CH-9-12 Managing Human Resources and Diversity – Understanding Management : Book Guide

This Document Contains Chapters 9 to 12 CHAPTER 9 MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES AND DIVERSITY Answers to End of Chapter Discussion Questions 1. Assume that it is the year 2025. In your company, central planning has given way to frontline decision making and bureaucracy has given way to teamwork. Shop floor workers use handheld devices and robots. A labor shortage currently affects many job openings, and the few applicants you do attract lack skills to work in teams, make their own production decisions, or use sophisticated technology. As vice president of HRM since 2010, what should you have done to prepare for this situation? Answer: This question should get the point across that the field of human resources is always changing. One of the things that should have been done is human resource planning. You should have kept in touch with changes that were occurring and projected the human resource needs in advance. This way you have the right skills and the right mixture of people in your workforce. This would have to be accomplished through effective recruiting and selection techniques. Another vital thing you should have done is provided training and development for your people so that they had the skills to work in teams, make decisions, and use sophisticated technology. Having made this investment in people, you would also want to have provided the compensation, including benefits, needed to maintain this effective workforce. 2. Is it wise for managers to evaluate a candidate’s posting on social networking sites such as Facebook as grounds for rejection before even interviewing a promising candidate? What might be ethical and legal issues managers should consider? Discuss. Answer: While online checks may seem like an effective way to perform background checks on potential candidates, it is important to consider the ethical and legal implications of it. Maryland became the first state to make it illegal for employers to ask job candidates for their social media passwords, and other states are considering similar laws. Using social networking as a background check without disclosing the investigation to the candidate can also open organizations to lawsuits. Moreover, because an online search often reveals information such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and so forth, HR managers have to be sure that this information isn't used in a way that could be construed as discriminatory. 3. What does it mean to say that HRM plays a strategic role in driving organizational performance? Consider recruiting, performance appraisal, and compensation strategies as part of your answer. Answer: Human resource management should reflect what the organization is trying to accomplish. Human resource management does not consist of the same practices and procedures in every organization. If an organization is undergoing downsizing, HRM should concentrate on outplacement and early retirement. For a software firm that has a strategy of rapid growth, HRM should be concerned with hiring new people and providing a ready supply of both employees and managers. In a large manufacturing firm whose strategy is to have a good relationship with the labor unions, HRM may concentrate on bargaining with union officials and administering the union contract. Each of the human resource activities should be tailored to the specific strategy. Recruiting should target the type of employees best suited to strategic needs, whether they are college graduates with degrees in aeronautical engineering or unskilled laborers. Performance appraisal and compensation are especially important outcomes of strategy. They should reflect the accomplishment of goals and objectives that help the organization accomplish its strategy. If a university has a strategy of increasing the quality of faculty teaching, performance appraisals should reflect data on professors’ teaching performance, and promotion and compensation should also reflect teaching performance. 4. Which selection criteria (personal interview, employment test, assessment center) do you think would be most valuable for predicting effective job performance for a college professor? For an assembly line worker in a manufacturing plant? Discuss. Answer: Because college professors must present vast quantities of complex material to students within a limited time, communication skills are very important. The personal interview is a good indicator for measuring such skill and for ascertaining the professor’s vision for the class and for the profession. The pencil and paper test would be a weak predictor of effectiveness because college professors have high intelligence levels, expertise in their particular areas of study, and an understanding of what is expected as the proper response to personality inventories. In a modified version of the assessment center, professors may be observed in the classroom situation and assessed according to their communication and interpersonal skills, both in lecture presentation and in response to student questions and problems. The information obtained through personal interview for an assembly-line worker in a manufacturing plant is practical in the exchange of information regarding the applicant’s background and expectations and the job requirements. Beyond that point, the personal interview may fail to accurately assess the potential of the worker as a result of flaws in the system, such as prejudice on the part of the interviewer, or the individual’s skill in providing answers the interviewer wants to hear. A performance test in which the skills needed on the assembly line are simulated would be the best predictor of actual job performance for an assembly-line worker. For management personnel, paper and pencil tests measuring intelligence, aptitude, and ability are good indicators of potential within a manufacturing plant, because answers provide important information on skills and intelligence in crucial areas, such as mathematical skill in calibrating machinery. Aptitude tests and personality inventories are also excellent sources of information in putting together strong teams. The assessment center is probably the most valuable tool in predicting effective job performance. Simulation of line problems and development of communications and negotiating skills are just an example of the valuable information that can be acquired through assessment centers. 5. One human resource manager recently got a thank you note on her iPhone that said “Thx 4 the iView! Wud ♥ to wrk 4 u!!!☻” The manager had liked the candidate’s interview, but after getting the note, she put him in the reject pile. Do you think it was fair for the manager to automatically reject the candidate? Should “textspeak” be considered acceptable workplace communication? Discuss. Answer: The answer to this question may depend to some extent on the culture of the company in question. It is much more likely for this type of communication to be accepted in companies with younger management, especially the newer Internet companies and personal technology companies. Companies with older management, or those in more traditional fields or with a more traditionally professional culture will be less accepting of “textspeak”. It's reasonable for the HR manager to reject the candidate based on the "textspeak" in the thank you note. Professional communication standards generally require clarity and formality, especially in job applications. Textspeak can be seen as unprofessional in this context, as it may suggest a lack of seriousness or understanding of workplace norms. While informal communication is acceptable in some settings, job-related interactions typically require a higher standard of professionalism. 6. As a manager, how would you draw up a telecommuting contract with an employee? Include considerations such as job description, compensation and benefits, performance measures, training, and grounds for dismissal. Answer: The job description for a telecommuter should, in addition to the details of what work is to be done, include specific language regarding the frequency and amount of time to be spent on site over a given period, as well as any meetings or other routine activities the employee must attend. Compensation and benefits should be directly tied to productivity because there is no way to effectively monitor the amount of time a telecommuter spends on work activities. Performance measures, like compensation, must be directly tied to productivity. Training requirements should be explicitly detailed, including the types of training required and the location and dates for the training, and the potential for future training requirements must be left open. Again, any grounds for dismissal in addition to standard company policies on the matter should be explicitly stated and directly tied to productivity. 7. What specific strategies might a manager employ to create a work environment that fosters inclusion? Answer: Decades ago, many companies defined diversity in terms of race, gender, age, lifestyle, and disability. Today, companies are embracing a more inclusive definition of diversity that recognizes a spectrum of differences that influence how employees approach work, interact with each other, derive satisfaction from their work, and define who they are as people in the workplace. Managers who have made strategic decisions to foster diversity need a plan that moves the corporate culture toward one that reduces obstacles for disadvantaged employees. A diversity plan can be implemented by means of a five-step process given below: Step 1: Uncover diversity problems in the organization. Organizations have to first assess their progress toward cultural competence by investigating where the culture is right now. A cultural audit is a tool that identifies problems or areas needing improvement in a corporation's culture. Step 2: Strengthen top management commitment. The most important component of successful diversity strategy is management commitment, leadership, and support. Step 3: Choose solutions to fit a balanced strategy. The best solutions to diversity problems are those that address the organization's most pressing problems uncovered during step 1. Step 4: Demand results and revisit the goals. Diversity performance should be measured by numerical goals to ensure solutions are being implemented successfully. Step 5: Maintain momentum to change the culture. Success with any of the previous four steps is a powerful motivator for continuing diversity efforts. Corporations should use these successes as fuel to move forward and to provide leverage for more progress. 8. Evaluate your own experiences so far with people from other backgrounds. How well do you think those experiences prepared you to understand the unique needs and dilemmas of a diverse workforce? Answer: In addressing the question, students should clearly demonstrate their understanding of the unique needs and dilemmas of a diverse workforce. Answers should include both the needs and dilemmas of a diverse workforce for which their experience did prepare them and the needs and dilemmas for which it did not. My experiences with diverse individuals have generally broadened my perspective on different backgrounds and needs. They’ve helped me appreciate various viewpoints and understand the challenges faced by people from different cultures and life experiences. This has prepared me to better address and support the unique needs of a diverse workforce by fostering empathy, effective communication, and inclusivity. 9. Until Sheryl Sandberg was promoted to chief operating officer of Facebook in 2012, its board was composed of only men. Yet a majority of Facebook’s 845 million users are women. Given this demographic, explain how Facebook might benefit from increasing the presence of women on its corporate board. Answer: Some people think women might actually be better managers, partly because of a more collaborative, less hierarchical, relationship-oriented approach that is in tune with today's global and multicultural environment. According to James Gabarino, an author and professor of human development at Cornell University, women are "better able to deliver in terms of what modern society requires of people — paying attention, abiding by rules, being verbally competent, and dealing with interpersonal relationships in offices. His observation is supported by the fact that female managers are typically rated higher by subordinates on interpersonal skills, as well as on factors such as task behavior, communication, ability to motivate others, and goal accomplishment. Recent research found a correlation between balanced gender composition in companies and higher organizational performance. Moreover, a study by Catalyst indicates that organizations with the highest percentage of women in top management financially outperform, by about 35 percent, those with the lowest percentage of women in higher-level jobs. 10. What are the glass ceiling and bamboo ceiling, and why do you think they have proven to be such barriers to women and minorities? Answer: The glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to top management positions. In particular, Asian managers bump up against the bamboo ceiling, a combination of cultural and organizational barriers that impede Asians’ career progress. As corporations grew, a monoculture developed within the top levels of management whereby white male managers hired and promoted employees who mirrored their own looks, actions, thoughts, beliefs, and backgrounds, and with whom they felt comfortable. The experiences of women and minorities were considered different, incompatible, and in the eyes of some, inferior. There developed a concern or a firm belief within these monocultures that these groups would not “fit in” with the dominant culture. As a result, women and minorities moved to a certain level within the company, but further progress was blocked. The women’s movement, the Civil Rights movement, and actions by the courts are slowly forcing cracks in the glass ceiling. Many companies are taking the lead in opening new opportunities for women and minorities; however, some companies have alternative barriers in place, simply replacing the glass ceiling with “glass walls,” which bar important lateral movement necessary for top management preparation. 11. Why do you think a large number of women are opting out of the corporate world? Discuss whether this trend is likely to continue over the next ten years. Answer: Women are opting out of the corporate world because they see that they must sacrifice their personal lives with their families, their health, and face a high stress level. They want time with their children. Women are generally less interested in attaining power and status than men and find climbing the corporate ladder less appealing. Some women still want to work but prefer jobs that are less fast-paced and competitive. Another view is that because women are not getting promoted into top management positions, they simply quit. It is likely that this trend will continue over the next 10 years, although it may slow down as more single women from a generation that is waiting longer to marry begin to rise to higher-level positions. 12. Describe how a diversity of perspective boosts creativity and innovation in the workplace. Why do managers consider a diversity of perspective a competitive advantage? Answer: Diversity of perspective is achieved when a manager creates a heterogeneous team made up of individuals with diverse background and skill sets. By tapping into the strengths of diversity, teams are more likely to experience higher efficiency, better quality, less duplication of effort among team members, and increased innovation and creativity. Apply Your Skills: Experiential Exercise How Tolerant Are You? This exercise helps students understand how tolerant they are of people who are different from themselves. Apply Your Skills: Small Group Breakout Management Competencies An important responsibility of the Human Resources Department at many companies is to develop a list of management competencies and then to provide training to help managers improve on those competencies. Students are asked to make notes for each of several competencies provided in the exercise, then discuss their notes in groups and agree on the expected behaviors for each competency. Then, students should take turns stating the competencies they believe will be easiest and hardest for them to master. Apply Your Skills: Ethical Dilemma Sunset Prayers 1. Continue the current policy that leaves it up to the Muslim workers as to when they leave the assembly line to perform their sunset rituals. Answer: This is not a good course of action. With an increasingly higher percentage of assembly-line workers leaving the line to perform sunset rituals, production will likely be negatively impacted. 2. Try to hire the fewest possible Muslim workers so the work line will be efficient on second shift. Answer: This is also not a good course of action. First, it would probably qualify as discrimination based on religion. Second, the Muslim Somali temporary workers are saving Frank a substantial amount of money in wages and benefits, which may be largely what keeps him in a competitive position. 3. Ask the Muslim workers to delay their sunset prayers until a regularly scheduled break occurs, pointing out that North Woods is primarily a place of business, not a house of worship. Answer: This may be the best of the three alternatives. Having a large number of workers leaving the assembly line at the same time could be considered an unreasonable accommodation. Frank might be able to convince them to have a smaller number go at sunset each day while the others wait for a scheduled break, and rotate who goes at sunset and who waits so that everyone gets to go at sunset at least once or twice a week. Frank may also be able to adjust the scheduled break so that it is closer to the actual sunset time, thus accommodating the request as closely as possible. Apply Your Skills: Case for Critical Analysis The Right Way with Employees? 1. What kind of employee social contract is assumed by Kirby and Cunningham? Explain. Answer: Kirby appears to assume a more traditional social contract that is based on the concept that the employee contributes ability, education, loyalty, and commitment and in return the company provides wages and benefits throughout the employee's working life. Cunningham, however, assumes a new social contract which is based on the concept of employability rather than lifetime employment. While the new social contract offers several benefits to both the employees as well as the organizations, Cunningham appears to be using this approach to treat people as economic factors to be used when needed and then let go. 2. If you were an HR manager at the company, which view would you support? Why? Answer: While Cunningham's proposed across-the-border cuts in employees might help the company in the short-term, the strategy is more likely to have a negative impact in the long run. If employees are treated merely as economic factors to be used when needed and then let go, they are less likely to be committed to organizational performance. Studies in both the United States and China have found lower employee and firm performance and decreased commitment in companies where the interaction between employer and employee is treated as an economic exchange rather than a genuine human and social relationship. Kirby’s approach might take a little longer in helping the company recover from the crisis, but it is more likely to be effective in the long run. 3. HR departments hire and develop human capital to serve the organization’s strategy and drive performance. Which approach—Kirby’s or Cunningham’s — is more likely to have a greater positive impact on performance? Discuss. Answer: Cunningham’s approach of treating employees as economic factors — to be used when needed and then let go — will have a negative impact on performance. Studies in both the United States and China have found lower employee and firm performance and decreased commitment in companies where the interaction between employer and employee is treated as an economic exchange rather than a genuine human and social relationship. Kirby’s approach, while being a little traditional, is more likely to have a greater positive impact on performance. On the Job Video Case Answers Barcelona Restaurant Group 1. List the three main activities of human resource management (HRM) and identify which activity is examined at length in the video. Answer: The three activities and goals of human resource management are (1) finding the right people, (2) managing talent, and (3) maintaining an effective workforce over the long term. The video on Barcelona Restaurant Group deals primarily with finding the right people. In particular, the video focuses on the process of recruiting and selecting candidates. It is clear in the interviews that Lawton believes finding the right people is the human resource activity most critical to Barcelona’s success—a perspective no doubt related to the industry’s high turnover. 2. Of the various steps in Barcelona’s employee selection process, the job interview is the most brief. Do you agree with the company’s approach to interviewing? Why or why not? Answer: Students’ opinions will vary. For most firms, the selection process involves multiple tools for assessing the “fit” between the job candidate and the organization. While Barcelona makes use of recruiters, interviews, and various employment tests, the company places little significance on the interview, allowing no more than 20 minutes per candidate. According to COO Scott Lawton, interviews provide little dependable information about the fitness of the applicant. Lawton says he doesn’t get anything out of the actual conversation with candidates, and he notes that many impressive interviewees over the years “ended up being a dud.” As a result, only 10 percent of Barcelona’s job applicants are refused during the interview stage of selection. Instead of trying to judge the candidate’s personality and work attitudes during an interview, Barcelona uses interviews to provide applicants with company information and to set up a series of assessments that ultimately reveal the proper match between the company’s needs and the employee’s expertise. It depends on the context. If Barcelona’s selection process includes thorough steps before the interview, such as skills assessments or background checks, a brief interview might be effective for final evaluations. However, if the interview is the primary method for gauging fit and skills, a brief interview could miss critical insights. The effectiveness of this approach hinges on how well the other steps complement the interview in assessing candidates. 3. Identify Barcelona’s three-stage process for matching job applicants with its organizational objectives, and explain how each stage reveals the fit between job applicants and the needs of the restaurant. Answer: The video highlights Barcelona’s three-stage selection process: (1) The interview – managers at Barcelona use interviews to give candidates information about the company and to set up a series of employment test and assessment exercises. COO Scott Lawton says that interviews do not reveal much useful information about job fit. As a result, only 10 percent of candidates are refused at this stage. (2) The “shop” – this employee assessment activity requires that candidates dine at a Barcelona restaurant, observe their experience, and write an essay that grades the presentation of food and performance of the wait staff. According to Lawton, sending applicants on a shop provides significant insight into candidates’ thought processes, perception, attitudes, education, skills, and work ethic. The activity also reveals if the potential hire is paying attention to the kinds of details that are important at all the Barcelona restaurants. This selection activity eliminates approximately 60 percent of applicants. (3) The “trail” – this assessment asks candidates to pretend that they have been with the company for six months, and it asks applicants to take command of the floor, talk to the staff, engage customers, and demonstrate their abilities. Top managers observe the candidate and make a decision whether to hire the person. This assessment reveals the personal, technical, and people skills of the applicant. Only one in four candidates who performs a “trail” can expect to be hired at Barcelona. CHAPTER 10 UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR Answers to End of Chapter Discussion Questions 1. Why is self-awareness important for being a good manager? Can you think of some negative consequences that might result from a manager with low self-awareness? Answer: In order to be effective leaders, it is important for managers to possess self-awareness—the knowledge of who they are and what they stand for. When managers deeply understand themselves, they remain grounded and constant, and people will know what to expect of them. If managers have low self-awareness then there is a mismatch between how managers think of themselves and how others perceive them. A manager who considers herself to be friendly and approachable could be perceived by her employees as cold and aloof. This could result in employees being too weary to approach her when they first encounter a problem and are more likely to figure out their own way to fix it. Should this approach fail, the manager will only become aware of it much later, often after it has blown up to a greater proportion. It is, therefore, necessary that managers work toward enhancing their self-awareness. 2. As a manager, how might you deal with an employee who is always displaying negative emotions that affect the rest of the team? How might you use an understanding of attributions and emotional contagion to help you decide what to do? Answer: The first thing a manager might do in this situation would be to sit down with the employee to discuss the reasons for the person’s negative emotions. Of course, the manager would have to be careful not to appear to be prying, but could start by asking if the person was experiencing any problems at work that cause him or her to display the negative emotions. If so, then the manager may be able to resolve the work-related issues. Otherwise, the manager may need to point out to the employee that s/he is causing others in the workplace to become negative, which in turn negatively impacts productivity. As a more extreme measure, if the employee does not respond to the manager’s efforts, s/he may need to be isolated in some way, if possible, from the other employees to prevent the negative emotional contagion. Ultimately, if the situation does not improve, the employee will need to be fired to remove his or her negative impact on others, and thus on the productivity of the company. 3. In what ways might attitudes influence the behavior of employees who are faced with learning an entirely new set of computer-related skills in order to retain their jobs at a manufacturing facility? Answer: The cognitive component of an attitude includes the beliefs, opinions, and information the person has about the object of the attitude, such as knowledge of what a job entails and opinions about personal abilities. If employees are fearful of computers or have had negative experiences with similar types of training in the past, they are likely to resist the training or simply go through the motions of training without any real learning taking place. On the other hand, employees who like computers and have had positive experiences in the past with similar types of training are likely to embrace the training and engage fully in learning the new skills. 4. The chapter suggests that optimism is an important characteristic for a manager, yet some employees complain that optimistic managers cause them significant stress because they expect their subordinates to meet unreasonable goals or expectations. How might an employee deal with a perpetually optimistic manager? Answer: The best way to deal with a perpetually optimistic manager whose goals or expectations are unreasonable is probably to provide that manager with “hard data” – factual information related to the employee’s work that clearly shows why the goals or expectations are unreasonable. These managers are unlikely to be dissuaded from their unreasonable optimism by intellectual or emotional arguments, but will find it more difficult to refute objective data that contradict their expectations. Of course, if the data does not support the notion that the manager’s goals or expectations are truly unreasonable, then the employee will probably need to resort to more conventional ways of dealing with stress, such as exercise, rest, a healthful diet, engaging in creative hobbies, etc. 5. How might a manager apply an understanding of perception to communicate more effectively with subordinates? Answer: Managers can use an understanding of perceptual selectivity and perceptual organization to obtain clues about why one person “sees” things differently from others, and they can apply the principles to their own communications and actions, especially when they want to attract or focus attention. They can use attention-getting stimuli to “cut through the noise” of the environment so that employees will focus on what the managers are saying or doing to communicate important information and to increase the likelihood that employees will perceive things as they are intended. 6. Surveys by the Conference Board show that job satisfaction has declined from 61 percent of people surveyed in 1987 to 45 percent in 2009, and one workplace analyst has said a high level of dissatisfaction is “the new normal”. What are some factors that might explain this decline in satisfaction levels? Do you think it is possible for managers to reverse the trend? Discuss. Answer: One possible factor is that work is increasingly knowledge-based, and the outputs of knowledge-based work are less tangible than those of more materially-based work such as manufacturing and even service work. Less tangible outputs mean it’s more difficult to identify exactly what has been accomplished, leading to a lower sense of accomplishment and less satisfaction. Other reasons for the apparent decline in job satisfaction may be less, or not at all, directly related to work and the workplace. The steep recession in which the country found itself in 2009 probably caused strong feelings of general dissatisfaction that individuals may find difficult to separate from their work lives. Moreover, as more people lost jobs during the recession, the survivors found themselves with more work to do, often without additional compensation, which may also have led to increased feelings of dissatisfaction. Managers can help employees feel more satisfied in a variety of ways, such as protecting them from bullying and communicating clearly and closely with employees to help them understand how their individual work contributes to the company’s success. However, to the extent that dissatisfaction arises from factors external to the company, managers are constrained in their ability to reverse the trend. 7. Which of the four components of emotional intelligence do you consider most important to an effective manager in today’s world? Why? Answer: The four components of emotional intelligence include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship awareness. The most effective of those in today’s world for managers would be self-awareness, the basis for all the other components. It means being aware of what you are feeling. People who are in touch with their feelings are better able to guide their own lives and actions. Self-management refers to the ability to control disruptive or harmful emotions and balance one’s moods so that worry, anxiety, fear, or anger do not cloud thinking. Social awareness is the ability to understand others and practice empathy, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, recognizing the feelings of others without being told. Relationship awareness is the ability to connect to others, build positive relationships, respond to the emotions of others, and influence others. 8. How might understanding whether an employee has an internal or an external locus of control help a manager better communicate with, motivate, and lead the employee? Answer: People differ in terms of what they tend to attribute as the cause of their success or failure. Their locus of control defines whether they place the primary responsibility within themselves or on outside forces. Some people believe that their actions can strongly influence what happens to them. They feel in control of their own fate. These individuals have a high internal locus of control. Other people believe that events in their lives occur because of chance, luck, or outside people and events. They feel more like pawns of their fate. These individuals have a high external locus of control. People with an internal locus of control are easier to motivate because they believe the rewards are the result of their behavior. They are better able to handle complex information and problem solving and are more achievement oriented, but are also more independent and therefore more difficult to lead. On the other hand, people with an external locus of control are harder to motivate, less involved in their jobs, more likely to blame others when faced with a poor performance evaluation, but more compliant and conforming and, therefore, easier to lead. 9. How do you think a system for self-management such as the five-step system described in this chapter could benefit you as a student? What parts of the system seem particularly useful to you? Explain. Answer: The five-step system described in the chapter will benefit not just employees but anyone who practices it. It is particularly useful to students who often have to juggle many tasks in a day. By practicing the five-step system, students can save on valuable time that would otherwise be lost. By gaining better control over their lives, students will be more relaxed, thereby able to better focus on their studies. A five-step self-management system can greatly benefit a student by enhancing organization, productivity, and goal achievement. Key parts of the system include: 1. Setting Goals: Helps clarify objectives and prioritize tasks. 2. Planning: Organizes steps and deadlines, making large tasks more manageable. 3. Monitoring Progress: Provides a way to track accomplishments and adjust strategies. 4. Adjusting Strategies: Allows for flexibility and problem-solving if things aren’t going as planned. 5. Reflecting: Encourages learning from experiences and improving future performance. These elements promote effective time management, reduce stress, and improve academic performance by providing a structured approach to handling coursework and responsibilities. 10. Why do you think workplace stress is skyrocketing? Do you think it is a trend that will continue? Explain the reasons for your answer. Do you think it is the responsibility of managers and organizations to help employees manage stress? Why or why not? Answer: Workplace stress is skyrocketing, in part, because the advancements in technology that were at one time expected to give us a great deal more leisure time have, instead, resulted in people working longer hours and being unable to escape the pressures of work even when they aren’t physically at work. The constant “connectivity” that today’s technology provides makes it very difficult for people to “disconnect” from work, psychologically or otherwise. As a result, people experience very little down time and have less and less time to recharge either physically or emotionally. The inability to disconnect and recharge leads to increased stress. It is likely that this trend will continue into the foreseeable future, as technological advancements make the world even smaller and make it ever more difficult to get away from work. It is the responsibility of both management and the organization to assist employees in managing stress. Although individuals can pursue stress management on their own, today’s enlightened companies support healthful habits to help employees manage stress and be more productive. In the new workplace, taking care of employees has become a business priority as well as an ethical priority. Supporting employees can be as simple as encouraging people to take regular breaks and vacations. The time off is a valuable investment when it allows employees to approach their work with renewed energy and a fresh perspective. Companies also develop other programs aimed specifically at helping employees reduce stress and lead healthier, more balanced lives. Many companies offer wellness programs that provide access to nutrition counseling and exercise facilities. Others create broad work-life balance initiatives that may include flexible work options such as telecommuting and flexible hours as well as benefits such as onsite daycare, fitness centers, and personal services such as pickup and delivery of dry cleaning. “Daily flextime” is considered by many employees to be the most effective work-life practice, which means giving employees the freedom to vary their hours as needed, such as leaving early to take an elderly parent shopping or taking time off to attend a child’s school play. By acknowledging the personal aspects of employees’ lives, work-life practices also communicate that managers and the organization care about employees as human beings. Work-life balance initiatives help employees manage stress, improve productivity and quality of life, and enhance job satisfaction and organizational commitment. In addition, managers’ attitudes make a tremendous difference in whether employees are stressed out and unhappy or relaxed, energetic, and productive. Apply Your Skills: Experiential Exercise Personality Assessment: Jung’s Typology Personality assessments based on the work of psychologist Carl Jung are widely used. No one is a pure type; however, each individual has preferences for introversion versus extroversion, sensing versus intuition, thinking versus feeling, and judging versus perceiving. Based on the scores in the survey, students can read the descriptions of their types in the chart. They can then discuss whether they feel that the description fits their personalities. Apply Your Skills: Small Group Breakout Personality Role Play After reading the case study presented in the exercise, students gather in groups to discuss specifics of the case and how they will solve a problem. Then, students role play the problem-solving approach, taking turns until everyone has participated, and give each other feedback after each role play. Apply Your Skills: Ethical Dilemma Should I Fudge the Numbers? 1. Make the previous numbers work. Kristin and the entire team have put massive amounts of time into the project and they all expect you to be a team player. You don’t want to let them down. Besides, this project is a great opportunity for you in a highly visible position. Answer: This is not a good option. It appears Sara would have difficulty signing this proposal. This was developed before Sara had a chance to participate in its formulation and it places Sara in a very uncomfortable position. 2. Stick to your principles and refuse to fudge the numbers. Tell Kristin you will work overtime to help develop an alternate proposal that stays within the budget by providing more training to employees who work directly with customers and fewer training hours for those who don’t have direct customer contact. Answer: Based on the information given, it appears that this is the best course of action for Sara. 3. Go to the team and tell them what you’ve been asked to do. If they refuse to support you, threaten to reveal the true numbers to the CEO and board members. Answer: This is a more extreme position and should only be taken after option 2 is explored. Apply Your Skills: Case for Critical Analysis A Nice Manager 1. What does Nice mean to you? Is being considered nice a good trait for managers to have or the kiss of death? Answer: The word nice can be construed in several different ways. It could simply mean being compassionate and respectful of others. But, it could also mean being overtly accommodating and a pushover. If, by being nice, a manager is able to build positive relationships, respond to the emotions of others, and influence them into performing better, then it is a good trait. However, if the manager goes out of his or her way to help others by taking on their duties and responsibilities, then it most certainly is an unfavorable trait. 2. Is nice related to any concepts in the chapter, such as agreeableness, conscientiousness, or emotional intelligence? Discuss. Answer: Nice hinges on the social awareness and relationship management components of emotional intelligence. A manager's social awareness — the ability to understand others and practice empathy — will get him or her to be perceived as nice. This ability will allow a manager to understand divergent points of view and interact effectively with many different types of people. Nice could also mean treating others with compassion and respect — all of which are favorable traits in a manager. 3. If Harry is passed over for promotion, what feedback and advice should he be given about how to improve his management skills for possible future promotions? Answer: If Harry is passed over for promotion, he should retain his basic helping nature but should also ensure that he is firm and assertive when necessary. If employees perceive Harry as being too soft or too conscious of his image, then he is more likely to be taken advantage of. It is also important for Harry to realize that the need for assertiveness will only grow as he moves higher on the corporate ladder. On the Job Video Case Answers Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams 1. In the video, Vice President Dan Gauthreaux says, “I think you can learn from any job you do and try to make the best of it.” What does this statement say about Gauthreaux’s personality and self-awareness? Answer: The statement suggests several things about Gauthreaux’s personal nature. Although he is acknowledging that some jobs are more challenging than others, he clearly tries to keep a positive attitude, believes that there are benefits in every job, and perceives opportunities for growth in every situation. His comment also suggests that he is a self-aware person. In this case, he is recommending using self-assessment—a combination of self-inquiry and reflection—to enhance self-awareness. 2. How did Kim Clay’s organizational citizenship behavior lead to the creation of a new computer help desk at MG+BW? Answer: Organizational citizenship refers to the tendency of some employees to help others and put in extra effort that goes beyond job requirements, all for the sake of the organization’s success. While Kim Clay’s first jobs in consumer inquiry and customer care did not require her to fix computer problems, she often volunteered to help co-workers with computer questions. In time, employees came to view Clay as the best person to go to for computer help. This organizational citizenship behavior eventually led management to create a computer help desk position in the company, and they hired Clay for the job. The development changed Clay’s career path, and she is now head of information technology. 3. What role did management play in fostering Kim Clay’s high organizational commitment? In what ways does this commitment benefit the organization? Answer: Organizational commitment refers to an employee’s loyalty to, and involvement in, an organization. It is characterized by a belief in the company’s goals, a concern for the company’s growth, and a desire to remain with the organization. In general, managers promote high organizational commitment by giving employees responsibility, interesting work, autonomy, and a share in decision making. A company further promotes organizational commitment by having policies that value fairness, integrity, and openness. Benefits of organizational commitment include low turnover, high performance, and greater profitability. Managers at MG+BW fostered Kim Clay’s organizational commitment in a variety of ways. Vice President Dan Gauthreaux says that managers and the company owner recognized Kim Clay’s talents, personality, and positive work attitudes. In particular, manager Paula Crosley took initiative to foster Clay’s early development while she was in the Consumer Inquiries department. Next, management created a new help desk job especially for Clay though she was not a certified computer specialist. Gauthreaux says that MG+BW has “a tolerance for letting folks expand and develop on their own,” and he adds that employees are encouraged to push themselves. According to the H.R. leader, managers at MG+BW foster a culture where employees are “not going to let each other fail.” CHAPTER 11 LEADERSHIP Answers to End of Chapter Discussion Questions 1. Suggest some personal traits that you believe would be useful to a business leader today. Are these traits more valuable in some situations than in others? How do you think traits differ from strengths? Answer: Students may mention good communication, human relations skills, or other traits as being valuable traits for a leader. Upon reflection, they may realize that these traits may not be useful with difficult, immature employees who do not wish to cooperate. Traits are the distinguishing personal characteristics of a leader such as intelligence, values, self-confidence, and appearance. Generally, research found only a weak relationship between personal traits and leader success. Strengths are natural talents and abilities that have been supported and reinforced with learned knowledge and skills and provide each individual with his or her best tools for accomplishment and satisfaction. Key personal traits useful for a business leader today include: 1. Adaptability: Crucial for navigating rapid changes and uncertainty. 2. Emotional Intelligence: Important for effective communication and team management. 3. Visionary Thinking: Helps in setting long-term goals and inspiring the team. 4. Resilience: Essential for overcoming setbacks and maintaining motivation. 5. Decisiveness: Needed for making timely and effective decisions. Traits like adaptability and emotional intelligence are particularly valuable in dynamic or high-stress environments, while visionary thinking is key for strategic planning. Traits refer to inherent qualities or characteristics, while strengths are the skills or abilities derived from those traits that one has developed and honed. 2. In a study asking what people wanted from leaders versus followers, people ranked maturity number 8 for followers, but number 15 for leaders. What might account for people wanting a higher maturity level from followers? Answer: We don’t know what other characteristics were included in the study, so it may be that people didn’t necessarily value maturity less in leaders than in followers; rather, they may simply have valued more other traits above maturity in leaders than they did in followers. In other words, they may want leaders and followers to be equally mature, but because they desire other traits in leaders that they don’t necessarily require from followers, maturity took a relatively lower position in the study. It may also be the case that people want followers to be more mature because, in thinking of themselves as leaders, they want their followers to be cooperative, helpful, other-centered, thoughtful, and exhibit other characteristics they normally associate with increased maturity. 3. If a male manager changes his behaviors to incorporate elements of interactive leadership more common to female managers, can he still be an “authentic” leader? Discuss. Answer: Authentic leadership refers to individuals who know and understand themselves, who espouse and act consistently with higher-order ethical values, and who empower and inspire others with their openness and authenticity. Interactive leadership means that the leader favors a consensual and collaborative process, and influence derives from relationships rather than position power and formal authority. There is nothing inherent in interactive leadership that conflicts with the characteristics of authentic leadership. As long as the male’s new behaviors are not inconsistent with his beliefs and he continues to act with openness and honesty, there is no reason he can’t still be authentic in his leadership. 4. Suggest the sources of power that would be available to the leader of a student government organization. What sources of power may not be available? To be effective, should student leaders keep power to themselves or delegate power to other students? Answer: Legitimate power would be one source because the student government position would have certain authority granted to it. Indeed, legitimate power would probably be the primary source of authority for the leader. Coercive power is probably not a source because most student government leaders do not have the authority to administer severe punishments to subordinates. The other three sources of power—reward, expert, and referent—are possible sources of student government leader power, depending on the leader’s situation. If the leader has rewards available, he or she may be able to use them. Expert power and referent power would depend on the leader’s knowledge of the student government process and his or her ability to command the respect and admiration of others. Delegation of power is usually a way to be more effective as a leader and should be used. 5. What skills and abilities does a manager need to lead effectively in a virtual environment? Do you believe a leader with a consideration style or an initiating-structure style would be more successful as a virtual leader? Explain your answer. Answer: The point of this question is that no one style is preferable to another. Consideration is the extent to which the leader respects subordinates’ ideas and feelings, provides open communication, develops teamwork, and establishes mutual trust. Initiating structure is the extent to which the leader is task oriented, directs subordinates’ work activities, and plans and emphasizes deadlines. Both aspects of leadership are necessary. Fiedler’s contingency theory found that initiating structure was more effective in highly favorable or unfavorable situations, and consideration was most effective in situations of moderate favorability. The substitutes for leadership theory indicates that consideration and initiating structure both must be present, but that the situation may substitute for the leader characteristic. Thus, when the situation provides a characteristic, the leader need not, and vice versa. Students can argue that both consideration and initiating structure should be present, or they can argue for one characteristic or the other and explain why each is appropriate in a specific situation. The consideration style would probably be more successful in a virtual environment, simply because in a virtual environment each component of the virtual organization already has its own structure. The virtual leader’s biggest task is coordinating all of the various components, which would involve a great deal of open communication, teamwork, and trust. 6. What is transformational leadership? Give examples of organizational situations that would call for transformational, transactional, or charismatic leadership. Answer: Transformational leadership goes beyond the traditional ideas for influencing people. Transformational leaders can motivate people beyond what is normally expected. They motivate people to transcend their own interests for the sake of the organization. They have a special ability to bring about innovation and change because they have visionary ideas that excite and stimulate other people to work hard and attain the vision. An organizational situation that would call for transformational leadership would be when an organization is trying to change from a hierarchical structure to a team-based structure, or change from a directive culture to an innovative, risk-taking culture. An organizational situation that would call for transactional leadership would be when a company is struggling to simply manage its daily operations and to maintain the status quo. An organizational situation that would call for charismatic leadership would be a company that is trying to move from being a local or domestic company to a multinational company. Charismatic leadership primarily involves the setting forth and vigorous pursuit of an exciting vision for the future. 7. How does Level 5 leadership differ from the concept of servant leadership? Do you believe anyone has the potential to become a Level 5 leader? Discuss. Answer: A Level 5 leader is one that builds an organization with many strong leaders who can step forward and continue the company’s success. These leaders want everyone in the organization to develop to their fullest potential. Servant leadership in the new workplace is the best leaders operate from the assumption that work exists for the development of the worker as much as the worker exists to do the work. Servant leaders operate on two levels, for the fulfillment of their subordinates goals and needs and for the realization of the larger purpose or mission of their organization. Servant leaders give things away—power, ideas, information, recognition, and credit for accomplishments. They truly value other people, encourage participation, share power, enhance others self-worth and unleash people’s creativity, full commitment, and natural impulse to learn. Servant leaders bring the follower’s higher motives to the work and connect them to the organizational mission and goals. Yes, anyone has the potential to become a Level 5 leader because this type of leadership can be learned and developed from training. 8. Why do you think so little attention is given to followership compared to leadership in organizations? Discuss how the role of an effective follower is similar to the role of a leader. Answer: Students’ opinions about why little attention is given to followership will vary. One reason might be simply that leadership is a more “romantic” topic about which to discuss and research than is followership. Many of the qualities that define a good leader are the same qualities as those possessed by a good follower. Effective followers, like effective leaders, are critical, independent thinkers who exhibit active behavior in their organizations. They develop equitable relationships with others and do not try to avoid risk or conflict. They are capable of self-management, discern strengths and weaknesses in themselves and others, are committed to something bigger than themselves, and work toward competency, solutions, and positive impact. Attention to followership is often overshadowed by leadership because leadership tends to be more visible and directly associated with organizational success. Leaders are typically in the spotlight, making decisions and setting directions, whereas followers' contributions can be less visible, even though they are crucial. An effective follower, like a leader, plays a key role in achieving organizational goals. Both roles require initiative, responsibility, and alignment with the organization’s vision. Effective followers support leaders by executing tasks, providing feedback, and demonstrating commitment, which helps drive the organization's success. Both roles involve collaboration, critical thinking, and adaptability to ensure that goals are met and challenges are overcome. 9. Do you think leadership is more important or less important in today’s flatter, team-based organizations? Are some leadership styles better suited to such organizations as opposed to traditional hierarchical organizations? Explain. Answer: Leadership is more important in a flatter organization structure. The rationale is that leadership requires new styles for different cultures, workforce diversity, and different employee needs. A leader in that situation must be a coach, be supportive, and be able to listen and understand employees. He or she must empower, reengineer, and incorporate flextime, flex schedules and project integrity to gain employee commitment. Although getting the task done is still critical, leadership styles that are more people oriented are better suited to team-based organizations because of the increased need for coordination and empowerment. 10. Consider the leadership position of a senior partner in a law firm. What task, subordinate, and organizational factors might serve as substitutes for leadership in this situation? Answer: Macro variables such as formalization, inflexibility, and physical separation probably would not be typical of a law firm. Moreover, task characteristics typically are not highly structured. However, subordinates may get automatic feedback on how they are doing, such as winning or losing a court case, which is a substitute for task oriented leadership. Moreover, law practice is probably intrinsically satisfying, and this is a substitute for people oriented leadership. The group characteristics of professionalism and experience would also substitute for task oriented leadership and to some extent people oriented leadership. The net effect is that the senior partner in a law firm needs to provide only minimal leadership to subordinates because of the nature of the task and the high professionalism of subordinates. Free of an active role in directing subordinates or in meeting their task or people needs, the senior partner could spend a fair amount of time concentrating on his or her own law clients. Apply Your Skills: Experiential Exercise What Is the Impact of Leadership? The questions in this exercise relate to the “romance” of leadership, which is the romantic view that leaders are very responsible for organizational performance, while ignoring other factors such as economic conditions. Company performance is difficult to control and is an outcome of complex forces. After completing the questions, students should discuss their scores and their beliefs about leadership with a partner. Apply Your Skills: Small Group Breakout What is the Impact of Leadership? Students are asked to think about their views on leadership. Then, students answer a series of questions provided in the exercise and compare answers in groups, looking for patterns that distinguish effective from ineffective leaders. Apply Your Skills: Ethical Dilemma Too Much of a Good Thing? 1. Tell Carolyn Clark that employee volunteerism is important to the company and that while her performance evaluation will not be affected by her decision, she should consider helping Harris because it is an opportunity to help a worthy community project. Answer: Although this is probably good advice for Carolyn Clark, it does not deal with the issue of whether it was appropriate for Darius Harris to imply to his subordinate that failure to help with the after-school project could negatively impact her performance appraisal. 2. Tell Darius Harris that the employee volunteer program is just that: a volunteer program. Even though the company sees volunteerism as an important piece of its campaign to repair its tarnished image, employees must be free to choose whether to volunteer. He should not ask for the help of his direct reports with the after-school program. Answer: This is probably the best course of action. As far as we know, Harris has not done anything like this previously. Still, the situation cannot be ignored; Harris must be told in no uncertain terms that coercing subordinates, or even appearing to coerce subordinates, is unacceptable. 3. Discipline Darius Harris for coercing his subordinates to spend their own time on his volunteer work at the community after-school program. This action will send a signal that coercing employees is a clear violation of leadership authority. Answer: This approach may be a little too harsh. There is no indication that Harris has engaged in this sort of activity previously, or that anyone else is coercing subordinates in a similar manner. There is no need to send such a signal. Apply Your Skills: Case for Critical Analysis “What’s Wrong With the Team?” 1. How would you characterize Rankin’s leadership style? What approach do you think is correct for this situation? Why? Answer: Rankin’s leadership style can be characterized as task-oriented. Task-oriented behavior is the extent to which the leader directs subordinate work activities toward goal attainment. Leaders with this style typically give instructions, spend time planning, emphasize deadlines, and provide explicit schedules for work activities. A relationship- or people-oriented leadership style seems more suitable for the situation. This would help in developing consideration in the leader, i.e., Rankin, to be mindful of his subordinates, respect and understand their ideas and feelings, and in establishing mutual trust. The importance on human relations would also help in achieving high group performance. 2. What would you do now if you were Rankin? How might you awaken more enthusiasm in your team for completing this project on time? Suggest specific steps. Answer: Two types of leadership that can have a substantial impact to awaken more enthusiasm in the team for completing this project on time are: charismatic leadership and transformational leadership. Rankin should probably adopt either charismatic or transformational leadership style, or the combination of both styles. The charismatic leader has the ability to inspire and motivate people to do more than what they would normally do, despite obstacles and personal sacrifice. Following are some of the ways that Rankin can engage in to be a charismatic leader: a. Stating a lofty vision of an imagined future that employees identify with b. Displaying an ability to understand and empathize with followers c. Empowering and trusting subordinates to accomplish results Charismatic leaders are often skilled in the art of visionary leadership. A vision is an attractive, ideal future that is credible yet not readily attainable. Charismatic leaders have a strong vision for the future, almost an obsession, and they can motivate others to help realize it. Transformational leaders are distinguished by their special ability to bring about innovation and change. They recognize followers’ needs and concerns, help them look at old problems in new ways, and encourage them to question the status quo. Transformational leaders create significant change in both followers and the organization. They have the ability to lead changes in the organization’s mission, structure, and human resource management. They focus on intangibles, such as vision, shared values, and ideas to build relationships, give larger meaning to activities, and enlist followers in change. Studies show that transformational leadership has a positive impact on follower development and follower performance. Transformational leadership skills can be learned and are not ingrained personality characteristics. 3. How would you suggest that Rankin modify his leadership style if he wants to succeed Dyer in two years? Be specific. Answer: Rankin can succeed Dyer in two years if he modifies his leadership style. Learning transformational leadership skills seems one of the probable ways he can do so as they are not ingrained personality characteristics. Studies also show that transformational leadership has a positive impact on follower development and follower performance. On the Job Video Case Answers Camp Bow Wow 1. Does Camp Bow Wow CEO Heidi Ganahl possess qualities associated with contemporary leadership? Answer: Heidi Ganahl possesses many qualities associated with contemporary leadership, including humility, lack of ego, a focus on organizational growth, and a desire to help others achieve success. As a Level 5 leader, Ganahl inspires subordinates through the power of her vision—especially as it relates to care for animals—not through politics or formal authority. In addition, she has limitless passion for organizational achievement and collaborates effectively with other leaders in the company. According to franchisee Sue Ryan, Heidi Ganahl makes personal connections with subordinates and does not attempt to coerce with position power or egotism. 2. In what way is Heidi Ganahl’s leadership charismatic and visionary? Give examples. Answer: Heidi Ganahl is driven by her passion for dogs, and she has a clear, well-articulated vision of what she wants Camp Bow Wow to become in the future. These qualities are inspirational to the thousands of animal-lovers who work in the Camp Bow Wow franchise system. In addition, Ganahl is constantly thinking of new ways to leverage the Camp Bow Wow brand. Since founding the company, she has added a dog training division, a home pet care division, and a charitable foundation for abandoned pets. Her ultimate goal is to make Camp Bow Wow a one-stop shop where customers can obtain any pet service they may need. Finally, Ganahl admits that she does not enjoy managing day-to-day details of business operations but instead thrives on top-level planning and idea generation. She states that her vision for the future of the company guides all her personal and business decisions. 3. Where does Heidi Ganahl’s leadership fall on the Leadership Grid discussed in the chapter? Explain. Answer: Heidi Ganahl is driven to achieve performance results (high concern for production), yet she is also very personable and willing to delegate authority to subordinates (high concern for people). As a result, Ganahl fits within the Team Management category (9,9) on the Leadership Grid. CHAPTER 12 MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES Answers to End of Chapter Discussion Questions 1. Why do you think making progress ranks as the most important factor contributing to motivation according to a recent study? How can managers provide a sense of progress for employees working on long-range projects that might not show results for months or even years? Answer: Recent research indicates the importance of making progress toward goals as a key to motivation. The making progress principle is the idea that the single most important factor that can boost motivation, positive emotions, and perceptions during a workday is making progress toward meaningful goals. Managers can provide a sense of progress for employees working on long-range projects that might not show results for months or even years. Providing feedback on how well the employees are progressing and giving them a way to track their progress toward goals can provide a renewable energy that fuels motivation. The importance of the continuous feedback aspect of goal setting and achievement should not be underestimated. Knowing that they are making everyday progress can make all the difference in how motivated they feel to continue pursuing a goal. 2. One small company recognizes an employee of the month, who is given a parking spot next to the president’s space near the front door. What theories would explain the positive motivation associated with this policy? Answer: Using Maslow’s theory, this is an appeal to the higher-level need of esteem. Herzberg would call it recognition. It could also be called positive reinforcement. In expectancy theory language, the valued reward of the reserved parking space increased motivation. Linking performance to the reward increased the probability of high performance. 3. Assume that you are a front-line manager at a call center. Try to come up with a specific motivational idea that fits in each of the four quadrants in Exhibit 12.2: Positive Extrinsic; Positive intrinsic; Negative Extrinsic; Negative Intrinsic. Answer: Some of the specific motivational ideas students could use as a front-line manager are as follows: • Positive Extrinsic: Rewards such as pay raises, bonuses, praise, etc., could be used to influence behavior that creates pleasure. Giving the employees a chance to earn a bonus and help the organization meet its growth goal. However, this approach is limited as these external rewards can lose their power as motivational tools overtime. • Positive Intrinsic: Helping the subordinates enjoy their work and a get sense of accomplishment is an example of positive intrinsic method. This can be seen as the most effective method to motivate people as it taps into deep-seated employee energy commitment by helping people get intrinsic rewards from their work. • Negative Extrinsic: Threats and punishments could be used as extrinsic methods to get people perform as desired. • Negative Intrinsic: Tapping into self-doubts or anxieties could be used to motivate people; for example, a manager might motivate people to work hard by emphasizing the weak economy and high unemployment rate. 4. In response to security threats in today’s world, the U.S. government federalized airport security workers. Many argued that simply making screeners federal workers would not solve the root problem: bored, low-paid, and poorly trained security workers have little motivation to be vigilant. How might these employees be motivated to provide the security that travel threats now demand? Answer: Employees may be motivated through extrinsic rewards such as pay increases. Before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, the screeners were getting paid low wages. Motivating the screeners through higher wages would be a positive reward. These workers must also be allowed to gain some form of self-satisfaction from their jobs, perhaps through more pleasant surroundings or through a more comfortable atmosphere. Another approach might be to help these employees better understand the meaningfulness of their jobs—their performance could virtually affect the whole nation. Recognition and regular high-profile expressions of appreciation would help them gain a sense of worth as well. 5. Using Hackman and Oldham’s core job dimensions, compare and contrast the jobs of these two state employees: (1) Jared, who spends much of his time researching and debating energy policy to make recommendations that will eventually be presented to the state legislature and (2) Anise, who spends her days planting and caring for the flower gardens and grounds surrounding the state capitol building. Answer: Skill variety refers to the number of diverse activities that compose a job and the number of skills used to perform it. Jared and Anise probably have similar amounts of skill variety, although the skills one uses are vastly different from the skills the other uses. Jared’s skill variety is related to researching a variety of existing or potential energy policy positions and debating them with a variety of people. Anise’s skill variety is related to the range of tasks involved in creating and maintaining the grounds of the capitol building. Task identity refers to the degree to which an employee performs a total job with a recognizable beginning and ending. Jared may experience relatively low task identity because his research and debate may seem like they have no identifiable beginning or end. Conversely, Anise can clearly recognize the beginning and ending of planting seasons, preparing and creating the various gardens, and removing dead plants and other debris. At the same time, there may be considerably less task identity for her in maintaining the grounds. Task significance refers to the degree to which a job is perceived as important and having an impact on the company or customers. This one is a little difficult to assess. It would be easy, on the surface, to suggest that Jared’s task significance might be greater than Anise’s because he is involved in the development of energy policy for his state and Anise is simply caring for plants and grounds around the capitol building. However, it is quite possible that Anise sees her job as critical to the physical appearance of the state’s most visible government building(s), and hence has a significant impact on important visitors to the state’s highest-ranking officials. Autonomy refers to the degree to which the worker has freedom, discretion, and self determination in planning and carrying out tasks. It seems likely that Anise has greater autonomy in her job than does Jared, particularly to the extent that she may have the freedom to plan and implement her own visions for the gardens and grounds. Jared, on the other hand, probably has relatively little autonomy in his research and debate due to the expectations and/or policy positions of his superiors. Feedback refers to the extent to which doing the job provides information to the employee about his/her performance. Because feedback is often closely tied to task identity, Anise probably experiences greater feedback in her job than does Jared in his job. She can visually see the outcomes of her efforts and can easily judge her performance from that information. Jared may or may not receive much feedback from his peers or superiors. His efforts culminate in the presentations he gives to the legislature, and he may well not know for quite some time whether his efforts have been successful. 6. If an experienced executive assistant discovered that she made the same amount of money as a newly hired janitor, how do you think she would react? What inputs and outcomes might she evaluate to make this comparison? Answer: This comparison is based on equity theory, in which people compare the own inputs they bring to a job and the outcomes they receive from it with those of others. Chances are the executive assistant will react negatively to the comparison. The janitor is newly hired and may have less experience than the executive assistant. The executive assistant may have more education and bring greater training and ability to the job. The executive assistant may have certain outcomes unavailable to the janitor, such as a pleasant office, more satisfying work, and a more prestigious position. However, these outcomes probably will not offset an identical salary, which will create a perceived inequity. If the perceived inequity is great, the executive assistant might be expected to change her inputs by expending less effort, attempting to change outcomes by seeking a salary increase, or by perhaps even leaving the job. 7. A survey of teachers found that two of the most important rewards were the belief that their work was important and a feeling of accomplishment. According to Maslow’s theory, what needs do these rewards meet? Answer: The belief that one’s work is important and the feeling of accomplishment would meet esteem needs and self-actualization needs. Esteem needs relate to the desire for a positive self image and the need to receive attention, recognition, and appreciation from others. These needs are reflected in organizations as a desire for recognition, increased responsibility, high status, and credit for contributions to the organization. Self-actualization needs represent the need for self fulfillment—developing one’s full potential, increasing one’s competence, and becoming a better person. These needs can be met in an organizational setting by providing opportunities to grow, encouraging creativity, and providing training for challenging assignments and advancement. 8. The teachers in question 7 also reported that pay and benefits were poor, yet they continue to teach. Use Herzberg’s two factor theory to explain this finding. Answer: The teachers believe that the hygiene factors in the teaching job are poor. Of course, hygiene factors are probably good enough to meet their basic needs, but perhaps pay and benefits are not as high as in other jobs held by college graduates. Herzberg argued that motivators included achievement, recognition, and responsibility and that these factors could provide high motivation and satisfaction for workers. What seems to be happening is that the teachers are responding primarily to motivators, which is why they are satisfied and remaining in their teaching careers. Hygiene factors, when they are poor, create some level of dissatisfaction, but they never have the potential to generate excitement and commitment in a job in the same way as motivators. Thus, the presence of motivators is what keeps these teachers in their job. 9. How does empowerment provide the two conditions (vitality and learning) for a thriving workforce that are described in the chapter? Do you see any ways in which a manager’s empowerment efforts might contribute to demotivation among employees? Discuss. Answer: A thriving workforce is one in which people are just not satisfied and productive but also engaged in creating the future—their own and that of the organization. Two components of thriving workforce are vitality and learning. Empowerment can be used to build a thriving workforce and provide these two conditions (vitality and learning). Managers can meet higher motivational needs by shifting power down from the top of the organization by sharing it with employees to enable them to achieve goals. Empowerment is power sharing, the delegation of power or authority to subordinates in an organization. Increasing employee power heightens motivation for task accomplishment because people improve their own effectiveness, choosing how to do a task using their creativity. Empowering employees involves giving them four elements that enable them to act more freely to accomplish their jobs: information, knowledge, power, and rewards. Empowerment can mean encouraging workers’ ideas while managers retain authority, or it can mean employees have the freedom and power to make decisions and exercise initiative. Current methods fall along a continuum from no discretion for workers to full empowerment where workers participate in formulating strategy. A manager’s empowerment efforts might also contribute to demotivation among employees as people have different needs for growth and development. People with low-level needs may not respond to such efforts or opportunity as favorably as someone with a higher need, to grow and expand their abilities, would. Research findings indicate cross-cultural differences in the impact of job characteristics. Intrinsic factors such as autonomy, challenge, achievement, and recognition can be highly motivating in countries like the United States. However, these factors may contribute little to motivation in economically disadvantaged countries such as Nigeria. A recent study also indicates that the link between intrinsic characteristics and job motivation and satisfaction is weaker in economically disadvantaged countries with poor governmental social welfare systems, as well as in countries that value high power distance. 10. Gallup’s 2011 survey shows that highly educated workers are significantly less likely to be engaged than are those with a high school diploma or less. What might be some reasons for this lower level of engagement among highly-educated employees? Answer: Employee engagement means that people enjoy their jobs and are satisfied with their work conditions, contribute enthusiastically to meeting team and organizational goals, and feel a sense of belonging and commitment to the organization. High level of engagement employees is determined by three elements: a sense of meaningfulness, a sense of connection, and a sense of growth. Apply Your Skills: Experiential Exercise What Motivates You? This exercise allows students to assess their own needs using Maslow’s need hierarchy. The scores of executives and three levels of managers obtained by Porter in a study using this questionnaire are shown below. Sample Security Social Esteem Autonomy Self-Actualization President (n=114) 5.69 5.38 5.27 6.11 6.50 Vice President (n=611) 5.44 5.46 5.33 6.10 6.40 Upper-Middle (n=569) 5.20 5.31 5.27 5.89 6.34 Lower-Middle (n=431) 5.29 5.33 5.26 5.74 6.25 Lower (n=101) 5.30 5.27 5.18 5.58 6.32 Note: 1 = lowest degree of importance; 7 = highest degree of importance. Source: K. Stewart, Instructor’s Manual to accompany Gibson, Ivancevich, and Donnelly, Organizations, Plano, TX: BPI, 1988, 36. It is interesting to note that self actualization needs were rated by managers at all levels as most important. For all but upper middle level managers, esteem needs were rated as least important of the five categories. The only category of needs for which there is a clear progression (increase in importance) from lower level management to top management is autonomy. It is also probably accurate to say that managers at higher levels in the organization actually have more autonomy than managers at lower levels. Apply Your Skills: Small Group Breakout Work vs. Play Students form groups to analyze why they expend effort on play activities. Next they discuss the extent to which the motives for play might be applied to the work environment. Apply Your Skills: Ethical Dilemma To Renege or Not to Renege? 1. Recommend to the president that a meeting be arranged with the sales representatives entitled to a bonus and tell them that their checks were going to be delayed until the Puget’s financial picture clarified. The sales reps would be told that the company had a legal right to delay payment and that it may not be able to pay the bonuses if its financial situation continues to deteriorate. Answer: Puget should not delay or withhold the bonuses from the sales representatives who have earned them. The sales reps did what they were asked to do. The fact that Puget made mistakes in its planning or expectations is not an excuse to delay bonuses or break the promise of paying them for expected performance. 2. Recommend a meeting with the sales representatives entitled to a bonus and tell them the company’s deteriorating financial situation triggers one of the contingency clauses in their contract so that the company won’t be issuing their bonus checks. Puget will just have to deal with the negative impact on sales rep motivation. Answer: Failure to pay the bonuses to the sales representatives will result in loss of morale and a significant decline in motivation, which will only lead to further financial difficulties for Puget. Paying the bonuses is likely to cost Puget less than the losses they will suffer from a decline in sales due to reduced motivation and morale. 3. Recommend strongly to the president that Puget pay the bonuses as promised. The legal contracts and financial situation don’t matter. Be prepared to resign if the bonuses are not paid as you promised. Your word and a motivated sales team mean everything to you. Answer: This is probably the best option. If the sales representatives know you have fought hard to get them their bonuses and they still don’t get them, the sales reps will still lose motivation and morale will decline, but not as badly as it would if you didn’t fight for them to get their bonuses. You’re probably not going to have to resign anyway, and if you can get Puget to pay the bonuses, both you and the company will be that much better off. Motivation will go up, and the sales reps will work even harder to help Puget resolve its financial difficulties. Apply Your Skills: Case for Critical Analysis Lauren’s Balancing Act 1. What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of the incentive system that DeMarco’s is using for sales associates? What impact do you think it is having on the DeMarco’s culture? Explain. Answer: The incentive system that DeMarco’s is using for sales associates was a change over from hourly pay to straight commissions. This system has both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of the incentive system are: • The pay is built through the employees’ own initiative and individualized service, prompting repeat customers. • Marketing pushed the new image of elite, personalized customer service. • Certain associates showed significant gains as a result of straight commissions, and both sales associates and customers responded favorably overall. • Reliance on commission inspired sales associates to treat their individual departments as their own small business, becoming experts on nuances of merchandise, exploring designs and trends, finding ways to promote their expertise, and building an impressive number of loyal customers. • Customer satisfaction level is apparent in numbers—not only sales numbers, but also in repeat business, customer referrals to friends, etc. Disadvantages of the incentive system are: • While some associates soared, there were others who veered toward an aggressive, pushy sales style or became intimidated by coworkers and teetered, monthly, on the verge of being replaced because they weren’t making sales. • The once-proud tradition of cooperation among sales staff was, in many ways, eaten away by relentless competition. • Work assignments away from the sales floor were resented. • There were differences in pay scales which resulted in resentment among the employees. The work culture at DeMarco’s was that of cooperation among sales staff, however, the relentless competition caused by the new incentive system is eating it away. 2. Do you think the complaints of lower-paid sales associates are legitimate? Why? How do you suggest Lauren respond to these complaints, such as the gripe that the system offers few opportunities for large commissions in some departments? Answer: The complaints of lower-paid sales associates at DeMarco’s are legitimate as the difference in the pay scales among the sales associates is significant. The new incentive system uses straight commissions as the new pay scale which would mean that the commissions that the associates earn will be based on the number and value of the sales made. This will again vary across the different departments of the store as a commission on a certain item, say $50 belt, will be nothing compared to a commission on a $2,800 designer dress. There are only few opportunities for large commissions in some departments. This would obviously cause resentment among the employees. 3. Have the successes of sales associates such as Katherine or Damien created a situation in which loyalty to customers is stronger than loyalty to the store? For example, if a successful associate leaves DeMarco’s, might the customer leave also? Answer: Yes, the successes of sales associates such as Katherine or Damien created a situation in which loyalty to customers became stronger than loyalty to the store. Reliance on commission inspired sales associates to treat their individual departments as their own small business, becoming experts on nuances of merchandise, exploring designs and trends, finding ways to promote their expertise, and building an impressive number of loyal customers. The employees’ own initiative and individualized service prompted repeated customers. Customer satisfaction level was apparently high. So, it is possible that if a successful associate leaves DeMarco’s, the customer might also leave. On the Job Video Case Answers Urban Escapes 1. Which needs in Maslow’s hierarchy are most important to the employees who work for Urban Escapes, and how can managers use this information to develop a highly motivated workforce? Answer: Urban Escapes is about adventure, experiences, and the great outdoors. People who work at the social travel firm are dedicated to fulfilling high-level needs, such as self-actualization needs, esteem needs, and belongingness needs. Trips bring together large groups of travelers, and destinations include action-filled outdoor activities. Levy captures the mindset of his employees when he says they “worked for virtually no income and no stability because they enjoyed what we had to offer and were having fun.” Executive-level managers can utilize this information to better reward individuals who experience life at the higher levels of Maslow’s needs pyramid. For the typical Urban Escapes employee, traditional pay and benefits packages may pale in comparison to special travel perks, paid leave for trips, or gifts related to outdoor gear and apparel. 2. According to equity theory, how might an Urban Escapes guide react if he or she feels underpaid or unappreciated? Answer: Although employees at Urban Escapes aren’t necessarily “in it for the money,” a person who feels underpaid or unappreciated could respond in several different ways. According to equity theory, every employee desires equitable pay and treatment. If an employee feels underpaid, he or she might gradually make less of an effort on the job or even begin to miss work more frequently (decrease inputs). An assertive employee, however, might ask superiors for a raise or promotion (increase outcomes). Another strategy for coping with perceived inequity is to artificially inflate the status of one’s position (change perceptions). Since equity is usually measured by comparison with others, employees at Urban Escapes might research the pay and benefits of friends and colleagues; if peers receive similar compensation, the sense of inequity would likely dissipate. Finally, a dissatisfied employee who cannot change his or her situation is likely to leave the company and look elsewhere. 3. What outcomes or rewards possess high valence for managers and guides who work at Urban Escapes? Answer: According to the expectancy theory of motivation, employees find some rewards to be highly attractive and motivational. Valence is the value or attraction an individual has for a specific outcome or reward. For local guides, pay is not necessarily a high motivator, whereas the freedom to plan and lead amazing trips at the company expense is highly attractive. For city managers who fulfill traditional managerial duties, high pay and good benefits are likely to prove motivational, along with bonus rewards for hitting goals. For all employees, profit sharing or ownership is likely to be a desired outcome, especially since founding employees of start-ups typically share in financial success through ownership and acquisitions. In addition to placing high valence on various rewards, employees must believe that their best work efforts will lead to performance (E  P expectancy), and they must also believe that performance will lead to the desired outcome (P  O expectancy). Any breakdown in this chain of expectancy can threaten the motivation of an employee. Solution Manual for Understanding Management Dorothy Marcic, Richard L. Daft 9781285421230, 9781305313347