Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER OUTLINE
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
6 Chapter 14
An attitude is an evaluation that predisposes a person to act in a certain way. The three
components of attitudes are cognitions (thoughts), affect (feelings), and behavior. The
cognitive component of an attitude includes the beliefs, opinions, and information the person
has about the object of the attitude, such as knowledge of what a job entails and opinions
about personal abilities.
The affective component is the person’s emotions or feelings about the object of the attitude,
such as enjoying or hating a job. The behavioral component of an attitude is the person’s
intention to behave toward the object of the attitude in a certain way. The cognitive element is
the conscious thought, “my job is interesting and challenging.” The affective element is the
feeling, “I love this job.”
A positive attitude toward one’s job is called job satisfaction. People experience this attitude
when their work matches their needs and interests, when working conditions and rewards
(such as pay) are satisfactory, and when the employees like their co-workers. Organizational
commitment is loyalty to and engagement in one’s organization. An employee with a high
degree of organizational commitment is likely to say “we” when talking about the
organization. Such a person tries to contribute to the organization’s success and wishes to
remain with the organization.
3. Describe the perception process and explain internal and external attributions.
Perception is the cognitive process people use to make sense out of the
environment by selecting, organizing, and interpreting information from the
environment. Attitudes affect perceptions and vice versa. Because of individual
differences in attitudes, personality, values, interests, and so forth, people often
“see” the same thing in different ways.
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Individual Behavior 7
4. Define major personality traits and describe how personality can influence
workplace behaviors.
5. Identify positive and negative emotions and describe how emotions affect behavior.
Positive emotions are triggered when people are on track toward achieving their goals.
Examples include happiness/joy, pride, love/affection, and relief. Negative emotions are
triggered when people become frustrated in trying to achieve their goals. Examples include
anger, fright/anxiety, guilt/shame, sadness, envy/jealousy, and disgust.
Emotions affect behavior not only for the individual displaying the emotions, but also for
those who interact with that individual, as a result of emotional contagion. People around an
emotional individual tend to “catch” that person’s emotions and begin to feel and behave in a
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
8 Chapter 14
manner similar to that person. Negative emotions tend to diminish productivity as workers
focus more on their emotions than on their work and begin to exhibit counterproductive
behaviors.
Managers can influence whether people experience primarily positive or negative emotions at
work. As a result of emotional contagion, the emotional state of the manager influences the
entire team or department. Effective managers pay attention to people’s emotions, because
positive emotions are typically linked to higher productivity and greater effectiveness of
employees.
6. Define the four components of emotional intelligence and explain why they
are important for today’s managers.
Studies show that there a positive relationship between job performance and high emotional
intelligence quotient (EQ) in a variety of jobs.
1. Empty your head. Collect all the things you need or want to do.
2. Decide the next action. Do it, delegate it, or defer it.
3. Get organized. Schedule appointments and tasks. Set up calendars and action lists.
4. Perform a weekly review. Update calendars and action lists; process new items.
5. Now do it. Consider time and context, energy level, and task priority.
Challenge stress fires you up, whereas threat stress burns you out. Stress up to a certain
point challenges you and increases your focus, alertness, efficiency, and productivity. After
that point, however, things will go downhill quickly and stress compromises your job
performance, your relationships, and even your health. The point at which things tip from
challenge stress (good) to threat stress (bad) may vary with each individual.
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Individual Behavior 9
Stress is an individual’s physiological and emotional response to stimuli that place physical or
psychological demands on the individual and create uncertainty and lack of personal control
when important outcomes are at stake.
These stimuli, called stressors, produce some combination of frustration (such as the inability
to meet a deadline because of inadequate resources) and anxiety (such as the fear of being
disciplined for not meeting deadlines). People’s responses to stressors vary according to their
personalities, the resources available to help them cope, and the context in which the stress
occurs. When the level of stress is low relative to a person’s coping resources, stress can be a
positive force, stimulating desirable change and achievement. However, too much stress is
associated with many negative consequences, including sleep disturbances, drug and alcohol
abuse, headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure and heart disease. Too much stress is harmful to
employees as well as to the organization.
There are a variety of techniques to help individuals manage stress. Among the most basic
strategies are those that help people stay healthy: exercising regularly, getting plenty of rest,
and eating a healthful diet. In addition, most people cope with stress more effectively if they
lead balanced lives and are part of a network of people who support and encourage them.
Family relationships, friendships, and memberships in nonwork groups such as community or
religious organizations are helpful for stress management, as well as for other benefits.
Supporting employees can be as simple as encouraging people to take regular breaks and
vacations. Creating broad work-life balance initiatives that may include flexible work options
such as telecommuting and flexible hours, as well as benefits such as onsite daycare, fitness
centers, and personal services. Organizations and employees should look for ways to reduce
the stressors and increase employees’ coping skills. Organizations can provide training or
clearer directions so that employees feel able to handle their responsibilities. They can make
the work environment safer and more comfortable. Individuals also can act on their own
initiative to develop their knowledge and skills.
LECTURE OUTLINE
Self-confidence is the foundation for many important behaviors of a new manager. It refers
to general assurance in one’s ideas, judgment, and capabilities. Self-efficacy is one dimension
of self-confidence, which is an individual’s strong belief that he or she can accomplish a
specific task or outcome successfully. If a new manager lacks self-confidence, he or she is
more likely to avoid difficult decisions and confrontations and may tend to over control
subordinates, which is called micromanaging. A lack of self-confidence also leads to less
sharing of information and less time hiring and developing capable people. Self-confident
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
10 Chapter 14
managers, by contrast, can more easily delegate responsibility, take risks, give credit to others,
confront problems, and assert themselves for the good of their teams. This exercise helps
students identify their level of self-confidence.
Self-awareness means being aware of the internal aspects of one’s nature, such as
personality traits, beliefs, emotions, attitudes, and perceptions, and appreciating
how your patterns affect other people. A primary characteristic of effective leaders
is that they know who they are and what they stand for. When managers deeply
understand themselves, they remain grounded and constant. Yet developing self-
awareness is easier said than done. Many of us might be surprised to find out what
others honestly think about us.
2. Many people have blind spots—attributes about themselves that they are not aware
of or don’t recognize as problems—which limit their effectiveness and hinder their
career success
Discussion Question #1: Why is self-awareness important for being a good manager? Can
you think of some negative consequences that might result from a manager with low self-
awareness?
NOTES_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
workers. Job satisfaction also occurs when working conditions and rewards are
satisfactory and when people have positive relationships with supervisors.
2. Research shows that the link between job satisfaction and performance is small
and is affected by other factors. Satisfaction varies according to the amount of
control the employee has. Managers play an important role in whether
employees have positive or negative attitudes about their jobs.
B. Trust
2. The most recent Gallup workforce survey places the number of disengaged
employees in the United States at 70 percent
Discussion Question #3: What are some specific tips that you would give a new manager for
building trust with subordinates? With other managers?
NOTES______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
III. PERCEPTION AND ATTRIBUTIONS Exhibit 14.3, Exhibit 14.4, Exhibit 14.5
Critical aspects of understanding behavior are perception and attributions, which are a special
kind of perception.
1. Perception is the cognitive process people use to make sense out of the environment
by selecting, organizing, and interpreting information from the environment.
Because of individual differences in attitudes, personality, values, interests, and so
forth, people often “see” the same thing in different ways. Perception can be viewed
as a step-by-step process: first we observe information from the environment
through our senses (sensory data); next our minds screen the data and select only the
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
12 Chapter 14
items we will process further; and third, we organize selected data into meaningful
patterns for interpretation and response.
Discussion Question #4: The chapter suggests that optimism is an important characteristic for
a manager, yet some employees complain that optimistic managers cause them significant
stress because they expect their subordinates to meet unreasonable goals or expectations.
How might an employee deal with a perpetually optimistic manager?
NOTES______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
1. There are five general dimensions that describe personality, often called the
Big Five personality factors.
Discussion Question # 5 Studies have suggested that extroverts contribute less to teams and
are poor listeners, yet other studies suggest that they are more likely to earn six-figure
incomes, even in today’s collaborative, team-oriented workplaces. Discuss why you think this
might be the case.
.
NOTES______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
14 Chapter 14
a. Some believe that their actions can strongly influence what happens to
them—they believe they are in control of their own fate. These individuals
have a high internal locus of control. Many top leaders of e-commerce and
high-tech organizations have a high internal locus of control.
People with an internal locus of control are easier to motivate and better
able to handle complex information. They are better at problem solving
and are more achievement oriented, but are also more independent and
therefore more difficult to manage.
b. Others believe that events occur because of chance, luck, or outside people
or events. They see themselves as the pawns of their fate. These
individuals have a high external locus of control.
Discussion Question #8: How might understanding whether an employee has an internal or
an external locus of control help a manager better communicate with, motivate, and lead the
employee?
NOTES____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Exhibit 14.8
2. Authoritarianism is the belief that power and status differences should exist
within the organization. If a manager and his or her employees differ in their
degree of authoritarianism, the manager may have difficulty managing
effectively. The trend toward empowerment and shifts in expectations among
younger employees for more equitable relationships has caused a decline in
authoritarianism.
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Individual Behavior 15
achieve personal goals, more likely to win in win-lose situations, and more
likely to persuade than to be persuaded.
Discussion Question #2: As a manager, how might you deal with an employee who is always
displaying negative emotions that affect the rest of the team? How might you use an
understanding of attributions and emotional contagion to help you decide what to do?
NOTES______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
V. EMOTIONS
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
16 Chapter 14
a. Positive emotions are triggered when people are on track toward achieving
their goals.
B. Emotional Intelligence
a. Self-awareness means being aware of what you are feeling. It is the basis for
all the other components.
2. Studies have found a positive relationship between job performance and high
emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) in a variety of jobs. At times of great change
or crisis, managers rely on a high EQ level to help employees cope with anxiety
and stress.
3. Managers with low emotional intelligence can undermine employee morale and
harm the organization. Growing concerns over workplace bullying have
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Individual Behavior 17
Understanding yourself and others is a major part of a new manager’s job. The important
thing as a manager is to know and guide yourself, to understand the emotional state of
others, and to guide your relationships in a positive direction. This exercise helps students
learn about their insights into themselves and others.
Discussion Question #7: Which of the four components of emotional intelligence do you
consider most important to an effective manager in today’s world? Why?
NOTES_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Three basic principles that define how to manage your big and small commitments
effectively so that you can get them accomplished are:
1. Clarity of mind. If you’re carrying too much around in your head, your mind can’t
be clear. If so, you can’t focus. If you can’t focus, you can’t get anything done.
2. Clarity of objectives. You have to be clear about exactly what you need to do and
decide the steps to take toward accomplishing it.
3. An organized system. Once you’ve decided the actions you need to take, you need
to keep reminders in a well-organized system.
By building a self-management approach based on these three principles, you can get
unstuck and make measurable progress toward achieving all the things you need to do.
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
18 Chapter 14
1. Empty your head. The first step is to write down all the activities that demand
your attention on scraps of paper, organize them into various manageable
“buckets” using available tools, and add new projects or commitments as and
when they occur.
2. Decide the next action. For each item in your buckets, decide the real,
specific, physical action that you need to take action, and then do it,
delegate it, or defer it.
3. Get organized. Organize all the deferred items. At this stage, schedule any
appointments you identified as “next actions” and record these on whatever
calendar you check daily.
4. Perform a weekly review. Once a week, review your complete Next Actions list
and your calendar for the coming week. Scan the entire list of outstanding
projects and actions so that you can make efficient choices about using your
time.
5. Now do it. Once you have collected, processed, organized, and reviewed your
current commitments, you will have a better sense of what needs to be done,
enabling you to make better choices about how to use your time.
This approach to self-management can help you get a handle of all the various
things you have to do and approach them in a systematic way with a clear mind,
Discussion Question #9: How do you think a system for self-management such as the five-
step system described in this chapter could benefit you as a student? What parts of the
system seem particularly useful to you? Explain
NOTES_______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Challenge stress fires you up, whereas threat stress burns you out. Stress up to a
certain point challenges you and increases your focus, alertness, efficiency, and
productivity. After that point, however, things will go downhill quickly and stress
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Individual Behavior 19
compromises your job performance, your relationships, and even your health. The
point at which things tip from challenge stress (good) to threat stress (bad) may vary
with each individual.
2. Type A individuals can be powerful forces for innovation and leadership within
their organizations. However, many Type A personalities cause stress-related
problems for themselves and sometimes for those around them. Most Type A
individuals are high-energy people. Type B individuals experience less conflict
with other people and a more balanced lifestyle.
1. Work-related stress is on the rise worldwide. Managers can better cope with their
own stress and establish ways for the organization to help employees cope if they
define the conditions that tend to produce work stress. One way to identify work
stressors is to place them in four categories.
a. Task demands are stressors arising from the tasks required of a person
holding a particular job such as decisions made under time pressure, those
that must be made with incomplete information, and those that have serious
consequences. Task demands also sometimes cause stress because of role
ambiguity, which means that people are unclear about what task behaviors
are expected of them.
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
20 Chapter 14
Organizations that want to challenge their employees and stay competitive in a fast-
changing environment will never be stress-free. Because many consequences of
stress are negative, managers need to participate in stress management for themselves
and for their employees. But healthy workplaces promote the physical and emotional
well-being of their employees.
b. Find meaning and support. If you feel you have lot of support,
you’re less susceptible to the negative effects of bad stress.
b. Provide wellness programs and training. Wellness programs that offer access
to nutrition counseling and exercise facilities can be highly beneficial in
helping people cope with stressful jobs. Training programs and conferences
can help people identify stressors and teach them coping mechanisms.
d. Make sure people get to have some fun at work. Particularly for jobs that have
a high degree of task-related stress, allowing people to blow off stream by
having fun can make all the difference in the stress level.
3. Work-life practices also communicate that managers and the organization care
about employees as human beings. Managers’ attitudes make a tremendous
difference in whether employees are stressed out and unhappy or relaxed,
energetic, and productive.
Discussion Question #10: Why do you think workplace stress is skyrocketing? Do you think it
is a trend that will continue? Explain the reasons for your answer. Do you think it is the
responsibility of managers and organizations to help employees manage stress? Why or why
not?
NOTES______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
1. Why is self-awareness important for being a good manager? Can you think of some
negative consequences that might result from a manager with low self-awareness?
If managers have low self-awareness then there is a mismatch between how managers
think of themselves and how others perceive them. A manager who considers herself to
be friendly and approachable could be perceived by her employees as cold and aloof.
This could result in employees being too weary to approach her when they first encounter
a problem and are more likely to figure out their own way to fix it. Should this approach
fail, the manager will only become aware of it much later, often after it has blown up to a
greater proportion. It is, therefore, necessary that managers work toward enhancing their
self-awareness.
2. As a manager, how might you deal with an employee who is always displaying negative
emotions that affect the rest of the team? How might you use an understanding of
attributions and emotional contagion to help you decide what to do?
The first thing a manager might do in this situation would be to sit down with the
employee to discuss the reasons for the person’s negative emotions. Of course, the
manager would have to be careful not to appear to be prying, but could start by asking if
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
22 Chapter 14
the person was experiencing any problems at work that cause him or her to display the
negative emotions. If so, then the manager may be able to resolve the work-related
issues. Otherwise, the manager may need to point out to the employee that s/he is
causing others in the workplace to become negative, which in turn negatively impacts
productivity. As a more extreme measure, if the employee does not respond to the
manager’s efforts, s/he may need to be isolated in some way, if possible, from the other
employees to prevent the negative emotional contagion. Ultimately, if the situation does
not improve, the employee will need to be fired to remove his or her negative impact on
others, and thus on the productivity of the company.
3. What are some specific tips that you would give a new manager for building trust with
subordinates? With other managers?
Managers promote trust by being open and honest in their business dealings, keeping
employees informed, giving them a say in decisions, providing the necessary training and
other resources that enable them to succeed, treating them fairly, and offering rewards that
they value. Employees have a right to expect that their managers are trustworthy and that
they will create stable organizations. A survey found that 32 percent of an employee’s
desire to stay with a company or leave depends on the employee’s trust in management.
These concepts hold true for building trust with subordinates and other managers.
4. The chapter suggests that optimism is an important characteristic for a manager, yet some
employees complain that optimistic managers cause them significant stress because they
expect their subordinates to meet unreasonable goals or expectations. How might an
employee deal with a perpetually optimistic manager?
The best way to deal with a perpetually optimistic manager whose goals or expectations
are unreasonable is probably to provide that manager with “hard data” – factual
information related to the employee’s work that clearly shows why the goals or
expectations are unreasonable. These managers are unlikely to be dissuaded from their
unreasonable optimism by intellectual or emotional arguments, but will find it more
difficult to refute objective data that contradict their expectations.
Of course, if the data does not support the notion that the manager’s goals or expectations
are truly unreasonable, then the employee will probably need to resort to more
conventional ways of dealing with stress, such as exercise, rest, a healthful diet, engaging
in creative hobbies, etc.
5. Studies have suggested that extroverts contribute less to teams and are poor listeners, yet
other studies suggest that they are more likely to earn six-figure incomes, even in today’s
collaborative, team-oriented workplaces. Discuss why you think this might be the case.
.
Having an outgoing, sociable personality (extroversion) is considered desirable for
managers, Extroverts get out there and connect with people both within and outside the
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Individual Behavior 23
organization. They speak up at meetings, make presentations, and are more sociable and
outgoing at conferences and other professional events.
6 .Surveys by the Conference Board show that job satisfaction has declined from 61 percent
of people surveyed in 1987 to 45 percent in 2009, and one workplace analyst has said a
high level of dissatisfaction is “the new normal”. What are some factors that might
explain this decline in satisfaction levels? Do you think it is possible for managers to
reverse the trend? Discuss.
One possible factor is that work is increasingly knowledge-based, and the outputs of
knowledge-based work are less tangible than those of more materially-based work such as
manufacturing and even service work. Less tangible outputs mean it’s more difficult to
identify exactly what has been accomplished, leading to a lower sense of accomplishment
and less satisfaction.
Other reasons for the apparent decline in job satisfaction may be less, or not at all, directly
related to work and the workplace. The steep recession in which the country found itself
in 2009 probably caused strong feelings of general dissatisfaction that individuals may
find difficult to separate from their work lives. Moreover, as more people lost jobs during
the recession, the survivors found themselves with more work to do, often without
additional compensation, which may also have led to increased feelings of dissatisfaction.
Managers can help employees feel more satisfied in a variety of ways, such as protecting
them from bullying and communicating clearly and closely with employees to help them
understand how their individual work contributes to the company’s success. However, to
the extent that dissatisfaction arises from factors external to the company, managers are
constrained in their ability to reverse the trend.
7. Which of the four components of emotional intelligence do you consider most important
to an effective manager in today’s world? Why?
practice empathy, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, recognizing the feelings of
others without being told. Relationship awareness is the ability to connect to others, build
positive relationships, respond to the emotions of others, and influence others.
People differ in terms of what they tend to attribute as the cause of their success or failure.
Their locus of control defines whether they place the primary responsibility within
themselves or on outside forces. Some people believe that their actions can strongly
influence what happens to them. They feel in control of their own fate. These individuals
have a high internal locus of control. Other people believe that events in their lives occur
because of chance, luck, or outside people and events. They feel more like pawns of their
fate. These individuals have a high external locus of control.
People with an internal locus of control are easier to motivate because they believe the
rewards are the result of their behavior. They are better able to handle complex
information and problem solving and are more achievement oriented, but are also more
independent and therefore more difficult to lead. On the other hand, people with an
external locus of control are harder to motivate, less involved in their jobs, more likely to
blame others when faced with a poor performance evaluation, but more compliant and
conforming and, therefore, easier to lead.
9. How do you think a system for self-management such as the five-step system described in
this chapter could benefit you as a student? What parts of the system seem particularly
useful to you? Explain.
The five-step system described in the chapter will benefit not just employees but anyone
who practices it. It is particularly useful to students who often have to juggle many tasks
in a day. By practicing the five-step system, students can save on valuable time that would
otherwise be lost. By gaining better control over their lives, students will be more relaxed,
thereby able to better focus on their studies
10. Why do you think workplace stress is skyrocketing? Do you think it is a trend
that will continue? Explain the reasons for your answer. Do you think it is the
responsibility of managers and organizations to help employees manage stress?
Why or why not?
Supporting employees can be as simple as encouraging people to take regular breaks and
vacations. The time off is a valuable investment when it allows employees to approach
their work with renewed energy and a fresh perspective. Companies also develop other
programs aimed specifically at helping employees reduce stress and lead healthier, more
balanced lives. Many companies offer wellness programs that provide access to nutrition
counseling and exercise facilities. Others create broad work-life balance initiatives that
may include flexible work options such as telecommuting and flexible hours as well as
benefits such as onsite daycare, fitness centers, and personal services such as pickup and
delivery of dry cleaning. “Daily flextime” is considered by many employees to be the
most effective work-life practice, which means giving employees the freedom to vary their
hours as needed, such as leaving early to take an elderly parent shopping or taking time off
to attend a child’s school play. By acknowledging the personal aspects of employees’
lives, work-life practices also communicate that managers and the organization care about
employees as human beings. Work-life balance initiatives help employees manage stress,
improve productivity and quality of life, and enhance job satisfaction and organizational
commitment. In addition, managers’ attitudes make a tremendous difference in whether
employees are stressed out and unhappy or relaxed, energetic, and productive.
Personality assessments based on the work of psychologist Carl Jung are widely used. No one
is a pure type; however, each individual has preferences for introversion versus extroversion,
sensing versus intuition, thinking versus feeling, and judging versus perceiving. Based the
scores in the survey, students can read the descriptions of their types in the chart. They can
then discuss whether they feel that the description fits their personalities.
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
26 Chapter 14
After reading the case study presented in the exercise, students gather in groups to discuss
specifics of the case and how they will solve a problem. Then, students role play the problem-
solving approach, taking turns until everyone has participated, and give each other feedback
after each role play.
1. Make the previous numbers work. Kristin and the entire team have put massive amounts
of time into the project and they all expect you to be a team player. You don’t want to let
them down. Besides, this project is a great opportunity for you in a highly visible position.
This is not a good option. It appears Sara would have difficulty signing this proposal.
This was developed before Sara had a chance to participate in its formulation and it places
Sara in a very uncomfortable position.
2. Stick to your principles and refuse to fudge the numbers. Tell Kristin you will work
overtime to help develop an alternate proposal that stays within the budget by
providing more training to employees who work directly with customers and fewer
training hours for those who don’t have direct customer contact.
Based on the information given, it appears that this is the best course of action for
Sara.
3. Go to the team and tell them what you’ve been asked to do. If they refuse to support you,
threaten to reveal the true numbers to the CEO and board members.
This is a more extreme position and should only be taken after option 2 is explored.
A Nice Manager
1. What does Nice mean to you? Is being considered nice a good trait for managers to
have or the kiss of death?
The word nice can be construed in several different ways. It could simply mean
being compassionate and respectful of others. But, it could also mean being
overtly accommodating and a pushover. If, by being nice, a manager is able to build
positive relationships, respond to the emotions of others, and influence them into
performing better, then it is a good trait. However, if the manager goes out of his or
her way to help others by taking on their duties and responsibilities, then it most
certainly is an unfavorable trait.
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Understanding Individual Behavior 27
3. If Harry is passed over for promotion, what feedback and advice should he be given
about how to improve his management skills for possible future promotions?
If Harry is passed over for promotion, he should retain his basic helping nature but
should also ensure that he is firm and assertive when necessary. If employees perceive
Harry as being too soft or too conscious of his image, then he is more likely to be taken
advantage of. It is also important for Harry to realize that the need for assertiveness will
only grow as he moves higher on the corporate ladder.
1. Does Mike Boyle appear to be self-aware? How does his level of self-awareness affect the
way he runs his business?
Self-awareness means being aware of the internal aspects of one’s nature, such as
personality traits, beliefs, emotions, and perceptions, and appreciating how your patterns
affect other people. Mike Boyle is very self-aware. He started out by working at a university
and realized that this job was not what he wanted. He is a person who knows what he wants
and what he stands for. For example, his business model does not include signing people up
for memberships that they never use. He is clear about providing social support to those who
want to feel better. Looking better is a secondary goal. As a manager Mike Boyle is
grounded and constant. The people that work for him know what to expect from him.
2. As you watch the video, focus on Marco’s comments about himself and Mike’s comments
on Marco. Then use the four components of emotional intelligence to evaluate Marco as an
employee and explain whether you think he is or is not emotionally intelligent.
Self-awareness. Marco is self-aware and in touch with his feelings. He describes himself as a
results-driven person with a high attention to detail. He has a healthy sense of self-confidence.
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
28 Chapter 14
Social awareness. Marco has the ability to understand others and practice empathy, which
means putting himself in his client’s shoes. He assess the mood that his client is in and works
with him or her, recognizing what this person is feeling during the training session.
Relationship management. Marco has the ability to connect to others and has built a positive
relationship with Mike Boyle. If issues arise, they have a staff meeting, and Mike gives Marco
more direction and guides him with a firm hand. Marco has listened to Mike and used his
comments constructively to be a better trainer.
3. Listen to Mike Boyle describe some of the characteristics and behaviors he requires of his
employees, and then compare these to the Big Five personality traits. Pretend you are Mike
Boyle and write out how valuable you think each of these traits is in the workplace. Rank
them in order of importance, according to Boyle.
Answers may vary and students may have a lively discussion about how Mike Boyle would
rank these traits. Here is a suggested ranking.
Conscientiousness: Mike requires accountability in his employees, There is a certain
way Mike runs his business, and he expects the employees to follow his business model.
Mike is systematic and efficient and expects his employees to pay attention to details.
Emotional stability. Mike expects his employees to be calm, enthusiastic, and self-
confident rather than tense, depressed, or moody.
Agreeableness. In order to be a trainer and work for Mike, a person has to be able to get
along with others and be cooperative. Being understanding is also valuable because many
people work out to relieve stress.
Extroversion. Since a trainer works with the public, it is advantageous to have someone
who is outgoing, sociable, assertive, and comfortable with interpersonal relationships.
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part . ,
except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.