Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Case Notes
Chapter 10: Organizational Behavior: Power, Politics, Conflict, and Stress
GlaxoSmithKline
1. What types of job stressors are likely to exist in the GlaxoSmithKline work
environment?
The six job stressors include personality type, organizational culture, organizational
2. What are the benefits of the Energy and Resilience programs for
GlaxoSmithKline as a company in terms of functional vs. dysfunctional stress?
Functional stress is a level of stress that helps to increase performance while
3. What are the benefits of the Energy and Resilience programs for
GlaxoSmithKline employees in terms of functional vs. dysfunctional stress?
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Again, functional stress is a level of stress that helps to increase performance while
4. Which of the stress management strategies discussed in this chapter are likely to
be addressed by the Team Resilience program?
The Team Resilience program would most likely address the following stress
management strategies:
5. Do you think that work stress is a growing problem in the workplace these days?
Why or why not?
6. What would you do if you were a manager and one of your employees was
showing signs of high stress and burnout?
Changing Times: Has IBM (I’ve Been Moved) Become TTMJ (They Took My Job)?
1. Describe the impact of job layoffs and jobs “moves” on the current workforce’s
self-esteem and self-confidence.
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Self-esteem is about one’s overall view one oneself while self-confidence is believing in
2. Use the concept of locus of control to explain the opinion that all the IBM old-
timers have been waiting for the axe to fall no matter how good they were at their
jobs.
Locus of control is a theory of personality that addresses how much one believes that
3. Using attribution theory, describe the two main differing perspectives on IBM’s
future as described in the case.
Attribution theory is the process of determining the reason for someone’s behavior and
4. Robert X. Cringely sees IBM as dying (from the article title) while IBM CEO
Ginni Rometty IBM as strong and growing. These differing viewpoints illustrate
what perceptual principle?
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Perception congruence means that all parties perceive the same situation in the same. It is
5. Your attitude toward IBM may have been affected by reading this case. Why
might that attitude influence your future dealings with IBM products, services
and employees?
Attitudes are positive or negative evaluations of people, things and situations; they are
6. What types of power did IBM CEO Ginni Rometty demonstrated in this case?
There are seven sources or types of power: coercive, connection, reward, legitimate,
7. The “Watch IBM” Facebook page may be considered what form(s) of political
behavior.
Political behavior involves networking, reciprocity and coalition building. By developing
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
8. What factors might cause old time IBM employees to feel job stress?
Job stress is caused by personality type, organizational culture, organizational change,
9. Describe how IBM’s shift to a vocational workforce will affect the firm’s culture.
There are three levels of culture: behavior, values/beliefs and assumptions. The case
implies that the tasks and related job behaviors of these employees will be different—old
10. What type of planning encompasses IBM’s shift from being a top provider of
computer products and services to investing in its cognitive computing systems?
There are two types of plans. Strategic plans develop a mission and long-range objectives
11. What types of changes are described in this case?
There are four types of change: strategy, structure, technology and people. The change in
12. What human resources management processes are addressed in the case?
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019