Exam 2 Study Guide
According to Daniel Goleman's "Leadership That Gets Results" research, what are the six Emotional Intelligence-based leadership styles?
- Coercive - Authoritative (visionary) - Affiliative - Democratic - Pacesetting - Coaching
What are some things you could do as a leader to promote the perception of "Psychological Safety" in your team?
- Get to know others - Own up to mistakes - Actively listen - Encourage experimentation - Genuinely ask for input
What is change management and why is it an important area of study? What are some common reasons that change efforts fail in organizations?
- Mindset and methods that ppl need to hear to accept change - Align and equip the workforce to think and work in new ways and - Enable companies to drive and sustain successful change
According to Ethan Bernstein, what outcomes do effective teams produce as opposed to ineffective teams (see Class 6 slide)?
- Team adapts and learns through effective teamwork - Individual team members are satisfied and learn - Produces outputs, achieves objectives/goals - Hopefully, operates at a level individuals could not manage alone
What are some benefits of team cohesion?
- improved sharing of ideas - increased efficiency in working - increased psychological safety
Be able to describe characteristics of ties in a network that influence power in a network (e.g., breadth, depth of ties). How are strong ties useful? How are weak ties useful?
Breadth: how many ties an individual has Depth: how strong the ties are with others Strong strengths: Yields valued information weak strengths: Yields novel information
Understand the key characteristics that describe Charismatic, Transformational, Transactional, Authentic, and Servant leaders. How are they similar and different? If presented with a set of behaviors, be able to distinguish which style is being described.
Charismatic: behaviors leaders demonstrate that create confidence in, commitment to, and admiration for the leader. Transformational: align employee goals with leader goals using emotional appeal Transactional: Those who ensure that employees demonstrate the right behaviors and provide resources in exchange Authentic: A leadership approach advising leaders to stay true to their own values. Servant: A leadership approach that defines the leader's role as serving the needs of others.
Which two styles lead to decrements in work climate (and business results)? Be able to recognize which leadership style would be optimal in which situation.
Coercive and Authoritative
What determines the "strength" of a culture?
Consensus and Intensity If people know what the culture is How much people care about the culture
Define the 8 stages of Kotter's change leadership model. Be able to recognize examples of each stage of Kotter's model. Be familiar with at least a few change "traps" that Kotter suggests are common in organizations?
Creating a climate for change 1. Establish a sense of urgency - COMMON TRAP! (not doing this step) 2. Build a powerful guiding coalition 3. Get the vision right Engaging and enabling the organization 4. Communicate the vision - COMMON TRAP! (not doing this step) 5. Empower people to act 6. Plan for and create short-term wins - COMMON TRAP! (not doing this step) Implementing and sustaining the change 7. Consolidate improvements 8. Institutionalize the change
From their research, how would Kotter and Haskett describe the relationship of culture to business outcomes? Conversely, how can an organization's culture undermine organizational success?
Culture trumps strategy Culture correlates with long-term performance
What is organizational structure and what is it for? How do you know what structure is right for a business?
Divides work into distinct tasks, establishes hierarchy, and coordinates how information flows between departments and levels different structures are needed for each business
What is a "dominant culture" and how does it differ from "sub-cultures" or "counter-cultures"?
Dominant: Express the core values that are shared by a majority of the organization's members - majority Sub-Cultures: Mini-cultures within an organization Counter-Cultures: direct opposition to the dominant culture
According to Google's research project, how important is "Psychological Safety" to team effectiveness relative to other factors?
??
What are the four "I's" of Transformational Leadership?
Individualized Consideration -- compassionate leadership Intellectual Stimulation -- encourages creativity Inspirational Motivation -- exciting the masses Idealized Influence -- walking the walk
Know the seven different dimensions of culture as described in the Organizational Culture Profile to the degree that you can identify a culture type/profile from a description.
Innovative Aggressive Outcome Oriented Stable People Oriented Team Oriented Detail Oriented
Define the nine influence tactics outlined in your textbook. Which influence tactic is most commonly used by managers? Which tactics are most effective in gaining others' commitment? Which are least effective? If presented with a scenario, be able to correctly identify which influence tactic is being employed.
Inspirational Appeals Personal Appeal Consultation Logical Arguments Coalition Pressure / Assertiveness Legitimating Tactics Ingratiation Exchange
How is the punctuated equilibrium model different from Tuckman's model?
It defined group progress by the amount of change to the group rather than by their capabilities and productivity
What is leadership? How are leaders different from managers in terms of goals and typical activities?
Leadership: The ability to define and communicate a vision for the organization and to inspire others to execute that vision leaders deal with what to do managers deal with how to do it
According to Robert Cialdini (Harnessing the Science of Persuasion), why are his six principles so effective? What are they taking advantage of? Be able to describe each of Cialdini's principles and provide an example of how you could use that principle to influence someone.
Liking: We prefer to say yes to people we know and like. Reciprocity: Felt obligation to repay people for gifts, favors they have provided to us. Social Proof: People follow the lead of similar others Consistency: People feel pressure to act in ways consistent with the commitments they have made Authority: We are more likely to accede to the request of a perceived authority figure. People defer to experts Scarcity: Opportunities seem more valuable when they are less available
Be able to describe and distinguish Mechanistic from Organic structures.
Mechanistic: - stable, predictable - believes upper management is better at making decisions - jobs are more specialized Organic: - flexible - large network of authority, control, and communication
Are politics good or bad for organizations? How do "bad" politics differ from "good" politics?
Neither good nor bad bad: selfish good: tactical, but not at the expense of others
What is Social Capital within a network? What are the sources of power in a social network?
Network of people an individual knows. Provides access to information, resources, or assistance. A source of potential allies power comes from ties (strong and weak) with others
Be able to define organizational politics.
Organizational politics are informal, unofficial, and sometimes behind-the-scenes efforts to sell ideas, influence an organization, increase power, or achieve other targeted objectives
What is the difference between Passive Resistance and Compliance?
Passive resistance: Not doing the change but not saying anything about it either Compliance: Doing the change but not saying anything about it
What is social loafing? How can you reduce the chance of social loafing occurring?
People decrease their effort at a task when working in a group Transparency - eliminate anonymity of individual effort
What is the "Illusion of Transparency" and how can it impact communication effectiveness?
Perception that people can read our internal thoughts, feelings - Leads people to overestimate likelihood a listener will understand their message
What are some positive and negative examples of the use of power (from textbook)?
Positive: powerful CEOs can align an entire organization to move together to achieve goals. - philanthropists (Paul Farmer) brought hospitals to haiti Negative: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" - leadership can be selfish (enron)
What is the "power-dependency" theory? How do the three characteristics of importance, scarcity, and substitutability influence the degree of power dependence?
Power is a function of dependance - The greater B's dependency on A, the greater the power A has over B Importance: can I do without it? Scarcity: is it easy to come by? Substitutability: can I replace it with something else?
What is conformity?
Power of social proof (People follow the lead of similar others)
Which type of change (proactive or reactive) is more difficult to execute and why?
Proactive because it is hard to predict the future and determine the needs of other people
What are the two basic types of change that organizations face?
Proactive change and Reactive change
What are the identifying characteristics of a team?
Relatively small in number Members bring complementary skills, knowledge, traits Some degree of interdependence
What are some benefits of good EQ? What are the four skills of Emotional Intelligence discussed in class? Be able to define each skill.
Self-Awareness - ability to read your own emotions and moods Self-Management - ability to control your own emotions and choose the right response for a situation Social Awareness - ability to sense others' emotions Relationship Management - ability to communicate clearly and convincingly - ability to build strong personal bonds
Be familiar with organic structures such as the simple structure, team-based, and virtual. What are the core features of each? What are advantages and limitations of these org structure approaches.
Simple Structure: flat organization, authority usually in a single person, little formalization - Pros: Simple, fast - Cons: only for small businesses Team-based: focal unit on team rather than individual or department Virtual: Outsources almost all functions; actions coordinated by contracts - pros: flexible - cons: management has less control
What are the four "distinctions" of trust, according to Charles Feltman? Which is most critical?
Sincerity Reliability Competence Care
Be able to describe the relevance of the "Slippery Slope" to ethical decision-making.
Small indiscretions may snowball into major violations over time if left unchecked
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of each ethical framework
Strengths - Welfare: pragmatic, Focuses on collective good, not just interests of a few - Freedom: Liberty principle: Respecting individuals' voluntary choices - Virtue: Takes a clear stand on certain acts as clearly right or wrong Weaknesses - Welfare: Uncertainty about the benefits and costs Ends don't always justify the means Tyranny of the majority - Freedom: Fairness: no group should be systematically advantaged over another - Virtue: How do we determine what virtuous behaviors are?
What is an advantage and disadvantage of sub-cultures and counter-cultures?
Sub-cultures can unite different groups of ppl in an org (departments, etc), but can alienate ppl counter-cultures can keep the main culture in check, but can be disruptive
Define organizational culture. What are Edgar Schein's three levels of organizational culture? Be able to provide an example of each and identify each from a description.
System of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs that are considered valid by the organization's members.
What are different types of teams (from textbook)?
Task Force: A temporary team asked to address a specific issue or problem until it is resolved. Product Development Teams: A team in charge of designing a new product. Cross-Functional Teams: Teams that involve individuals from different parts of the organization.
What is power? Be familiar with the "power literacy" principles we discussed in class.
The ability to get things done despite resistance Power literacy: - Power is not inherently good or bad. It just is. - It's when we manipulate others for our own self-interest that it flips to abuse of power. - To be effective, power must be perceived and accepted by those subject to the power
According to the model, how should leader behaviors change as a team moves through the stages?
The leader should start with a more hands on, teaching approach over time, the leader should back off and allow the team to operate on its own
What is the punctuated equilibrium model of group development?
The theory that change within groups occurs in rapid, radical spurts rather than gradually over time.
What is Kurt Lewin's model of change? What happens in each stage of the model? What is "force-field analysis" and what is it used to assess? Be able to distinguish a "driving force" from a "restraining force" from a description.
This model weighs the driving forces against the restraining forces to determine whether or not the change will be accepted
Compare and contrast trait, behavioral, and contingency theories of leadership. What is the main idea underlying each type of theory? What is a limitation of each theory? Why are "Situational Leadership" or "Path-Goal" theories considered contingency theories?
Trait: Identify common traits across successful leaders Behavioral: Analyze the behaviors of what effective leaders "do" Contingency: Understand when certain leadership traits or behaviors work and when they don't Situational: contingent on followers readiness level Path-Goal: leadership style based off of employee characteristics
How does "Transactional" leadership differ from Transformational leadership.
Transactional leadership is more external motivation Transformational leadership is more internal motivation
What are the directions of influence? Which influence tactics are more appropriate for upward versus downward versus peer influence?
Upward: - Inspirational Appeals - Personal Appeal - Consultation Downward: - Logical Arguments - Coalition - Pressure / Assertiveness - Legitimating tactics Peer Influence: - Ingratiation - Exchange
Define each of the three ethical frameworks
Welfare: a decision is ethical based upon its consequences; ethical decisions maximize collective benefits and minimize collective costs Freedom: people should be free to make choices that are genuinely their own if it does not harm others Virtue: concerned with what kind of virtues we should follow and what our actions and choices say about our character
Regarding the "Case of the MBA Hackers" discussed in class, what would each of the three ethical frameworks argue should be done with the hacker-students and why?
Welfare: let them in because it provides a greater education to more people Freedom: do nothing to the students because their choices aren't hurting anyone Virtue: don't let them in because they violated the ethical code of conduct
What do we mean by "process loss" and "process gain"?
When groups perform better (or worse) than would be expected, given the characteristics of the members of the group
What are some differences between people that may influence how a person reacts to a change?
a persons personality (e.g. neuroticism or conscientiousness)
What is team cohesion and what are some factors that lead to teams building a sense of cohesion?
a sense of camaraderie between team members. willingness to exchange ideas
Why do we study ethics as part of an Organization Behavior course?
an individuals ethical system determines how they act in different situations and perceive interactions between people
What does a "Boundaryless" organization refer to (from textbook)?
an organization that eliminates traditional barriers between departments as well as barriers between the organization and the external environment.
What are the hallmarks of "Psychological Safety" in teams?
being able to - Give and receive feedback - Raise issues and concerns - Disagree
What are the potential downsides of Charismatic leadership?
charismatic leaders may mislead others or be underqualified and skate by using their personality
How does the "Curse of Knowledge" impact communication effectiveness?
def: Cognitive bias that others have the background knowledge to understand us Leads people to overestimate that others will know what they're talking about
According to Goleman, why is it useful to know these styles?
depending on who your followers are, they need different styles of leadership
Why would Connie Gersick suggest that disruption for teams can be good?
disruptions represent opportunities for innovation and creativity
Why is organizational culture important to organizations and the people in them? What is the "fit" relationship between culture and business strategy?
gives members an organizational identity if there is fit, performance enhanced if not, performance impaired
Be able to describe a few ways in which trusted relationships may become broken and a few suggestions for repairing trust.
if one person lies to another or puts themselves first admit mistakes apologize sincerely
Why is being able to establish trusted relationships a critical leadership competency?
if there is no trust, then workers will be less happy and less efficient psychological safety (sharing bold ideas)
Kathleen Kelly Reardon suggested four levels of political organizations. As a prospective organizational employee, how is this information useful?
it tells employees what kind of behavior is acceptable and lets them know what they are getting into
At a high-level, how would you describe the organizational climate in each level? Be able to describe examples of the types of behaviors one might see in a "Pathologically Political" organization. What options does one face if one is in a highly political organization?
minimal: all rules are followed moderate: lowkey politics allowed high: who you know is more important than what pathological: Deceit, gossip, power plays, rivalry
Be able to provide an example of team process loss stemming from team size.
people on the team social loafing due to spread out accountability and responsibility
Under what conditions might you want a weak vs. strong culture, and vice versa?
strong culture: creates identity, community, and purpose weak culture: allows members to be creative and think for themselves
What is Emotional Intelligence (EQ)?
the extent to which people are self-aware, can manage their emotions, can motivate themselves, express empathy for others, and possess social skills
What is Social Network Theory?
the study of how people, organizations or groups interact with others inside their network
Define a "moral dilemma"? How do moral dilemmas help us understand our ethics?
A situation with no right or wrong answer, both options are bad in some way. Depending on one's ethical framework, the answer will be different
Explain the methods by which cultures can be proactively maintained/managed (e.g., attraction, selection, leadership, etc.).
ASA (Attraction - Selection - Attrition) - company attracts ppl who think they are a good fit for the culture Socialization (onboarding) - introduces new hires to cultural norms Leadership Influence (top management) - role models
When presented with a cultural maintenance practice be able to correctly classify it in terms of the four practices.
ASA (attraction - selection - attrition) Socialization (Onboarding) Leadership Influence Reward Systems
What does being "Politically Savvy" mean? Why should "Political Savvy" be considered a critical leadership competency?
Actively recognizing and acting upon the internal and external politics that impact the work of an organization Political savvy is necessary to: - Manage office politics and get things done - Protect ourselves from political tactics
What are some advantages and disadvantages of both strong and weak cultures?
Advantages - Strong: - Weak: Disadvantages - Strong: - Weak:
How many leadership styles should a leader be able to demonstrate?
As many as possible, ideally at least 2 or 3
Why is it important that cultures be able to adapt over time?
As the company grows, different things are prioritized and the culture should reflect that
Define the phases of how individuals tend to adopt change. Be able to diagnose which phase of adoption an individual is in if provided with a description of their behavior.
Awareness Interest Trial Adoption
Why were subjects willing to consciously provide a wrong answer? Be familiar with Stanley Milgram studies of conformity to authority - why were subjects willing to electrocute a "learner"? Did the results of his experiment support Milgram's hypothesis about obedience to authority in Americans?
they were willing to shock the learner because they felt the authority was taking the repsonsibility of their actions from them
Be able to describe several skills that might differentiate those with political savvy-ness from those without it.
thinking before speaking reading the room networking ability being sincere
What is group think? Why is it a problem?
when people go along with the crowd. it leads to dangerous ideas not being challenged
Describe Tuckman's model of group development. Be able to identify each stage of the model from a description.
Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning
What are the key steps to culture creation according to Edgar Schein (as summarized in class)?
Founder values and preferences + industry demands = early values, goals, assumptions
Why are "founders" important to the creation of culture in organizations?
Founders give initial direction on how to do things and solve problems that arise
What are the core facets of Nadler and Tushman's model of Organization Design? According to the model, under what conditions is an organization most effective?
Framework for thinking holistically about components of organizational design Inputs -> Transformation Process -> Outputs
For what kind of business strategies (or under what conditions) might each be appropriate (functional, divisional, and matrix structures) ? Know the advantages and limitations of each.
Functional - Pros: greater operational speed; excellent coordination within function - Cons: Decreased innovation; slow response to environmental changes Divisional - Pros: able to respond quickly to customer needs; high coordination across functions within a division - Cons: Duplicated resources across divisions; Poor communication Matrix - Pros: facilitates coordination when org is complex - Cons: each employee has multiple managers, making communication and priorities harder to distinguish
Know the chief features of the functional, divisional, and matrix structures.
Functional: structure arranged by specialty function Divisional: Organizing units by product, service, geography, etc. Matrix: Structure with multiple accountabilities (e.g. both functional and divisional)
Be able to describe some political behaviors that might occur in an organization.
Good: Political savvy Street smart Well-networked Bad: Sucking up Backstabbing Rumor-mongering
What is the common knowledge effect? What produces the effect?
Groups tend to discuss and repeat information known by all members the need for approval from teammates (low psychological safety)
How is a team different from a group?
Groups: Individual goals Can range in size from small to large Operate independently Teams: Common goal Typically, smaller in size
Be able to describe an obstacle to Psychological Safety.
High status differences between members of the team
Be able to define and describe the structure choice points discussed in class (e.g., centralization, decentralization, and formalization). What are the advantages/disadvantages associated with each?
Centralization: degree to which planning is up to high levels - Pros: Control, standardization - Cons: Slower, less efficient, less adaptable Decentralization: degree to which planning is more flat across org Formalization: degree to which policies, procedures, and rules are explicitly outlined - Pros: less ambiguity, standardization - Cons: Impedes innovation, less flexible
What are two sources of positional power in a network? What power can you derive from being able to fill a structural "gap" between networks?
Centrality (more links) = information more likely to pass through the individual structural holes (gaps) = information broker
What is the difference between espoused culture and enacted culture?
Espoused values are the principles and ideas that a company publicly asserts. Enacted values are the true principles that a company actually practices through its actions and behavior.
Be able to describe the 6 bases of power (Expert, Referent, etc.). What reaction in others does each type of power tend to produce (e.g., commitment, compliance, resistance)?
Expert: Power that comes from knowledge and skill - Commitment Referent: Power that stems from personal characteristics (respect, likeability) - commitment Informational: Power that comes from access to specific information - commitment Coercive: The ability to take something away from someone or punish someone for noncompliance - Resistance Reward: The ability to grant a reward, such as an increase in pay, a perk, or an attractive job assignment - Compliance Legitimate: Power that comes from one's organizational role or position - Compliance / Commitment
How is Expert Power different from Information Power? How are Legitimate, Coercive, and Reward Power related?
Expert: personal source of power Informational: positional source of power Coercive and Reward are opposites Legitimate is in between the two