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Ans to Que For Essentials of Organizational Behavior, Third Edition Scandura
Ans to Que For Essentials of Organizational Behavior, Third Edition Scandura
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Student ResourceScandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2022
Sample Answers to In-Text Questions
Note: Answers to Case Questions are available in the Case Notes. Answers to Toolkit Activities
are personal to the student therefore there are no sample answers.
Chapter 1: What Is Organizational Behavior?
Critical Thinking Questions
1. Why does asking these questions improve employee buy-in for the implementation of
plans? Are there other questions you feel are important to ask?
Question Location: What Is Critical Thinking?
Ans: These questions help employees view the organization from multiple perspectives other
than just as an employee. It helps them think like an owner or senior manager who can improve
their critical thinking about the organizations they work for. Other questions might include: How
do our customers perceive our company? How would we like our customers to view our
company? Are we prepared for unexpected changes to our organization? How can we improve
our products/services?
2. Why do you think that Theory X/Y has had such a strong influence on understanding
leadership? Can you think of other assumptions that managers may hold in their
subconscious minds that influence how they treat their followers?
Question Location: Applying Critical Thinking to Theories in Organizational Behavior
Ans: McGregor identified beliefs that managers held about their employees. Most ―Theory X‖
managers are not aware of their underlying assumptions that influenced their behaviors. By
identifying these assumptions, leaders could change their behaviors to reflect more realistic
beliefs ―Theory Y‖ about followers. Some managers may believe that their employees are
dishonest, not very intelligent, and unable to think creatively.
3. Is employee productivity the most important outcome variable? If not, what outcome(s)
do you think is/are more important?
Question Location: Employee Withdrawal
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,Ans: Attitudes, Well-Being, Thriving, and Motivation—all drive Productivity. An organization’s
ability to do whatever it is it does, is entirely dependent on the productivity of the people that
make up the organization. Hence, these variables should be prioritized in the event that
productivity seems to lag. Leadership should never focus solely on productivity itself, rather, it
should focus immensely on the other 4 outcome variables at all times. If this is done,
Productivity will come.
4. Which level(s) do you think has/have the most influence on individual behavior in
organizations and why?
Question Location: How OB Research Increases Employee Performance
Ans: Answers will vary but a sample answer could be: the dyad is the closest in proximity to the
individual level; hence, it has the strongest influence on individual behavior in organizations.
High quality relationships with leadership enable transparency about corporate initiatives and
give a sense of purpose to employees. Employees that know the ―why‖ behind their work will
feel that their work is more important, thus driving an increase in motivation and productivity.
Research in Action
Using Evidence to Increase Donations to Universities
1. Explain why people are more likely to give money when they know their donation will go
to a specific college. How could universities make donations even more specific? Provide an
example.
Ans: The research suggested that former students have a strongly connected to their university,
but it learned that the ―why‖ ought to be looked at more closely. What the research discovered
was that alumni aren’t emotionally connected to the university because of the overall general
school, but because of their unique experiences at the university. Their unique experiences took
place within their individual fields of study (or even extracurricular activities). It is these
individual experiences that drive the love and passion alumni have for their schools.
Schools should consider allowing alumni to donate to specific facilities that were instrumental in
shaping their collegiate experience, be it a dorm or a stadium.
2. How can the implications for practice based on the field experiment be extended? For
example, what guidelines would you provide to volunteers who make phone calls to ask for
donations?
Ans: Results from different practices, like emails and phone calls, will certainly yield different
results. For example, the results gathered from sending emails led to the conclusion that direct
donations don’t determine whether or not a person gave, but it did determine how much a person
gave. If phone calls were made, there could have been more information gathered surrounding
willingness to give in the first place. The answer to that question still remains unknown.
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,3. What are the strengths of using field experiments to solve organizational challenges?
What are the weaknesses?
Ans: Among the strengths of using field experiments to solve organizational challenges include
the potential to gather vast quantities of data in a short amount of time. The insights gathered
could yield answers much more quickly. The weakness is that the answers received might not
have anything to do with the hypothesis at hand.
4. Design an experiment to increase a different voluntary activity such as donations to a
blood bank using EBM principles.
Ans: In order to see if donations to a blood bank on a college campus increase, we will conduct
an experiment that has an experiment lasting two months. During the first month, marketing for
the donation will only take place virtually. Stakeholders (donors) might concern themselves with
the legitimacy and widespread reach of the blood donations. To have marketing done entirely on
social media, these concerns are addresses and tested. During the second month, all virtual
marketing will stop and marketing will be conducted solely using in person tactics—posters on
walls and people holding signs. We will then see which type of marketing drove the most traffic.
Scientific evidence suggests that both marketing tactics combined would produce higher
participation.
What’s #Trending in OB?
Organizational Behavior in the Gig Economy
1. Discuss the influence of technology on the rise of the gig economy. What other forces do
you think have given rise to this level of gig workers?
Ans: I think that the technology behind the rise of the gig economy has given participants the
ability to be entirely influenced by the fact that the individual level of organizational behavior is
solely responsible for their success. There are no risks that the other levels of influence could
harm the gig economy participant’s productivity, yet at the same time there are none of the
benefits that could come along with the other levels of influence. An importance notion to
consider is that not everyone thrives under the same structure. The gig economy attracts people
who want to be their own boss and who operate more effectively outside of a team setting. The
other industries don’t offer the same situation, which is why the gig economy has grown so large.
2. Do you agree that the trend of gig workers will continue to grow? Discuss the pros and
cons of gig work for?
Ans: Answers will vary but here is a sample answer:
(a) Organizations
Pros: Gig work is tremendously beneficial for organizations. By paying
contractors, they avoid all the taxes that are tied to traditional payroll.
Cons: Gig work increases the risk of liability for organizations because its
workers are not subject to the same preventative structures in place at other
organizations. For examples, contractors lack the direct oversight that would
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, prevent them from acting impulsively. Uber has had an issue in the past with
sexual assault of customers. This was largely solved through more rigorous
background checks prior to onboarding new contractors.
(b) Employees
Pros: Gig work is tremendously beneficial for individuals who want the flexibility
and freedom to work on their own terms. Furthermore, it allows people to
supplement their existing income with another source, which was traditionally a
much more difficult task prior to gig work.
Cons: Being a contractor has benefits, but it also has some drawbacks. The
flexibility doesn’t come with company sponsored health benefits or retirement
plans. But why should it? Gig workers work on their own time. If the company
has their way, they would have workers work all the time non-stop, but that would
be aligned with the purpose of gig work. The key is that no one is forced to
participate in gig work. It is merely an option. If someone needs work that
provides benefits, they can look elsewhere.
3. Would you consider gig work instead of full-time employment after you graduate? (If
you are currently employed full-time, would you switch?) Explain your reasons.
Ans: Answers will vary but here is a sample answer: I would only ever consider gig work as
secondary employment to complement my primary source of income. I am currently employed
and I still have time on my hands. There are times where I enjoy my hobbies, but there are times
where I definitely feel like I could be working to make some additional cash. I wouldn’t switch
to working gig economy full time because my earnings potential is simply not as high. It is too
reliant on tips and working long hours if I was to make the same amount I did when I work full
time.
Sample Answers to In-Text Questions
Note: Answers to Case Questions are available in the Case Notes. Answers to Toolkit Activities
are personal to the student therefore there are no sample answers.
Chapter 2: Personality and Person–Environment Fit
Critical Thinking Questions
1. Given the limited research support for the MBTI, what are the concerns regarding
organizations continuing to use it?
Question Location: Limitations of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
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