Ch. 1 Organizational Behavior: The Quest for People-Centrered Organizations and Ethical Conduct

Question 1

Organization

Answer 1

System of consciously coordinated activities of two or more people. Organizations are a social invention helping us to achieve things collectively that we could not achieve alone. For better or for worse, they extend our reach.

Question 2

Organizational behavior

Answer 2

Interdisciplinary field dedicated to better understanding and managing people at work. Its both research and application oriented. 3 basic levels of analysis in OB are: individual, group, and organizational.

Question 3

Theory X

Answer 3

One of McGregor’s theories; pessimistic and negative. Typical of how managers traditionally perceived employees.

Question 4

Theory Y

Answer 4

McGregor’s modern and positive assumptions about employees being responsible and creative.

Question 5

Total quality management (TQM)

Answer 5

An organizational culture dedicated to training, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction.

Question 6

Principles of TQM (4)

Answer 6

(1) Do it right the first time to eliminate costly rework and product recalls.
(2) Listen to and learn from customers and employees.
(3) Make continuous improvement an everyday matter.
(4) Build teamwork, trust, and mutual respect

Question 7

The Deming Legacy

Answer 7

• Formal training in statistical process control techniques and teamwork.
• Helpful leadership, rather than order giving and punishment.
• Elimination of fear so employees will feel free to ask questions.
• Emphasis on continuous process improvements rather than on numerical quotas.
• Teamwork.
• Elimination of barriers to good workmanship.
• • 85-15 rule.

Question 8

E-business

Answer 8

Running the entire business via the Internet and managing virtual teams.

Question 9

Human capital

Answer 9

The productive POTENTIAL of one’s knowledge and actions.

Question 10

Social capital

Answer 10

The productive POTENTIAL of strong, trusting, and cooperative relationships.

Question 11

Management

Answer 11

Process of working with and through others to achieve organizational objectives, efficiently and ethically, amid constant change.

Question 12

Contingency approach

Answer 12

Using management tools and techniques in a SITUATIONALLY APPROPRIATE manner; avoiding the one-best-way mentality or “One size fits all”.

Question 13

Ethics

Answer 13

Study of moral issues and choices.

Question 14

Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

Answer 14

Corporations are expected to go above and beyond following the law and making a profit.

Question 15

Carroll’s Global Corporate Social Responsibility Pyramid

Answer 15

• Economic Responsibility (Be profitable)
• Legal Responsibility (Obey the law)
• Ethical Responsibility (Be ethical)
• Philanthropic Responsibility (Be a good global corporate citizen)

Question 16

Kent Hodgson; The magnificent seven: General moral principles for managers

Answer 16

1. Dignity of human life
2. Autonomy
3. Honesty
4. Loyalty
5. Fairness
6. Humaneness
7. The common good

Question 17

Improving on-the-job ethics

Answer 17

• Behave ethically yourself
• Screen potential employees
• Develop a meaningful code of ethics (distributed, supported, specific, enforced)
• Provide ethics training
• Reinforce ethical behavior
• Create positions, units, and other structural mechanisms to deal with ethics.
• Create a climate in which whistle-blowing becomes unnecessary.

Question 18

5 sources of OB research insights

Answer 18

• Meta-analyses
• Field studies
• Laboratory studies
• Sample surveys
• Case studies

Question 19

Whistle-blowing

Answer 19

Reporting unethical/illegal acts to outside third parties.

Question 20

Morally attentive

Answer 20

Faithfully considering the ethical implications of one’s actions.

Question 21

Meta-analysis

Answer 21

Pools the results of many studies through statistical procedure. Vast number of subjects. Focus on general patterns of research evidence, not fragmented bits and pieces or isolated studies.

Question 22

Field study

Answer 22

Examination of variable in real-life settings. Probes individual or group processes. Results often have immediate and practical relevance for managers.

Question 23

Laboratory study

Answer 23

Manipulation and measurement of variables in contrived situations. Highly controlled. Enhances research precision.

Question 24

Sample survey

Answer 24

Questionnaire responses from a sample of people.

Question 25

Case study

Answer 25

In-depth study of a single person, group, or organization. Limited scope. Yields realistic but not very generalizable results.