Chapter 1 | Making OB Work for Me

Question 1

What describes an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding and managing people at work?

Answer 1

Organizational behavior (OB)

Question 2

What is the benefit of learning about OB?

Answer 2

The effective application of OB is critical to success in all disciplines of work and job levels.

Question 3

What calls for using the OB concepts and tools that best suit the situation, instead of trying to relay on “one best way”?

Answer 3

Contingency approach

Question 4

What are these: overreliance on hindsight, lack of rigor, and lack of objectivity?

Answer 4

Three major weaknesses of using common sense

Question 5

What are the technical expertise and knowledge required to do a particular task or job function?

Answer 5

Hard skills

Question 6

What relate to human interactions and include both interpersonal skills and personal attributes?

Answer 6

Soft skills

Question 7

What are four soft skills most desired by employers for workforce in 2020?

Answer 7

Problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and people management

Question 8

What skill involves identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options then implement solutions?

Answer 8

Problem solving

Question 9

What skill uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternate solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems?

Answer 9

Critical thinking

Question 10

What skill applies new ideas, processes, and technology to improve products, services, and other outcomes?

Answer 10

Creativity

Question 11

What skill motivates, develops, and influences others to meet individual, group, and organizational goals?

Answer 11

People management

Question 12

What are skills that are more or less relevant in every job, at every level, and throughout your career?

Answer 12

Portable skills

Question 13

With what do you build goodwill and trust and demonstrate integrity? Ex: Attitudes, personality, teamwork, and leadership

Answer 13

Personal attributes

Question 14

With what do you foster respectful interactions? Ex: Active listening, positive attitudes, effective communication

Answer 14

Interpersonal skills

Question 15

As you move to levels of higher responsibility, how do technical/job-specific skills and personal skills change in importance?

Answer 15

Technical/job-specific skills decline in importance, personal skills increase in importance

Question 16

What guides our behavior by identifying right, wrong, and the many shades of gray in between?

Answer 16

Ethics

Question 17

What are situations with two choices, neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically acceptable manner?

Answer 17

Ethical dilemmas

Question 18

What cause of unethical behavior involves setting goals and incentives to promote a desired behavior, but encourage a negative one? Ex: Pressure to maximize billable hours in accounting, consulting, and law firms leading to unconscious padding

Answer 18

Ill-conceived goals

Question 19

What cause of unethical behavior overlooks the unethical behavior of another when it’s in our interest to remain ignorant? Ex: Sports officials failing to notice created conditions that encourage steroid use

Answer 19

Motivated blindness

Question 20

What cause of unethical behavior holds others less accountable for unethical behavior when it’s carried out through third parties? Ex: A drug company deflecting attention from price increases by selling rights to another company that imposes the increases

Answer 20

Indirect blindness

Question 21

What cause of unethical behavior is when we are less able to see others’ unethical behavior when it develops gradually? Ex: Auditors more likely to accept questionable financial statements if infractions have accrued over time

Answer 21

The slippery slope

Question 22

What cause of unethical behavior gives a pass to unethical behavior if the outcome is good? Ex: A researcher whose fraudulent clinical trial saves lives is considered more ethical than one leading to deaths

Answer 22

Overvaluing outcomes

Question 23

What do these involve:
-Recognize that ethical issues are business issues and treat them that way
-Accept that confronting ethical concerns is part of your job
-Challenge the rationale
-Use your lack of seniority or status as an asset
-Consider and explain long-term consequences
-Suggest solutions-not just complaints

Answer 23

Ways to confront unethical conduct

Question 24

What is a difference or gap between an actual and a desired state or outcome?

Answer 24

Problem

Question 25

What is a systematic process for closing gaps between an actual and a desired state or outcome?

Answer 25

Problem solving

Question 26

What are the three steps in the OB applied approach to problem solving?

Answer 26

1. Define the problem
2. Identify potential causes using OB concepts and theories
3. Make recommendations and (if appropriate) take action

Question 27

What are the infinite characteristics that give individuals their unique identities?

Answer 27

Person factors

Question 28

What are the elements outside us that influence what we do, the way we do it, and the ultimate results of our actions?

Answer 28

Situation factors

Question 29

What states that behavior is a function of interdependent person and situation factors?

Answer 29

Interactional perspective

Question 30

What three levels does OB distinguish among at work?

Answer 30

Individual, group/team, and organizational

Question 31

What factor do these fall under: values and work attitudes, personality and emotions, perceptions and diversity?

Answer 31

Person factors

Question 32

What factor do these fall under: human resource policies, practices, and procedures, leader behavior, and organizational culture?

Answer 32

Situation factor

Question 33

What is critically important to your short and long-term success?

Answer 33

Self-awareness

Question 34

Employers want employees with what kind of skills?

Answer 34

Both hard and soft skills

Question 35

The vast majority of unethical conduct at work is not ____.

Answer 35

Illegal

Question 36

What tool helps you organize, understand, and apply your OB knowledge and tool?

Answer 36

The Organizing Framework