Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel has sought to move his team beyond past behavior problems

into a new era. To do so, he made senior players accountable for making sure teammates act properly
at all times. Determine whether you agree or disagree with his approach. Support your reasoning.
Propose ways that those without formal authority can manage others.
I agree with the approach that Jim took. I think that empowering his seniors and making them
responsible for the other players behavior shows respect. The students will realize that, and they will
want to make their coach proud.
There are many ways that those without formal authority can manage others. However, one has to
make sure not to cross the line if you do not have formal authority. The senior players could talk to the
other players and try to ring them back in when they are behaving incorrectly. They dont need to yell
or scold them, but they can try and take their mind off of the bad behavior onto another subject or
topic. The senior players could also spend time with the other players and coach them. Help them with
new skills or new techniques. By spending time with them, they will be able to teach them things and
show them how to be a team and what being a team is about. They may be less likely to have
unfavorable behavior if they feel like they are part of the team. They will not want to let the team
down.
Examine two different ways of managing group behavior problems. Determine which method you
believe to be the most effective. Provide a rationale for your selection.
There are many ways to manage group behavior problems. First, you must identify what the problem is.
One needs to find out if there is a root cause to the behavior or if the behavior evolved over time. I
would figure this out by talking to the individual members of the group and gather information. Once I
have all the information gathered I can then determine the cause and the exact issue.
Once the issue has been determined and the cause I can then talk to the team. I would start by having a
meeting to discuss my findings to the team. From there as a team we would figure out what the right
solution is for everyone. I would motivate the team by empowering them to get this resolved as it will
affect our productivity and possible extrinsic rewards. If the team does not fix the behavior, then there
could be consequences such as the team being taken off the project or dismantled.
Another way to manage group behavior problems is to work very closely with the group. Be a mentor to
them and give them praise when they are working well and easy criticism when they are not behaving
correctly. This is similar to Pavlovs dog theory, but do not approach it in the same manner. Treat the
group with respect and work with them to get the desired behavior.
References:
Schermerhorn Jr., J., Osborn, R., Uhl-Bien, M., Hunt, J. (2012). Introducing Organizational Behavior. In
Lise Johnson (Ed.), Organizational Behavior(pp. 7-83). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.