Management - Organizational Behavior Ch. 1

Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1

Bauer & Erdogan

FWK Test Item File

Chapter 1

TRUE/FALSE

1. Flat World Knowledge was started by two textbook publishing industry veterans.

(True)

2. Flat World Knowledge is improving on the traditional publishing model but is not innovating much.

(False)

3. So far, Flat World Knowledge is a start up without any external funding.

(False)

4. Most successful CEOs believe, “A company is only as good as the innovation it creates.”

(False)

5. Current research suggests that the average employee today will change jobs 10 times in 20 years.

(True)

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

(True)

7. Emile is seated in a lecture where the instructor is discussing personality. He is most likely in a sociology class.

(False)

8. The study of organizational behavior analyzes the three levels of individual, organization, and society.

(False)

9. If I am examining how my manager’s behavior influences my work group, I am looking at the organizational level of analysis in the organizational behavior discipline.

(False)

10. Organizational behavior matters at three critical levels because it analyzes what you care about, what employers care about, and what organizations care about.

(True)

11. Successful organizations tend to limit the amount of information shared by maintaining a centralized structure.

(False)

12. Research shows that those organizations that are more effective limit the amount of feedback they provide employees, limit the amount of information shared, and allow roles to be ambiguous.

(False)

13. Those firms that are categorized as successful tend to provide employment security, train employees, and reduce status differences.

(True)

14. Financially there is little incentive to attain a higher level degree.

(False)

15. The unemployment rate decreases as the level of education attained increases.

(True)

16. In general, the more training you have, the more financial success you will achieve.

(True)

17. Journaling is a technique that helps you chart your progress as you learn new skills.

(True)

18. The discipline of organizational behavior is simply common sense.

(False)

19. Michael is an auditory learner. He learns best by actually doing things and learning from trial and error.

(False)

20. A kinesthetic learner is very likely to avoid taking once a week classes as they require too much sitting and listening time.

(True)

21. Close-ended survey questions can be very time consuming to summarize and very hard to interpret.

(False)

22. Glen is interested in finding out how effective a new incentive program might be in an organization. He chooses two departments to focus upon in a company. One department works under the incentive program, one does not. This is an experimental design study.

(True)

23. Case studies suffer from questions as to whether the results of one organization are generalizable to other situations and organizations.

(True)

24. Meta-analysis shows that the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance is moderately strong.

(True)

25. Reliability refers to consistency of measurement, while validity assesses whether the measurement does, indeed, measure what it is supposed to measure.

(True)

26. Most of management research addresses causation.

(False)

27. The federal government passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as a long-term solution to dealing with unethical behavior.

(False)

28. Employee engagement has a significant impact on the corporate bottom line.

(True)

29. Research by Gallup indicates that only 20% of employees are disengaged from their organization.

(False)

30. Moore’s Law suggests that computing power doubles every two years.

(True)

31. Because of information overload, some organizations, like Intel, have introduced “No e-mail Fridays” as a way to address the issue.

(True)

32. Access to information has led to an increase in innovation and a “flattening of the world.”

(True)

33. The triple bottom line refers to evaluating organizations against the three performance criteria of social viability, economic viability, and demographic viability.

(False)

34. One of the major challenges facing organizations today is how to reconcile the accountability publicly owned firms have in generating wealth for shareholders while attending to the triple bottom line.

(True)

35. In general terms, the American workforce is growing younger.

(False)

36. Outsourcing is becoming an increasingly common practice in many organizations.

(True)

37. A “shamrock organization” is comprised of one-third regular employees, one-third temporary employees, and one-third consultants and contractors.

(True)

38. Offshoring and the development of a shamrock organization structure challenges organizational behavior to manage teams made up of employees of different nationalities separated by culture, language, time and space.

(True)

39. The Millennial Generation has technology embedded in their lives so organizational behavior has the challenge of managing people of different generations who have different values with regard to teamwork, rewards, and work-life balance.

(True)

40. Organizational behavior provides organizations the tools to address the technological, societal, and cultural issues arising today to create an environment that is mutually beneficial to the firm and its employees.

(True)

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Opening Section: College Textbook Revolution: The case of Flat World Knowledge

41. The CEO of Flat World Knowledge believes:

a. the textbook industry is fine as it is.

b. textbook costs are not a major concern.

c. the traditional textbook industry model no longer makes sense.

d. that charging a high price for textbooks will lead to company growth.

(c) Medium/Analysis

42. The success of Flat World Knowledge is surprising because the textbook industry is characterized by

a. Low profit margins.

b. Expensive textbooks.

c. Harmonious customer interactions.

d. Interesting and challenging textbooks.

(b) Easy/Comprehension

Section I: Understanding Organizational Behavior

43. According to the authors of Organizational Behavior, a company’s greatest asset is

a. its product.

b. its financial resources.

c. its people.

d. its location.

(c) Easy/Knowledge

44. Maurice is enrolled in a career development class at his university. Which of the following statements best reflects important themes in the course?

a. All students have common experiences and capabilities so an organization’s career development activities can be standardized.

b. Learn as much as you can in as many areas as you can in college because you will not learn much more throughout your worklife.

c. Once individuals choose their first job and the organization in which they work, they make very few changes in either throughout the rest of their worklives; so choose carefully.

d. Uniqueness in a career path is the norm, so the best prepared students are able to diagnose situations, ask tough questions, evaluate answers and act in effective and ethical manners.

(d) Difficult/Synthesis

45. Which of the following is a key level of analysis investigated in Organizational Behavior

a. industry.

b. individual.

c. meta.

d. society.

(b) Easy/Knowledge

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

a. clinical psychology.

b. organizational behavior.

c. sociology.

d. economics.

(b) Easy/Knowledge

47. Sociology is

a. the systematic study of group and team processes.

b. the systematic study of the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services.

c. the systematic study of the processes by which groups of people make decisions.

d. the systematic study of the processes in the organization and workplace that improve the performance and well being of people.

(a) Difficult/Synthesis

48. Manuel is studying both psychology and sociology this term. He is having a difficult time dealing with the overlap of some of the topics in the course. To help him focused on the relevant aspects of each course, he should keep in mind that

a. sociology is primarily focused on the individual; psychology on society.

b. psychology primarily looks at how individuals are influenced in groups; sociology looks at aspects of the individual.

c. sociology focuses on mental processes and behavior of the individual in society; psychology focuses on how individuals are influenced by groups.

d. psychology primarily focuses on mental process and behavior in the individual; sociology on how individuals are influenced in groups.

(d) Difficult/Evaluation

49. Psychology is

a. the scientific study of mental processes and behaviors of the individual.

b. the systematic study of individual behavior in society.

c. the systematic study of the processes by which groups of people make decisions.

d. the systematic study of how to improve the performance and well being of individuals in the workplace.

(a) Difficult/Synthesis

50. Organizational behavior draws heavily on personality and motivation studies from what other discipline?

a. psychology

b. physiology

c. economics

d. political science

(a) Easy/Comprehension

51. Studies on decision making have been carried out in all of these disciplines EXCEPT

a. anthropology

b. political science

c. economics

d. psychology

(a) Easy/Comprehension

52. Work on team processes has been carried out in what area?

a. sociology

b. finance

c. economics

d. physics

(a) Easy/Comprehension

53. During the first day of an organizational behavior class at your university, the instructor tells the students that during the term they will learn all of the following EXCEPT

a. how to work effectively on team projects.

b. how to make more effective decisions about their academic and social lives.

c. how different organizations interact with each other.

d. how to cope with the stress of finals week.

(c) Easy/Comprehension

54. A recent National Association of Colleges and Employers survey indicated all of the following are important skills for evaluating job candidates EXCEPT

a. communication skills.

b. demographics.

c. honesty/integrity.

d. strong work ethic.

(b) Easy/Knowledge

55. Which of the following is accurate according to organizational behavior research?

a. successful companies are more centralized.

b. successful companies emphasize the status differences between their employees.

c. successful companies have very simple and informal hiring systems.

d. successful companies treat their employees well.

(d) Easy/Knowledge

56. Which of the following is likely to produce an effective organization?

a. A firm that controls its labor costs by limiting training opportunities to only a few employees.

b. A firm that maintains two separate cafeterias for employees; one for executives and managers and one for everyone else.

c. A firm where information is shared on a “need-only” basis.

d. A firm that employs selective hiring practices.

(d) Difficult/Evaluation

57. Research indicates that all of the following characteristics produce healthy organizations EXCEPT

a. role clarity.

b. participative decision making.

c. information sharing.

d. limited feedback.

(d) Medium/Analysis

58. Rosario is examining a summary chart on four firms’ organizational characteristics. She feels which of the organizations below is most likely to have the greatest chance to be successful in the next year?

a. Organization A uses self-managed teams, pays its workers a little above the average for the industry and has regular “state of the business meetings.”

b. Organization B has a pay policy that matches the industry average for each job category, maintains special parking, cafeteria, and restroom facilities for its managers, and conducts performance appraisals every two years.

c. Organization C has gone through regular quarterly lay-offs the last few quarters, established a policy last month where all decisions involving the expenditure of fifty dollars or more must be approved by two managers and has temporarily suspended all performance evaluations for the year.

d. Organization D maintains a training program that is very selective with regard to employee involvement. They recently instituted a large-scale job flexibility program that “blurs” the lines between job duties and passed a strict pay secrecy policy last month.

(a) Difficult/Synthesis

59. Research indicates that effective organizations tend to

a. centralize their entire decision making.

b. have a very large differential in pay between the lowest paid employee and the CEO.

c. hire the first person available for any job opening.

d. provide as much employment security as possible to their employees.

(d) Medium/Application

Unemployment and Earnings for Workers 25 and older by Educational Attainment, 2006

Unemployment Rate (Percent)	Educational Degree	Median Weekly Earnings (U.S. Dollars)
1.4	Doctoral Degree	1,441
1.7	Master’s Degree	1,140
2.3	Bachelor’s Degree	962
3.0	Associate Degree	721
3.9	Some College	674
4.3	High School Graduate	595
6.8	Some High School	419

60. The information on the preceding table indicates

a. the higher the educational level, the higher the pay.

b. there is a negative return to investment in education.

c. the level of educational degree does not matter, it is whether you have a degree or not.

d. unemployment rates increases as you increase educational attainment level.

(a) Difficult/Evaluation

Unemployment and Earnings for Workers 25 and older by Educational Attainment, 2006

Unemployment Rate (Percent)	Educational Degree	Median Weekly Earnings (U.S. Dollars)
1.4	Doctoral Degree	1,441
1.7	Master’s Degree	1,140
2.3	Bachelor’s Degree	962
3.0	Associate Degree	721
3.9	Some College	674
4.3	High School Graduate	595
6.8	Some High School	419

61. Which is likely, given the data in the preceding table?

a. The more training an individual has, the more financial success he enjoys.

b. There is a negative financial return to higher-level degree attainment.

c. Unemployment levels increase as educational level increases.

d. Financially, there is little incentive to achieve a higher-level degree.

(a) Difficult/Synthesis

62. Tom Peters, management expert, suggests individuals manage themselves as if they were “the brand that is you.” Such brand management might include all of the following suggestions EXCEPT

a. appreciate new technology.

b. avoid uncertainty.

c. master something.

d. network.

(b) Medium/Comprehension

63. To be effective in keeping up your skill set in the future, make sure to

a. purchase and use every new technological gadget that comes out on the market.

b. make as many connections as you can on Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn.

c. avoid change as much as you can.

d. excel at something so it sets you apart.

(d) Difficult/Synthesis

64. Journaling is an effective developmental technique. Which of the following is true about the process of journaling?

a. Writing your thoughts down increases your stress level as you re-live the events you write about.

b. Thinking about your day is as effective as writing it down.

c. You must write down your thoughts a minimum of 30 minutes a day to derive any benefits from the process.

d. Tracking changes in yourself can be motivating.

(d) Medium/Analysis

65. Which of the following is accurate according to OB research?

a. We all have excellent perception and readily attend to those things we should and ignore those we should not.

b. We all understand and use the logical approach to decision making.

c. People perform better if goals are difficult rather than easy.

d. Brainstorming in a group is more effective than brainstorming alone.

(c) Difficult/Synthesis

Section II: Understanding Your Learning Style

66. A kinesthetic learner

a. has a preference for doing things and learning by trial and error.

b. retains information by reading and seeing diagrams and flow charts.

c. learns primarily by listening to others.

d. learns best by attending videotaped lectures.

(a) Easy/Knowledge

67. A visual learner

a. learns by retaining information from reading and seeing diagrams.

b. has a preference for doing things and learning by trial and error.

c. learns best based upon the circumstances of the situation.

d. learns primarily by listening to others.

(a) Easy/Knowledge

68. An auditory learner

a. learns primarily by taking tests.

b. learns primarily by listening to others.

c. learns by reading and seeing diagrams and graphs.

d. learns best by trial and error.

(b) Easy/Knowledge

69. To facilitate his learning in a college course, a visual learner would likely

a. join a study group.

b. tape his professor’s lectures.

c. take notes during class.

d. avoid scheduling classes that meet for long time periods.

(c) Medium/Comprehension

70. A student who needs to take breaks during his study sessions and who needs to move around after reading a chapter in his textbook is likely a(n) ___________ learner.

a. visual

b. auditory

c. kinesthetic

d. emotional

(c) Medium/Comprehension

71. Auditory learners
a.             draw pictures to help them understand material.
b.             take notes during lectures to force them to pay attention.
c.             use charts to summarize the main points of class material.
d.             record lectures to refer back to them later.

(d)                       Medium/Comprehension

Section III: Understanding How OB Research is Done

72. Hypotheses are

a. entities that take on different values.

b. research tools that elicit respondents’ reactions to specific questions.

c. the process of writing out thoughts and emotions on a regular basis.

d. tentative guesses for expected observations that can be tested.

(d) Easy/Knowledge

73. An entity that takes on different values is

a. a hypothesis.

b. a variable.

c. a survey.

d. a field study.

(b) Easy/Knowledge

74. Research conducted in an actual organization is

a. a field study.

b. a survey.

c. a lab study.

d. a meta-analytic study.

(a) Easy/Knowledge

75. Which of the following statements about surveys is INCORRECT?

a. Either open-ended or close-ended questions can be used in surveys.

b. Close-ended question responses are difficult to summarize.

c. Surveys involve asking individuals to respond to questions.

d. Many effective online survey tools are available free of charge.

(b) Medium/Comprehension

76. Research that is performed under very controlled conditions and can include observation, interviews, or experiments is called

a. a case study.

b. a survey.

c. a field study.

d. a lab study.

(d) Easy/Comprehension

77. A control group

a. receives experimental manipulation.

b. is an entity that can take on different values.

c. receives no experimental manipulation.

d. is a tentative guess on an observation that can be tested.

(c) Easy/Comprehension

78. Which of the following statements about case studies is true?

a. They involve a study conducted under controlled conditions.

b. They offer the researcher a very simple and effective way to generalize what worked in a single situation to many other situations.

c. They are a technique employed by researchers to summarize what other researchers found on a topic.

d. They are a way to gather data and explain an event or situation in detail.

(d) Medium/Analysis

79. Marcus wants to thoroughly understand the issues that created the severe economic straits General Motors currently finds itself experiencing. He should consider what kind of a research study?

a. A case study.

b. A survey.

c. A field study.

d. A laboratory study.

(a) Medium/Application

Before instituting a new health benefit program for its employees, one Big Ten University offered all its employees in the Liberal Arts and Engineering Schools an opportunity to participate in a Wellness Program that focused on walking to enhance employee health and cut down on those employees using health benefits. Those liberal arts employees agreeing to participate would receive a $25 gift card to Best Buy. Those in the engineering department were not offered the gift card for signing up.

80. The scenario described above represents which type of research study?

a. A case study.

b. A survey.

c. An experimental field study.

d. A laboratory study.

(c) Medium/Application

81. In the scenario described above, the liberal arts school employees are

a. the treatment group.

b. the control group.

c. the survey group.

d. the case group.

(a) Medium/Application

82. The engineering school employees, described in the scenario above, could be labeled the

a. control group.

b. treatment group.

c. case group.

d. survey group.

(a) Medium/Application

83. Meta-analysis is

a. a study with a group that receives a treatment and a comparison group that receives no treatment.

b. a study conducted in an actual organization.

c. the process of summarizing research findings from studies on related topics.

d. an in-depth analysis of a single industry or company.

(c) Easy/Knowledge

84. Validity is

a. an entity that can take on different values.

b. the consistency in measurement.

c. the strength of the relationship between two variables.

d. the truth of a measurement.

(d) Easy/Knowledge

85. Natalia administered the test to the job candidate three different times. She is looking at the scores and sees that they are 85, 87 and 85 out of 100. She notes that the scores are fairly consistent or

a. valid.

b. reliable.

c. strong.

d. relevant.

(b) Medium/Application

86. In analyzing the data, the researcher notes that as employee absences increase, scores on performance evaluations decrease. This suggests

a. there is a correlation between employee absenteeism and employee performance.

b. employee absence causes poor performance.

c. employee absence is a reliable measure.

d. employee performance is a valid measure.

(a) Difficult/Application

87. Datum is

a. multiple observations.

b. the consistency of a measure.

c. the truth of a measure.

d. a single observation.

(d) Easy/Knowledge

88. The likelihood that findings in a given study would be found in another setting or study is

a. reliability.

b. validity.

c. meta-analysis.

d. generalizability.

(d) Easy/Knowledge

Section IV: Trends and Challenges

89. Research indicates that the most important determinant of ethical behavior in an organization is

a. the establishment of policies prohibiting unethical behavior.

b. the passage of laws requiring ethical behavior.

c. manager commitment to ethical behavior.

d. the establishment of rules requiring greater accountability.

(c) Medium/Analysis

90. An ethics audit would ask all the following questions of a firm EXCEPT:

a. Do you make sure to hide any examples of unethical behavior so others do not repeat the behavior?

b. Do you ensure that pay is equitable for all employees?

c. Do you question whether employees are seeing any examples of unethical behavior occurring in the workplace?

d. Do you ensure that daily decisions are assessed for ethical compliance?

(a) Medium/Application

91. Trends in all of the following areas represent challenges for organizational behavior EXCEPT

a. increasing technological innovation.

b. increasing employee engagement.

c. increasing access to information.

d. increasing attention to sustainable business practices.

(b) Medium/Application

92. The triple bottom line refers to evaluating an organization on all of the following performance criteria but

a. demographic.

b. economic.

c. social.

d. environmental.

(a) Easy/Knowledge

93. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT with regard to trends that organizational behavior is addressing?

a. The workforce is getting younger and thus their integration into most organizations will be seamless.

b. Organizations will likely become “shamrock-shaped” in the future.

c. The world is “flattening” so information access is increasing.

d. Outsourcing is becoming a way of life in many organizations.

(a) Medium/Application

94. A shamrock organization

a. prevents flexible staffing in an organization.

b. is comprised of one-third regular employees, one-third temporary employees, and one-third offshore employees.

c. is the current structure of most organizations in the United States.

d. increases full-time employment rates in the overall economy.

(b) Difficult/Analysis

95. Offshoring is

a. asking an outside organization to perform functions that could have been performed within the organization.

b. the movement of a business practice from one country to another country.

c. purchasing a firm from a foreign country.

d. most prevalent in the auto industry.

(b) Easy/Comprehension

96. In analyzing trends that present challenges for organizational behavior, which of the following is INCORRECT?

a. Outsourcing offshore presents a challenge managing teams of different nationalities separated by culture.

b. A flattening world creates an uneven playing field with regard to information access.

c. Sustainable business practices are those that meet present needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

d. “Moore’s Law” suggests that computing power doubles every two years.

(b) Difficult/Synthesis

97. Which of the following statements regarding trends that represent challenges for organizational behavior is correct?

a. The number of workers aged 25 to 39 will represent over 51% of the overall workforce by 2010.

b. Gallup measured employee engagement and found that it is highly unlikely that when today’s employees have choices, they will act to further their organization’s efforts.

c. The rate of technological innovation is projected to slow dramatically by 2010.

d. Sustainable business practices present a challenge to reconciling accountability to shareholder wealth generation with attention to social responsibility.

(d) Difficult/Application

Closing Section: Maintaining core values: The case of Nau

98. The apparel industry uses ______________:

a. very little water.

b. only recycled water.

c. more water than any industry except agriculture.

d. the same amount of water as the agriculture industry.

(c) Medium/Comprehension

99. Nau was founded on the idea of ___________.

a. maintaining the status quo.

b. generating record profits in the apparel industry.

c. using business as a vehicle for change.

d. using plastics to make clothing.

(c) Medium/Comprehension

 

FILL IN THE BLANK

100. Flat World Knowledge is a company that creates ___________.

(textbooks)

101. Flat World Knowledge proves that firms can be successful by offering high quality content for _______ online.

(free)

102. Because it is likely that U.S. employees will change jobs 10 times in 20 years, those employees should be ___________ learners and continually upgrade their skill set.

(life-long)

103. The systematic study and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act within the organizations where they work is called ________ _____________.

(organizational behavior)

104. The three key levels of analysis in organizational behavior are ________, _______________ and _________________.

(individuals, groups, organizations)

105. Maurice is trying to understand why Mary agrees with him about the cost of the manufacturing program when he talks with her on the phone, but is vehemently opposed when they are in a department meeting. Maurice needs to analyze this issue at the ____________ level.

(group)

106. Nancy is the new employee and Maureen has decided to talk to her about the dress policy in the firm, the manner in which expense reports are filled out, the employees that tend to sit together at lunch, and various other related issues. Maureen is offering a look at the company’s culture that is at the ______________ level of analysis.

(organization)

107. Effective organizations feature role __________, information sharing and performance feedback.

(clarity)

108. In general, as level of degree attainment increases, the unemployment rate __________.

(decreases)

109. In general, the higher the ________, the more money you will make.

(degree you attain )

110. _____________ is the process of writing out thoughts and emotions on a regular basis.

(Journaling)

111. If you learn best by lectures, conversations and videos, you are a(n) __________ learner.

(auditory)

112. A(n) ________ learner draws pictures and diagrams and summarizes main points by using charts to help him understand material.

(visual)

113. ________ are tentative guesses on an expected observation that can be tested.

(Hypotheses)

114. In an experimental design, the group that receives no experimental manipulation is called the __________ group.

(control)

115. The technique used by researchers to summarize what other researchers have found on a given topic is called __________.

(meta-analysis)

116. __________ is to truth in measurement, as ___________ is to consistency in measurement.

(Validity, reliability)

117. ______________ is the strength of a relationship between two variables.

(Correlation)

118. A single observation is ________, multiple observations are ________.

(datum, data)

119. Maria wonders what the emotional impact of all the downsizing in the auto industry is on the employees. She has made arrangements to interview a dozen employees who have just been downsized from Ford Motor Company. Maria is conducting a ______ _______.

(field study)

120. The downside of a ______ __________ is that it may not be generalizable from the single situation to other situations and organizations.

(case study)

121. As job satisfaction increases, so does job performance. This is an example of the ________ between two variables.

(correlation)

122. Applying ethical principles to situations that arise at work is _________ ___________.

(business ethics)

123. Alexander is enthused about his firm and consistently uses his talents to further the organization’s success. Alexander is an example of a(n) _____________ employee.

(engaged)

124. ___________________ says computing power doubles every two years.

(Moore’s law)

125. The triple bottom line refers to evaluating organizations against the three performance criteria of __________, ___________, and ___________ viability.

(economic, social and environmental)

126. Because Wal-Mart is concerned about _________ ________ practices, it is pressuring suppliers to produce compact fluorescent light bulbs and has required all suppliers to make packages smaller.

(sustainable business)

127. The American workforce is _______, which will create opportunities for industries like health care but, at the same time, will create challenges for industries dedicated to basic infrastructure.

(aging)

128. Dell Computer has a number of customer service representatives located in India who take calls from U.S. computer owners experiencing computer problems. This arrangement is an example of ______________.

(offshoring)

129. The ______ ________ is an organization comprised of one-third regular employees, one-third temporary employees and one-third consultants or contractors.

(shamrock organization)

SHORT ANSWERS

130. Briefly indicate the manner in which organizational behavior can help you deal with the fact that, on average, you are likely to change jobs 10 times in 20 years.

The number of job changes the average student will go through makes it necessary for all employees to be life-long learners. Organizational behavior will help develop critical thinking skills that will help you diagnose situations, ask tough questions, evaluate the resulting answers and act in an effective and ethical manner regardless of situational characteristics.

131. Identify each of the levels of analysis in organizational behavior and give an example of each.

The first level is that of the individual. When I am examining my personality to assess how I handle ambiguity and how flexible I am, I am using individual analysis.

The second level is the group level. When I look at how my decision on a topic changes because of who I am working with on a project, I am performing group analysis.

Finally, the third level is the organization level. When I look at the dress policy of my company and how it impacts what I wear to work on a daily basis, I am performing organization analysis.

132. Kunal will be serving as a student teacher in a local school district next term. You are meeting with him this afternoon and want to make certain he recognizes that there are three general learning styles that students exhibit. Name and describe those three types of learners.

A visual learner is one who retains more information by reading and seeing diagrams and flow charts.

An auditory learner is one who learns by listening to others such as in lectures, conversations and videos.

A kinesthetic learner is one who has a preference for doing things and learning from trial and error.

133. Discuss the kinds of questions researchers utilize on surveys.

Researchers use both open- and close-ended questions. Close-ended questions are those that have a series of responses supplied by the researcher. The study participant chooses the response that most closely matches his position.

Open-ended questions have no responses offered, leaving it up to the survey participant to supply responses.

134. Differentiate between a control group and a treatment group.

In a study employing an experimental design, the control group is the group that does not receive any experimental manipulation, while a treatment group is the group that does receive the experimental manipulation. A comparison between the two groups indicates the impact the treatment had in the study.

135. What is a meta-analysis?

A meta-analysis is a technique used by researchers to summarize what other researchers have found on a given topic. The analysis is based on taking observed correlations from multiple studies, weighing them by the number of observations in each study, and finding out if the overall effect holds or not.

136. Differentiate between reliability and validity.

Reliability is the consistency in a measurement.

Validity is the truth of the measurement or whether you are measuring what you intended to measure.

137. Differentiate between a causal and a correlational relationship.

A causal relationship is one in which one variable, event or situation causes a second variable, event or situation to occur. For example, individuals in asbestos-insulated buildings often contract cancer, and asbestos has been shown to be a carcinogen. Thus, asbestos causes cancer.

A correlational relationship is one in which the strength of the relationship between two variables is measured. For example, research indicates that as job satisfaction increases, so does job performance. Job satisfaction does not cause job performance, it simply increases it.

138. Define the concept of triple bottom line.

A triple bottom line is evaluating organizations against three performance criteria including economic, social and environmental viability. Wal-Mart, for example, looked at the impact packaging for its products had on its costs, on the environment and on its customers. Its findings led to the chain’s requirements for all suppliers to make smaller packages.

139. What is a “shamrock organization”?

A shamrock organization is a term coined by Charles Handy in his book, The Age of Paradox. The organization is comprised of one-third regular employees, one-third temporary employees and one-third consultants and contractors. Handy feels that this structure is the direction in which organizations are heading in the future.

ESSAY

140. 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.