Industrial/Organizational

Question 1

Adverse Impact vs. Unfairness vs. Differential Validity

Answer 1

Adverse impact is based on the 80% or 4/5th rule, which states that the percentage of minorities selected must be at leat 4/5th of the percentage of non-minorities selected.

Unfairness occurs when minorities and non-minorities score differently on the predictor test yet perform similarly on the criterion. Graphically, unfairness is depicted as 2 parallel lines. Example, whites and blacks scores differently on the MCAT, but both graduate medical school and practice medicine.

Differential validity occurs when there are significantly different criterion-related validity coefficients for different groups on the same test. Example, the MCAT and white vs. black performance

Question 2

Job Analysis vs. Job Evaluation

Answer 2

Job analysis describes in specific terms of the component tasks performed by workers on a particular job.

Job evaluation is a formal process that determines the financial worth of a specific job to an organization.

Question 3

Biodata

Answer 3

Biographical Information (Biodata) a the forms that are used to collect information on potential employee. There are 3 major types: standard application blank, the weighted applications blank, and the biographical inventory.

Question 4

Holland’s Occupational Themes, Personality-Job fit theory

Answer 4

Holland’s Occupatonal Themes:

1. realistic- perfers physical activities that require skill, strength, and coordination
2. investigative-perfers activities that involve thinking, organizing, and understanding.
3. artistic- prefers ambiguous and unsystematic activities that allow creative expression.
4. social-perfers activities that involve helping and developing others.
5. enterprising- prefers activities with opportunity to influence others and obtain power.
6. conventional-prefers rule-regulated, orderly, and unambiguous activities.

Question 5

Assessment Center; in-basket techniques

Answer 5

An assessment center is a method of selection that places new job applicants and candidates for promotions in a simulated job situation so that their behavior under stresscan be observed or evacuated.

Assessment center utilize in-basket technique or the leaderless group discussion activities.

The in-basket technigew presents applicants with typical problems and questions that managers would expect to find when they return from a vaction. Applicants process this information in a fixed period of time, and after the exercise they may be required to justifiy their decisions.

In the leaderless group discussion, applicants meet as a group to discuss an actural business problem. As the candidates interact with each other, their leaderhsip qualities and communication styles are observed.

Question 6

Contrast vs. Halo Effect

Interviewer biases

Answer 6

Interviews have the worst criterion-related validity (.01 -.19) they are better if structured, use multiple interviewres who have been trained.

There are several interviewer biases:

1. First impressions
2. Negative information
3. Interviewer prejudices
4. Contrast effect- occurs when an interviewer’s ratings of a candidate are affected by the performance of the previous candidate.
5. . Halo effect- involves generalizing from one characteristics to the entire candidate in either a positive or negative direction. For example, if he is handsome, he must be smart

Question 7

Cognitive Ability vs. Interest vs. Personality Tests related to job performance

Answer 7

Test of cognitive abilities and aptitude are a good predictor of job success.

Interest teas are a poor predictors of job success/performance but they do correlate with job satisfaction.

Personality tests are poor predictors of job performance.

Question 8

Comparative vs. Individual or Absolute Methods of Appraisal

Answer 8

Sujective methods of evaluating others via ratings tools, fall into 2 categories either comparative or individual/absolute.

The comparative methods are based on comparing one employee performance with other employees. There are 3 types:

1. Straight rakings- involve listing workers from best to worst.
2. Forced distribution- people are ranked to fit a distribution (a bell-curve)
3. Paired comparison- each employee is compare to every other employee in pairs

The individual or absolute method consist of 5 types:

1. Graphic rating scale- involves ratings on several aspects of a job.
2. BARS (Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales)- are based on critical incidents, there are expensive and time-consuling to develop, and relate to hypicalthical situations rather than day-to-day activities.
3. BOS (Behavioral Observation Scale)- involves rating the extent to which a person engages in every behavior.
4. Forced choice- the rater must choose between two seemingly equally desirable or undesirable choices. This method controllers for the helo effect, as weel as biases due to leniency and strictness.
5. Behavioral checklist- a rater uses a behavioral checklist and check off all the adjective or descriptors that apply to the employee being rated.

Question 9

Transcanctional vs. Transformational Leader

Answer 9

Transactional leader is the more traditional leader who influences subordinates through daily, fairly emotionless exchanges., aims to secure the agreed upon level of performance from subordinates, and may sue rewards, management by objectives and other conventional means.

Transformational leaders aims to broaden and elevate the goals of the subordinates, utilize charisma, inspiration, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration

Question 10

Forced Choice vs. Paired Comparisons vs. Forced Distribution

Subjective Methods of rating others

Answer 10

Forced choice- the rater must choose between two seemingly equally desirable or undesirable choices. This method controllers for the helo effect, as weel as biases due to leniency and strictness.

Paired comparison- each employee is compared to every other employee in pairs

Forced distribution- people are ranked to fit a distribution (a bell-curve).

Question 11

Effects of Training

Answer 11

Training is best when trainees have high motivation, are actively engaged, the training is delivered in a spaced manner, in smaller units, provides for application, and the learner is given feedback and continuous reinforcement initially and then is thinned as the content is mastered

Question 12

Job Rotation and Japanese Management

Methods used by most Japanese companies

Answer 12

Job rotation involves exposing trainees (usually managers) to different jobs and departments to acquaint them with all facets of the organization.

The Theory Z describes 3 critical Japanese management strategies: (1) life-long employment with an emphasis on loyalty (2) slow promotion with an emphasis on non-specalized career paths, and (3) high levels of group decision making.

Question 13

Scientific Management vs. Human Relations Approach

Leadership Theories and Approaches

Answer 13

Scientific Management (proposed by Frederick Taylor) view workers as extension of machines, who are lazy, dishonest, and have low levels of interrigence. It is the foreman’s job to use autocratic behavior, aggressiveness, and physical intimidation to force workers to produce. This method is also referred to as Theory X as described by McGregor (1960)

The human relations appraoch rose out of the Hawthorne studies that focused on worker needs rather than production. These studies examined the effects on environment factors (light, temp. and rest periods) on productivity. They also found that if leaders allowed workers to have input and socialize work performance improved. In fact psychological factors were more important than environmental factors in improving productivity. This method is also referred to as the Theory Y as describe by McGregor (1960).

Question 14

Theory X vs. Theory Y vs. Theory Z

McGregor vs. Ouchi Leardership Theories

Answer 14

Theory X assumes workere are lazy and must be coerced and directed since they have no ambition and no sense of responsibility. It theory underlies typical bureaucracies. (McGregor 1960)

Theory Y assumes that people find satisfaction with their work, and that control and punishment are not necessary to bring about good performance. This theory proposes that people are industrious and creative, seek challenge and responsibility, and function best under a leadership style that is participative. (McGregor 1960)

Theory Z describes 3 critical Japanese management strategies: (1) life-long employment with an emphasis on loyalty (2) slow promotion with an emphasis on non-specalized career paths, and (3) high levels of group decision making. (Ouchi 1981)

Question 15

Authoritarian vs. Democratic vs. Laissez Faire

Answer 15

Authoritarian leaders use power, rewards and punishment to lead and workers have no input.

Democratic leader get staff input and allow workers work independently

Laissez Faire leaders let the worker run the show.

Most workers do best in a democratic leaders.

Question 16

Job Satisfaction: correlations with age, race, occupational level, productivity, turnover

Answer 16

Age: in genral job satisfaction increase with age, regardless of type of work or gender

Gender: no clear patterns of gender difference

Race: whites report more job satisfaction; these difference are most significant among managers

Occupational level: the higher the overall occupational level, the higher job satisfaction is

Health: there is a correlation between job dissatisfaction and physical and mental health

Productivity: there is a weak positive correlation
between satisfaction and productivity (.17)

Turnover: job satisfaction has a moderate negative correlation (about 0.4) with absenteeism and turnover

Productivity: there is not evidence of a relationship between productivity and turover

Question 17

Risky Shift vs. Response Polarization vs. Group Think

Answer 17

Risky shift- is the tendency for people in groups to make riskier decision than they would if they were deciding as individuals.

Response polarization - also known as group polorization- is the tendency for people in groups to become more extreme in their views.

Group think- occurs in highly conhesive groups when group member seek concurrence, consensus, and unanimity more than they seek the best possible alternative/soultion.

Question 18

Two-factor Theory of Motivation: hygiene, motivators, satisfiers, dissatisfiers, content, context

Answer 18

Herzberg’s Two-Facto theroy aka Motivator-Hygiene Therory, is based on Maslow’s Need Hierarch, found that different factors account to job satisfaction as opposed to job dissatisfaction. This theory divides needs into lower and upper level needs.

Lower level needs also called hygiene factors or dissatisfied, related to job content (pay, work conditions, supervision). Dissatisfaction results when lower level needs are not meet, but meeting them does not produce satisfaction.

Upper level needs called motivators or satisficers related to job content (need for achievement, responsibility and opportunity. Meeting upper level needs can increase satisfaction and motivation. However, when these needs are not met, dissatisfaction does not result.

Question 19

Job Enrichment vs. Enlargement

Answer 19

Job enrichment involves espanding jobs to give employees a greater role in planning, and performing their work, thus providing and opportunity to build satisfies into job content; They result in increased satisfaction and performance, decreased turnover and absenteeism. It is also known as “vertical loading”

Job enlargement involves expanding the variety of tasks the employee performs without increasing responsibility or autonomy. It increase satisfaction, and only slightly affects job performance. It is a also known as “horizontal loading”.

Question 20

Goals and Feedback

Answer 20

Inorder for one to meet a goal(s) they need feedback.
Locke’s Goal Setting Approach has 5 principles:

1. goals should be specific
2. goals should be of intermediate to high level of difficulity
3. workers must receive feedback
4. a sense of self-efficacy will increase performance
5. employees must accept the goal

Question 21

VIE Theory va. Equity Theory

Answer 21

Valence-Instrumentality- Expetancy (VIE) aka Genral Expectancey Theory states that people behave in ways that are based on their perceived expectancy that centainrewards will follow, and the employee performs at a level that results in the greatest payoff. There are 3 components of this theory: expectancy, instrumentality, and valance.

1. Expectancy- refers to expectancy of success on the task.
2. Instrumentaliity- referees to anticipation of rewards
3. Valance- referees to the value the rewards have for the employee

Equity theory looks at the ratio of self-input and outputs verse other’s inputs and outputs. Becasue of social comparison Adams believes that inquiry is a motivating state and that we adjust our performance based on things appearing fair or unfair.

Question 22

Human Factors vs. Psychological Approach

Answer 22

The human factors approach is concerned with physical aspects of the job. The focus is on the how human and machines work together to accomplish a job (aka operator-machine-system).

The psychological approach is job design assumes that efficiency and effectiveness are correlated with satisfaction and that satisfaction allows people to meet self-actualizations needs. This approach includes job enlargement (horizontal loading) in which the number of tasks is increased without increasing the responsibility level. Job enlargement increases satisfaction.

Question 23

Most stressed workers

Answer 23

Workers who work environments that are painted grey, hot, humid; have inadequate lighting and intermittent noise that are pervised that one is not able to control result in more stressed workers. Working hight shifs or rating shifts lead to health problems.

Question 24

Giggs vs. Duke Power Company

Answer 24

This I/O case affected the issue of testing at the workplace. The court ruled that tests that measure board abilities, that minorites tend to perform lower than whites on were unfair to use when making hiring or promotion decisions.

Question 25

LPC (least prferred colleague)

Answer 25

LPC theory is based on 3 steps: 1- whether the leader is task-oriented or relationship-oriented (High LPC the leader rates the LPC high and the leader values relationships, while Low LPC the leader rates the LPC low and vales tasks); 2- situational control or favorableness is assessed- how likely is it that the task will be completed; 3- the LPC Theory predicts that Low LPC are most effective as leaders in situations that are either highly favorable or unfavorable, while High LPC are most effective as leaders in moderately favorable situations.

Question 26

5 types of power

Answer 26

Reward power- is power based on the ability to provide rewards

Coercive power- is related to the ability to punish

Legitimate power- based on the hierarchy of the organization

Referent power- based on identifying with admiring, or liking the person in the leadership position

Expert power- come from having expertise and skills in the relevant area

Question 27

Types of decision making

Answer 27

Rational-economic model- referred to as the classical approach, involves basing decisions on a clear definition of the problem, knowing all possible alternatives and consequences of choices, and then choosing the optimal solution

Administrative approach- aka the behavioral approach or satisficing style by Herber Simon, when problems are ambiguous, only partial knowledge is available, and the first satisfactory alternative is chosen

Question 28

QWL vs. QCC

Answer 28

Quality of work-life programs (QWL) target changes in organizational style in various ways. Workers are involved in teams that meet weekly to discuss extrinsic and intrinsic factors. QWL programs have been found to have a greater effect on satisfaction than performance.

Quality control circles QCC) are based on the work of Maslow, McClelland, and Herzberg and focus on specific ways to improve the finished product and the level of production. Workers are given greater responsibility for their work and allowed to participate in the decision affecting the nature of the work and the way the work is performed. 7-10 workers from the same department meet voluntarily. QCC programs increase production and satisfaction, while decrease absenteeism and turnover.

Question 29

Organizational Development (OD)

Answer 29

Organizational development focuses on the total organizational change and on systematic ways to bring about planned change. OD interventions are target at a variety of levels. Research has found that OD interventions are difficult to evaluate.

Question 30

Centralized vs Decentralized Communication Networks

Answer 30

A centralized communication network is like a wheel or chain, with one person in the middle who gets all of the information. This style is best for simple tasks and results in fairly rapid communication.

A decentralized communication network is like a pinwheel, an all-channel, or a star, in which all members can communicate with one another. This style is best for tasks involving problem-solving and communication, but it results in slower communication.

Question 31

Overlearning

Answer 31

The goal of overlearning is to develop a very thorough knowledge of a task so that the training can be transferred to the work setting. For example, the practice simulations used in medical skills to deliver a baby or run and IV.

Question 32

Compressed workweek vs. Flextime

Answer 32

Compressed workweeks are utilized by about 20% of the workforce (e.g. 4 ten-hour days). They result in decreased anxiety and turnover and increased satisfaction. However, they lead to fatigue and possible customer complaints due to unavailable personnel.

Flextime is utilized by 40% of the workforce. The findings are mixed: some say there is increased morale and productivity and decreased lateness, absenteeism, and turnover; while others say there is no difference between productivity or satisfaction.

Question 33

Noise in the workplace

Answer 33

Loud noises are threatening to one’s hearing. Most people can adapt to constant or continuous noises, but intermittent noise is more distracting. The perception of the ability to control noise may be more important than the actual ability to control the noise.

Question 34

BARS vs. BOS

Answer 34

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) are based on critical incidents. For example, employees are rated on various aspects of the job that have been linked to successful job performance. The scales tend to measures hypothetical situations rather than actual day-to-day activities.

Behavioral Observation Scales (BOS) involves rating the extent to which a person engages in every behavior (e.g. how ofter the employee finishes projects on time).