Descriptive science
what do people do?
Interpretive science
how and why does it happen?
Prescriptive science
what should people do, and how can we make it happen?
What is OB?
- The science of behavior in work organizations
- An applied social science that draws on more bas...
OAM 330 MIDTERM EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2023
Descriptive science - answer what do people do?
Interpretive science - answer how and why does it happen?
Prescriptive science - answer what should people do, and how can we make it happen?
What is OB? - answer - The science of behavior in work organizations
- An applied social science that draws on more basic social sciences
Why OB? - answer Those who work in and with organizations are often not the purely rational actors we assume.
What is the peter principle? - answer You will rise to the level of your incompetence... and stay there.
Why do 2 out of 5 CEOs fail in their first 18 months? - answer Not lack of intelligence or competence, but interpersonal skills.
What is a solution to employee theft and what is the result? - answer Kill the thrill: - Loan policy: employees can borrow equipment
- Can return equipment without any questions Result:
- Thrill was gone: "Stealing something you could get for free wasn't anything to brag about."
- Theft dropped to near zero - Materials "returned by the truckload"
- Most of it was done by spouses who were tired of hiding bulky equipment in their garages
Why not increase monitoring to combat employee theft? - answer Expensive
Trust: - Surveillance suggest "we don't trust you." - Creates an US vs THEM mentality
- Decreases morale
Makes theft normative: - Suggests that everyone is doing it
- Surveillance sometimes increases costs of employee theft
What are the limitations of intuition as an approach? - answer - Incomplete information - Many "common sense" opinions have been empirically disproven
What are the limitations of experience as an approach? - answer - Missing data
- Reluctance to experiment
What are the limitations of systematic study as an approach? - answer ???
What are the four principles of Evidence Based Management? - answer 1) Relies on systematic empirical studies- understanding relationships based on scientific evidence
2) Behavior is not random 3) Behavior is often predictable- if we know how people perceived the situation and what's important to them
4) Managers should make decisions based on the latest available evidence, like doctors
Does courtesy increase sales? Why? - answer No
What 7-11 customers want: fast service
Do sports teams that stay together longer become more effective? - answer Yes
Benefits of shared experience: learn to trust, coordinate, utilize individual strengths, and compensate for individual weaknesses
OB study of sports teams 1980-1994:
Shows benefit of shared experience, teams that stay together win more games, in part due to more assists
Does shared experience have diminishing returns? Why? - answer Yes
- Teams become less open to new routines
- Opponents develop counter-strategies
It is important to build shared experience through stable membership, and then eventually rotate some members and/or coaches
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