OB AT WORK
For Review
1. Define perception.- What is attribution theory? What are its implications for explaining behaviour in organizations?
- What is stereotyping? Give an example of how stereotyping can create perceptual distortion.
- Give some positive results of using shortcuts when judging others.
6. Describe the factors in the Big Five model. Evaluate which factor shows the greatest value in predicting behaviour? - What behavioural predictions might you make if you knew that an employee had (a) an external locus of control? (b)
a low-Mach score? (c) low self-esteem? (d) a Type A personality? - To what extent do people’s personalities affect how they are perceived?
- What is emotional labour and why is it important to understanding OB?
1 0.What is emotional intelligence and why is it important?
For Critical Thinking
1. How might the differences in experience of students and instructors affect each of their perceptions of classroom
behaviour (e.g., students’ written work and class comments)?- An employee does an unsatisfactory job on an assigned project. Explain the attribution process that this person’s
manager will use to form judgments about this employee’s job performance. - One day your boss comes in and he is nervous, edgy, and argumentative. The next day he is calm and relaxed. Does
this behaviour suggest that personality traits are not consistent from day to day? - What, if anything, can managers do to manage emotions? Are there ethical implications in any of these actions? If
so, what? - Give some examples of situations where expressing emotions openly might improve job performance.
OB for You
■ The discussion of perception might get you thinking about how you view the world. When we perceive someone as a
troublemaker, for instance, this may be only a perception and not a real characteristic of the other person. It is always
good to question your perceptions, just to be sure that you are not reading something into a situation that is not
there.
■ One important thing to consider when looking for a job is whether your personality will fit the organization to which
you are applying. For instance, it may be a highly structured organization. If you by nature are much less formal, this
may not be a good fit for you.
■ Sometimes personalities get in the way when working in groups. You may want to see if you can figure out ways to
get personality differences working in favour of group goals.
■ Emotions need not always be suppressed when working with others. While emotions can sometimes hinder perform-
ance, positive emotions can motivate you and those around you.