Management Chapter 1 Homework The Insights Gathered could Yield Answers Much More Quickly The Weakness That The

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Student Resource

Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2022

Sample Answers to In–Text Questions

Note: Answers to Case Questions are available in the Case Notes. Answers to Toolkit Activities

are personal to the student therefore there are no sample answers.

Chapter 1: What Is Organizational Behavior?

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Why does asking these questions improve employee buy-in for the implementation of

plans? Are there other questions you feel are important to ask?

Question Location: What Is Critical Thinking?

Ans: These questions help employees view the organization from multiple perspectives other

than just as an employee. It helps them think like an owner or senior manager who can improve

2. Why do you think that Theory X/Y has had such a strong influence on understanding

leadership? Can you think of other assumptions that managers may hold in their

subconscious minds that influence how they treat their followers?

Question Location: Applying Critical Thinking to Theories in Organizational Behavior

Ans: McGregor identified beliefs that managers held about their employees. Most “Theory X”

3. Is employee productivity the most important outcome variable? If not, what outcome(s)

do you think is/are more important?

Question Location: Employee Withdrawal

Ans: Attitudes, Well-Being, Thriving, and Motivation—all drive Productivity. An organization’s

ability to do whatever it is it does, is entirely dependent on the productivity of the people that

Student Resource

Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2022

4. Which level(s) do you think has/have the most influence on individual behavior in

organizations and why?

Question Location: How OB Research Increases Employee Performance

Ans: Answers will vary but a sample answer could be: the dyad is the closest in proximity to the

individual level; hence, it has the strongest influence on individual behavior in organizations.

Research in Action

Using Evidence to Increase Donations to Universities

1. Explain why people are more likely to give money when they know their donation will go

to a specific college. How could universities make donations even more specific? Provide an

example.

Ans: The research suggested that former students have a strongly connected to their university,

but it learned that the “why” ought to be looked at more closely. What the research discovered

was that alumni aren’t emotionally connected to the university because of the overall general

2. How can the implications for practice based on the field experiment be extended? For

example, what guidelines would you provide to volunteers who make phone calls to ask for

donations?

Ans: Results from different practices, like emails and phone calls, will certainly yield different

results. For example, the results gathered from sending emails led to the conclusion that direct

3. What are the strengths of using field experiments to solve organizational challenges?

What are the weaknesses?

Ans: Among the strengths of using field experiments to solve organizational challenges include

the potential to gather vast quantities of data in a short amount of time. The insights gathered

Student Resource

Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2022

4. Design an experiment to increase a different voluntary activity such as donations to a

blood bank using EBM principles.

Ans: In order to see if donations to a blood bank on a college campus increase, we will conduct

an experiment that has an experiment lasting two months. During the first month, marketing for

the donation will only take place virtually. Stakeholders (donors) might concern themselves with

the legitimacy and widespread reach of the blood donations. To have marketing done entirely on

What’s #Trending in OB?

Organizational Behavior in the Gig Economy

1. Discuss the influence of technology on the rise of the gig economy. What other forces do

you think have given rise to this level of gig workers?

Ans: I think that the technology behind the rise of the gig economy has given participants the

ability to be entirely influenced by the fact that the individual level of organizational behavior is

solely responsible for their success. There are no risks that the other levels of influence could

harm the gig economy participant’s productivity, yet at the same time there are none of the

2. Do you agree that the trend of gig workers will continue to grow? Discuss the pros and

cons of gig work for?

Ans: Answers will vary but here is a sample answer:

(a) Organizations

• Pros: Gig work is tremendously beneficial for organizations. By paying

contractors, they avoid all the taxes that are tied to traditional payroll.

Student Resource

Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2022

supplement their existing income with another source, which was traditionally a

much more difficult task prior to gig work.

• Cons: Being a contractor has benefits, but it also has some drawbacks. The

flexibility doesn’t come with company sponsored health benefits or retirement

plans. But why should it? Gig workers work on their own time. If the company

provides benefits, they can look elsewhere.

3. Would you consider gig work instead of full-time employment after you graduate? (If

you are currently employed full-time, would you switch?) Explain your reasons.

Ans: Answers will vary but here is a sample answer: I would only ever consider gig work as

secondary employment to complement my primary source of income. I am currently employed

and I still have time on my hands. There are times where I enjoy my hobbies, but there are times