CABATBAT, EDISON V.

January 23, 2019

1180313 BLOCK 4

Discussion Question on Chapter 4:

Individual Values, Perceptions, and Reactions

1. If your boss was not sure it would be worth the investment to change the company’s hiring
practices to include an evaluation of applicants’ attitudes what would you say about him?

I would tell that it is important to know the attitudes of the applicants because this defines
their reactions and beliefs in dealing with simple and complex situations when inside the
organization. Also, a person expresses himself or herself in relation to his attitude, so this is
an effective way to know exactly the applicants in hiring process.

2. Do you think that it would be easy to influence a subordinate’s attitudes, values or

emotions? Why? Which would have the largest influence on the employee’s behavior?
Why?
Yes it is easy because attitudes are formed by a variety of external farces, experience and
values from a certain environment. In workplace, the largest influence to employee behavior
is the whole organization because it has set of norms, policies and culture that every
employee should practice. Also, colleagues inside organization shape the attitude of
employee based on how they behave in workplace.

3. What are the components of an individual’s attitude? Relate each component to an attitude
your currently have about something.

The components of individual attitude are cognition, affect and intention. In relation to this,
my teacher in NSTP inspired me and I would like to study more concepts about legal laws.
This is affect. I know that someday this is very useful, so that I would not be ignorant on my
own rights. This is cognition. Because time is limited, I would choose to study accounting
because this is my major subject. This is behavioral intention.

4. Do terminal or instrumental values have a larger influence on your behavior at work?

Explain.
5.
Yes because having a terminal values and instrumental values means I have a purpose in
life to achieve something great. This two values challenge my ability to persevere that then
influence my attitude in life.

6. Think of a person you know who seems to have positive affectivity. Think of another who
has more negative affectivity. How constant are they in their expressions of mood and
attitude?
 My classmate who has positive affinity is more stable and calm in terms of his mood. He
takes every day as an opportunity to learn and be happy. He can have the energy and time
to spend time with his friends. On the other hand, my friend is pessimistic, she does not
value her self-worth. Most of the time I cannot understand her mood and how she views
opportunities in life.

7. How does perception affect behavior? What stereotypes do you form about people? Are
they good or bad?
8.
Perception affects behavior because sometimes we stereotype and conduct selective
perception on interpreting information in our environment. I use bad stereotype for teasing
my friends and I use good stereotype to inspire and challenge someone as well as myself.

9. Recall a situation in which you made attributions and describe them using the framework
supplied in Figure 4.5

I made attributions at the end of semester after I passed the accounting proficiency test.
Based on the framework, my consistency is low because I got a grade only at the boarder
line of being passed. In terms of distinctiveness, sometimes I got high grade on quizzes
sometimes not. And, in terms of consensus, majority of us got a grade at or near the boarder
line.

10. Do you consider yourself a Type A or a Type B person? Why? Do you think a person who is
a Type A can change to become more like a Type B? If so, how?

I consider myself as Type B person because I experience stressors every day, especially the
demands in school and in home. I believe a type A person can become type B person if he
would take much responsibilities in life or he would take risks of going beyond his current
standings.

11. What are the major stressors of a student? What consequences are students most likely to
suffer as a result of too much stress?

The major stressors of a student are the demands in school, time management, relationship
problems, family problems and more. A student that suffers too much stress that he cannot
fight stressors anymore will lead to different behavioral, psychological and medical
consequences specifically depression.

12. Do you agree that certain degree of stress is necessary to induce high energy and
motivation?
 Yes I agree. Stress is part of our life, without stress we cannot challenge our lives for
improvements. Overcoming stress is a great feeling of being able to hurdle a difficult tasks.
This feeling gives us the motivation that we can do more in life and gives us the drive to
keep that feeing burning in ourselves.

Discussion Question on Chapter 5:

Motivating Behavior

1. When has your level of performance been directly affected by your motivation? By your
ability? By the environment?

Every exams, I motivate myself by remembering the people who always give me full support
and those who continuously instill into my mind the belief that I can hurdle effectively the exam.
My source of motivation is the environment particularly the society, friends and my family.

2. Identify examples from your own experience that support, and others that refute the Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs theory.

I experience being loved by my parents and I have friends that give me a sense of
belongingness in social life. I also have stable security and psychological needs that motivate
me to experience achievements and more interesting things in life. These conform to Maslow’s
theory. One thing that refutes his theory, is the spiritual needs, as not mention in the hierarchy.
Throughout my experiences in life, I always seek the guidance of the Higher being and thank
Him for a wonderful life He has given me.

3. Have you ever experienced inequity in a class or a job? How did it affect you?

Yes I experience inequality. In effect, I lose interest of doing my best in class because my efforts
are just wasted.

4. Which is likely to be a more serious problem- perceptions of being underrewarded or

perceptions of being overrewarded?

The more serious problem is being underrewarded because it sounds like unfair being under
rewarded for all the efforts that you made. Furthermore, being underewarded means, efforts are
disregarded and this demotivates a person to do his best again for the next task.
5. Do you think expectance theory is too complex for direct use in organizational settings? Why
or why not?

Yes it is complex because if employees do not see big rewards, then their motivation to work
would not go beyond their normal drive. Also the managers should also consider equality for
everyone and make sure that conflicts in workplace will not arise.
6. Do the relationships between performance and satisfaction suggested by Porter and Lawler
seem valid? Cite examples that both support and refute the model.

Yes it sounds valid. For Porter and Lawler, the higher reward, the higher performance and
satisfaction. Example if an accountant was offered a fulfilling reward to windowdress the
financial statements then, he would do that because he can find satisfaction on the reward. On
the other hand, if an accountant feels like windowdressing is unethical, then even he is offered a
great reward, he would not mind that because what he is seeking is the satisfaction in his
profession as trusted accountant.

7. Think of occasions on which you experienced each of the four types of reinforcement.

I experience positive reinforcement every time I satisfy my parents’ demands successfully. They
usually give me their change or they add my allowance for the week as a reward. I experience
negative reinforcement by declining my classmate’s invitation to a concert. Because of that, I
was able to review and focus studying accounting that night. I experience punishment, when I
was involved in cheating. And I experience extinction when I am compared to the skills of my
brothers.
8. Identify the five forms of reinforcement that you receive most often (i.e., wages, grades, etc.).
On what schedule do you receive each of them?

First is my allowance, I receive the money at the beginning of the week. Second, my scholarship
incentives, I receive the check every end of semesters and I should meet the maintaining grade.