Test One Flashcards
What are some of the biggest business trends in the workplace?
Trends include ethical challenges, rapid technological change, a flattening world, sustainable business practices, demographic trends, and the global marketplace OB 1.5
What did the government do to incentivize big accounting firms to act ethically
SOX OB 1.5
Questions to ask yourself about your ethical standards at work?
Do you integrate ethics into your day-to-day decisions at work? Do you take the “front page” test when making important decisions at work?Do you role model ethics at work? Do you consider if rewards are distributed ethically at work?Have you held a “risk brainstorm” at work? OB 1.5
Employee Engagement
managing discretionary effort, that is, when employees have choices, they will act in a way that furthers their organization’s interests. An engaged employee is a person who is fully involved in and enthusiastic about their work. Less than 30% of employees are engaged one OB 1.5
How has technology changed the workforce? And What are employers doing about it?
Moore’s Law, which states that computing power doubles every two years. To combat the overuse of e-mail, companies such as Intel have experimented with ideas such as “no e-mail Fridays,” in which all communication is done via other communication channels. The technology trend contains challenges for organizational behavior. OB 1.5
What is the idea of a “flattening world” talking about?
the Internet has “flattened” the world and created an environment in which there is a more level playing field in terms of access to information. This access to information has led to an increase in innovation, as knowledge can be shared instantly across time zones and cultures OB 1.5
What is the concept of a “triple bottom line”?
Those subscribing to the triple bottom line theory believe that beyond economic viability, businesses need to perform well socially and environmentally. OB 1.5
What does Sustainable Business Practices mean and what are some examples by companies?
Sustainable business practices are those that meet the present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. Different from greenwashing which just means companies want to say they are doing good to the environment in the public eye when actually they are not Examples: Walmart, Toms OB 1.5
What are some of the advantages and challenges with the aging workforce and new millennial?
There are a ton of baby boomers retiring which is good because it creates jobs for millennials. However, millennials are very technological and move fast pace, meaning many don’t want to take over the existing jobs that the aging workforce had. Also these two groups working together can create a challenge in terms of organizational goals and priorities OB 1.5
Outsourcing
Outsourcing refers to having someone outside the formal ongoing organization doing work previously handled in-house. This practice can involve temporary employees, consultants, or even offshoring workers OB 1.5
Offshoring
Offshoring means sending jobs previously done in one country to another country. OB 1.5
What do top CEOs like Steve Jobs and Mary Kay say about the most important factor to their success?
the People they have in their organization! OB 1.2
What is Organizational Behavior?
defined as the systematic study and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act within the organizations where they work.
TRUE OR FALSE
Brainstorming in a group is more effective than brainstorming alone. _____
The first five minutes of a negotiation are just a warm-up to the actual negotiation and don’t matter much. _____
The best way to help someone reach their goals is to tell them to do their best. _____
If you pay someone to do a task they routinely enjoy, they’ll do it even more often in the future. _____
Pay is a major determinant of how hard someone will work. _____
If a person fails the first time, they try harder the next time. _____
People perform better if goals are easier. _____
Most people within organizations make effective decisions. _____
Negative people are more likely to quit their jobs when they are unhappy at work. _____
Teams with one smart person outperform teams in which everyone is average in intelligence
They are all false. OB 1.2
What are some of the benefits of diversity?
Higher Creativity in Decision Making
Better Understanding and Service of Customers
More Satisfied Workforce
Higher Stock Prices
Lower Litigation Expenses
Higher Company Performance
OB 2.2
What is the Similarity-Attraction Phenomenon?
The tenedancy for you to be attracted to people who are more like you. Managers like to pick people who are more like themselves, they tend to favor them even if it’s not on purpose OB 2.2
What’s the difference between surface level and deep level diversity?
surface level diversity means the diversity you can see. Ex. the female in your finance class. The black southern family living in Utah County. It’s the stuff YOU CAN SEE!! Not what these people belief or who they really are on the inside. When companies are hiring for diversity, however, they tend to hire based on surface-level diversities because those are measurable.
Deep-level diversity is peoples values, beliefs and attititudes. These take longer to get to know and understand making it difficult to hire people based only on these (although you do want to hire people with the same core values as you)
OB 2.2
What is a Faultline? How do you fix them?
A faultline is an attribute along which a group is split into subgroups. For example, in a group with three female and three male members, gender may act as a faultline because the female members may see themselves as separate from the male members.
But lets say that group has 2 older females, one younger female, 1 younger male, and one older female: This may solve your faultline becuase of the age differences. Diversity in different ways helps you to solve faultlines. Make it so that people have someone to identify with-even if it’s a diverse group!
What are some of the challenges for women in the workplace?
OB 2.2 The earnings-gap (women generally make less then men in the same positions) This is often reported in the workplace, but there are so many different reasons why these would be different. There are some valid examples, however, like the Walmart Case.
The Glass Ceiling- Traditionally, men have been viewed as more assertive and confident than women, while women have been viewed as more passive and submissive. Studies show that these particular stereotypes are still prevalent among male college students, which may mean that these stereotypes may be perpetuated among the next generation of managers
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)?
OB 2.2 This Act prohibits discrimination in employment against individuals with physical as well as mental disabilities if these individuals are otherwise qualified to do their jobs with or without reasonable accommodation. For example, an organization may receive a job application from a hearing impaired candidate whose job responsibilities will include talking over the phone. With the help of a telephone amplifier, which costs less than $50, the employee will be able to perform the job; therefore, the company cannot use the hearing impairment as a reason not to hire the person, again, as long as the employee is otherwise qualified
I think I am being asked illegal interview questions. What can I do?
Refuse to answer. You may point out that the question is illegal and refuse to answer. Of course, this may cost you the job offer, because you are likely to seem confrontational and aggressive.
Answer shortly. Instead of giving a full answer to a question such as “are you married,” you could answer the question briefly and change the subject. In many cases, the interviewer may be trying to initiate small talk and may be unaware that the question is potentially illegal.
Answer the intent or concern behind the question. Sometimes, the illegal question hides a legitimate concern. When you are being asked where you are from, the potential employer might be concerned that you do not have a work permit. Addressing the issue in your answer may be better than answering the question you are being asked.
Evaluate the situation and what is in your best interest. Your next move should depend on a number of factors. For example, do you believe discrimination or just a mistake in what’s legal was behind the offending question? Based on the answers you come up, decide if this is the kind of company that you could work for or not.
Walk away from the interview. If you feel that the intent of the question is discriminatory, and if you feel that you would rather not work at a company that would ask such questions, you can always walk away from the interview. If you feel that you are being discriminated against, you may also want to talk to a lawyer later on. OB 2.2
What is Hofstede’s culture framework and the ideas behind it? And you think of Examples of each
(1) Individual vs Collectivism- I care more about me then the group= HIGH individualism
(2) Power Distance: refers to the degree to which the society views an unequal distribution of power as acceptable. Russia= High. they accept positions ahead of them. ex: Russian Government
(3) Uncertainty Avoidance: I avoid not knowing what my direct function is. I like things clear if I have high uncertainity avoidance. USA we like to know what we are doing. We need things clear. Maybe not in other countries
(4) Aggressive-Nurturing (Masculinity–Femininity)
masculinity is where the cultural norm is to be more aggressive and assertive and much is about competativeness (quantity over quality). Femininity cares more about the value of relationships, and quality of life. Sweden is more of a “femine” culture ((quality over quantity)
What are some of the greatest managers advice? (aka Micheal from First Break All the Rules)
- Pick the right people
- Then trust them
- Don’t overpromote people. Remember some people like where they are at and are good at it
- Never pass the buck. Take responsibility for what upper level management wants. Think as an organization
- Make few promises to your people and keep them all
How do you know when you need to move someone to a different seat on the bus, according to Collins?
see image
If the employee exceeds performance and cultural fit, then they are RIGHT
If the employee exceeds performance but not cultural fut, then ?????? (the ?? were in the slide)
if the employee is below performance but exceeds cultural fit, then SWITCH seats
If the employee is below in both performance and cultural fit, then UNLOAD (get rid of them) - this is Probably a fit issue (person-job fit)
Name the two factors involved in a Person-Organization fit, and the two factors involved in a Person-Job fit decision
See image below..
*remember that incentives are usually INTANGIBLE – these link with the employee value proposition (EVP)
EVP (Employee Value Proposition)
Ask yourself, “Why would I ‘purchase’ this company, as an employer, over other companies?”
