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Essay Type Coursework
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10% of Your Mark
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Individual Coursework
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Chapters 07, 08, 09, 10 and 11
25 Essay Questions
Each question is worth 0.4% (10% ÷ 25 questions = 0.4%)
Chrysanthos Neophytides
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Chapter 07 & 08
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Motivation Concepts and Applications
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Answer All 10 Questions
1. How does achievement-motivated and affiliation-motivation influence behavior? Achievement-motivated is the drive to excel, to achieve in relation to a set of standards, to strive to succeed. The achievement-motivated people like to set goals that require stretching themselves a little. They dislike low odds because then there is no challenge to their skills. Affiliation-motivation is the desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships. The needs for affiliation tend to be closely related to managerial success.

2. What are the important differences between Maslow, Herberg & Alderfers models?
According to Maslow there are 5 levels of need and all these needs are arranged in a hierarchy. Individuals cannot move to the next higher level until all needs at the current (lower) level are satisfied. Aldefer argued that there are three groups of core needs. Existence, relatedness, and growth. Unlike Maslow, Aldefer indicates three need levels did not assume that that these needs existed in rigid hierarchy. An individual could be focusing on all three need categories simultaneously. Herberg argued that factors that lead to satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to dissatisfaction. 3. What is the major difficulty with content models of motivation?
Research does not validate the models of motivation. Models of motivation provided no empirical substantiation, and several studies that sought to validate the models found no support for it.
4. Explain the law of effect, on which OB Mod is heavily based.
The law of effect is simple but powerful: behavior that results in a pleasant outcome is likely to be repeated while behavior that results in an unpleasant outcome is not likely to be repeated. The implication of this law are rather straightforward. If, as a supervisor, you want more of a behavior, you must make the consequences for the individual positive

5. Identify at least five of the “do and don’t” tips for building employee self-efficacy.
1. Plenty of practice so mastery (as defined by the training objectives) is reached.

2. Break learning into series of obtainable endpoints to helpself-confirmation of skills.

3. Provide feedback on progress (not shortfalls) and contributions

4. Carefully select models used in the training to have similar characteristics as the trainees.

5. Set up training so that trainees perceive performance is due to the capability of the model and not other factors.

6. What is the difference between the implications of need-based models of motivation and the idea of valence in the expectancy model?
The model is based on the belief that the individual’s motivation is dependent upon expectations that increased effort to achieve an improved level of performance will be successful, an expectations that improved performance will be instrumental in obtaining positive rewards and avoiding negative outcomes. This is the ‘expectancy’ theory of motivation

7. Employees who feel over-rewarded will feel an imbalance in their relationship with their employer. What kinds of actions might they take to restore balance? Given payment by time, over-rewarded employees will produce more than will equitably paid employees. Hourly and salaried employees will generate high quantity or quality of production in order to increase the input side of the ratio and bring about equity. Given payment by quantity of production, over rewarded employees will produce fewer, but higher quality, units than will equitably paid employees. Individuals paid on a piece-rate basis will increase their effort to achieve equity, which can result in greater quality or quantity. However, increases in quantity will only increase inequity because every unit produced results in further overpayment. Therefore, effort is directed toward increasing quality rather than increasing quantity.
8. What kinds of actions might under-rewarded employees undertake to reduce their feelings of inequity?
Given payment by time, under-rewarded employees will produce less or poorer quality of output. Effort will be decreased, which will bring lower productivity or poorer quality output than equitably paid subjects. Given payment by quantity of production, under-rewarded employees will produce a large number of low quality units in comparison with equitably paid employees. Employees on piece-rate pay plans can bring about equity because trading of quality of output for quantity will result in an increase in rewards, with little or no increase in contributions.

9. What are intrinsic and extrinsic motivators? Provide an example of each.
Intrinsic factors, such as achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement, and growth, seem to be related to job-satisfaction. When those questioned felt good about their work, they tended to attribute these characteristics to themselves, On the other hand, when they were dissatisfied, they tended to cite extrinsic factors, such as company policy and administration, supervision, interpersonal relations, and working conditions.

10. What is shaping and what is most useful for?
If the desired behavior is specific in nature and is difficult to achieve, a pattern of positive reinforcement, called shaping, can be used. Shaping is the creation of a new behavior by the positive reinforcement of successive approximations leading to the desired behavior.

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Chapter 09 & 10
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Managing Work Teams and Groups
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Answer All 10 Questions

1. What is a key difference between formal groups and informal groups?
Besides the formally designated groups and teams, as indicated, informal groups in the workplace also play a significant role in the dynamics of organizational behavior. The major difference between formal and informal groups is that the formal group has officially prescribed goals and relationships, whereas the informal one does not. Despite this distinction, it is a mistake to think of formal and informal groups as two distinctly separate entities. The two types of groups coexist and are inseparable. Every formal organization has informal groups, and every informal organization eventually evolves some semblance of formal groups.

2. How is power assigned in an informal organization?
1. The boundary spanner who acts as a facilitator and bridge between units or groups which would not otherwise interact.

2. The buffer who protects and filters negative or disappointing news or information that might cause group members to be upset and cause morale to suffer.

3. The lobbyist who promotes and tells others how successful and important the group is to outsiders.

4. The negotiator who is empowered by the group to act on its behalf to get resources and make deals.

5. The spokesperson who is the voice of the group.

3. How is an informal leader selected?
The informal leader may be chosen as the person who reflects the attitudes and values of the members, helps to resolve conflict, leads the group in satisfying its goals, or liaises with management or other people outside the group. The informal leader may often change according to the particular situation facing the group. Although not usually the case, it is possible for the informal leader to be the same person as the formal leader appointed officially by management.

4. Identify five problems that are associated with the informal organization.
The dysfunctional aspects of informal organization have received more attention than the functional ones. For example, conflicting objectives, restriction of output, conformity, blocking of ambition, and resistance to change are frequently mentioned dysfunctions of the informal organization.

5. What group sizes tends to affect the way a group works?
A good size for problem-solving groups is between five and seven members. A group with fewer than five may be too small to adequately share responsibilities. With more than seven, individuals may find it harder to participate and offer ideas. Larger groups are also more prone to possible domination by aggressive members and have tendencies to split into coalitions or subgroups. Groups with an odd number of members find it easier to use majority voting rules to resolve disagreements. When speed is required, this form of conflict management is useful, and odd-numbered groups may be preferred. But when careful deliberations are required and the emphasis is more on consensus, such as in jury duty or very complex problem solving, even-numbered groups may be more effective unless an irreconcilable deadlock occurs.

6. Explain the difference between delegation and division of work.
Delegation-The process of entrusting authority and responsibility to others throughout the various levels of the organisation, and the creation of a special manager–subordinate relationship.

Division of work- The object is to produce more and better work from the same effort, and the advantages of specialisation. However, there are limits to division of work which experience and a sense of proportion tell us should not be exceeded.

7. Teams are more likely to be used within a modern, organic form of organization. Why?
Because in a modern, organic form of organization people should be equally leveled, with no job descriptions or classifications, and communication to have a hub-network-like form. It thrives on the power of personalities, lack of rigid procedures and communication and can react quickly and easily to changes in the environment thus it is said to be the most adaptive form of organization. An organic organization is a fluid and flexible network of multi-talented individuals who perform a variety of tasks. Organic Organizations Leads to Teamwork An organic organization is when the organization exist dependently, meaning that the organization takes into consideration the needs of their employees. Since in an organic organization the ideas and opinions of the employees are taken into consideration, this leads to group leadership and teamwork. Group leadership, is better than individual leadership because there are several people controlling the environment, instead of one person telling everyone what is expected. Since organic organizations takes into consideration the ideas of the employees this opens the doors to create teamwork among employees.

8. What are three key differences between groups and teams?
1. The work group has a strong, clearly focused leader; the team has shared leadership roles.

2. The work group has individual accountability; the team has individual and mutual accountability.

3. The work group measures effectiveness indirectly (for example, financial performance of the overall business); the team measures performance directly by assessing collective work-products.

9. What are two potential team problems?
The two potential team problems is social loafing and social facilitation.

Social loafing occurs when people work less hard in groups than they would individually.

Social facilitation is the tendency for one’s behavior to be influenced by the presence of others in a group.

10. Explain in detail how teams can learn to manage their internal turnover.
The effectiveness of teams may be measured based on the extent to which the team achieves its objectives and performs on behalf of the overall organization. Previous research has, at times, failed to note the ways in which teams are embedded in overall organizations. Consequently, studies of team effectiveness may not have revealed a complete picture of the nature of team success. For teams to be more effective, they must overcome some of the problems and dysfunctions that groups in general encounter (see this summary above). Long-standing models of team effectiveness include creating the right environment where support, commitment, goals, reward systems, communication systems, and physical space are all in sync to allow the team to work in a productive atmosphere.89 Tasks should be designed to be interdependent, team size should be kept as small as possible, and members should be selected based on both being motivated and competent. Further, team cohesion should be built by either establishing homogenous groups or overcoming potential problems associated with diversity, by encouraging interaction and contact, and by making the group seem somewhat “exclusive,” so that the members are happy to be included.90 Also, team success naturally tends to build greater cohesion, as does the presence of external competition and challenges. In particular, there is now enough research evidence and practical experience to indicate the following ways to enhance team effectiveness: (1) team building, (2) collaboration, (3) leadership, and (4) understanding of cultural issues in global situations.

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Chapter 11
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Managing Communication
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Answer All 5 Questions

1. Identify at least three factors that affect the acceptance of a message.
Message acceptance is affected by the work environment, by the nature of the task, and by technology. For example, difficulties in communication can arise with production systems where workers are stationed continuously at a particular point with limited freedom of movement. Even when opportunities exist for interaction with colleagues, physical conditions may limit effective communication. For example, the technological layout and high level of noise with some assembly line work can limit contact between workers. Restrictions on opportunities for social interaction can hamper internal group unity.

2. What is the difference between encoding and decode a message in the communication process?
The source encodes an intended meaning into a message, and the receiver decodes the message into a perceived meaning.

3. Because people do not feel comfortable with cognitive dissonance, they try to remove or reduce it. What actions might they take to do so?
(1) Changing the underlying attitude (2) Changing future behavior

(3) Developing new ways of explaining or rationalizing the inconsistency.

4. Identify at least four conditions that can encourage acceptance of a communication.
1. Task coordination. The department heads may meet monthly to discuss how each department is contributing to the system’s goals.

2. Problem solving. The members of a department may assemble to discuss how they will handle a threatened budget cut; they may employ brainstorming techniques.

3. Information sharing. The members of one department may meet with the members of another department to give them some new data.

4. Conflict resolution. The members of one department may meet to discuss a conflict inherent in the department or between departments

5. What is the difference between open questions and closed questions? Give an example of each.
A closed question is one that has been answered fully and definitively. This is where the question has obvious limits and an evidential solution. Did I wake up this morning - yes otherwise I would not be typing.

An open question is a question for which no simple answer is available. "Is there a god?", for example, has no answer becasue there are many versions of "god", and there is little definitive evidence for such a thing. All open questions are contentious as many would insist that "god" exists, whereas other would say that "god" is such a confused term that its existence is a logical impossibility.