Chapter 9

Question 1

Empowerment

Answer 1

Giving employees shared authority, responsibility and decision-making with their managers
- shared information, training to understand the issues at question
- Giving them broad authority to make authority to make workplace decisions that can improve performance
- closer to the customer means better decisions for the customers, better for the customer should mean better performances for the company
- Keep employees informed about company’d financial performance and giving them a stake in the company’s performance

Question 2

Linking rewards to company performance

Answer 2

• Employee stock ownership plans
  1. gives employees share ownership, leading to potential employee financial gains as the value of the firm increases
  2. Motivates employees to work smarter and harder so can share in firm’s financial success
  3. aligns interests of employee’s with shareholders
• Stock options
  1. Right to buy a specified amount of company shares at a given price within a given time period
  2. Approximately one-third of all options go to the top five executives at a firm
  3. Also offered to lower employees, particularly in tech firms

Question 3

Team

Answer 3

A group of people with certain skills who share a common purpose, approach, and performance goals
- mutually responsible and accountable for accomplishing objectives
- ability to work on teams a priority during the hiring process

Question 4

Five types of teams

Answer 4

1. Work teams: Relatively permanent groups of employees with
   complementary skills who perform the day-to-day work of
   organizations
2. Problem-solving teams: gather information to solve a specific problem
3. self-managed teams: work teams that have the authority to
   decide how their members complete their daily tasks.
4. cross-functional teams: have members from different functions, such
   as production, marketing, and finance.
5. Virtual teams: groups of dispersed co-workers who use a
   combination of telecom. and IT to accomplish an organizational task.

Question 5

team characteristics

Answer 5

Team Size
- can range widely, but most have fewer than 12 members
- ideal size is usually six or seven members
Team level
- the team’s average level of ability, experience, personality, or any other factor
Team diversity
- The team’s differences in ability, experience, personality, or any other factor

Question 6

Stages of Team Development

Answer 6

1. Forming is the orientation period
2. storming is when the personalities of the members come out as they clarify their roles and expectations
3. Norming phase, members resolve differences and accept each other
4. Performing phase, members focus of solving problems and accomplishing tasks
5. Adjourning is when the team disbands after wrapping up and summarizing the team’s experiences and accomplishments

Question 7

Team cohesiveness

Answer 7

The extend to which team members feel attracted to the team and motivated to remain part of it
- cohesive teams quickly achieve high levels of performance and consistently perform better
- Team-building retreats can be used to encourage cohesiveness; improve satisfaction and retention

Question 8

Team norm

Answer 8

a standard of conduct shared by team members that guides their behaviour
- can be positive (contributing to accomplishment of goals) or negative (contributing to reduced work effort/quality, poor job attendance)

Question 9

conflict

Answer 9

the outcome when one person’s, or one group’s, needs do not match those of another, and one side may try to block the other side’s intentions or goals

Question 10

cognitive conflict

Answer 10

a disagreement that focuses on problem- and issue- related differences of opinion. Members need a willingness to examine, compare, and resolve their differences to improve team performance

Question 11

Affective conflict

Answer 11

a disagreement the focuses on individuals or personal issues; can make people uncomfortable, cause them to withdraw

Question 12

Team leaders

Answer 12

facilitate good communication so that teammates respect each other and work cooperatively

Question 13

Communication

Answer 13

a meaningful exchange of information through messages
- managers spend 80 percent of their time in direct communication with others
- company recruiters rate effective communication as the most important skill they’re looking for in hiring new employees
- all communication occurs in a situational or cultural context. The context can exert a powerful influence on how well the process works

Question 14

Oral communication

Answer 14

• an important part of oral communication is listening

Question 15

cynical (defensive) listening

Answer 15

receiver of a message feels that the sender is trying to gain some advantage from the communication

Question 16

Offensive listening

Answer 16

receiver tries to catch the speaker in a mistake or contradiction

Question 17

Polite listening

Answer 17

receiver listens mechanically to be polite rather than to communicate

Question 18

active listening

Answer 18

requires involvement with the information and empathy with the speaker’s situation
- the basis for effective communication

Question 19

written communication

Answer 19

• channels include reports, letters, memos, online discussion boards, social media, emails, and text messages
• effective written communication reflects its audience, the channel carrying the message, and a suitable degree of formality
• email is a very effective communication channel, but they can be misconstrued when written less formally
• always make sure you are sending it to the right person and no more

Question 20

formal communication

Answer 20

• flows within the chain of command, either down or up
• downward communication, from those in authority to those they supervise
• upward communication, should flow up to the person in direct authority
• open and honest communication is key, but not as easy to do
• can there be too much information?

Question 21

Open communication

Answer 21

• employees feel free to express opinions, offer suggestions, and even voice complaints
• characteristics of open communication:
  1. employees are valued and are trusted
  2. employees are well-informed
  3. conflict is invited and resolved positively
  4. employee is input is solicited and creative dissent is welcomed
  5. feedback is ongoing, not avoided

Question 22

Informal communication

Answer 22

• informal communication channels carry messages outside formally authorized channels
• organizations becoming a more decentralized/global; informal communication provides an important source of information

Question 23

Grapevine

Answer 23

internal information channel that passes information from unofficial sources
- main drawback is gossip; spreads misinformation, weakens morale

Question 24

Nonverbal communication

Answer 24

• nonverbal communications transmits messages through actions and behaviours
• gestures, posture, eye contact, tone and volume of voice, and even clothing choices are all nonverbal actions that become communication cues
• have a far greater impact of communications than many people realize
• can show a person’s true feelings and thoughts; receivers tend to believe nonverbal cues when they conflict with verbal ones

Question 25

External communication

Answer 25

a meaningful exchange of information through messages sent between an organization and its major audiences and/or stakeholders
- every communication with customers should create goodwill
- honest communication with customers builds trust, deception ruins the relationship

Question 26

Crisis management

Answer 26

Communication during crisis:
- respond quickly
- put top company management in front of news media
- stick to the facts
- when you don’t know, offer to find out
- recognize the existence of a problem
- speak briefly and clearly