ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
1, Your boss called you on the telephone to tell you that someone has requested an order for
your department's product with a very short delivery date. She asked that you call her
back with the decision about taking the order in 15 minutes. Looking over the work
schedule, you realize that it will be very difficult to deliver the order on time. Your
employees will have to push hard to make it. They are cooperative, capable, and enjoy
being involved in decision making. Which leadership style should be used to make
decision? Provide your explanation.
Participative Leadership
Staff in this situation are described as "Capable," that means they are capable to do the job. They
possess the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to meet the requirements of the order.
When the staff is competent, the application of leadership style has the participation that allows
them to maximize their abilities, contribute ideas and offer effective solutions, instead of just
following the instructions from the superior level.
However, this is an emergency situation, only 15 minutes to complete the employee's readiness
may be difficult, but with 15 minutes, it is still enough to have a brief discussion with the
staff. In this situation, the participation of employees in the decision -making process not only
helps to offer the best solution but also creates motivation and consensus for them to overcome
the challenge.
2. Describe an organizational culture of a company that you know. Propose
means/practices the company can do to encourage and strengthen risk-taking and
teamwork culture.
For Vin Group, a strong and diverse corporation, some outstanding features can be found in the
organization culture. Firstly, there may be emphasis on results and innovation. Vin Group is
known for its dynamism and continuous expansion to many different fields, showing a culture
that can attach importance to achieving goals and constantly looking for new things. Second,
teamwork and cohesion may be an important factor. With the scale and complexity of projects,
the effective cooperation among members is essential. Finally, the professionalism and discipline
can be promoted to ensure the smooth operation of a large organization.
In order to promote the risk of accepting risks, Vin Group needs to focus on building
"Psychological Safety", allowing employees to test without fear of penalties. The reward system
should be designed to recognize the efforts to accept risks, not only the final result. The role of
role modelling and spreading these values is key.
Regarding teamwork, work design needs to facilitate the "collaboration" and interdependent.
Training in teamwork and communication skills is necessary to improve coordination efficiency.
Finally, the reward system should prioritize "Team-based Rewards", instead of focusing on
individuals, to strengthen the desired cultural values.
3. Describe an organizational culture of a company that you know. Propose
means/practices the company can do to encourage and strengthen innovative and
teamwork culture.
For Vin Group, a strong and diverse corporation, some outstanding features can be found in the
organization culture. Firstly, there may be emphasis on results and innovation. Vin Group is
known for its dynamism and continuous expansion to many different fields, showing a culture
that can attach importance to achieving goals and constantly looking for new things. Second,
teamwork and cohesion may be an important factor. With the scale and complexity of projects,
the effective cooperation among members is essential. Finally, the professionalism and discipline
can be promoted to ensure the smooth operation of a large organization.
In order to encourage innovation culture, the organization needs to create an environment where
creativity is respected and rewarded. Companies often have the culture of "Open,
Unconventional, Collaborative, Vision-Driven, and Accelerating". To achieve this, the
organization can establish mechanisms to collect ideas from employees, provide resources and
support testing, and recognize creative contributions. It is important to create a safe space, where
employees feel comfortable to propose new ideas, even if they seem different or risky.
Group working culture can be strengthened by building an "Organization Climate", in which
team spirit and cooperation are prioritized. "Team Spirit" is an important element of the
atmosphere of the organization. To promote this, the organization can design work in groups,
create opportunities for employees to work together and share knowledge, and establish
rewarding systems to recognize the achievements of the group. In addition, the clear
communication of the values of cooperation and mutual support can also help strengthen
teamwork.
4. You have been assigned to a class project with five other students, none of whom you
have met before. What actions would you recommend to build an effective teamwork in
this situation?
Group work is always an important skill, but when starting a project with the classmates we have
never met, it sets a special challenge. However, this is also an opportunity to learn, develop
communication skills and build new relationships. In order to turn the challenge into an
opportunity, we need to be proactive and have appropriate approach, especially in the initial
group formation period. Team-Effectiveness model provides a useful tutorial, helping us to focus
on key factors to build a solid foundation for cooperation.
The "context" factor plays an important role in creating a favorable environment for the
development of the group. In the situation where members are not familiar, this becomes more
and more important. First, we need to set a clear initial structure and goal. A first meeting,
whether online or directly, is necessary for the whole group to determine the project goals, divide
large tasks into smaller and unified parts of communication tools. During this period, having a
temporary person who plays a coordinated role can help orient and ensure that everyone has the
opportunity to participate. Equally important is the construction of initial trust. Because there is
no previous relationship, we need to create opportunities for the members to share ourselves at a
suitable level, showing the openness and respect for the opinions of others. The establishment of
basic working rules from the beginning is also very important, including response time, how to
give feedback, how to resolve conflicts and personal responsibility. Finally, the group should
have regular reviews in the early stages to monitor the progress, effectiveness of communication
and adjust when necessary.
The "composition" factor focuses on learning and taking advantage of the strengths of each
member. When working with people who are not familiar, it is important to actively explore each
other's ability and personality. This can be done through initial small group exercises, discussing
interests and personal experiences, or using personality assessment tools (if possible). The
assignment of the role in the early stages can be flexible, allowing testing to find the best
combination and make sure everyone has the opportunity to contribute. The variety of
experience, skills and views may be a great advantage, but it should be cleverly managed to
avoid unnecessary conflicts. At the same time, the group needs to quickly stabilize the scale to
create stability and easily build relationships.
The "process" factor focuses on how the group really works together. The development of
common goals and specific group goals is the first important step. The general objective of the
project provides directions, while smaller group goals, measurement, help monitor the progress
and motivate. Because there is no experience working together, the group needs to create initial
small successes to build the group effectively - belief in their ability to succeed. The
development of a common thinking model, that is, the general understanding of how to perform
the job, is also very important. Conflict management is an indispensable part of teamwork.
Conflict is constructive, focusing on tasks, which can help improve results, but personal conflicts
need to be resolved effectively. Finally, the group needs to minimize social dependence by
ensuring personal responsibility through clear assignment, update progress and fair assessment.
5. Flextime has become popular in your organization. Some departments let each employee
start and end work whenever they choose. However, because of the cooperative effort of
your employees, they must all work the same eight hours. You are not sure of the level of
interest in changing the hours. Your employees are very capable groups and like to make
decisions. Which leadership style should be used to make decisions in this situation?
The organization staff is described as "Very Capable Groups" and "Like to make decisions". This
shows that they are people who have good working ability, have strong knowledge and skills,
and at the same time have the need for autonomy and desire to participate in the decision making process related to their work. In addition, their work requires close coordination,
expressed through the requirements of "Cooperative Effort" and "must all work the same Eight
Hours". This emphasizes the importance of team spirit and effective teamwork to achieve
common goals
The application of the participating leadership style not only meets the needs of autonomy and
desire to contribute to employees, thereby promoting satisfaction and cohesion at work, but also
taking advantage of the diverse knowledge and experience of members of the group, helping to
make more wise and more effective decisions. At the same time, this style also facilitates the
trust and cooperation between members, which is very important in the working environment
that requires close coordination.
6. What are the three primary determinants of environmental complexity? How does the
environment influence organizational design?
The three primary determinants of environmental complexity are: The number of factors, the
interdependence of factors and the variation rate of factors. The environment will be more
complicated as a result of the greater number of variables, their increased interdependence
and connectivity, and their greater uncertainty and unpredictability.
The environment influences organizational design in three ways: uncertainty, differentiation
and integration, and centralization and decentralization. That being said, an organization
experiences greater uncertainty in complicated environments; it requires greater difference
in complex environments; and it requires greater decentralization in complex environments.
They establish the structure's adaptability and flexibility, the division and coordination of its
components, and the allocation of decision-making authority.
In brief, the environment has a significant impact on how an organization is designed. An
organization has greater chances and difficulties in a more complicated environment, which
calls for a more organic, horizontal, and decentralized structure. An organization operating in
a simpler environment has to be more mechanistic, vertical, and centralized in order to
reduce uncertainty and variety.
7. What are the three components of attitudes? Does behavior always follow attitudes? Give
a detailed explanation of your answer and defend it in a 1000 words essay.
Attitude is the evaluation statement, may be favorable or disadvantaged, about objects, people or
events. Put simply, the attitude reflects how we feel something.
Attitude consists of three main components: cognition (cognition), affection and behavior
(Behavior).
cognition is a component related to a person's beliefs, opinions and knowledge about an object or
situation. This is a rational -based evaluation process. For example, a person may believe that
promotion will give them higher income and career development opportunities.
affection are components related to a person's emotions and emotions for an object or situation.
This is an emotional reaction. For example, that person may feel happy and excited about being
promoted.
Behavior is a component related to a person's intention and action trend to an object or situation.
For example, that person can actively seek promotion opportunities and show the willingness to
take responsibility.
These three components have a close relationship with each other and form a person's overall
attitude.
The relationship between attitude and behavior
The relationship between attitude and behavior is a complex topic. From a traditional point of
view, the attitude is thought to be a decisive factor in behavior, that is, what we believe and feel
will affect the way we act. However, research has shown that this relationship is not always so
simple.
One of the important theories explains the complexity of the relationship between the attitude
and the behavior is the cognitive discord theory of the Festinger. Cognitive discord is any
compatible that an individual can notice between their two or more attitudes, or between their
attitudes and behaviors. When discord occurs, people will be motivated to reduce this
discomfort by changing attitudes, behaviors, or seeking to rationalize conflicts.
For example, a person may have a negative attitude towards smoking because he knows that it is
harmful to health. However, if the person still smokes, they will experience awareness. To reduce
this discord, they can change their attitudes (for example: to think that the harmful effects of
tobacco are not too serious), change their behavior (quit smoking), or rationalized (for example:
"Smoking helps me reduce stress").
Cognitive dissonance theory shows that in some cases, behaviors may lead to changes in
attitudes. In other words, sometimes we act in a way, and then adjust our attitude to suit that
behavior.
In addition, there are many other factors affecting the relationship between attitudes and
behaviors, including:
The power of attitude: The stronger the attitude, the more likely it can affect behavior.
The specific attitude: the more specific attitude, the more likely to predict behavior.
Social pressure: Sometimes, we act in a way that does not fit our attitude to comply with social
standards or avoid criticism.
Direct experience: The attitude formed from direct experience often affects stronger behavior
formed from indirect experience.
8. What is personality? How do the concepts of core self-evaluation (CSE), self-monitoring,
and proactive personality help us to understand personality?
Personality is a dynamic concept, describing the growth and development of the entire
psychological system of a person. It includes the overall way an individual reacts and interacts
with others. Personality also includes stable characteristics, explaining why a person behaves in
a specific way.
Core Self-Evaluation (CSE): These are the basic conclusions that individuals have their own
ability, capacity and value. CSE helps us understand the personality by showing how a person
who perceives and assesses himself can affect their behavior, attitudes and performance.
People with high CSE see themselves as competent and in control of their environment, which
predicts job satisfaction, performance, motivation, and resilience. Understanding CSE helps us
grasp how internal views of the self influence outward behaviors.
Self-Monitoring: This is an individual's ability to adjust its behavior according to external
situations. Self-Monitoring helps us understand the personality by showing the level of
flexibility and adaptability of a person in different social situations and working.
This trait explains how people manage impressions and navigate social contexts. For example,
high self-monitors may perform well in roles requiring social adaptability (e.g., sales,
leadership), while low self-monitors might be more authentic and consistent in their values.
Proactive Personality: These are people who have the ability to determine opportunities, take
initiative, act and persevere until there is a meaningful change. Proactive Personality helps us
understand the personality by showing the trend of a person in seeking challenges, responsible
and creating a positive impact on the surrounding environment.
Proactive individuals tend to drive change, innovate, and improve their environments. They are
more likely to seek feedback, pursue career goals actively, and adapt well to change. This
concept captures the motivational and goal-oriented aspects of personality.
9. What are the three types of conflict? Should we encourage conflicts? Why or Why not?
Some studies warn that conflicts can harm the group's performance by breaking cooperation and
causing power struggles. In contrast, other studies suggest that conflict may be built if it occurs
in a psychological safe environment where members can express their opinions openly. In such
cases, conflicts may promote group performance. Therefore, whether or not to encourage
conflicts depends on whether the group has established a psychological safe environment.
Psychological safety environment is a key factor for conflicts that can benefit. When the
members feel safe, they:
Ready to express ideas: they are not afraid of being criticized, mocked or punished for their
thoughts.
Take risks: they are willing to test new ideas and accept the possibility of failure.
Learning words from mistakes: they consider the mistake to be an opportunity to learn and
improve, instead of being a reason to blame.
There are different ways to classify the types of conflict, but one common way is to distinguish
between interpersonal, intrapersonal, and intergroup conflict.
Interpersonal conflict is a conflict between two or more individuals who have different
opinions, goals, values, or needs. It can arise from miscommunication, personality clashes,
power struggles, or competing interests. For example, two coworkers may disagree on how to
complete a project, or a married couple may argue over how to spend their money.
Intrapersonal conflict is a conflict within oneself that involves a struggle between opposing
thoughts, feelings, beliefs, or desires. It can arise from stress, anxiety, guilt, self-doubt, or
moral dilemmas. For example, a person may feel conflicted about whether to pursue a
career or a family, or a person may experience cognitive dissonance when their actions
contradict their values.
Intergroup conflict is a conflict between two or more groups of people who have different
identities, interests, or goals. It can arise from competition, prejudice, discrimination, or
stereotypes. For example, two political parties may clash over their policies, or two ethnic
groups may fight over their rights.
Whether we should encourage conflicts or not depends on the nature and outcome of the
conflicts. Some conflicts can be constructive, meaning that they can lead to positive changes,
such as innovation, creativity, problem-solving, learning, or growth. Other conflicts can be
destructive, meaning that they can lead to negative consequences, such as violence, hostility,
resentment, or loss. Therefore, we should encourage constructive conflicts and discourage
destructive conflicts.
To encourage constructive conflicts, we can use various strategies, such as:

Establishing a respectful and trusting environment where people can express their
opinions and perspectives without fear of judgment or retaliation.

Promoting a culture of collaboration and cooperation where people can work together to
achieve common goals and mutual benefits.

Seeking to understand the underlying causes and interests of the conflicts and findi ways
to address them effectively and fairly.

Encouraging open and honest communication where people can listen actively,
empathize, and give constructive feedback to each other.

Fostering diversity and inclusion where people can appreciate and value the differences
and similarities among themselves and others.

Applying appropriate conflict management styles and techniques depending on the
situation and the parties involved. For example, using accommodating, avoiding,
compromising, competing, or collaborating styles1.
To discourage destructive conflicts, we can use various strategies, such as:

Avoiding or minimizing the triggers and sources of the conflicts, such as scarce
resources, incompatible goals, or unclear roles and expectations.

Reducing or eliminating the barriers and biases that hinder the resolution of the conflicts,
such as power imbalances, poor communication, or negative emotions.

Intervening or mediating the conflicts when they escalate or become unmanageable, such
as by providing neutral and impartial guidance, support, or arbitration.

Restoring or repairing the relationships that have been damaged by the conflicts, such as
by apologizing, forgiving, or reconciling.
10. How do individual differences influence negotiations? What are the five steps in the
negotiation process?
Individual differences are any characteristics that can vary from one person to another, such as
personality, mood, culture, gender, etc. These differences can influence how people approach,
conduct, and perceive negotiations. For example, some personality traits, such as extroversion,
openness, and positive mood, can enhance one’s ability to create value and reach win-win
agreements, while others, such as high self-esteem, can lead to premature closure and lower
satisfaction12. Similarly, cultural differences can affect how people communicate, build trust,
and handle conflicts in negotiations3.
The negotiation process is a series of steps that parties take to reach a mutually beneficial
outcome. There are different models of the negotiation process, but one common one
consists of five stages456:

Preparation and planning: This stage involves gathering information about the situation,
the parties, their interests, and their alternatives. It also involves developing one’s best
alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA), which is the most favorable option one
can pursue if the negotiation fails.

Definition of ground rules: This stage involves setting the agenda, the time frame, the
location, and the participants of the negotiation. It also involves establishing the norms
and expectations for the negotiation, such as the level of formality, the communication
style, and the decision-making criteria.

Clarification and justification: This stage involves exchanging information, clarifying
issues, and justifying positions. It also involves identifying the common and conflicting
interests, the sources of power, and the areas of agreement and disagreement among the
parties.

Bargaining and problem-solving: This stage involves making offers and counteroffers,
exploring options, and finding solutions that satisfy the interests of all parties. It also
involves using various tactics and strategies, such as persuasion, concession,
compromise, and collaboration, to reach a mutually acceptable outcome.

Closure and implementation: This stage involves finalizing the agreement, resolving any
remaining issues, and formalizing the deal. It also involves ensuring the commitment,
compliance, and follow-up of the parties to the agreement.
8. resistance to change clouds the link between the change and the reaction to it and
may surface weeks, months, or even years later.
a. overt
b. immediate
c. active
d. explicit
e. deferred
10. Which of the following resistances to change is overt and immediate?
a. loss of loyalty
d. increased error
c. loss of motivation
b. increased absenteeism
e. complaint
13. Using covert influence to overcome resistance to change is
c. education
d. coercion
b. conciliation
a. negotiation
17. Conflict between two people is called---conflict
b. bilateral
a. intragroup
d. dyadic
e. dual
c. intergroup
18. Legitimate power is directly based on
a. charisma of the leader
b. interpersonal trust and commitment of the manager
c. structural position of the manager in the organization
d. personality traits of the manager
e. ability of the manager to serve his subordinates