Case Study 1:

Q1) What are some of the thing’s managers can learn by walking around and having daily
contact with line employees that they might not be able to learn from looking at data and
reports?

Ans) This process will enable the managers to understand the complexity of the jobs in their
organization and the skill requirement that are required to perform the tasks at the lowest levels. It
will provide them an insight about the core activities that are carried out in the organization. A
walk around the company might become a source of idea and innovation that might further
improve various processes.

Q2) As an employee, would you appreciate knowing your supervisor regularly spent time
with workers? How would knowing top executives routinely interact with line employees
affect your attitudes toward the organization?

Ans) As an employee I would definitely appreciate the act of my supervisor regularly spending
time with workers. This provides an opportunity to the employee at lower levels to interact with
the top management and will also help the employees to align the daily activities towards the
organizational goals.

Knowing that top executives routinely interact with line employees will have positive impact on
the attitude of the employees towards the organization. This interaction will be perceived as a
channel for mutually exchanging information and working towards the common organizational
goals.

Q3) What ways can executives and other organizational leaders learn about day-to-day
business operations besides going “undercover?”

Ans) The executives can hold regular meetings with each team representatives and have them
present the recent work. The executives can hold sessions which are open to employees like coffee
talk, executive interact, etc., which serves as an open platform to communicate and address each
other’s concerns. The executives can choose to randomly become part of team meetings without
prior intimation.
Q4) Are there any dangers in the use of a management by walking around strategy? Could
this strategy lead employees to feel they are being spied on? What actions on the part of
managers might minimize these concerns?

Ans) Yes, since not everyone is open to this idea of the management working around strategy,
there are some dangers coming along with it. Some employees might feel that the management
doesn’t have trust in them and therefore have resorted to this kind of spying.

To increase the effectiveness of this program and minimize such wrong notions, the team managers
and team leads should communicate to their teams the real essence of this program, the idea behind
this strategy and also highlight on how they get a chance to interact with executives from whom
they can gain insights into the organizational goals from the perspective of top level management.

Case Study 2:
Q1) Do you believe people are really getting smarter? Why or why not?

Ans) Yes, I believe that people are really getting smart. As compared to older generation, the
younger generations have wider access to education, technology and resources. The younger
generation is challenged with much more obstacles in their day to day lives which are enabling to
overcome each of these.

They have access to technology which serves as a rich source of information. They are exposed to
learning and activities at a very younger age itself.

Q2) Which of the factors explaining the Flynn effect do you accept?

Ans) I agree to the following factors explaining the Flynn effect:

a. Education: Students today are better and have access to education than their older
generations. Education obviously forms basis for higher test scores.
b. Smaller families: In smaller families, children are given utmost importance and the parent
are concentrating more on increasing the intelligence quotient of their children not only by
contemporary ways but are also resorting to activity based modern techniques of teachings.
c. Test-taking savvy: The tendency of the test taking has been inculcated in children right
from their childhood. Hence the fear of test taking is lost, and they are aware of the various
test patterns and also have knowledge on how to crack those tests.
Q3) If the Flynn effect is true, does this undermine the theory that IQ is mostly inherited?
Why or why not?
Ans) Yes, it undermines the theory that IQ is mostly inherited. Flynn effect proves that the increase
in IQ level is mostly associated with the circumstantial and training-based approach, which in my
opinion is also true. Although genes play part in determining the IQ level of an individual, Flynn
effect proves that same can be altered.

Case Study 3:
Q1) Do you think only certain individuals are attracted to these types of jobs, or is it the
characteristics of the jobs themselves that are satisfying?
Ans) Yes, in my opinion only certain individuals are attracted to these types of jobs. It is not
characteristic of the jobs themselves that are satisfying. Not all people are willingly to sacrifice
their family time to work. Also given the pressure that is required to handle at these types of jobs
not all people will be have the physical and mental stamina to sustain at these jobs.
Q2) What characteristics of these jobs might contribute to increased levels of job
satisfaction?
Ans) Being able to take decisions that affect the bottom line of the company, working towards
directly increasing the revenues, being looked upon by the junior staff, interactions with the
influential people around the world, executive pay packages and perks involved, being able to
provide employment are few characteristics of the job that might contribute to increased levels of
job satisfaction.
Q3) Given that the four individuals we just read about tend to be satisfied with their jobs,
how might this satisfaction relate to their job performance, citizenship behavior, and
turnover?
Ans) These four individuals are highly satisfied with their jobs and have been working on the same
job for longer durations. Their job performance is up to the mark otherwise they wouldn’t have
been asked to continue at such key positions without being able to perform. The citizenship
behavior of these individuals would be positively affected and they are likely to remain in their
jobs. Even the turnover would be less as they individuals have attained good understanding of their
work and have reached comfort zone at the organization.
 Q4) Recall David Clark’s statement that “There are plenty of people who would love to have
this job. They’re knocking on the door all the time.” How might Clark’s perceptions that he
has a job many others desire contribute to his job satisfaction?
Ans) This might have a positive influence on job satisfaction. If others perceive the job as positive,
the current resident, David Clark may also view it in the similar way.

Case Study 4:
Q1) What factors do you think make some organizations ineffective at managing emotions?
Ans) The factors which make the organization ineffective at managing emotions are:
 Ineffective leadership
 High stress
 Over ambitious work culture
 Weak HR strategy

Q2) Do you think the strategic use and display of emotions serve to protect employees, or
does covering your true emotions at work lead to more problems than it solves?

Ans) It is good to display true emotion at work and discuss or share the problem with the co-
workers or friends so that there is a chance of possibility to find a solution to the problem.

Similarly, the positive emotions should be shared regularly so that the other employees are
motivated.

The negative emotions should be shared cautiously considering many aspects:

 The expression of the emotion should not offend other employees.

 It should not be shared if the other employees are already in a low state. This would demotivate
them more.

Q3) Have you ever worked where emotions were used as part of a management style?
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this approach in your experience.

Ans) Advantages:

 Better administration
 Coercive attitude and behavior restructuring
 Strong adherence to rules and standards
 Brainstorming for decisions
 Problem sharing

Disadvantages:

 Not a long-term solution

 High stress
 Employees less motivated

Q4) Research shows that acts of co-workers (37 percent) and management (22 percent) cause
more negative emotions for employees than do acts of customers (7 percent). What can
Laura’s company do to change its emotional climate?

Ans) The emotional climate at the company can be changed by:

 Running happiness programs

 Training leaders in behavioral context
 Work-life balance OD interventions

Case Study 5:

Q1) Do you think there is a contradiction between what employers want in employees
(agreeable employees) and what employees actually do best (disagreeable employees)? Why
or why not?

Ans) Yes there is a contradiction in what employees want and what employees do best, employees
prefer employees who are agreeable but such individuals may not be good performers. However
they may be wanted because of their helping nature and inability to say no therefore obstructing
the work and also fostering team work.
Q2) Often, the effects of personality depend on the situation. Can you think of some job
situations in which agreeableness is an important virtue? And in which it is harmful?

Q3) In some research we’ve conducted, we’ve found that the negative effects of agreeableness
on earnings is stronger for men than for women (that is, being agreeable hurt men’s
earnings more than women’s). Why do you think this might be the case?

Case Study 6:
Q1) What are the specific advantages of using computerized decision making? How can
computers be better decision makers than humans?

Ans) The advantage of computerized decision making is that computers are more capable of
analyzing and compiling ample date and help in using them for spotting out the trends and patterns
which a human observer cannot see. Computers are machines and do not have any emotions and
cannot take any emotional decision as human beings may fall prey for emotions.

Q2) What are the weaknesses of using computers as decision tools? Are computers likely to
have any specific problems in making decisions that people wouldn’t have?

Ans) Computers cannot have the capacity of intrusion or to think in a creative way. It is not always
advisable to come to decision depending on previous history patterns and to take decision
depending on them. A computer only analyzes and compiles depending on the data feeded and
cannot take any step which is needed on its own. People can think or discus with others for reaching
a final conclusion.

Q3) Do you think computer decision making systems can effectively take ethical issues into
account? What is the role of human decision makers in creating ethical choices?

Ans) Computers cannot come to conclusion whether a program is of any sense but they simply
give a result automatically when the values are inputted. While the human decision makers can
see the opportunity relating to the data and can discuss with the group, question them and finally
a conclusion is achieved.
Q4) Are there advantages to completely disconnecting from the wired world when possible?
What can you do to try to retain your ability to focus and process information deeply?

Ans) In some cases, it’s good to take decision with the help of computers but not all the time
because it gives the answer according to the data already fed into it. Computers are very much
essential in daily lives because we can learn, teach and know about the world. But only computers
should not be taken into consideration for making any final decision.

Case Study 7:
Q1) How does the executive compensation issue relate to equity theory? Who do you think
should be the referent others in these equity judgments? What are the relevant inputs for
top executives?

Ans) Equity theory states that a person scrutinizes what he contributes to a job (inputs) and what
he gets from a job (outcomes) and relates that to a reference person, assessing the other person's
inputs and results. Based on equity theory, higher the compensation of executives in comparison
to their peer groups, the lesser is their turnover rate. The executives’ pay has a strong symbolic
value and serves as a primary scorecard for managerial success. The job performance of the
executives is quite vague and often difficult to assess; as a result, high compensation might be
related with an opinion of high ability and high performance. The executives compare themselves
with external equity, which comprises of peers in different organization in the same level and
position and internal equity, which comprises of equality of pay in different jobs within the same
organization.

Q2) Can you think of procedural justice implications related to the ways pay policies for top
executives have been instituted? Do these pay-making decisions follow the procedural justice
principles outlined in the chapter?

Ans) No, the procedural justice implications related to the ways pay policies for top executives
have not been instituted. The pay-making decisions do not follow the procedural justice outlined
in this chapter. The executive packages are determined by the board of each company and not all
companies disclose the executive packages. Also, some organizations provide stealth executive
pay which includes executive pensions, deferred compensation, perquisites, and severance
arrangements. The procedure to determine and executive pay is not in place and there is no
transparency in the policy.

Q3) Do you think the government has a legitimate role in controlling executive
compensation? How might we use distributive and procedural justice theories to inform this
debate?

Ans) No, in my opinion government does not have a legitimate role in controlling executive
compensation. The distributive justice is organizational setup is the fairness associated with
distribution of resources and outcomes decisions. However, the distribution of the resources in
terms of stock options is directly proportional to amount of pressure and work that an executive
need to handle. Intervention of the government will only act like a demotivation.

Q4) Are there any positive motivational consequences of tying compensation pay closely to
firm performance?

Ans) Yes, there are few positive motivational consequences of tying compensation pay closely to
firm performance. Organization-level incentives basing on the firm’ performance can motivate
employees to align their activities with that of the organization's goals. Organizational-level
incentives will encourage employees to contemplate more like stakeholders, taking a broad view
of what is required from their end in order to make the organization more effective. In case of
procedural justice, a transparent policy on executives’ compensation is not followed. While the
organization has policies laid down for compensating its employees, however such policies lack
in case of executive compensation. Government intervention wouldn’t be required; however, it
could instruct it in following certain guidelines throughout the organization.

Case Study 8:
Q1) One expert who has studied multitasking calls it “a big illusion,” arguing that
multitaskers think they are more motivated and productive even when they aren’t. Do you
consider yourself a multitasker? If so, does this case make you reconsider whether
multitasking makes you more motivated or productive?

Ans) No, both in profession and personal life, one should not be a multitasker. One should handle
only one job at a time, as doing multiple things at a time will be confusing and not even one task
will be accomplished in a proper way. Concentrating on only one thing at a time helps in producing
a good output. Also, it helps in gaining more understanding on the subject. Therefore, it is better
to handle single task at time. The case provided here only strengthens the viewpoint that doing one
work at a time.

Q2) The effects of multitasking have been found to be more negative when the tasks are
complex. Why do you think this is the case?

Ans) Complex tasks require greater concentration and dedication. Only if one pays undivided
attention towards task, it will get resolved in stipulated amount of time. Switching between tasks
will result in the solving the complex tasks, since the person is required to go back to the task and
refresh his understanding. Handling complex tasks in one go would reduce the time taken to
resolve and also produce quality output. There would be lot to pressure around delivering complex
projects which adds value to the team/ organization. Therefore, it would be wise to allow a person
to handle complex tasks one at a time rather than multitasking.

Q3) You might think multitasking makes you happy. While there is less research on this
topic, some evidence suggests multitaskers feel more stress in their work. Multitaskers “feel
a constant low-level panic.” Do you agree? Why or why not?

Ans) Yes, multitasking causes panic and stress. A person involved in multi-tasking would always
be under the pressure to deliver each day. A project delivery date would come on one day and
another deadline the next day. Being unable to deliver within the due date will build up panic in
these individuals. Hence, panic and stress levels are high in these individuals. There are more
chances of them being burnt-out due to the continuous pressure that they handle all the time.
Though the feeling of multi-tasking keeps them motivated, not being able to deliver and working
round the clock would lead to burn out.

Q4) One expert recommends we “recreate boundaries” by training ourselves, while doing
something, not to look at other devices like cell phone or television for increasing periods of
time. Do you think you could do that? For how long?

Ans) Yes, that is a good way to self-discipline one-self. Though unconsciously we keep looking
at cell phone and television, it is important to keep a check on this habit. It is very important to
concentrate on a particular task in hand and to complete it on time.
Case Study 9:
Q1) Think about a time when you’ve been in a group that had to make a collective decision
that didn’t turn out well. Can you identify any specific decision-making errors the team
made?

Ans) Team had to take decision on the list initiatives to be undertaken for that particular financial
year. The group constituted of all the members of the team and the team manager. Some of the
team members had come prepared with their ideas and views, while others walked into the meeting
as casually as any other meeting. After the discussion was initiated and few team members spoke
about their ideas, the manager started to speak about their ideas. Though some of us were
contradicting many of his ideas, they used to enforce his ideas for initiatives on rest of the team.
Having left with no choice, we had to agree to his ideas and stick to the plan though those ideas
were not motivating.

Q2) In the situation you encountered, can you think of any strategies that would have helped
make the group decision-making process more efficient and accurate?

Ans) Electronic group meeting and voting idea wherein each individual would get a chance to vote
would have been a better idea than the group discussion. Electronic group meeting would have
given everyone equal opportunity to project their ideas and also the better ideas would have got
better ranking. Also, since everyone would have been involved in voting, it would be a unanimous
decision and the team would be motivated to contribute their part to the successful implementation
and execution of the ideas.

Q3) an you think of a type of decision that is probably better made by an individual than a
group? What types of decisions need to be made by groups?

Ans) Individual decision making can be effective for a manager in certain cases or when the team's
input is not desired or, required. Certain decision like the hiring and taking up of new projects can
be handled by the manager himself and does not require the intervention of the group. Decisions
that are related to the team strategy, initiatives, activities, etc., would be required to be made by
groups.
Case Study 10:
Q1) What do you think of the elements of successful teamwork Hackman has identified? Do
you believe these elements are necessary for effective team performance?

Ans) Main elements that Hackman has identified for successful teamwork include:

a. Teams should be kept small and have consistent membership to minimize the types of
coordination tasks that take up valuable time.
b. Organizations set up project-based teams and then reconfigure them, without considering
the stages of group development that might have to occur before the team can achieve full
performance. Support needs to be in place, like group-based rewards and clearly defined
group responsibilities.
c. Successful teams also have assertive, courageous leaders who can invoke authority even
when the team resists direction.

Yes, the above-mentioned factors are necessary for effective team performance.

Q2) Can you think of other conditions necessary for teams to be effective?

Ans) Following are few other conditions that are necessary for teams to be effective:

a. Assigning clear roles and responsibilities: It is very important for every member of the
team to understand his roles and responsibilities within the team. This will enable them to
contribute their part towards achieving the common goal.
b. Assessment and training: Before assigning the project, the leader should be aware of each
member capabilities and their expected contribution to the team. In case he sees any gaps
in the skill requirements he should facilitate appropriate training to have his work force
ready for taking up the new challenge.
c. Team building activities: Apart from work, the management should conduct team bonding
activities which include cultural competitions, team building sport activities, team outings,
team lunch, etc.
Q3) Imagine you’ve been asked to assemble and lead a team of high-potential new hires to
work on the development of an international marketing campaign. What specific steps might
you take early in the team’s life to ensure that the new team is able to avoid some of the
problems Hackman identified? Is there any way to break down the overall group goal into
subtasks so individual accountability can be enhanced?

Ans) The team would be organized into smaller units and communicate the roles and
responsibilities of each team member and also that of the team. It should ascertain that there is no
scope for social loafing and provide clear expectations form each of them. The conduct and ethics
that were to be followed will be briefed to each member of each team. Also, follow-up should be
done on the progress of the work and hold regular team meetings. The team meeting would serve
as platform for individuals to express their achievements, concerns and updates on the project.