QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW
1-1 What is the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace?
Answer:
The importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace is that they help managers and
employees work well together and lead to improved outcomes. Just like the companies known
as good places to work such as Adobe, LinkedIn, Fast Enterprises, World Wide Technology,
Bain & Company, Google, the Boston Consulting Group, and Facebook have been found to
generate superior financial performance. Second, these skills help businesses keep high
performing employees which is important because outstanding employees are always in short
supply and costly to replace. Third, positive social relationships were also associated with lower
stress at work and lower intentions to quit. Lastly, positive work relationships help employees to
flourish, leading to improvements in job and life satisfaction, positive emotions at work, and
perceptions that one’s work has meaning.
1-2 What is the definition of organizational behavior (OB)?
Answer:
A field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on
behavior within organizations for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an
organization’s effectiveness.
1-3 How does systematic study contribute to our understanding of OB?
Answer:
Systematic study contributes to our understanding of Organizational Behavior (OB) by
improving the accuracy of predictions about behavior. It focuses on identifying and analyzing
fundamental consistencies in human behavior to make informed predictions rather than relying
on intuition. This approach involves looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and
effects, and basing our conclusions on scientific evidence. By doing so, systematic study helps
predict behavior in organizations more accurately, leading to better decision-making and
management practices
1-4 What are the major behavioral science disciplines that contribute to OB?
Answer:
The major behavioral science disciplines that contribute to Organizational Behavior (OB) are
psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Psychology's contributions have
been principally at the individual or micro level of analysis, while the other disciplines have
contributed to our understanding of macro concepts such as group processes and organization.
But each of these disciplines offers unique perspectives on individual behaviors, group
dynamics, and organizational culture.
1-5 Why are there so few absolutes in OB?
Answer:
There are so few absolutes in OB because human beings are complex, and few, if any, simple
and universal principles explain organizational behavior. Also, behavior changes depending on
individual differences and situation so it does mean that OB concepts must reflect situational, or
contingency, conditions.
1-6 What are the challenges and opportunities for managers in using OB concepts?
These are the challenges and opportunities for managers to use organizational behavior
concepts, challenges include economic pressures, continuing globalization, workforce
demographics, workforce diversity, customer service, While op portunities include people skills,
networked organizations, employee well-being at work, positive work environment , and ethical
behavior
1-7 What are the three levels of analysis in our OB model?
Answer:
The three levels of analysis in organizational behavior models are individual levels which focus
on personal behavior such as diversity, personality, values, emotions and moods, motivation,
perception, decision making, attitudes and stress, and task performance. In group levels
focusing on interactions and processes within teams or groups such as group structures, roles,
team responsibilities, communication, leadership, power and politics, conflict and negotiation,
cohesion and functioning. In organizational levels it focuses on organizational structure, culture,
human resource management, change practices, productivity and survival.
Questions (EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE I’m a Team Leader; I Don’t Need Any Help.)
1-8. What do you think explains Mark’s attitude and why he is reluctant to ask for external help?
Answer:
Mark's attitude comes from his belief and confidence that he should fix the problem himself
because of his expertise and given that he is a team leader with a PhD. Also, he is reluctant to
ask for external help because he is worried that it might make him look weak or incapable.
1-9. Should the board intervene in managing this situation? What help can be given to Mark to
improve his work attitude?
Answer: Yes, the board should intervene in managing this situation. They can help Mark by
encouraging him to use outside experts and showing that asking for help is not a failure or a
weak person. They should also support better teamwork and communication among the group.
Additionally, offering Mark training to improve his leadership skills could help him handle
problems better and be more open to feedback.
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?
Answer:
If the board introduces a new team member that has experienced similar problems in the past,
Mark might feel threatened or resist the change, while the rest of the team could welcome the
new member. To ensure a smooth integration, the board should clearly explain that the new
member is there to support and not to replace Mark. They should also encourage collaboration
through team-building activities and provide support to both Mark and the new member to help
them work well together. This approach will help the team accept the new member and improve
overall teamwork.
Questions (ETHICAL DILEMMA There’s a Drone in Your Soup)
1-11. How might the R2D2 drones influence employee behavior? Do you think they will cause
people to act more or less ethically? Why?
Answer:
R2D2 drones could make employees more careful and act more ethically because they know
they are being monitored. However, the constant surveillance could also make employees feel
stressed or uncomfortable.
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?
Answer
The drones should first go to teams that will use them for specific tasks and test their
effectiveness. This way, we can see how well they work and gather feedback. Restrictions
should include no personal monitoring and limited use to work tasks only. Employees with
drones might feel lucky, while those without may feel left out or worried about fairness. Clear
rules and open communication can help manage these reactions.
1-13. How will your organization deal with sabotage or misuse of the drones? The value of an
R2D2 drone is $2,500.
1-14. Many organizations already use electronic monitoring of employees, including sifting
through website visits and e-mail correspondence, often without the employees’ direct
knowledge. In what ways might drone monitoring be better or worse for employees than covert
electronic monitoring of Web or e-mail activity?
Answer:
Drones could be worse because they are more visible and might make employees feel
uncomfortable and watched. They can also be used to monitor physical actions directly. On the
other hand, covert electronic monitoring is less noticeable but may invade privacy by accessing
personal emails and web activity without the employee knowing.
Questions (CASE INCIDENT 1 L’Oréal around the Globe)
1-15. What are the challenges for L’Oréal as it expands to international locations? Name some
challenges not listed in the case.
Answer:
L’Oréal faces challenges expanding internationally, such as managing diverse cultural norms,
languages, and traditions. Other challenges not mentioned include understanding local business
practices, adjusting products to fit local preferences, and coordinating supply chains.
1-16. What do you think of the L’Oréal’ study mentioned in the case? What did you find most
interesting in the study? Should L’Oréal continue to conduct such studies?
Answer:
I think the study mentioned in the case is that cultural differences across international markets
are the biggest reason why employers are unable to provide foreign assignments to their
employees. And, the most interesting part is that these differences are the main reason for this
difficulty. Yes, L’Oréal should keep doing these studies to better manage cultural challenges and
improve global teamwork.
1-17. What is your opinion on using international careers to overcome cultural challenges? What
alternative means can you think of?
1-17. What is your opinion on using international careers to overcome cultural
challenges? What alternative means can you think of?
International careers can help overcome cultural challenges by promoting understanding and
collaboration. Alternatives include implementing cross-cultural training programs, fostering local
leadership development, and using technology for virtual collaboration to bridge cultural gaps.
Questions (CASE INCIDENT 2 So, How Engaged Are Employees? The Data Says It All)
1-18. In your opinion, how does measuring employee engagement through a survey provide
managers with insights in improving staff performance? What other types of tools can you use to
gather data on employee engagement?
1-19. In which instances would collecting data about employees lead to infringement of
employee privacy?
1-20. The case mentions that many companies do not do any type of assessment of their
employees’ attitudes at work. What are the dangers of failing to gather such feedback?
1-18. How does measuring employee engagement through surveys help managers?
Surveys provide insights into employee attitudes, predicting behavior and highlighting areas for
improvement. Alternatives include focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and suggestion boxes.
1-19. When does collecting data about employees infringe on privacy?
Data collection infringes on privacy when it’s intrusive or not directly related to job performance,
such as monitoring personal communications or tracking off-duty activities.
1-20. Dangers of not assessing employees’ attitudes?
Failing to assess attitudes can lead to missed opportunities for improving engagement, lower
productivity, and decreased competitiveness, ultimately harming organizational performance.
