CMN136 Exam #3

qualities of effective organizations

continuous improvement, benchmarking, giving feedback, big picture view, vision, purpose or mission, values, goals, job security, slightly higher salaries, contingent compensation, self-managing teams, reduction of status differences, developing a recognition culture, sharing information

continuous improvement

over 50 years ago, a Japanese businessman coined the term KAIZEN; the meaning is recognized worldwide as a pillar of organizations’ long-term competitive strategy; effective organizations engage in ______ of processes through information gathering, making comparisons, and innovation

benchmarking

is one-way organizations discover ways to continuously improve; there are two types: traditional and creative

traditional benchmarking

the continuous process of measuring a business’s practices against the organizations toughest competitors

creative benchmarking

includes ALL successful organizations’ processes, NOT just direct competitors

giving feedback

another way for organizations to continuously improve is by providing real time feedback to leadership and employees on a consistent basis; nobody can truly know how they are performing and how they can improve without open, honest feedback

big picture view

effective organizations have thought through and have developed a clearly stated vision, values, mission/purpose, and goals

vision

a compelling image of an organization’s desired future (grand plan, far-off)

purpose or mission

what the organization is here to do (what they do everyday)

values

the guiding principles that get the organization where it plans to go (protect customers → Tylenol)

goals

milestones the organization expects to reach along the way

job security

demonstrates commitment to employees and develops employees who deeply understand the organization; unfortunately, it’s an “old-fashioned ideal” that cannot be relied upon “these days”

slightly higher salaries

prevents top employees from going to the competition for higher pay

contingent compensation

connects performance outcomes with desirable rewards (trips)

self-managing teams

permit employees to pool information and create better solutions, as well as enhance worker control over their daily processes; reduces the need for micro-managing practices that lower employee morale

reduction of status differences

by reducing both symbolic (e.g., title) and substantive (e.g., pay) inequities, all employees will feel more valued; this one is controversial — not everyone believes this is the best approach

developing a recognition culture

maximizing the manager-employee relationship; managers engage in two-way communication and routinely expressing sincere praise and appreciation; actively working to develop long-term relationships through both formal and informal conversations

sharing information

traditional organizations are resistant to this; employees cannot excel at their jobs without adequate information about their own positions and the status of the organizations

management vs. leadership

aren’t the same thing; considerable overlap, but also significant differences

leaders

must be strategic by concerning themselves with the future; must concern themselves with establishing a salient and reputable brand, image, history, and provider of value to the external environment; need to be perceived as a productive, useful, and an ethical contributor to society; must be public relations experts

managers

must meet clearly stated goals and get results through other people; engage in more present-tense, concrete, and time-sensitive activities; the leaders if the “inside”, they too, must be conscious of the image they’re presenting when with the public, but that’s only a minor function; primary function is directing a very wide and complex array of specific activities that requires the ongoing coordination of must be coordinated to reach established goals on a daily basis

leader competencies

decisive/impulsive, not rule following/innovative, low on responsibility, flexible

manager competencies

cautious/deliberate, rule following, high on responsibility, organized

eight roles of managers

leader, director, coach, observer, facilitator, contributor, innovator, organizer

the leader

looks beyond the current day-to-day work requirements and determines where the organization needs to go; move their organizations forward by thinking strategically about the directions they need to take; form relationships beyond the organization to build and maintain the reputation of the organization

the director

identifies problems and takes the initiative to determine a solution; uses planning and goal-setting skills to determine what to delegate and ensures that individuals understand what they’re being asked to do

the coach

engaged in the development of people by teaching skills and by creating a caring, empathetic orientation by being helpful, considerate, sensitive, approachable, open, and fair

the observer

pays attention to what is going on in the unit, determining if people are meeting their objectives, and watching to see that the unit is meeting its goals; also responsible for understanding what is important for the team to know and ensuring that information overload does not occur

the facilitator

fosters a collective effort for the organization, building cohesion and teamwork, and managing interpersonal conflict

the contributor

expected to be task-oriented and work focused, ensuring that his/her own personal productivity is attended to along with motivating others

the innovator

facilitates adaptation and change, paying attention to the changing environment, identifying trends impacting the organization, and then, determining needed changes for the success of the organization

the organizer

takes responsibility for planning work, organizing tasks and structures, and then following up to ensure that what’s committed to is completed on time, attending to technological needs, staff coordination, crisis handling, and so forth

goleman’s leadership styles

visionary (authoritative), affiliative, democratic, coaching, commanding, pace-setting; “managers often fail to appreciate how profoundly the organizational climate can influence financial results. It accounts for nearly a third of financial performance.”

visionary style 🙂 !!! aka authoritative

mobilizes people toward a vision, defines standards but allows individuals discretion and leeway (best one)

democratic style 🙂

forges consensus through participation; asks: “what do you think about…?” (human resources approach)

coaching 🙂

develops people for the future; teaches skills and strategies for reaching individual and shared goals

affiliative style 🙂

builds harmony and emotional bonds by developing relationships

commanding ☹

demands immediate compliance

pace-setting ☹

sets very high standards for performance and models the standards; seems to be always “raising the bar” to overly-challenging levels, appears to prefer employees who are “workaholics”; can lead to employee burnout if used too much

blake and mouton’s managerial grid

accommodating management, sound management, indifferent management, dictatorial management, status quo management; “the most effective communication approach is the combination of the two”; “leaders can learn a lot about themselves and how they come across to others by trying to see their behaviors in light of these two variables”

accommodating management

high concern for poeple, low concern for production

sound management

high concern for people, high concern for production

indifferent management

low concern for people, low concern for production

dictatorial management

low concern for people, high concern for production

status quo management

medium concern for people and production

theories about employee motivation

mcgregor’s theory x versus theory y, thorndike’s law of effect, expectancy theory, goal-setting theory, maslow’s hierarchy of needs, mclelland’s needs theory, hertzberg’s two-factory theory, new system science theory

mcgregor’s theory x and theory y

this theory asserts that how a manager perceives their employees influences how that person will manage; theory x managers will have more voluntary turnover than theory y managers particularly for those who are higher in the hierarchy and good at their jobs

theory x

managers view employees as lazy and unmotivated to do good work; they see their role as manager as forcing these lazy employees to show up on time, work hard, and avoid errors; managers believe that the only way to motivate their (lazy) employees is with the promise of a reward (“carrot”) or threat of punishment (“stick”); these managers think of their employees like they were a stubborn mule; managers are viewed as a “boss”; higher level and more educated workers will not tolerate this style of management

theory y

managers see employees as naturally motivated to do a good job; they see their role not as the issuer of rewards and punishment, but as providing self-motivated employees with resources enabling them to produce high-quality results efficiently; managers are viewed as a leader; has been shown to be much more effective in producing engaged, committed, and satisfied employees

boss

drives employees, depends on authority, inspires fear, says “I”, places blame on the breakdown, knows how it’s done, uses people, takes credit, commands, says “go!”

leader

coaches employees, depends on goodwill, generates enthusiasm, says “we”, fixes the breakdown, shows how it’s done, develops people, gives credit, asks, says “let’s gp!”

managers must limit negative leadership styles

“people don’t leave companies, they leave managers”; top talent will not tolerate “bossy bosses” for very long, they have options, what happens to the manager when the best employees go to the competition and all that remains are the mediocre ones?

thorndike’s law of effect

basic idea is that a behavior that is followed by positive consequence (a reward) will likely to be repeated; also, instead of scolding or punishing bad behavior, good leaders use the opportunity to teach the correct behavior → overtly recognize all desirable behaviors; give positive feedback

expectancy theory

this theory is concerned with employee’s expectations and how they influence their performance; most of us have an expectation that any extra effort we put in will be noticed, but often our extra effort goes unnoticed; if this continues, at some point we will stop putting in the extra effort → overtly recognize all desirable behaviors; give positive feedback

new science systems theory

this theory asserts that if employees experience too much stability in their jobs, they will become restless, bored, and begin to lose self-esteem, vitality, and confidence in their abilities to adapt, to change, and to improve; therefore, the author recommends that all managers continuously build in the right amount of challenge to keep top talent motivated and satisfied with their work to prevent them leaving the company for better growth-opportunities → create growth opportunities for those who desire to progress in their careers

goal-setting theory

this theory states that when people have conscious goals, they energize them and direct their behavior toward a particular end; working with employees to set goals that are challenging, will increase their motivation and engagement, however, the goals should be attainable; if the goals that are set are never attained, the “death spiral” may result; too much failure is damaging to motivation, so attainability is key → co-create with employees a doable path of successful achievements

herzberg’s two-factory theory

stated that there are two factors in the workplace that are directly related to employee motivation: hygiene factors/dissatisfiers and satisfiers → do and say things that meet employees’ emotional needs

hygiene factors/dissatisfiers

things that have a high potential for making employees dissatisfied, but little potential for making them satisfied or motivated; pay, job security, physical, benefits (extrinsic); managers cannot ignore because they can cause employees to be unhappy if they are not provided

satisfiers

have potential for making employees “happy” and motivated; recognition, enjoyment of the job, vision (intrinsic); look towards these to truly motivate employees

maslow’s hierarchy of needs

we have five levels of needs; people have esteem and self-actualization needs that come into focus only after lower-level needs are met; managers should not assume all their employees are at the same level of needs; managers should consciously provide opportunities that will enable employees to be satisfied at their current need level and then help them move up the hierarchy to higher-level needs → do and say things that meet employees’ emotional needs

self-actualization

intellectual needs, fulfilling potential, achieving targets

esteem

self-respect, level of status

social

feeling wanted, sense of belonging, part of team

safety

safe working environment; job security

physiological

basic needs — e.g., food, shelter

mclelland’s needs theory

this theory asserts that people have basic, yet varying needs for achievement, affiliation, and power/control; some people have a high need for power and control and just can’t wait to become “president” of something; others have a stronger need to be liked by and connected to others (affiliation); research revealed that successful managers and leaders have high achievement and power needs a much lesser need for affiliation (it’s hard to make hard decisions if you have a strong need to be liked) → do and say things that meet employees’ emotional needs

hamilton’s theory

only hire internally-motivated employees

competency-based interview question for hiring internally-motivated employees

do you consider yourself an internally-motivated person? in other words, do you work hard because you must do so to earn a paycheck and other workplace requisites? or because you simply expect yourself to do your best? please give me a real-life example of how you achieved something significant without expecting an extrinsic reward for doing so

primary aim

what do you want the speakers at your funeral to say about you

to discover your primary aim, ask yourself the following questions regarding the goals of your entire life

1. what do you want to be? if you could be exactly the kind of person you wanted to be what would your qualities be?

2. what do you want to do? what activities do you want to spend most of your work, family time, and free time doing?

3. what do you want to have? what material things would you like to own?

career planning questions

1. what kinds of tasks would you want to do? (people, things, or ideas?)

2. what size organization would you want to work in?

3. what type of people would you enjoy working with?

4. what would its physical environment look like?

5. how dynamic an environment would you want it to be? (fast or slow paced?)

6. what do you require regarding wages, benefits, hours, work, location?

7. what reputation would it have?

8. what contribution would it need to make?

work-life balance

the balance between employment demands and time spent on personal interests and responsibilities, it’s about feeling fulfilled in both areas of your life

causes of work-life conflict

work factors, life factors, personal factors

work factors

includes type of work (physical demands, amount of challenge), work schedules (regular day shifts vs. irregular shifts), level of work autonomy, and work group relationships (level of conflict or support)

life factors

family characteristics such as the nature of the household income, and status of children

personal factors

personality characteristics such as emotional stability, adaptability, agreeableness, work ethic, etc.

types of work-life conflict

in today’s world, it’s becoming more and more difficult to balance work and non-work life; common for people to experience stress between work and life roles due to three different types of conflicts: time-based conflicts, strain-based conflicts, behavior-based conflicts

time-based conflicts

occur when time pressures of one role make it physically impossible to comply with the time pressures of another role

strain-based conflicts

this occurs when the challenges of one role makes it difficult or challenging to fulfill the other roles, negativity felt for one role can spill over into other roles, the negative emotions create a distraction, fatigue, tension, and worry that make it difficult to do well in either context

behavior-based conflicts

occurs when the behaviors enacted in one role are not appropriate in the other role, but the individual fails to adapt behaviors appropriate to the other situation; behaviors that are appropriate at work are inappropriate at home and vice versa

consequences of work-life imbalance

associated with lower levels of job satisfaction, job stress, and burnout; also associated with low levels of life satisfaction resulting in health risks, sleep disorders, mental health issues, reduced effectiveness in parenting roles, reduced marital satisfaction, and family well-being

identifying burnout symptoms

1. are you becoming preoccupied with your own thoughts when in the company of others, so that you find it hard to follow or engage in meaningful conversations?

2. is it difficult to shake off minor illnesses such as coughs and colds?

3. are you becoming ill more often than you used to?

4. are you seeing less of your family and friends than you want to?

5. are you increasingly irritable with people?

6. are you working longer hours but not accomplishing more?

7. are you missing appointments without realizing it?

8. do you tire easily?

9. have you stopped or cut back on your recreational or leisure activities and hobbies?

10. have you endangered or injured yourself by being preoccupied?

the influence of societal norms on work-life conflict

influence individuals to put more focus on work than on their personal lives; make work-life issues more prominent and challenging to manage

work-life societal norms

motherhood norm, ideal worker norm, consumerism norm, technology norm, individualism norm

motherhood norm

this norm communicates that women are expected to be willing to do unpaid caregiving such as raising children and caring for the elderly. men are generally not held to this same expectation. this uneven distribution of work contributes to additional work-life conflict for women and for family members who believe women should stay in their traditional role; unfortunately, this norm can result in some degree of disconnect between mothers who work outside the home and mothers who stay at home, this often stems from judgments about the “ideal” mother role, and feelings of guilt or inadequacy on both sides, even if the conflict isn’t directly expressed between individuals; some mothers may feel pressure to work and contribute financially, while others might feel judged for not being a fully dedicated mother by choosing to work outside the home; working mothers might miss key moments in their child’s development…while stay-at-home mothers may sometimes feel disconnected from the “outside world”

ideal worker norm

this norm communicates that dedicated professionals should be willing to prioritize work over family and friends; this norm means putting in long hours and taking work home; those who are unwilling to do this run the risk of being perceived as uncommitted or lacking in the proper work ethic; this leads to a pressure to be on call 24/7 which technology exacerbates; particularly influential on the young, single professionals who are driven to be perceived as ambitious and committed employees

consumerism norm

we are constantly encouraged through personal and online communication to purchase more and better material goods to do more elaborate and lavish activities; this norm pressures people to earn more and more moment, which results in a need for them to work longer hours to obtain the both necessary and desired resources; this norm makes dual-career couples seem like a necessity, potentially leading to dissonance regarding amount of time spent with family

technology norm

expectation that workers should be available whenever needed—including during employee vacations; this expectation can create a kind of “white collar sweatshop” in which individuals are working longer and longer hours at work without any additional compensation

individualism norm

united states, people should be responsible for their own things

family-friendly workplace policies

increased awareness of work-life conflict has led leaders of many organizations to provide assistance programs; the goal of these offering is to provide parents with the time, finances, and services they need to maintain balance; these policies communicate to employees that management supports their efforts to balance work-family issues; having these policies are associated with positive outcomes for work and family life; however, not all companies provide these programs; the absence of such policies, particularly in the US, indicates that employees are expected to abide by the individualism norm and take care of work-life issues on their own

examples of ff policies

paid leave, childcare, flexible work, anti-discrimination

paid leave

parental leave, sick leave, and emergency medical leave

childcare

daycare financial assistance or daycare located on the premises

flexible work

remote work, flexible schedules, and part-time work protections

anti-discrimination

policies that protect pregnant people from discrimination

“do first things first” requires

1. knowing what the first things are, and

2. doing the first things first (i.e., not procrastinating)

time management

the coordination of tasks and activities to maximize the effectiveness of an individual’s efforts; essentially, the purpose is to enable people to get more, and better, work done in less time

time management tips

spend time planning and organizing, find where you are wasting time and stop doing those things, set goals and prioritize, use a “to do” list, consider your biological prime time, establish routines and stick to them, create organized systems for doing things more efficiently, eliminate the urgent, don’t waste time waiting, avoid being a perfectionist, learn to say “no”. reward yourself, conquer procrastination

ted talk on procrastination

13.22 minutes, two types of procrastination: deadline driven projects and non-deadline driven goals/projects/hobbies

how to make work-life balance work ted talk by nigel marsh

“if society is going to make any progress with work0life balance we need to face that corporations aren’t going to solve this issue for us. companies are inherently designed to get as much out of you as they possibly can. it’s in their DNA.” “it is up to us as individuals to take control and responsibility for the type of lives we want to lead.” “if you don’t design your life, someone else will design it for you and you may just not like their idea of balance” ask yourself what does a well-lived life look like for you?