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1. Where does power come from?

2. Why should we use a range of tactics? Explain FAR.

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Expert Contribution on How You Look to Others: Understanding and Managing How Others Perceive You

Kimberly D. Elsbach (University of California, Davis)

Being judged poorly by others is an everyday experience that most of us don’t think about consciously.

Understanding how we may be negatively evaluated by others can help us to avoid making the wrong

impression when it counts. The effective use of categorization tactics may be an effective means to portraying

ourselves (and our evaluators) in ways that lead to positive and desired impressions.

1. How do self-enhancement motives affect our perceptions of others?

2. What does the research on motivated perception tell us about the outcome of categorizing a person?

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Expert Contribution on On Being Trustworthy

Roger C. Mayer (North Carolina State University)

Actions speak louder than words. Anyone can claim to be worthy of others’ trust. Those who show consistently

over time that they have strong ability, have integrity in all their dealings, and show genuine concern for those

around them are likely to be the most trustworthy in others’ eyes. Perhaps most important in the quest to

become more trustworthy is that you need to be genuine. “Acting like” you care about others, or that you have

integrity, will surely be seen through in the long run. No matter what excuses you proffer, weaknesses in your

skills will eventually become evident. The final challenge is not to “appear” to be trustworthy, but to focus your

efforts on becoming as strong as possible on ability, integrity, and benevolence.

1. Why should you care about how much others at work trust you?

2. What is integrity?

Topic Summary 8: Decision Making

Topic Summary: Decision Making

The four approaches to decision making in organizations—rational, behavioral economics, organizational

psychology, and naturalistic—illustrate the benefits and limitations with decision making. Many decisions are

good in theory, but when put into practice, prove less than satisfactory. Emerging considerations of decision

making focus on understanding how decisions are made and the relationship between actual decision making

and the ultimate success of the decision and the conditions or types of organizations under which these

decisions were made. Decision makers need to focus on how to put the decision into operation as well as follow

rules about good decision making.

1. List the six steps that describe the rational decision-making process.

2. Explain how problem framing decision making deviates from rational decision making.

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Expert Contribution on Leading Decision Making Processes

Michael A. Roberto (Bryant University)

Peter Drucker, author and educator, once said, “The most common source of mistakes in management decisions

is the emphasis on finding the right answer rather than the right question.” (Drucker, 1954: 351). For leaders to

be successful, they must ask the difficult, probing questions to gather all the important facts and opinions

before making a decision. Sometimes, leaders will not even recognize all the right questions to ask so their

advisers may need to question one another in a constructive manner. For this reason, leaders should not simply

focus on the content of a decision—they must consider how to design a high quality decision-making process, in

which their advisers can engage in a vigorous give-and-take discussion. Leaders must work hard to keep that

conflict constructive, as well as to show that they are truly listening to others’ views. Throughout the decision–

making process, leaders should keep in mind the advice of Cyrus the Great, who once described the goals of all

good decision makers: “Diversity in counsel, unity in command.”

1. How does a leader build shared commitment and understanding?

2. What can a leader do to minimize interpersonal conflict?

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Expert Contribution On Best-Practice Decision Making

Paul C. Nutt (The Ohio State University)

To preserve freedom of choice, decision makers listen and avoid hasty actions. A rush to judgment is also

provoked by fear, greed, or needs for power. Confront each. Position “in the decision,” accepting the uncertainty

of not knowing what is best, agreeing not to screen out messages, and engaging in reflective listening. Adopt a

coaching role by initiating exploratory dialogues with many stakeholders. This requires one to give up directing

events, using prerogatives of power and control. Look for relevant interests and how competing interests can be

reconciled.

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Expert Contribution on How Temporary Organizations Promote Dysfunctional Goal Pursuit: The Case of

the 1996 Mount Everest Disaster

Kimberly D. Elsbach (University of California, Davis) & Markus Hallgren (Umea University, Sweden)

This reading has used the ill-fated 1996 Mount Everest climbing disaster to describe how temporary

organizations may lead to processes of single-minded goal pursuit and disastrous escalation of commitment in

decision making. Because these processes are outcomes of the very nature of temporary organizations, it is

critical that leaders of such organizations be aware of the signs of goal pursuit and escalation of commitment,

and design processes and structures to minimize them. In particular, leaders should be careful about pursuing a

single goal that is strongly linked to their own personal and career success, should monitor the achievement of

intermediate goals, and should resist defining end goals too specifically at the start of an endeavor, as this limits

later negotiation of the ultimate goal.

1. Explain the significant factor of time for a temporary organization and how this differs from a permanent

organization.

2. Who is the organizational leader (often a project manager), how is this person’s career impacted, and what are

the risks?

Part 4 Interpersonal Processes in Organizations

Topic Summary 9: Groups and Teams

Topic Summary: Groups and Teams

This topic summary presents three sets of factors that affect groups, including purpose and type of group,

context and composition, and internal factors. Groups vary in the purpose that they serve the organization and

the duration that they are needed. Various barriers exist that derail a group or team, but teamwork is a

competency that can be learned, norms can govern effective behavior, and psychological safety can be developed

over time.

1. What is the distinction between groups and teams? Give some examples of each.

2. Explain the polarization effect and the impact of peer pressure.

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Expert Contribution on Teamwork from the Inside Out

David Caldwell (Santa Clara University), Deborah Ancona (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), &

Henrik Bresman (INSEAD, France)

Looking back at Paul’s team, it is clear that much of its failure can be traced to lack of management of external

activities. Rather than seeking out information directly from customers, team members relied exclusively on

their own assumptions about what customers would want. They were confident enough of their perceptions that

they did not see any need to actually check with potential customers.

When team members develop strong ties within the group, they may have a hard time developing relationships

with outsiders. In the case of Paul’s team, by starting with members who had similar experiences and relatively

few connections, and then focusing on building relationships within the group, collecting the critical outside

information became more difficult. Paul may also have missed an opportunity to build an external perspective

when the team expanded. The new members of the team all came from the same functional area, and Paul did

not seem to consider the potential networks and connections they might bring to the group.

Another real failing was in not understanding the strategic priorities for the team. Paul and the team seemed to

believe that maintaining the schedule was critical, while the strategy of the organization seemed to be focused

on being responsive to customers. It seemed that Paul did not have the kind of interactions with upper

management necessary to have a clear understanding of the company’s priorities and how his team’s efforts

could contribute to those priorities. Finally, when the team received information from the outside that

challenged their assumptions they became defensive, more inwardly focused, and ultimately suspicious of those

providing the information.

Could this outcome have been different? The most likely answer is “yes.” Understanding both the organizational

environment within which the team operates and the broader external environment are critical for success.

Although our focus has been on why a team might fail, there is a positive side to the story. In both our research

and consulting, we have seen teams achieve exceptional results by combining an external perspective with good

internal processes. This is not always easy, but with effective facilitation and leadership, teams can do it.

1. Once a design is completed, what is the challenge for the team?

2. What are the tasks and role of the leader?

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Expert Contribution on Making Virtual Teams More Innovative Through Effective Communication

Jennifer L. Gibbs (Rutgers University) & Cristina B. Gibson (University of Western Australia)

The first task for a leader is to develop a sense of what information and resources the team will need from

outsiders to complete the job. Although the list of what is needed will change as the project evolves, beginning

with an understanding of the outside requirements is important. This involves determining the areas where the

team will need information, and identifying specific people who can provide that information for the team. For

example, a team that is developing a marketing plan for a new product might identify a person who had worked

on the original product design who could provide background that might not otherwise be available. The team

might also identify key industry trends, and competitors that need to be monitored. Anticipating how the

team’s efforts will unfold is important in establishing areas where in-depth Task Coordination will be necessary.

In the case of developing a new product marketing plan, the team will need to coordinate its plan with the

people producing the product, with the sales force, and with outside advertising agencies.

In addition to making sure the team has the information it needs, the team leader also plays a critical role in

structuring the team to diagnose what resources the team may need, any opposition from others in the

organization, and who in the hierarchy can provide support for the team. This analysis helps build a plan for

Ambassadorship activities.

1. Define a psychologically safe communication climate and what type of environment it fosters.

2. Explain national diversity and the differences each nationality can have, giving examples.

Coasts, but who all share U.S. nationality; or a global team of Germans who are working in different countries,

but all share German nationality). Virtual teams often involve multiple nationalities, however, as they often

span several countries. For example, Gibbs studied a global software organization headquartered in the United

States with software centers in Brazil, China, England, India, Ireland, and Singapore; many of the software

development teams were virtual and involved members from multiple countries. National diversity may stifle

innovation if not managed properly, as it may lead to conflicts and rifts among team members due to different

cultural values, mindsets, and allegiances. Team members from different countries are likely to have different

communication styles; for example, Europeans and North Americans tend to be direct and open about their

feelings and opinions even if they are negative, while Asians tend to be more indirect and avoid negative or

confrontational responses in an attempt to save face and preserve group harmony. Team members from

different countries may also have different ideas of a team and how it operates as well as different values

regarding the best type of leadership, or what role work should play in one’s life. Even norms around

knowledge sharing are different in different cultures, which may impede innovation.

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Expert Contribution on Teams in Organizations: 10 Team Roles to Foster Team Effectiveness

Troy V. Mumford (Colorado State University), Michael C. Campion (University of South Carolina), &

Michael A. Campion (Purdue University)

In modern organizations, work teams have proved to be vital for success. Whether an organization is designing

innovative products, improving quality in its manufacturing processes, or creating customer loyalty through

great customer service, it needs employees who can effectively collaborate on teams to accomplish work.

Functional team roles are clusters of related behaviors that accomplish a particular function within the team1

and allow the team to integrate the contributions made by individuals to the requirements of the team

environment.

These functional team roles allow the team to carry out three critical functions in teams, namely the effective

execution of the team’s work, effective management of the team’s relationship with its environment, and

preserving the team’s ability to work together efficiently through meeting the social needs of members.

1. What are the three categories that drive team success?

2. Explain the role of the communicator and give an example when they would be needed.

When: The Communicator is required in almost all situations; however, it is particularly important in situations

that are high in social sensitivity. Several examples include: a) when the task is socially complex, b) when ego or

emotionally charged issues are involved, c) when the team is diverse either in values or in backgrounds, d) and

when the environment is highly stressful.

Illustrated: The product design team may be under a lot of stress due to the schedule change. An individual

who remains positive, and thanks a team member for his or her hard work is taking the Communicator role.

Topic Summary 10: Conflict and Negotiation

Topic Summary: Conflict and Negotiation

Conflict and the process of negotiating conflict is a common feature of behavior in organizations. Conflict arises

for many reasons and occurs in different stages. Individuals navigate this conflict using different styles.

Organizations have a variety of methods to manage conflict, including negotiations. There are two different

approaches to negotiations, but each approach involves consideration of interests, issues, and positions.

Selection of strategies in negotiation generally focuses on the importance of maintaining relationships or the

importance of substance. The ability to negotiate differences is a key skill in organizational behavior that allows

people to increase their impact.

1. What are the three primary sources of conflict?

2. What are the common interpersonal techniques to manage conflict?

3. What are the two major approaches to negotiation?

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Expert Contribution on Trust

Roy J. Lewicki (The Ohio State University)

Trust is an incredibly important element in both business and personal relationships. With trust, parties can

communicate openly, share information easily, not worry that personal vulnerabilities will be taken advantage

of, and complete transactions with a minimum of hassle and fear of vulnerability. Trust is thus at the heart of

effective negotiation and conflict resolution. Conversely, when trust is absent or broken, all of these processes

become more difficult and complex. Parties’ communication becomes guarded and strained; the parties have to

take extensive time to verify information; and transactions require complex authorization and verification.

In this reading, we noted that there were two fundamental kinds of trust: a more calculus-based trust, which is

at the heart of more formal transactions between parties, and an identification-based trust, a more intimate and

personal kind of trust that binds strong personal and professional relationships together. Being effective in an

organization requires knowing how to develop and cultivate both forms of trust so as to have productive

business and personal relationships.

1. How does the author define trust, what are the three elements discussed?

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Expert Contribution on The Essentiality of “Justice” in Organizations: A Justice-as-Negotiation Perspective

Debra L. Shapiro (University of Maryland)

“That’s not fair” is heard, at least in Western nations where voice is typically valued and used to express

discontent whenever people perceive themselves or others to be victims of unwanted circumstances. When

spoken, or merely privately thought, “That’s not fair” is typically accompanied by negative feelings, such as

anger, a desire to engage in revenge and resistance; and these negative emotions are typically associated with

uncooperative behaviors that threaten positive functioning on the part of individuals and/or their organizations.

This likely negative chain of events is among the main reasons why management researchers have urged

managers to treat employees fairly or at a minimum to appear like they do. Additional reasons include the

moral, or ethical, rightness in doing so.

To heed the latter advice (to be or appear fair) requires understanding of the circumstances when employees

are more than likely to perceive organizational justice (i.e., a sense that an organization has treated them fairly).

This reading’s first purpose is to describe actions likely to enhance perceived organizational justice, guided by

research findings pertaining to this. A second purpose is to make clear that actions intended to create the

appearance of justice may not always work; and as such, employees (at all levels, including managers) must also

negotiate a correction of perceived injustice—that is, persuade others to perceive fairness where this is initially

not seen. This reading’s third purpose is to identify strategies for negotiating a correction of organizational

injustice, guided by research that has occurred more broadly on the topic of managing conflict. This reading,

therefore, integrates the justice and conflict management literatures (which are typically isolated from each

other); and in so doing, illuminates a “justice–as–negotiation/conflict management perspective.” An implication of

this perspective, which this reading concludes with, is that organizational justice perceptions are more dynamic

and fluid in nature than is suggested by traditional (typically unidirectional top-down) descriptions of justice-

managing-dynamics. As such, future justice-related interventions and/or studies need to consider who all the

potential “managers” of perceived justice may (or may not) be. The remainder of this reading delivers substance

relating to its three purposes, in the order noted above.

1. Define procedural justice.

2. Explain why justice-enhancing communications do not always enhance perceived justice.

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Expert Contribution on Negotiation Traps

Kimberly D. Elsbach (University of California, Davis)

Negotiation is a tough undertaking, fraught with complexities and potential pitfalls. The last thing a negotiator

needs is to hamstring him or herself by adding mental errors to the mix. In this reading, you have been

introduced to a few of the most common mental errors that can trap negotiators and prevent them from

achieving positive outcomes. By understanding these errors and how to avoid them, you should be better

prepared to face your next negotiation with confidence.

1. Explain what overconfidence is and give some examples.

2. What is a course of action if it is necessary to change course from a previous decision?

Topic Summary 11: Diversity and Communication

Topic Summary: Diversity and Communication

Diversity and communication are important subjects in contemporary organizations. There are a variety of

benefits for organizations that actively value diversity. Several approaches and considerations of what

constitutes diversity were introduced. One important consideration for effective communication is to

understand how to craft a message that appeals to different types of audiences. The process for effectively

developing and communicating a message increases our ability to understand and influence people’s behavior in

organizations.

1. Explain information literacy and the key competencies information literacy involves.

The Association for College and Research Libraries suggests that information literacy involves several key

competencies, including the ability to recognize:

How information is produced, organized, and disseminated. How knowledge is organized into disciplines, which

influences how data is interpreted.

How differences in purpose and audience, including differences in potential consumers and producers of

resources influence interpretation of data, for example, popular vs. scholarly, current vs. historical.

How to differentiate between primary and secondary sources and how specific disciplines or domains rely on

primary or secondary sources.

How secondary sources are constructed from raw data, drawing on primary sources.

2. How does generational diversity impact communication?

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Expert Contribution on How to Turn an Engaging Conversation into a Creative Collaboration

Kimberly D. Elsbach (University of California, Davis)

Counter-intuitively coming up with creative ideas is often the easiest part of a creative project. Getting other

people to buy into those ideas, support those ideas, and join in collaboration on those ideas (all important steps

to bringing an idea to fruition) are much more difficult tasks. These desired outcomes require that one can

persuade a conversation partner not only that one’s idea is good, but that the conversation partner, him or

herself, is invested in that idea and its success.

Fortunately, extensive research in psychology and organizations (including the author’s own research on

creative workers) provides us with many clues about how to produce this transformative outcome. The

framework outlined in this paper provides an outline of some of the more common behavioral and linguistic

tools at one’s disposal. Using these tools, creators may increase their chances of turning an engaging

conversation into a creative collaboration. It should be noted, however, that inappropriate, high-intensity

language (language that is more intense than is normal for the situation) may lead conversation partners to

disengage from collaboration.

1. How do you get another person engaged in a creative collaboration?

2. What are the four actions that may create the conditions that are conducive to a creative collaboration?

3. Why is it a mistake to perceive arguing and criticism from a conversation partner as signs that he or she doesn’t

like your ideas and wants you to give up on them?

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Expert Contribution on Communication and Diversity

Luciara Nardon (Carleton University)

This reading began by pointing out that multicultural communication is frequently cited as one of the most

serious challenges facing global managers. In closing, we should observe that cross-cultural communication is

also one of the most important sources of business opportunity. It is through communication that relationships

are formed, conflicts are resolved, and innovative ideas are created and shared. While the perils of poor cross-

cultural communication may appear daunting upon first glance, we should understand that increased awareness

of the ways in which cultural differences can affect how meaning is constructed in interpersonal interactions is

an important first step toward improved communication. We should further note that in order to succeed,

managers must be willing to make the effort and risk some initial missteps, and perhaps embarrassment. In the

end, effective multicultural communication is a matter of personal commitment and a willingness to learn.

Above all, however, it is a willingness to listen. As the Venetian explorer Marco Polo observed long ago, “It is not

the voice that commands the story; it is the ear.”

1. What are the four cognitive processes people from different cultures use to make sense of reality?

2. What are the high- and low-context cultures, and in which one do Hall and Hall say context surrounding the

message is far less important than the message itself?

3. How can managers improve their knowledge of various communication protocols that vary from culture to

culture?

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Expert Contribution on Diversity Ideologies in Action: Energizing Renewal and Excellence in Healthcare

Valerie L. Myers (University of Michigan)

SSM illustrates how organizations can and must manage challenges related to their cultural legacies and lifecycle

stages. They did this by honoring their strengths, asking difficult questions, then intentionally and aggressively

addressing their deficits, which enabled them to adapt to and influence a changing environment. By adhering to

core values that support diversity, learning, and continuous improvement, they remain harbingers of excellence

in the healthcare industry.

1. When is organizational culture established? Explain.

2. What were SSM’s core values that defined their key constituents and relationship norms?

Part 5 Organizational Processes

Topic Summary 12: Culture

Topic Summary: Culture

A better understanding of culture is achieved by examining the dimensions of culture, differentiating

between organizational and national culture, reviewing the purpose of a culture, and exploring how a

culture is built and sustained. Our understanding of culture is informed by many disciplines, and these

disciplines provide insight into the three dimensions of culture: artifacts, espoused values, and basic

assumptions. Cultures, both national and organizational, serve a number of important functions through

establishing rules and defining what is legitimate and illegitimate behavior. Other organizational

applications of culture include rewards, punishments, selection, training, motivation, and organizational

strategy.

1. What beliefs do assumptions often include?

2. What is the purpose of culture?

3. What are Hofstede’s Five Dimensions of Organizational Culture?

Answer: Hofstede’s Five Dimensions of Organizational Culture

—

4. What are the seven areas of the Henry Mintzberg model that link an organization’s culture to strategy?

Answer: Henry Mintzberg, a management professor and consultant, developed a model that links an

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Expert Contribution on Team Learning Culture

Amy C. Edmondson (Harvard Business School)

Organizations in every industry encounter challenges analogous to those faced by our surgical teams. Adopting

new technologies or new business processes is highly disruptive in any industry. Like the surgical teams,

businesses that use new technologies for the first time also must deal with a learning curve. The key point is that

the learning is not just technical; it is also interpersonal. Some of the barriers that must be confronted directly

include status and patterns of communication and behavior and implementing new information technology, for

example, involves the technical work in setting operational parameters and ensuring that software runs

properly. But more difficult for many companies is not the technical challenge, but the ways that the technology

changes interpersonal dynamics and routines.

Teaming doesn’t just happen—it takes time for teams to learn how decisions should be made and who should

talk to whom and when. Sometimes it takes even longer; in fact, it is nearly impossible if people are afraid to

speak up. Managing interpersonal risk the wrong way – through silence—something most of us do routinely in

some situations—can be an obstacle to successful teaming. Leaders can take practical steps to create

psychologically safe environments that enable the clarity of thought, engagement, experimentation, and

flexibility that teaming requires.

Power Distance – how much power is equally distributed among and across individuals

Individualism versus Collectivism – preference for working with others; I versus we

orientation

Masculinity versus Femininity – preference for masculinity = heroism, material

rewards, and assertiveness versus feminity = cooperation, caring, and modesty

Uncertainty Avoidance – level of comfort with ambiguity and certainty

Long-term Orientation – orientation toward long-term or short-term timeframes

frequently gives rise to poor decisions and incomplete execution. Yet, in some organizations, a culture of

psychological safety makes it easier for people to speak up with their tentative thoughts.

2. What is psychological safety and what are the seven benefits of psychological safety?

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Expert Contribution on Organization Culture

Richard O. Mason (Southern Methodist University)

There are at least four advantages to using a cultural approach to understanding organizations and their

behavior:

1. It focuses management attention on the human side of organizational life.

2. It reinforces the view that an organization’s basic assumptions reflect its history and relationship with its

environment.

3. It stresses the importance of creating appropriate systems of shared meaning to help people work together

toward desired common outcomes.

4. It requires the organization’s members—especially its leaders—to acknowledge that their behavior has

impacts on the organization’s culture and the culture also affects them.

”We choose and operate in environmental domains according to how we construct conceptions of who we are

and what we are trying to do. . . . And we act in relation to those domains through the definitions we impose on

them. . . . . .The beliefs and ideas that organizations hold about who they are, what they are trying to do, and

what their environment is like have a much greater tendency to realize themselves than is usually believed.

1. How do Quinn and Cameron classify organizational cultures?

2. How does Charles Handy’s model classify organizational cultures?

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Expert Contribution on The Competitive Advantage of Corporate Cultures

Daniel Dennison (IMD Business School), Levi Nieminen (Denison Consulting), & Lindsey Kotrba (Denison

Consulting)

All organizations develop a culture over time as the people in the organization struggle as a group to adapt,

compete, and survive in the marketplace. Sometimes the cultural values that develop serve as a potent source

of competitive advantage (e.g., IKEA, Apple, Domino’s, Toyota), whereas in other cases, they can be

maladaptive and even contribute to—or fail to dissuade—unethical corporate behavior and misconduct.

Because the most deeply held elements of culture reside well below the surface, it can be difficult to recognize

if and how they impact what happens on a daily basis. However, closer inspection reveals that culture is

manifested in the values and behavioral norms that guide actions of people in their day-to-day work.

Collectively, those actions determine whether an organization sinks or swims in the increasingly competitive

global marketplace.

This chapter describes four characteristics of corporate cultures that have been linked in research to

organizations’ bottom-line financial performance: mission, adaptability, involvement, and consistency.

Although culture change is a difficult and complex process, assessment of these specific factors can provide a

useful starting point for unfreezing the current culture, targeting key areas for development, and moving the

needle in a positive direction. Of course, having a road map for where things are headed is crucial. The four

mini-case studies illustrate the competitive advantage that can follow when organizations foster a strong

mission, a great deal of flexibility and responsiveness to the customer, high levels of employee involvement,

and great care toward core values and consistent delivery of results.

1. Given that organizational cultures can reinforce different behaviors in people, what performance outcomes have

scholars been interested in studying?

2. Although corporate culture underlies many aspects of the workplace, what are the four main ways that culture

impacts business performance?

Topic Summary 13: Change, Innovation, and Stress

Topic Summary: Change, Innovation, and Stress

Organizational change can be planned or unplanned, rapid or incremental, and involves a modification to

structures, processes, or outcomes in an organization. Change stems from a variety of causes and is explained

through various models. Although the models of change vary in assumptions about where change occurs and the

nature of change, the models provide guidance for effectively managing change. Resistance to change is a

common challenge in organizations. Innovation, in general, promotes change in organizations, but the method of

innovation differs from one organization to the next. Creativity effects innovation and change, and emerges from

individual and work-related factors. Stress is often experienced during change and innovation and can be

minimized through both individual and organizational factors.

1. What are the psychological factors that are cultural based, driving and constraining change?

2. What are Kotter’s eight steps in the strategic change model?

3. List several factors with the adoption of innovation in the organization.

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Expert Contribution on Decision Making by Design: A Blueprint for Balancing Execution and Innovation

Deone Zell (California State University, Northridge), Alan M. Glassman (California State University,

Northridge), & Shari Duron (Consultant)

We highlighted the characteristics of both execution and innovation decision-making processes, noting that they

serve very different company purposes. At critical times, companies can mix and match these approaches

inappropriately. They may digress into creative conversations when disciplined executor-type processes are

required, or they may demand short, time-measured problem solving when creative methods and outcomes are

needed. While it may seem easy to differentiate when each should be used, noted scholar James March

underscored the difficulty when he framed the choice as a war between “exploitation” and “exploration.”

Exploitation is characterized by refinement, choice, production, efficiency, and implementation, while

exploration is typified by play, dream scenarios, experimentation, flexibility, discovery, and risk. Like two sides

of the brain, each functions differently and is uncomfortable in the other’s territory. However, neither can act as

a unified whole without the other. The paradoxical key, therefore, is not only to recognize which approach to

decision making is needed, but to be disciplined in applying that approach and to simultaneously be aware that

the complexities of a major issue may require the use of both along the way; you may need to shift from one

approach to the other and back again. It is an iterative process.

1. What are the five parts of the decision-making process?

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Expert Contribution on Work and Working in the Era of Globalization

Rabi S. Bhagat (University of Memphis)

The lion’s share of existing research on how globalization-related pressures create new types of stresses focus

primarily on the determinants of stresses, their prevention, and resolution. Western organizational scholars and

health professionals have been focusing on prevention and management of distress. The emphasis has been on

the pervasiveness of negative experiences that individuals have as they seek meaning and balance in their work

and non-work lives in the current era of globalization. However, there is a growing movement in organizations

in terms of identifying the presence of positive forms of stress that are associated with positive arousal, good

health, and peak performances. Consider the case of the late Steven Jobs (2011). Despite receiving a terminal

diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, he continued to inspire his associates in creating innovative products like iPods,

iPhones, iPads, etc. His lifestyle and his ways of coping with work-related challenges continued from the days

when he and his Apple co-founder Steve Wozniack started producing Macintosh machines from their garage in

1978. The type of continuous arousal and excitement that Steve Jobs experienced throughout his lifespan is

called “being in the zone” or “in the flow.” Time feels suspended and there is only pure joy and pleasure from

immersing into a productive activity in the context of one’s work-role. Research on the effects of positive work

stress energize an individual to perform at a peak level while at the same time manage the growing demands of

life at home. There are many instances where some individuals are likely to appraise a situation or event as

beneficial or as providing positive enhancement of their well-being. Feelings of intrinsic accomplishments

coupled with extrinsic rewards and recognition from one’s work organization and professional societies can

greatly enhance positive stress or “eustress.” Positive affect, meaningfulness, manageability, and hope are also

good indicators of eustress. Researchers working in the positive organizational scholarship tradition have been

emphasizing the role of positive behaviors in the workplace and that highlighting the positive aspects of work–

life is likely to enhance the experience of eustress. More experiences of eustress will certainly go a long way to

offset the dysfunctional consequences of working in the current era of globalization.

1. What are the seven primary, organizational consequences of rapid globalization?

Answer: The primary, organizational consequences of rapid globalization are:

2. What causes work-place stress, and give some example of this type of stress.

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Expert Contribution on Organization Change

W. Warner Burke (Teacher’s College, Columbia University)

In baseball, batting 300 is considered quite good. This average for success with organizational change is

unacceptable. We need to learn much more about how to deal with the enormous complexities of organization

change. Planning is necessary. We need a road map toward the change goals, but we must accept the

inevitability that there will be bumps along the way and diverted routes that we did not anticipate. One of the

secrets to success is to deal with the “diversions” immediately and get the process back on track.

For the future, then, we must learn more about how to sustain the change once it has been initiated. Also, our

learning about organization change has largely been based on loosening tightly coupled systems, for example,

reducing bureaucracy, not so much on how to change and improve loosely coupled systems (virtual groups,

networks, etc.). And, finally, we have only scratched the surface about leading change. We must learn more about

how to help leaders persevere, communicate, deal with resistance, remain upbeat, inspire, support, and remain

optimistic, to list only a few needs for learning. If, by the year 2025, the failure rate for organization change has

been significantly reduced from 70 percent, we will have succeeded.

1. What are five areas we need to understand to more effectively deal with the unexpected aspects of

organizational change?

Answer: To more effectively deal with the unexpected, we need to understand the following aspects of

organizational change:

Topic Summary 14: Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics, and Sustainability

Topic Summary: Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics, and Sustainability

Organizations have responsibilities to society, to the environment, to the community in which they operate, and

to their employees. Ethics and values help us understand people’s beliefs and how these beliefs impact behavior.

Ethical decision making in organizations is challenging but necessary. An organization’s role in increased

corporate social responsibility suggests that all organizations, and corporations in particular, have a

responsibility to consider their impact on society that goes beyond simply following the law or considering

stakeholders, but requires considering the impact of the decision more broadly.

1. What are organizational ethics and what are the three basic categories?

2. What is a benefit corporation?

3. Applied ethics offers five distinct ‘tests’ to a behavior. Explain each one.

Answer: Each test is a question that a person should ask themselves before or during the ethical decision-

making process:

Applied ethics, in addition to asking people to determine how their behavior impacts the workplace, looks at the

governance structure of organizations to see if certain types of governance structure make more or less ethical

decisions.

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Expert Contribution on The Business of Making a Better World

Philip H. Mirvis (Private Consultant) & Bradley Googins (Boston College)

Over 75 percent of executives worldwide believe that sustainability is important to the financial success of their

companies, but as of 2010, only around 30 to 40 percent are taking serious steps to embed it into their business

practices. Why the significant gap? One reason is that many companies do not have a clear, or agreed-upon, view

on sustainability. Some define it narrowly with regard to environmental performance—their greenhouse gas

emissions, energy use, waste management, and the like. Interestingly, those that take it seriously typically have a

more expansive and integrative perspective that links environmental, societal, and governance responsibilities

together into an overall sustainability or corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda.

1. Peter Senge combines vision, mission, and values into a set of “governing ideas” for a business – what are they?

2. Describe one of IBM’s new initiatives, the Corporate Service Corps.

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Expert Contribution on Ethics

Gary R. Weaver (University of Delaware)

Creating a strong ethical outlook in your department or business can seem like a difficult task. But if you

recognize that an ethical organization involves more than what looks overtly to be about ethics, the task

becomes easier. When led with an eye toward fair treatment, ethically supportive organizational practices, and

encouragement of moral identity, the task of fostering organizational ethics can be divided into smaller, more

tractable practices, many of which you’d have to do anyway (e.g., performance appraisal, hiring, or designing

opportunities for subordinates to succeed). And seen as a collection of individually supportive but in many ways

ordinary organizational activities, good organizational ethics aren’t so hard to achieve after all.

1. Explain the multiple forms of “Fairness.”

2. How are identities shaped, and why are the right kind of workplace interactions relevant?

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Expert Contribution on The Psychology of Fairness at Work

Robert Folger (University of Central Florida), Stephen Gilliland (University of Arizona), & David Bowen

(Thunderbird School of Global Management)

We have stressed managing fairly to promote a culture of trust and respect. In closing, we want to reinforce the

message that organizational justice is a two-sided coin. On one side, when people feel unfairly treated, they will

decrease their effort, neglect customers, steal, sabotage, and quit. Unfair treatment can be a powerful motivator

of negative behavior. On the other side of the justice coin, fair treatment can motivate people to go above and

beyond. Creativity and superior customer service result from an atmosphere of fair treatment. Organizational

justice can turn the psychology of fairness into one of the biggest differentiators of effective and ineffective

management.

1. Why can creating an atmosphere of organizational justice by attending to fairness in management practices be a

2001). Fair treatment of employees also spills over to customers, as employees who are treated fairly are more

likely to treat customers fairly (Colquitt, 2001). In short, creating an atmosphere of organizational justice by

attending to fairness in management practices can be a source of sustained competitive advantage.

2. What are the important managerial implications of procedural justice research?

3. How can management benefit from attention to organizational justice with performance management?

IV. Case Studies

a. Matrix of Case Studies for Use with Topic Sections

Case

Topic

Summary

Case 1

The Case

of Apple

iPhone 4

Case 2

“We Are

Global or

We Are

Nothing”:

Conflict and

Cover-Up at

Colequarter

Maine

Case 3

EMERGENCY!

We Need a

Better

Compensation

System

Case 4 Face

Time at

TechPoint

Software,

Inc.

Case 5

Whatever

Happened to

One of the

“100 Best

Companies

to Work

For”? A Case

Study of

Hewlett-

Packard

Case 6

NASCAR’s

Drive for

Diversity:

Can They

Reach the

Finish

Line?

Case 7

Perceptions

of Leaders

Following

Public

Failures: A

Tale of Two

Coaches

Case 8

Conflict in

Santa’s

Workshop:

Learning to

Be a Team

Player at

ToyKing

1. Introduction to Organizational

Behavior

2 Individual Characteristics

3. Learning

4. Perception

5. Leadership

6. Motivation

7. Persuasion, Influence, and

Impression Management

8. Decision Making

9. Groups and Teams

10. Conflict and Negotiation

11. Diversity and Communication

12. Culture

13. Change, Innovation, and Stress

14. Corporate Social

Responsibility, Ethics, and

Sustainability