Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Job Oriented Skill
Job Oriented Skill
to accompany
Human Relations:
Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills
Tenth Edition
Andrew J. DuBrin
College of Business
Rochester Institute of Technology
PrenticeHall
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-502064-7
ISBN-10: 0-13-502064-6
CONTENTS
PREFACE ...............................................................................................................ii
Chapter 1 A Framework for Interpersonal Skill Development..........................1
Chapter 2 Understanding Individual Differences.............................................13
Chapter 3 Developing Self-Esteem and Related Skills......................................30
Chapter 4 Interpersonal Communication .........................................................44
Chapter 5 Developing Teamwork Skills.............................................................57
Chapter 6 Group Problem Solving.....................................................................71
Chapter 7 Cross-cultural Relations and Diversity............................................85
Chapter 8 Resolving Conflict with Others.......................................................100
Chapter 9 Becoming an Effective Leader.........................................................116
Chapter 10 Motivating Others............................................................................131
Chapter 11 Helping Others Grow and Develop................................................144
Chapter 12 Positive Political Skills.....................................................................159
Chapter 13 Customer Satisfaction Skills............................................................175
Chapter 14 Enhancing Ethical Behavior...........................................................191
Chapter 15 Stress Management and Personal Productivity.............................205
Chapter 16 Job Search and Career Management Skills...................................222
i
PREFACE
5. Twenty-five multiple choice, and 25 true/false questions. The test questions are
based on specific pages in the text. We have attempted to reduce the number of
questions for which a second answer would appear equally plausible to many
students. Each set of questions follows the page sequence in the text. Prentice Hall
offers a computerized test bank containing the same questions.
An effective classroom use of this text is to make frequent use of group exercises.
Skill-building exercises, discussion questions, and the cases work well with group
discussion. My small-group discussion procedure includes serving as a resource person to
the groups before they make their presentations. Sometimes the group may need help in
interpreting a case question or in knowing how much freedom it may have in making
certain assumptions about the case or question under study.
For any questions for comments about the classroom use of Human Relations:
Interpersonal, Job-Oriented Skills you are welcome to contact me by telephone at (585)
442-0484, or e-mail at ajdubrin@frontiernet.net.
Andrew J. DuBrin
College of Business
Rochester Institute of Technology
ii
CHAPTER 1
A FRAMEWORK FOR INTERPERSONAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT
The first chapter sets the stage for improving interpersonal relations in organizations by
presenting a framework for interpersonal skill development and training. Students who follow
this framework seriously will increase the probability of enhancing their interpersonal relations in
the workplace through the use of this text and its accompanying course.
Effective interpersonal relations must be combined with technical knowledge and good work
habits to achieve success in any job involving interaction with people. Many people are held back
from promotions and pay raises, and even lose their jobs, because of poor relationships with
people.
B. Assessing Reality
The person needs to assess how far away he or she is from reaching the goal.
Soliciting feedback from others about distance from the goal is helpful.
C. An Action Plan
Actions must be taken to improve interpersonal relations. An action plan
is a series of steps to achieve a goal. Implementing the plan requires self-discipline.
D. Feedback on Actions
The person obtains feedback on the consequences of his or her actions. Short- and
long-term measures of effectiveness are important.
E. Frequent Practice
For the new skill to be long lasting it must be integrated into the person's usual
1
way of conducting himself or herself. After a skill is programmed into a person's
repertoire, it becomes a habit.
People are the most likely to develop new skills when they feel the need for change. A specific
area in which a person needs to change is referred to as a developmental need. Self-analysis,
thinking through past feedback, and soliciting new feedback are helpful in identifying
developmental needs. Feedback from performance evaluations is useful also.
Some areas for skill improvement in interpersonal relations are found among
managerial, professional, technical, and sales personnel. A universal training
need is an area for improvement common to most people. The text is organized
around universal needs, as follows:
Opportunities exist in the workplace for developing interpersonal skills that can be a valuable
supplement to more formal training.
A. Informal Learning
Informal learning is the acquisition of knowledge and skills that takes place
naturally outside of a structured learning environment. One study showed that up to 70
percent of learning takes place informally. Learning interpersonal skills informally can take
place though such means as observing a coworker, manager, or team leader deal with a
situation. A trend in business is for employees to integrate formal classroom learning with
informal learning. Formal and informal learning of interpersonal skills are useful
supplements to each other.
2
Certain workplace experiences are particularly suited to interpersonal skill
development. These experiences are (1) unfamiliar responsibilities, (2) proving yourself,
(3) problems with employees, (4) influencing others without authority, and (5) having a
difficult manager.
1. In recent years, several of the most prestigious business schools, such as those at
Wharton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Virginia, have placed
much more emphasis on teaching soft skills. Why do you think this change might have come
about?
Supervisors of entry-level workers rely more on soft skills to accomplish their work
because they spend so much time motivating, training, encouraging and disciplining
workers. Nevertheless, hard skills such as preparing budgets and technical problem
solving are also important for supervisors of entry-level workers.
Soft skills are important in an era of high technology for several reasons. Despite
the presence of technology, human problems exist. People still need to be motivated to
work at full capacity; communication problems still exist; conflicts must be resolved;
and so forth. Another factor favoring soft skills is that the information technology era
has created much depersonalization. Soft skills are therefore helpful in humanizing the
workplace.
5. How does a person know if the feedback he or she receives from another person is
3
accurate?
6. How could doing a thorough job with Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1 have a major
impact on a persons career?
Doing thorough job with Quiz 1-1 might get a person started on the path of
overcoming a developmental need that could be a career retardant. Suppose after
doing Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1, the person was reminded that he or she is poor at
criticizing others (Statement 14). Furthermore, the same person develops and
implements an effective action plan. As a result, the person would have a better chance
of succeeding as a manager.
7. Many business executives, as well as people in public office, have been forced out
of their positions because they made inappropriate sexually-oriented comments to young
workers on their staff. What do you think is wrong with these executives and politicians
with respect to interpersonal skills?
8. Based on what you have learned so far in this book, and your own intuition, how would you
respond to the statement, You cant learn how to get along with people from reading a
book?
The model presented in this book indicates that you can learn ideas for getting along
with people from a book, but you must also obtain feedback on how well you have
acquired the skills, and practice the new skills.
9. Give an example of a skill you might have learned informally at any point in your
life.
Students cite excellent examples of informal learning, including both hard skills and
soft skills. One student explained how he learned to become a butcher by observing
experienced butchers. A number of students also write that they learned how to tie
their shoes through modeling. Dealing with customer complaints is another skill set
many people have learned through informal learning.
10. Why are soft skills usually not sufficient for building a successful career?
Soft skills alone are usually not sufficient for building a successful career because the
path to career success usually begins with performing well in a technical or functional
4
skill. For example, even though the field of human resource management involves a lot
of soft skills, a person enters the field by doing analytical work such as analyzing
turnover statistics or salary trends.
Nobody Likes Me
This modest case points to a major human relations problem: some workers are so unpopular that
it is a source of concern to them.
Using Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1 as a guide, here are some of Baxters development
needs: (5) I make negative comments about myself too readily, (8) Very few people
listen to me, (13) People find me boring, and (18) It is difficult for me to find things to
talk about with others.
2. If you were Marge Caitlin, what would you recommend that Baxter do?
Baxter situation seems serious enough to speak with a mental health professional. At
the same time he could probably benefit from reading, study, and a human relations
workshop about getting along well with others.
3. From the little evidence that you have, what is your opinion of Catlins
interpersonal skills?
The little evidence suggests positive interpersonal skills for Caitlin. Despite being
under pressure with her own analytical work, she was observant enough to notice that
Baxter was experiencing difficulty. Also, she asked Phil a question that suggests she
has good listening skills.
This case illustrates a frequent human relations challenge in the workplace: not going along with
the good causes of coworkers.
1. What developmental needs might workers such as Bok Lei Goodman have in
relation to their dealing with charity appeals at the office?
Using Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1 as a guide, the key developmental needs are as
follows: (4) I have trouble expressing my feelings, (10) When Im in conflict with
another person I usually lose, and (17) I avoid controversy in dealing with others,
2. What developmental needs might the workers have who sell products for charity at
the office?
5
Using Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1 as a guide, the key developmental needs are as
follows: (2) Im too overbearing and obnoxious, and (3) I intimidate too many people.
Of course, if a person believes that selling products for charity in the office is
meritorious, these developmental needs do not apply.
3. Why might this case about soliciting for charity be considered a human relations
problem?
Dealing with solicitors for charity is a human relations problem because most people
want to get along with their coworkers, yet sometimes coworkers place us in an
uncomfortable position. We want to turn down a demand without jeopardizing the
relationship.
This exercise helps emphasize a point that must be repeated oftenfor many people improving an
interpersonal skill takes a lot of hard work. Going through all six steps is important to enhance the
possibility that development will take place. Identification of developmental needs is an essential
first step, and I have found students tend to be open rather than defensive about looking for ways
to improve interpersonal skills.
This exercise is placed first in the text because it sets the stage for serious thinking
about personal development in the interpersonal sphere. One approach to this exercise is to
request each student to present one developmental need and action plan to the class. After the
presentations are complete, students are asked to interpret what they heard. My experience has
been that students often ask the instructor to identify his or her most pressing developmental
need. So be prepared!
As an introductory role play to the course, this scenario has promise. Both Ricardo and Kristina
probably want to preserve a good working relationship, yet they will be in minor conflict. People
who sell wellness products are often obsessed about the health-benefits of their products, making
it difficult for them to recognize that an associate might be not interested in purchasing the
product.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
6
c. effective skills in interpersonal relations and technical work.
d. technical skills and Internet skills.
(d) 4. The difference between soft skills and hard skills refers to the distinction
between
a. intellectual and mechanical skills.
b. personal and job-related skills.
c. irrelevant and relevant skills.
d. interpersonal and technical skills.
(d) 5. Many studies have show that soft skills can compensate for
a. skills in dealing with people.
b. being sensitive to other peoples feelings.
c. traditional intelligence, particularly in highly analytical work.
d. traditional intelligence (within limits).
(b) 7. An example of an action plan to help Jack become more patient would
be for him to
a. set a goal of becoming more patient.
b. receive counseling about his impatience.
c. ask friends if he is really impatient.
d. figure out how far he is from his goal of being more patient.
7
(c) 9. The final step in the learning model is
a. assessing reality.
b. obtaining feedback.
c. frequent practice.
d. developing an action plan.
(b) 10. An important requirement at each stage of the model for acquiring skills is
a. punishment for mistakes.
b. self-discipline.
c. encouragement from an outside source.
d. reviewing past mistakes.
(a) 14. The purpose of the developmental need inventory is to identify needs for
development and
a. draw actions plans for bringing about needed change.
b. draw a self-portrait.
c. compare past successes with future goals.
d. compare one's own developmental needs with those of others.
8
(c) 17. The biggest change in recent years in how work is organized has been
a. increasing the number of levels in an organization.
b. appointing more managers and supervisors.
c. the shift from traditional departments to teams.
d. giving less responsibility to workers.
(b) 19. The need for leadership skills has increased in the modern organization
because
a. many more permanent leadership positions have been created.
b. more people are required to exercise leadership at least part of the time.
c. many entry-level workers now have leader in their title.
d. companies have de-emphasized the importance of groups and teams.
(c) 20. A current trend in helping employees grow and develop is that
a. employees are instructed to sink or swim.
b. managers expect schools to take care of all growth and development.
c. workers are expected to help coworkers.
d. employees are given three months to grow and develop.
(a) 23. According to a table prepared by Capital Works, which is the most frequent
source of learning on the job among the following four?
a. interaction with coworkers
b. contact with outside professionals
c. Internet or intranet
d. conferences
(b) 24. Which one of the following has been identified as a powerful on-the-job
learning experience?
a. influencing others when you have considerable authority
9
b. dealing with problem employees
c. dealing with familiar responsibilities on a regular basis
d. having a boss who agrees with you in almost all areas
(c) 25. Which one of the following experiences is likely to do you the most good in
terms of developing job skills?
a. being assigned familiar responsibilities
b. dealing with routine assignments.
c. having a boss with serious shortcomings
d. being paid more than your peers.
True/False
(F) 1. Interpersonal skills are referred to as soft skills because a person with good
interpersonal skills has a low aptitude for technical work.
(F) 2. As the work environment has become more technological, the demand
for interpersonal skills has decreased.
(F) 3. So long as a supervisor is highly intelligent, he or she does not need much in
the way of soft skills.
(T) 7. An action plan in the learning model refers to a mechanism for changing the
relationship between the person and the environment.
(T) 8. Self-discipline is important for implementing the action plans in the learning
model.
(T) 10. True skill development takes place when a person integrates the new skill
into the usual way of conducting oneself.
(F) 11. When an interpersonal skill becomes a habit, it loses its effectiveness.
(T) 12. The learning model proceeds in this sequence: Goal assessing reality
an action plan feedback on actions frequent practice.
10
(F) 13. People are the most likely to develop new skills when they feel no particular
need for change.
(T) 14. A developmental need refers to about the same idea as a weakness a person
should overcome.
(T) 15. An example of a developmental need would be, I become flustered when I
talk to people who hold important positions.
(F) 18. The shift toward increasing the number of departments in organizations has
led to the increased importance of teamwork skills.
(T) 20. An example of informal learning would be to develop your Internet search
skills through chatting about these skills with coworkers during breaks.
(F) 21. A survey of many company employees indicated that informal learning
still only accounts for about 10 percent of workplace learning.
(F) 22. You can tell that you are participating in informal learning when beverages
and snacks are served during break time at a seminar.
(F) 25. One of the biggest inhibitors to developing effective interpersonal skills is
to have a boss you cannot get along with.
11
CHAPTER 2
UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
I. PERSONALITY
Individual differences in personality greatly influence interpersonal relationships.
Personality refers to those persistent and enduring behavior patterns that tend to be
expressed in a wide variety of situations.
Many psychologists believe that the basic structure of human personality is represented
by five broad factors, known as the Big Five (or Five Factor Model). Three more key
personality factors, risk taking and thrill seeking, self-monitoring of behavior, and optimism,
have received much attention and are also included here. All eight factors have a substantial
impact on interpersonal relations and job performance. Despite a genetic influence, most
people can improve their standing on key personality factors.
2. Extraversion reflects the quantity or intensity of social interactions, the need for social
stimulation, self-confidence, and competition.
3. Openness reflects the proactive seeking of experience for its own sake.
7. Risk taking and thrill seeking refers to the propensity to take risks and pursue thrills.
The Five Factor Model appears to apply to personality structures in different cultures. One
study showed that extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are major personality
factors in most cultures.
12
B. The Eight Factors and Traits and Job Performance
Depending on the job, any one of the preceding personality factors can be important for
success. Conscientiousness relates to job performance for many different occupations, yet
conscientiousness can interfere with spontaneity and imagination. Extraversion is associated
with success for managers and salespersons. High self-monitors tend to receive higher
performance evaluations, and they tend to engage in organizational citizenship behavior, a
willingness to go beyond ones job description. A study with customer service employees
demonstrated that having low standing on the Big Five personality factions is associated
with counterproductive work behavior such as taking company property.
A combination of personality factors will sometimes be more closely associated with job
success than one factor alone, such as being conscientious and agreeable. Optimism and
pessimism can enhance job performance depending on the job.
Combining the four types with each other results in 16 personality types, as measured by
the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Figure 2-2 presents the personal characteristics associated
with four of the sixteen types of cognitive styles. Evidence suggests that the different types
are associated with occupational choice, such as the traditionalist often becoming an
accountant or financial analyst.
Far too many people over-interpret Meyers-Briggs personality types as being definitive
indicators of an individuals personality, and therefore pigeon hole that person.
To match ones approach to dealing with a given personality type, a person must first
arrive at an approximate diagnosis of the individuals personality. Fourteen suggestions are
presented in the text, yet they must be regarded tentatively. Four of these suggestions are: (1)
When relating to an extraverted individual, emphasize friendliness and warmth; (2) when
relating to an introverted individual, move slowly, and tolerate silence; (3) when relating to a
disagreeable person, be patient and tolerant; and (4) when relating to a conscientious person,
grant freedom and do not nag.
Mental ability is one of the major sources of individual differences that affects job
performance and behavior. Intelligence is the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge.
13
Abstract problems can best be solved by intelligent workers. Understanding the intelligence of
others can improve ones ability to relate to them.
Intelligence consists of a g (general) factor along with s (special) factors that contribute
to problem-solving ability. The g factor helps explain why some people perform so well in so
many different mental tasks. The following seven mental ability factors have been consistently
identified:
B. Practical Intelligence
To overcome the limited idea that intelligence mostly involves the ability to solve abstract
problems, the concept of the triarchic theory of intelligence has been proposed. The
analytical subtype is the traditional intelligence needed for solving difficult problems. The
creative subtype is the type of intelligence required for imagination and combining things in
novel ways. The practical subtype is the type of intelligence required for adapting to your
environment to suit your needs. Included in practical intelligence is intuition, and experience-
based way of knowing or reasoning in which the weighing and balancing of evidence are done
automatically. Experience usually improves practical intelligence.
C. Multiple Intelligences
According to the theory of multiple intelligences, people know and understand the world
in distinctly different ways, and learn in different ways. The eight intelligences, or faculties, are
as follows: (1) linguistic, (2) logical-mathematical, (3) musical, (4) spatial, (5)
bodily/kinesthetic, (6) intrapersonal, (7) interpersonal, and (8) naturalist.
D. Emotional Intelligence
How effectively people use their emotions has a major impact on their success. Emotional
intelligence refers to qualities such as understanding ones feelings, empathy for others, and
the regulation of emotion to enhance living. The four key factors of emotional intelligence are:
1. Self-awareness (self-knowledge)
2. Self-management (control of ones emotions)
3. Social awareness (empathy for others and intuition about work problems)
4. Relationship management (interpersonal skills)
14
Emotional intelligence incorporates many of the skills and attitudes necessary to achieve
effective interpersonal relations in organizations.
Several suggestions are given for relating differently to people of different types and levels
of intelligence. For example, when people are brighter, present ideas in more technical depth,
use more difficult words, and ask challenging questions; do the opposite with a mentally slow
question.
A value refers to the importance a personal attaches to something, and values are another
source of individual differences. Values are closely tied in with ethics, the moral choices a
person makes. Differences in values among people often stem from age, or generational
differences. Table 2-1 presents stereotypes about Baby Boomers versus members of
Generation X and Generation Y.
One important way in which we learn values is through observing others, or modeling.
Models can be parents, teachers, friends, brothers, sisters, and even public figures. Another
way in which values are learned is through the communication of attitudes.
Value-clarification exercises ask you to compare the relative importance you attach to
different objects and activities. Self-Assessment Quiz 2-4 provides insight into value
clarification.
When individual and job values are congruent, job performance is likely to be higher.
When the demands made by the organization or a superior clash with the basic values of the
individual, the person suffers from person-role conflict.
D. Guidelines for Using Values to Enhance Interpersonal Relations
15
Responding to individual differences is so important because the opposite is to relate to
people mechanically and reflexively. When a person adapts to another persons
uniqueness, good rapport is the likely result.
2. How can knowledge of personality factors help a person form better interpersonal
relationships on the job?
A knowledge of key personality factors can help people individualize their approach to
other people. As a basic example, if a person appears to be introverted, the person sizing
him or her up might use a laid-back approach.
3. Identify two job situations (or entire jobs) in which being pessimistic might be an asset.
Pessimists make good auditors because their mental set is to think something might be
wrong, and they go look for it. Being a pessimist can also be an asset for a tax
accountant because it is similarly advantageous to think that mistakes might have been
made by the client. As a result, the tax accountant will attempt to ferret out the errors.
5. Identify two business occupations for which a high propensity for risk taking and thrill
seeking would be an asset.
Business occupations where a high propensity for risk would be valuable include a
broker for investments such as stock futures and commodity trading, a specialist in
repossessing expensive goods, a commission-only sales person, and a venture capitalist.
6. What kinds of problems would individuals who rely on feelings prefer to tackle?
The feeling-type individual prefers to tackle problems involving details, routine and
order, such as conducting an inventory audit or preparing uncomplicated tax returns.
7. Which of the seven components of traditional intelligence represents your best mental
aptitude? What is your evidence?
Reflecting on past experience helps answer this question. An easy source of information
would be school grades. A person might also reflect about work experiences and
everyday experiences. Someone might be good at understanding maps and following
them, suggesting good spatial intelligence as his strongest aptitude.
16
8. How could you use the concept of multiple intelligences to raise the self-esteem of people
who did not consider themselves to be very smart?
People who do not consider themselves to be very smart typically use scholastic
achievement and abstract problem solving as their frame of reference for judging
intelligence. A person with such a self-evaluation might be reminded that he or she has
great aptitude for dancing (or something else), this indicating high bodily/kinesthetic
intelligence (or another of the multiple intelligences). Receiving recognition for genuine
accomplishment tends to bolster self-esteem.
To the extent that a job does not involve much interaction with people, a person with
low emotional intelligence might be successful. Many technical jobs do involve
considerable interaction with people, so low emotional intelligence can be a negative
factor for many technical jobs.
10. How can you use information about a persons values to help you relate more
effectively to him or her?
Knowledge of a persons values can enhance establishing rapport with the individual by
making an appeal to those values. If you know, for example, that the person has strong
professional values, you can emphasize career and work in casual conversations with
him or her.
A major theme of this case is that and understanding of human capabilities can help solve an
important business problem, such as staffing a home for assisted living. The case also emphasizes
that being humanistic, and giving a diverse people a try, can be a good business strategy.
1. What do you recommend that the board do in terms of approving Gagnons plan for hiring
about five people with intellectual deficiencies to work at Westmont?
A sensible point from a human relations perspective would be to give the plan a try, and
closely supervise and coach the workers with intellectual deficiencies to give the plan a
good chance for success.
17
2. Assuming that the workers with mild intellectual deficiencies are hired, what
recommendations can you make to the supervisors for their training and supervision?
Experience suggests that workers with mild mental deficiencies respond well to simple,
explicit instructions that are repeated frequently. The supervisor should minimize changes
of assignments. Encouragement and kindness are also likely to enhance the recruits
chances for success.
3. Gagnon mentioned a few potential jobs at the Center for workers with light intellectual
deficiencies. What other tasks would you recommend?
Workers with mild intellectual deficiencies perform the best in low-skilled, repetitive
work. Some additional tasks likely to need doing at the Center include cleaning the floors
and bathrooms, watering plants, raking leaves, picking up debris from the lawn, carrying
back trays from the rooms of residents, and emptying waste baskets..
Here, early in the text, we present a case involving ethics, with the specific theme being role-
conflict. Chapter 13 explores ethical skills in depth.
Malone is facing role conflict. He is being asked to manipulate sales figures which
conflicts with his values of wanting to be an honest professional sales representative.
3. What do you recommend Bruce should have done to work his way out of the problem he was
facing?
Bruce was cornered since he was not in a position to change corporate values. Yet, he
might have requested a meeting with Lucille and a corporate executive to express his
concerns. If he turns down the request to fake sales figures he would be risking is job.
Bruce might be too nave to work for just any industrial sales firm. However, the scandals
in recent years have alerted more companies to maintaining honest financial records. As a
consequence, Bruce might be able to work for a firm with high ethics.
18
Self-monitoring is a major personality trait so it is useful for students to think about their
tendencies toward self-monitoring. The significance of extreme scores is useful to ponder. Would
a very low self-monitor be insensitive to people, such as telling coworkers that their children are
dull-witted or ugly? Would a very high self-monitor be an inveterate office politician?
Even people in the same demographic group vary considerably in risk-taking propensity, so class
members should vary in their scores. Ask for volunteers who scored very high or very low on the
quiz to compare their scores to their self-evaluation. It is helpful for the volunteers to document
how they are high- or low-risk takers.
To perform these role-plays well, students will have to carefully study the guidelines for dealing
with different personality types. Studying the guidelines will also give useful clues about how to
behave when one has high standing on a particular personality trait such as openness. For
example, the sensing type individual will be digging for details about the expense account abuses.
A potential contribution of this exercise is that it sensitizes students to the importance of reacting
to one of the major dimensions of behaviormental ability. Many people have not stopped to
think of the importance of dealing with people differently based on their mental abilities.
This role play works wonders with humanistic students who also understand the concept of
individual differences. The effective role player will be encouraging toward Jimmy, and give him
clear instructions without presenting too many tasks during the first meeting. At the same time the
student who plays the supervisor must pull this off without appearing to be patronizing. After the
role play is completed, Jimmy might be asked if he felt patronized.
Thinking through the priorities one attaches to his or her values is inherently enjoyable. A point of
class discussion is how some of the values are interrelated. One cannot satisfy some values
without satisfying others. For example having good health contributes to having an above-average
income, and being in good physical condition.
A high level of diplomacy is required to deal with the person-role conflict of being asked to make
unfavorable judgments about workers to justify laying them off. This role-play might demonstrate
how difficult it is for some people to cling to their values when their job might be at stake.
19
The Making the Numbers Conundrum
This role play requires courage in that the person who plays the role of Bruce Malone must
defend his or her values. The person who plays the role of Lucille Whitman might be defending a
decision that she (Whitman) does not regard highly. Bruce is in the delicate position of defending
his values while at the same time attempting to keep his job. Peeking ahead to Chapter 8 about
conflict-management skills might be helpful for the role players.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
(d) 3. Jill scores low on the personality trait of extraversion. She will most likely
a. be careless about details.
b. be agreeable and outgoing.
c. have unpredictable mood swings.
d. be quiet and reserved in most social settings.
20
(a) 4. Jason scores high on the personality trait, openness. He most likely is
a. well developed intellectually.
b.conscientious only on the job.
c. disagreeable in many situations.
d.emotionally unstable.
(b) 5. Monica has a high standing on self-monitoring. It is likely that she will often
a. tell other people what they want to hear.
b. be particularly conscientious about details.
c. be tactless about expressing her feelings.
d. become quite temperamental.
(d) 6. Derek has a high standing on risk taking and thrill seeking. He is likely to
a. enter more traditional occupations.
b. be highly well organized.
c. become quite temperamental when he loses a bet.
d. pursue novel, intense, and complex sensations.
(a) 8. Workers who score high on optimism or positive affectivity are likely to experience
a. high job satisfaction.
b. low job satisfaction.
c. severe job stress.
d. frequent conflict with supervisors.
(a) 9. A cross-cultural study of the Big Five model concluded that personality structure is
a. universal, much like the structure of the human brain or body.
21
b. unique to each culture like customs.
c. found mostly in developed countries.
d. found mostly in undeveloped countries.
(c) 10. A group of studies about the relationship of self-monitoring to job performance found
that
a. high self-monitors are less likely to be found in leadership positions.
b. low self-monitors are more likely to be found in leadership positions.
c. high self-monitors receive higher performance evaluations.
d. low self-monitors receiver lower performance evaluations.
(d) 11. A study with customer service representatives found that having a low standing on
the Big Five personality factors was associated with
a. high concern for rules and regulations.
b. ambition to become an executive.
c. high cooperation and team play.
d. counterproductive work behavior such as playing a mean prank.
(a) 12. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the opposite of a thinking person is
one classified as
a. feeling.
b. judging.
c. perceiving.
d. intuiting.
(b) 13. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Marie is a feeling-type individual.
She most likely bases conclusions on
a. ideas that others have rejected.
b. personal or social values.
c. objective information
d. statistical evidence.
(a) 14.When dealing with a person who is open to experience, it would be effective for you
22
to
a. appeal to the persons intellect.
b. avoid presenting fresh information to him or her.
c. avoid talking about cultural trends.
d. talk about traditional approaches to solving problems.
(d) 15. Juan has a strong g factor. He is therefore likely to perform well
a. mostly on tasks requiring numerical reasoning.
b. mostly on tasks requiring good verbal ability.
c. in a variety of tasks that do not call for much mental problem solving.
d. in a variety of mental tasks.
(a) 17. The triarchic theory of intelligence explains that intelligence is exhibited
a. in mental activities of various kinds.
b. mostly in solving mechanical problems.
c. only by people of average intelligence.
d. only after accumulating experience.
(b) 18. According to the triarchic theory of intelligence, a person with good street
smarts would be strong in the ____________ subtype of intelligence.
a. analytical
b. practical
c. creative
d. multiple
(b) 19. According to the triarchic theory of intelligence, a person with good analytical
intelligence would be strong at
23
a. adapting the environment to fit his or her needs.
b. solving difficult problems.
c. performing tasks requiring imagination.
d. tasks requiring common sense and street smarts.
(c) 20. The theory of multiple intelligences contends that people possess
a. various ways of multiplying their intelligences.
b. two different types of intelligences, or faculties, in different degrees.
c. eight different intelligences, or faculties, in different degrees.
d. an almost unlimited number of intelligences.
24
d. is expected to perform two different activities at the same time.
(c) 25. Workers who are idealistic about their jobs are likely to want to
a. get as much vacation time as possible.
b. make many mistakes while daydreaming.
c. make an impact on the lives of others.
d. avoid hard work.
True/False
(F) 2.The concept of personality is based on the fact that the behavior of people
is unpredictable from one situation to another.
(F) 3.The personality trait of openness relates primarily to how eagerly a person enters
into relationships with other people.
(T) 4.A high self-monitoring person has a strong tendency to tell other people what they
want to hear.
(T) 5.The willingness to take risks and pursue thrills on the job is a personality trait that has
grown in importance in the high technology era.
(F) 6.A person with a high degree of optimism is likely to experience many negative
emotional states.
(F) 7.The five-factor structure of the American personality is found almost exclusively in
the United States and Germany.
(T) 8.The personality trait most consistently related to job success is conscientiousness.
25
(F) 9.The personal trait of extraversion is associated with success in management jobs and
sales jobs.
(F) 10.A low self-monitor is more likely to engage in organizational citizenship behavior
than would a high self-monitor.
(T) 11. A study with customer service representatives indicated that having low standing on
the Big Five personality factors was associated with being a conscientious and productive
workers.
(T) 12.Pessimistic workers are often productive because they assume that something will go
wrong and therefore prepare to prevent unfortunate circumstances.
(T) 13. According to the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator, one of the four dichotomies that
direct the typical use of perception and judgment by the individual is sensing- intuiting.
(T) 14.A persons cognitive style influences the type of work he or she can perform well.
(F) 16.A key point of the triarchic theory of intelligence is that the creative and practical
subtypes of intelligence are inferior to the analytical type.
(T) 17.A person with high practical intelligence would have good common sense and
wisdom.
(T) 18.According to the theory of multiple intelligences, people learn in different ways.
(T) 19.Emotional intelligence refers to the idea that how effectively people use their
emotions influences their success.
(F) 20.The self-awareness aspect of emotional intelligence refers to a passion to work for
reasons in addition to money or status.
26
(T) 21.Having good social skills is part of being emotionally intelligent.
(T) 24.Job performance is likely to be higher when a persons job values fit those
required on the job.
(F) 25.A person-role conflict occurs when a person has much more intelligence than his
or her job requires.
27
CHAPTER 3
BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-CONFIDENCE
This chapter focuses on two of the biggest building blocks for more effective human relations:
the nature and development of self-esteem and self-confidence.
Understanding the self is important. A particularly important role is played by self-esteem, the
overall evaluation people make about themselves whether positive or negative. Our self-concept is
what we think about ourselves whereas self-esteem is what we feel about ourselves.
Self-esteem develops and evolves throughout our lives based on interactions with people,
events, and things. Early-life experiences have a major impact on self-esteem. People who
were encouraged to feel good about themselves and their accomplishments by others are more
likely to enjoy high self-esteem. Praise alone does not build self-esteem. Instead, it results
from accomplishing worthwhile activities, and then feeling proud of these accomplishments.
To develop self-esteem people need to improve their skills for dealing with the world.
A study with Dutch college students found that self-esteem was related to procedural
fairness and leadership that encourages self-rewards. Fair procedures had a stronger impact on
self-esteem when the leader encourages self-rewards.
Self-esteem is important for career success. High self-esteem leads to good mental health.
One reason is that high self-esteem helps some situations from being too stressful, such as
being insulted. Yet people with high self-esteem profit from negative feedback.
Self-esteem is a critical source of competitive advantage in an information society because
it is associated with such behaviors as being creative and innovative, and taking the initiative
to solve problems. Workers with high self-esteem are more likely to be able to cope with new
challenges regularly because they are confident they can master their environment.
High self-esteem can have some negative consequences particularly because individuals
with high self-esteem work hard to presser their high status relative to others, such as
undermining them. High self-esteem can lead to an unrealistic view of oneself, and also to
intolerance of people who differ from ones self. Envy is another potential negative
consequence of high self-esteem.
The consequences of self-esteem are related to its source. People who evaluate their self
worth on how others perceive them and not on their value as human beings often suffer
negative physical and mental consequences.
28
Following are five approaches to enhancing self-esteem that relate to how self-esteem
develops. Each of these approaches has a skill component, such as learning to avoid situations
that make you feel incompetent.
Rebut the voice inside you that sends negative messages about your capabilities. Rebutting
critical statements made about you might also be considered another way of appreciating your
strengths.
D. Practice Self-Nurturing
Treat yourself as a worthwhile person. Nurture and care for yourself in ways that show
how valuable, competent, deserving and lovable you really are. One example is to administer
self-rewards for a job well done.
E. Minimizing Setting and Interactions that Detract from Your Feelings of Competence
Minimizing exposure to situations in which you do not feel at your best can lead to
fewer feelings of incompetence. Yet it is good for self-esteem to conquer situations in which
you feel challenged.
Self-esteem is strongly shaped by how others perceive us so getting help from others is a
major step a person can take to improve his or her self-esteem. Asking for support from
friends can include such basic steps as: (1) Ask friends to tell you what they like about you or
what they think that you do well. (2) Ask for a hug. Getting help from teachers and other
helpers can include: (1) Ask professors or tutors for help with work you find to be
challenging. (2) Take classes or attempt new activities to increase your self-confidence in
weak areas.
Another way of getting help from others is to talk and socialize frequently with
29
people who can boost your self-esteem. People who can raise your self-esteem are usually
those with high self-esteem themselves. The same people will give you more
honest feedback. Weak people may flatter you, but not offer the honest feedback you need to
build self-esteem.
Observe the way people who you believe to have high self-esteem stand, walk, speak,
and act. Choose your models of high self-esteem from people you know personally, as well as
celebrities you might watch on television and interview shows.
A panel of mental health specialists recommends that to enhance your self-esteem you
should make your living space one that honors the person you are. Make the space
comfortable and attractive for you. Your living space is part of your self-image.
Solving problems from a base of facts helps project a confident image. Formal education is
very important, and day-by-day absorption of career-related information is also important.
To appear self-confident, use positive self-talk, or saying positive things about your self.
The first step is to objectively state the incident that I casting doubt about self-worth. .
30
To use positive visual imagery, or picturing a positive outcome in your mind. Imagine
yourself performing well in an upcoming situation that represents a challenge.
Explaining events in an optimistic way can help preserve self-confidence and self-esteem.
When experiencing trouble, optimists tend to explain the problems to themselves as
temporary.
Self-esteem is shaped in part by how we are perceived by others. In many cultures, people
tend to perceive you more positively when you hold an important job. These positive
perceptions in turn enhance the persons self-esteem.
2. A study be economists indicated that workers with higher levels of self-esteem tended to be
more productive. What would be an explanation of this finding?
The workers with high self-esteem would take more pride in their work, thereby doing a
better job leading to higher productivity. Organizational productivity, in turn, improves
based on a higher number of individual workers being productive.
31
3. Having workers with high self-esteem is supposed to give a company a competitive edge. If
you were responsible for hiring a few new workers, ho would you evaluate a given applicants
level of self-esteem?
The interviewer could ask for a self-description, and observe whether the person made
mostly positive references to himself or herself. Statements of pride in his or her
accomplishments might indicate self-esteem. High career goals would be another indicator
of high self-esteem. Indicators that the person took pride in his or her appearance could
also be a tip off to self-esteem. Begging for the job might be an indicator of low self-
esteem, as would a willingness to take any salary.
4. Exercises to boost self-esteem and self-confidence often emphasize focusing on your positive
qualities. Why might it also be important to be aware of your weak points to develop self-
esteem?
Weak points that create problems for us frequently can lower self-esteem and self-
confidence. So if the person patches a weakness, his or her self-esteem might grow. Many
public personalities including business executives have worked with speech coaches to
overcome a strong regional accent because they perceived the accent to detract from their
impact. With the accent modified, these people seem to gain in self-esteem and self-
confidence.
5. A study mentioned in this chapter showed that people with high self-esteem are sometimes
intolerant of people quite different from themselves. How would you explain these findings?
A potential problem with high self-esteem is that it can sometimes lead to an exaggerated
sense of self-worth. The person comes to believe that he or she is a standard for other
people. As a consequence, he or she believes that people who do not match this standard
are less worthy than him or herand intolerance results.
6. When you meet another person, on what basis do you conclude that he or she is self-
confident?
A self-confident person tends to project an optimistic attitude, and make many positive
self-statements. The comments about judging self-esteem in response to Question 3 apply
here also. Positive body language is another indicator of self-confidence, such as having a
firm handshake and a minimum of nervous indicators such as frequent touching of the hair
or looking away from the person opposite him or her. However, some people with low
self-confidence have learned to project a positive image.
7. What positive self-talk can you use after you have failed on a major assignment?
32
8. In what way does your program of studies contribute to building your self-
confidence and self-esteem?
A self-esteem and self-confidence booster for many students is that they perceive their
program of studies as helping them develop or enhance valuable skills. Having these skills
will help them succeed in a career, thereby enhancing their self-confidence and self-esteem.
An argument against believing that cheerleaders as a group are self-confident is that the
self-confidence is not general self-confidence but self-efficacy about being athletic and
cheerful. This self-efficacy might not spill over to having self-efficacy about dealing with
pharmaceuticals. The positive argument is that you have to be self-confident to be a
cheerleader, and you also have to be self-confident to be a pharmaceutical sales rep. Many
students may be aware that recruiting cheerleaders is sometimes interpreted as
discrimination against candidates who do not resemble the stereotype of a cheerleader.
There is at least one employment agency that specializes in matching companies with
cheerleaders.
10. Interview a person whom you perceive to have a successful career. Ask that person
to describe how he or she developed high self-esteem. Be prepared to discuss your
findings in class.
We can anticipate a good learning experience for students who take this assignment
seriously. Many people with successful careers will probably explain that parents, teachers,
and bosses helped them develop self-esteem through encouragement. And some of the
more perceptive people interviewed will describe how their early-life accomplishments
boosted their self-esteem.
This case illustrates the importance some employers place on making employees feel good
about themselves with the purpose of enhancing job satisfaction and productivity.
1. To what extent do you think that the celebrations assistant is really boosting the self-esteem of
workers?
33
2. Assume that Nick is successful in boosting worker self-esteem. How might this help the
company?
If Nick is successful in boosting worker self-esteem, the long range effect could be positive.
Research suggests that workers with higher self-esteem are more productive. They might be
more self-confident, and take more pride in their jobs.
3. Advise the CEO of the company in question as to whether having a celebrations assistant on
the payroll is a good investment of company money.
Workers certainly do need recognition, rewards, and praise. Perhaps recognition, rewards, and
praise should come from a manager rather than a staff person designated to deliver the
recognition, rewards, and praise. The celebrations assistant role might be perceived as
artificial. We therefore do not think that the celebrations assistant is a good investment of
company moneyproviding managers take over the assistants role.
Building up Kristina
This case anecdote touches on the widespread problem of some people lacking enough self-
confidence to conquer important tasks.
1. What seems to be Wrights problem based on the brief information you have been given?
Wright has low self-confidence as evidenced by her negative self-statements. The most telling
of the statements is Im just average, average, average. At the same time, Wrights self-
esteem appears to be low. She feels that she is not anybody special.
2. What recommendations can you make to Wright to boost her self-confidence enough to get
through any upcoming job interviews she might have?
Perhaps Wright can take a quick inventory of her strengths. She might list her qualifications
for an administrative assistant position, and then conclude that she has at least adequate
qualifications. She might also list three positive qualities that she possesses.
3. How helpful might be the words of encouragement and advice that Lopez has given Wright so
far?
Lopez seems quite genuine in her compliments, and she states them in a reasonable, factual
way. Lopez also has enough knowledge of Wright to be a credible source of compliments. We
therefore conclude that her words of encouragement to Wright are helpful.
A side use of the Self-esteem Checklist is to discuss why some of the statements are related to
self-esteem. Two good examples are If my manager praised me, I would have a difficult time
34
believing it was deserved and "I'm just an ordinary person." Some people may not recognize that
every day beliefs about the self are tied in with self-esteem.
The process of writing down positive things about oneself to boost self-esteem and self-
confidence has a long history. The activity is therefore worth a try. A side benefit is that thinking
through good points about oneself is good preparation for job interviews.
We assume that students will enjoy the activity of attempting to build the self-esteem of another
person. Probably the worst thing that can happen is the recipient of the attempt at self-esteem
building will just shrug off the compliments. A useful message communicated by this exercise is
that it is humanistic to attempt to build the self-esteem of others, and also requires good
interpersonal skill.
Thinking through your level of self-confidence can prove worthwhile. Most people believe that
they can use a boost in self-confidence so it is helpful to ponder the ten statements for specific
areas of improvement in self-confidence.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
35
(c) 3. Jody says, I feel great about myself, and I feel that I am wonderful. She is
expressing her
a. self-monitoring.
b. self-doubts.
c. self-esteem.
d. self-concept.
(c) 7. Pamela wants to raise her self-esteem. A good formula for her would be to
a. look in the mirror everyday and say, Pamela, you are fabulous.
b. look in the mirror everyday and say, Pamela, you need to improve.
c. attain genuine accomplishments, then receive recognition for them
d. attend a retreat where everybody hugs everybody else.
(d) 8. According to a psychologist mentioned in the human relations text, the single
important factor for career success is
a. being the first-born child in a family.
b. being the last-born child in a family.
c. having high analytical intelligence.
d. self-esteem.
(b) 10. Jennifer has high self-esteem. When her human relations professor tells her
that she needs major improvement in her presentation skills, Jennifer is likely to
a. drop the course.
36
b. ask for advice about improving her presentation skills.
c. demand concrete evidence about her deficiencies.
d. complain to the department head.
(d) 11. Barry has high self-esteem combined with high emotional instability, so he is
likely to
a. always remember to compliment others in a group
b. be an excellent listener.
c. physically attack people who disagree with him.
d. undermine others by such means as ignoring them.
(c) 12. The biggest impact on your self-esteem is likely to come from
a. television and movie stars.
b. well-known athletes.
c. your own reference group.
d. genetic factors.
(a) 13. According to social science research, Maria is likely to enhance her self-esteem
if she first
a. pursues a goal then achieves the goal.
b. receives a hug from a friend, then chooses a goal.
c. hugs somebody else then smiles.
d. fails to attain a goal, then receives a hug.
(c) 16. To boost his self-esteem, Sam wants to practice self-nurturing, so he should
a. punish himself when he makes mistakes.
b. ask key people in his life to hug him.
c. take good care of himself mentally and physically.
d. attempt to win a contest such as a marathon.
37
(b) 18. An opinion expressed by a psychologist cited in the human relations text is that people
who can boost your self-esteem are usually those
a. who have so many problems they make you look good.
b. with high self-esteem themselves.
c. with an extra high degree of self-importance.
d. who have conquered substantial personal problems.
(c) 22. Which one of the following is the least likely to increase self-confidence?
a. Having pride in one's work.
b. Taking risks.
c. Acquiring a large base of knowledge.
d. Maintaining a rigid position on most issues.
(b) 24. Amy makes use of the Galeta effect when she says to herself
a. Whatever results I achieve will be good enough.
b. I intend to be one of the best performers in the company this year.
c. Life is beautiful if you stop to smell the roses.
d. If I set my goals low enough, I know I will succeed.
(d) 25. You know that you are on the way to peak performance when you
a. are beginning to feel some fatigue from the task.
b. receive the coaching that you need to perform well.
c. engage in multitasking.
38
d. totally focused on what you are doing.
True/False
(F) 1. Self-esteem deals with what we think about ourselves, whereas the self-concept
deals more with what we feel about ourselves.
(T) 2. Priscilla has high self-esteem therefore she is likely to develop a positive self-
concept.
(T) 5. A study with Dutch students found that self-esteem tended to be enhanced when
the supervisor encouraged self-rewards.
(T) 7. Workers with high self-esteem will typically take the initiative to solve
problems.
(F) 8. Martha has very high self-esteem combined with low emotional stability so she
is likely to be extra kind and courteous toward others.
(T) 9. Clyde has very low self-esteem so he is likely to envy many people who have
accomplished more than he has done.
(T) 10. For purposes of developing high self-esteem it is better to base your feelings of
self-worth on internal rather than external sources.
(T) 11. According to social science research esteem-like feelings are more likely to
develop after achieving a goal rather than before its achievement.
(F) 12. Current thinking is that heaping undeserved praise and recognition on people is
an effective strategy for boosting their self-esteem.
(F) 13. Your inner critic is an ally in your quest to develop high self-esteem because the
critic gives you honest feedback.
(F) 14. A recommended way of practicing self-nurturing is to line up five friends to tell
you how wonderful you are.
(T) 15. People with high self-esteem are more likely to give you honest feedback
39
because they respect others and themselves.
(T) 16. A recommended way of boosting yourself esteem is to model yourself after
people with high self-esteem who you know personally.
(F) 17. Self-efficacy refers to the idea that a person feels self-confident to carry out a
wide variety of tasks.
(T) 18. One of the components of self-confidence is to observe other people with
capabilities similar to your own perform a task well.
(F) 19. One of the components of self-confidence is for others to attempt to convince
you that you cannot perform a task well.
(F) 21. Tammy engages in negative self-talk when she says, I am a leading person in
my field, even though I am less than perfect.
(T) 22. To use positive visual imagery correctly, develop an image of yourself
performing superbly in a challenging situation.
(T) 23. Explaining bad events in a positive way tends to be a self-confidence booster.
(T) 24. Attaining a state of peak performance requires intense concentration on the task.
(F) 25. A starting point in dealing with the emotional aspects of adversity is to deny that
the problem exists so you can feel more self-confident.
40
CHAPTER 4
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
The purpose of this chapter is to assist readers in further developing the interpersonal
communication skills they already possess. Communicating lies at the heart of interpersonal
relations.
The process model of communication presented in text Figure 4-1 follows these steps: Sender
(or source) message channel (medium) receiver feedback. The environment and the
influence of noise are also important parts of understanding the communication process.
The combination of dominant and cold communication sends the signal that the sender of the
message wants to control and to limit, or even withdraw from a personal relationship. Subordinate
actions combined with warm communication signal a desire to build the relationship while yielding
to the other person. Figure 4-2 summarizes how the dual dimensions of dominance-subordinate
and cold-warm influence the relationship-building aspects of communication.
Psychologist Steven Pinker says that warm acquaintances go out of their way not to look as if
they are presuming a dominant-subordinate relationship, but instead a relationship of equals.
Nonverbal communication refers to the transmission of message through means other than
words. These messages accompany verbal communication and sometimes stand alone.
41
B. Guidelines for Improving Nonverbal Communication
Messages are the most likely to be distorted when they are complex, emotionally
arousing, or clash with a receiver's mental set. The tactics described next help reduce distortion.
Defensive communication is the tendency to receive messages in such a way that our
self-esteem is protected. Such communication is also responsible for people sending messages
to make them look good. Overcoming these barriers is difficult because of denial, the
suppression of information we find to be uncomfortable.
Repetition enhances communication, particularly when more than one channel is used to
get the message across.
Feedback tells us if the message has been received as intended. Action, of course, is even
more conclusive. Feedback is also important because it reinforces the sender. Check for
feelings after you have received a message. When you send a message, it is helpful to express
your feelings.
Being perceived as having a positive attitude helps melt communication barriers because
most people prefer to communicate with a positive person. Being positive helps make you
appear more credible and trustworthy.
42
An elegant tactic for overcoming communication barriers is to communicate so
persuasively that obstacles disappear. Suggestions for persuasiveness include:
Communication barriers will frequently surface when two or more people are engaged in
conversation fraught with emotion, such as giving highly negative performance feedback, or
even giving praise. One technique for reducing stress here is to prepare in advance for the
conversation. Be aware of how you might react in the situation. Also, practice temperate
phrasing, or being tactful while delivering negative feedback.
I. Engage in Metacommunications
People who are aware of gender differences in communication style would face fewer
communication barriers between themselves and members of the opposite sex. Major findings
about gender differences in communication style include:
43
4. Men prefer to work out their problems by themselves, whereas women prefer to talk
out solutions with another person.
5. Women are more likely to compliment the work of a coworker, whereas men are more
likely to be critical.
6. Men tend to be more directive in conversation, whereas women emphasize
politeness.
7. Women tend to be more conciliatory when facing differences, whereas men
become more intimidating.
8. Men are more interested than women in calling attention to their
accomplishments or hogging recognition.
9. Men tend to dominate discussions during meetings.
1. Why are communication skills important in the field you are in or intend to enter?
2. How can knowing the steps in the communication process help a person become
a more effective communicator?
Knowing the steps in the communication process helps a person understand the hurdles
that must be overcome to get a message across. For example, if the communicator knows
that noise can occur at any time, he or she will be on guard against communication
barriers.
An automobile can send several messages. An obvious answer is that owning aluxury car
sends the message, "I have arrived," or "I am powerful." Keeping a car impeccably neat
sends a message that the person is tidy and orderly, whereas a messed-up car sends the
opposite message. Keeping a well-maintained older auto might project a conservative,
thrifty, attitude.
4. What type of voice quality do you think would be effective in most situations?
A forceful, yet reassuring and comforting voice that includes a consistent tone without
vocalized pauses would connote power and control. It would also be effective in many
business and social situations.
5. Should a person use power words when he or she is not in a powerful job? Explain.
44
Using power words when one is not in a powerful job is a good idea because it might help
one get promoted to a powerful job. Projecting a favorable image usually enhances a
person's chance for promotion.
6. Why does giving employees training in listening often lead to increased productivity and
profits?
Better listening leads to increased productivity and profits in many ways. Not
listening can result in costly errors and rework, such as taking an order incorrectly over
the phone. Listening to what a customer really wants can lead to increased sales and
profits. Showing empathy toward employees by listening can reduce turnover, thereby
increasing organizational productivity. Listening to a ping in a machine can lead to quick
repairs, saving on major repairs later on.
8. Identify three scenarios in the workplace that are likely to result in stressful conversations.
The workplace is the setting for many potentially stressful conversations. Among them are
conversations about being placed on a downsizing list, being caught cheating on an
expense account, being accused of sexual harassment, quitting, and receiving a very
negative performance evaluation.
9. Suppose your manager does not listen to your suggestions for job improvements.
how would you metacommunicate to deal with this problem?
A group member who feels that her suggestions are virtually ignored by the team
manager might say to the manager, "I'm concerned that when I make a suggestion for
improvement, my ideas just get shrugged off. What is your opinion about my concerns?"
10. What are the implications of gender differences for conducting meetings?
Given that meetings are a natural setting for communication to take place, understanding
gender differences may help facilitate communication. An obvious example is that men
have a tendency to hog too much of the meeting. It would therefore be important for the
meeting leader to solicit the opinion of women. A more subtle difference is that during a
meeting women may want to invest more time is talking about problems without
necessarily pushing toward making a decision immediately.
45
A major point this case illustrates is that implementing a communication technique may not
always go so smoothly, particularly if the implementer needs better listening skills.
1. How successful is Karl in using his walk around to uncover useful information?
Karl is meeting with mixed success. He didnt give Mandi much of a chance to talk; he didnt
listen to Petes problems; he did not ask Brittany about work; and he dismissed Dereks
problems. Yet at least Karl heard that problems existed.
Karl needs to ask open-ended questions, instead of asking questions in a form that shuts off
communication. A good example of a poor question is the one he asked Mandi: I take it
everything is going fine, and that you have no problems. Am I right? Karls question to
Derek, was too general to be effective. Karl asked, How goes it?
Karl should focus on training himself to listen, and not dismiss the statements of his workers.
Karl treated Pete rudely by checking his BlackBerry rather than listening to Pete. Karls
limited listening to Derek shut out conversation. Instead of digging for more details about
Dereks problems, Pete replied, Dont worry much about that.
This case illustrates the communication challenges faced in a service profession, particularly
when the message delivered creates some uncomfortable changes in the habitual way people do
things.
Telfair faces the problem of sending a message that many people do want to hear. She is
asking them to acquire a few new habits and incorporate these habits into their daily routine.
Her patients all hear Telfair, but many of them are not listening.
Perhaps she is delivering her message, but then not listening for feedback to assess the
likelihood that the message is being received, and will be acted upon. We do not know if
Telfair is communicating persuasively.
3. Offer Telfair a couple of suggestions to help her accomplish her goal of being more effective
at preventing dental and gum problems based on your knowledge of interpersonal
communications.
As mentioned above, Telfair might make more use of benefit selling. She should present
graphic descriptions of the time and money people have to invest in oral surgery later in life
46
they do not engage in prevent activities now. Maybe multiple channels of communication
would be helpful. In addition to talking, how about as few graphics of patients in later life who
neglected good dental hygiene earlier in life? A few power words might help, such as
expensive, painful tooth implants, ugly, unsightly teeth in your old age.
Taken seriously, this exercise can point the way toward self-improvement that can benefit the
student both personally and professionally. Voice quality is an often overlooked part of impression
management.
Attempting the mirroring technique is an effective way of learning how much skill is required.
After students have conducted the field experiments, they might be encouraged to give a
classroom demonstration through role-playing.
I Want a Raise
How to get a raise is a topic that makes its way frequently into articles and news columns. It
will be instructive to see which persuasive techniques the students use. The more persuasive
arguments will relate to how much the worker is contributing to the company. Sad stories about
financial difficult are much less convincing. A side benefit of this exercise is that it presents
another opportunity to practice communicating in front of a group. Another area for observation
is how effectively students use humor in relation to this serious topic.
Listening Traps
The listening traps presented in this exercise get at typical listening problems in an informative,
interesting manner. Notice, however, that being a mind reader (at least to some extent) is
recommended for active listening.
Listening to a Coworker
This role-play is valuable because it demonstrates that listening is not a natural behavior pattern.
The listener in this role-play will often talk more than the target person. The student playing the
role of listening to the discouraged coworker has to guard against giving too much advice and
listening too little.
Most students are familiar with this potentially humorous scenario, so they will have some good
background material to work with. One of the communication barriers this role play might
illustrate is how difficult it is for the dental worker to obtain clear answers to questions while a
scraper is in the patients mouth. The patient might want to explain something subtle, but is hard
47
pressed to do anything but grunt yes or no. The comments about benefit selling and multiple
channels are relevant here also.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
(c) 3. Brandy and Melissa are warm acquaintances, so when they communicate they
a. are likely to compete to subordinate.
b. emphasize nonverbal rather than verbal communication.
c. presume a relationship of equals.
d. are likely to compete to dominate.
(c) 5. When you neatly organize your work area to appear efficient, you are using
the form of nonverbal communication called
a. personal space.
b. public distance. .
c. environment or setting.
d. work signals.
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b. gestures.
c. interpersonal distance.
d. posture.
(c) 8. To get a quick read based on nonverbal cues, of a persons happiness, look
carefully at his or her
a. hand gestures.
b. communication setting.
c. face.
d. physical distance from you.
(d) 9. Supervisor Barney often consults his BlackBerry while coaching people in
his department. Most employees are likely to think that Barney
a. cares about them enough to electronically record their conversation.
b. is on the fast track to the executive suite.
c. dislikes being a supervisor.
d. does not think they are very important.
(a) 10. Which one of the following characteristics of a message is the least likely
to encounter barriers?
a. factual
b. complex
c. emotionally arousing
d. clashes with the receiver's mental set.
(c) 12. With respect to having empathy, brain research suggests that
a. women are hard-wired to show empathy.
b. men are hard-wired to not show empathy.
c. mirror neurons help us empathize.
d. receptors in the retina of the eye tell us when to show empathy.
(d) 13. Defensive communication often occurs because the receiver is attempting to
a. create communication barriers.
b. confuse the sender.
c. impress the sender.
d. protect his or her self-esteem.
(a) 14. Your manager discusses your job performance with you. She says, "Could you
summarize for me what I've told you?" Your manager is attempting to
overcome communication barriers by the method of
a. asking for feedback.
b. appealing to human motivation.
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c. being a positive person.
d. using multiple channels.
(a) 15. To help overcome communication barriers, after you receive a message
a. check for the feelings related to the message.
b. take the message at face value to avoid communicating distrust.
c. ask the sender to repeat the message twice.
d. immediately respond, Are you telling me the truth?
(b) 16. In regard to communications, it has been observed that a positive attitude
a. decreases a person's credibility.
b. helps reduce communication barriers.
c. is often interpreted by the receiver as manipulation.
d. creates subtle barriers to communication.
(a) 18. The least useful of the following for communicating persuasively is to
a. establish goals as you go along in your presentation.
b. explore the reasons for a person's objections.
c. use power words.
d. develop fallback positions.
(b) 20. Repeating in your own words what a person said is an example of
a. an open-ended question.
b. summarization.
c. verbal following.
d. communication overload.
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c. warming up by talking about the weather.
d. expressing your temper openly.
(c) 24 A communication style difference noted between men and women is that
men are more likely to
a. use conversation for rapport building.
b. want empathy more than solutions.
c. use talk to display knowledge and skill.
d. compliment the work of a coworker.
(a) 25. A communication style difference noted between men and women is that
women are more likely to
a. talk out solutions to problems with another person.
b. want solutions rather than empathy when talking about problems.
c. be directive in conversation.
d. be critical of the work of coworkers.
True/False
(F) 3. The typical communication pattern is for a person who sends a cold message
to receive a warm message in return.
(F) 4. According to a psychologist cited in the human relations text, when warm
acquaintances communicate they tend to take turns being dominant and
subordinate.
(F) 8. A research study came up with the surprising finding that a whining,
complaining, or nagging tone was well liked because it caught the attention of
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people.
(T) 9. Voice quality is even more important over the phone because other nonverbal
indicators are absent.
(F) 10. Wearing formal attire to the office now communicates the message that you
are obsolete and somewhat phony.
(F) 11. An effective way to make another person feel important when you are
communicating with him or her is to multitask.
(F) 12. Subtly imitating another person usually communicates the message that
you are mocking him or her.
(T) 13. Communication barriers are likely to be erected when a message has a high
emotional content.
(T) 14. Empathy involves imagining yourself in the other person's role and assuming
the viewpoints and emotions of that person.
(T) 15. Brain research suggests that we receive help in empathizing with others because certain
brain circuits reflect the actions and intentions of others as if they were our own.
(F) 17. Having a positive attitude typically creates a communication barrier because
most people will think you are hiding the truth.
(T) 18. Establishing a yes pattern early in a sales session helps set up a climate to
persuade the other person.
(F) 19. Raising your voice at the end of most sentences adds to your persuasiveness.
(F) 20. A key component of active listening is to ask closed-ended questions like,
Do you agree with me?
(T) 21. Julio wants to be an effective active listener, so he checks to see if the
senders nonverbal communication fits his or her verbal communication.
(F) 22. To help prepare for a stressful conversation, it is recommended that you
practice delivering negative feedback in a forceful, no-nonsense manner.
(T) 23. You engage in metacommunications when you communicate with another
person your perception of how well you two are communicating.
(F) 24. A gender difference in communication styles is that men prefer to use
communication for rapport building.
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(T) 25. A gender difference in communication styles is that women want empathy
more than solutions when talking about problems.
53
CHAPTER 5
DEVELOPING TEAMWORK SKILLS
The purpose of this chapter is to present information and self-assessment and skill-
development exercises that will assist the reader to develop teamwork skills. Being an effective
team player is one of the most important sets of behaviors in the modern workplace.
A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a
common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves
mutually accountable.
I. TYPES OF TEAMS
All workplace teams have the common element of people working together cooperatively and
members possessing a mix of skills.
B. Cross-Functional Teams
A cross-functional team is a work group composed of workers from different
specialties, at about the same organizational level, who come together to accomplish a
task. The people from different specialties are supposed to blend their talents. Cross-
functional teams are widely used in product development.
C. Virtual Teams
Some teams conduct most of their work by sending electronic messages to each
other rather than conducting face-to-face meetings. A virtual team is a small group of
people who conduct almost all of their collaborative work by electronic communication
rather than face-to-face meetings. Establishing trust is a major challenge in a virtual team
because the team members have to rely on people they never see to carry out their fair
share of the workload, and to exchange reliable information.
D. Crews
A crew is a group of specialists each of whom have specific roles, perform brief
events that are closely synchronized with each other, and repeat these events under
different environmental conditions. Among the criteria for a group to qualifying as a crew,
are (a) clear roles and responsibilities, (b) work flow well established before anyone joins
the team, and (c) different people can join the group without interfering with its operation
or mission. Team members should be technically excellent and also have good personal
chemistry with each other.
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II. THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TEAMS AND TEAMWORK
Teams, as well as groups in general, should not be regarded uncritically; they have both
advantages and disadvantages.
3. Coordinator (mature, confident, and a natural team leader but might be seen
as manipulative and controlling).
4. Shape (challenging, dynamic, and thrives under pressure but can be easily
provoked and may ignore the feelings of others).
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term] thinking, and makes accurate judgments but might lack drive and the ability to
inspire others).
8. Completer-Finisher (conscientious and anxious to get the job done, but can
be a worrier and reluctant to delegate).
The weaknesses in the first nine roles point to problems the team leader or manager can
expect to emerge, and therefore an allowance should be made. Also, team members will
sometimes engage in self-oriented rolesfocusing on their needs instead of the needs of the
group.
Students should not be concerned about overlap in the above roles. Instead, they should
pick and choose those roles most appropriate for the situation.
Effectiveness as a team player can be enhanced by understanding the skills, actions, and
attitudes required to be an effective team player. A convenient method for classifying team
activities in pursuit of goals is people-related versus task-related.
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members. Use the time-tested principle: Attempt to criticize the persons work, not the
person. Criticism works both ways, so the effective team player is willing to accept helpful
criticism.
The task aspects of team play also make a key contribution to becoming an effective
team player. A task aspect usually has interpersonal consequences.
D. Believing in Consensus
A major task-related attitude for outstanding team play is to believe that consensus has
merit. Consensus is the general acceptance by the group of a decision, including a
willingness to support the decision.
E. Focusing on Deadlines
People vary in their attitudes towards the importance of deadlines. Keeping the group
focused on deadlines is valuable because meeting deadlines is vital to team success.
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G. Be a Good Organizational Citizen
A comprehensive way of carrying out the task aspects of team play (as well as
relationship aspects) is to help beyond the requirements of your job description
organizational citizenship behavior. Two studies showed that organizational citizenship
behavior is even more important when people depend on each other to accomplish a task.
1. Part of being a good team player is helping other members. How can members of a
workplace team help each other?
Helping teammates can take several forms including giving assistance in solving problems,
offering advice, and giving emotional support. Workload sharing when teammate is
overloaded is another important vehicle for help.
Team members would know they have achieved synergy when it is apparent to them that
something substantial has been accomplished that they could not have achieved working
independently. Each member might think, "I could never have produced this myself."
3. What should the other team members do when they uncover a social loafer?
A starting point would be for several, or all, the other members to discuss their
perceptions of his or her social loafing with the loafer. If confrontation and problem-
solving does not work, the manager to whom the team reports might be asked to
intervene.
A team member who heavily emphasizes the specialist role can potentially annoy others by
being a "know it all." If the group comes to depend on one person as a knowledge
contributor, other members of the group may neglect to think for themselves.
The monitor/evaluator would have to be intelligent to critically review the work of others.
As stated in the text, this type of person might lack the drive and ability to inspire others.
Furthermore, this type of person might be viewed as having an auditors mentality of
checking up on the work of others.
6. Assume that you are a team member. What percent of your pay would you be willing to be
based on a group reward? Explain your reasoning.
A student who was highly committed to teamwork might be willing to go with a high
percent of pay being based on team performance. Companies that use a combination of
individual and group incentives are likely to allocate about 10 to 20 percent of incentive
pay on group performance, and the rest individual performance.
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7. Many retail companies, banks, and medical offices require customer-contact employees to
wear the same uniform. In ways might these uniforms enhance teamwork?
The uniforms become a symbol of working on the team, and symbols can shape attitudes.
Uniforms also enhance identification with the team because all team members share
something important about appearance. The possibility also exists that the uniforms could
enhance pride, leading to more feelings of teamwork.
Preparing a gourmet meal provides a shared experience of significance for team members.
As a result they have something in common to relate, and are more likely to bond with each
other. Equally important preparing the mean requires considerable cooperation, particularly
because the participants usually need to share skills. Asking each other questions about how
to carry out certain activities also enhances cooperation.
9. The "little picture" in studying this chapter is learning details about teamwork
skills. What is the "big picture"?
The big picture is acquiring knowledge and skills that will help one make a contribution to
the modern, team-based organization. Right up to the executive suite, some degree of
teamwork is essential.
10. How can a person achieve individual recognition yet still be a team player?
A strategy for achieving individual recognition in the context of being a team player is to be
an outstanding contributor to the team. One approach would be to contribute outstanding
alternatives during group problem solving. It also helps to tactfully inform key people
outside the group of your accomplishments.
This case illustrates the delicate challenge of how to be a good team player yet also receive
recognition for making an important contribution to the team.
Mark seems to be okay as a team player yet he might be overly concerned about standing out
from the team. In this way he is likely to be perceived as a poor team player by his teammates.
2. If Mark had asked your advice about sending the above e-mail, what would you
have told him?
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Students must project their own values into the answer to this question. Many students are
likely to perceive Mark as being too obvious and perhaps a little tacky based on his sending
the e-mail to the senior partners.
3. If you were a senior partner in Marks firm, how would you reply to his memo?
A senior partner would probably be cautious about giving Mark effusive praise because the
partner has received input from Mark only about the contribution. A cautious partner would
also send a copy to Marks supervisor of any reaction to marks e-mail. At a minimum the
senior partner might express his satisfaction that Mark enjoyed the assignment, and that he or
she is pleased that the outcome was positive.
This case illustrates how team members occupy different roles in an effective team. Often these
roles involve checks and balances.
Ruths most notable role is that of monitor-evaluator. She is cautioning the group not to move
too fast, and also questions the advisability of recommending that pensions be cut. Ruth also
shows some specialist activity because she wants to study potential negative ramifications of
pension cutting.
Ruth appears to be effective in her role because team leader Carlos is willing to hold back on
making a recommendation until the pension-cutting issue is explored further.
Jack has placed himself in the creative problem-solver role. He thinks he has found a solution
to a difficult problem. We also see a hint of the completer-finisher role because Jack appears
eager to get the job done.
Jack appeared to be effective at first because several members of the team were willing to go
along with his recommendation about cutting pensions. However, Ruth stepped in and Jacks
recommendation was cast aside at least temporarily.
Carlos appears to be effective in his role as team leader. He listens to the team members, and
he coordinates ideas. He also asks the team questions. He is a consensus-style leader. Perhaps
Carlos would be even more effective if he shared his opinion about the pension-cutting
alternative solution.
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COMMENTS ABOUT QUIZZES AND EXERCISES
A benefit of this self-assessment quiz is that it may point toward areas for development if one is to
become an outstanding team player.
Team Skills
This quiz is useful in specifying a representative set of skills that senior managers think are
important for contributing to a team.
Students are likely to enjoy reflecting on how much conformity to group and team norms they
display. A topic worth of exploration is whether people are defensive about being labeled a
conformist. Many people like to conform but not so many people want to be perceived as a
conformist.
A benefit of this self-assessment quiz is that it may help sensitize the student to the importance of
playing positive roles within the group.
An important feature of this exercise is that it challenges the diagnostic skill of students. To be
successful in this exercise, students should carefully study the various roles before watching the
role players and making observations about the roles.
Although this exercise might appear frivolous, students can be counted on to conduct it in a
serious manner yet still have a few laughs. A lot of the humor depends on how outrageous the
items are on the list. My experience is that the exercise leads to sensible comments about
cooperation, but does not lead to great revelations. It is helpful to discuss jobs for which trust in
the cooperation and physical capabilities of teammates is extraordinarily important. Examples
include mountain climbers, divers, and fishers who take out after dangerous prey while being
tethered to the boat.
An advantage of this activity is that it showcases the importance of teamwork. Many students will
enjoy the activity because they believe strongly in supplying housing for the homeless. However,
they may need prodding to make astute comments about the level of teamwork displayed. My
experience has been that the vast majority of students participating in this exercise find it to be
socially relevant, and their positive attitudes are displayed in the quality of their output.
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EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
62
(c) 8. A factor that contributes to effective teamwork in business is
a. an atmosphere that encourages individual accomplishment.
b. financial bonuses for high-performing individuals in the team.
c. financial bonuses for high-performing teams.
d. a firm commitment to groupthink.
(d) 13. Suzy often occupies the plant role in a group, so she emphasizes
a. achieving harmony.
b. challenging faulty ideas.
c. conducting research.
d. solving difficult problems.
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(d) 16. The cornerstone attitude of an outstanding team player is to
a. make sure he or she gets individual recognition.
b. have competitive attitudes toward other team members.
c. aspire to be the team leader.
d. trust team members.
(c) 18. An important suggestion for criticizing another person on the job is to
a. disguise the criticism so it appears to be a compliment.
b. make jokes about the other persons problems.
c. criticize the work, not the person.
d. criticize the person, not the work.
(c) 19. The team tactic, sharing the glory is usually justified because
a. team-based pay has replaced individual pay.
b. glory sharing fits the WIIFM principle.
c. most team accomplishments require input from several members.
d. most team members are self-centered.
(b) 21. A suggestion for making outstanding use of technical expertise as a group
member is to
a. keep your expertise to yourself.
b. share the expertise.
c. impress other members with how smart you are.
d. make your best suggestions at the end of meetings.
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d. criticizing group members who step out of line.
(b) 25. Team member Roger goes beyond his or her job description regularly. He is
said to be engaging in
a. believing in consensus.
b. organizational citizenship behavior.
c. sharing the glory.
d. taking care not to rain on another persons parade.
True/False
(F) 1. An important requirement for a true team is that all members possess
virtually the same skills.
(F) 3. Self-managing work teams are groups that come together for a brief period of
time to solve a problem, then disband.
(T) 6. A virtual team gets almost all of its collaborative work done by staying in
touch with the other members electronically.
(F) 7. Mutual trust is a low priority in a virtual team because the team members do
not have to deal with each other face to face very often.
(T) 10. The size of an effective work group is usually around 6, rather than10 or more.
(T) 11. Social loafing within a group means about the same thing as being a free
rider.
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(F) 12. Groupthink comes about because many of the group members strive so
hard to preserve their individuality.
(T) 13. An important contributor to groupthink is when the group loses its power of
critical analysis.
(F) 15. The monitor-evaluator within a group has a special knack for showing drive
and inspiring other team members.
(F) 16. The person who plays the shaper role is unchallenging, dull, and weakens
under pressure.
(T) 17. Jackie occupies the completer-finisher role so she is conscientious and
anxious to get the job done.
(T) 18. Bruce focuses on what is best for the group so he is said to be engaging in a self-serving
role.
(T) 19. Part of trusting team members is to be willing to submit an unproved idea
to them for their inspection.
(F) 21. Billy Joe is an effective team player, so he changes the topic when he is about
to be criticized.
(T) 22. In order to implement the tactic, don't rain on another person's parade, it
may be necessary to suppress your feelings of petty jealousy.
(T) 23. Part of believing in consensus is to believe that an ideal solution is not
always possible.
(F) 24. Meeting deadlines in a group takes place naturally because the vast majority of
workers regard deadlines as a moral necessity.
(T) 25. Organizational citizenship behavior is even more important when the group
members depend on each other to complete a task.
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CHAPTER6
GROUPPROBLEMSOLVING
Thepurposeofthischapteristopresentpracticalinformationaboutgroupproblemsolving,thus
enablingthereadertocontributemoreeffectivelytogroupdecisionmaking.Groupproblem
solvingrequiresconsiderableinterpersonalskill.
CHAPTEROUTLINEANDLECTURENOTES
I. RATIONALVERSUSPOLITICALDECISIONMAKINGINGROUPS
Groupdecisionmakingistheprocessofreachingajudgmentbasedonfeedbackfrom more
than on individual. Two different approaches to group decision-making are the rational model and
the political model.
Therationaldecisionmakingmodelisthetraditional,logicalapproachto
decisionmaking, based on the scientific method. The search for optimum results is based on an
economic view of decision-makingpeople hope to maximize gain and minimize loss. Each
alternative is evaluated in terms of how well it contributes to the goals involved in making the
decision.
Thepoliticaldecisionmakingmodelassumesthatpeoplebringpreconceivednotions and
biases into the decision-making situation. Self-interest may block people from making the most
rational choice. People who use the political model may operate on the basis of incomplete
information. Sometimesitisdifficulttodetermineifadecisionmakerisbeingrationalor
political,suchastheexampleaboutthelackofa13thfloorinmosthotels.
II.GUIDELINESFORUSINGGENERALPROBLEMSOLVINGGROUPS
Groupdecisionmakingfrequentlyleadstobetteracceptanceofthedecisionandstronger
commitmenttotheimplicationsofthedecision.
A.WorkingthroughtheGroupProblemSolvingSteps
Whenteammembersgettogethertosolveaproblem,theytypicallyholda
discussion rather than rely on a formal problem-solving technique. A more
systematic approach would be to use the following steps:
1.Identifytheproblem.(Whatistheunderlyingproblem?)
2.Clarifytheproblem.(Groupmembersshouldseetheprobleminthesame
way.)
3. Analyzethecause.(Thegroupmustunderstandthecauseoftheproblem
andfindwaystoovercomethecause.)
4. Searchforalternativesolutions.(Thealternativesolutionschosenwill
dependontheanalysisofthecauses.)
5. Selectalternatives.(Identifythecriteriathatsolutionsshouldmeet,andthen
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discusstheprosandconsoftheproposedalternatives.)
6. Planforimplementation.(Decidewhatactionsarenecessarytocarryoutthe
chosensolutiontotheproblem.)
7.Clarifythecontract.(Restateagreementsonwhattodoanddeadlinesfor
accomplishment.)
8. Developanactionplan.(Whodoeswhatandwhentocarryoutthe
contract)
9. Provideforevaluationandaccountability.(Aftertheplanisimplemented,
reconvenetodiscussprogressandholdpeopleaccountableforresultsthathavenot
beenachieved.)
B.ManagingDisagreementaboutGroupDecisionMaking
Theideaistomanagedisagreementsothedecisionmakingprocessdoesnot
breakdown,anddissentersarenotsquelched.Astudyof43productdevelopment
teamsfoundthatdisagreementaboutmajorissuesledtopositiveoutcomesfor
teamperformanceundertwoconditions:Thedissentershavetofeeltheyhavethefreedom
toexpressdoubt,anddoubtswereexpressedcollaborativelyratherthancontentiously.
Astudyabouthiringpilotsforlongdistanceflightsfoundthatwhengroups
disagreedoverwhotohire,therewasmoreinformationsharing.Strong
disagreementalsoledtomoreintensediscussion.
C.InquiryversusAdvocacyinGroupDecisionMaking
Inquiryinvolveslookingforthebestalternative.Advocacyisfightingforoneposition.
Decisionmakerswhocaremoreaboutthegoodofthefirmarethemostlikelytoengage
inquiry.Aninquiryfocusedgroupcarefullyconsidersavarietyofalternativesand
collaboratestodiscoverthebestsolution.
III.GUIDELINESFORBRAINSTORMING
Whentheorganizationisseekingalargenumberofalternativestotheproblem,
brainstormingisoftenthetechniqueofchoice.Brainstormingisagroupproblemsolving
techniquethatpromotescreativitybyencouragingidea generationthroughnoncritical
discussion.Brainstormingisusedbothasamethodforfindingalternativestoreallifeproblems
andforcreativitytraining.Eightrulesforbrainstormingareworthconsidering:
1.Groupsizeshouldbeaboutfivetosevenpeople.
2. Everybodyisgiventhechancetosuggestalternativesolutions.
3.Nocriticismisallowed.
4.Freewheelingisencouraged.
5.Quantityandvarietyareveryimportant.
6.Combinationsandimprovementsareencouraged.
7. Notesmustbetakenduringthesessionbyapersonwhoservesasthe
recordingsecretary.
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8. Inviteoutsiderstothebrainstormingsession.
9.Donotoverstructurebyfollowinganyoftheideastoorigidly.
Brainstormingbyindividualsworkingaloneisreferredtoasbrainwriting,andtypically
producesmoreusefulideasthandoesworkinginagroup.
Thefullpotentialofbrainstorminghasbeenheldbackbythreeforcesthatblockproduction
ofideas.Evaluationapprehensionmeansthatmanypeopleareunwillingtocomeforthwith
someoftheirideasbecausetheyfearbeingcriticallyevaluated.Freeridingisjustaboutthe
samebehaviorassocialloafing.Freeridersdonotworkashardinagroupastheywouldifthey
workedalone.Aninhibitingprocedureinverbalbrainstormingisthatonlyonepersoncanspeak
atatime.Thislimitstheideagenerationandproductiontimeavailabletogroupmembers.
IV. GUIDELINESFORTHENOMINALGROUPTECHNIQUE
Aleadersometimesneedtoknowwhatalternativesolutionsareavailabletoaproblemand
howpeoplewouldreacttothem.Thenominalgrouptechnique(NGT)hasbeendevelopedto
fitthesituation.TheNGTisagroupproblemsolvingtechniquethatcallspeopletogetherina
structuredmeetingwithlimitedinteraction.Groupdiscussion,however,doestakeplaceatalater
stageintheprocess.Thenominalgrouptechniqueusesasixstepdecisionprocess:
1.Workteammembersareassembledtoworkontheproblem.
2.Theteamleaderpresentsaspecificquestion.
3.Individualteammemberswritedowntheirideasindependently,without
speakingtoothermembers.
4. Eachteammember,inturn,presentsoneideatothegroup,butthegroup
doesnotdiscusstheideas.Theideascanbesubmittedanonymously.
5. Aftereachteammemberhaspresentedhisorheridea,thegroupclarifies
andevaluatesthesuggestions.
6. Themeetingendswithasilent,independentratingofthealternativesona
1to10scale.Ratingsarethenpooledtoselectthebestalternative.
V. USINGSTANDUPMEETINGSTOFACILITATEPROBLEMSOLVING
Problemsolvinganddecisionmakingcansometimesbeimprovedbyconducting
meetingswhilestandingupinsteadofsittingdown.Somepeoplearemorealertwhenstanding,
andmostpeopledonotwanttostandfortoolongsotheyreacha decisionquickly.UPSmakes
frequentuseofstandupmeetingsof180secondsduration.AstudywiththeLostontheMoon
exercisesuggestedthatpeoplemakedecisionsmorequicklywhenstandingup,without
sacrificingdecisionquality.
VI. USINGEMAILANDGROUPWARETOFACILITATEGROUPDECISIONMAKING
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Appropriateuseofemailandgroupwarecanfacilitateinteractionamongteammembersand
groupdecisionmaking,whileatthesametimeminimizethenumberofmeetings.Suchuseofe
mailandgroupwaremakesvirtualteamspossible.
A.UsingEMailtoFacilitateMeetings
Byusingemail,teammemberscanfeedimportantinformationtoallothermembersof
theteamwithouttheritualofenteringameetingandpassingaroundhandouts.Anadvanced
useofemailistodistributewordprocessingdocumentsaswellasspreadsheetsand
graphics.
Usingemail,agroupcancutdownsubstantiallyontheamountoftimetheywouldhave
tospendinagroupmeeting.Theymightevenbeabletoeliminateagroupmeeting.Much
ofthenominalgrouptechniquecanbeconductedthroughemail.Forexample,team
memberscouldsendtheirratingsandexplanationstoeachotherelectronically.
Acautionisthattheuseofemailtoofarcaninhibitratherthanenhancegroupdecision
makingandteamwork.Ifpeoplecommunicatewitheachotheralmostexclusivelybyemail,
thewarmthofhumaninteractionandfacialexpressionsislost.Winks,sharedlaughter,and
smilesallfacilitategroupeffort.
B.UsingGroupwaretoFacilitateGroupProblemSolving
VII. SUGGESTIONSFORBEINGANEFFECTIVEMEETINGPARTICIPANT
Exceptforwhenusinggroupware,groupproblemsolvinginvolvesfacetofacemeetings.
Onestudyshowedthatthemoremeetingsaccomplishmentorientedworkersattended,theworse
theyfeltabouttheirjobsandthelowertheirfeelingsofwellbeing.Whenmeetingparticipants
conductthemselvesinaprofessional,taskorientedmanner,meetingsmightbemoreproductive.
Afewsuggestionsfollow:Arriveprepared;arriveontimeandstayfortheentiremeeting;donot
beahogorsitsilently;useconstructivenonverbalcommunication;avoidsidebarconversations;
offercompromisesolutionswhenneeded;andusedatatosupportyouropinion.
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1. Whyaregroupdecisionsmorelikelytoleadtocommitmentthandecisionsmadebya
manageractingalone?
Groupmemberswhoparticipateindecisionmakingwilltypicallyexperienceafeeling
ofownershipinthedecision.Becausethedecisionispartlytheirresponsibility,they
willbemoreeagertohelpinimplementation.
2. Basedonanyexperienceyouhavehadatschooloratwork,whatprocessormethodis
usuallyfollowedinmakinggroupdecisions?
Themostfrequentgroupdecisionmakingexperienceisprobablyoneoftwotypes:
generalproblemsolvinggroups,orbrainstorming.Thegeneralproblemsolvinggroup
isusuallyastraightforwarddiscussionwithoutfollowingthedecisionmakingsteps.
3. WhichpersonalitycharacteristicsdescribedinChapter2doyouthinkwouldhelpa
personbeeffectiveingroupproblemsolving?
Extraversionwouldbeimportantforevenwantingtoworktowardgroupproblem
solving.Beingconscientiouswouldfacilitateapersonmakinganhonestcontributionto
thegroup,anddoingwhateverhomeworkwasrequired.Beingagreeablewould
facilitateworkingwellwiththegroupandarrivingatconsensus.Highselfmonitoring
wouldalsopredisposeapersontowardarrivingatconsensus.
4. Identifyseveralproblemsonoroffthejobforwhichyouthinkbrainstormingwouldbe
effective.
Brainstormingisideallysuitedtogeneratingalternativestoproblemsnotcallingfor
complicatedsolutions,yetsuchproblemsshouldnotbeexcluded.Problemsituations
especiallysuitedforbrainstorminginclude,identifynewmarketsforaproduct,making
productorserviceimprovements,developingathemeforaparty,oridentifyingnew
waysofmeetingpeoplefordating.Beaware,however,thatevensophisticated
technicalcompaniesusebrainstormingextensively.
5. What is your opinion of the importance of the physical setting (such as sunlight and
refreshments) for stimulating creative thinking during brainstorming?
Recent opinion suggests that sunlight, food, and beverages enhance brainstorming.
Considering that brainstorming takes place so often in a windowless conference room,
the observations about sunlight are important.
6. Identifytwoworkrelatedproblemsforwhichthenominalgrouptechniqueisparticularly
wellsuited?
Complexproblemsinvolvingmanypotentialchoicesaregoodcandidatesforthe
nominalgrouptechnique.Amongsuchscenariosaredecidingonwhichplantoroffice
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toclose,wheretorelocateacompanyfacility,developingafundraisingcampaign,or
choosingwhichpieceofcapitalequipmenttopurchase.
7. If you were a UPS manager, how would you deal with the situation of an employee who
was consistently one-minute late for the three-minute meetings?
Beingoneminutelateforameetingmightnotseemlikemuch,yetbeingoneminute
lateforathreeminutemeetingmeanstheworkermissedonethirdthemeeting.An
astuteanswerherewouldbethatthemanagerhastofittheUPScorporateculture
whichemphasizesdisciplineandtimeconsciousness.Thetardyemployeewould
thereforehavetobecounseledtoarriveontime,anddisciplinediftardinesscontinues.
8. Howcanateamleaderapplygroupwaretohelpthegroupbecomemore
productive?
Theteamleadercanenhancegroupproductivitywithgroupwarethroughsuchmeansas
collectinginformationquickly,andreducingthenumberoffacetofacemeetings.
9. Whatannoysyouthemostabouthowsomepeopleconductthemselvesinproblemsolving
meetingsofanytype?Whatchangesinbehaviorwouldyourecommend?
Theanswertothisquestionsdependsalotonsuchfactorsaswhatthestudentinterprets
asrudeness,aswellashisorpropensityforsolvingproblemsquickly.Todaymany
peoplefinditrudethatmeetingmembersconsulttheirBlackBerrysaswellusingcell
phonesandlaptopcomputersduringameeting.Yetinsomecompaniessuchelectronic
distractionsareacceptable,andevenencouraged.Amajorsourceofannoyancefor
somepeopleishowsomemembersgooffontangentsduringameeting.Indaysofold,
peoplewoulddelaymeetingsastheyfiddledwiththeirpipeswhileponderinganswers
toaquestion.Mostofthesemeetingbehaviorscouldbemodifiedbyselfdiscipline.
10.Whichgroupdecisionmakingtechniquedescribedinthischapterdoyouthink
membersofaprofessionalsportsteamarethemostlikelytouse?Why?
Asportsteamisthemostlikelytouseageneralproblemsolvinggroup,eveniftheydo
notgothroughallthesteps.Thereasonisthatathletesandtheircoachesmaynotbe
willingtoinvestthetimetousestructuredproblemsolvingtechniques.Alsotheymight
feeltheyarebeyondusingsuchtechniques.Anexceptionisthatsportsteamsarelikely
toengageinbrainstorminglikediscussionseveniftheydonotuseallthe
brainstormingrules.
This case illustrates the commonly observed problem of a business meeting not accomplishing
its purpose of reaching a conclusion on an important issue.
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1. How effective is the BMI team as a problem-solving group?
The BMI team is not effective as a problem-solving group, at least in this
instance, because they did not make much progress on the office-relocation
decision.
2. What recommendations can you make to the BMI team to better solve the
problem it is facing?
A starting point would be to stick with the agenda. Issues about such topics
as customer service and the office party are important, but they should be reserved for
another meeting. Another problem is one of commitment. Marty could not stay for the
conclusion of the meeting because of a customer meeting. The meeting might have been
scheduled during a time that would not conflict with any potential sales call.
3. How might the team have used the nominal group technique to help solve
the problem of office relocation?
Before the meeting, each participant might have developed a preferred alternative
for office relocation. The proposal would have ample detail and documentation. During the
meeting, each proposal would be discussed and then ranked, following the nominal group
technique format.
This curious case illustrates a basic application of brainstorming, and therefore represents a
first-hand look at how brainstorming might be applied to solving a perennial office problem.
1. How would you evaluate the effectiveness of the facilitator in this brainstorming session?
The facilitator appears to know how to facilitate a brainstorming session. He kept people on
track, and he was encouraging. Also, he avoided jumping in with his own opinions.
2. In what way was the picnic theme chosen a synthesis of a straight suggestion with an idea
that was sparked by humor?
The humorous suggestion was about sky-blue pink with purple dots, which led to the
suggestion about airplanes. The airplane suggestion followed and could be regarded as a
serious suggestion.
3. What technique did the facilitator use that resembled the nominal group technique?
The facilitator adroitly said, Now, its time to find the best ones. Can you all come up and
put three crosses against your favorite idea.. In essence, the group ranked the ideas.
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My guess is that the theme would be a big success. The fun-in-the-air theme is highly
original for a picnic, yet something everybody could visualize. It would certainly require
creativity for attendees to find the right outfit for the picnic.
Animportantfeatureofthisexerciseisthatitsensitizesstudentstotheimportanceofgroup
decisionmakinginorganizations.Atthesametimeitdoesnotdismisstherelevanceof
individualdecisionmaking.
Students are likely to enjoy this exercise. Students may need a reminder, however, to pay
attention to all the decision making steps, not simply begin to generate alternative solutions.
ChoosinganEffectiveDomainName
Studentscanbecountedontofindamusingandcreativesolutionstothedomainname
challenge.Comparisonsacrossgroupsareusefulbecausetheresultsdemonstratethatmany
groupswillrecommendthesamecatchynames,suchaswww.wreckforyou.comfortheauto
chain.Anovelfeatureofthisexerciseisthatmanypeopleearnasubstantiallivingas
cybersquatters.MisspellednamessuchasWallMart.comarealsoinventedorpurchasedby
cybersquatters.
BrainstormingversusBrainwriting
The students who participate in this exercise will shed light on one of the most interesting
research issues in brainstorming: the relative effectiveness of groups and individuals in generating
creative alternatives. Several experiments have concluded that individuals are superior to groups,
and the student demonstration can put this conclusion to a test.
TheNominalGroupTechnique
Welltraveledstudentswillhavemorecontenttoofferhere,butallcanenjoytherigorofthe
nominalgrouptechnique.Aswiththeotherexercisesinthischapter,attemptingthenominal
grouptechniqueisavaluableexperienceingroupdecisionmaking.
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EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
(d) 2. The political decision model assumes that when making a decision, people
a. try to satisfy the demands of as many people as possible.
b. follow the scientific model closely.
c. inevitably make poor decisions.
d. are trying to satisfy their self-interests.
(c) 3. You know that you are using the political decision model during group
decision making when you
a. search for the most democratic solution to the problem.
b. search for the most technically correct solution to the problem.
c. attempt to satisfy your own interests.
d. attempt to do what is best for the group.
(b) 5. The probability of a group solving a problem well increases when the group
a. reduces the use of brainstorming.
b. follows a systematic procedure.
c. encourages social loafing.
d. engages in groupthink.
(d) 6. The decision-making step in which the group comes to agreement on the
nature of the problem is called
a. identify the problem.
b. analyze the cause. .
c. search for alternative solutions.
d. clarify the problem.
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a. select alternatives.
b. analyze the cause.
c. provide for evaluation and accountability.
d. develop an action plan.
(a) 8. Which one of the following is not a recommended step for effective group
decision making?
a. Assign blame for the cause of the problem.
b. Analyze the cause.
c. Plan for implementation.
d. Provide for evaluation and accountability.
(b) 9. A study showed that disagreeing about major issues can lead to positive
outcomes for the group when the
a. team leader explains that disagreement will not be tolerated.
b. dissenters feel they have the freedom to express doubt.
c. dissenters are paid a small bonus to keep quiet.
d. the rest of the group pokes fun at the dissenters.
(d) 10. Dissension within the group tends not to lower group performance when
a. the dissenters play the devils advocate.
b. rest of the group quickly votes on the best alternative.
c. team leader instructs the dissenters to be quiet.
d. the dissenters want to work collaboratively despite their disagreement.
(d) 11. A study indicated that when a team takes the time to debate the issues
a. team leadership usually changes hands.
b. considerable conflict arises within the group.
c. a suboptimal decision is more likely to be reached.
d. an optimal decision is more likely to be reached.
(b) 14. A recommended group size for brainstorming is about how many members?
a. 2 to 4
b. 5 to 7
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c. 8 to 14
d. 15 to 20
(b) 15. In brainstorming, how should the group handle a seemingly outlandish idea?
a. Loudly discourage its originator.
b. Welcome it.
c. Ask for clarification.
d. Ask that it be put in writing.
(d) 18. Which one of the following techniques is particularly recommended when you need to
know how people would react to the alternatives to the problem at hand?
a. group brainstorming
b. private brainstorming
c. general problem-solving group
d. nominal group technique
(c) 19. A key feature of the nominal group technique is that the members first present
their ideas
a. after engaging in group brainstorming.
b. in private to the group leader.
c. without interacting with group members.
d. after group problem-solving has taken place.
(d) 20. Alternative solutions developed by members in the nominal group technique are
a. submitted to a brainstorming group.
b. submitted to the leader who performs the evaluation.
c. evaluated in group discussion.
d. evaluated independently by group members.
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(c) 22. An executive from the Ritz-Carlton Hotels justifies the use of stand-up
meetings because,
a. Its usually difficult to find an empty conference room in a hotel.
b. You need a strong back to be a hotel worker.
c. Employees need to know how to think on their feet to solve a problem.
d. A lazy hotel worker is an ineffective one.
(a) 25. Ashley is an ineffective meeting participant, so during a meeting she is likely to
a. study support material including e-mails during the meeting.
b. stay to the end even if she has already contributed.
c. use constructive nonverbal behavior.
d. rely much more on intuition than data in defending her point.
True/False
(T) 2. The rational decision-making model would be well suited to discovering the
cause of a technical problem.
(F) 3. People who use the political decision model are usually fully aware of their
biases which allows them to make objective decisions.
(F) 4. A frequent problem noted with group decision making is that it leads to low
commitment about implementing the decision the group agreed upon.
(F) 5. In the problem-solving process, the step following "provide for evaluation and
accountability" is to "develop an action plan."
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freedom to express doubt.
(T) 8. A study about hiring pilots for long-distance flights suggested that when groups
disagreed over whom to hire, the members were more likely to share
information.
(T) 10. You are using the advocacy approach in group decision making when you
approach group decision making like a contest to see whose idea wins.
(F) 13. During brainwriting, group members pass along ideas to each other in silence.
(T) 14. Evaluation apprehension tends to be a much bigger problem when people are
working in groups than alone.
(F) 15. Continuous interaction among group members is a key feature of the nominal
group technique.
(T) 16. In an early phase of the nominal group technique, group members write down
their ideas independently without speaking to other members.
(T) 17. In the nominal group technique, the idea chosen as the best idea is determined
by a rating procedure.
(T) 18. The output from the nominal group technique is an alternative solution to a
problem that is typically passed along as a recommendation to management.
(F) 19. Standup meetings typically last about one-and-one half hour in order to test the
physical stamina and commitment of group members.
(F) 20. Beth is a manager at UPS, so she finds that standup meetings fit the need for
the type of quick and decisive action that the company demands.
(F) 21. Conducting meetings through e-mail has made person-to-person contact
almost superfluous for group tasks.
(F) 22. A problem noted with groupware is that it makes telecommuting quite
difficult.
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perspectives and expertise.
(T) 24. Priscilla is a first-rate meeting participant, so she is likely to offer a compromise
solution when two other members in dispute over an issue.
(F) 25. Pete is a first-rate meeting participant, so he is likely to carefully study support
materials during the meeting.
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CHAPTER 7
CROSS-CULTURAL RELATIONS AND DIVERSITY
The purpose of this chapter is to provide the reader with insight into, and skills for, relating
effectively to people from other cultures. Relating effectively to diverse people within one's own
culture or from other cultures requires similar knowledge and skills.
As is well known, today's workplace is diverse. Cultural diversity is also reflected in the
increasing internationalization of business. To succeed in today's workplace one must be able to
relate effectively to people from different cultural groups from within and outside his or her
country.
To appreciate diversity, a person must go beyond tolerating and treating people fairly from
different racial and ethnic groups. The true meaning of valuing diversity is to respect and enjoy a
wide range of cultural and individual differences. To be diverse, is to be different in some
measurable way even if the difference is not apparent on the surface.
The diversity umbrella is supposed to include everybody in an organization. To value diversity
is to appreciate individual differences among people. In recent years, much attention has been paid
to employees in the group GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual). The goal of a diverse
organization is for persons of all cultural backgrounds to achieve their full potential, not restrained
by group identities such as sex, nationality, or race.
Cultural as well as individual factors contribute to cultural diversity. For example, people can
be diverse because of ethnicity or their height-to-weight ratio.
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B. Cultural Intelligence
An advanced aspect of cultural sensitivity is cultural intelligence (CQ), an
outsiders ability to interpret someones unfamiliar and ambiguous behavior
in the same way that persons compatriots would. With high cultural intelligence a person can
figure out what behavior is universal, peculiar to the group, or neither universal nor peculiar
to the group. The three sources of cultural intelligence are:
1. Cognitive (the head), referring to what a person knows and how he
or she can acquire knowledge.
2. Emotional/motivational (the heart), referring to energizing ones
actions and building personal confidence.
3. The body (physical), referring to the element for translating
intentions into actions and desires.
To practice high cultural intelligence, the mind, heart, and body would have to work
together.
D. Cultural Fluency
A high-level goal in understanding cultural differences is to achieve cultural fluency, the
ability to conduct business in a diverse, international environment. Achieving cultural fluency
includes a variety of skills such as relating well to people for different cultures, and knowing a
second language.
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4. Humane orientation is the degree to which a society encourages and rewards, and
should encourage and reward, individuals for being fair, altruistic, caring, and to
others.
5. In-group collectivism is the degree to which individuals express, and should express,
pride, loyalty, and cohesiveness in their organizations and families. Asian societies
emphasize collectivism, as do Egypt and Russia.
6. Gender egalitarianism is the degree to which a culture minimizes, and should
minimize, gender inequality.
7. Acceptance of power and authority is the degree to which members of a society
expect, and should expect, power to be distributed unequally. Individuals who accept
power and authority expect the boss to make the major decisions. These same
individuals are more formal; however being formal toward people in positions of
authority has decreases substantially throughout the world in recent years.
8. Work orientation is the number of hours per week and weeks per year people
expect to invest in work versus leisure, or other non-work activities. Americans tend
to have a stronger work orientation than Europeans but a weaker one than Asians.
A starting point in using information about cultural differences would be to recognize that
a person's national values might influence His or her behavior. Two dimensions of cultural
differences that influence job behavior considerably are attitudes toward hierarchy and status,
and time-consciousness and acceptance of power and authority. For example, a person who
values deference might not want to collaborate in decision making with a manager of long
experience.
F. Cultural Bloopers
An effective way of being culturally sensitive is to minimize actions that are likely to
offend people from another culture based on their values. In attempting to avoid cultural
mistakes, remember that members of any cultural group show individual differences.
Remember also that one or two cultural mistakes will not peg one permanently as a boor.
Skill-Building Exercise 7-2 (text) lists cultural mistakes to avoid.
English has become the language of business and science throughout the world, yet
communicating in a customers native tongue has its advantages particularly when you
attempting to sell. Some telemarketing, banking, engineering, and financial service companies
search for bilingual workers.
Cross-cultural differences can create communication barriers. To minimize the problem, follow
these guidelines:
1. Be sensitive to the fact that cross-cultural communication barriers exist. If you are aware
of these potential barriers, you will be ready to deal with them.
2. Show respect for all workers.
3. Use straightforward language and speak slowly and clearly.
4. Observe cultural differences in etiquette.
5. Be sensitive to differences in nonverbal communication.
6. Do not be diverted by style, accent, grammar, or personal appearance.
7. Be sensitive to individual differences in appearance.
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IV. TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING CROSS-CULTURAL RELATIONS
Many training programs have been developed to improve cross-cultural relations and to help
employees value diversity. Often they include some of the information already presented in this
chapter.
A. Cultural Training
Cultural training is a set of learning experiences designed to help employees understand
the customs, traditions, and beliefs of another culture. Many industries train employees in
cross-cultural relations. Cultural training is also important for helping people of one culture
understand their customers from another culture in particular, such as Chinese people learning
to deal more effectively with their American customers.
C. Language Training
Learning a foreign language is often part of cultural training, yet can also be a separate
activity. Knowledge of a second language builds better connections with people from other
cultures than does relying on a translator. Companies invest heavily in helping employees learn
a target language because it facilitates conducting business in other countries.
D. Diversity Training
The general purpose of cultural training is to help workers understand people from
another culture. Diversity training attempts to bring about workplace harmony by teaching
people how to get along better with diverse work associates. All such training programs
center on increasing people's awareness of and empathy for people who are different in some
noticeable way from oneself.
Learning to empathize with the point of view of people from a diverse group is an
essential part of improving relations. To help participants develop empathy, representatives of
various groups explain their feelings related to workplace issues, including how they have felt
different in a way that made them feel uncomfortable. .
A recent trend in diversity training is cross-generational diversity, or relating effectively to
workers much older or younger than you.
Diversity training often works, yet these programs can also create ill will and waste time.
Another problem is that diversity training sometimes results in perpetuating stereotypes about
groups, such as Latinos not valuing promptness.
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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW
1. How can a person demonstrate to others on the job that he or she is culturally fluent (gets
along well with people from other cultures)?
One approach would be seen working with culturally diverse members of the workforce,
and also with customers. Making occasional mention of people from other cultures would
also project the image of cultural fluency.
You dont have to take an overseas voyage to gain some cross-cultural exposure that
could lead to cross-cultural skill. Among the actions the person might take this week for
skill enhancement are visiting Websites of as target country, eating in a restaurant with
foreign cuisine, speaking to fellow students and store associates from a different culture,
and conversing over the phone with people of another culture. Even watching an athletic
event on television filed in another county (such as a soccer or rugby match) can lead to a
little cross-cultural insight.
3. Some companies, such as Singapore Airlines, make a deliberate effort for customer contact
personnel to all be of the same ethnic group (Singapore natives). How justified is this practice
in an era of cultural diversity and valuing differences?
Here is a touchy argument. Some people would argue that hiring people of the same ethnic
group for a specialized service like Singapore Airlines is close to being a bone fide
occupational qualification. Also, the Singapore natives contribute ambiance to the Airline.
Others would argue that hiring only one ethnic group for whatever reason is job
discrimination.
4. Provide an example of cultural insensitivity of any kind that you have seen, read about, or
could imagine.
After studying the topic briefly, students should be able to furnish a number of examples. A
woman from Reston, Virginia reported that an Indian management analyst was the leading
performer in his workgroup. As a reward, his manager bought a gift certificate for him and
his wife to a steakhouse restaurant. The Indian, whose culture forbids the eating of beef,
was appalled by the incident.
5. Why is knowing the language of the other person more important when selling rather than
buying from that person?
In a selling-buying exchange, the buyer holds more power, and must therefore be pleased.
If you are buying, the other person goes out of his or her way to please you. Yet, people in
many cultures will not tolerate an insensitive, or bullying buyer.
6. How could the information comparing U. S. values to other countries help you succeed in
business?
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A person who is sensitive to differences in cross-cultural values will be able to make
adjustments that will enhance interpersonal relationships. The improved relationships will
in turn lead to more effective business transactions. One of many examples is that after
studying this table, an American might move cautiously in being informal with a European
business contact he or she had met for the first time.
7. How useful is the adage, When in Rome, do as the Romans do for someone who wants to
work in another country for a while?
The old adage about Rome is an enormously perceptive piece of advice, and it embraces
the concept of cultural sensitivity. Instead of relying on the cultural traditions of your own
country, you adapt the best you can to the cultural traditions of the country in which you
are working. For example, the American might cheer like crazy at a rugby match while
working in France even if he or she much prefers American football (rugby with helmets
and pads!).
8. If you were a supervisor, how would you deal with a group member who had a very low
acceptance of power and authority?
It would be important to explain to a worker with low acceptance for power and authority
that in this organizational and national culture, the supervisor has some formal authority
that must be respected. A discussion could then be held about the areas in which accepting
power and authority was important, such as the supervisor having the authority to enforce
working hours and conduct the performance evaluation.
9. The cultural bloopers presented in Skill-Building Exercise 7-2 in the text all deal with errors
people make with people who are not American. Give an example of a cultural blooper a
person from another country might make in the United States.
One example would be kissing and hugging the babies of strangers, as the some cultures
allow. Another might be a Scandinavian worker in a U. S. company who is so casual about
rank that he or she would drop by the CEO's office just to chat.
10. Many people speak loudly to deaf people, blind people, and to those who speak another native
tongue. Based on the information presented in this chapter, what mistakes are these people
making?
A major mistake committed by speaking loudly to the groups just mentioned is that of
cultural insensitivity. If the loud-speaking person empathized with people who are deaf,
blind, or foreign, he or she might realize that speaking loudly in these circumstances is
insensitive. A greater appreciation for cultural differences would also reveal that speaking
loudly is not an effective tactic with any of these groups.
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This case illustrates the delicate issue of how far a business should go in being culturally
sensitive. Forced cultural sensitivity can sometimes back fire.
Attempting to match the demographic group of a customer with a sales rep of the same
demographic group for every customer might be going too far. In situations where the
customer prospect appears to be uncomfortable speaking English, matching the ethnic group
of the prospect with a sales associate would make more sense. A hedge here would be to let
the customer prospect make the first approach toward a sales associate by asking for help.
2. What do you recommend Ortiz and his management team do about the
several complaints the Futura dealership has received?
Customers who complained might receive a telephone apology from a manager, but not
speaking the customers native tongue. For the future, a courageous approach here would be
for a receptionist to ask the customer prospect if he or she had an ethnic (or language)
preference in choosing a sales associate. The receptionist might say, We have associates who
speak different languages. Do you have a language preference? However, this approach
would be considered highly discriminatory when asking about race or sex preferences and
would probably be illegal with respect to employment legislation.
3. To help you analyze this case, get the input from a few people in your network about how
they would feel about having a person from their demographic group approach them when
they visited a dealership. (Perhaps a few classmates representing different ethnic groups can
provide useful input.)
Students will most likely obtain two sharply different responses here. Many people wanted to
be treated as Americans when shopping in America, and not be assigned a sales associate from
their ethnic or racial group. Yet others might feel strongly in the other direction. The dealer on
which this case is based has met enormous success by matching the demographic group of the
sales associate with the customer prospect.
The major theme of this case is that working well with people from a dramatically different
culture requires cultural sensitivity, and perhaps not to quickly express the stereotypes one might
have about people from another culture.
A key lesson this case reveals is that it might be better to ask questions about the preferences
of a person from another culture, rather than imposing ones stereotypes. For example, the
timing of the comment about ice fishing and seal hunting was insensitive.
2. How might have Akiaks coworkers related better to him during the
orientation?
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The coworkers focused too much on Ariak being an Eskimo or Inuit. Ariak would probably
have been happier if the coworkers did not place so much emphasis on his cultural
background, but upon his personal characteristics and capabilities.
3. How might have Akiak done a better job of relating to his new coworkers?
Akiak had a reputation for being impatient. He might have been more tactful in pointing out
that he had enough of Eskimo or Inuit questions. He could have answered questions, and then
gently changed the topic with a warm plea about wanting to fit in with the group.
Akiak may be too impatient, and perhaps has an attitude problem. However, he has been
triggered by too much focus on his cultural heritage, even to the point of being insulting. In
defense of the coworkers, very few people from the 48 contiguous states have worked with,
or even know personally, an Eskimo. They are therefore likely to be curious.
Most people perceive themselves to have good cross-cultural skills. This quiz points to specific
behaviors suggesting how much progress a person has actually made in becoming cross-cultural.
A possible conclusion these exercise might point toward is that some products and services might
have to be marketed differently in certain cultures. For example, American jeans are a luxury item
in Russia and therefore might not be marketed as everyday work clothing.
Reading about these cultural mistakes alone will not lead to skill development.
Most students should be able to find at least one opportunity to behave in a manner opposite to
one of the cultural mistakes described.
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This role play deals with one of the most difficult issues in cross-cultural outsourcinghaving a
person from one culture help another. Students have received call-center assistance from someone
from another culture will have a personal awareness of the issues involved.
Most students who follow through with this daily drill in foreign language and culture will be
pleasantly surprised about their progress. Also, Americans will receive the double benefit of
obtaining news about their own country in their target language.
Repeated application of this exercise with various groups demonstrates that it is a meaningful
experience. The backup title to the exercises, When I Felt Different, may prove useful in
providing structure for students. The sources of being different are so varied, including being
perceived as very short, very tall, and an African-American person being perceived as too white
or not black enough. After the presentations have been completed, a class discussion ensues
about the contribution of this exercise to interpersonal relations.
One of my former students asked Akiak a question that made other class members laugh, yes
showed a lot of insight. The question was, Akiak, what kind of girls do you like to date? Some
might argue that the question is a little forward, yet the person asking the question wanted to get
to know Akiak without asking yet another Eskimo-related question. A subtle point about the
group role play is the best way to make a coworker feel comfortable is to minimize attention to
his or her culture, after a couple of questions. Gentle questions about the other persons culture
reflect a healthy interest. Too much questioning can make the person from the other culture feel
uncomfortable.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
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b. the employee mix to match the census data mix.
c. persons of all cultural backgrounds to achieve their full potential.
d. all employees to receive training in cultural sensitivity.
(d) 7. Larry wants to be politically correct, so when introducing Janis Stewart, the vice
president of marketing in his company to friends at a party, he says, I would like you to
meet Janis Stewart,
a. our woman vice president of marketing.
b. the highest placed girl in our company.
c. one of the best female minds in marketing.
d. our vice president of marketing.
(a) 10. Which one of the following is not an aspect of cultural intelligence?
a. personality (the psychological)
b. cognitive (the head)
c. emotional/motivational (the heart)
d. the body (physical)
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(d) 11. A basic strategy for achieving cross-cultural understanding is to
a. ignore differences in cultural customs.
b. establish a ranking of preferred cultures.
c. hire people from different cultures.
d. respect others in the workplace.
(a) 12. Rhonda is culturally fluent, which means that she can
a. conduct business in a diverse, international environment.
b. speak three languages fluently.
c. make friends with people from different cultures.
d. conduct business in different regions of her own country.
(c) 14. Manager Reggie comes from a culture with a high performance
orientation so he is likely to reward group members who
a. have well-developed outside interests.
b. share credit for their accomplishments with the work group.
c. improve their performance and are excellent performers.
d. know how to make him feel like an important manager.
(b) 15. Which one of the following values is likely to be strongly held by
Americans?
a. casual time orientation
b. urgent time orientation
c. emphasis on gender inequality
d. acceptance of power and authority
(a) 16. Workers from cultures with a strong work orientation are likely to
a. spend relatively less time on vacation.
b. spend relatively more time on vacation.
c. retire at a relatively early age.
d. be quite formal in dealing with each other.
(d) 17. Helens attitude toward power and authority is most likely to
influence whether she
a. will accept full-time employment.
b. feels comfortable working with opposite-sex coworkers.
c. is willing to work overtime regularly.
d. offers suggestions to an elder manager.
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accomplishments.
b. deemphasize organizational rank when conducting business in
Scandinavia.
c. upon first contact, address a French executive by title and last
name.
d. give a small gift to a Japanese business associate.
(c) 19. Consumers are four times more likely to purchase a product online if
the Website
a. has links to a foreign Website.
b. contains ample cartoons.
c. is written in their preferred language.
d. includes photos of people from different races and ethnic groups.
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b. teach older workers to adapt better to information technology.
c. develop mentoring relationships between younger and older
workers.
d. help older and younger workers get along better with each other.
(a) 25. Maria joins the Hummer division of General Motors, as is placed in a
cross-gender mentoring program. She is likely to be mentored by
a. an experienced manager who is male.
b. a coworker who is female.
c. two women from the human resources department.
d. an experienced manager who is transsexual..
True/False
(T) 2. The goal of a diverse organization is for all workers to achieve their
potential, not held back by group identities such as sex, nationality,
or race.
(F) 3. The diversity umbrella includes mostly people who have been
discriminated against in the past.
(F) 4. The differences between men and women in speech patterns are
thought to be inherited rather than cultural differences.
(T) 8. Company policies that encourage the respect for the rights of others are
likely to backfire in terms of encouraging tolerance throughout the firm.
(F) 9. The term cultural fluency refers generally to having a working
knowledge of two languages in addition to one's native language.
(T) 10. American workers are noted for their urgent time orientation.
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(T) 12. In a culture that accepts power and authority, managers are likely to
make many decisions by themselves simply because they are the boss.
(T) 13. Pascal comes from a culture that high values in-group collectivism, so he
is likely to be quite proud of his company and his family members.
(T) 14. The importance of avoiding cultural bloopers has multiplied because of
e-commerce and other forms of Internet communication.
(F) 15. Now that English is the universal language of business, communicating
in the native tongue of your customers offers very little advantage.
(F) 17. When relating to people from other cultures, it is recommended that
you make extensive use of idioms and analogies specific to your
language.
(F) 19. Most people have such ethnic and racial pride that confusing the identity
of people from the same ethnic or racial group is considered to be a
compliment.
(T) 20. Cultural intelligence training would help a person develop the right
strategy for figuring out how to behave in a given situation in a foreign
culture.
(T) 21. When people are experiencing heavy stress, such as facing a medical
emergency, they are likely to revert to their native tongue.
(T) 22. The major purpose of diversity training is to bring about workplace
harmony.
(F) 23. The most successful diversity training programs are those that heavily
emphasize confrontation and angry feelings.
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CHAPTER 8
RESOLVING CONFLICTS WITH OTHERS
The major purpose of this chapter is to provide insights and skills into resolving interpersonal
conflict in the workplace. Sexual harassment receives special attention because of its prevalence
as a type of job conflict.
A conflict is a situation in which two or more goals, values, or events are incompatible or
mutually exclusive. A conflict is also a strife, quarrel, or battle.
Understanding the sources, or causes, of conflict can help resolve the present conflict and help
prevent a similar occurrence. All conflict includes the underlying theme of incompatibility between
one's goals, values, or events and those of another person.
B. Role Conflict
Being placed in a predicament can lead to conflict and stress. Role conflict is
having to choose between two competing demands or expectations. Compliance with one
aspect of a role makes compliance with the other role difficult or impossible, such as receiving
contradictory offers. Role conflict can take various forms such as attempting to complete two
objectives that are in apparent conflict. An example is being pushed for both speed and quality.
D. Personality Clashes
Many workplace disagreements arise because people simply dislike each other. A
personality clash is an antagonistic relationship between two people based on differences in
personal attributes, preferences, interests, values, or styles. The most commonly reported
office problem is the personality conflict. One of the most frequent conflicts is between the
sweeping big picture person, and the cautious detail-oriented person.
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E. Aggressive Personalities Including Bullies
Some people convert disagreement into an attack on the other person. Aggressive
personalities are people who verbally, and sometimes physically, attack others frequently.
Verbal aggression takes the form of insults, teasing, ridicule, and profanity. Aggressive
personalities are also referred to as workplace bullies. Among their typical behaviors are
interrupting others, ranting in a loud voice, and making threats.
Aggressiveness can also take the extreme form of shooting and knifing a former
boss or colleague by a mentally unstable worker recently dismissed from the company.
Homicide is the fourth leading cause of workplace deaths, with about 600 workers murdered
each year in the United States alone.
C. Sharing. The sharing style prefers moderate but incomplete satisfaction for both parties,
resulting in compromise.
D. Collaborative. The collaborative style reflects a desire to fully satisfy the desire
of both parties (win-win). The option chosen results in a mutual gain.
The techniques described here are based somewhat on the underlying philosophy of win-
win.
A. Confrontation and Problem Solving
The ideal approach to resolving any conflict is to confront the real issue, and then
solve the problem. Confrontation means taking a problem-solving approach to differences
and identify the underlying facts, logic, or emotions that account for them. Confrontation can
proceed gently in a way that preserves a good working relationship. As with all methods of
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resolving conflict, it is helpful to bring closure by shaking hands, restating commitments, and
saying thank you.
C. Reframing
Reframe the conflict by looking at it in a different light.
1. Reframing through Cognitive Restructuring
The conflicting elements in a situation can be lessened by viewing them more
positively. According to the technique of cognitive restructuring, you mentally convert
negative aspects into positive ones by looking for the positive elements in a situation. If
you search for the beneficial elements in the situation there will be less area for dispute.
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6. Know Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). The goal of
negotiating is not just to agree, but to reach an agreement more valuable than non-
agreement. When you are aware of your best alternative to a negotiated agreement, it
sets a floor to the agreement you are willing to accept.
7. Use Your Anger to Advantage. When a person becomes genuinely angry, the anger can
energize him or her to be more resourceful and creative while bargaining. Yet anger
can degenerate into incivility and personal insults.
A major theme running through the various approaches to conflict resolution, including
negotiating and bargaining, is that cooperating with the other side is usually preferable to
competing.
Recent data suggest that sexual harassment directed at professional women by clients and
customer is more frequent than harassment within the company. Sexist hostility was the most
frequent. Women in nontraditional jobs (such as a welder) are especially likely to be harassed.
Also, working in a male-dominated organization predisposes a woman to harassment.
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4. Physical touching.
5. Work-related kissing (but take into account cultural differences)
Several actions by management are the most critical in preventing and dealing with
harassment. A building block is to create and widely disseminate a policy about harassment.
Zero tolerance should be emphasized, and the company should have an open-door policy
about sexual harassment. Frequent discussion about the problem is helpful.
Two key strategies for the sexual harassment victim are to use either a formal complaint
procedure or to resolve the problem on his or her own. Text Exhibit 8-4 provides the details.
A major recommendation for documenting acts of sexual harassment is to keep a running diary
of incidents against you.
1. Several large companies dismiss each year the five percent of their workforce receiving the
lowest performance evaluations. What kind of conflicts do you think this practice leads to?
The rank-and-yank system leads to conflict between the manager and the evaluee if the
latter is informed of the ranking. The low-rated person is likely to defend himself or herself
against the ranking. Employees are also likely to compete with each other to avoid the low
ranking, and intense competition usually leads to conflict.
2. Why is being able to resolve conflict well such an important skill for career success?
Being able to resolve conflict well helps the career-minded person get through many
difficult situations, looking good and performing well in the process. If you resolve a
conflict well with a subordinate, the problem is not likely to haunt you by the person going
over your head for resolution. If you resolve a conflict well with your own boss you might
avoid a poor performance evaluation. Resolving a conflict can also help you get the go
ahead on a project that if successful will boost your career.
A person who is accommodative will usually wind up as the loser in conflict situations,
sometimes giving away so much that it is to the person's detriment. For example, a small
business owner might give a demanding employee such a large salary increase that profits
suffer.
4. Remember the hypothetical conflict between "Bill Budweiser" and the Anheuser Busch
Company? What solution do you propose to satisfy the underlying interests of both parties?
A key interest of Bill Budweiser is to earn money as a brewery, and a key interest of
Anheuser Busch is to protect its brand name. How about this for a solution? If Bill
Budweiser agrees peacefully to choose another name for his brewery, Anheuser Busch will
agree to hire his brewery to make a defined amount of beer each year for one of Busch's
minor labels. The Anheuser Busch contract will help the fledgling brewery meet expenses.
Neither party's best interests will be served by fighting a legal battle over the brand name.
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5. Several school systems in recent years have requested that teachers correct student work with
a purple maker rather than a red one because the color red is associated with harsh criticism.
What is your opinion of the merits of a shift from red markers to purple?
A few colorists might argue that the color red incites strong emotion, and therefore breeds
conflict. A reinforcement-theory analysis suggests, however, that in time purple will
become associated with harsh criticism and therefore will anger students. (Or students will
see red when they see purple!)
6. Have you ever attempted to disarm the opposition? How effective was the tactic?
Usually one or two class members can provide excellent examples of how disarming the
opposition worked. An entertaining example is agreeing with a police officer after being
pulled over for a traffic violation. Quite often the officer will not give a ticket. Instead the
officer will say, "Just be careful next time."
7. How might a student use cognitive restructuring to get over the anger of having received a
low grade in a course?
The student who uses cognitive restructuring to the extreme might say, "I'm thankful for
this wake-up call. Now I know that I have urgent developmental needs in this subject. I
will study on my own to improve my deficiencies."
8. Visualize yourself buying a new vehicle of your choice. Which negotiating technique (or
techniques) would you be the most likely to use?
Buying a new or used vehicle is a wonderful laboratory for practicing most negotiating
techniques. An especially powerful technique is to begin with a plausible demand or offer.
The seller then takes you seriously and will work extra hard to accommodate you because
you are a valid prospect. Although your offer is plausible, allow room for compromise.
Internet information about vehicle prices has made it easier for customers to make a
plausible offer. In general, offering about 12 percent below the sticker price is will placed a
person in the plausible-offer zone, and pique the interest of the seller.
9. Studies have shown that women working in male-dominated positions, such as a female
construction supervisor or bulldozer operator, are more likely to experience sexual harassment
than women in other fields. What explanation can you offer for this finding?
One possibility for the elevated frequency is that men resent women invading their
territory, so they express their resentment through the intimidation of sexual harassment.
Another possibility is that men working in male-dominated occupations tend to be more
macho, and part of being macho is to demean women.
10. Imagine yourself as a human resources professional who wants to alert top-level management
to the importance of a policy against sexual harassment. What interpretations could you make
of Table 8-1 to help you emphasize the importance of such a policy?
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claims in many instances. For example, imagine how much work withdrawal and
decreased workgroup productivity might cost the company.
This case illustrates how conflict over seemingly petty issues can arise in the workplace.
1. What is the exact conflict in this situation? What is the source of the conflict?
The conflict in this situation is that one person believes that the lunch is personal property to
be eaten only by her; the other person believes that he or she has a right to eat another
persons lunch (literally). The source of the conflict is limited resources.
2. What is your evaluation of Jenna Nestors method of resolving the conflict over the
stolen lunch?
Jenna has a right to be sarcastic and angry, yet her approach might lead to her being perceived
as petty and immature. He reference to spitting might bring about counter-hostility. Maybe she
should have made an appeal to reason, such as being willing to pack an extra lunch for a
needy person.
It may appear bizarre that professional adults act in this manner, yet many people do have a
petty side to them resulting in human relations problems. Another example of immature,
annoying behavior is how so many people behave on Black Friday, the celebrated retail day
following Thanksgiving. They push, shove, and literally stampede others to gain entrance to
the store and snatch up bargains.
Caught In a Squeeze
This case illustrates some of the real issues that surface in work-family conflict.
2. What should Heather do to resolve her conflicts with respect to family and work
responsibilities?
On the family side, Heather needs to develop a better support system, such as a retired person
to act as a backup for taking care of her son when neither Heather nor her husband are tied up
with work responsibilities. On the work side, perhaps Heather can arrive at an informal
contract with her manager about the limits to her availability with respect to non-standard
work hours.
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3. What should the company do to help deal with the type of conflict Heather is facing? Or,
should the company not consider Heathers dilemma to be their problem?
The company needs to think through what constitutes reasonable demands on the time of
working parents. Though careful planning, managers might be able to reduce emergency
meetings. The modern company does think consider the work/personal life conflicts of
employees to be partly their responsibility.
This exercise sets the stage for learning about conflict resolution. The results from this
questionnaire can be related to the information about conflict management styles presented later in
the chapter.
Finding win-win solutions to conflicts (or options for mutual gain) is a cornerstone skill for
conflict management. Here is one possibility for each option:
1. Luncheon problem. You and your coworkers arrive at a fixed luncheon schedule, such as each
Thursday, to which you will commit. You will then be able to satisfy your work schedule and their
demands. You can work an extra hour on Thursday to make up for lost time.
2. "William" problem. The workmates might prefer the diminutive "Will" of Bill because it is
more informal, yet William prefers to be called "William." The coworkers might agree to call him
"William" yet still use a nickname of their choosing from time to time that William finds
acceptable. They might use the diminutive "W" occasionally. In this way William is not called Bill
or Will, yet informality is preserved.
3. Transfer problem. You reach a win-win solution by training a replacement for yourself. You
win by obtaining a transfer, and your manager wins by retaining your valuable skills.
4. Giant-screen television set problem. The business owner might strike a bargain with the
employees. To pay for the giant-screen television set, or for a large part of the price, the
employees can come up with equivalent amount of cost savings for the employer. Among the
potential cost savers would be cutting back on energy costs until the set is paid for; decreasing
waste; and cutting back on absenteeism that requires hiring a temporary worker. Finding a way to
boost productivity would be another way to pay for the TV receiver. For the business owner, the
TV set becomes cost neutral.
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The essential skill here is to agree with the criticizer and then work on a solution to the problem.
The role-plays can be illuminating because people have to combat their natural tendency to simply
enter into a debate.
Imagination and tolerance are required to do an effective job of cognitive restructuring. Possible
positive responses to the two scenarios follow:
Nancy. "Nancy is so thorough that it takes her two extra weeks to provide her
input. Maybe I can work with Nancy to help her become less of a perfectionist."
Boss. "My boss is such a devoted, dedicated person. He wants to make sure that I
do every little detail correctly. Maybe I can find a way to prove to him that I am
very thorough."
Students might want to discuss the significance of individual items such as Number 15, "It's fun to
haggle over price when buying a car." My experience is that this quiz adds value to the study of
negotiation. A side discussion with possibilities is whether retail outlets with non-negotiable
prices, such as CarMax and Sears have a firm policy of non-negotiable prices.
A person would usually have to feel in strong demand to negotiate a starting salary. One of the
key behaviors to observe in the negotiation is whether the job applicant begins with a plausible
demand, keeping in mind the salary data presented in the exercise. Visiting www.salalry.com will
give the serious student more ammunition. We suspect that most students will use compromise to
help complete the negotiations.
Encouraging volunteers of different ages and work experience to enter into these role plays can be
illuminating. (Having a woman in her 40s play Bertha, and a man in his 20s play Bert will work
especially well.) These roles plays are likely to be effective because the content is inherently
interesting, and they integrate many of the techniques of conflict resolution. My experience is that
modern students are not particularly titillated by sexual content of exercises, and can therefore
conduct these role-plays professionally.
A sophisticated approach to this role-play would search for a win-win solution to this situation of
work-family conflict. An option for mutual gain might be to allow Heather to do some of the
analytical portion of her work at homesuch as on Sunday night after Christopher is in bed! The
team leader and company also win, because Heather accomplishes her work goals.
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EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
(c) 2. Sam and Muriel argue over who gets to use the new wireless laptop computer.
Their conflict is best classified as
a. differences in goals.
b. personal differences.
c. competition over limited resources.
d. conflict-prone job duties.
(c) 6. A type of personality conflict frequently noted at work is between people who
prefer
a. light-colored walls versus dark-colored walls.
b. warm supervision versus cold supervision.
c. a sweeping big picture versus details.
d. self-monitoring versus extraversion.
(d) 7. A manager who says to a group member, "Are you going to be stupid for
the rest of your life?" is most likely engaging in
a. competition over limited resources.
b. win-win conflict resolution.
c. negotiating.
d. bullying.
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(d) 8. Incivility in the workplace has become a significant
a. reason for filing as worker compensation claim.
b. way to get promoted.
c. source of workplace homicide.
d. source of conflict.
(b) 9. Linda Yang, a labor relations specialist, wants each side to leave the
negotiating table well satisfied. Yang is best advised to use which style of
conflict management?
a. competitive
b. collaborative
c. accommodative
d. sharing
(c) 10. The method of identifying the true source of conflict and resolving it
systematically is called
a. frame the outcome in positive terms.
b. disarm the opposition.
c. confrontation and problem solving.
d. begin with a plausible offer, but allow room for negotiation.
(d) 11. A police officer says to you, "Pull over, you've been driving ten miles per hour beyond
the speed limit." Following the principle of disarm the opposition, you should respond in
this manner:
a. "Officer, there has been some mistake."
b. "How would you like to deal with me when you are out of uniform?"
c. "You must have been speeding in order to catch me."
d. "You're right, I was speeding."
(b) 13. Jud is involved in conflict within his work group. A useful question for him
to reframe the situation would be
a. Why am I forced to work with fools?
b. Am I sure what my coworker is saying?
c. Why has life dealt me such a terrible hand?
d. How do I get even?
(c) 14. Alex has been severely criticized by his boss. He deals with the problem by
saying to himself, "The criticism I received is good because it will prevent me
from repeating that mistake." Alex is engaging in
a. accommodation
b. disarming the opposition.
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c. cognitive restructuring.
d. a self-defeating mind game.
(d) 15. The negotiating strategy, focus on interests, not positions, calls for the
negotiator to
a. quickly uncover the interests of the other side.
b. stick to his or her demands until the last.
c. find mutual interests with the other side.
d. strive to satisfy his or her overall interests.
(a) 17. You are interested in purchasing a speedboat, on sale for $35,000. You make
an offer of $29,500, thereby using the negotiating tactic,
a. begin with a plausible demand or offer, yet allow room for negotiation.
b. compromise.
c. make small concessions gradually.
d. know your best alternative to a negotiated agreement.
(b) 20. In quid pro quo sexual harassment, the harassed person
a. is intimidated with sexually-toned language.
b. loses out because of refusal to grant a sexual favor.
c. receives favorable treatment because of refusal to grant a sexual favor.
d. gets even with harasser by harassing him or her.
(d) 21. In the hostile environment form of sexual harassment, the harassed person
a. does not get a fair hearing for his or her complaint.
b. suffers a job loss for having filed a complaint.
c. suffers a job loss for having refused to grant sexual favors.
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d. may not necessarily suffer a job loss.
(a) 23. Recent data about the incidence of sexual harassment found that
professional women were more likely to be harassed,
a. by clients and customers than within the company.
b. in the company parking lot by strangers than within the company.
c. by women superiors than by men superiors.
d. in the cafeteria than in the cubicle or office.
(d) 25. A study of how personality factors influenced the negative effects of sexual
harassment indicated that
a. conscientious workers had few negative effects.
b. introverted workers suffered the most.
c. neurotic workers actually benefited from sexual harassment.
d. personality factors did not influence the negative effects.
True/False
(T) 1. One meaning of conflict is that one side attempts to block the other from
achieving its goals.
(F) 2. The more you care about work and family responsibilities, the less likely you
are to experience work-family conflict.
(T) 4. An analysis of many studies indicated that personal demands can create both
work stress and low job satisfaction.
(F) 5. A personality clash between two individuals usually comes about because one
person has a fancier job title than the other.
(F) 6. Big-picture-thinking Annie works for detail-thinking Gus, so the two will
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rarely have a personality clash because they complement each other nicely.
(T) 7. Office manager Keith is an office bully so he will often make statements to the
effect, My way or the highway.
(T) 8. Treating others rudely and with incivility is has become a frequent source of
workplace conflict.
(F) 9. To use the competitive style of conflict management, a person must give
primary concern to the needs of the other party.
(F) 10. In the sharing style of conflict management, the agreements reached are
typically options for mutual gain.
(T) 11. Confrontation and problem solving is considered the ideal approach to conflict
resolution because it leads to a resolution of the underlying issues.
(F) 12. A key principle of benefiting from criticism is to take the criticism personally,
so you will take it seriously.
(T) 13. A recommended approach to dealing with criticism is to act as if you are a
detached observer looking for useful information.
(F) 14. Apologizing to your criticizer for what you did wrong is a poor tactic because
it makes you appear to be a wimp.
(F) 15. To effectively use reframing through cognitive restructuring, one must
exaggerate the negative impact of the criticism.
(T) 16. Your manager annoys you because she frequently corrects the most minor
flaws in your work. To use reframing through cognitive restructuring, you
would tell yourself something like, "I guess my boss is just trying to be a
caring manager. Maybe I can profit from her small suggestions."
(T) 17. Hanna is embroiled in office conflict, and decides to deal with the situation by reframing
through asking questions. A good question for Hanna to ask would be, What is the real
issue here?
(F) 18. A useful rule of thumb for negotiating is to minimize empathy because it
introduces emotion into the negotiating process.
(F) 19. To focus on interests, not positions, the negotiator thinks of certain demands
that he or she must absolutely have met.
(T) 20. Knowing your best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) helps you
from accepting an offer that is smaller than you need to.
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(T) 22. Quid pro quo harassment takes place when a person's job is in jeopardy for
not submitting to a boss's sexual advances.
(F) 23. A study indicated that women who work in male-dominated manufacturing plants are
more likely to be sexually harassed than women who work in female-dominated
community-service centers.
(T) 24. The easiest way to deal with sexual harassment is to speak up before it
becomes serious.
(F) 25. Keeping a log of sexually harassing incidents against you is considered a bad
idea because there is a good chance you will be sued for libel.
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CHAPTER 9
BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE LEADER
The purpose of this chapter is to present information about leadership that students
can apply to developing their leadership skills. As a consequence, we omit from consideration here
the underlying leadership research and theory. Advanced students may want to read the underlying
knowledge base on their own.
An important part of being an effective leader is to have the right stuff. Yet different
situations may require a different set of personal characteristics for leadership effectiveness. Each
of the nine leadership traits described next can be developed.
A. Self-confidence
Realistic self-confidence is required in virtually every leadership situation. The leader must
also project self-confidence to the group. Self-confidence is also a behavior, such as being
cool under pressure. Developing self-confidence is a life-long process of performing well in a
variety of situations.
B. Assertiveness
A widely-recognized leadership trait is assertiveness, being forthright in expressing
demands, opinions, feelings, and attitudes. Assertiveness helps leaders perform tasks and
achieve goals such as confronting people about their mistakes, and setting high expectations.
Assertiveness stands in contrast to aggressiveness and passivity. A series of three studies
indicated that leaders with moderate assertiveness were the most effective.
Developing assertiveness is much like attempting to become less shy. People
must force themselves to take the opportunity to express their feelings and demands.
Expressing demands is easier for most people than expressing feelings.
D. Emotional Stability
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Emotional stability is important for a leader because group members expect and need
consistency in the way they are treated. Emotional stability is difficult to develop, but people
can learn to control many of their emotional outbursts.
E. Sense of Humor
Whether a trait or a behavior, the effective use of humor is considered an important part of
a leader's role. Self-effacing humor is the choice of comedians and organizational leaders alike.
Humor requires creativity.
H. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence also refers to being able to work effectively with the
emotions of others and to resolve problems, including listening and empathizing. Research by
Daniel Goleman suggests that superb leaders all have superb emotional intelligence. Leaders
with emotional intelligence are in tune with the thoughts and emotions of their own and those
of other people. To develop emotional intelligence, look to understand the feelings and
emotions of people around you.
Much attention is being paid to the importance of inspirational leaders who guide
others toward great heights of achievement. Charisma is a special quality of leaders whose
purposes, powers, and extraordinary determination differentiate them from others. Charisma
reflects a subjective perception on the part of the person being influenced. Leaders at all levels can
project charisma. Following are suggestions for behaving in a charismatic manner:
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3. Inspire trust and confidence.
4. Be highly energetic and goal oriented.
5. Be emotionally expressive and warm. (Smiling helps here.)
6. Make ample use of true stories.
7. Be candid and direct.
8. Make everybody feel that he or she is quite important.
9. Multiply the effectiveness of your handshake.
10. Stand up straight and also use other nonverbal signals of self-confidence.
11. Be willing to take personal risks.
12. Be self-promotional. (Charismatic leaders toot their own horns.)
With the use of teams being so widespread, team leadership opportunities have increased. The
team leader acts as a facilitator and coach who shares decision making with team members. A
team leader practices participative leadership, or sharing authority with the group. However,
research supports the idea that danger lurks in the hands of leaders who turn over all responsibility
to the group. Suggestions for developing team leadership skills follow.
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F. Encourage Honest Criticism
Being a good team player includes offering honest feedback on mistakes and flawed ideas.
The team benefits from mutual criticism.
Here we describe five strategies for developing your leadership potential in addition to
studying and participating in formal programs. We assume that leaders are both born and made,
meaning that certain cognitive and personality characteristics are required, but the potential leader
also needs experience and practice.
1. Acquire broad experience. (Because leadership varies somewhat with the situation,
leadership effectiveness can be improved by gaining supervisory experience in different
settings.)
2. Model effective leaders. (Observe capable leaders in action and then model some of
their approaches.)
3. Self-develop leadership traits and behaviors. (Identify several traits and behaviors that
need development, and then work on them with a combination of determination and
training.)
4. Become an integrated human being. (The model leader is first and foremost a fully
functioning person. The process of becoming a leader is the process of becoming an
integrated human being. Also, self-understanding is a major vehicle for leadership
development.)
5. Practice a little leadership. (Look for opportunities to exert a small amount of helpful
leadership in contrast to waiting for opportunities to accomplish extraordinary deeds.)
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6. Help your leader lead. (When you help people above you avoid a mistake or capitalize
upon an opportunity, you help the entire company. At the same time, you are developing
your ability to take the initiative and lead.)
1. Informal observation suggests that people who were voted the most likely to succeed in
high school are frequently found in leadership positions later in life. What explanation can you
offer for these predictions about success so often being true?
One strong possibility is that a persons leadership traits have already started to develop in
high school, such as being self-confident and passionate. Another is that being voted the
most likely to succeed is a big self-confidence booster that helps propel the person into
leadership positions later on in life.
2. What is your reaction to Rudy Giulianis statement that the leader should tell people what is
right, rather than the people telling him or her what is right and the telling them what they
want to hear?
The answer to this question depends on a persons perception of the role of a leader. If one
believes that a leader should be strong, decisive, and creative, then Giuliani is correct. On
the other hand, if one perceives the leaders key role as helping constituents attain what
they want, then Giuliani has got it backwards.
3. What does it mean to say that a person has the right stuff for being a leader?
Having the right stuff for being a leader refers to having the right personal characteristics
and traits to become a leader. For example, without appropriate self-confidence,
intelligence, and personal appeal, it would be difficult for a person to function effectively
as a leader.
4. How can a person demonstrate to others in the community that he or she is trustworthy
enough to be considered for a leadership position?
The person should develop a positive reputation in such areas as following through on
commitments, telling the truth, and not betraying confidences. Equally important the
person who wants to become a leader should not be caught doing the opposite of the
behaviors just mentioned.
5. Why does a leader need good emotional intelligence? Shouldnt a leader be a take-charge
person focused on obtaining results like many money or winning ball games?
A leader needs good emotional intelligence because in order to obtain results like making
money or winning ball games, you have to work effectively with the emotions of others
was well as those of your own. One example is that if a leader has empathy for
subordinates, they will perform better. Another is that dealing effectively with the anger of
people will help them perform better.
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6. What does the term self- objectivity mean to you, and why is it important for leadership?
Students may have difficulty understanding that self-objectivity means the ability to be
objective about one's strengths and limitations. Self-objectivity is important for leadership
because it helps a person capitalize on strengths and develop weak areas.
The student can get started with any of the suggestions for developing charisma described
in the text, even as modest as developing a self-confident handshake. Becoming more
charismatic involves dozens of small, as well as large, habits and skills. The sooner a
person starts working on charisma development, the better. This week is good, and today
is even better.
8. What kind of clarity could your instructor provide you in his or role as the leader of this
course?
A fabulous area of clarity would be to explain how the course will help a persons career
because clarity in this limited sense points people toward building a better future. (Again,
we are faced with the problem of a management writer taking an everyday term and using
it in a restricted or idiosyncratic sense.)
9. In what way do the concepts of charismatic leadership and participative leadership different
substantially from each other?
The charismatic leader inspires group members by his or her presence, vision, and many
other behaviors. The participative leader, in contrast, works more closely with group
members to involve them in decision making. The participative leader is more of a face-to-
face leader.
10. Assume that a student obtains a part-time job as an assistant store manager. What can this
person do to capitalize on this position as leadership experience?
This case illustrates how having knowledge of the business and being imaginative is part of the
job for a top-level leader.
We note that Press has passion (he says so); he has excellent cognitive skills as revealed in his
intense knowledge of automotive sales and marketing; he has vision, at least about vehicles; he
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is quite detail-oriented; he is a good listener; and he intends to be an empowering leader as
revealed in his plans to give engineers and designers more freedom of expression.
2. What does the cup holder incident tell you about Presss approach to leadership?
The cup holder incident indicates that Press thinks it is part of his role to contribute to design
decisions, and apparently Cerberus hired him for this purpose. However, some people might
criticize Press for being a micromanager.
3. How trustworthy can Press be if he would jump ship from Toyota to work for a rival?
The response to this question would be based on the students ethical code. Most people
would probably respond something to the effect, You have to do what you have to do.
Staying with one company for 37 years is loyal enough. Besides, it is not illegal to join a
rival. The contrary point of view is that although Press may not be bringing trade secrets
from Toyota to Chrysler, many of the plans he had for Toyota vehicles will be implemented at
Chrysler. My opinion is that Press does not merit an A for ethical behavior.
We assume that many students can identify with this case. The leadership responsibilities given
many assistant managers in a restaurant do not appear glamorous or worthy of the title, leader.
Yet the problems alluded to must be resolved for the restaurant to run smoothly.
Len Olsen may be neglecting to see the big picture. To be a successful high-level leader you
need to understand first hand the problems that take place at the heart of the organization.
Creating visions is but one part of leadership. Being able to effectively manage human
relations problems makes a valuable contribution to leadership effectiveness, even if the
problems deal mostly with supervisory leadership. The problem about the coffee spill could
result in a several million dollar claim against the restaurant chain unless resolved
satisfactorily.
2. What else can the restaurant chain do to help Olsen and others in the leadership program to
develop as leaders?
The company could provide the leadership trainees the opportunity to attend leadership
seminars, including taking a brief course. It would also be helpful for the assistant managers to
be invited to management meetings to understand the type of problems company leadership
faces. It would also be helpful for the assistant managers to receive regular feedback about
there performance including any leadership aspects of their work.
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Lengthy experience with this scale suggests that it reasonably measures behavior on the
assertiveness continuum. The scores obtained by students frequently match their self-evaluation of
their degree of assertiveness. The scale can be an effective developmental tool.
An important byproduct of this exercise is that it points to the high level of skill required to make
effective witty comments. Here are illustrative witty comments for the three exercises:
Scenario 1 (Store Manager): The store manager explains to the group, "Our business has been
declining 20 percent a week for three consecutive weeks. You must be as discouraged as I am.
But do not despair. We can not get any lower than no business at all, and if the trend continues,
we will hit that in two weeks."
Scenario 2 (Frozen Salaries): The leader says to the group, "I have some good news and some
bad news. The good news is that nobody will have to pay more taxes next year. The bad news is
that nobody will get a salary increase either."
Scenario 3 (Extra Hours): The manager says to the group, "As you may have heard we will all
be working about 65 hours per week for the next ten weeks. I'm proud of top management. They
have finally empowered us to display our strong work ethic."
Scenario 4 (Downsizing the Downsizers): The company founder explains to the group, Finally,
the world can no longer say that our firm fails to practice what it preaches. We are going to follow
our own advice, and start downsizing ourselves.
Creating a Vision
Students enjoy developing visions, and can be counted on to derive sensible vision statements.
The biggest problem is for the student groups to concisely state their visions. Some student
groups develop vision statements of about 75 words. Another problem is that some student
groups will develop vision statements that are simply sales forecasts.
The quiz is designed to provide insights into the specific practices of participative management.
Students carrying out leadership roles can practice some of these ideas. One reason a style quiz
has relevance even for students without leadership experience, is that leadership style is based
somewhat on personality traits. So natural inclinations in response to questions about leadership
scenarios might be an accurate measure of style.
The challenges of developing a mission statement are similar to those of developing a vision. My
experience is that student teams consistently develop sensible mission statements in about 15
minutes. Students might be reminded that the mission statement identifies the team's place in the
world, and describes what business the team is really in.
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Recognizing Team Accomplishments
Handing each other team member positive statements about his or her accomplishments can be
both a real confidence builder, as well as a way to help bolster the self-esteem of classmates. A
shrewd observer would make note of which compliments he or she did not receive, indicating that
perhaps improvement is needed. For example, a student might say, Nobody mentioned that I had
some imaginative ideas. Do I have a problem here?
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
(d) 3. The observation that leaders must have the right stuff means that effective
leadership requires
a. the right position.
b. years of experience.
c. effective behaviors.
d. certain characteristics.
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(b) 5. An important part of being assertive is to
a. manipulate people into doing what you want.
b. confront people about their mistakes.
c. think first of the demands of other people.
d. be obnoxious when necessary.
(d) 7. A series of studies with a variety of workers indicated that leaders who were
perceived to be the most effective were
a. aggressive to the point of being hyper.
b. passive to the point of being psychologically absent.
c. moderately passive.
d. moderately assertive.
(a) 8. A survey of a large number of employees indicated that the trait they valued
most in a manager is
a. honesty and integrity.
b. an in-your-face attitude.
c. emotional intelligence.
d. visionary perspective.
(c) 11. The most effective form of humor on the job pokes fun at
a. ethnic groups.
b. top management.
c. oneself.
d. coworkers.
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d. adopt a relaxed, casual attitude.
(d) 13. Amanda has high self-awareness and self-objectivity, which should
help her become a(n) _________________ leader.
a. autocratic
b. untrustworthy
c. phony
d. authentic
(d) 14. A leader provides clarity to workers when he or she is clear about what needs to
be done to
a. eliminate the competition.
b. get through the days struggles.
c. get a raise.
d. build a better future.
(b) 15. According to research, superb leaders all have one trait in common:
a. superb spatial intelligence
b. superb emotional intelligence
c. a below-average tolerance for risk taking.
d. average imagination and creativity.
(b) 19. Which one of the following actions is the most likely to help a person
develop charisma?
a. Be emotionally reserved.
b. Make other people feel important.
c. Reserve saying thank you for special occasions.
d. Be a conservative risk taker.
(a) 20. Team leader Casey can best practice participative leadership by
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a. sharing authority with the group.
b. being a micromanager.
c. participating in group activities.
d. participating in company-wide activities.
(c) 21. Which one of the following is the most likely to contribute to the development
of teamwork?
a. avoidance of criticism within the group
b. all input for performance evaluations done by the team leader
c. high performance standards
d. more than enough time to accomplish goals
(d) 22. Which one of the following is the most likely to contribute to the development
of teamwork?
a. keeping team members away from seeing the big picture
b. having the leader be the one person to dispense recognition
c. keeping performance standards low
d. holding question-and-answer sessions with the team.
True/False
(T) 1.A worker can exhibit leadership even without the benefit of occupying a job that
puts him or her in charge of the work activities of other people.
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(T) 3.Pointing the index finger outward will often be interpreted as a sign of
self-confidence.
(T) 4.Being assertive helps a leader effectively confront people about their mistakes.
(T) 5. A series of studies suggests that a leader will most likely be perceived as
effective when he or she is moderately assertive.
(F) 6.A survey showed that workers believe that a sense of humor and cognitive
intelligence are less important to workers than honesty and integrity..
(F) 8.Self-awareness and self-objectivity are important leadership traits because they
help a leader capitalize upon strengths and ignore weaknesses.
(F) 9.Jennifer fits the definition of an authentic leader, meaning that she has the
appropriate education credentials for her position.
(T) 10.One area of leadership responsibility requiring high cognitive skills is coming
up with ideas for cost cutting.
(T) 11.A leader provides clarity to the group when he or she explains carefully what
needs to be done to build a better future for the group or the organization.
(T) 13.An emotionally intelligent leader recognizes that emotions such as optimism
and pessimism are contagious in the workplace.
(F) 14.Leaders in hot pursuit of external rewards such as bonuses and stock options
are the most likely to be passionate about their work.
(F) 15. A vision in terms of leadership refers to basically a five-year forecast of where
the group is headed.
(F) 16. Charismatic leaders tend to be shy about letting others know of their
accomplishments.
(T) 18.Team leaders typically use participative leadership in working with the group.
(F) 19.According to a study with Norwegian workers, an effective team leader stands
out of the way and offers no guidance or encouragement to team members.
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(T) 20.Team spirit is likely to increase when the team has an urgent, constructive
purpose.
(T) 21. A plausible tactic for enhancing teamwork within a work group is for the leader to hold
question-and-answer sessions with the team.
(F) 22. A key part of peer evaluations is that they get everybody in the group focused
on pleasing the boss.
(T) 23.Explaining the big picture to group members involves describing how their
work contributes to the company.
(T) 24.According to the leader-exchange model, a high level of teamwork exists within
the in-group.
(T) 25.According to one explanation of leadership, becoming a leader is much like the
process of becoming an integrated human being.
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CHAPTER 10
MOTIVATING OTHERS
The purpose of this chapter is to provide the student with concepts and skills for motivating
others, particularly in a work environment. Instead of presenting an overview of the many
motivation theories in vogue, we concentrate on a few techniques. In this way, skill development
is enhanced.
Motivation has two meanings: (a) an internal state that leads to effort expended toward
objective, and (b) an activity performed by one person to get another to accomplish work. To
accomplish their work, people must motivate people who report to them, coworkers, bosses, or
customers.
The most fundamental principle of human motivation is that people are motivated by
self-interest, the principle of "What's in it for me?" or WIIFM. Even people who perform acts of
social good receive the reward of feeling better about themselves, thus, satisfying their needs for
nurturing others. To use the WIIFM principle you have to be aware of the intensity of the person's
desire. You must also find out what needs, desires, or motives a person is attempting to satisfy.
Needs are important because they lead to behavior, or what people actually do. A representative
list of needs is as follows: achievement; power; affiliation; autonomy; esteem; safety and security;
and equity.
The most widely-used formal method of motivating people in the workplace is behavior
modification, an attempt to change behavior by manipulating rewards and punishments.
According to the law of effect, behavior that leads to a positive consequence for the individual
tends to be repeated, whereas behavior that leads to a negative consequence tends not to be
repeated.
Positive reinforcement means increasing the probability that behavior will be repeated by
rewarding people for making the desired response. Negative reinforcement (or avoidance
motivation) means rewarding people by taking away an uncomfortable consequence of their
behavior. Negative reinforcement is a reward, not punishment.
Certain rules and procedures must be followed to use positive reinforcement effectively:
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9. Reward the group or team also.
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expectancy theory presented here, valences run from -100 to +100. A negative valence
means a person will work to avoid an outcome.
1. Does the person I am attempting to motivate have the skills self-confidence to do the
job?
2. What assurance does the person have that if he or she performs the work, the
promised reward will be forthcoming?
3. How badly does the person want the reward being offered in the situation?
4. Are there any zeroes in the first three questions? (If there are, motivation will be
absent because a zero will be entered in the expectancy theory equation.)
1. Explain whether the ability to motivate others is a soft skill or a hard skill.
The ability to motivate others would be classified as a soft skill because it focuses on
interpersonal relations, such as giving praise. Nevertheless, there are some hard skills in
motivation such as calculating bonuses, and setting up a recognition program on a
company Website.
2. A recent Google search identified 68,600,600 listings for the subject of work motivation.
With all this information available, why is motivating workers still such a hassle for so many
managers?
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One reason motivation remains such a hassle for so many managers is that they do not
have the right personality for motivating others, such as a manager who is cold and aloof.
Another problem is that managers who take the time to study work motivation are
relatively rare. A third key problem is that motivating others is a complex task, despite all
the wisdom on the topic. I suspect even some of the world authorities on work motivation
have some problems motivating some subordinates.
3. For what purposes would someone need to motivate his or her supervisor?
A person might want to motivate the supervisor for such reasons as obtaining a better
assignment, performance evaluation, or salary increase. A person might also want to
motivate a boss to carry a bigger share of the group's workload.
4. If people really live by the WIIFM principle, how can a leader still achieve teamwork?
The WIIFM principle does not exclude teamwork. Team members can be shown that by
working hard as a team member, they will achieve important personal gains such as a
group bonus and high job satisfaction.
5. What evidence can you suggest that people who do exciting and interesting work over
exceptional financial rewards?
Scientists, researchers, and professors focus on the internal rewards in their work,
although many people in these job categories wind up making a lot of money as a
byproduct of their interest in their work. More on the business side, many computer
programmers are more excited about their work than financial rewards.
6. Identify several factors in text Figure 10-1 that you think would be particularly effective in
motivating managers and professionals. Explain your reasoning.
Managerial and professional workers would most likely be motivated by all the factors
listed in Figure 10-1. Perhaps the most important factors would be (1) competitive salary,
(2) flexible schedules, (3) good relationship with the boss, and (4) being treated with
respect. Managers and professionals expect good pay. In addition, flexible schedules, good
boss relationship, and receiving respect all appeal to high-level needs.
More basic factors would generally be best for entry-level service workers because they
still have many basic needs to satisfy. The most suitable satisfiers would probably include
competitive salary and healthcare coverage. Yet a compressed workweek and being
treated with respect are also quite important to entry-level workers. A small advantage of
the compressed workweek is that it cuts down on commuting time and costs.
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Individual differences in motivating others manifest themselves in the different valences
people attach to rewards. A person with low needs for power and status, for example,
would experience very little motivational thrust from the prospects of being promoted. A
person with high needs for power and status would find the prospects of promotion to be
highly motivational.
9. How might you use expectancy theory to improve your own level of motivation?
Expectancy theory is well suited for self-motivation. First, a person could increase
effort-to-performance expectancies (and self-efficacy) by getting the right training and
using positive self -talk. Second, the person could increase the performance-to-outcome
expectancies by investigating the track record of the employer in actually delivering
promised rewards. Third, the person could pursue mostly those rewards to which he or
she attached high valence. Also, the person might do things to put him or her in a good
mood.
10. How might cultural differences affect the valence ratings in text Skill-Building Exercise
10-3?
Cultural differences can affect the valence ratings for job factors because people in
different cultures attach different values to certain type of job outcomes. An example is
that Mexicans highly value warm interpersonal relationships. A Mexican worker might
therefore attach a higher valence to a "warm smile and word of appreciation." A
recognition-hungry American might give a higher rating to an "employee-of -the-month"
designation.
This case illustrates that motivating workers is challenging, and also a major part of a managers
job.
1. How effective do you think it was for Jimmy Gomez to interview members of the kitchen staff
to investigate possible motivational problems?
Interviewing the kitchen staff was a good idea because it helped identify the needs workers
want to satisfy. Workers may not always be candid about their motivational factors, yet
speaking to them about what they want from the job is a sensible approach.
2. What does the information revealed by the kitchen staff tell you about their valences?
The staff is looking to satisfy basic needs to have more financial security. As a result they place
a high valence on financial compensation. Also, the comment about the dead-end job suggests
an interest in satisfying a higher need such as self-fulfillmentat least in a small way. Another
point is that the staff attaches high valence to being respected, and is frustrated because they
are not receiving enough.
3. Which needs among the people interviewed are not being satisfied?
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The interviews reveal several needs that are not being satisfied enough. The comments about
not making enough to pay for necessities suggest that the need for security is being frustrated.
There is also evidence about the need for recognition and respect not being satisfied. A
relevant interview response is, My gripe is not with the work, but that we dont get enough
respect. The chef gets the glory
4. What recommendations can you make to Blue Gardenia management about decreasing the
turnover and increasing the productivity of the kitchen staff?
A program of financial incentives for longevity might help decrease turnover. If the program
were effective, the increase in experienced workers might lead to increases in productivity
because the skill level would increase.
This case illustrates that using positive reinforcement with even token rewards hold promise of
bringing about constructive changes in behavior.
1. What do you predict will be the outcome of the horse-race motivation program if
implemented?
Based on experience in companies such as Dollar General, the horse-race motivation program
will be effective. Many workers respond well to token rewards, and also will put in effort to
avoid punishment.
This case is almost a pure example of using positive reinforcement and punishments to modify
the behavior of workers. The technique is therefore behavior modification.
A less complex program would be for supervisors to directly recognize punctuality with
praise, written comments, or accolades such as designating workers as On-time performer of
the month. Another approach would be giving small financial rewards for punctuality.
An advantage of this self-assessment exercise is that it points toward the specific type of actions
required to motivate others in a work environment.
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This group activity is essentially a needs analysis, thus reflecting a sophisticated approach to
motivation. The lesson to be learned from this activity is that it is better to investigate what
motivates people than to assume that the right motivators are known in advance. The exercise
also highlights the importance of understanding individual differences and being a good listener.
Positive Reinforcement
An important lesson to be learned from this exercise is that implementing positive reinforcement
requires several skills. The implementer must be able to hold candid discussions with another
person, choose an appropriate reward, and then administer the reward. With the boss, the reward
administered will have to be much more spontaneous because it would be awkward to interview
the boss about desired rewards.
Students typically enjoy quantifying interesting aspects of human behavior. The across-group
comparisons, and the comparisons with the class, can be particularly enlightening.
A key behavior expected from the manager in applying expectancy theory to a fledgling
telemarketer is to help give him or her confidence or training needed to do a good job. The
manager must also give assurances about rewards, and choose rewards of high valence.
This exercise provides an opportunity for the student to apply motivation theory to self-
motivation. Too often the study of motivation is about motivating others not the self. Knowing
what motivates a person can be a real boost to career success, and even choosing a career.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
(a) 2. Jessica has a strong need to affiliate with other people. She is therefore
likely to display the personality trait of
a. extraversion.
b. introversion.
c. emotional instability.
d. conscientiousness.
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(c) 3. The desire for fair treatment is reflected in the need for
a. safety and security.
b. esteem
c. equity
d. autonomy
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a. shortly after they perform as desired.
b. when they need a reward.
c. at the end of the work day.
d. shortly after they have been punished.
(d) 12. A general recommendation for choosing rewards and implementing them
is to
a. not deviate from what has worked in the past.
b. attach a dollar value to each reward, even recognition.
c. error on the side of being conservative.
d. look for creative ways to apply behavior modification.
(a) 13. Team leader Ray should be particularly aware of which of the following
suggestions about the use of positive reinforcement?
a. Reward the team or group also.
b. Keep the reward the same almost all the time.
c. External rewards usually back fire.
d. Let the group decide what behavior will lead to a reward.
(b) 14. An important reason that employee recognition programs are often
effective is that
a. most workers are greedy.
b. most workers feel they do not receive enough recognition.
c. collecting company souvenirs is a popular hobby.
d. the need for economic security and safety is strong.
(c) 17. Recognition statements tend to be the most effective when they
a. play down the employees contribution.
b. greatly exaggerate the employees contribution.
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c. are quite specific about the positive behavior.
d. sandwich a positive statement between two negative ones.
(d) 18. Marilyn asks, "If I work hard, will I get the job done?" She is illustrating
which aspect of expectancy theory?
a. performance-to-outcome expectancy
b. valence
c. behavior modification
d. effort-to-performance expectancy
(c) 20. Todd asks the question, "If I get the job done, will I really get my
reward?" He is illustrating which aspect of expectancy theory?
a. valence
b. effort-to-performance expectancy
c. performance-to-outcome expectancy
d. managerial effort
(b) 21. Trusting the company and the manager will have the strongest impact on
which component of expectancy theory?
a. effort-to-performance expectancy
b. performance-to-outcome-expectancy
c. valence
d. employee initiative
(d) 23. Which one of the following valences would lead to the highest degree of
motivated effort?
a. 0
b. +50
c. -50
d. -100
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d. all three components are likely to be lowered in value.
(d) 25. Michelle is the worst performer in your group. To use the Pygmalion
effect to motivate her, you should
a. criticize her privately.
b. increase her performance-to-outcome expectancies.
c. lower your expectations of her performance.
d. raise your expectations of her performance.
True/False
(T) 1.Motivational skills are useful in dealing with coworkers and customers as well as people
reporting to you..
(T) 2.The WIIFM principle refers to the fact that most people are motivated by
self-interest.
(F) 3.A need acts much like an external energy force, such as offering a cash
bonus for finding a new customer.
(F) 4.One of the seven needs that alone or in combination appear to motivate
the vast majority of employees is the need for escaping responsibility.
(T) 5.One of the seven needs that alone or in combination appears to motivate
the vast majority of employees is the need for autonomy.
(F) 8.A key point about rewarding employees is that effective rewards are
usually quite costly.
(T) 10. To keep a desired response going for a long time, it is best to reward the
person every once and awhile (not every time) for making the response.
(F) 12.Department manager Tim rewards the group as a whole for a good job,
thereby tends to violate basic rules for applying positive reinforcement.
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(F) 13.Employees tend to perceive recognition as an entitlement, whereas
compensation is regarded as a gift.
(F) 14.According to one estimate, many employees who quit their job cited
being smothered with too much recognition as a major factor.
(T) 17. Expectancy theory generally refers to the idea that people will work hard
to the extent that they expect to obtain a good return from their efforts.
(T) 18. A high effort-to-performance expectancy means that the person believes
strongly that if he or she attempts to do the task, the task will be performed.
(T) 19.If you have high self-efficacy for a particular task, your are likely to have
a high effort-to-performance expectancy.
(T) 21. Carol attaches a valence of -95 to staying in her present job location. Carol will therefore
put extra effort into working so hard that she will be recommended for a transfer.
(F) 22. Chuck attaches a valence of 10 to learning how to search for information
on the Internet. He will therefore work very hard at becoming skilled on
the Internet.
(F) 23.The components of expectancy theory tend to hold the same value
whether or not the person being motivated is in a good mood.
(F) 25.To apply the Pygmalion effect, take the worst performing member of the
group and give him or her a visible punishment.
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CHAPTER 11
HELPING OTHERS DEVELOP AND GROW
One purpose of this chapter is to convey information that will help students recognize their
responsibility for the growth and development of others. A closely-related purpose is to provide
concepts and skills to facilitate the process of developing the skills necessary for helping others in
the workplace develop and grow.
Although not specifically stated in most job descriptions, workers have a responsibility to help
each other learn, grow, and develop. For example, much of job training occurs as coworkers
instruct each other on work procedures and techniques.
Being a nurturing, positive person is a life-long process, rather than a tactic that can be used at
will.
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situations or from the boss.
4. Sharing challenging assignments. In some situations a fellow team member can
request that the protg help him or her on a difficult task.
5. Acting as a referral agent. The mentor sometimes refers the protg to resources
inside and outside the company to help with a particular problem.
6. Role modeling. An important part of being a mentor is to give the protg a
pattern of values and behaviors to emulate.
7. Giving support and encouragement. A mentor can be helpful just by giving
support and encouragement.
8. Counseling. A mentor listens to the protg's problems and offers advice.
9. Providing friendship. A mentor is above all a trusted friend, and the friendship
extends two ways.
10. Encouraging problem solving. Mentors help their protgs solve problems
by themselves and make their own discoveries.
11. Explaining the ropes. A general-purpose function of the mentor is to help the
protg learn the ropes.
12. Teaching the right skills. Mentors can help protgs develop skills such as
those related to information technology, customer service, and achieving high
quality.
13. Encouraging continuous learning. Part of encouraging lifelong learning is to
emphasize that formal education and an occasional workshop are not sufficient for
maintaining expertise in todays fast-changing workplace.
Mentoring is a complex activity. To develop mentoring skills, a person needs to offer help to
several people for at least six months. A key way in which the company benefits from coworker
mentoring is that the mentor passes along valuable knowledge to the protg. As business has
become more internationalized, mentoring people from different cultures has become more
frequent.
Two direct approaches to helping others in the workplace are coaching and training. In the
new workplace, team members share responsibility for coaching and training. High tech firms
such as Google and Microsoft, heavily emphasize workers sharing knowledge with each other.
Open workspaces facilitate information sharing.
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6. Give emotional support.
7. Give some constructive advice.
8. Coach with "could," not "should."
9. Interpret what is happening.
10. Allow for modeling of desired performance and behavior.
11. Applaud good results.
In contrast to being micromanaged, the majority of workers believe that they do not
receive enough coaching and guidance on the job. One implication of the coaching
suggestions just presented is that some people are more adept at coaching than others.
B. Training Others
A direct way of helping others in the workplace is to train them. Training is the process
of helping others acquire a job-related skill. As organizations operate with fewer managers,
coworkers have more responsibility to train each other. Certain time-tested principles facilitate
learning, and, therefore, training.
1. Encourage concentration. Not much learning takes place unless the trainee
concentrates carefully on what is being learned.
2. Use motivated interest. People learn best when they are interested in the
problem facing them. Explain to the trainee how the material to be learned
will benefit him or her.
3. Remind learners to intend to remember. We often do not remember
something because we do not intend to commit it to memory.
4. Ensure the meaningfulness of material. The material to be learned should be
organized in a meaningful manner.
5. Give feedback on progress. As a person's training progresses, motivation
may be maintained and enhanced by providing knowledge on progress.
6. Ask the trainee to reflect on what he or she has learned. If you think
carefully about what you have learned, your retention of the information
increases.
7. Deal with trainee defensiveness. Training is sometimes retarded because the
person being trained is defensive about information or skills that clashes
with his or her beliefs and practices.
8. Take into account learning style. Another key factor that influences training
is learning style, the way in which a person best learns new information. Two
examples are passive learning and active learning.
A difficult person is an individual who creates problems for others, yet has the skill and
mental ability to do otherwise. The difficult person may meet or exceed attendance and
performance standards, yet has a toxic personality.
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3. Gossips spread negative rumors about other and attempt to set people off
against each other.
4. Bullies cajole, and intimidate others, and are insulting.
5. Repulsives have poor personal hygiene, eating habits, and appearance, and
also use foul language.
6. Yes- people agree to any commitment or deadline, yet rarely deliver.
7. No- people are negative and pessimistic, and quick to point out why
something will not work.
8. Jekyll and Hydes are pleasant when dealing with superiors and customers,
yet tyrannical as bosses.
9. Whiners gripe about people, processes, and company regulations.
10. Backstabbers pretend to befriend you and encourage you to talk freely about
problems you face. Later they report this information to the person you mentioned in
a negative light.
11. High maintenance types require considerable attention from others in such
forms as demanding much of the supervisors time.
12. Clods are master procrastinators, and they work slowly.
13. Minimalists are apathetic and low-performing, and do just enough work to
avoid being fired.
14. Office cheats take claim for the ideas of others and benefit from the ideas.
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The tactics for dealing with difficult people described above require practice to be
effective.
1. Explain your position on whether workers have a responsibility to help each other grow and
develop.
The answer to this question depends to a large extent on the student's values. In a
team-based organization, however, workers are supposed to help each other in many ways
including growth and development.
2. What is your opinion of the potential effectiveness of the buddy system in your career?
Students who are socially minded and who have at least average needs for affiliation will
probably endorse the buddy system. Also, the buddy system is a natural relationship for
many people at the beginning of their career.
3. Visualize yourself in a full-time professional job working for a company that believed strongly
in mentoring. Explain whether you would prefer a mentor for yourself, or be assigned a
mentor by the company.
Again, here is an answer that depends on needs, values, and skills. A person who enjoys
networking on his or her own, and is confident in his or her networking skills would
probably prefer natural selection for mentoring. A person who did not want to risk not
finding a mentor would prefer the formal system. Also, a formal mentor might prove to be
better than one a person might find on his or her own.
4. In what way does a coach in the workplace function much like an athletic coach?
Workplace coaches have much in common with athletic coaches. The workplace coach
spots an incorrect move and makes a suggestion for improvement; he or she gives
encouragement, and at appropriate times may discipline. At other times the workplace
coach may "trade" a team member by transferring that person to another department, or
may ask the person to leave the team (be fired).
5. Describe any constructive advice you have received from anybody who coached you. What
was the impact of this advice?
This question might elicit some useful data that could be shared with classmates. Many
students can point to advice they received from a teacher or guidance counselor as to
which major to pursue, or which school to attend. Many students will also have received
constructive advice with respect to sports, car repair, or information technology.
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6. Many career-minded workers today hire their own coach, much like a personal trainer for
solving job problems and advancing. Explain whether you would be willing to invest money to
hire a business coach for yourself.
Most people have blind spots as to being perceived as a difficult person. A common
defense is, I know that some people object to my methods, but I just want things done
right. The individual would have to listen actively to feedback he or she has received
from friends, coworkers, and bosses. Nicknames others have assigned you can also be
valid feedback about being a difficult person. I knew a difficult person who was rightfully
known as Miss Pit Bull.
9. How might humor help you deal with the repulsive type of difficult person? Supply an
example of a witty comment you might use.
Joking or kidding about the person's repulsive behavior might get across the point in a
non-threatening manner. The person might then be in a better frame of mind to deal with
constructive criticism. Developing a witty comment is another opportunity to practice
creative thinking. Here's a sample comment, intended to be witty: The repulsive person is
eating non-finger foods with his hands instead of using a fork. His behavior is grossing out
his coworkers seated at the company cafeteria. You say, "I'm sure the cafeteria manager
would be happy to know that you are saving on plastic forks. But we'd appreciate eating
with you even more if you were less frugal with forks."
10. What did the project manager in the opening case mean by his statement that management
goes beyond numbers and charts?
The project in manager was reflecting on the workplace reality that some managers have
become so enamored with analytical methods that they neglect the interpersonal aspects of
managing. In recognition of this problem, many MBA programs now insist on soft-skills
training for students. Managers need to recognize that although tools such as electronic
dashboards and PowerPoint presentations are an important part of managing, dealing with
people is primary.
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This case has an important message for both mentors and their protgs: A mentoring
relationship can sometimes develop into a dependency relationship, to the disadvantage of both
parties.
Dawn has not been effective because intentionally or not, she has not helped Marilyn develop
into a more independently thinking and acting adult.
Dawn might be hindering Marilyns development by submitting to too many of her demands
for assistance. Perhaps she should have encouraged Marilyn to make a few of the big sales on
her own, instead of accompanying her.
Dawn should help Marilyn by establishing limits to their relationship. She might explain, for
example, that her role is not to give advice about Marilyns personal life or do her work for
her on the job.
An important these of this case is that an outstanding individual performer can still be
perceived as a poor team player by the rest of the group. The case also deals with the delicate
problem of attempting to gain more cooperation for a worker who is perceived by the manager to
be an outstanding performer.
This question requires a judgment call because Brian is much less obnoxious than the majority
of difficult people. Yet like many difficult people he is uncooperative. So let us label Brian as a
poor team player, but not quite a difficult person. Whether or not Brian is a difficult person, he
is still creating some morale problems within the group.
2. What steps should the refinance specialists take who object to Brians work style?
The most effective step is likely to be frequent discussions about the problem with Brian,
including giving him ample feedback as to why they interpret his actions to reflect poor team
play. It will also be important for the coworkers not to give Brian the impression that they are
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jealous of him. Brian appears to have a big ego, so it will be helpful in establishing rapport
with him to express appreciation for his high production.
3. How might a system of peer evaluation (workers contributing to the evaluation of each other)
help Nina in her supervision of the department?
Under a system of peer evaluation, workers rate each others performance and behavior, and
this feedback often serves as input to the performance evaluation given by the manager. A
system of peer evaluation would give Nina a better understanding of the teamwork problems
within the group. She might learn, for example, that Brian is experiencing some interpersonal
relationship problems. Nina could then discuss the problem with Brian.Nina would also have
to ascertain of the negative feedback about Brian was valid, or it represented envy or negative
office politics.
Brian appears to be falsely accusing Cindy of being a rotten team player. She might be willing
to assist Brian if he reached out more to the group other than asking them to assist him with
his major deals. The only evidence we have is that Cindy does not want to cooperate with
Brian. If Cindy does not want to cooperate with other members of the team also, she would
be a poor team player.
An intended value of this self-quiz is to sensitize students to the fact that attitudes contribute
heavily to being a helpful, nurturing person. Students who choose to work in a team environment
would do well to have a positive attitude toward helping others. Part of a team member's
responsibility is to share knowledge and skills.
A subtle message emerging from this role-play is that personality characteristics contribute heavily
to one's ability to be nurturing. For example, if a person does not project warmth it will be difficult
to be supportive. A person who is not naturally warm will have to work extra hard at being
supportive and nurturing.
Could this be the most valuable skill-building exercise in the entire text? The majority of students
who take a course in human relations probably would like to mentor a younger person, and this
activity might serve as a prompt. It will be instructive to discuss in class both mentoring successes
and failures. Diagnosing both successes and needs for improvement will enhance mentoring skills.
Selecting a Protg
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The purpose of this exercise is to help students think through the type of characteristics they
would admire in a protg. The exercise also highlights the fact that a mentoring relationship is
one of friendship.
The major purpose of this exercise is to help students recognize that many of the characteristics
that contribute to effective coaching can be developed. Also, the importance of action plans is
reinforced once again.
The point of this exercise is to help students appreciate the complexity of designing an adequate
training program. The exercise also serves as a reminder that an effective training program
incorporates principles of learning.
Even if students do not agree entirely with the scoring of the alternatives, the scenarios and
alternative solutions offered provide good discussion points about dealing with difficult people.
Doing the role-plays required here will help students realize that dealing with difficult people is
really a subset of conflict resolution.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
(b) 1. It is important to take the initiative in helping others in the workplace because
there is a natural tendency for most people to
a. ask for more help than coworkers are willing to give.
b. be embarrassed or fearful of asking for help.
c. associate asking for help with getting ready to be fired.
d. regard receiving help as an entitlement.
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(a) 3. The buddy system in a job setting refers to a pair of people
a. sharing information that could affect their careers.
b. recommending each other for good assignments.
c. sharing career expenses and clothing.
d. ganging up to downgrade the boss.
(d) 7. Which one of the following is the least effective mentoring behavior?
a. counseling with the protg
b. being a role model for the protg
c. helping the protg "learn the ropes"
d. solving problems for the protg
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c. confined to the first coaching session.
d. avoided unless requested.
(c) 12. A key role for the coach, in relation to the person being coached, is to
a. create barriers to good performance.
b. hold back on emotional support to teach self-reliance.
c. ask powerful questions.
d. telling the person what he or she should do.
(d) 14. An effective way to use modeling in coaching is for the manager to
a. set high standards of performance.
b. challenge the group member's ethical models.
c. sketch a mathematical model of coaching.
d. demonstrate how a task should be done correctly.
(a) 17. As a trainer, you explain to Pamela that if she learns how to find relevant
information on the Internet well, she will be eligible for promotion. You
are making use of the learning principle called
a. motivated interest.
b. concentration.
c. meaningfulness of material.
d. deal with trainee defensiveness.
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(a) 18. Reflecting on what you have learned is likely to
a. enhance retention of the information.
b. decrease retention of the information.
c. increase your defensiveness about learning.
d. hamper the development of soft skills.
(b) 19. Which one of the following is the best example of a learning style?
a. Barney uses a laptop computer to take notes in class.
b. Barry learns best when studying in a group.
c. Barbara likes to acquire new skills while on vacation.
d. Ben gets excited when he learns a new concept.
(d) 20. A defining characteristic of the yes people type of difficult person is that
he or she
a. avoids promising to meet deadlines.
b. says yes to the boss, but no to coworkers.
c. says no to the boss, but yes to coworkers.
d. rarely delivers on promises.
(a) 21. Martha is a high maintenance type of difficult person. On the job she is most
likely to
a. demand an unreasonable amount of her supervisors time.
b. backstab her coworkers
c. cajole and intimidate other workers.
d. promise any deadline, but fail to deliver.
(c) 22. Which one of the following is a recommended way of dealing with difficult
people? Give feedback
a. in a group setting.
b. about the person's characteristics.
c. about the person's behavior.
d. about the person's values.
(a) 24. Which one of the following is a recommended way of dealing with
difficult people?
a. Use humor to point out a problem.
b. Avoid any negotiations with the person
c. Report them to the boss immediately
d. Retaliate by being tactless and non-diplomatic.
(b) 25. A job description can be used to combat difficult behavior when the job
description
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a. states that the employee will be fired at the first show of difficult behavior.
b. disallows difficult behavior.
c. refers to an online database of difficult behaviors.
d. provides inspirational messages for overcoming difficult behavior.
True/False
(T) 1.Workers have a natural tendency to feel embarrassed or fearful about asking for
help.
(F) 2.A nourishing person attempts to take as much from other from people as
feasible.
(T) 3.A recommended way of being a nurturing person is to recognize the growth
needs of others.
(T) 4.A coworker can be a mentor as long as he or she is more experienced and
wiser than another group member in some important aspect of the job.
(T) 6.The online matching process for potential mentors and protgs resembles the
model for online dating.
(F) 7.The defining aspect of informal mentoring is that the mentor gives guidance
mostly over meals, beverage breaks, and in athletic settings.
(F) 8.A mentor is likely to discourage the protg from continuous learning because
such activity detracts from getting the job done.
(T) 9.A key benefit to the company from coworker mentoring is that the mentor will
often transfer useful job knowledge to the protg.
(F) 11.It is important to avoid building relationships with people before coaching them
because a personal relationship makes it difficult to act professionally.
(T) 13.The coaching technique, make criticism pain-free and positive emphasizes following
direct criticism with pointing out something positive the person being coached has
accomplished.
(T) 14.An effective coach asks open-ended questions of the person being coached.
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(T) 15.The purpose of a powerful question in coaching is to help the other person see
through the strengths and weaknesses of what he or she is doing or thinking.
(T) 16.An effective way of giving advice is often to ask a question, such as "Have you
explored enough alternative solutions to your problem?"
(F) 17.An effective coaching technique is to emphasize what the person being coached
should do, so to make him or her feel guilty.
(T) 18.The effective coach encourages the people being coach to applaud their own
good results rather than the coach providing the applause or cheering.
(T) 19.An effective technique for creating motivated interest for the learner is to show
how the material to be learned is related to the trainee's career goals.
(T) 20.Training is sometimes held back because the person being trained resists
information that clashes with his or her beliefs or practices.
(F) 21.A difficult person is a worker who lacks the physical and mental ability to
perform a task as required.
(T) 22.Clyde is the clod type of difficult person, so you can count on him to
procrastinate starting a project or work slowly after he has begun the project.
(F) 23.High maintenance type employees are so named because of their ability and
willingness to take care of their own work without placing many demands on
others.
(T) 24.A major strategy for dealing with difficult people is to give them feedback
about what their behavior is doing to you.
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CHAPTER 12
POSITIVE POLITICAL SKILLS
The purpose of this chapter is to help students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to
make positive use of organizational politics. Career advancement is difficult without developing at
least moderate political sensitivity.
A knowledge of positive political tactics helps build good interpersonal relationships. In turn,
these good relationships can facilitate achieving career goals. Political skills are a supplement to,
not a substitute for, job competence. Organizational politics refers to gaining power through any
means other than merit or luck. Politics has also been defined as the art of trying to accomplish
things in organizations. Politics are used to achieve power, the ability or potential to control
anything of value and influence decisions. Political tactics power control and influence.
Political skill does not stand alone, separated from other human relations skills. Among others,
political skill is directly related to social intelligence, an understanding of how relationships with
bosses and colleagues, family, and friends, shape our brains and affect our bodies. Social
intelligence tells us that good relationships act like vitamins, energizing us to perform well. In
contrast, bad relationships are like poison that undermines our cognitive efficiency and creativity.
A socially intelligent person recognizes that being arrogant or derisive toward others can cause
emotional distress that impairs the brains ability to learn and think clearly.
To get ahead, it may be important to make others aware of one's capability. Impression
management is a set of behaviors directed at enhancing one's image by drawing attention to
oneself. The attention can be drawn to superficial aspects or to work accomplishments.
A. Tactics of Impression Management
Managing one's impression encompasses dozens of specific tactics, limited only by one's
imagination of what will impress others. Impression management is most commonly found in
attempts to please the manager. Five tactics of impression management are as follows:
1. Build Trust and Confidence. Project the authentic impression of a person who can
be trusted to carry out responsibilities faithfully an ethically.
2. Be Visible and Create a Strong Presence. Be perceived as a valuable contributor on
the job. Attend meetings, company events, and be assigned to important projects.
3. Admit Mistakes. A high level of political skills is to admit mistakes, therefore
appearing more forthright and trustworthy.
4. Minimize Being a Yes-Person. When working for an emotionally secure and
competent manager, you are likely to create a better impression by not agreeing with
all the bosss ideas and plans. Instead, express constructive disagreement.
5. Create a Healthy Image. A superficial yet important part of impression management
is to project a healthy, physically fit appearance. Many business firms offer workers
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rewards for being physically fit and avoiding smoking and obesity. Emotional fitness
is also important.
William L. Gardner III offers sage advice: "Make every effort to put your best foot
forward-but never at the cost of your identity or integrity." A person needs good political skill
(or sensitivity) to be effective at impression management, as demonstrated in a study with 204
employees.
B. Business Etiquette
A major component of impression management is to practice good etiquette. Business
etiquette is a special code of behavior required in work situations. Both manners and
etiquette generally refer to behaving in a refined and acceptable manner. The general principle
of being considerate of the feelings of work associates is more important than any one act of
etiquette or courtesy.
1. Etiquette for Work Behavior and Clothing. General work etiquette includes all
aspects of the work environment such as timely completion of work, punctuality, being a
good team player, listening to others, and following through. A caution about casual
business clothing is that being neat and clean is part of being casual.
2. Introductions. The basic rule for introductions is to present the lower-ranking person
to the higher-ranking person regardless of age or sex. Provide a little amount of
information about the person. It is good manners to remember names and to pronounce
them correctly. Men and women are now both expected to extend their right hand when
being introduced.
3. Relationships between Men and Women and People of Different Ages. Women should
no longer be treated differently when approaching a door, riding in an elevator, or walking
on the street. The person in the lead (no matter the sex or age) should proceed first and
hold the door for the others following. However, a man should still follow a woman when
using an escalator. Older people should be treated with respect. Avoid touching others of
the same or opposite sex except for a handshake.
4. Use of Wire and Cell Telephones. Most business communication over the phone
requires live interaction between people. Guidelines for proper business etiquette include
identifying your company, your department, and yourself. Avoid call waiting when
possible. The general point about cell phones is not to annoy or irritate others with your
cell phone, particularly by being loud and rude. Do not answer your cell phone while
talking to customers or manager.
5. Dining. Etiquette surrounding meals involves planning for the meeting, seating
arrangements, bill paying, tipping, using proper table manners, and appropriate drinking of
alcoholic beverages. For example, order an alcoholic beverage only when invited to by the
host.
6. E -mail, Instant Messaging, and Text-by-Phone Correspondence. E-mail messages
including instant messaging should be proofread, be sent only when necessary, and should
generally be no longer than one screennot including attachments. Avoid the informality
of personal e-mail messages when corresponding for business purposes. Be careful not to
forward an e-mail message that has negative comments about the recipient. Text
messaging can be more informal than e-mail.
7. Use of Electronic Devices Other than Phones. Electronic devices such as Internet
access devices, PDAs such as the BlackBerry, and photocopiers create opportunities for
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good and poor etiquette. Surfing the Internet on company time is one problem. A growing
etiquette problem is workers at meetings using their notebook computers to do other
workwhen such behavior is not encouraged by the company. The BlackBerry has
created a culture of rudeness of its own. Hogging the photocopying machine is another
problem.
8. Working in a Cubicle. The lack of privacy of cubicles can create etiquette challenges
because a variety of coworkers and superiors can observe your everyday work behavior.
Among the many problems are speaking too loudly, allowing a cell phone to ring,
displaying offensive Websites, and poor personal hygiene.
9. Cross-Cultural Relations. Be alert to cross-cultural differences in etiquette in such
areas as gift giving, dining, drinking alcoholic beverages, and where and when to discuss
business. Watch out for differences in nonverbal communication.
10. Interacting with People with Disabilities. Be as natural and open as you can. Keep in
mind specifics such as speaking directly to a person with a disability, not to the persons
companion.
The political purpose of building good relationships with superiors is to gain power through
such means as being recommended for promotion and key assignments. Building these good
relationships is also important because it helps create a positive, supportive work environment. A
group of useful tactics is described next.
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F. Use Information Power
Power accrues to those who control vital information. At the same time, being a source of
useful information helps build constructive working relationships with managers. Information
power is closely related to expert power, such as being able to use social networking sites to
gain publicity for products and to recruit employees.
Another strategy for increasing one's power is to form alliances with coworkers and other
work associates. These individuals help one get work accomplished, and their input might be
solicited when a person is being considered for promotion. The increasing use of peer evaluation
systems makes coworker relationships even more important. Research conducted by the Gallup
Organization emphasizes the contribution of friendships and alliances in the workplace, including
productivity gains and better interaction with customers.
In addition to the following list, the teamwork skills described in Chapter 4 are also relevant.
C. Be Diplomatic
The egos of most people are too tender to accept the raw truth when faced with
disapproval of their thoughts or actions. Translated into action, diplomacy means finding the
right phrase to convey disapproval, disagreement, or discontent.
D. Exchange Favors
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Reciprocity is a key part of human interaction. Exchanging favors with others can make it
easier for people to accomplish their work because they are able to call on assistance when
needed.
E. Ask Advice
Asking another person for advice will usually be perceived as a compliment. Asking
advice is a subtle form of flattery because it shows you value the persons judgment.
G. Minimize Microinequities
A potent way of alienating coworkers is to snub them, or put them down, in a small way
without being aware of your behavior. A microinequity is a small, semiconscious message we
send with a powerful impact on the receiver. [A good class exercise here might be to ask for
volunteers to share microinequities they have received.]
A strategy for not losing whatever power you have accumulated is to refrain from making
power-eroding blunders. A sampling of these blunders follows.
1. To what extent are office politics skills important for a person who is technically competent
and hard working?
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Keeping your nose to the grindstone works as a career-advancement strategy to some
extent. To gain the power you might want and need, however, it pays to engage in positive
politics such as cultivating a network of influential people. The hard-working, talented
person may get recognized but it is worthwhile to increase the odds of getting noticed and
acquiring power.
2. Many people have said that a major reason for wanting to work out of their home is to avoid
office politics. What type of behaviors do they think they are really trying to avoid?
Among the behaviors these telecommuters or potential telecommuters are trying to avoid
include backbiting by coworkers, backstabbing, kissing up the boss, and competing for the
bosss attention. Many workers who want to work at home also dislike the favoritism that
sometimes takes place in the office.
3. Identify three jobs in which you think practicing good business etiquette would be the most
important.
High-level jobs with extensive business contact require the highest degree of practicing
etiquette. Among them would be public affairs specialist, industrial sales representative,
and executive secretary or executive assistant.
4. Etiquette training for people in high-level business positions is more popular than ever. How
would you explain the popularity of such training in the recent era?
Many people in high-level business positions need etiquette training because etiquette is
de-emphasized in families and among peers. One example is that family sit-down dinners in
which etiquette is demanded are less frequent today. Also, rudeness has become the norm
in dozens of situations including telemarketers addressing strangers by their first name,
and people interrupting meetings and casual conversations to address a cell-phone caller.
5. A physically able man encounters his vice president, a frail woman as they are both entering an
airport. Explain from an etiquette perspective, if the man should ask to carry the womans
bags to the check-in counter. (The man dos not have a valise with him.)
From the standpoint of strict business etiquette, the man should not offer to carry the vice
presidents bags. Yet, in this situation general considerations of chivalry should trump
business etiquetteand social etiquette kicks in. The man might say something to the
effect, Might I carry your bags? I could use the exercise.
6. It has been said that although most people can see through flattery, the technique still works.
How would you explain this observation?
Whether or not flattery is transparent, it still works with most people for several reasons.
One reason is that many people have such strong needs for recognition that they do not
care if the recognition is genuine. Another reason is that most people do not receive
enough compliments, and are therefore predisposed to accept any flattery that comes
along.
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7. How ethical is it to ask a person for advice about a problem even if you already know which
solution you will use?
Some students would regard this tactic as manipulative, and therefore unethical. Yet others
would argue that this is what many managers do when they pretend to be practicing group
decision-makingso the tactic is ethical.
8. Describe how e-mail and instant messaging can be used to play positive office politics, as well
as for unethical purposes.
E-mail is a widely used political tool. An ethical approach would be to send an e-mail
message complimenting an influential person, or compliment a coworker with a copy to an
influential person. An unethical approach would be to criticize somebody by e-mail, with
distribution to key people. Also, some people send many messages advising people against
a particular course of action. If the course of action fails, the sender of the e-mail re-sends
the warning message with copies to influential people.
Being politically incorrect is really a blunder because the object of political incorrectness is
insulted, and therefore the relationship or potential relationship is damaged. Political
incorrectness has the potential of being a cutting insult. An example would be saying to the
vice president of marketing, who is Latino, You are the vice president of marketing? Is
your job to develop marketing strategy to reach Hispanics? The person who made this
comment has most likely not created an ally in the vice president.
10. Why might a study of organizational politics seem more relevant to people with at
least several years of work experience than to career beginners?
Career beginners are typically idealistic, thinking that their talent and knowledge is all that
is needed to have their ideas accepted and to gain momentum in their careers. However,
with experience, people see that organizations are highly political and that even the most
talented people have to cultivate allies and avoid creating enemies. The presence of
favoritism becomes especially evident with a few years of experience.
The theme of this case is quite important for job hunters as well as in other situations
involving a business mealthe persons etiquette might be carefully observed by influential
people.
1. How justified were the company managers in turning down Suzanne based on their
perceptions of her table manners?
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Given that the human resources position might involve considerable contact with different
stakeholders, the company could require having good table manners as part of the job
qualifications. The company has a right to demand a refined, polished person for this position.
2. Should Steve Adams have warned Suzanne Chavez that her table manners would be a factor
in evaluating her job qualifications?
If Adams informed Chavez in advance that her table manners would be observed, there is a
small chance that she might have improved her manners just for the occasion. However,
people with poor table manners often do not know what they are doing wrong, so advance
notice might not have changed Suzannes behavior. Because spontaneous behavior is usually
an accurate indicator of future behavior, and employer should not be under obligation to warn
candidates in advance what behavior will be measured.
3. How might Suzanne benefit from the time she invested in her interviews with AutoPay?
Suzanne is understandably disappointed, but she now knows what must be done to help her
obtain a key position in the future. Refining her table manners will probably help her career in
other ways also because of the frequent opportunities for business meals in her line of work as
a human resource professional.
This story illustrates the importance of networking, and the effort many professionals will put
into networking.
1. How might you use Lunch 2.0 events to assist your career? (Note that these lunches have
expanded to other occupations as well as information technology workers?)
Events such as Lunch 2.0 provide an excellent opportunity for networking because such large
percentage of the people present are contacts of potential value. Many networking events
suffer from containing too many contacts of little use to the person attending.
2. What do you think of the ethics of people who attend a Lunch 2.0 gathering just to get a free
lunch?
Here we have an ethical problem of low intensity. Perhaps it is not ethical to cop a free lunch
but not many students are going to think that squeezing a lunch out of a large information
technology company represents poor ethics. Nevertheless, we are dealing with the ethical
concern of taking something of monetary value not intended for you.
3. If you were your companys organizer of Lunch 2.0, what steps would you take to keep
recruiting firms and recruiting vendors off the premises?
Here is a situation where top-level management must use political judgment. Among the
heavy control steps would be to screen people at the door, demanding proper company
identification including proof of job title. People who did not qualify for admittance could be
excluded from entering, perhaps through use of a security guard. However, exerting strict
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controls might conflict with the open, welcoming atmosphere of this effective social
networking event. Perhaps slightly amusing signs could be posted about who is qualified for
admittance.
Students typically enjoy comparing their scores to normative data. One finding that occurs
regularly is that many students who receive relatively high scores do not perceive themselves to be
very political.
The intent of this quiz is to measure political skill. However, the skill measurement is limited in
accuracy unless the student is able to provide accurate answers. Observe that the quiz is not
measuring attitudes and behaviors, but actual skill. Several of the questions are less subject to
blind spots than others. An example is Number 11, I spend a lot of time at work (or school)
developing connections with others.
The elevator-speech is excellent for reinforcing the idea of making a good first impression, and
simultaneously yet another opportunity to sharpen communication skills. We have found that
many students find this exercise to be extremely valuable and practical. One application is to keep
the presentation in mind for job interviews.
Business Etiquette
Students who are willing to invest the time in these roles-plays will find them useful. Under the
pressure of a live interaction, people often neglect to practice the etiquette they know should be
practiced.
A beneficial aspect of doing a role-play about flattery is that students come to realize that being an
effective flatterer requires skill. However, the students who volunteer are usually pretty effective
flatterers. For an added kick to this role-play, ask a few students to flatter the role players.
To the extent that the self-assessments are accurate, a person with a high score on this quiz would
be politically astute with respect to making others feel important. A low-scorer would have poor
political skills in dealing with peers. The reason is that making others feel important is a major
political skill.
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A feature of the two role-plays in this exercise is that students have an opportunity to practice
basic human relations skills. Many students fumble a bit when trying to express an interest in the
work of the store associate, thus pointing to the need for skill development.
Taking the blunder quiz can alert students to potential areas for career self-sabotage. A fruitful
discussion item is to explore the meaning of an affirmative response to Number 10, "1 avoid office
politics of any kind."
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
(b) 1. The position taken in the human relations text is that organizational politics
refers to gaining advantage by
a. dirty tricks.
b. any means other than merit or luck.
c. the formal use of power.
d. hard work and good performance.
(a) 2. You can tell that Janis has good social intelligence because she
a. understands that good relationships give her energy.
b. people can be manipulated when they are needy.
c. is only hostile toward people she perceives to be stupid.
d.being arrogant toward others helps them think more clearly.
(c) 3. You can tell that Ralph has good social intelligence because he
a. tells great jokes during business meetings.
b. believes that a friendly atmosphere lowers productivity.
c. gives constructive criticism instead of angry attacks.
d. give angry attacks toward lazy coworkers.
(a) 5. A study showed that impression management was the most likely to be
effective when the person managing his or her impression
a. had good political skill.
b. had poor political skill.
c. was highly introverted.
d. was emotionally unstable.
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b. look sharp at every available opportunity.
c. criticize others gently.
d. smile and be positive even when in a down mood.
(c) 8. Emily and Derek both work in the same bank. While at the bank, they head
toward a long flight of stairs. Proper etiquette is for
a. Emily and Derek to hold hands going down the stairs.
b. Derek to ask, Whose turn is it to go down stairs first?
c. Derek to go down the stairs in front of Emily.
d. Emily to go down the stairs in front of Derek.
(d) 10. With respect to etiquette, the person working in an office cubicle should
recognize that
a. whatever is displayed on his or her computer monitor is private.
b. dress codes do not apply while in the cubicle.
c. rules of etiquette are not important while in the cubicle.
d. several etiquette challenges are present.
(c) 11. When in doubt about proper etiquette in a given situation, a general guide is to
a. imagine how a member of royalty would behave.
b. trust your hunches.
c. observe how a successful person in the group behaves.
d. ask others, "Am I being a boor?"
(d) 12. A key aspect of using networking as a career tactic is that a person should
a. save networking for weekends.
b. do most networking by e-mail to save time.
c. network with people mostly outside of the company.
d. develop contacts with influential people.
(b) 13. Max, and inventory control specialist, has most likely broken through an
unwritten boundary when he
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a. attends the company picnic in jeans and a tank top.
b. invites the CEO to visit his cubicle and discuss company goals.
c. invites another inventory control specialist to dinner.
d. sends the tech center a request for help.
(b) 19. Long-term research conducted by the Gallup Organization suggests that
friendships on the job
a. lead to many complaints of sexual harassment.
b. tend to enhance productivity.
c. tend to lower productivity.
d. create so many cliques that morale is likely to suffer.
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(d) 21. A key characteristic of positive gossip for relationship building is that it
a. does not identify the people involved in the gossip scenario.
b. does not involve company personnel.
c. focuses on the social life of key personnel.
d. does not attack others.
(c) 22. Office manager Carlos is introducing his department members to a visiting executive
from the home office. Carlos says to the executive, I would like you to meet the
members of my outstanding team. Carlos commits a microinequity when he
a. introduces the team in alphabetical order, and Ziggy Zigfried is introduced
last.
b. introduces the team in reverse alphabetical order, and Alice Adams is
introduced last.
c. neglects to introduce Megan, one of the team members.
d. asks the team members to introduce themselves to the executive.
(d) 23. An important purpose of social networking sites on the job is for workers to
a. exchange gossip about each other.
b. have an alternative to the tech center when they need help.
c. relieve stress by contacting friends.
d. build workplace relationships with each other.
(d) 24. Diana, a resident in heart surgery, brings her complaint directly to the top
administrator of the hospital. She is committing the political blunder called
a. criticizing the boss in a public forum.
b. being a pest,
c. burning your bridges.
d. bypassing the boss.
True/False
(F) 2. Sam is a kindly middle manager who is an excellent coach for younger
employees. He believes that developing others is much more important than
advancing his own career. Sam would most likely achieve a top score on the
Organizational Politics Questionnaire.
(T) 3. According to the idea of social intelligence, good personal relationships act
like vitamins, giving us the energy to perform well.
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(F) 4. Vice president Laurie has above-average social intelligence, so she
deliberately establishes poor relationships with subordinates to motivate them
to be creative and perform well.
(F) 5. Lisa is skilled at impression management so she rarely ever admits mistakes
on the job.
(T) 7. A personal usually has to have good political skill in order to manage his or
her impression well.
(T) 8. One advantage of practicing good business etiquette is that it gives you
enough polish to be taken seriously.
(F) 9. You are taking the marketing vice president, Miguel Ortiz, on a tour of the
office. You run into office assistant, Ann Osaka, and you decide to introduce
the two people. You are following proper etiquette when you say, "Ann, I
would like you to meet our new marketing vice president, Miguel Ortiz."
(F) 10. In an office setting, when two coworkers are walking up the stairs, the man
should precede (walk in front of) the woman going up the stairs.
(T) 11. An etiquette guideline for e-mail is that messages should be no longer than
one screen, not including attachments.
(F) 12. Margot, a bookkeeper, works in a cubicle, so she does not have to worry about
business etiquette so long as she stays in her cubicle.
(T) 14. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Linkedin have become an
acceptable tool for workplace networking.
(T) 15. Clancy, a purchasing assistant, asks the CEO to go to movie with him, so
Clancy probably does not have a clear understanding of unwritten boundaries.
(F) 16. The more layers in a company (the steeper the hierarchy) the more likely it is
to be acceptable to cross unwritten boundaries.
(T) 17. One reason flattering others is an important tactic for career advancement is
that it helps build constructive relationships with superiors.
(F) 18. A recommended political tactic is to never admit a mistake, but instead blame
someone else who is too innocent to fight back.
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(T) 19. One reason that appearing cool under pressure is an effective political
tactic is because it shows that the person is capable of handling additional
responsibility.
(F) 20. The idea behind the tactic of expressing constructive disagreement is to be a
yes-person with your boss in a meeting, but later sending a memo describing
your disagreement.
(T) 21. Long-term research conducted by the Gallup Organization indicates that
having a best friend on the job is likely to increase your productivity.
(T) 22. Nursing supervisor Sara says to a group of doctors during a staff meeting,
The nurses in my department of some of the finest, most dedicated women you will
find in our healthcare system. A male nurse in the department feels hurt because only
the women were mentioned. Sara has committed a microinequity.
(F) 24. A recommended way to handle a dispute with one's manager is to quickly
threaten to bring the problem to the attention of the manager's boss.
(T) 25. Being a poor team player, or being perceived as one, is usually a serious
political blunder.
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CHAPTER 13
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SKILLS
The key purpose of this chapter is to help students enhance their ability to satisfy customers,
both external and internal. Customer satisfaction receives the highest priority in today's business
environment. Companies that take customers for granted often regret their mistake.
Outstanding customer satisfaction leads to good will, repeat business, and referrals. External
customers are paying customers including clients, guests, and patients. Internal customers are the
people one serves within the organization, or those who use a person's job output. All workers in
contact with customers are required to have customer satisfaction skills. Workers in a wide variety
of jobs need good customer satisfaction skills.
Customers form three clues about the service experience based on its presence or absence. A
clue is anything the customer can see, hear, taste, or smell. Functional clues are derived from the
technical performance of the service, such as a broken machine now working. Mechanical clues
stem from the sensory presentation of the service, including sights, smells sounds, tastes, and
textures. Human interaction clues are detected from the behavior and appearance of the service
providers. Human interaction in the service experience offers the biggest opportunity to deepen
customers emotional connection to the company.
Certain general principles will sharpen a person's ability to satisfy customers and thereby
improve customer retention. Without satisfying customers, a business would cease to exist.
Satisfaction, however, is considered a minimum expectation. Customer delight should be the
ultimate goal. Customer satisfaction is also highly valued because it breeds customer loyalty,
which in turn is very profitable. A set of key principles follows.
Employees who are satisfied with their jobs are also more likely to engage in
service-oriented organizational citizenship behavior.
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B. Receive Emotional Support from Coworkers and Management to Give Better
Customer Service
According to a research study, the support of workers is even more important than
supervisory support. Employees who perceived their coworkers to be supportive had a higher
level of commitment to their customers. The study also found customer satisfaction was
positively related to the strength of the service workers customer orientation.
Research also supports the idea that the type of leadership sales representatives receive
influences the type of relationships reps build with customers. Sales managers who were
charismatic and good at setting visions strongly affected the use of customer-oriented selling
behaviors, such as building good relationships. A study with hair stylists found that charismatic
and visionary leaders enhanced customer service. (It might be fun to discuss how a hair stylist
in a salon can be visionary.)
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Information technology can play an important role in recording customer preferences and
individualizing service. One such application is to use databases to have information on hand
about customer preferences. Sending customers information they are likely to use is another
way of enhancing customer service through information technology. Developing individualized
appeals to customers is likely to be included in customer relationship management (CRM)
software.
A major challenge in providing good customers service when using information
technology is to preserve the human touch. For example, (a) when you respond to a voice-
mail outgoing message, leave specific, relevant information, and (b) use the customers name
when sending e-mail messages.
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C. Show Care and Concern
During contact with the customer, the sales representative should show concern for
the customers welfare. Microsoft is one of many companies that asks about the
quality of customer service, and their inquiries are pointed and specific rather than
canned.
Most customers put honest effort into preventing customer dissatisfaction. Despite
the many efforts to achieve total customer satisfaction, some customer dissatisfaction is inevitable.
One reason for this dissatisfaction is that mistakes in dealing with customers are inevitable. One
study showed that give a chance to complain and have their problem resolve 90 percent will
remain loyal customers. A challenge is that the negative personality traits of customers can bring
down a persons level of customer service.
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B. Involve the Customer in Working Out the Problem
To minimize the perception of poor service, the customer should be involved in deciding
what should be done about the problem. By involving the customer in the solution to the
problem, the customer is more likely to accept a deviation from the service promised
originally.
1. Let your customers retain their dignity by stating your position politely and
reasonably.
2. Avoid arguing with an upset customer.
3. Appeal to your customer's sense of fair play and integrity.
4. Be firm by repeating the facts of the situation, but keep your temper under
control.
5. Accept responsibility for your decision.
6. Be willing to say no to a customer when it is justifiable.
1. Assume that you find it necessary to telephone a call center to help you with a technical
problem with your cell phone or computer. Identify the functional, mechanical, and human-
interaction clues that you are likely to encounter in the resolution of your problem.
The functional aspects relate to whether the device was fixed, such as overcoming the
problem of documents freezing on the computer screen. The mechanical aspects would
focus on the sounds such as the clarity of the phone reception while talking to the service
technician. The behavior of the technician such as being polite and interested in the
problem, and being supportive, would constitute the human interaction clues.
2. For what reason is a satisfied employee more likely to provide better customer
service?
A satisfied employee is less likely to be harboring discontent that he or she might take out
on customers. A satisfied employee is also less preoccupied and can therefore concentrate
better on customers, thereby serving them better. Another consideration is that when one
is satisfied, it is easier to deal with the challenges of human interaction.
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3. A couple walks into an automobile showroom and says they want a big safe vehicle for them
and their three children, yet they are unsure about what vehicle they should purchase.
Describe how you might identify customer needs in this situation.
A good starting point is to get the couple talking about the uses to which they would put
their vehicle. Ask questions about occasional uses such as camping and other vacations,
and visits to the home improvement store. After these uses are gathered, they will point to
criteria for a vehicle that will meet all their needs.
4. Describe several customer moments of truth you have experienced this week. What made you
classify them as moments of truth?
Policy development is a stretch exercise that students enjoy. Here is a sample policy for
the customer service desk personnel:
Target customer service associates are granted the authority to resolve a wide range of
customer problems without approval from their supervisor. Customer service workers are
authorized to grant full refunds when it appears the customer has tried out but not
regularly used merchandise. Full refunds and exchanges can be granted for defective
merchandise. Customer service personnel, however, are not authorized to make payments
to customers in excess of the retail price of the merchandise. A supervisor must be
consulted before a customer service worker can grant refunds or exchanges without proof
of purchase. (Students might be asked to critique this sample policy from the point of view
of the customer service worker and management.)
A wide range of responses are possible here, including negative, neutral, and positive. On
the negative side, all the e-mail ads can be annoying, and so can being routed through a
long menu of options to answer a question asked on the telephone. Complicated,
confusing Websites for answering inquiries are another substantial problem. On the neutral
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side, calling in utility reading, or reporting them online seems satisfactory. On the positive
side, many people enjoy paying bills online, and receiving account information from the
bank through voice-recognition systems.
8. Have you ever smiled at a customer? What effect, if any, did this have on his or her
behavior toward you?
Student observations will be interesting here because although research and opinion
indicate that smiles help build customer relationships, the effect is not dramatic. The
behavior most likely to be elicited by a smile is a return smile. However, it is possible that
the recipient of the smile will say something positive, such as Thank you for the nice
service.
9. How effective is the principle "the customer is always right" when dealing with
dissatisfied customers?
Following the principle "the customer is always right" too literally can create problems for
the firm. Some customers make unreasonable demands and can lose money for the
company. When the customer does appear to be wrong, however, it is necessary to
tactfully resolve the conflict.
10. A few weeks after renewing a subscription, a customer received a postcard that included the
following: We appreciate your prompt payment for your magazine subscription. However,
our records indicate that you overpaid and are due a balance of $0.10. We will extend your
subscription for 1 additional issue(s). Or, if you would prefer a refund check for the balance,
please contact our customer service department at 1-800-. What is your evaluation of this
interaction in terms of the customer experience?
At first, many people might laugh at the possibilities of receiving a check for 10 cents, and
think that the company is wasting money. However, the good customer service displayed
in this scenario might reflect company policy, or even a legal obligation, for dealing with
overpayments. We imagine that this letter mentioned above will generate far more good
will than annoyance.
Among many themes, this case illustrates what a serious issue customer service is for a large
retailer, and how difficult it can be to elevate customer perceptions of customer service. The
importance of the human touch in customer service is also emphasized.
1. What do you recommend Home Depot do to re-strengthen its reputation for high-
quality customer service?
As a couple of the customers quoted in the case suggest, getting a larger number of
knowledgeable store associates back on the floor will enhance customer service. In terms of
business strategy, it might work for Home Depot management to invest more money in store
associates than opening new stores.
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2. Identify the three components of customer experience (functional, mechanical, and human
interaction) that apply to a customer shopping for a replacement kitchen sink at Home Depot.
(If the kitchen sink does not interest you, substitute another product.)
The functional clues stem from being advised about purchasing the right replacement sink,
perhaps at a satisfactory price. Mechanical clues would stem from such factors as seeing a
shiny new sink, absorbing the home-supply smell of Home Depot, hearing the buzz of the
store, and perhaps feeling the enamel on the sink. The human interaction clues would stem
from the qualities of the store associate, such as a friendly, helpful demeanor, and an interest in
the customers challenge of replacing the sink.
3. What is your evaluation of customer Wings (the chef and handyman) suggestion
for improving the customer experience at Home Depot?
Wing focuses on hiring a larger number of store associates with the technical expertise to help
customers make product choices. Because a large number of Home Depot customers are
making a purchase to repair something, the technical expertise will indeed improve customer
service. However, we cannot neglect the human interaction part of customer service. Many
shoppers are not really looking for technical assistance when they make such purchases as
light bulbs, bird seed, top soil, and driveway sealer. What they might need is a friendly helper
to assist with any questions about the location of a product or help in loading the merchandise
into a shopping cart.
4. How good is customer service at Home Depot these days? Base your evaluation on input
from people in your network or an in-person visit to a Home Depot.
First-hand perceptions are always interesting because they may vary so much from industry
surveys and newspaper reports. Millions of customers still find a visit to Home Depot to fit
their needs, and the vast majority of these customers find somebody to answer their questions.
This case illustrates the challenge of attempting to provide customer service at such a high
level that repeat business comes about even without an urgent needed on part of the customer.
Although the McNamaras are providing a mundane service, if they do not keep customers
happy they most likely will not get repeat business or referrals. Another tie in with customer
service is that the customer can perceive the before-and-after difference when a house is
power washed.
2. How might the McNamaras form better bonds with their customers?
Forming a bond with a customer is not easy with a service as impersonal as a power wash.
Nevertheless, being polite, friendly, and neat will help. If Jim and Glen have to enter a
customers home, they should take off their bootsa touch that many customer like.
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Complimenting the appearance of the customers house or small business might be helpful in
forming a bond.
3. What can the Whopper Wash couple do to get more repeat business?
First, the McNamaras have to do their best to form a bond with their customers. Second, they
might be explicit about a recommended cycle for power washing, such as every three years.
Third, they might offer other services such as power washing the concrete around the house.
Answering the straightforward questions in this questionnaire directs the student's thinking toward
the behavioral specifics involved in customer service. The questionnaire also touches on advanced
knowledge about customer service, such as No. 13: Now that individual consumers and
companies can shop online, the personal touch in business is losing importance.
Moments of Truth
The moments of truth exercise works well in helping the student nail down the meaning of
moments of truth. At the same time, the exercise raises awareness about the importance of
seemingly minor incidents in customer service.
Am I Being Rude?
Responding to this questionnaire gives students a refresher on what actions are likely to be
interpreted as rude behavior when serving customers. Several of the items warrant discussion as
to why they constitute rudeness. Number 11 is an example: "I comment on customer's appearance
in a flirtatious, sexually-oriented way."
Most students will enjoy these two positive role-plays. Students who watch the role- play can
provide feedback on how well the sales representatives accomplished their goals. As always, a
challenge with an exercise of this nature is for the students to display some new knowledge, and
not simply using experience and common sense.
Anticipate some lively action with these role-plays. Students will also receive a demonstration of
the challenge of resolving conflicts with customers. In scenario one the customer appears to be
wrong, whereas in scenario two the customer appears to be right.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
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(b) 1. An internal customer is a (n)
a. customer who knows top management personally.
b. person within the company who uses your output.
c. person who buys a product or service in person.
d. employee who acts as a customer spokesperson.
(a) 2. According to one authority cited in the human relations text, a good employee or
a good sales associate is typically worth about
a. five or ten times an average one.
b. as much as two average ones.
c. three times as much as an online ad.
d. ten times as much as a newspaper ad.
(c) 4. Meg visits the garden center at a Lowes home improvement store, and develops
a mechanical clue about service when she
a. watches the cashier smile as she takes out her credit card.
b. finds exactly the shrubs she was searching.
c. can smell the flowers and shrubs.
d. is invited to visit a Lowes store again..
(b) 6. According to a consumer behavior specialist cited in the human relations text,
good service comes down to
a. treat customers as if they were family members or friends.
b. creating a positive and memorable customer experience.
c. beating the competition in price by at least 10 percent.
d. beating the competition in price by at least 25 percent.
(b) 8. A study found that when customer service workers receive emotional support
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from coworkers, they
a. have the courage to be rude to customers.
b. provide better service to customers.
c. have a lower customer-service orientation.
d. lower their organizational citizenship behavior.
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d. more employees work in customer service positions.
(a) 17. Which one of the following is not a recommended as a way of using voice mail
to enhance customer service?
a. Use a monotone, computerized-style voice to avoid misunderstanding.
b. Smile while leaving your message.
c. Attempt to minimize telephone tag.
d. Be specific about what you want from the person called.
(b) 18. Which of the following problems is said to be the major reason for lost
business?
a. poor product knowledge
b. rude treatment of customers
c. poor product quality
d. over-attentive customer-contact workers
(c) 20. A study about employee smiling conducted with college students found that
when the employee smiles, customers are likely to perceive that the
a. employee was trying to compensate for poor service.
b. service was of low quality.
c. service was of high quality.
d. price was much lower than reality.
(d) 22. A study conducted in two fast food chains in Singapore suggested that the
negative personality traits of customers
a. encouraged customer service workers to be extra agreeable.
b. resulted in higher average sales per customer for the store.
c. resulted in more positive affectivity by the customer-service workers.
d. brought out negative emotion from customer-service workers.
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(b) 23. The experience at Staybridge Suites (and probably at other extended stay hotels
that offer limited services) is customer loyalty can be enhanced through
a. offering guests discount coupons for meals.
b. positive employee interaction with customers.
c. hotel employees being detached and professional.
d. all employees wearing smiley buttons.
(b) 24. Which one of the following tactics would be the least recommended approach to dealing
with customer complaints?
a. Acknowledge the customer's point of view.
b. Point out where the customer is at fault.
c. Apologize for problems your company may have created.
d. Follow up on the resolution of the problem.
(a) 25. A realistic customer retention policy centers on the idea that
a. some customers are so unreasonable they are not worth keeping.
b. the customer is always right.
c. a customer retention rate of about 50 percent is realistic.
d. a company should strive to retain all their customers.
True/False
(F) 1.Jennifer works for Macys in Chicago. Because Jennifer buys some of her
clothing at the store, she is classified as an internal customer.
(F) 2.The founder of a technology consulting firm cited in the human relations text
contends that most client issues with consultants deal with hard skills.
(F) 5.Rob gets a problem with the transmission of his sports vehicle fixed right away
at the service center. Rob therefore gets a mechanical clue about the experience.
(T) 6.Sally gets her sick dog successfully treated at a veterinary clinic, and while
there she enjoys the antiseptic smell of the clinic. In relation to the smell, Sally
has received a functional clue.
(F) 7.People with low self-esteem are more likely to experience high job satisfaction.
(T) 8.Customer service workers who receive emotional support from coworkers tend
to provide better customer service.
(T) 9.Research evidence suggests that a leader who is charismatic and visionary
influence employees to be customer oriented.
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(F) 10.A study with hair stylists found that leaders who were boring and unimaginative
were particularly effective at inspiring hair stylists to provide exceptional
service.
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(T) 11.A challenge in delivering high levels of customer satisfaction is that many
customers may not be able to express their needs clearly.
(F) 12. A new emphasis for sales representatives is to take orders rather than wasting
time attempting to solve customer problems.
(T) 13.A recommended approach to solving a customer problem is to ask the customer
what problem he or she hopes to solve with the product.
(T) 14.A moment of truth in customer service would occur when you walk into a computer store
and ask for assistance in purchasing software that would enable you to create your own
Web page.
(F) 15. The cycle of service chart lists the dates on which the company is available to provide
you with customer service.
(T) 16.An empowered employee has the authority to make a quick decision as to
whether the company or the customer is right about a customer problem.
(F) 18.Poor product quality leads to substantially more lost business than does rudeness
by customer contact workers.
(T) 19.The tone of a customer service representatives voice is one way in which
customers decide if they are being treated rudely.
(F) 20. According to one study, when the technical performance of a customer-service
representative is poor, rudeness by the worker has a smaller effect on customer
service.
(T) 21.In attempting to bond with customers, recognize that building a good working
relationship with customers will often lead to a good personal relationship.
(T) 22.A national survey indicated that the highest customer service ratings were attained by
companies that provided express delivery and those retailers that sold over the Internet.
(F) 23. The experience of an extended-stay hotel found that providing amenities such as mints on
the pillow and free Internet connections were much more important than having contact
workers interact with guests.
(F) 24. The major purpose of company blogs or web logs is to deal directly with customer
complaints, including the granting of refunds.
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.
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CHAPTER 14
ENHANCING ETHICAL BEHAVIOR
The major purpose of this chapter is to enhance ethical behavior by translating general
knowledge about ethics into behaviors and skills. By engaging in these behaviors and applying the
skills, the student will function at a high ethical level.
Ethics refers to what is good and bad, right and wrong, just and unjust, and what people
should do. Ethics is the vehicle for turning values into action. An ethical reputation helps a person
obtain the job he or she wants. A person's ethical code has a big impact on his or her interpersonal
relationships.
A major reason for studying ethics is that most people are motivated by self-interest and the
desire to do something right. Ethical behavior is important because a good reputation can enhance
business and attract investors. Unethical behavior is costly, such as employee theft. Another
problem is that many unethical acts are illegal which can lead to financial loss and imprisonment.
High ethics can also increase the quality of work life. Examples of clauses from ethical codes
include:
Abiding by ethical codes such as the above will improve the quality of work life.
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Lies from job applicants are surging. The survey showed in Figure 14-1 shows that about 20
percent of employees have witnessed abusive intimidating behavior toward employees as well
as lying to employees, customers, vendors or the public. Workers today might be more
observant of ethical problems, and more willing to note them on a survey.
Following guidelines for ethical behavior is the heart of being ethical. An obvious example is
"Follow the Golden Rule."
A. Developing Virtuousness
A deep-rooted approach to behaving ethically is to have strong moral and ethical
principles, or to be virtuous. A person of high virtue has good character and genuine
motivation and intentions. According to Edwin A. Locke, certain values constitute
virtue in a business environment.
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1. Gather the facts. Ask yourself such questions as "Are there any legal issues
involved here?" Gathering facts is influenced by emotion.
2. Define the ethical issues. Because the ethical issues are often more
complicated than they appeared at first glance, it helps to talk over the
ethical issues with another person. The ethical issues might involve
character traits or common ethical problems.
3. Identify the affected parties. When faced with a complex ethical decision it
is important to identify all the affected parties.
4. Identify the consequences. It is important to identify the consequences with
the highest probability of occurring and those with the most negative
outcomes. Many people can be harmed by an unethical decision. Both long-
and short-term consequences should be specified. The symbolic
consequences are important in that every act and decision sends a message.
5. Identify the obligations. For example, the manufacturer of automotive
brakes has an obligation to produce and sell only brakes that meet high
safety standards.
6. Consider your character and integrity. Consider how relevant people would
judge your character and integrity. How would you feel if your actions were publicly
disclosed in the local newspaper or over e-mail?
7. Think creatively about potential actions. People should stretch their
imagination to invent several options rather than thinking of only two
choices--to do or not to do something.
8. Check your intuition. People should ask how the contemplated decision
feels, tastes, and smells. Would you be proud of yourself or would you hate
yourself if you made the decision?
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F. Following an Applicable Professional Code of Conduct
Professional codes of conduct are prescribed for many occupational groups including
physicians, nurses, lawyers, paralegals, purchasing managers and agents, and real estate
salespersons. Figure 14-5 presents a sampling of provisions from these codes of conduct.
1. The business owner described in the chapter opener contends that people are fundamentally
good. What is your opinion about people being fundamentally good?
The real issue here might be what percentage of people are fundamentally good. Among
the observations that not everybody is so good, are these: (a) about one percent of
Americans are in jail or prison. (2) people are bombarded daily with scams over the
Internet and the telephone, (c) fighting hackers and identity thieves is an enormous
business worldwide, and (4) driving under the influence of alcohol is a widespread
problem. Yet on the positive side, loads of people give to charity, and think of all the
volunteers who are still helping overcome the ravages of Hurricane Katrina. (Maybe this
question requires a 2,000-word answer.)
2. How can behaving ethically improve a person's interpersonal relationships on the job?
An ethical person has a better chance of being liked and trusted than one who is unethical.
As a result, interpersonal relationships improve. Being ethical also improves the quality of
work life for others.
3. What would most likely be some of the specific behaviors of a manager who scored twenty on
the ethical reasoning inventory?
Twenty is the lowest possible score, suggesting that the person is morally bankrupt. A big
problem in working for such an unethical person is that he or she could not be trusted. For
example, the manager might give a worker a low performance evaluation to justify
withholding a salary increase.
4. An animal advocacy group turned up coats with fur from domesticated dogs and from
raccoon dogs from Asia. The fur was labeled as faux (false or synthetic). What is your opinion
of the ethics of these coat manufacturers who used dog fur labeled as faux fur?
You dont have to be a dog lover to evaluate the ethics of lying about the ingredients of
faux fur. Almost all ethical tests, or screens, consider lying to be unethical. Here we might
have an example of unethical behavior that is also a violation of the law.
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5. Give an example from your own experience or the media in which a business executive did
something of significance that is morally right.
Finding morally right acts may require research because good deeds receive less publicity
than bad deeds. A good deed performed by an IBM executive was to spearhead the
preparation of help kits for latch key children. The kit contained emergency numbers, and
even first-aid supplies. Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates give billions to charity.
6. Provide an example of an action in business that might be unethical but not illegal.
Many unethical acts are not illegal including accepting lavish gifts from suppliers and firing
a competent worker to make room for an unqualified friend. An increasing widespread
practice is for companies to eliminate or substantially reduce retiree pensions. However
unethical, it is apparently not illegal to renege on pension commitments.
7. Virtually all accountants have studied ethics as part of their education, yet many business
scandals involve accountants. Whats their problem?
The problem with the small proportion of accountants who are unethical is that the
emotions of greed and avarice block out, or pre-empt, cognitive knowledge about ethics.
Reading about standards of behavior will prompt many people to follow the standards.
However, many people are not influenced by information they read once or twice. Human
behavior is not that easy to influence. Strong internal motivators such as the desire for risk
taking and thrill seeking, along with greed and gluttony overtake the persuasive impact of
cognitive reasoning.
9. Check out the Websites of a couple of major business corporations such as GE and Ford
Motor Company. What conclusion do you reach about whether an environmentally conscious
(or green) person would fit in these companies?
GE and Ford are two companies that emphasize sustaining the environment in public
statements about the company, with GE even more enthusiastic about being green. The
vast majority of students is either green, or perceive themselves to be green, so they
should enjoy finding information on a company Website that supports the value of
sustainability.
10. What decision of ethical consequences have you made in the last year that you would not
mind having publicly disclosed?
To answer this question well, the student would need to find a decision that had ethical
consequences. One example would be a decision about granting a price discount to a
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customer who was a friend and who was facing financial difficulty. Even a mundane act
such as returning empty cans and bottles to a store has ethical consequences.
The sad reality illustrated by this case is that sometimes having a strong ethical code places a
person in conflict with the employer, and might even lead to job loss.
1. What do you think Lauren could have done to save her career and preserve her sense of ethics
at the same time?
The alternative path for Lauren to have take would be to have stayed with the first company
mentioned, and attempted to bring about ethical reform. Instead of leaving the unethical
employer behind, she might have attempted to change the system.
2. Does Lauren have a useful message for you and others in your network? Or is she
just a loser we can forget about?
One useful message is that dealing with ethical conflicts can have a major impact on a persons
career. At the same time, it is important to find a way to maintain ethical standards, yet still
hold on to a valued career.
3. To what extent does it surprise you that a lawyer would ask someone to act unethically?
All the lawyer jokes circulating suggest that at least some attorneys are perceived to be
unethical. The fact that some corporate attorneys are convicted a violating the law also
suggests that some attorneys are not highly ethical. However, it is still probably rare for an
attorney to blatantly demand that a human resources professional carry out an action that is
unethical and perhaps in violation of employment law.
1. How ethical was Nicholas in giving Marsha a high performance evaluation for the purposes of
attracting her to other departments?
It would be difficult to find anything ethical in giving inflated performance evaluations in order
to make an employee more marketable to other managers. The comparison could be made to
dolling up a badly maintained vehicle so it can be sold used at a reasonable price. One possible
ethical interpretation is that the manager giving the inflated evaluation is helping the employee
find a good career opportunity.
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2. What should the manager do who was hooked by Nicholass bait of the high performance
evaluation?
The manager should first confront Marsha about the problem, as if she were a difficult
employee. She might then give Marsha a performance contract with a time limit, detailing the
improvements in behavior that are required. If this does not work, the Nicholas might be
asked to take Marsha back. If Nicholas resists, the matter might be brought to both higher
management and the human resources department.
3. What might the company do to prevent more incidents of inflated performance evaluations for
the purpose of transferring an unwanted employee?
Most companies have overcome the practice of inflating performance evaluations for the
purpose of transferring an unwanted employee. Open discussion of this dated practice is
helpful, as is a company policy forbidding the practice. The topic an also be introduced in
during discussions of company ethics.
Taking a self-quiz about ethics should be an unusual experience for most students, and will help
sensitize them to ethical issues. As usual, a discussion of the implications of several of the test
items could prove fruitful.
Students should enjoy participating in the type of ethics building exercise used in many
companies. Group discussions, as required in this exercise, are particularly useful in shaping
attitudes about ethics.
Given that defining moments are a form of role conflict, students may need to use their conflict
resolution skills to find an answer to these problems.
Scenario 1: Perhaps the worker asking for the increase can be advised about ways
to earn additional income on his own. In this way he might achieve his financial goals
without receiving an unjust salary increase.
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The three scenarios should prove to be a good opportunity to practice the eight-step method of
ethical screening. Scenario 2 about the year out of the workforce elicits polar opinions. Many
students would see no problem in disguising what Emily did during the year of leisure activity by
simply classifying it as another year in the family business. The scenario about the high-profit toys
is quite complicated involving such issues as the importance of profits versus good ethics. Another
complication is that giving prisoners useful work is good for their mental health, helps reduce
prison riots, and facilitates transition to life after prison.
This role play demands two sets of interpersonal skill simultaneously: ethical skills and political
skills. The role player wants to help the manager, Fred to behave more ethically thereby creating a
more ethical environment. At the same time the role player wants to be tactful and diplomatic
enough to preserve a good working relationship with the boss, as well as avoid being fired.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
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d. most business firms do not want to hire ethical people.
(b) 4. Restaurant manager Sue has a utilitarian predisposition, so she doesnt mind
serving customers food that fell on the floor so long as
a. the food was costly.
b. no customer gets sick.
c. the issue is not covered in the company code of conduct.
d. she can blame the problem on somebody else.
(d) 6. Which one of the following actions is the most likely to be regarded as
unethical work behavior?
a. buying token gifts for customers
b. buying token gifts for suppliers
c. sharing records with a restricted number of people
d. sharing records with a large number of people
(b) 8. The real issue in fairness refers to giving people equal rewards
a. whether or not one likes them.
b. for accomplishing the same amount of work.
c. no matter what their racial or ethnic group.
d. when they have equal years of experience.
(d) 9. In a fair workplace, the most important factor for evaluating people is
a. whether they are liked by the right people.
b. demographic factors like sex, race, or age.
c. how well the person is liked by his or her supervisor.
d. qualifications and job performance.
(a) 10. Karl, a small business owner, practices cronyism when he gives a job to an
unqualified friend who
a. helps shovel his driveway.
b. has strong potential to learn the job in question quickly.
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c. has worked for a competitor.
d. is in desperate need of a job.
(b) 15. A businessperson would be faced with a defining moment in terms of ethics
when he or she
a. has a chance to cheat on the expense account.
b. has to choose between two or more morally sound choices.
c. receives recognition for outstanding ethical behavior.
d. has to report on the unethical behavior of a coworker.
(b) 17. Inventory specialist Virginia is highly virtuous on the job, so according to the
analysis presented in the human relations text, she is likely to
a. not worry about the consequences of her actions.
b. be quite productive.
c. give a little company money to a poor employee.
d. never forgive an immoral act, however small.
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(d) 18. According to the analysis presented in the human relations text, which one of
the following values is part of virtuousness?
a. not worrying too much about reality.
b. forgiving any breach of morality, however serious.
c. faking reality when it fits a persons self-interest.
d. thinking independently rather than relying too heavily on others.
(c) 20. Step one in the eight-step guide to ethical decision making is to
a. define the ethical issues.
b. identify the affected parties.
c. gather the facts.
d. identify the consequences.
(c) 22. According to the guide to ethical decision making, when trying to decide
on a way to resolve an ethical dilemma
a. weigh each alternative according to its financial consequences.
b. make an intuitive decision within five minutes.
c. imagine several possible options.
d. decide to either do or not do something.
(a) 23. An explanation offered for unethical behavior dealing with personal
relationships suggests that people are more likely to behave unethically
toward each other when they
a. have weak ties to each other.
b. have strong ties to each others.
c. know that the other person can be easily fooled.
d. know that the other person is unethical.
(c) 24. Nurse Jessica, who works at a hospital, is being green when she
a. encourages patients to smoke outside the hospital doors.
b. skips sterilizing needles before reusing them
c. advocates that the hospital engages in more recycling.
d. drives an SUV with a sun roof to the hospital.
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(d) 25. A professional code of conduct provides members of that profession
a. sources of legal help when convicted of a crime.
b. a list of criminal actions to avoid.
c. ways to defend oneself when charged with ethical violations.
d. a guide to ethical behavior in that field.
True/False
(F) 1. Ethics refers to how closely one's behavior conforms to laws and regulations.
(T) 2. The opinion presented in the human relations text is that although most people
are motivated out of self-interest, they also want to do something morally right.
(T) 3. One problem noted with highly unethical behavior is that it has several negative
financial consequences.
(T) 5. One reason making ethical decisions isnt easy is that people may not always be
aware of the ethical issues in making a decision.
(T) 6. Sally is a production manager in a processing plant that makes fruit juice for
babies. She waters down the juice to cut costs, and says the practice is okay because the
babies wont know the differenceshowing that Sally has a utilitarian perspective.
(T) 9. Sexual harassment is an example of behavior that is both illegal and unethical.
(F) 10. A conflict of interest occurs when faced with an ethical dilemma if a person has
to choose between two alternatives that are both unethical.
(T) 11. Leslie is Chris' boss and lends Chris $1,000. Chris is having difficulty paying
back the loan, so Leslie recommends Chris for an extra large salary increase to
help Chris pay back the loan. Leslie is involved in a conflict of interest.
(T) 12. An ethical guideline for dealing with confidential information is not to pass it
along unless the welfare of others is at stake.
(F) 13. A rule of thumb for the ethical use of corporate resources is that an employee
has the right to use any resource as long as it is not an object or money.
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(T) 14. The field of computers and information technology has developed ethical
issues of its own in addition to the problem of pirating software.
(F) 15. With respect to ethics, a manager faces a defining moment when he or she must
fire an employee for committing an illegal act such as stealing money from the
company.
(T) 16. One of the values associated with virtuousness is thinking independently rather
than relying too heavily on the thinking of others.
(F) 17. Part of being virtuous on the job is to keep your productivity low enough so
coworkers do not look bad in comparison.
(F) 18. Ethical screening is used mostly when a contemplated decision is clearly ethical
or unethical.
(F) 19. A key part of an ethical screening test is to estimate how much money you are
likely to lose by behaving ethically.
(T) 20. The symbolic consequences of a decision refer to the message sent by a
particular decision, such as the lesson communicated when a company fires
people in November mainly to avoid paying them a year-end bonus.
(T) 21. A recent perspective on workplace ethics is that people who have close ties to
each other are less likely to behave unethically toward each other.
(F) 22. The purpose of an ethics hot line is to enable workers to inform the police
directly if a coworker is spotted committing an illegal act.
(T) 23. Helping sustain the physical environment is considered to be part of having
good ethical skills.
(T) 24. Good persuasive and political skills are often necessary to be an effective
advocate for the environment.
(F) 25. Professional codes of conduct are essentially a list a laws pertaining to the
profession, that if violated lead to severe penalties.
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CHAPTER 15
STRESS MANAGEMENT AND PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY
The purpose of this chapter is to help people manage their work lives better by managing
stress and being more productive.
The first half of this chapter deals with the nature of stress and how it can be managed,
whereas the second half describes various approaches to improving personal productivity.
A major challenge facing any worker who wants to stay healthy and have good interpersonal
relationships is to effectively manage stress. Stress is an adaptive response that is the consequence
of any action, situation, or event that places special demands on a person. A stressor is the
external or internal force that brings about the stress. Individual differences help determine which
events are stressful. Note that stress is additive, so little annoyances can mount up.
1. Physiological Reactions. The hormones activated to deal with the stressor produce
physiological reactions such as an increase in heart rate, blood glucose, and blood clotting.
Cortisol and other chemical responses to a stressor can increase the cardiovascular
function and the immune system in the short run. If stress is continuous and accompanied
by these short-term physiological changes, annoying and life-threatening conditions can
occur. A stressful life event usually leads to a high cholesterol level (of the unhealthy type)
and high blood pressure.
People under continuous negative stress also age more quickly partly because of cell
damage. A study of 812 Swedish workers conducted over a 25-year period found that
work stress doubles the risk of dying from a heart attack. The major type of stress studied
was having high work demands with little control over the work, combined with being
underpaid.
2. Job Performance Consequences. Stress can also play a positive role, such as
preparing us to meet difficult challenges and spurring us on to peak performance.
Hindrance stressors are those stressful events and thoughts that have a negative effect on
motivation and performance. Challenge stressors have a positive, direct effect on
motivation and performance.
In general, performance tends to be best under moderate amounts of stress. Too little
stress leads to lethargy, and too much to choking. Personal and environmental factors
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influence the job performance consequences of stress, such as the worker who has clear
job expectations and high self-esteem being less susceptible to stress.
3. Burnout and Stress. One of the major problems of prolonged stress is that it may lead
to burnout, a condition of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion in response to long-
term stressors. Work exhaustion is another term for burnout. Burnout contributors include
feeling out of control, insufficient recognition and reward, and a lack of emotional support
in the workplace. Burnout sufferers shift into a mode of doing the minimum as a way of
protecting themselves.
a. Low Perceived Control. Perceiving that you can control adverse circumstances
influences how much stress you experience. Perceived control is the belief that an
individual has at his or her disposal a response that can control the negative
aspects of an event.
a. Role Overload (Including Extreme Jobs). Having too much to do, or role
overload, can create negative stress. The person may become fatigued and less
tolerant of annoyances, and the person may feel perpetually behind schedule. In an
extreme job the incumbent works at least 60 hours per week in a position that
usually requires tight deadlines and heavy travel.
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b. Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity. Role conflict is a key stressor. Role ambiguity
is a condition in which the job holder receives confusing or poorly defined
expectations. Many people experience stress when faced with ambiguity.
e. Job Insecurity. Worrying about losing your job is a major stressor, even when jobs
are plentiful. Downsizing and corporate mergers have contributed to job insecurity.
1. Eliminate or Modify the Stressor. The most potent method of managing stress is to
eliminate or modify the stressor giving you trouble. Leaving a stressful job would be one
example.
3. Rest Sufficiently. Rest offers similar benefits to exercise, such as stress reduction,
improved concentration, improved energy, and better tolerance for frustration. Achieving
proper rest is closely linked to proper exercise. A study of almost 24,000 Greek adults
over a six-year period showed that people who napped had 37 percent lower risk of dying
from a heart attack than people who did not nap. Napping also raises productivity.
4. Maintain a Healthy Diet. Nutritious food is valuable for physical and mental health,
making it easier to cope with frustrations that are potential stressors. A sensible dietary
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approach is to follow Dietary Guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Most students will enjoy using MyPyramid (Figure 15-5 of text).
5. Build a Support Network. A support network is a group of people who can listen to
your problems and provide emotional support. Members of your network can provide you
with a sense of closeness, warmth, and acceptance that will reduce your stress.
Achieving personal productivity is more in vogue than ever. Personal productivity refers to
how much resources, including time, you consume to achieve a certain level of output.
1. Begin with a Mission and Goals. A mission, or general purpose, propels you
toward being productive. Goals support the mission statement.
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2. Play the Inner Game of Work. By removing inner obstacles such as self-
criticism, you can dramatically improve your ability to focus, learn, and
perform.
3. Work Smarter, Not Harder. People caught up in trying to accomplish a job often wind
up working hard, but not in an imaginative and well-planned way that leads to good
results. A new perspective on working smarter, not harder, is to keep perfecting your
skills through deliberate practicestrong effort to improve performance over time.
Feedback from others is helpful.
6. Attain a Balance in Life and Avoid Being a Workaholic. Overwork can lead to
negative stress and burnout. Proper physical rest and relaxation can contribute to
mental alertness and improved ability to cope with frustration. Many people do not get
enough rest and relaxation, with more than one-half of Americans failing to take all
their vacation days. Neglecting rest and relaxation can lead to workaholism, an
addiction to work in which not working hard is an uncomfortable experience.
However, note the achievement-oriented workaholic who thrives on work and is
productive.
1. Prepare a To-Do List and Set Priorities. At the heart of every time-management
system is list making, wherever the lists are placed. Almost all successful people establish
prioritized lists. Watch out that preparing to-do lists does not become an end in itself. To-
do lists contribute enormously to productivity yet a to-do list may have to be revamped to
meet the changing demands of the day.
2. Streamline Your Work and Emphasize Important Tasks. Getting rid of unproductive
work is necessary when understaffed, and is part of business process improvement in
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which work processes are radically redesigned and simplified. Look for duplication of
effort and waste. Search to accomplish work activities that if done well would make a big
difference in your job performance.
4. Stay in Control of Paperwork and Electronic Work. The effective career person does
not neglect paperwork, including electronic work. Sort and handle the papers in your in-
basket and e-mail twice a day. Put papers in their proper location, not back in the basket.
Communicating by e-mail or telephone with coworkers in distant time zones creates
special challenges in terms of staying in control of electronic work.
5. Work Productively from Your Home or Virtual Office. A virtual office is a place of
work without a fixed physical location from which the worker or workers communicate
their output electronically. Many workers lack the self-discipline and effective work habits
necessary to be productive outside a traditional office. Even if working at home, act as if
you work in a traditional office. It is also helpful to stay in touch with other workers, such
as visiting an office supply store or attending networking meetings.
6. Enhance Your Internet Search Skills. If your job requires conducting searches on the
Internet, you will be more productive in you can conduct searches quickly. Use several
search engines, and give careful thought to selecting the right search word or phrase.
1. Why might it be true that people who love their work live much longer than people who retire
early because they dislike working?
People who love their work receive satisfaction every day they work, and satisfaction is an
energizing force. At the same time, being satisfied avoids the stress associated with job
dissatisfaction. The early retirees who disliked their work may have already damaged their
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bodies and immune systems because of the long-term stress of job dissatisfaction. Finally,
the early retirees often lack a passionate activity that keeps them energized day by day.
2. Why might having your stress under control improve your interpersonal relationships?
Having stress under control helps interpersonal relationships in several ways. A person
with multiple stress symptoms makes other people nervous, thereby not being an ideal
friend or partner. Also, people are who experiencing considerable stress may be too
preoccupied to be attentive to the needs of others.
3. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of an extreme job for you?
An answer to this question depends a lot on such factors as career goals and the desire for
a balanced life. The advantages of an extreme job for many people include the excitement
of being in the urgent mode so frequently, the travel, the high income, and the prestige of
being so busy. The major disadvantages include so little time for personal life including
personal relationships, properly raising a family, sports, and running mundane errands.
4. Interview a person in a high-pressure job in any field. Find out whether the person experiences
significant stress and what method he or she uses to cope with it.
Noteworthy here is which occupations students identify as having high pressure. Students
are likely to derive from the interviews a good awareness of the importance of stress
management combined with a regular program of stress management. The many
exceptions are that many people are not managing stress well because they suffer
significant stress disorders.
5. Provide an example from your own or somebody else's life of how having a major goal in life
can help a person be better organized.
A germane example here is the many students who are focused on being successful in a
specific career. The same students somehow find a way to get papers and projects done on
time, and to adequately prepare for exams. The focused student perceives each assignment
as a steppingstone to a compelling career goal.
6. Executives at Toyota, among many other Japanese companies, emphasize that clean work
areas in the factory enhance productivity. What might explain this relationship between
cleanliness and productivity?
7. Describe any way in which you have used information technology to make you more
productive.
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A disadvantage most students will have in answering this question is that they may not be
able to make before-and-after comparisons because they have used information technology
for so long. Some students may be able to compare productivity between visiting a library
versus conducting an Internet search for information. One person documented that the
right used car can be found more quickly using the Internet that by visiting dealers.
8. Use information in this chapter to explain how a person might be well organized and yet still
not get very far in his or her career.
A person might be well organized yet not focus enough on important tasks to get ahead in
his or her career. Doing small tasks efficiently may help an organization, but accomplishing
these small tasks is not enough to get noticed.
9. For many young corporate professionals a date often consists of the two people getting
together in his or her place to spend three hours doing office work on their laptop computers,
followed by a take-out meal. What is your evaluation of this approach to boosting personal
productivity?
Here again, values would underlie the answer. Extreme workers, like many Wall Street
finance specialists, would think productivity-dates are a wonderful way to save time and
keep up with work, and therefore a cool idea. The majority of people, however, prefer to
draw sharper boundaries between work and romantic life. Students might ponder whether
when one of the laptops goes down, the entire romantic evening would be destroyed.
10. Ask an experienced high-level worker to identify his or her most effective method of time
management. How effective do you think this technique would be for you?
A modal response to this question is likely to be preparing a to-do list and establishing
priorities. Daily planners containing to-do lists are a universally accepted method of time
management. Also, many successful businesspersons still use a notebook or 3 x 5 index
cards to organize their efforts. Personalizing the response is important because workers
have different preferences for time-management techniques. A business process consultant
told me that he no longer uses a PDA for to-do lists because he neglects to consult the
PDA, and it is too cluttered with information. Instead, he places his to-do list on a large
whiteboard in his office, and revamps the list each night.
This case illustrates the type of stress-created physical symptoms a hard-charging professional is
likely to experience, particularly when he or she also faces heavy demands in personal life.
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Rachel is facing some degree of role overload because her job is so demanding. Her
compensation based solely on commission can create role ambiguity. Rachels commuting is a
source of stress related to an adverse environmental condition. Her relationship with her
husband is another stressor because she perceives him to not be making a full contribution to
child rearing. The seizures Rachels daughter is experiencing are another stressor for Rachel.
Mendez has some serious adjustments to make to reduce the major stressors in her life.
Finding a new position that paid equally well but that did not include travel would be result in
much less work stress. Finding an effective treatment for her daughters seizures would be
soothing. Another possibility for reducing a stressor would be to improve her relationship with
her husband.
3. Given that Mendez does not have a heart problem, should she be concerned about
the stressors in her life? Explain your answer.
Just because Mendez does not yet have a heart problem, it does not mean she should
not work on reducing her stressors. Muscle tension around the heart will always be
worrisome, and Mendez might develop other annoying stress symptoms. As a result,
she needs to reduce her stressors.
This case illustrates the lifestyle of an extreme type of extreme job, and also addresses the issue
of work-family conflict. Strangely, the case hero seems indifferent to this type of conflict.
1. What advice can you offer Jim Blaesi about achieving balance in his life?
Blaesi does not appear to be facing much conflict now because he is enthralled with operating
his vehicle service center and holding down his firefighter position at the same time. However,
discontent about not spending time with his wife may be seething underneath. At the same
time, he may be deteriorating his relationship with his wife.
2. In what way does it appear that Blaesi might be making good use of contacts?
An inference could be made from the sketchy information about the topic presented
in the case that Blaesis firefighter status is helping him develop government
contacts. It is also possible that some of the firefighters are customers of Blaesis
repair shop. We therefore conclude that Blaesi is making good use of contacts.
To measure Blaesis productivity, we need to take into account the fact that he works
somewhere between 80 and 100 hours per week. He probably grosses about $40,000 from his
job as a firefighter, and is earning a profit from the business. All together, it might be
concluded that Blaesi is achieving average productivity in terms of income. Yet, if productivity
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is measured in terms of saving lives, perhaps Blaesi is highly productive because (a) he fights
fires, and (b) he helps place safe vehicles on the road.
From the strict definition of an extreme job, Blaesis work is not totally an extreme job. He
does work long hours, but he does face heavy travel demands. He might face a few tight
deadlines because he has to get to a fire as quickly as possible. However, firefighters work
incredibly hard in spurts but a month might go by without a fire.
Blaesis wife might enjoy a marriage with limited contact with her spouse. However, if she
wants a spouse with whom she can spend more time, the couple would have to enter into
serious discussion about what is important in their marriage. The couple might be facing a
crisis should they have a child because with his present job roles, Blaesi could not be an active
parent.
The visualization technique has remarkable power considering how little time and effort is
required for its implementation. Experienced visualizers in the class might want to report on the
success (or failure) they have had with this technique. A hilarious class discussion is for volunteers
to describe the relaxing scenes they are visualizing.
In essence, this exercise encourages the student to use a problem-solving approach to stress
reduction. The exercise is beneficial because the majority of people focus on symptom relief rather
than attempting to eliminate or modify the stressors they are facing.
Procrastination Tendencies
An important feature of this quiz is that it helps the student identify subtle symptoms of
procrastination such as number 3, "I crave the excitement of the 'last minute rush.'" Many people
laugh off procrastination as not being a serious problem. Taking the quiz may help the student
think more seriously about procrastination.
This exercise can become a major planning tool in life. The exercise helps people translate lofty
purposes in life into short-term goals to achieve those purposes. A side purpose of this exercise is
to reinforce the idea that goal setting is characteristic of successful people.
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An important purpose served by this exercise is to think through the purposes of
implementing good work habits and using the Internet. An example of a real productivity booster
would be to concentrate on important tasks An example would be getting in touch with a person
who might have a job lead for the individual, rather than spending a lot of time selecting the right
paper for a hard-copy rsum.
Many people accept the Internet as an obligatory work and personal life activity without
understanding how the Internet might improve productivity. Corporate managers and small-
business persons have found dozens of ways for boosting productivity through the Internet,
including saving time in searching for information and making purchases. Another example of a
productivity booster would be selling goods inexpensively.
Personal productivity might be boosted in such ways as obtaining travel information quickly,
making purchases over the Internet to save time visiting malls, and locating where to find certain
merchandise. However, whether productivity is boosted depends upon what is done with the time
saved by using the Internet.
Maintaining a time log is a standard technique for getting started boosting personal productivity.
An important insight to be gathered is to identify activities that do not contribute to personal
productivity or happiness. For example, some people find they spend far too much time in the
middle of the day for lunch. Instead of waiting in line at a restaurant, they might be able to
purchase lunch from a street vendor or pack lunch. However, if the socializing aspects of lunch
are an investment in networking and happiness, the time spent away from work is productive.
A key insight to carry away from this self-quiz is that the highest levels of perfections can interfere
with productivity. Perfectionists sometimes do not get enough done to move their career forward.
At the other extreme, being too casual about getting things done right can result in serious errors,
low quality work, and result in career retardation. .
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
(a) 2. A major reason that people who are under continuous negative stress age so
quickly is because
a. of cell damage.
b. they lose so much weight.
c. their hair turns grey.
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d. of an enlarged heart.
(c) 7. After a downsizing, office manager Jackie has to perform her job plus that
of her former supervisor. Jackie is likely to experience stress from role
a. underload.
b. conflict.
c. overload.
d. ambiguity.
(a) 8. You know you have an extreme job when you work
a. 80 hours per week, travel heavily, and face tight deadlines.
b. 30 hours per week from you home and receive high pay.
c. only from midnight until 8 a.m.
d. during certain seasons, such as the tax season.
(b) 10. The major cause of and environmentally-induced attention deficit disorder is
a. surfing the Internet during breaks at work.
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b. over use of technology and activity overload.
c. a harsh and intimidating boss.
d. being downsized.
(a) 11. A key principle about managing stress is that to cope better with stressors, a
person should have
a. the right resources.
b. a Type A personality.
c. a reasonable workload.
d. three major sources of happiness.
(c) 12. A key contributor of nutritious food to stress management is that such
food improves mental and physical health, thereby
a. making rest much less necessary.
b. overcoming the effects of a Type A personality.
c. making it easier to cope with frustration.
d. reducing the fight-or-flight response.
(b) 13. Research about support networks suggests that socially connected people
a. are more prone to stress.
b. are less prone to stress.
c. are too busy to be stressed.
d. have no reason to worry.
(a) 14. A study with about 24,000 healthy Greek adults revealed that napping was
associated with
a. less risk of dying from a heart attack.
b. more risk of dying from a heart attack.
c. more auto accidents to and from work.
d. much more rapid career progress.
(c) 15. The visualization technique for stress reduction requires that the stressed
person
a. imagine what life would be without stress.
b. create a mental scenario of a highly-charged, exciting experience.
c. think of a pleasant, relaxing experience.
d. imagine that he or she can conquer any problem.
(a) 17. Breaking a task down into manageable chunks is aimed at overcoming
procrastination due to
a. dislike of an overwhelming task.
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b. dislike of a task with several components.
c. looking to punish oneself.
d. craving the excitement of rushing to make a deadline.
(d) 19. One of the requirements for playing the inner game of work is to
a. keep a running scoreboard of your progress.
b. perform yoga at least three times per week.
c. criticize yourself regularly so you do not become too smug.
d. remove inner obstacles to performance such as self-criticism.
(c) 20. Working smarter, not harder means that the person
a. puts extra effort into every task.
b. spends very little time planning.
c. finds imaginative solutions to problems.
d. avoids attitudes of perfectionism.
(a) 22. According to the founder of the Energy Project in New York City, the best way
to get more done fast and better is to
a. increase your energy.
b. consume energy drinks during the workday.
c. nap at least one hour per day.
d. make good use of electronic too-do lists.
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a. use quite general search words and phrases.
b. first search the encyclopedia on a CD-ROM.
c. confine your search to one search engine.
d. pay extra attention to your choice of a search word or phrase.
True/False
(F) 1.The primary requirement for being a corporate athlete is to take an energetic,
positive approach to your work.
(T) 2.The brain is the organ that decides whether a given situation is stressful.
(F) 3.Jason works a night cashier in a convenience store. One night a man enters the store,
points a gun at Jason, and says Give me the money in the cash register, or Ill shoot you.
Jasons heart beat and pulse rate increase dramatically. The stressor in this situation is
Jasons physiological changes.
(T) 4.According to one theory of stress, when the brain senses damage to well-being it
sends out a signal for the body to cope.
(T) 5.Store manager Carol wakes up the morning after Thanksgiving, knowing that to
day will be so exciting that she will be extra motivated and productive. Carol is
therefore facing a challenge stressor.
(T) 6.Burnout comes about as a reaction to being stressed out for a long period of time.
(T) 7.The lower your level of self-efficacy, the higher your stress level is likely
to be.
(T) 8.Being hostile for a long period of time is more likely to contribute to a heart
attack than being impatient for the same period of time.
(F) 9.A major contributor to environmentally induced attention deficit disorder is the
person who takes on a light workload and minimizes the use of technology.
(T) 10.An example of an external resource useful for reducing stress is to have a
network of friends you can rely on for emotional support.
(T) 11. The most powerful method of managing stress is to eliminate or modify the
stressor.
(T) 12.A healthy diet helps a person become more resistant to frustrations that could
turn into stressors.
(T) 14.A problem associated with procrastination is that the unfinished tasks rumble
around in the back of your consciousness, thereby interfering with your
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concentration.
(T) 15. A recommended method for controlling procrastination is to tackle the worst
task on your list first, so doing the other items might function like a small
reward.
(T) 16. An example of a self-given reward for procrastinating is going for a walk in
the park before getting started on a key project.
(T) 17. A useful assist in getting better organized is to establish a personal mission
with accompanying goals.
(T) 19.Derek, a horse trainer, works on his techniques day after day and welcomes
feedback so he can improve. Derek is therefore engaging in deliberate practice.
(T) 20.Some time-management specialists agree that clearing clutter from your work
area and your mind will lead to enhanced productivity.
(F) 21. Negative emotions, such as those associated with criticizing other people, have
the beneficial effect of giving us extra energy.
(F) 23.The modern approach of multitasking is recommended for dealing with your
most important work assignments.
(F) 24.A virtual office adds to productivity because it is small, neat, and contains just
enough office equipment to accomplish the job.
(T) 25.Whether or not a given activity is a time waster depends on the purpose of the
activity.
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CHAPTER 16
JOB SEARCH AND CAREER MANAGEMENT SKILLS
This final chapter of the text focuses indirectly on interpersonal skill development: Conducting
a successful job search and managing one's career both require good interpersonal skills. Also,
without good skills in these areas a person would not have the opportunity to practice
interpersonal skills in the workplace.
The aspects of career success described in this chapter are divided into three segments:
conducting a job search, understanding two major types of career paths, and career-advancement
methods. The previous 15 chapters also dealt with topics that facilitate career success.
The vast majority of workers have to conduct a job campaign at various times in their career,
including an internal search within ones employer.
A. Job-Hunting Tactics
The tactics described here can be used as a checklist to ensure not having neglected
something important during the emotionally-charged job hunt.
1. Identify Your Job Objectives. An effective job search begins with a clear perception of
what kind of position (or positions) you are seeking. Your chances of finding suitable
employment increase when several different types of positions will satisfy your job
objectives.
3. Identify Your Skills and Potential Contribution. Today's job market is skill based.
Show what skills you have that can help the employer.
6. Use Multiple Online Approaches. The Internet is a standard part of job hunting, even
for middle management and executive positions. Sources of job leads on the Internet
include general job boards, specialty job boards, company Websites, and social
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networking Websites. Virtually all employers have an employment section on their
company Website. A growing number of employers believe that the best way to find
good job candidates is to advertise on Websites where these candidates are likely to be
spending considerable time, such as MySpace or Linkedin. Job boards are also found
on social networking sites.
The Internet is just one source of job leads that should be used in conjunction with
other job-finding methods, especially personal contacts that might lead to an interview.
Establishing your own Website or a blog is another possibility for online job
hunting.
7. Smile at Network Members and Interviewers and Be Enthusiastic. Assuming that you
have the right qualifications, the simple act of smiling can be an effective job-hunting
technique. A smile helps build a relationship. Display enthusiasm and excitement when
speaking to people who can help you land a position.
1. Rsum Purpose. The rsum is a marketing tool, with a specific purpose of helping
you obtain an interview that can lead to a job. (Yet some people with skills in hot
demand are hired on the basis of their rsum alone.)
2. Rsum Length and Format. A one-page rsum is mostly for career beginners.
Employers want so much detail about skills that a two-page rsum is preferable for
people with some full-time work experience.
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3. Video Rsums and Creative Formats. The video approach is good for capturing your
appearance, personality, and oral communication skills.
Professional help may be needed in constructing your video rsum.
Another alternative to developing a distinctive rsum is to create an unusual
format in factors such as color, size, and layout including presenting the rsum in the
form of a marketing brochure.
4. The Cover Letter. A rsum should be accompanied by a cover letter explaining who
you are and why you are applying for this particular position, thereby customizing
your inquiry. Sometimes it is helpful to prepare an attention-getting cover letter in
which you make an assertive statement about how you intend to help the employer
deal with an important problem. Include a bulleted list of accomplishments or a list of
your requirements versus my qualifications. A personal contact might be
mentioned as part of the attention grabber.
If your goals are laid out systematically to lead to your ultimate career goal, you have
established a career path, a sequence of positions necessary to achieve a goal.
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systematically lays out goals to lead to an ultimate career goal.The vertical career path is
synonymous with "climbing the ladder." A career path should be related to the present and future
demands of one firm or the industry. Personal goals should be incorporated into a career path to
strive for a mesh between work and personal life. The steps, or goals, in a career path include a
time element, which is helpful for sound career management even in work environments that are
less predictable than previously.
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outside the job description to be helpful. Two studies showed that being a proactive
personality is positively related to salary, promotions, initiative, and career satisfaction. A
more recent study indicated that a proactive personality influenced job search success among
180 graduating college students. To get started developing a proactive personality a person
might take more initiative to fix problems and attempt to be self-starting.
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K. Work with a Mentor
Having a mentor can facilitate career advancement. Ideally a person should develop a
small network of mentors who give advice and counsel on different topics such as job
advancement opportunities and how to solve a difficult problem. At the root of mentoring is
the ability to attract and build a relationship with a person who is more experienced and
talented than you. A mentor can help the career beginner overcome hurdles such as being
disappointed about the first job, including not being listened to or receiving enough feedback.
1. Identify four situations in a career where conducting a job campaign would be necessary.
A job campaign would be necessary for (a) finding a full-time professional job as one is
completing a degree, (b) finding a job after a job loss such as being downsized or fired, (c)
searching for another position in a large company at any point in a career, and (d) career
switching.
2. During a labor shortage (when there are more positions open than qualified applicants) why is
it still important to have good job search skills?
Good job search skills are important during a tight labor market to help the job seeker
obtain a better job. Competition for good jobs remains strong even during a labor
shortage.
3. What is your evaluation of the effectiveness of a job hunter using the Internet as his or
her only method of finding a job?
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Despite the growth of job hunting through the Internet, only about one-third of employees
are recruited through the Internet. To ignore other methods of job finding is to handicap
yourself. Even majors in information systems or computer science do not rely exclusively
on the Internet to find positions.
4. In what ways might video rsums both help and hinder a company attain the goal of having a
diverse workforce?
A vertical career path is still a dream for so many workers because pride, status,
recognition and money are still strong motivators. Even the term the corner office still
remains in vogue, and the popular Donald Trump television show focused on somebody
getting a sudden promotion, not a lateral move. Although the stories are often unflattering,
CEOs still get a lot of press, and becoming a CEO is the usual final stop for a vertical
career path. A vertical career path also offers the opportunity to satisfy the internal
motivator of performing interesting work.
6. Give an example from your own life in which you behaved as if you were a proactive
personality.
Students might be able to identify situations in which they took the initiative to resolve a
problem such as identifying a parts shortage. Another example of a proactive personality
might be having identified the hazards investing in Internet companies before others
recognized the upcoming crash. In personal life, an example of proactive behavior would
be conducting a campaign to stop drivers from running stop signs in the neighborhood.
A major payoff from the skillful utilization of political tactics is to enhance career
advancement. A key example is that political tactics can be used to develop a network of
influential people who will accelerate your career. Political tactics are also used to gain the
visibility necessary to advance.
8. How might a person use a webcam to help build and sustain a network?
The webcam could be used to add a more personal touch to correspondence with network
members by adding a video image, and perhaps audio. However, webcams also have
disadvantages. A busy recipient may not want to bother download the visual image of the
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sender. Also, the sender has to make sure to project a professional appearance on the
webcam recording. The person may not want to get dressed up just to network by e-mail.
9. Assume that you were attempting to create a personal brand. What key features about
yourself would you feature in your personal brand?
The student needs good self-awareness to answer this question effectively. In building a
personal brand it is important to look for out of the ordinary strengths, or an unusual
combination or ordinary strengths. For example, loads of people have strong technical
skills, and loads of people believe they have good interpersonal skills. Yet the combination
of good technical skills and interpersonal skills is distinctive. Foreign language skills are a
possibility for a personal brand, and unique experience such as having fun a family
business are two more examples of strengths to include in a personal brand.
10. What is the most useful idea you picked up from this chapter about either conducting a job
campaign or managing your career?
Responses to this question will vary considerably. The author of this book would be happy
if a lot of students said the most useful idea was that conducting a job campaign or
managing his or her career is likely to be more effective if supported by planning and
specific tactics.
Students often enjoy the opportunity to critique someone else's rsum. The process might help
them identify errors they have made in developing their own rsums.
1. What suggestions can you make to Billy Joe for improving his rsum? Or does it require
improvement?
Writing a note in pencil on a business card might be too breezy and informal for the majority
of prospective employers. Yet its candor and informality has some charm.
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This case illustrates how a person might overdo a fad-like career management strategy, especially
personal branding, to the point of being an irritant.
For the tastes of most interviewers, Brandy has oversold herself as a brand. To be more
effective, she needs to be more low key.
2. What suggestions can you offer Barclay for presenting herself as a brand more effectively?
Brandy needs to be more subdued to present herself as a brand more effectively. She is too
pompous, and assertive to an extreme. Brandys last statement in the interview is telling: Find
with me. We have to deal with the mundane at some point.
3. What suggestions can you offer Barclay for conducting herself better during her next job
interview?
As already implied, Brandy is engaging in overkill. She needs to show a little more humility.
Brandys opening statement is almost a deal-breaker: Oh, I really dont want to join you as an
administrative assistant. I would prefer a vice president job, but I have to start somewhere.
Her smile does not get her off the hook.
This exercise has several potential values such as reinforcing the importance of
skills students are already developing, helping understand success factors in business,
and identifying needs for development. The list of qualifications also might give the
impression that employers are somewhat unrealistic if they expect all this talent in one
candidate.
Students should enjoy this challenge because it goes way beyond just clicking on Web sites.
Results will vary from month to month on the successes of the search due to the
dynamic nature of the job market and positions listed on Web sites.
A useful outcome from this exercise is demonstrating that conducting a job interview is a complex
skill. A common error the interviewers make is to ask long, multifaceted questions and talk more
than the interviewee.
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Even in an unpredictable world, developing a career path makes sense because the path lays out
even a tentative direction. We have found that developing a career path is an inherently enjoyable
activity for most students. Although the feedback about the career paths will not be from career
specialists, it will most likely contain many useful ideas.
The construct of proactive personality may not receive as much publicity as other personality
constructs, but it is quite important for career growth and leadership. Students might therefore
benefit substantially from reflecting about their standing on the Proactive Personality Scale.
Here is an opportunity for students to gain first-hand knowledge about what constitutes a
professional image in a specific workplace. If students share their findings, it will be informative to
look for similarities of what constitutes a professional image across different workplaces.
Students who are committed to building their networks should benefit handsomely from this
exercise. Even if people do not use the entire method, they should be able to come away with a
couple of useful networking ideas. Linking network members to goals is a high-impact idea.
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
Multiple-Choice
(d) 2. The majority of hiring decisions in todays job market are based on the
candidates
a. amount of formal education.
b. relevant coursework.
c. willingness to work long hours.
d. job-relevant skills.
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d. identifying your position objective.
(b) 10. A key thought to keep in mind when participating in a screening interview by
phone is that
a. play background music so the interviewer can relax.
b. the interview is professional, not social.
c. use call waiting because it makes you appear in demand.
d. it is just a formality that does not influence your chances of being hired.
(d) 11. The best strategy to use in presenting yourself in an employment interview
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is to
a. try to outsmart the interviewer.
b. avoid as much eye contact as possible with the interviewer.
c. be dramatic about your past accomplishments.
d. present yourself favorably but accurately.
(b) 13. Which one of the following questions would most likely be part of a behavioral
interview?
a. How are you feeling and acting today?
b. Describe for me a time in which you solved a tough problem under a
time deadline.
c. Tell me about your record of attendance and punctuality.
d. What type of animal do you admire the most?
(a) 14. Misty is apply for a job as an assistant bank manager. During one of the
interview, a manager takes three different phone calls. Misty is best advised to
a. smile, and wait for the interviewer to resume their conversation.
b. say, Excuse me, but is being rude standard practice in this bank?
c. whip out her cell phone, and make a few calls of her own.
d. get up from the interview, and say, Ill take a brief break right now.
(c) 16. The traditional career path is based on the assumption that the person
a. grows by taking on new jobs at the same level.
b. makes a major job change every five years.
c. continues to take on more responsibility.
d. stays with the same area of specialization throughout the career.
(c) 17. The major reward in a horizontal career path is the opportunity to
a. receive regular promotions.
b. switch from one field to another.
c. develop new technical and professional skills.
d. have a series of mentors.
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c. give himself a clever name, such as Resilient Roy.
d. thinks through his basket of strengths.
(a) 19. The career-advancement strategy of being passionate about your work is
closely tied in with
a. building your career around an area of expertise.
b. developing a proactive personality.
c. developing a code of professional ethics.
d. projecting a professional image.
(b) 21. To perceive yourself as a personal service business entity means that you
a. are a contract worker, rather than a permanent employee.
b. are a business, offering the company a valuable service.
c. work exclusively for firms in the manufacturing rather than the service
sector.
d. focus your efforts on customer satisfaction..
(c) 22. When first developing your network, it is recommended that you
a. only include people doing work similar to yours.
b. offer people prizes for becoming network members.
c. include a large number of people.
d. be quite restrictive about who can be in your network.
(b) 23. Margot, a senior executive, takes Jacob under her wing and coaches him
about executive work. In this role, Margot is referred to as a
a. corporate trainer.
b. mentor.
c. corporate mother.
d. human resource specialist.
(a) 25. To decrease the possibility of ones job being outsourced, the worker should
a. emphasize relationship building in his or her position.
b. agree not to ask for salary increases for three years.
c. perform strictly technical work.
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d. find a job where being physically present is not so important.
True/False
(F) 1.When job hunting, it is best to express your job objective in vague terms so
your qualifications will fit a wide range of positions.
(T) 2.A comprehensive marketing strategy for job hunting includes using multiple
approaches to finding a job.
(T) 3.Positions listed on job-hunting Web sites now include many higher-level
positions including those for middle managers and executives.
(T) 4.It is well worth the job-hunters time to look on social Websites such as
MySpace and Linkedin for job openings listed by employers.
(F) 5.Most states consider it illegal to use credit history as a factor in evaluating the
credentials of a job candidate.
(F) 6.Having a blog on the Web is considered to be a severe negative factor by most
employers who are recruiting job candidates.
(F) 7.A creative an effective way to attract prospective employers is to have a wild,
and outrageous presence on a social Website such as MySpace.
(T) 8.A functional rsum focuses on job duties performed rather than a chronological
job history.
(T) 9.A research study with business professionals indicated that a rsum with an
accomplishments statement was more likely to lead to an interview than when
the rsum lacked an accomplishments statement.
(T) 10.A video rsum is thought to be useful for displaying soft skills.
(F) 11.Compulsive talking during the job interview is highly recommended for most
jobs because it displays your spoken communication skills to advantage.
(F) 12.A behavioral interview attempts to see how upset the candidate becomes
when placed under pressure such as being insulted.
(F) 13.The vertical career path focuses on long periods of job rotation and acquiring
new skills.
(T) 14.A horizontal career path is appropriate for people who are not seeking much
upward mobility in their career.
(T) 15.Being passionate about and proud of your work is likely to contribute to your
career growth and company productivity.
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(T) 16. Capitalizing on your strengths is thought to be a more effective career-
advancement strategy than focusing on overcoming your needs for development.
(F) 17.A recommended strategy for establishing a personal brand is to work for a
company will a well-known brand such as Coca Cola or Microsoft.
(F) 18.A proactive personality will typically wait for the company to point out what
problems need fixing.
(T) 19.A person who displays organizational citizenship behavior will step outside his
or her job description to get work accomplished.
(T) 20.A key part of projecting a professional image is your speech patterns including
grammar and sentence structure.
(T) 21.A recommended technique for projecting a positive image is to have a positive
attitude on the job.
(T) 23.Social networking Websites provide a convenient place for developing your
professional network.
(T) 24.Career breadth can be achieved by both holding positions in different aspects
of the firm, or by working in different industries.
(F) 25.The general point of a finding a good person-organization fit is to work for
employers where you have plenty of friends.
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