141. Renaldo is choosing his classes for next term at State University. His advisor suggests he take Organizational Behavior

Define organizational behavior and discuss some of the other disciplines from which it draws to create its theories and models.

Organizational behavior is the systematic study and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act within the organizations where they work.

OB is rooted in such disciplines as political science (power and influence), medical science (stress and its impact), sociology (team processes), and psychology (personality and motivation).

141. Renaldo is choosing his classes for next term at State University. His advisor suggests he take Organizational Behavior. Renaldo says, “Why would I take that class? It’s all common sense anyway.” Take the role of his advisor and sell Renaldo on the value of the course.

Organizational behavior matters because of all the things individuals, employers and organizations care about. You care about getting a good job, making better decisions and keeping your stress level as low as possible. Each of these topics is discussed in the course.

Employers care about OB because it prepares employees to be better communicators, enhances their interpersonal skills and enhances a strong work ethic.

Organizations care about OB because time and time again it has been found that people make the organization. To learn how to help yourself, your group and your organization, take OB.

Now you may say that OB is all common sense, but research continually indicates to us that individuals have faulty memories and that their perceptions do not always match reality. The study of OB addresses all these concerns and assists us in being better employees who are more satisfied and productive. If a course assists you in all these ways, doesn’t it seem like it’s worth taking?

142. Counsel a newly hired, 22-year-old man on keeping up with his skill set.

The world is a much more dynamic place today than it has ever been before. In fact, the one constant in life is change. With change come new demands, so the best way to meet that challenge is to become a life-long learner.

Life-long learners keep their skill set fresh. It is suggested that every 6 years your portfolio of skills should be revolutionized.

With so many accomplished individuals with whom you are competing, it is imperative that you master some skill that will set you apart from the others.

Recognize that with change comes uncertainty and ambiguity. Don’t run from either. Approach the novel situation as an opportunity.

Network, network, network. But, recognize that effective networkers are not those who simply have the most “friends” on Facebook or MySpace. Quality trumps quantity any day.

Finally, appreciate the new technology. You don’t have to buy every new gadget that comes out, but do keep up with what is new and how it might impact you.

143. You are an instructor in an organizational behavior course. Discuss how you would prepare a lesson on motivation that would be equally effective for all students in the class whether they are auditory, kinesthetic or visual learners.

A motivation lesson might begin with a PowerPoint presentation where the concept of motivation is defined and the types of motivation theories are presented. The PowerPoint presentation might be handed out to the students prior to the presentation so that students can take notes on those handouts. The use of PowerPoint slides, which feature diagrams and notes on motivation concepts and theories, satisfies the visual learner and to some extent, the kinesthetic learners. Since the instructor is talking about each slide and the information on it, and perhaps giving examples of events from actual firms that underscore that information, an auditory learner will also be satisfied.

Following the presentation of basic background information on the subject through the use of the PowerPoint slides, an experiential exercise could be completed wherein participants would role-play scenarios between a boss and his subordinates whom he is working to motivate. Again, the kinesthetic learner will be learning because of the opportunity to participate in the exercise and actually carry out the motivational approaches.

144. Describe a field study that Meredith could carry out in a 20-person customer service department of a firm to assess the impact a monetary bonus has on the speed with which a task is completed.

The researcher could conduct a field study using an experimental design to address this scenario.

First divide the department into two groups. One group will be the control group and will not be subjected to any experimental manipulation and will continue to perform its job exactly as it has in the past. The second group will be the treatment group. This group will receive the monetary bonus.

Next decide on the monetary bonus. For purposes of this experiment, we will use a $5 gift certificate as the bonus. Next, determine the standards in place that will measure performance. In this scenario, the job is to handle incoming customer phone calls, some positive, some negative. The former standard of performance was to complete each phone call in 12 minutes. The new standard is to complete each call in 10 minutes.

All customer service representatives are required to meet the new standard. For the treatment group however, every time a representative does complete a phone call in ten minutes or less, he will receive a gift card. Those in the control group have the new standard but they have no card provided them for calls less than or equal to the 10-minute mark.

When comparing the results of the experiment, see how many more calls make

the standard established in the treatment group compared to the control group. If

there are a higher number of calls in the treatment group than the control group,

you have established that the bonus card system is an effective incentive.

145. What are some of the key trends that produce challenges and opportunities for organizational behavior?

In light of the scandals of Enron, Tyco and WorldCom, a judgment has to be made on the ethical behavior exhibited in the American workplace. The seemingly endless announcements of unethical behavior represent a challenge to firms as to how to encourage and sustain ethical behavior.

Technology has transformed the way that work is completed and represents a challenge because of the speed with which that technology advances. The opportunity from this trend, however, is the fact that access to information is very open now and the playing field has been leveled.

Companies are beginning to examine their practices not just for greater profitability, but also for greater sustainability. It is of great interest to many firms that the environment is turned over to our future generations in a condition that will not only sustain our children but allow them to grow and prosper.

The workforce in America is an aging one. While that represents many work opportunities for young people who will replace retirees, it also threatens many firms as the retirees take with them knowledge which is so vital to the continued growth and development of the firm.

The increasing globalization of business, with the regular practice of outsourcing and offshoring to address labor costs, represents challenges of culture integration and acceptance.