the dependent variables. Finally, at the organizational level, we look at overall profitability and
survival. Because these outcomes will be covered in all the chapters, we will briefly discuss each here so you can
understand what the “goal” of OB will be.
Level Inputs Processes Outcomes
Individual  Diversity  Emotions and moods  Attitudes and stress

 Personality  Motivation  Task performance
 Values  Perception  Citizenship behaviour
 Decision making  Withdrawal behaviour
Group  Group structure  Communication  Group cohesion

 Group roles  Leadership  Group functioning
 Team  Power and politics
responsibilities  Conflict and
negotiation
Organizational  Structure  Change practices  Productivity
 Culture  Survival
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE
Managing the OB Way
Divide the class into groups of approximately four members each. Each group should consider
the following scenario: You will assume the role of a special committee of district managers at a
large pharmaceutical company. Your committee will be meeting to discuss some problems. The
process set up by the company is as follows:
1.Each committee member should first review the problem privately and formulate independent
ideas for what might be done.
2. At the start of the meeting, each member should spend one minute addressing the group.
During the meeting, the committee must reach a consensus on both the best solution and
supporting rationale to each problem. How this is done is entirely up to the committee members,
but you must come up with a consensus decision and not a majority opinion achieved by voting.
Here is the problem your committee is to consider:
The company has no specific policy regarding facial hair. Tom, a pharmaceutical sales rep with
a little more than a year's experience and an average (but declining) sales record, has grown a
very long and ragged beard that detracts significantly from his appearance. His hobby is
playing bass in an amateur bluegrass band, and he feels that a ragged beard is an important
part of the act.
Tomsayshisbeardisapersonalfashionstatementthathastodowithhisindividualfreedom.
There have been numerous complaints about Tom's appearance from both doctors and
pharmacists. The manager has talked to him on many occasions about the impact his
appearance could have on his sales. Nevertheless, Tom still has the beard.
The manager is concerned about Tom's decreasing sales as well as the professional image of the
sales force in the medical community. Tom says his sales decrease has nothing to do with his
beard. However, sales in the other territories in the district are significantly better than they
were last year.
When the groups have reached their consensus decisions, the following questions will serve for
class discussion:
1. What do you think are the concerns for the company regarding Tom's facial hair?
Should They care about his appearance?
2. What was your group's consensus decision regarding the issue with Tom's facial
hair?
3. Suppose Tom told you he grew a beard as part of his personal religion. Do You
Think That Announcement Would change how you talk to Tom about the issue?
Tom has to trim his beard: Tom's facial hair, personal hygiene, attire, and overall appearance are
a reflection of the company. The company as well as all employees should care about Tom's
appearance as well other's appearance as well. The company would not want someone in any
capacity that has contact with the public to have a disheveled appearance. Wrinkled clothing, bed
head hair, lac of appropriate grooming, attire that does not meet company guidelines would
distract from the overall company image. People make judgments of the individual as well as the
company bas upon appearance of individuals. The company should care about the image that
they should portray to attract their target audience / clientele. The company should also
determine guideline for attire, grooming, personal hygiene for the sales representatives.
Let Tom choose between. being a sales representative or a bass guitarist. When he chooses to
stay, he should cut his beard and be physically presentable.
In Tom's case, the company already talked to him a couple of times about the effect of growing a
beard to his sales but he just keep it pass. If I were to decide, I want to give him two options.
First, we will let him choose whether to stay being a pharmaceutical representative or quit and let
him focus and do his hobby which is performing in band. Second, if he chooses to stay being the
pharmaceutical representative then he should abide the orders that we will set for him to follow.
The order will be for him to cut his beard and be physically presentable. Once the rules will be
followed, we will then check the outcome of his transformation if it can boost the sales or not.
And if in case he chooses to stay being the pharmaceutical representative but failed to follow the
rules given to him, then we don't have any other choice but to terminate him and scarch for
another person who is fit for the job.
Interpersonal Skills in the Workplace
This exercise asks you to consider the skills outlined in the Competing Values Framework on
pages 32–34 to develop an understanding of managerial expertise. Steps 1–4 can be completed in
15–20 minutes.
1. Using the skills listed in the Competing Values Framework, identify the 4 skills that you
think all managers should have.
2. Identify the 4 skills that you think are least important for managers to have.
3. In groups of 5–7, reach a consensus on the most-needed and least-needed skills identified
in steps 1 and 2.
4. Using Exhibit 1-8, determine whether your “ideal” managers would have trouble
managing in some dimensions of organizational demands.
5. Your instructor will lead a general discussion of your results.
ETHICAL DILEMMA
Jekyll and Hyde
Let’s assume that you have been offered a job by Jekyll Corporation, a company in the consumer
products industry. The job is in your chosen career path.
Jekyll Corporation has offered you a position that would begin two weeks after you graduate.
The job responsibilities are appealing to you, make good use of your training, and are
intrinsically interesting. The company seems well positioned financially, and you have met the
individual who would be your supervisor, who assures you that the future prospects for your
position and career are bright. Several other graduates of your program work at Jekyll
Corporation, and they speak quite positively of the company and promise to socialize and
network with you once you start.
As a company, Jekyll Corporation promotes itself as a fair-trade and sustainable organization.

Fair trade is a trading partnership—based on dialogue, transparency, and respect—that seeks
greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better
trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, local producers and businesses. Fair-trade
organizations are actively engaged in supporting producers and sustainable environmental
farming practices, and fair-trade practices prohibit child or forced labour.
Yesterday, Gabriel Utterson—a human resources manager at Jekyll Corporation—called you to

discuss the initial terms of the offer, which seemed reasonable and standard for the industry.
However, one aspect was not mentioned: your starting salary. Gabriel said Jekyll is an internally
transparent organization—there are no secrets. While the firm very much wants to hire you, there
are limits to what it can afford to offer, and before it makes a formal offer, it was reasonable to
ask what you would expect. Gabriel wanted you to think about your salary expectation and call
back tomorrow.
Before calling Gabriel, you thought long and hard about what it would take to accept Jekyll
Corporation’s offer. You have a number in mind, which may or may not be the same number you
give Gabriel. What starting salary would it take for you to accept Jekyll Corporation’s offer?
Questions
What do you think are the concerns for the company regarding Tom’s facial hair? Should they
care about his appearance?
Students will likely make a strong case in favour of facial hair and other forms of expression such
as body art as an individual right. They also may bring stories about facial hair hygiene from fast
food workplaces. The issue in the case centres around Tom’s appearance (the long, ragged
beard), which clients have complained about, and Tom’s performance, which is lower than other
employees. There may be an issue even if Tom’s sales performance was high. Since customers
have complained. There appears to be no company policy to apply in the situation.
What was your group’s consensus decision regarding the issue with Tom’s facial hair?
Students are in a role play as members of the committee and should be reminded to reach
consensus on the issue as though they were working for the pharmaceutical company. Students
individual views are not the focus. This exercise can help students to understand the importance
of how people are perceived in the workplace and group dynamics, while also enabling them to
apply teamwork skills. Solutions may involve offering Tom a job which is less visible, a final
warning before termination, developing a company policy related to appearance, or all of the
above. Students should be discouraged from a “do nothing” solution since a perceived problem
should not be ignored.
Suppose Tom told you he grew a beard as part of his personal religion. Do you think that
announcement would change how you talk to Tom about the issue?
The introduction of a religious dimension to the situation in the case will raise discussion about
rights and freedoms illustrating the breadth of OB and it’s connection to other business disciplines
such as human resource management as well as other domains such as sociology. The human
resource concept of bona fide job requirement and reasonable accommodation may be appropriate
to mention here. Discussion of Burka’s and other religious head dress will likely ensue including
the importance of respecting diversity in the workplace. The contingency approach of OB will be
evident from the many sides of this discussion.
1. What starting salary will you give Gabriel? What salary represents the minimum offer you
would accept? If these two numbers are different, why? Does giving Gabriel a different number
than your “internal” number violate Jekyll Corporation’s transparent culture? Why or why not?
Assuming that the job I am being offered at Jekyll Corporation is a managerial job, the starting
annual salary I will give Gabriel is $80,000, while the minimum offer I will accept would be
$70,00. These two numbers are different because although Jekyll Corporation is known as being
financially stable, I have to remember that I am fresh out of college and it is a job that is in my
career path, therefore I must be willing to negotiate with the corporation if I truly want the
position. I do not think that giving Gabriel a different number than my “internal” number violates
Jekyll Corporation’s transparent culture because I am not keeping any secrets. I see my
“internal” number as a prospective personal goal, while I must realize that my starting salary
needs to be a more realistic number, which is why I give Gabriel a different value.
2. Assume that you have received another offer from Hyde Associates. Like the Jekyll job, this
position is on your chosen career path and in the consumer products industry. Assume, however,
that you have read in the news that “Hyde Associates has been criticized for unsustainable
manufacturing practices that may be harmful to the environment.” It has further been criticized
for unfair trade practices and for employing underage children. Would these criticisms change
whether you would be willing to take the job? Why or why not?
If I was given a similar offer on my chosen career path from Hyde Associates but read that they
have practices that may harm the environment, have unfair trade practices, and employ underage
children, it would definitely change whether I would take the job. As soon as I read about those
practices of Hyde Associates it would be enough to make me turn down the job. Not only are
their acts unethical, but it would also make me worry about the productivity and survival of the
company. When I take the first job out of college and on my career path I want it to be
successful, so it needs to be with a prosperous company that has a well-established, credible
name. With the information released about Hyde Associates, I would be concerned that the
company would quickly lose its revenue and therefore go out of business, which would leave me
unemployed and with a lack of job experience.
3. These scenarios are based on studies of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices that
show consumers generally charge a kind of rent to companies that do not practice CSR. In other
words, they generally expect a substantial discount in order to buy a product from Hyde rather
than from Jekyll. For example, if Jekyll and Hyde sold coffee, people would pay a premium of
$1.40 to buy coffee from Jekyll and demand a discount of $2.40 to buy coffee from Hyde. Do
you think this preference would affect your job choice decision? Why or why not?
Just as consumers usually charge “rent” to companies who do not practice corporate social
responsibility (CSR), I think that preference definitely translates into job choice decisions as
well. The customers who are charging the “rent” are the same individuals who are looking for
jobs, so their mindset on the situation of CSR will most likely stay the same. When making a job
choice between Jekyll and Hyde, for example, the potential employee will want to consider the
success of the company because that will parallel the success of their own job. Since Hyde must
sell products cheaper to make any sales at all, that means they have a smaller amount of money
for their employees. However, since customers are willing to pay premiums at Jekyll they are
much better offer and therefore can afford to treat and pay their employees better.
ETHICAL DILEMMA
There's a Drone in Your Soup

It is the year 2020, and drones are everywhere. Alibaba quadcopters have been delivering special
ginger tea to customers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou for years; Amazon’s octocopters
finally deliver packages in most major cities within 30 minutes without knocking down
pedestrians; and college students everywhere welcome late-night nachos from Taco Bell
Tacocopters. Indoor drones are still in the pioneering phase – backyard enthusiasts are building
tiny versions, but no large-scale commercial efforts have been put toward indoor utility drones.
That’s all about to change.
You work for a multinational technology corporation on a sprawling, 25-acre headquarters

campus, with offices in 2 million sqaure feet of interior space in one large building and four
additional smaller (but still large) buildings. The official Head of Interior Spaces is your boss;
you’re the leader of the Consideration of New Things team. In a meeting with your team, your
boss says, “I’ve just heard from my friend at Right To Drones Too (R2D2) that his group has
perfected their inside drone. It’s small and light but can carry up to 10 pounds. It includes a
camera, a speaker, and a recorder.”
Your team expresses surprise; no one even knew an inside utility drone was under development,
and governments worldwide are still haggling over regulations for drones. Your boss goes on
enthusiastically, “I’ve seen the little drones, and I think you’ll be impressed – not only can they
scoot across the quad, but they can fetch things off tables, grab me a latte, attend meetings for
me, check over your shoulders to see what you’re working on....anything! They’re really
accurate, agile, and super quiet, so you’ll barely know they’re around. My friend wants us to
have the first 100 drones here for free, and he’s willing to send them over tomorrow! I fugure we
can hand them out randomly, although of course we’ll each have one.”
Your boss sits back, smiling and expecting applause. You glance at your team members and are
relieved to see doubt and hesitation on their faces.
“Sounds, uh, great,” you reply. “But how about the team takes the afternoon to set the ground
rules?”
Questions
1-11. How might the R2D2 drones influence employee behavior? Do you think they will cause
people to act more or less ethically? Why?
There are two-sided implication of the new drones. First, new drone which is “always watching
you” may prevent employees from doing something unrelated to work. Employees will be
inclined to act more ethically, afraid of the new drones that can show up behind the shoulders
any minute. On the contrary, this type of surveillance might undermine manager-employee
relationship, because many employees will perceive this unethical behavior and lack of trust by
the management. Overall, despite the beneficial characteristics of new drone, it is more likely to
negatively impact the organization and disseminate mistrust among employees.
The drones probably wouldn’t have a difference at first, on how the employees work. The drones
would be like a toy to amuse the employees for a while. The boss says the drone can fetch things
off a table or grab him a latte (among other things), and the employees would maybe be relieved
by this. However, over time, they would probably act less ethically. They would rely on the
drones to do their jobs for them, and they would become lazy. The boss would also be less
ethical, because he says “the drone can watch over your shoulder to see what you’re doing.”
With all of this being said, the drone is basically taking on small responsibilities for both sides.
The work ethic in the workplace would be at an all time low and no one would feel motivated to
do things if the drone can just do the job for them.
Ethical behavior involves doing the right thing and students may suggest that ethical
behavior may be increased if individuals know they are being observed at work. On the
other hand unethical behavior may be driven more underground and potentially
increased if individuals believe their workplace is not a trusting environment. Students
will likely use their imaginations here and response could be highly creative. For
examples, the drones could potentially be programmed as loyal to their owner/ operators
rather than to the organization.
The drones will make the employees behave in a way the management wants them to
behave. The employees will then focus more on pretending that they are working hard
rather than actually focusing on the work. As per my belief, the inner motivation can
make the employees behave ethically but if we consistently monitor the employees
from the drone then they will try to pretend and...
1. The drones will make the employees behave in a way the management wants them to
behave. The employees will then focus more on pretending that they are working hard rather
than actually focusing on the work. As per my belief, the inner motivation can make the
employees behave ethically but if we consistently monitor the employees from the drone
then they will try to pretend and so will sometimes go unethical.
Apart from these, the management will then diminishes the personal space of the employees
which is ethically wrong and the employees will also face a sense of dissatisfaction.
1-12. Who should get the drones initially? How can you justify your decision ethically? What
restrictions for use should these people be given, and how do you think employees, both those
who get drones and those who don’t, will react to this change?
Governments are still pondering upon the regulations for drones, so there is no strict guidelines
or ethical procedural guiding the usage of new drones. If we consider the boss’s idea to hand out
the drones to every employee from the ethical standpoint, it might invade personal space of
people. Therefore, I would suggest to buy the drones in a way less amount (around 5-10) and
hand them over to the boss and team leader of Consideration of New Things team, so the
managers can test the drones first. The boss can use it for his personal need, whereas
Consideration of New Things team can test the drone and come up with ethical conclusion of
whether it is suitable or not to use this drone by others. This will save a good manager-employee
relations and employees will not feel pressured or under surveillance. Also, no corporate policy
law will be violated if drones are first tested by managers. The company, on the other side, will
have time to come up with internal regulations related to the usage of these drones. Those
employees who won’t get the drone should be delivered a decent explanation standing upon the
fact that there is no regulations or procedures justifying the usage guideline of these drones.
I think the drones should only be given to 10 people at first. Having 100 drones given out at
random… does not seem like a good idea to me. I think the sample size should be 10 people, and
they should be only able to use the drones for office related uses. They should also not be
allowed to let the drones do their work for them – a few small jobs are fine, but the drones
should not be sent to retrieve a coffee every single day. I think all employees would be a little
bummed about not getting their own drone, but the company can gradually build its way up to
giving every employee a drone when they prove themselves to be responsible enough to handle
it.
Again, students will be imagining the workplace. Students might argue that those
workers who would benefit the most from the drones should get them first. Potentially
those workers doing physical work over distances across the sprawling campus might be
first. Then again maybe the drones have artificial intelligence and programmers could
benefit from them helping to write code!
--------
I believe the Finance team should get the drones first and then the behavioral change of the
Accounts employees should be analyzed. Since it is very much important that the Accounts
people need to ut every figure correct, so it may not have any bad impact on their personal
space. And then should be gradually given to other horizontal departments.
1-13. How will your organization deal with sabotage or misuse of drones? The value of an
R2D2 drone is $2,500.
Unless there is a clear policy and procedure aimed on ethical usage of the drones, it is not
recommended to use the drones by employees. There are might be a number of undesirable
effects and possible abuses which can come along with the usage of the drones.
The organization would already have damage control processes implemented before ever
handing out an R2D2 drone to any employee/boss/etc. Maybe a short-term warranty with the
R2D2 company would be a good idea too. Misuses and sabotage of the drones would induce
disciplinary actions for the employees, and the responsible party would have to shell out the cash
(if any) for the damages they caused.
Students may develop policies about how the drones can be used including penalties for
misuse. What would constitute drone misuse? If your drone breaks a wing while you’re
making it fly “drone donuts” on your lunch break who pays to fix it? Maybe there is
drone insurance in this fantasy organization. Would drones be different than company
cars or factory forklifts in this context?
They need to define some norms and guidelines which needs to be strictly followed by all the
drone users. The norms should focus on maintaining the privacy of the employees and the
guidelines to move the drone inside. Also, since the drone price is quite high, the
organization needs to make sure to give it to only those whose potential benefits are at least
more than $2500.
1-14. Many organizations already use electronic monitoring of employees, including sifting
through website usage and e-mail correspondence, often without the employee’s direct
knowledge. In what ways might drone monitoring be better or worse for employees than covert
electronic monitoring of Web or e-mail activity?
In the organization where I work, all personal emails are checked in case if someone sends
confidential organization files and all employees are aware of this. I think that this is widely
acknowledged that IT department can look through the visited web-sites and emails. However,
looking though the web-site history and personal email records by IT department is still more
hidden form of monitoring than drones flying and around and “watching you”. On the one hand,
this feature of drones may undermine employee morale. On the other hand, this may lessen the
time spent on unrelated activities as well as become an obvious form of monitoring. Employees
who are afraid of email and web-site monitoring, will be highly unsatisfied with the new
regulations. Therefore, I believe that the manager should choose which option to select for based
on the company’s culture and possible repercussions on employees’ job satisfaction and morale.
For organizations, drone monitoring might be a dream come true. They’d supervise employees
without even having to get up from their desks. They could also see the workplace activities,
maybe even send messages to employees, etc. It could be worse for the employees for obvious
reasons, like the fact that they can be watched all the time. It’s creepy and some would say it’s
invasive. Not to mention, some people may not even agree to something like that. I personally,
would not agree to be under the watchful eye of a drone. It doesn’t sit right with me. Technology
has taken over, and it will continue to progressively change the world. However, drones can be
good or bad, depending on who it benefits.
Drones may come and wish the employee so that they may not feel that drone is sensing
everything from behind and so the top management is violating the privacy of the
employees.
Students will likely have creative discussion. The original R2D2 was loyal to Luke
Skywalker. Maybe drones will be loyal too, or at least they’ll give owner/operators a hint
when borderline unethical behavior is observed by them Drones could discourage
unethical behavior and be programmed to help detect it with reporting first to their master
then up the line to the boss.
CASE INCIDENTS 1
Apple Goes Global
It wasn’t long ago that products from Apple, perhaps the most recognizable name in electronics
manufacturing around the world, were made entirely in America. This is not so anymore. Now,
almost all of the approximately 70 million iPhones, 30 million iPads, and 59 million other Apple
products sold yearly are manufactured overseas. This change represents more than 20,000 jobs
directly lost by U.S. workers, not to mention more than 700,000 other jobs and business given to
foreign companies in Asia, Europe, and elsewhere. The loss is not temporary. As the late Steven
P. Jobs, Apple’s iconic co-founder, told President Obama, “Those jobs aren’t coming back.”
At first glance, the transfer of jobs from one workforce to another would seem to hinge on a
difference in wages, but Apple shows this is an oversimplification. In fact, paying U.S. wages
would add only $65 to each iPhone’s expense, while Apple’s profits average hundreds of dollars
per phone. Rather, and of more concern, Apple’s leaders believe the intrinsic characteristics of
the labor force available to them in China—which they identify as flexibility, diligence, and
industrial skills—are superior to those of the U.S. labor force. Apple executives tell stories of
shorter lead times and faster manufacturing processes in China that are becoming the stuff of
company legend. “The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” one executive said. “There’s no
American plant that can match that.” Another said, “We shouldn’t be criticized for using Chinese
workers. The U.S. has stopped producing people with the skills we need.”
Because Apple is one of the most imitated companies in the world, this perception of an overseas
advantage might suggest that the U.S. workforce needs to be better led, better trained, more
effectively managed, and more motivated to be proactive and flexible. If U.S. (and Western
European) workers are less motivated and less adaptable, it’s hard to imagine that does not spell
trouble for the future of the American workforce. Perhaps, though, Apple’s switch from “100%
Made in the U.S.A.” to “10% Made in the U.S.A.” represents the natural growth pattern of a
company going global. At this point, the iPhone is largely designed in the United States (where
Apple has 43,000 employees), parts are made in South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia,
Japan, Europe and elsewhere, and products are assembled in China. The future of at least 247
suppliers worldwide depends on Apple’s approximately $30.1 billion in orders per quarter. And
we can’t forget that Apple posted $16.1 billion in revenue from the first quarter of 2014, perhaps
in part because its manufacturing in China builds support for the brand there.
As makers of some of the most cutting-edge, revered products in the electronics marketplace,
perhaps Apple serves not as a failure of one country to hold onto a company completely, but as
one of the best examples of global ingenuity.
Questions
1-15. What are the pros and cons for local and overseas labor forces of Apple’s going global?
What are the potential political implications for country relationships?
Apple’s decision to manufacture its products in China using inputs sourced from multiple
countries is beneficial for the overseas labor force where new jobs are created and spillover
effects can generate other benefits for the local economy. Local low skilled labor forces will
suffer from a loss of jobs, however higher skilled labor involved with product development could
benefit if Apple’s products continue to be in high demand. While the ‘export of jobs’ can create
tension between China and the United States, U.S. companies could stand to benefit if China’s
now wealthier labor force increases its demand for U.S.-made or designed products.
PROS
1) shorter lead times and faster manufacturing processes in china
2) higher profitability for apple
3) better price for consumers
4) working with other countries can help with political relations
5) promotes going global/ helps brand awareness
CONS
1) 20000 jobs directly lost by U.S workers
2) 700000 other jobs given to foreign companies in asia, europe and other countries
3) US citizens are passionate about the loss american jobs, which is exemplified in political debates
globalization is not a bad thing
more opportunities for people around the world , adapt to increasingly competitive global market.
global banking , increased revenues , the US must continously be bettering itself to compete
Below is given some pros and cons of local and overseas labor forces for companies going
global, like Apple.
Pros for Overseas Labor Forces Cons for Local Labor Forces
Getting more employment Loosing employment opportunities
opportunities, thus unemployment rate
will be decreased
Opportunity of learning new skills May loose skills, who doesn’t have transferable skills
Loosing live hood
Potential political implications for country relationships can be:

 Relationship may get negative impact, as one country is gaining and other one is losing
opportunities.
 Positive economical impact will be in the overseas country, due to create more
employment opportunities, the country’s unemployment rate will be lower. But local
country’s unemployment rate will get higher.
The decision by Apple to go global by manufacturing its products in China by using the inputs
which were sourced from many countries is advantageous to the labor force of the overseas
where the new jobs are actually created in addition to the spillover effects which will generate
other advantages to the local economy.
The local low-skilled labor forces actually will suffer from the loss of jobs while the higher
skilled labor forces who are involved with the development of products can benefit if the
products of Apple continue to be demanded in large quantities.
Whereas ``Export of jobs'' may establish tension between the United States and China, the
companies of the U.S could benefit if the wealthier labor force of China increases their demand
for the United States designed/made products.
How could managers use increased worker flexibility and diligence to increase the
competitiveness of their manufacturing sites? What would you recommend?
Again, this answer depends greatly on the individual student’s perspective. Some things that
might be mentioned could include additional training, better communication, greater leadership,
and rewards for new ideas. Some students may suggest modeling processes and policies in less
efficient sites after those used in successful plants.
1-16. As a U.S. corporation, does Apple and its management have a moral obligation to provide
jobs for U.S. employees first? If this is the case, then does this put international employees at a
distinct disadvantage?
 I believe Apple is justified in drawing the observations and conclusions expressed in the

case as they have experience in this industry for numerous years and would have
experienced the declined in the US or Canada having enough skilled and flexible persons
that would have the ability to work in their factories. With that said, they would then have
to figure out where they could find enough skilled labor’s that could keep up with the
growth of their company. Hence, China proved a better fit, regardless of the fact that they
have cheaper labor.
 It can be both a negative and positive thing that the executives at Apple have voiced these
opinions. Negative in the sense that persons in the US who do possess the
skills/flexibility the company speaks of, may feel as though they are being overlooked or
that the company isn’t necessarily trying hard enough to find skilled labor’s in their own
country. It may be a positive in that, persons who had the misconception that Apple only
chose to have manufacturers in China because of cheaper labor would now be aware of
the true reasoning behind their decision and would hopefully find ways to increase the
skills in their own country (Canada or the US) which would then create more job
opportunities for their people.
 Apple does not have a moral obligation to offer jobs to the U.S employees first since to
succeed in China, which is a foreign country it has to consider the locals first and their
qualifications. As a matter of fact, Asia has not a supply chain but also a pool of
knowledgeable workers to which America cannot match.
1-17. Is it possible for U.S. managers to organize, motivate, and ensure quality in their Chinese
manufacturing facilities?
From my point of view below recommendations can be worked to increase worker flexibility and
diligence to increase the competitiveness of their manufacturing sites:
 By providing incentives or bonus: Workers are better motivated with incentives and a
good communication with the employer or the owner of the company. It will boost their
satisfaction level, which in a result will increase the worker flexibility and diligence.
 In House training: I would recommend In-house training for staffs that are lacking, a
much more communicating boss that would listen and understand the employees. In-
house training will increase the skills and potentiality to perform better.
 Team work: By increasing team work will help the employees to know their strengths
and weaknesses.
 Flexible working hour: By providing flexible work hours, encourage breaks, sabbatical
leave and encourage interest of the staffs, which will also assist to create worker’s
flexibility and diligence.
 It is possible for the United States managers to organize, motivate as well as ensure
quality in the Chinese manufacturing facilities as they can collaborate with the Chinese
managers who are managing these facilities to motivate, organize and ensure quality in
the production. The manufacturing facilities in China are a subsidiary of the Apple
Company and therefore, it is easy to collaborate and adopt strategies that are being used
in the parent firm to ensure quality.
1. When the electronic appliance giant decided to move globally, it was the high time for the
economy to expect a growth, but the manufacturer. led to the increase in the unemployment rate
in the country as most of the employees were laid off. The reasons given were that the labor cost
in the developing countries is cheap as compared to the United States. The labor cost was
making a lot of saving for the company. The additional cost of labor was addıng money to the
overall cost of the appliances. The pros for overseas workforce were to get more opportunities.
This had boosted their economy. It led to the reduction of the unemployment rate. On the other
end, cons for the Focal workforce were that the unemployment rate increased. This led to the
increase in pressure to train more workforces and create more work opportunities. The potential
relationships between the two countries may get spoiled because one country is getting an
advantage because of the local country
2. Profit earning is the utmost motive of every organization. Every company has to reduce their
prices per unit so that the overall cost can be reduced or minimized. This company has taken
steps to reduce its cost per unit. In my view. the company has taken correct decisions. The
observations made by the company are appropriate. It is absolutely in the benefit of the company
that its employees have voiced their opinion This shows the firm belief of its employees in the
company's strategies. Being residents from the same country, if the employees are thinking for
the benefit of the company. then this is a sign of healthy employee - employer relationships.
3. Managers can increase the talent of the new employees in many ways. As it is already known
that the new employees are more flexible and diligent as compared to the employees of the local
country, so the company may use their services more effectively. One can understand this better
with the help of an example. Like in many Asian countries, the employees are hired on contract
basis from the employers of the developed nations. They are given low wages and they work day
in and out to perform the services asked by the employers. The same way, this organization can
also take services from the employees of the developing nations at a lower cost.
Case Incident 2
Big Data for Dummies
Do you need big data? Maybe the question is better phrased as: Can you afford not to use big
data? The age of big data is here, and to ignore its benefits is to run the risk of missed
opportunities.
Organizations using big data are quickly reaping rewards, as a survey of 2,022 managers
worldwide indicated recently. In fact, 71 percent of respondents agreed that organizations using
big data will gain a “huge competitive advantage.” These managers also saw the need for big
data: 58 percent responded that they never, rarely, or only sometimes have enough data to make
key business decisions. Furthermore, they’ve witnessed the benefits: 67 percent agreed that big
data has helped their organization to innovate. So why did only 28 percent find that their access
to useful data significantly increased in a year?
According to Amy Braverman, a principal statistician who analyzes NASA’s spacecraft data, the
problem is in interpreting the new kinds and volumes of data we are able to collect. “This
opportunistic data collection is leading to entirely new kinds of data that aren’t well suited to
the existing statistical and data-mining methodologies,” she said. IT and business leaders agree:
in a recent survey, “determining how to get value” was identified as the number 1 challenge of
big data.
With strong need combating the high hurdle for usability, how should a company get started
using big data? The quick answer seems to be to hire talent. But not just anyone will do. Here are
some points to ponder when hiring data professionals:
1. Look for candidates with a strong educational background in analytics/statistics. You
want someone who knows more than you do about handling copious amounts of data.
2. The ideal candidates will have specific experience in your industry or a related industry.
“When you have all those Ph.D.s in a room, magic doesn’t necessarily happen because
they may not have the business capability,” said Andy Rusnak, a senior executive at Ernst
& Young.
3. Search for potential candidates from industry leader organizations that are more advanced
in big data.
4. Communication skills are a must. Look for a candidate “who can translate Ph.D. to
English,” says SAP Chief Data Scientist David Ginsberg. He adds, “Those are the hardest
people to find.”
5. Find candidates with a proven record of finding useful information from a mess of data,
including data from questionable sources. You want someone who is analytical and
discerning.
6. Look for people who can think in 8to 10-week periods, not just long term. Most data
projects have a short-term focus.
7. Test candidates’ expertise on real problems. Netflix’s Director of Algorithms asks
candidates, “You have this data that comes from our users. How can you use it to solve
this particular problem?”
Questions
1-18. Let’s say you work in a metropolitan city for a large department store chain and your
manager puts you in charge of a team to find out whether keeping the store open an hour longer
each day would increase profits. What data might be available to your decisionmaking process?
What data would be important to your decision?
If I were to need to collect data to see whether the store should be kept opened another hour I
would first observe how busy the area is around that time. I would then check if the traffic flow
is consistent with our target market. I would then look at the possible amount of money that
could be made based on another store chain data that is open later with the similar environment. I
would also observe competing stores in the same area with the same target market and how long
their stores are open and how busy they are.
1. The data that might be available to my decision making process to see whether keeping
the store open an hour longer each day to see if profits would increase are:
a. Attendance: Attendance should be monitored and is important in determining if the
store hours should be extended by one hour. This is because by knowing how many
people come in to the store during the extended hour, you will see people who are
still interested in coming into the store to browse the products being sold. This makes
each person a potential customer and if there is a high enough attendance in the added
hour, there is a good chance that these potential customers will purchase something.
b. Sales: I’m sure you have heard the quote, “Sales is the lifeblood of a business”, which
totally makes sense because in reality with no sales, there is no business. Sales is
important in determining if being open an extra hour will be feasible. Being open an
extra hour increase cost because wages must be paid, electricity usage will increase,
etc. So in order to determine if the extra hour is a logical choice, profits must be
higher than cost. If sales are low during the added hour it doesn’t justify being open
longer. The whole point of this experiment is to see if profits would increase so this is
fairly important.
c. Customer’s comments or critique’s, on the extended hours. Feedback and
networking is also important. Hearing out what your customers have to say about the
extended hours is very valuable. By having proper communication with your
customers, they can give you a good idea of what people think and if the extended
hours was a good idea. You will see by having proper human skills, you will be seen
as invaluable because of the high demand for superb customer service in today’s
modern businesses.
2. As the manager the data that would be important to my decision in extending the store
hours by one hour is to review past trends, from when this experiment began. It is
important for a manager to have conceptual skills, which will help find, if any, a
correlation between profitability and the number of hours the store was open. As I have
addressed before, under sales, since the store will be kept open for an extra hour daily.
Cost will increase. By doing an analysis of cost vs profits, we can forecast if having the
store open an extra hour hurts the business or increases revenue. With this information
the higher ups can finally determine if being open an extra hour is the right direction for
this store.
- What my competitors do.

- What is suitable for my customers.
- Purchasing per hour
- Employee’s productivity
- The value gained
1-19. What kinds of data might we want in OB applications?
I believe that Job satisfaction is probably the most important data to collect. A survey that
exhibits whether employees are content at work or dissatisfied and why, can give a higher
understanding of what changes may need to be made. With a high job satisfaction there’ll be less
absenteeism, and employment turnover. With an enhanced productivity and human performance.
In organizational behavior applications the kinds of data that we want is

1. Psychographic data: Psychology is a discipline that contributes to the OB field. Finding
out people’s values, opinions, attitudes, interest and lifestyles is the kind of data needed
in OB applications. By knowing this information an organization can find better methods
to make its own organization work more productive and effective. Many businesses use
this to their advantage. By knowing this information an organization can prevent future
problems from arising and/ or increasing job satisfaction, human performance,
employment turnover, etc. Furthermore it encourages proper and accurate evidence-based
management which complements systematic study.
2. Demographic Data: Sociology is also a contributing factor to the OB field. This helps us
understand people in relation to their social environment or culture. By having
demographic data, an organization can better understand what cultures, race, level of
education, etc., the company is dealing with. Having this information can help an
organization with the management between people of different cultures. It is widely
known that all cultures are different in many aspects but some have many similarities.
Knowing the difference and how to complement each one can increase motivation within
an organization and encourage diversity. Anthropology helps us understand the
fundamental values, attitudes and behavior among people in different countries within
different organizations. Different cultures communicate differently and in many cases
words and expressions mean different things to other cultures. Understanding this can
prevent future issues and help meld people of different cultures into one cohesive
organization.
Data related to the behavior of employees in the context of job satisfaction,

absence, employment turnover, productivity, human performance, motivation, attitude, and
management.
1-20. As Braverman notes, one problem with big data is making sense of the information. How
might a better understanding of psychology help you sift through all this data?
A better understanding of psychology gives you the advantage of understanding why people
behave a certain way, and why they make certain decisions. This gives you an advantage of
better understanding data and making sense of it, since you have and overall understanding of the
human mind and behaviors.
Understanding the psychology of individuals’ helps transforming the data into

useful information as it explains the behavior of humans what motivates them and why,
their attitude, personality, emotions, leadership…etc.
Understanding psychology helps in extracting the useful information from the big data on
which it will helps in the decision making process
Era of the Disposable Worker?

The great global recession has claimed many victims. 51 In many countries, unemployment is at near-historic highs, and even
those who have managed to keep their jobs have often been asked to accept reduced work hours or pay cuts. Another
consequence of the current business and economic environment is an increase in the number of individuals employed on a
temporary or contingent basis.
The statistics on temporary workers are grim. Increases in layoffs mean that many jobs formerly considered safe have become
“temporary” in the sense that they could disappear at any time with little warning. Forecasts suggest that the next 5 to 10 years
will be similar, with small pay increases, worse working conditions, and low levels of job security. As Peter Cappelli of the
University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School notes, “Employers are trying to get rid of all fixed costs. First they did it with
employment benefits. Now they’re doing it with the jobs themselves. Everything is variable.”
We might suppose that these corporate actions are largely taking place in an era of diminishing profitability. However, data from
the financial sector are not consistent with this explanation. Among Fortune 500 companies, 2009 saw the second-largest jump in
corporate earnings in the list’s 56-year history. Moreover, many of these gains don’t appear to be the result of increases in
revenue. Rather, they reflect dramatic decreases in labour costs. One equity market researcher noted, “The largest part of the gain
came from lower payrolls rather than the sluggish rise in sales . . .” Wages also rose only slightly during this period of rapidly
increasing corporate profitability.
Some observers suggest that the very nature of corporate profit monitoring is to blame for the discrepancy between corporate
profitability and outcomes for workers. Some have noted that teachers whose evaluations are based on standardized test scores
tend to “teach to the test,” to the detriment of other areas of learning. In the same way, when a company is judged primarily by
the single metric of a stock price, executives naturally try their best to increase this number, possibly to the detriment of other
concerns such as employee well-being or corporate culture. On the other hand, others defend corporate actions that increase the
degree to which they can treat labour flexibly, noting that in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, it might be
necessary to sacrifice some jobs to save the organization as a whole.
The issues of how executives make decisions about workforce allocation, how job security and corporate loyalty influence
employee behaviour, and how emotional reactions come to surround these issues are all core components of OB research.
Questions
1. To what extent can individual business decisions (as opposed to economic forces) explain deterioration in working conditions
for many workers? (Judge,35)
I believe the economy has a great deal to do with the deterioration of workers today and it is
difficult to differentiate between an individual business decision and decision that force due to
lack of income from the economy. Individual business struggle with lower profit margins and
take big hits if the economy shifts. This leads to forced decisions on what to do to keep doors
open and from drowning in debt. According to Peter Cappelli in an interview with Michelle
Conlin, “Employers are trying to get rid of all fixed costs," Cappelli says. "First they did it with
employment benefits. Now they're doing it with the jobs themselves. Everything is variable."
2. Do business organizations have a responsibility to ensure that employees have secure jobs with good working conditions, or is
their primary responsibility to shareholders?
The answer to this question can depend on the size of the organization. For a small company, the
primary focus will be on employees, but in a larger company or “big box” company their
primary focus is keeping their shareholders happy. I personally believe that every organization
should put employees before shareholders or employees should be shareholders. Without
frontline employees there would be no profit for shareholders to worry about. In the end it comes
down to ethics and corporate social responsibility. “Corporate social responsibility is related to,
but not identical with, business ethics. While corporate social responsibility encompasses the
economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities of organizations, business ethics
usually focuses on the moral judgments and behavior of individuals and groups within
organizations.” (Barnett)
3. What alternative measures of organizational performance, besides share prices, do you think might change the focus of
business leaders?
Organizational performance directly correlates with organizational survival. Organizational
survival is, “The degree to which an organization is able to exist and grow over the long term.”
(Judge 29) If an organization wants to survive then it must look at performance from many
places. Those places can include, structure, culture, and profitability. Within profitability share
prices are a big focus because they can change the overall outlook of the company. However,
they also have to look at employee satisfaction and customer loyalty.
The last questions are, “What do you think the likely impact of the growth of temporary
employment relationships will be for employee attitudes and behaviors?” (Judge 36)
Employment relationships will become very impersonal. Employee attitudes will not be as good
and therefore productivity will suffer. Employees will only do exactly what is required of them
and not go above and beyond for the job because there is no reward in it. “How would you
develop a measurement system to evaluate the impact of corporate downsizing and temporary
job assignments on employees?” (Judge 36) According to Karl Heil “Downsizing affects most
sectors of the labor market, including retail, industrial, managerial, and office jobs, impacting
workers in a wide range of income levels.” To measure the impact on employees I would put in
place a few markers, things designed to show major changes in employee behaviors or attitudes.
Upon answering these questions we can see that there is not one item that can explain
why temporary has become the new normal. There are many factor that effect organizations and
employees around the world.
Judge, Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Organizational Behavior, VitalSource for Kaplan
University, 15th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 2013. VitalBook file.

Conlin, M. (2010, January 10). The Disposable Worker. Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://
www.bloomberg.com/bw/magazine/content/10_03/b4163032935448.htm
Barnett, T.. Reference for Business. Retrieved March 3, 2015, from
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Comp-De/Corporate-Social-
Responsibility.html
Heil, K. (2007). Reference for Business. Retrieved March 3, 2015, from
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/De-Ele/Downsizing-and-Rightsizing.html
From Concept to Skills

This exercise asks you to consider the skills outlined in the “Competing Values
Framework” on pages 32–35 to develop an understanding of managerial expertise. Steps 1–
4 can be completed in 15–20 minutes.
1. Using the skills listed in the Competing Values Framework, identify the 4 skills that
you think all managers should have.
1.Creative thinking：Creative thinking means designing new methods to performtasks, solve

problems, and respond to challenges. Managers should bring new andunconventional
perspectives to work. This way of thinking can help departmentsand organizations increase
productivity.
2. Motivating others：Managers should motivate the team members because thecreativity of the
unit exceeds the individual.
3. Developing subordinates：Managers should give other team members moreopportunities
because the team’s growth is more important than individual personaldevelopment.
4. Team building：As the leader of a team; a manager should have the ability tobuild a team to
ensure that the entire team works efficiently.
Luan’s Answer:
1.Understanding yourself and others
2.Conflict Management
3.Managing Change
4.Motivating Others
Sheela’s Answer:
1.Evaluating the routine information
2.Team building
3.Goal setting
4.Time and stress management
Ujjawal’s Answer:
1. Time Management: A manager should have excellent time management
skills because he is responsible for himself and his team.
2. Psychological skills: Every manager should have some basic knowledge of
industrial and organizational psychological skills to keep his team active,
motivated, and devoted to their organization. Only then can they give their
100% effort, and the same can help resolve the team’s internal conflicts.
3. Systematic approach: most of the time, managers tend to decide on their
guess or most commonly known term gut feeling, which sometimes does get
them positive result because that guess/gut feeling developed because of
their long experiences and exposure with the business world, but with
changing time it should be a manager’s duty always to compare and study
all of the practical and tactical approaches to tackle any difficulty.
4. Trust: one should trust in their team because we cannot do everything on
our own. There should be a hierarchy in management. Everyone should have
responsibilities and a few authorities to decide on their own for which a
manager should trust their teammates.
2. Identify the 4 skills that you think are least important for managers to have.
Chuanhong’s Answer:
1. Building and maintaining a power base: The manager does not need to maintain
his power base because the manager’s prestige comes from the team-building
ability.
2. Living with change: Managers are more engaged in a daily management job and
do not need to overthink change.
3. Negotiating agreement and commitment: The manager should let other members
be responsible for this work because this job requires a very high level of
professionalism.
4. Receiving and organizing information: The secretary, not the manager should do
this work.
Luan’s Answer:
1. Living with change
2. Receiving and organizing information
3. Negotiating agreement and commitment
4. Creative thinking
Sheela’s Answer:
1. Living with change
2. Receiving and organizing information
3. Negotiating agreement and commitment
4. Creative thinking
Ujjawal’s Answer:
1. Knowledge of technological devices: A manager should be innovative, but
they do not need adequate knowledge to operate all needed technological
devices.
2. Creativity: In few organizations, creativity is an important aspect of their
work, but it is essential for a manager to have those skills.
3. Power: there is a fragile line between being authoritative and being over
imposing. Sometimes because of their power is a senior, they forget that
difference in order to fulfill their ego, they should never concentrate on
developing power
4. Receiving and organizing data: The manager's responsibilities are to
ensure the team's data quality, not managing it.
3. In groups of 5–7, reach a consensus on the most-needed and least-needed skills

identified in “Reinforcing Steps” on page 35, Steps 1 and 2.
4. Using Exhibit 1-6, determine whether your “ideal” managers would have trouble
managing in some dimensions of organizational demands.
Chuanhong’s Answer:
Good managers need to train subordinates, which is beneficial to the organization.
Because managers are not indispensable, associates will grow up to managers.
Also, Ideal managers are willing to do anything because of their productivity and
motivation which doesn’t give subordinates opportunities to practice.
Luan’s Answer:
Management is based on understanding the needs of the organization, whether
people or how you will act in the midst of conflict. In change management, every
manager needs to be attentive to the market, making his team remain focused,
creating strategies to overcome barriers and motivate his employees. A positive
work environment will make everyone have better productivity and feel free to add
good results.
Sheela’s Answer:
Ideal managers focus more on target achievement. They adhere to protocols and
restrict themself in talent identification, change management, and flexible thinking.
In addition to this, the ideal manager’s behavior can be demotivating to the
subordinates; thus, the team performance may not meet the expectation in the long
run. A flexible thinking approach helps the manager motivate subordinates,
making it easy to achieve targets even in challenging situations. So ideal managers
would face problems in meeting organizational demands in the long run.
Ujjawal’s Answer:
Despite having all managerial skills following OB’s requirement, an ideal manager
can still face problems in changing a few members’ mindsets. the ideal manager
can improve his way of working and approach, but you can’t do the same with
another person every time, which might hamper the required goal and time
management as well as can create trouble between teams as well.
5. Your instructor will lead a general discussion of your results.
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.( Langton, 2019) But he never dreamed that he
would become involved in union–management negotiations with daycare-centre employees.
Late one Sunday evening, in his ninth month as president of the daycare centre, Rogers received a phone call from Grace Ng, a
union representative of the Provincial Government Employees’ Union (PGEU). Ng informed Rogers that the daycare employees
would be unionized the following week. Rogers was stunned to hear this news. Early the next morning, he had to present his new
marketing plan to senior management at Techtronix Industries, where he was vice-president of marketing. Somehow he made it
through the meeting, wondering why he had not been aware of the employees’ unhappiness, and how this action would affect his
children.
Following his presentation, Rogers received documentation from the Labour Relations Board indicating that the daycare
employees had been working to unionize themselves for more than a year. Rogers immediately contacted Xavier Breslin, the
board’s vice-president, and together they determined that no one on the board had been aware that the daycare workers were
unhappy, let alone prepared to join a union.
Hoping that there was some sort of misunderstanding, Rogers called Emma Reynaud, the Marysville supervisor. Reynaud
attended most board meetings, but had never mentioned the union-organizing drive. Yet Reynaud now told Rogers that she had
actively encouraged the other daycare employees to consider joining the PGEU because the board had not been interested in the
employees’ concerns, had not increased their wages sufficiently over the past two years, and had not maintained communication
channels between the board and the employees.
All of the board members had full-time jobs elsewhere, and many were upperand middle-level managers in their own companies.
They were used to dealing with unhappy employees in their own workplaces, although none had experienced a union-organizing
drive. Like Rogers, they had chosen to serve on the board of Marysville to stay informed about the day-to-day events of the
centre. They had not really thought of themselves as the centre’s employer, although, as board members, they represented all the
parents of children enrolled at Marysville. Their main tasks on the daycare-centre board had been setting fees for the children and
wages for the daycare employees. The board members usually saw the staff members several times a week, when they picked up
their children, yet the unhappiness represented by the union-organizing drive was surprising to all of them. When they met at an
emergency board meeting that evening, they tried to evaluate what had gone wrong at Marysville.
Questions
1. If you were either a board member or a parent, how would you know that the employees taking care of your children
were unhappy with their jobs?
The main thing would be to talk with them and ask them about job satisfaction and any concerns
that they have. Beyond that, you might consider observing their behaviour, such as absenteeism
or lateness, as well as their general attitudes. In observing the situation, you may want to
consider whether the employees are doing just the bare minimum, or whether they are trying to
be innovative and creative as part of their job.
2. What might you do if you learned about their unhappiness?

If I was on the board, I would take their concerns to the board, and either try to get them
resolved, or sit down with the unhappy employees and explain why we couldn’t accommodate
their demands. I would also seek to find a compromise with the employees so that they would
feel that I was trying to meet their needs. If I were a parent who was not on the board, I would
alert the board to whatever concerns had been raised.
3. What might Rogers have done differently as president of the board?
Rogers probably should have interviewed all of the employees at least once during the year, or
requested that Emma Reynaud provide him with details about how the workers were doing and
whether there were any problems. Given that Rogers and the other board members were
surprised by the unionization attempt, it would appear that no one had tried to collect information
from the employees during the year.
4. In what ways does this case illustrate that knowledge of OB can be applied beyond your own workplace?
The daycare centre is not part of the board members workplace, but it is an organization with
which they interact on a daily basis. Moreover, the children of the board members belong to the
organization in question. Had board members applied such organizational behaviour skills as
communication, negotiation, and motivation within the context of the daycare centre, they might
have learned more about the distress the employees were feeling.
OB applies equally well to all situations in which you interact with others. In fact, OB
is relevant anywhere that people come together and share experiences, work on
goals, or meet to solve problems. The study of OB can shed light on the interactions
among family members, the voluntary group that comes together to do something
about reviving the downtown area, students working as a team on a class project,
the parents Why do some people do well in organizational settings while others
have difficulty? What is organizational behaviour? It’s a field of study that focuses
on three levels of behaviour in organizations. One level is the individual, such as the
Wal-Mart greeter handing out smiley balloons. Another level is the group, such as
the three employees of Praxair, a distributor of bottled industrial gases, who meet
to discuss their work. The third level is structure, which is depicted here by
employees working in cubicles at Bloomberg, a financial media company.
5. 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 workplace, and what skills their team members most need to have
but are least likely to have. How might you use this information to develop greater interpersonal skills?
6. 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 would-be manager about skills worth
developing?
OB Chapter 1: Road Warriors (Pages 35+36)
 Logan Green frustrated from difficulty of getting around Southern California.

 When going to college, he didn’t use his car, he used public transportation or arranged
rideshares, which caused him to wait rides for long times.
 During a trip to Zimbabwe, he found that they have this crowdsourced transportation
network where anyone could be a driver and they could set their own routes.
 Logan created Zimride, a platform from which people can find and manage carpools.
 John Zimmer, left his work as an analyst after 2 years, and became a partner in Zimride,
as he was captivated by the idea of sustainable transportation since he was at the
university.
 John thinks that current transportation systems are not sustainable:
o 70% of car seats are unused.
o 70% of highway infrastructure is inefficient.
 John and Logan envisioned a transportation revolution: To change the way people get
from one place to another.
 They started (Lyft), an app-based ridesharing platform that operates in hundreds of US
cities and is valued today at 5.5 billion (double than 2015).
 They worked well together to foster the exponential growth of Zimride and Lyft,
although they were so different: John (introvert) raised with parents who took care of
everything. Logan (extroverted and assertive) raised in a middle-class suburb.
 Logan believed that:
o The more employees a company has, the less likely anyone gets noticed.
o If employees don’t feel individually responsible for the company’s success, things
slow down.
 They didn’t forget the drivers and employees that are the foundation of Lyft:
o They foster a culture and climate of employee appreciation and recognition.
o Appreciated employees by celebrating both employee and work-group
accomplishments.
o Gave awards that are customized to each group.
o Make sure that drivers feel welcome by recognizing them in newsletters and
blogs, and flying them to headquarters to get their feedback and input.
 They emphasized that the Lyft experience is all about community, fun and positivity.
They attached a pink mustache, or a so-called carstache (often glowing) to the front of the
car.
 They restructured Zimride using a very delicate approach, they re-employed 90% of its
employees to work at Lyft, then they sold Zimride to Enterprise’s vanpooling business.
 Till today, Lyft has been a strong player in the new ridesharing industry and has faced its
share of challenges, setbacks, and successes.
OB Chapter 1: Experiential Exercise: I am a team leader; I don’t need any help

(Pages 68)
 One of the team members is the CEO of a startup that creates robots for technology-
assisted surgery.
 The others are members of the board of directors.
 Mark, a team leader with PhD in robotics, is having problems in the development of a
new robot prototype.
 You participate in Mark’s team meeting to understand more. You took the following
notes:
o Mark communicating general information, the team is trying to discuss a major
problem that is preventing the robot from working as required.
o Team member reviewed all the steps, still didn’t discover anything unusual.
o Another team members said that they have done different attempts to solve the
problem, but no use.
o All of the team suggested that Mark consult another manager from outside the
team, but he refused and said that he might have an idea on how to fix it.
o The team thought that an outside eye would have a solution, Mark refused, and
said that he will solve it in 10 days.
Question 1-8: What do think explains Mark’s attitude and why he is reluctant to ask for
external help?
 Mark lacks the Interpersonal skills.

 As the manager is someone who gets things done through other people in organizations,
Mark is not applying the Manager’s functions
o Planning: a process that includes defining goals, establishing strategy, and
developing plans to coordinate activities.
o Organizing: Determining what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the
tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and where decisions are to be
made.
o Leading: A function that includes motivating employees, directing others,
selecting the most effective communication channels, and resolving conflicts.
o Controlling: Monitoring activities to ensure that they are being accomplished as
planned and correcting any significant deviations.
 Mark does not have any management skills:
o Technical Skills – the ability to apply specialized knowledge or expertise. All jobs
require some specialized expertise, and many people develop their technical skills
on the job.
o Human Skills – the ability to work with, understand, and motivate other people.
o Conceptual Skills – the mental ability to analyze and diagnose complex situations.
Mark express himself as know it all, he wants to get all credits for himself. He is a snob, he has
negative attitude, and you cannot have the above attitudes in a team, as you should listen for
others opinions because in this case you don’t deserve to be in a team.
Question 1-9: Should the board intervene in managing this situation? What help can be
given to Mark to improve his work attitude?
Yes, the board should intervene in managing this situation not directly, but through the CEO, as
it will affect the employees satisfaction and the organization’s success. Mark should be advised
to work on his interpersonal skills, and management rolls and skills.
Yes, otherwise they will lose the other staff and lose Mark if he is one man show. They should
intervene politely, because you can’t change people’s attitudes easily.
Question 1-10: Let us suppose that the board decides to introduce to the team headed by
Mark another team member who has experienced similar problems in the past. How do
you think the rest of the team and Mark will react to this change? What can be done to
favor a smooth integration of this new component of the team?
The team will be happy to have a new member who has experienced similar problems in the past,
as they were asking Mark to consult another manager from outside the group. As for Mark, he
will refuse that, since he thinks that he knows it all.
It might work or not.
(Langton et al., 2002)
[CITATION Lan19 \l 1033 ]
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Chapter 1

- organization is consciously coordinated social unit

• A consciously coordinated social unit:

(see Exhibit 1-2 Employment Options)

 Responding to economic pressures:

 Responding to globalization / competition

 Understanding workforce diversity

 Improving people skills

 Working in networked organizations

 Enhancing employee well-being at work

 Creating a positive work environment

Responding to Economic Pressures (LO6)

Internet enables companies to become more globally connected.

Bureaucracy interference (i.e. licensing, contracting, etc.)

• Montreal-based Bombardier, a leading aerospace and transportation company in the

Responding to Workforce Diversity

– recognizes the heterogeneous nature of employees in the workplace

– Regina-based SaskTel was named one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers in

Improving Customer Service

• Majority of employees in developed countries work in service jobs (78 percent in

Improving People Skills

Appropriate employee use of social media at work is increasingly relevant in OB.

• Organizations struggle with employee use of social media

Creating a Positive Work Environment

Organizations are trying to realize a competitive advantage by encouraging a positive work

Positive organizational scholarship (or positive organizational behaviour) studies how

Enhancing Employee Well-Being at Work: Employees are increasingly frustrated as the

• Positive Organizational Scholarship

Improving Ethical Behaviour

Page Ref: 18-20

- attitudes and stress

Attitudes and Stress

Organizational Citizenship Behaviour

4) How does employee withdrawal challenge organizational survival? Provide examples to

5) Organizational behaviour is an applied behavioural science built upon contributions from a

The Building Blocks of OB

It frequently requires a team to accomplish a task. Each member of a well-balanced team

Organizational Behavior is an applied behavioral science built on concepts contributed by a number

psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology

Social psychologists also contribute to:

 Behavioural change (measuring, understanding, and changing attitudes)

 communication patterns /building trust

 Formal organization theory

Baker, D. (October 2008). Progressive conditions for a bailout. Real-world Economics Review,

Darrah, C. N. (Fall 2007). The anthropology of busyness. Human Organization, 66(3), 261-269.

Fligstein, N. (Summer 2008). Chandler and the Sociology of Organizations. Business History

• Recognition of the importance of developing interpersonal skills is closely tied to the

Interpersonal skill is the ability to interact with people through effective listening and

American Management Association. (2013). 2012 Critical Skills Survey.

A number of important trends in the study of organizational

Another research trend is an increasing focus on personality as a factor in individual-

plays as a determinant of outcomes such as stress, cooperative or deviant behavior,

Organizational behavior is a central concern of human resource managers. Research at

– Answer: Individual, Group, Organization

A model is a simplified representation of a real-world phenomenon

A model is an abstraction of reality, a simplified representation of some real-world phenomenon. OB model

 At individual level organizational behavior comprises the study of learning, motivation,

 At the organization level of analysis, organizational behavior comprises the study of

Level Inputs Processes Outcomes