Lecture 1
Marshmallow
Marshmallow
T/F: According to a Rotman Survey of Major Employers, one of the most important skills now and into the future is self-confidence.
False
T/F: In Big 5, openness refers to liking being visible in groups and being talkative assertive.
False
T/F: Money, purpose, and personal growth are the three exemplar rewards of extrinsic motivation.
False (Purpose and personal growth are intrinsic motivation)
T/F: The average intelligence of a group is the best predictor of team performance, and this average intelligence is called the c-factor.
False. The c-factor is the unmeasurable “group” factor that is not related to the intelligence (average) of the group.
T/F: Artifacts are the invisible, deeply held beliefs of an organization, while espoused values are the visible signs of culture - like office design, logos, or dress code.
False.
You’ve got them reversed!
Artifacts are the visible and surface-level elements of culture.
Espoused values are the stated values and beliefs a company claims to follow — but they aren’t always practiced.
Organizational behavior is the field of behavioral science devoted to understanding, explaining, and ultimately _________________of individuals and groups in organizations.
Improving the attitudes and behaviors
Josh works in a restaurant on weekdays from 11am to 9pm. He and his co-workers are in charge of serving dishes, cleaning tables, introducing specials, and wiping glasses, depending on different circumstances everyday. Based on the Job Characteristics Model, Josh’s job has high ___ and low ___.
A. Job feedback; autonomy
B. Autonomy; task significance
C. Skill variety; autonomy
D. Skill variety; task identity
C
The 3 links of expectancy theory are __,__,__.
A. Expectancy, Instrumentality, Valence.
B. Goal-setting, instrumentality, valence,
C. Recognition, meaning, motivation
D. Task, autonomy, feedback
A. Expectancy, Instrumentality, Valence.
Conflict based on personalities are called ____ conflict while conflict based on the best way to accomplish a task is called ___ conflict, One type of conflict is considered beneficial for a project while the other one is detrimental.
Relationship Conflict
Task Conflict
Culture can be picked up through three key processes:
We learn just by watching others - this is called _________.
When we follow the group to fit in - that’s _________.
And when a value or behavior truly becomes part of who we are - it’s called _________.
Choose from: Conformity, Observation, and Internalization
1. Observation
2. Conformity
3. Internalization
We all remember our marshmallow challenge several classes ago, name one strategy that successful teams employ and why it works + why it is important.
ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS:
Clearly define roles and leverage expertise - focus on how to get the best result (work is based on roles and expertise) to get the best outcome as opposed to a labor-based approach focused on division of labor.
Set goals - goals should be specific, ambitious but attainable, and well-defined and shared by all. Teams that set goals that are understood by the entire team outperform others.
Communicate effectively - we tend to assume that others can “read” our minds (illusion of transparency). In reality, the only things others can really “know” about us is what we tell them ourselves and what they can observe from our behavior. This communication is crucial in team projects.
Have trust and psychological safety - believe that no one will be punished or humiliated for ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.
How does working as an accountant differ from working as a novel writer in terms of the Situation-Based Causes? Name 2 ways and explain.
1. The strength of the working situation. Strong situations for accountants to behave and complete work in specific ways. Weak situations for writers to behave in whatever ways they want to.
2. Role fit. Accounting doesn’t call for certain personality traits, but being creative and imaginative is very predictive of performance as a novel writer.
At a tech firm, the CEO introduces a new incentive/bonus system: employees get $100 for every customer complaint solved within 24 hours.
First, their productivity rises, but soon, they start rushing tasks with less attention, closing cases without ensuring quality compared to the bonus system implementation. Few employees, even those who enjoyed their jobs now feel pressured and less motivated.
Which theory or concept is demonstrated in this scenario and how does it apply to this situation?
Self-determination theory.
Employees with their intrinsic motivations before are now less engaged due to the introduction of the extrinsic value, the $100 per case solved. These reduced intrinsic values may cause lower quality and weaker engagement from the employees.
In a work project, associates are assigned to work in groups to design a new marketing campaign. The project will be collectively evaluated and applied to every member since each member is expected to contribute equally.
At the start, everyone tries to participate enthusiastically, however, some members feel like their opinions are not valued in the discussions, and some proposals are constantly rejected by the more opinionated members. Eventually, group members became demotivated and put in less effort over time.
What is this concept called where employees are demotivated as they feel less accountable for group outcomes, and what are two ways a group can resolve this?
The concept is called social loafing, a type of motivational loss. The two possible solutions (out of 4) to combat this is:
Avoid rushing to judgement
Ask why the person is not contributing
Work as a team to improve the quality of work
Make individual contributions visible, change the incentive structure if necessary (or create a new one)
You’re designing a sign to encourage employees to recycle their coffee cups. Which message is most likely to change behavior, using both descriptive norms and a subtle nudge that makes people feel watched and included?
A) Please recycle. It’s good for the environment.
B) Most employees in this building recycle their cups.
C) 75% of people who used this exact breakroom recycled their cups — join them!
D) Remember to recycle. Every little action counts.
C) 75% of people who used this exact breakroom recycled their cups - join them!