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11.4 Is it important for managers to pay attention to employee attitudes?
It is indeed important for managers to pay attention to employee attitudes.
Managers should focus on employee engagement, job satisfaction, and
11.5 What trends in workplace diversity should managers be aware of?
In the U.S., trends in diversity include age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual
orientation, physical/mental abilities, and education level. The workforce continues
11.6 What causes workplace stress and how can it be reduced?
There are six sources of stress on the job: (1) demands created by individual
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1. How would you evaluate Jobs in terms of the Big Five personality
dimensions?
Jobs would certainly be categorized as an extrovert because he was very
assertive, perhaps to a fault. He was unafraid to speak his mind. (“… if
something sucks, I will tell people to their face.”)
2. How would you evaluate Jobs in terms of the five traits important to
organizational behavior? Explain.
Jobs clearly had an internal locus of control, demonstrated by his statement, “My
passion has been to build an enduring company where people were motivated to
make great products.”
MANAGEMENT IN ACTION:
Steve Job’s Personality & Attitudes Drove His Success
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3. What were Jobs’ attitudes about effective leadership? Use the three
components of attitudes to explain.
Jobs’ attitude about effective leadership was simple. “I’ve learned over the years
that when you have really good people, you don’t have to baby them. By
4. Do you believe that Jobs’ personality and attitudes affected the workplace
attitudes and behaviors of Apple employees? Explain.
Despite Jobs’ impatience, petulance, rudeness and obscenities, Apple’s top
5. What factors were causing stress for Jobs? Explain.
Jobs appears to be highly competitive and persistent in achieving his goals. This
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Solving the Challenge
1) Because women on average have larger hip breadth than men, it is not fair to base
2) I like the policy of Samoa Air. Make people pay based on their weight. After all,
airlines charge to check baggage based on weight so why should it be any different
for passengers.
Discussion:
Airlines have limited passenger capacity on flights, and have turned seat space into a
commodity. It is customary now to pay a premium to gain extra leg room in a higher
class of seating, the bulkhead seats, or the emergency exits. Now airlines are trying to
define ways in which they will deal with seat space in terms of width. Some have made
a policy that passengers who require more hip space than the regulatory 18-inches
must pay for an extra seat. Other airlines are more accommodating and try to find an
additional empty seat for the passenger at no charge. By treating seats as a commodity
and developing policy which regulates passenger options, the airlines are able to fairly
LEGAL/ETHICAL CHALLENGE: Should Airlines Accommodate
Overweight People?
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with individual difference based on size. Those individuals that need or want more
space, for whatever reason, can be given the choice to pay more for a larger seat. It is
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Objectives
• To gain experience determining the causes of performance.
• To decide on corrective action for employee performance.
Introduction
Attributions are typically made to internal and external factors. Perceivers arrive at their
assessments by using various informational cues or antecedents. To determine the
Instructions
Presented is a case that depicts the performance of Mary Martin, a computer
programmer. Please read the case and then identify the causes of her behavior by
The Case
Mary Martin, 30, received her baccalaureate degree in computer science from a
reputable state school in the Midwest. She also graduated with above-average grades.
Mary is currently working in the computer support/analysis department as a programmer
for a nationally based firm. During the past year, Mary has missed 10 days of work.
She seems unmotivated and rarely has her assignments completed on time. Mary is
usually given the harder programs to work on.
GROUP EXERCISE: Using Attribution Theory to Resolve
Performance Problems: The Case of Mary Martin
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programs found the output chaotic and not useful for managerial decision making.
Causes of Performance
To what extent was each of the following a cause of Mary’s performance? Use the
following scale:
Very little Very much
1 2 3 4 5
a. High ability 1 2 3 4 5
Internal attribution (total score for causes a, b, and c) ____
Appropriateness of Corrective Action
Evaluate the following courses of action by using the scale below:
Very inappropriate Very appropriate
1 2 3 4 5
Coercive Actions
a. Reprimand Mary for her performance 1 2 3 4 5
Change Job
Nonpunitive Actions
e. Work with Mary to help her do the job 1 2 3 4 5
No Immediate Actions
g. Do nothing 1 2 3 4 5
Chapter 11 – Managing Individual Differences and Behavior: Supervising People as People
Questions for Discussion
1. How would you evaluate Mary’s performance?
2. Is Mary’s performance due to internal or external causes?
For Instructors (Short version of exercise)
Attributions are typically made to internal and external factors. Perceivers arrive at their
assessments by using various informational cues or antecedents. The case depicts the
performance of Mary Martin, a computer programmer, which students are asked to read
and make attributions about the causes of performance. To assess the impact of
attributions of managerial behavior, students are asked to recommend corrective action.
Mary has missed 10 days of work in the past year, seems unmotivated, and rarely has
her assignments completed on time. She is usually given the harder programs to work
on. Her peer performance reviews are generally average to negative.
Questions for Discussion:
1. How would you discuss Mary’s performance?
2. Is Mary’s performance due to internal or external causes?
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Objectives
• To analyze a real-life scenario and determine how Type A and Type B individuals
might respond.
Introduction
The Type A syndrome was isolated in the 1950s by Meyer Friedman and Ray
The following characteristics are displayed by Type A individuals:
o Hurried speech.
o Tendency to walk, move and eat rapidly.
o Constant impatience with the rate at which most events take place.
The following characteristics are displayed by Type B individuals:
• Handles details patiently.
• Less competitive with others.
• Contemplates issues carefully.
GROUP EXERCISE: The Type A Behavior Pattern
Chapter 11 – Managing Individual Differences and Behavior: Supervising People as People
Instructions
1. Break students into groups of 3 or 4.
2. Read and distribute the scenario below.
The Case
It’s the night before an Accounting test and Heather is studying for the exam. This is
her only class where the chance of an “A” seems out of reach. The dorm is full of
stresses-out students, Heather’s computer crashed, and the vending machine is out of
Red Bull.
Questions for Discussion
1. Which of the Type A and Type B characteristics were displayed by Heather?
2. Is Heather more Type A or B?
3. Given your answer to question #2, what advice would you give Heather about
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The Challenge of Work-Life Balance
Teaching Objective: To describe the reasons achieving balance between work and
life roles is increasingly difficult in today’s society.
Summary: Achieving balance between work and life roles is increasingly difficult in
today’s society. In the current economy, many workers feel a lack of job security and
Questions:
1. What is stress? How does the body respond to stress?
Answer: Stress is the body’s physiological and psychological reaction to a
2. What are the long-term consequences of unmanaged stress?
Answer: In the long-term, unmanaged stress can result in strains including
3. Do you think technology like smart phones increases stress or reduces stress?
Explain your answer?
Answer: Answers will vary. On one hand, such technologies make it easier for
people to access information and communicate with each other from a variety of
Chapter 11 – Managing Individual Differences and Behavior: Supervising People as People
4. Should companies be concerned with their employees’ work-life balance? What
are some ways that companies might help their employees balance their work
and family roles?
Answer: More and more companies are recognizing the financial and social
benefits to helping employees balance their work and personal lives. Work-
5. What are ways that organizations can help employees manage stress in
general?
Answer: Companies can offer yoga, meditation, or exercise classes to help
6. What are some healthy coping strategies for managing stress?
Answer: Healthy coping strategies include exercising, getting social support from
Additional videos directly related to the textbook can be found in the
Connect Instructor’s Manual.
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Students may complete the “Mediating Morality” Manager’s Hot Seat exercises in
Connect for this chapter.
Introduction: The diversity of employees and the potential conflict that may arise as a
result is the focus of this scenario. Specifically, sexual orientation as a dimension of
Learning Objectives:
1. To assess students’ understanding of workplace diversity and diversity
management.
Scenario Description
Overview
At the conclusion of a previous meeting between Syl Tang and two employees, Daniel
Simmons and Bob Franklin, Daniel asked Tang about the same-sex partner benefits
that he had requested earlier, incidentally informing Bob Franklin that he was
Profile
• Syl Tang is the Senior Supervisor of Research and Production at EarthFirst
Pharmaceuticals, a company dedicated to the research and production of
vaccines for various diseases. She manages eight different teams with specific
areas of specialization.
MANAGER’S HOT SEAT
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References
The references included in the DVD are:
• Dimensions of Workplace Diversity
Back History
Syl has been the supervisor for seven years and is highly respected and regarded.
Her teams often cross-collaborate on special projects – each team has a specialized
field of expertise. The teams are quite large, totaling over 100 people. With such a
Scene Set-up
Simmons, Franklin, and Tang meet to discuss how they can meet the project’s
objectives.
Scene Location
Tang’s office.
The Meeting – Summary
Syl explains that she and Bob have discussed a solution that would enable two of
Bob’s employees to take on a larger responsibility and still meet the needs of the
Afterthoughts – Summary
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Dossier
The specific artifacts included in the DVD are:
1. Benefits Policy Excerpt
3. Harassment Policy
Discussion Questions:
Learning Objective #1: To assess students’ understanding of workplace diversity
and diversity management.
The Dimensions of Workplace Diversity are provided in PPT 10-3. List all of the
dimensions of diversity you observed in this scenario.
Which of the managerial roles shown on PPT 10-4 did Syl demonstrate?
Syl took on the role of the disturbance handler and liaison.
How effective was Syl in performing the roles you cited in #2?
Learning Objective #2: To analyze and evaluate approaches to managing diversity
in the workplace.
Provide examples from the scenario in which Syl either effectively or ineffectively
promoted diversity. Use the information in PPT 10-6 to support your answer.
Syl did not effectively increase the accuracy of perceptions or encourage
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What is Syl’s objective [when suggesting to delegate certain portions of Bob’s
work to Ralph and Jennifer]? (1)Avoid conflict; (2) Complete project; or (3) Mend
team.
Syl states that her goal is to complete the project. It seems she is also interested in
wants to mend the team.
Daniel’s perception [that Syl is letting Bob’s personal opinion affect a working
relationship] is: (1) Clouded; (2) Accurate; or (3) Biased.
Syl is trying to find alternative staffing models to complete the project.
How should Syl respond [to personal attacks in the meeting]? (1) Mediate; (2)
Change topic; or (3) End meeting.
Syl believes she should change the topic. Again, students should discuss the pros
What is the main issue [when Syl states there is not going to be a discussion of
anybody’s personal life]? (1) Confidentiality; (2) Completing project; or (3)
Upholding morals.
Syl believes the main issue is completing the project. Confidentiality as a concern
Why does Syl propose this [having Daniel come up with an alternative solution]?
(1) Shirk responsibility; (2) Mediation tactic; or (3) Empower Daniel.
Syl is attempting to empower Daniel. Students should discuss the effectiveness of
Learning Objective #3: To identify equal employment laws relevant to diversity
management.
According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is Daniel being unlawfully
discriminated against?
No, Title VII does not protect people from discrimination on the basis of sexual
According to EarthFirst’s Harassment policy, is Daniel being discriminated
against?
What are the long-term implications of allowing Bob to refuse to work with
Daniel?
Chapter 11 – Managing Individual Differences and Behavior: Supervising People as People
If Syl allows and condones this action, it could become a slippery slope. Daniel has
What actions should Daniel take next if he is separated from other employees?