Introduction to Organizational Behavior

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Discussion: Introduction to Organizational Behavior

Workplace Solutions Consulting LLC is a consulting company that helps organizations increase performance through workforce enhancement. You are a consultant for WSC and have been assigned to a project involving a large technology company, Informational Systems Inc. The company is considering some organizational changes in order to better respond to rapid changes in the business environment. You are to meet with different departments and areas of the company in order to analyze and evaluate the status quo. At the end of your investigation, you and your team will present recommendations for change in the organization.
Prior to your first on-site meeting with IS personnel, you review a list of issues that have been collected through initial conversations with the new client.
One of the issues that has been identified for further evaluation involves the multi-generational nature of the workforce in the software development area at IS. There seems to be a fair amount of friction being reported between the staff. Due to the company’s rapid growth through the acquisition of smaller technology companies, the organization has grown a development organization consisting of Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials.

Discussion Prompt

Is this a good or bad thing? What are the benefits of a multi-generational workforce? What are the challenges?

Grading

Share your opinions below and respond to two of your classmates’ thoughts.

Criteria Not Evident Developing Exemplary Points
Submit your initial response 0 pts
No post made		 2 pts
Post is either late or off-topic		 5 pts
Post is made on time and is focused on the prompt		 5 pts
Respond to at least two peers’ presentations 0 pts
No response to peers		 2 pts
Responded to only one peer		 5 pts
Responded to two peers		 5 pts
Total: 10 pts
 
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Change Management and Conflict Resolution

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Scenario

As the lead consultant for Workplace Solutions Consulting, you are the one to deliver recommendations for organizational change to the management of Informational Systems. Some of the ideas involve centralizing some duplicated administration functions in regional locations and others involve de-centralizing product departments to break down silo walls across locations. You collected significant data in order to conduct the best analysis. The bottom line: although all of these changes are for the better for organization, they will be quite disruptive to the personnel at IS.

Your Task

Part I

You used the data you collected in order to arrive at the most-informed decisions possible regarding changes to the organization. What steps would you follow and what information would you collect to ensure sound data-driven decisions?

Part II

It is now time to execute the reorganization of Informational Systems. Describe how you would implement the following:

  1. The centralization of Finance and HR (no jobs lost, but increased specialization and responsibility).
  2. The de-centralization of the heretofore separate product departments (break up of existing teams, reforming new teams, and new reporting relationships).
 
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Leadership and Management

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Scenario

When you joined Workplace Solutions Consulting three years ago, you were required to participate in an intensive interview process. After going through preliminary interviews with individuals of the same rank/title and a manager-level person in your division, you then met with the Director of the Consulting division. Everyone you met thus far from the organization seemed smart, outgoing, and friendly.
Apparently the interview process had gone well as you were then scheduled to meet with company executives and officers. First, the VP of Customer Service, then the CFO, and finally the CEO of Workplace Solutions Consulting. The VP of Customer Service seemed highly meticulous in her interview questions, asking for detail behind every answer to her questions. She posed scenario questions to you regarding situations in which she was involved with tasks assigned on a daily basis.
Then you met with the CFO. He was a graduate of one of the nation’s military academies (it was apparent from the office decorations and diplomas). His questions carried implication regarding your self-organization. Do you make daily lists? How do you prioritize your lists? How do you keep your calendar? He even asked to see your daily planner.
Finally it was time to meet with the CEO. After the interviews with the VP and the CFO, you could only imagine what you were getting into with the company’s top leader. When you sat down with the person who had built this incredible company, imagine your surprise when he turned out to be the most pleasant, genuine, thoughtful, and enthusiastic individual you had ever met. He explained that his job as CEO was to ensure that every employee had what they needed to succeed. He told me that if you were hired, he would be working for you. You could not sign up fast enough to join his company!

Your Task

Part I

What a variety of leadership styles, roles, and traits—and all in one interview process! Which interviewer do you think you would work best with? Why do you prefer the leadership styles, roles, and traits they demonstrated?

Part II

What combination of leadership style, role, and trait would be best for the following business situations:

  • A company with routine and unskilled job functions.
  • A company with dangerous job functions (toxic waste handling or heavy equipment operation).
  • A company preparing to disrupt an existing market with ground-breaking technology.
  • A company preparing for an IPO.

Please explain your thoughts for each situation.

 
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Individual and Group Behavioral Theories Applied to the Workplace

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Scenario

In your role as a consultant for Workplace Solutions Consulting, you are typically working at customer sites and from a home office when not on travel. You take advantage of technology to stay connected to your team and management to keep current on your project and developments at company headquarters.
We have initially explored the benefits and challenges inherent in being a remote employee on a virtual team for Workplace Solutions Consulting LLC in Discussion: Individual Personalities and Behaviors. Let’s turn our attention to the team dynamic of how individuals work together, blending skills, experience, and most important, personalities to achieve goals.

Your Task

Part I

Using the Myers-Briggs Indicator methodology, what four letter code would best represent a personality best suited for this remote location/virtual team workplace situation? Why?

Part II

How does the balance between individuality and conformity affect individuals in a team environment? How much structure do you feel is appropriate for a successful team?

Part III

Considering the Big Five personality assessment model (OCEAN), to what extent do you believe these traits would be impacted if the work environment were to be changed to a strictly-structured physical workplace setting?

 
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