Unlock document.
This document is partially blurred.
Unlock all pages and 1 million more documents.
Get Access
Case 4.1
Bill is concerned about Tim's self-esteem. Tim's attitudes about himself have begun
affecting his work. Tim is just consumed with the fear of failure. He keeps telling
himself that he's a failure, there's no use trying, he can't do any better. Bill says to Tim,
"It's good that you know what you can and can't do; that helps you be more realistic
about life. You just need to think of these matters in positive terms rather than hating
yourself."
Bill manages Tim by telling him that he appreciates his hard work. Bill points out the
things Tim does well and regularly explains to Tim that he expects great things of him.
After a few weeks, Tim begins to perform more effectively and his fear of failure
decreases. Bill further takes Tim "under his wing" and begins to advise him on
professional behavior, gives him time to explain ideas and his concerns, and even
becomes an advocate for Tim with Bill's boss.
Refer to Case 4.1. What might Tim's boss to do enhance Tim's self-esteem?
a. Change his locus of control
b. Provide better compensation
c. Clarify his expectations of Tim and offer feedback
d. Take responsibility for Tim's low self-esteem
Growing up, Omar developed a deep appreciation for the environment from his father
who was a forest ranger in a state park.. Today he is an environmental engineer,
designing wastewater treatment systems. Work for Omar is largely driven by which
factor?
a. physiological
b. cognitive
c. social
d. emotional
Carlos teaches high school language arts classes. When selecting a reference group, he
is most likely to choose
a. several educators belonging to the National Council of Teachers of English.
b. various school administrators.
c. the high school student body.
d. members of his family.
During a negotiation, listen to the other person. If you hear or feel they are becoming
defensive, you should realize that this is not unusual. It happens when
a. there are negotiations.
b. both of you are trying to avoid personal issues.
c. they realize you are in a hurry to finish.
d. that person feels they are not being respected or recognized.
Warning signals of stress
a. are generally physical, not psychological symptoms.
b. may factor into about 90% of illnesses.
c. only surface in rare and extreme conditions.
d. can only be detected by a qualified medical professional, such as your doctor.
Once you are aware of the need to change a certain habit in your life, you must
a. develop a commitment to change.
b. reward yourself for seeing the need for change.
c. keep the decision to change to yourself in case you are unable to change.
d. become critical of others who still have that habit.
Gabriela is having a focused conversation with Emily about her current responsibilities
at the company. Emily has exceeded all her goals and Gabriela is discussing more
training so she can do different jobs in the department. What kind of coaching is taking
place?
a. Development
b. Career
c. Performance
d. Support Learning
Case 1.1
John and Mabel's company, High-Tech Solutions, is a medium-sized high-tech firm
with a core employee group of highly skilled professionals. Around this core is a group
of twice as many part-time contract programmers and other computer professionals. As
they win programming contracts, they hire contract workers. When work slows, they let
the part-timers go but keep their core group. Their target industries are facing increasing
government scrutiny and possible regulation due to the number of firms that are doing
poor work and causing long-term problems for customers.
John believes, when hiring for either the core group or for the part-time work force,
they need to look not only at each candidate's technical work skills and competency but
also think about other factors as well: the candidate's emotional control, team
orientation, self-awareness, self-esteem, and what the company has to offer them in
terms of family support. Mabel agrees to a degree. She thinks that the key to
productivity and quality is through their people, but she wants to focus more on
technical competencies and less on the other areas John mentions.
High-Tech Solutions uses teams extensively. Employees are trained how to work in
teams, handle conflict, work cooperatively, etc. Joan, a five-year veteran at High-Tech,
plays softball in a church league with several of her coworkers. She has asked for
investment advice from a couple of the work-group members who are heavily into the
stock market. She, in general, highly enjoys her work because of the relationships she
has with her coworkers. In sharp contrast, one of the new employees is having a hard
time with her supervisor. She wants greater independence and more affirming feedback.
The supervisor wants to be sure the new employee can do her job, so he is supervising
closely and is giving a lot of corrective feedback.
Refer to Case 1.1. By focusing on the competencies of the worker, with which
behavior-influencing force is Mabel concerned?
a. Family influence
b. Personal characteristics
c. Work group influence
d. Job influence
Self-disclosure has a number of benefits, such as
a. decreased self-consciousness.
b. enhanced professional communication skills.
c. more social relationships.
d. stronger self-awareness.
Mark frequently dismisses his coworkers' ideas as not worthwhile and boasts about his
own abilities. Which statement best characterizes Mark?
a. Mark has a high level of self-respect.
b. Mark is successful at self-talking.
c. Mark has low, unhealthy self-esteem.
d. Mark is a good goal-setter.
Self-disclosure is considered a major theme of interpersonal relations because
a. the ability to express anger is the best way to resolve conflicts.
b. it helps stop rumors in the workplace.
c. the opportunity to express frustration will result in improved customer service.
d. it helps eliminate unnecessary guessing games.
Case 5.1
Joan is designing an ethics training program for her company. She decides to build it
around the story of the founder of the corporation, Rosa. Rosa's "rags-to-riches" story
reveals a woman with strong standards of personal conduct, deep personal values and
beliefs, and a pattern of good judgment. Rosa attributes her success to the upbringing
she had as a child. A second portion of the training program will review company
values, ethics code, and policies so that all employees are very clear on where the
company stands on key issues and business behaviors.
Refer to Case 5.1. Which of the following influences on personal value formation was
strongest for Rosa?
a. Family
b. Religion
c. Media
d. Modeling
Which of the following is nottrue about greeting with a handshake?
a. It is usually the only physical contact between two people when they first meet.
b. It is almost impossible to change your handshake once you have developed a style.
c. It is important to know how others perceive your handshake. Ask for feedback from
friends or coworkers.
d. A firm grip communicates a caring attitude, whereas a week grip communicates
indifference.
Recent economic, social, and demographic disturbances have many people overworked
or without jobs, depressed and anxious about their future, plagued by self-doubt and
pity. Which of the following statements does notadequately put today's challenges into
perspective?
a. Typical careers today rarely follow straight upward paths, but rather dart in many
directions.
b. Such challenges provide motivation to focus more and work harder on stabilizing or
reclaiming one's career and identity.
c. Despite loss, one can still discover success by redefining it in terms of other
non-work related dimensions.
d. Challenges offer an opportunity to reexamine one's choices and to make new ones
that uncover greater meaning and personal satisfaction.
Althea is trying to persuade her mother to let her go on a trip with friends. Althea's
mother has a supportive style. To style flex, Althea should
a. be straightforward and present her information accurately and systematically.
b. patiently draw out her mother's personal concerns and present her trip information in
a quiet and nonthreatening way.
c. get to the point quickly and avoid too much detail.
d. not place any emphasis on the details.
Effective communication involves the sender, receiver, message, and
a. feedback.
b. filter.
c. semantics.
d. interpersonal communications.
Which is true of appropriate self-disclosure?
a. It erodes effective professional role relationships at work.
b. You can never disclose too much.
c. It is a way to achieve good emotional health.
d. The best Johari Window to have is when all four windows are the same size.
Which of the following is a secondary dimension of diversity?
a. Gender
b. Religious beliefs
c. Physical abilities
d. Sexual orientation
Which of the following examples best demonstrates mature money management?
a. Lina doesn't necessarily track her spending habits, but she does manage to at least
break even each month.
b. Tyrese's spending habits are largely influenced by keeping up with the latest trends
and conveniences.
c. Donna often borrows when interest rates are low.
d. Diego earns $1,900 a month and begins to curb his discretionary spending when he
notices his savings account balance dip to $4,800.
"Judging a book by its cover" summarizes the impact of
a. etiquette.
b. personal charisma.
c. business casual attire.
d. surface language.
Case 8.1
Ted is a vice-president in a small company. He's a very laid back and private man.
Everyone sees him as a very nice but indecisive man. When he makes a decision, he
communicates it accurately, but he just won't make them. Ted thinks that he is very
decisive; he just likes to be flexible and take his time making decisions. In casual
conversations with his secretary, Ted reveals that he went to school in the south, has
been married for 20 years, and is thinking about taking a cruise for the first time for this
year's vacation.
Ted is terrified of making the wrong decision in most situations. He knows this but
won't tell anyone, even his wife. You see, he once worked for a very demanding and
abusive boss who eventually fired him. Anytime Ted would make a decision this boss
disagreed with, whether it was the right decision or not, Ted's old boss would yell and
humiliate him in front of others. As a consequence, now, years later, Ted has a tough
time making decisions.
Refer to Case 8.1. Ted's conversation with his secretary is an example of
a. self-description.
b. self-disclosure.
c. self-awareness.
d. staying in his organizational role.
In Chapter 6, you were introduced to the popular, successful Panda Express chain of
restaurants and the philosophy of it founders. Their emphasis on continuous learning
and self-improvement exemplifies that competitive advantage in the marketplace can be
achieved through
a. hiring the right people.
b. paying attention to employees.
c. providing quick and accurate information.
d. excellent customer service.
Gillian is increasingly detached from her coworkers. She's doubting her career choice
and has begun to wear a negative attitude like a coat. She's complaining a great deal.
She can barely get out of the bed in the morning. Gillian is probably suffering from
a. burnout.
b. ergonomics.
c. technostress.
d. multi-tasking.
Today in America, there has been a major shift in the role of women in that
a. women are being pursued for more top leadership roles than men.
b. greater numbers of women are assuming the role of breadwinner.
c. fewer mid-managerial roles are being filled by women who instead pursue the
"mommy track."
d. most women pursuing nontraditional careers are choosing jobs in the skilled trades.
Case 1.1
John and Mabel's company, High-Tech Solutions, is a medium-sized high-tech firm
with a core employee group of highly skilled professionals. Around this core is a group
of twice as many part-time contract programmers and other computer professionals. As
they win programming contracts, they hire contract workers. When work slows, they let
the part-timers go but keep their core group. Their target industries are facing increasing
government scrutiny and possible regulation due to the number of firms that are doing
poor work and causing long-term problems for customers.
John believes, when hiring for either the core group or for the part-time work force,
they need to look not only at each candidate's technical work skills and competency but
also think about other factors as well: the candidate's emotional control, team
orientation, self-awareness, self-esteem, and what the company has to offer them in
terms of family support. Mabel agrees to a degree. She thinks that the key to
productivity and quality is through their people, but she wants to focus more on
technical competencies and less on the other areas John mentions.
High-Tech Solutions uses teams extensively. Employees are trained how to work in
teams, handle conflict, work cooperatively, etc. Joan, a five-year veteran at High-Tech,
plays softball in a church league with several of her coworkers. She has asked for
investment advice from a couple of the work-group members who are heavily into the
stock market. She, in general, highly enjoys her work because of the relationships she
has with her coworkers. In sharp contrast, one of the new employees is having a hard
time with her supervisor. She wants greater independence and more affirming feedback.
The supervisor wants to be sure the new employee can do her job, so he is supervising
closely and is giving a lot of corrective feedback.
Refer to Case 1.1. This example illustrates the need for strong interpersonal relation
skills by alluding to the contemporary business-world trend(s) of
a. customer service orientation
b. team organization
c. increasing use of temporary and part-time workers
d. all of these
Case 7.1
Antonio has a number of employees who report to him. He has been considering how to
motivate these employees to higher levels of performance and productivity. Antonio
believes that most people are motivated by the satisfaction they receive from doing their
jobs. He thinks that workers have a personal need to do well on the job. Another
manager, Dexter, argues that while Antonio may be right, it is important to offer
financial incentives. Dexter believes that workers don't really want to come to work and
that managers therefore have to provide a "carrot" to ensure quality and productivity.
Part of his evidence is that employees keep complaining about pay, working conditions,
and benefits even though the company pays well above average for the industry and the
area. Several days after this conversation, both Dexter and Antonio attend a workshop
on employee motivation that explains Herzberg's motivation-maintenance theory.
Refer to Case 7.1. Antonio's approach to motivation will probably lead him to
emphasize which level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?
a. Belonging needs
b. Esteem needs
c. Physiological needs
d. Security needs
People who embrace right livelihood accept that money and security are
a. not to be taken for granted.
b. essential to maintaining a stable marriage and family life.
c. the key to personal satisfaction.
d. not the primary rewards in life.
Case 15.1
Topco, Inc. is a manufacturer of electric fans and other low-tech cooling devices. Joan
is the HR director. She is conducting a workshop for her managers on valuing diversity.
In an open discussion about the managers' concerns on this topic, Bob says, "I don't
care what someone's race or gender, or whatever, is. I just have a tough time with the
soft, fat, college-educated kids who come in here and tell me how to do my job." Jane
chimes in, "The real issue here is men's inability to relate to women, each other, and
minorities. I've yet to meet a male manager who can really understand someone who's
not one of his drinking buddies." After a few more comments, Joan continues with the
training program.
Joan spends some time demonstrating that highly skilled talented people will leave their
company if not valued, how an inappropriate joke creates tension, and how failure to
value individual employees could even lead to acts of sabotage. She then moves to
brainstorming what each manager can do as an individual to enhance diversity. She
closes the day's session with a discussion of how diversity training programs need to be
seen as a process and need to have clear objectives that permit assessment and be
supported by managers and top managers if they are to succeed.
Refer to Case 15.1. Joan's presentation on the possibility of people leaving, tension, and
sabotage can all be grouped under the heading of
a. diversity conflict resolution and teambuilding.
b. subtle forms of discrimination and their consequences.
c. the economics of valuing diversity.
d. the need for affirmative action.
People who have a large network of friends and social relationships
a. are given raises more often.
b. more easily cope with illnesses.
c. are not as overworked.
d. are more likely to get promoted.
Case 13.1
There is a major conflict going on in Andy's department. Workers do not trust Andy.
They resent his authoritarian style, and they resist his instructions and suggestions.
Andy sees the workers as "drones," and they think of him as "Darth Vader." Initially,
Andy's manager tells the workers to "put up with it" and to "get back to work." He
refuses to listen to their complaints and imposes his instructions with a threat of
discipline. A group of employees discusses the problem. Jane suggests that they just
drop it and go back to work. She doesn't want to lose her job and fears that even if they
win, their working relationship with Andy will be damaged beyond repair. Malcolm
suggests that they go back to Andy's boss and explain that they think talking about
Andy's behavior could improve productivity and quality. He tells the group they ought
to write down and present the substance of their concerns, not just attack Andy's
management style. Malcolm thinks they can work this out without removing Andy or
getting fired themselves.
Refer to Case 13.1. Jane has a(n) ____ conflict management style.
a. problem-solving
b. win/lose
c. compromising
d. accommodating
Case 10.1
Antonio's company has an employee orientation program; an extensive employee
performance review program; and encourages managers to praise, write letters of
appreciation for jobs well done, and take the time to listen to their employees. Years
ago, the company began a positive reinforcement program. Managers were initially
reluctant to support the program because they expected employees to begin demanding
pay raises. But the company kept working at it, and eventually the program was
accepted. Then, in order to increase quality and productivity, assembly-line workers
were paid based on piecework for each acceptable component that they built. When the
incentive programs were first introduced, employees competed with each other,
teamwork was destroyed, and interpersonal relations dropped to an all-time low. Now
the incentive programs and other positive reinforcement programs seem to be working.
However, due to cutbacks in management levels and increasing work demands,
managers are finding it harder and harder to determine which employees most deserve
recognition.
Refer to Case 10.1. The continuing success of the positive reinforcement programs
depends on the company's ability to overcome which barrier to positive reinforcement
programs?
a. Preoccupation with self
b. The "Too Busy" Syndrome
c. Misconceptions about positive reinforcement
d. Failing to identify commendable actions
Setting goals and achieving them builds an individual's self-esteem because the
individual
a. can feel in control of their future.
b. is more likely to find a good mentor.
c. receives more validation and respect from others.
d. can boast his success to others.
Versatility in communication styles is
a. relatively unstable throughout life and difficult to change.
b. necessary to create and maintain effective interpersonal relations with others.
c. more easily achievable for someone who is low in dominance and high in sociability.
d. dependent upon the individual's communication style.
A person who inhibits or overemphasizes her expression of some emotions is suffering
from a(n)
a. lack of emotional balance.
b. intellectual incompetence.
c. flawed character.
d. emotional expressivism.
Kyoko set a goal to break the school track record in the 100-yard dash. Every day she
mentally rehearses the perfect race as she prepares for a track meet. Kyoko is using
____________________.
McGregor believed that unity of purpose distinguishes most productive work groups
from less productive teams.
A(n) ____________________ is an appropriate conflict management style when
resolving the conflict is not worth the potential damage to the relationship.
What are the consequences of being a "positive person".
Trust among team members is a result of open communication, delegating tasks and
sharing their completion..
Case 15.1
Topco, Inc. is a manufacturer of electric fans and other low-tech cooling devices. Joan
is the HR director. She is conducting a workshop for her managers on valuing diversity.
In an open discussion about the managers' concerns on this topic, Bob says, "I don't
care what someone's race or gender, or whatever, is. I just have a tough time with the
soft, fat, college-educated kids who come in here and tell me how to do my job." Jane
chimes in, "The real issue here is men's inability to relate to women, each other, and
minorities. I've yet to meet a male manager who can really understand someone who's
not one of his drinking buddies." After a few more comments, Joan continues with the
training program.
Joan spends some time demonstrating that highly skilled talented people will leave their
company if not valued, how an inappropriate joke creates tension, and how failure to
value individual employees could even lead to acts of sabotage. She then moves to
brainstorming what each manager can do as an individual to enhance diversity. She
closes the day's session with a discussion of how diversity training programs need to be
seen as a process and need to have clear objectives that permit assessment and be
supported by managers and top managers if they are to succeed.
Individuals generally form their self-images based on certain primary dimensions of
their choosing.
Successful people in the business world tend to be higher on the sociability continuum.
Childhood events such as poor performance in school, abusive or uncaring parents, or a
serious childhood accident can be retained in the brain and have a lasting impact on
your self-concept.
Health habits, religious beliefs, education and training, and general appearance are all
known as ____________________ of diversity.
Critics of ___________ theory say he doen"t recognize people who prefer routine jobs
and a regular pay check.
What are three ways to develop your intellectual growth by acquiring the skills and
abilities you need?
Conflict triggers of all kinds are constructive and should be allowed to persist in a work
environment.
Explain the difference between "Theory X" and "Theory Y" views of human behavior.
Then, evaluate: do you believe one management theory is always more effective than
the other? Why or why not.
The best clues for identifying a person's communication style are his/her verbal
communication and work choice.
Every organization has its own distinct organizational culture that makes it unique.
Too much agreement in an organization can be as harmful as too much conflict.
