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Organizational
Behavior
A Practical, Problem-Solving Approach
3e
CHAPTER 1
Making OB Work for Me
Angelo Kinicki
© 2021 McGraw Hill. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom.
No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill.
After reading this chapter you
should be able to:
1.1 Describe the value of OB to your job and career.
1.2 Identify factors that influence unethical conduct and how
it affects performance.
1.3 Utilize OB to solve problems and in crease your
effectiveness.
1.4 Explain the practical relevance and power of OB to help
solve problems.
1.5 Organize OB knowledge and tools using the Organizing
Framework for Understanding and Applying OB.
1.6 Apply the Organizing Framework to the 3-step ProblemSolving Approach.
1.7
Describe the implications of OB Knowledge and tools
for you and managers.
© McGraw Hill
What Is OB?
Organizational behavior is an academic discipline focused on
understanding and managing people at work.
OB attempts to overcome the pitfalls of relying on common
sense by:
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Relying on a systematic science-based approach.
Based on a contingency perspective as:
•
No one best way to manage people, teams, or organizations.
•
The best or most effective course of action instead depends on the
situation.
© McGraw Hill
The Three Levels in OB
In OB, we are concerned with three levels at work.
1.
Individual.
2.
Group/Team.
3.
Organization.
© McGraw Hill
The Value of OB to My Job and Career
1
Soft skills relate to human interactions and include
both interpersonal skills and personal attributes
and are among the most valued skill by employers.
Interpersonal Skills:
Personal Attributes:
Attitude.
•
Active listening.
•
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Positive attitudes.
Personality.
•
Teamwork.
•
•
Leadership.
Effective
communication.
•
© McGraw Hill
The Value of OB to My Job and Career
What criteria determine
which employee is
promoted?
What criteria determine
which applicant is hired?
•
2
Technical skills.
• Nuts and bolts of doing a job.
•
Ability to manage people.
• Ability to get the job done.
•
Strong team skills.
• Based on job or function
specific knowledge.
•
Ability to build and
manage relationships.
© McGraw Hill
Test Your OB Knowledge
1
The contingency approach to OB calls for all of the
following EXCEPT:
A.
relying on one best way to manage
situations.
B.
using OB concepts and tools as situationally
appropriate.
C.
using a pragmatic approach.
D.
not relying on simple common sense.
E.
being systematic and scientific.
© McGraw Hill
Ethics and My Performance
The Importance of Ethics:
•
Employees are confronted with ethical challenges
throughout their careers.
•
Unethical behavior can damage relationships, making it
difficult to conduct business.
•
Unethical behavior reduces cooperation, loyalty, and
performance.
•
The legal system cannot always be relied upon to assure
work conduct that is ethical.
© McGraw Hill
Ethical Dilemmas...No Perfect Solution
Ethical dilemmas are situations with two choices,
neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically
acceptable and no clear ethical resolution arises.
•
Not always a pure choice between right and wrong.
•
Places people in an uncomfortable position.
© McGraw Hill
Causes of Unethical Behavior
CAUSE
DESCRIPTION
EXAMPLE
REMEDY
ILL-CONCEIVED GOALS
We set goals and
incentives to promote a
desired behavior, but they
encourage a negative
one.
The pressure to maximize
billable hours in
accounting, consulting,
and law firms leads to
unconscious padding.
Brainstorm unintended
consequences when
devising goals and
incentives. Consider
alternative goals that may
be more important to
reward.
MOTIVATED BLINDNESS
We overlook the unethical
behavior of another when
it’s in our interest to
remain ignorant.
Baseball officials failed to
notice they’d created
conditions that
encouraged steroid use.
Root out conflicts of
interest. Simply being
aware of them doesn’t
necessarily reduce their
negative effect on
decision making.
INDIRECT BLINDNESS
We hold others less
accountable for unethical
behavior when it’s carried
out through third parties.
A drug company deflects
attention from a price
increase by selling rights
to another company,
which imposes the
increases.
When handing off or
outsourcing work, ask
whether the assignment
might invite unethical
behavior and take
ownership of the
implications.
THE SLIPPERY SLOPE
We are less able
to see others’ unethical
behavior when it develops
gradually.
Auditors may be more
likely to accept a client
firm’s questionable
financial statements if
infractions have accrued
over time.
Be alert for even trivial
ethical infractions and
address them
immediately. Investigate
whether a change in
behavior has occurred.
OVERVALUING
We give a pass to
A researcher whose
Examine both “good” and
© McGraw Hill
Dealing with Unethical Behavior
What you can do.
•
It’s business, treat it that way.
•
Accept that confronting ethical concerns is part of your job.
•
Challenge the rationale.
•
Use your lack of seniority or status as an asset.
•
Consider and explain long-term consequences.
•
Focus on solutions—not just complaints.
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© McGraw Hill
Test Your OB Knowledge
2
Which of the following statement about ethics is
NOT true?
A.
Ethical dilemmas occur when neither of two
choices ethically resolves a situation.
B.
Most people working in organizations are
good people with good intentions.
C.
If something is unethical it is also illegal.
D.
Our conduct is shaped by our environment.
E.
© McGraw Hill
Reward systems can cause unethical
behavior.
Applying OB to Solve Problems
Problems frequently arise and may be viewed as a
gap between an actual and desired outcome.
Closing the Gap: A Three-Step Approach:
Stop 1: Define The Problem.
Stop 2: Identify OB Concepts to Solve the Problem.
Stop 3: Make Recommendations and Take Action.
© McGraw Hill
Test Your OB Knowledge
3
Which one of these is NOT true about defining a
problem?
A.
Managers usually do not spend enough time
on defining the problem.
B.
It is advisable to skip this stop and proceed
to making recommendations.
C.
After defining the problem, OB concepts or
theories can be used to solve the problem.
D.
E.
© McGraw Hill
People often make assumptions.
Once problems are defined, OB knowledge
can produce better performance for an
Structure and Rigor in Solving Problems
The Person–Situation Distinction
Person factors are characteristics that
give individuals their unique identities.
Situation factors are elements outside us
that influence what we do, the way we
do it, and the ultimate results of our
actions.
© McGraw Hill
•
Individual behavior often results from the
interaction of these interdependent
factors.
•
We need to understand the interplay
among both factors to be effective.
Test Your OB Knowledge
4
Which of the following is MOST IMPORTANT when
using OB to solve problems?
A.
person factors.
B.
interdependence of person factors and
environmental characteristics .
C.
environmental characteristics.
D.
interdependence of person factors and
changes on a group or team level.
E.
independence of person factors and
environmental characteristics.
© McGraw Hill
The Organizing Framework for
Understanding and Applying OB
Figure 1.3 Organizing Framework for Understanding and Applying OB.
©2021 Angelo Kinicki and Mel Fugate. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited without permission of the authors.
Access the alternate text for the slide image.
© McGraw Hill
Using the Organizing Framework for
Problem Solving
Select the most effective solution considering:
• Selection criteria.
• Consequences.
• Choice process.
• Necessary resources.
© McGraw Hill
Test Your OB Knowledge
5
The organizing framework for understanding and
applying OB is based upon:
A.
a systems approach.
B.
using person and environmental factors as
inputs.
C.
processes including individual level, group or
team level, and organizational level.
D.
outcomes organized into individual level,
group or team level, and organizational level.
E.
All of these are correct.
© McGraw Hill
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