MGMT Case Studies Chapters 9, 10, 12

Google has supervisors provide evaluations of subordinates, but employees and their managers also select a group of peers to conduct semi-annual evaluations. This is most closely resembles which of the following?

360-degree assessment In a 360-degree assessment employees are appraised not only by their managerial superiors but also by peers, subordinates, and sometimes clients, thus providing several perspectives.

JCPenney's new CEO, Marvin Ellison, created a strategy that includes hiring experienced senior executives to lead efforts in e-commerce, supply chain, information technology, and marketing. Which stage of Lewin's model of change (Figure 10.2) best represents this strategy?

changing In the changing stage, employees need to be given the tools for change: new information, new perspectives, and/or new models of behavior. Managers can help here by providing role models, mentors, and experts. Based on this, the hiring of experienced senior executives by Ellison falls into the changing stage.

Based on the competing values framework (Figure 8.2), W.L. Gore has a(n) ____________ based culture.

clan A clan culture has an internal focus and values flexibility rather than stability and control. At W.L. Gore associates are "responsible for managing their own workload" and for independently making commitments that support team goals. Goals are not dictated from the top down. Rather, associates establish their own commitments, and these percolate upward to form corporate forecasts.

Assume Google's "People Operations" Department is planning on creating a new position for its data analysis team. Which of the following would be a good first step?

conduct a job analysis To plan for future positions at the organization, human resources should first do a job analysis, which is determining, by observation and analysis, the basic elements of a job. After a job analysis has been performed, a job description and specification should be written.

When Ellison was hired as CEO he conducted more than 60 employee town hall meetings and visited 100 stores with JCPeney's interim CEO. These face-to-face interactions were instrumental to Ellison as he was looking for disconnects between corporate strategy and store operations. Which part of the organizational development process does this exemplify?

diagnosis To carry out the diagnosis, OD consultants or managers use interviews, meetings, and direct observation to ascertain people's attitudes and to identify problem areas. Here, Ellison and Ullman toured stores and gathered a lot of information on the problem areas at JCPenney by listening and observing.

If an employee with the same job and background at one of the Container Store's competitors is paid 50-100 percent less than a Container Store employee, the competitor's employee may decrease their effort at work. Which of the following theories most closely explains this behavior?

equity theory Equity theory is a model of motivation that explains how people strive for fairness and justice in social exchanges or give-and-take relationships. If an employee does not feel equity compared to others, such as the example provided, he or she may reduce inputs, such as the effort expended on the job.

When former CEO Johnson was hired one of his first actions was to fire 600 employees at corporate headquarters. He continued to cut costs over the next two years by firing 19,000 store employees. Based on the ten reasons why employees resist change, which of the reasons may be prevalent based on Johnson's actions?

fear of job security Administrative changes that threaten to eliminate jobs (or have eliminated jobs) generally trigger strong resistance. The remaining answer choices are not brought up in the case.

Based on the case, W.L. Gore has a ______________ organizational structure.

horizontal In a horizontal design teams or workgroups, either temporary or permanent, are used to improve collaboration and work on shared tasks by breaking down internal boundaries. At W.L. Gore there are no traditional organizational charts, no chains of command, nor predetermined channels of communication. Employees are accountable to the member of their multi-disciplined teams. Teams form in an adhoc fashion around perceived "opportunities," and leaders emerge.

The Container Store pays employees 50-100 percent above the retail industry average. Based on what you know about Herzberg's two-factor theory, this above-industry pay is most related to which factor?

hygiene Hygiene factors are factors associated with job dissatisfaction—such as salary, working conditions, interpersonal relationships, and company policy—all of which affect the job context in which people work. Motivating factors are factors associated with job satisfaction—such as achievement, recognition, responsibility, and advancement—all of which affect the job content or the rewards of work performance. Equity, extrinsic and intrinsic are not part of Herzberg's two-factor theory.

Ron Johnson, JCPenney's former CEO, had a vision to make Penney hipper, and he changed long-held strategies and management practices that defined the company's culture and identify. Which kind of change does this vision most closely align with?

innovative change Innovative change is the introduction of a practice that is new to the organization. Here, Johnson's proposed changes drastically changed JCPenney, but were not mentioned to be new practices to the entire industry, which is indicative of radically innovative change. Adaptive change is the reintroduction of a familiar practice, which was not the case here. Transition and periodic change are not types of change.

Google has a training program known as Sales Pro. This program takes about six hours, but rather than delivering it all in one swoop, Google breaks the information into bite-sized chunks lasting no more than seven minutes each. SalesPro represents

microlearning. Microlearning, or bite-size learning, segments learning into bite-size content, enabling a student to master one piece of learning before advancing to anything else.

All employees who have been with Acuity Insurance for fewer than five years are invited to special social events that range from happy hours and kayaking trips to bean bag tournaments, NCAA March Madness competitions, and other events that encourage employees to socialize. Which of McClelland's three needs seems to be addressed here?

need for affiliation The need for affiliation is the desire for friendly and warm relations with other people. he events Acuity Insurance sponsors for newer employees are desired to foster friendly and warm relations. The need for achievement and power are not related to these programs. Equity and compassion are not part of McClelland's three needs.

Bill Gore believed in keeping operational facilities small due to his focus on high quality interpersonal relationships, and as such, the company splits up people at a facility once it reaches a certain size by creating a new location. Which level of organizational culture does this describe?

observable artifacts Observable artifacts include physical manifestations such as manner of dress, awards, myths and stories about the company, rituals and ceremonies, and decorations, as well as visible behavior exhibited by managers and employees. Here, the layout of the office at W.L. Gore would be an observable artifact.

Bill Gore wanted to start a company that was free from bureaucracy and a command and control style of leadership. He felt that this was the best way to foster creativity, engagement, and innovation. What type of organizational design fits best with this view?

organic In an organic organization, authority is decentralized, there are fewer rules and procedures, and networks of employees are encouraged to cooperate and respond quickly to unexpected tasks. In mechanistic organizations authority is centralized, tasks and rules are clearly specified, and employees are closely supervised. Centralized, market and vertical are not types of organizational design.

At Acuity Insurance 20-30 employees each month are recognized through the Magic Happens program. The program begins by posting any positive feedback from customers, agents, or colleagues outside the local cafeteria. Next, one employee is drawn from this list and the positive feedback is shared over voicemail to all employees throughout the company. This employee also receives a $100 cash gift card. Based on reinforcement theory (Figure 12.10), what type of reinforcement does the Magic Happens program represent?

positive reinforcement Positive reinforcement is the use of positive consequences to strengthen a particular behavior. Here, when an employee performs well, he or she is recognized among peers and also provided with a cash gift card. This increases the chances that the positive behavior will be repeated. Negative reinforcement, extinction and punishment are not related to this program, and job reinforcement is not a type of reinforcement.

At W.L. Gore, associates have sponsors whose goal is to help them succeed. Moreover, sponsors help associates chart a course in the organization that will offer personal fulfillment while maximizing their contribution to the enterprise. Which of the twelve ways to embed organizational culture does this most closely align with?

role modeling, training, and coaching Role modeling, training, and coaching includes mentoring activities at an organization that assists in the introduction and/or reinforcement of organizational values.

At the Container Store part-time workers also get health benefits. Moreover, the company matches employees' contributions to a 401(k) account up to 4 percent of pay. Which level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs (Figure 12.3) do these two programs cover?

safety Safety needs are the needs of physical safety and emotional security. Health insurance and pension plans satisfy this need. Physiological needs are very basic, such as food, clothing and shelter. The remaining needs are not related to the two programs.

During an interview Google may ask a candidate: "If ads were removed from YouTube, how would you monetize it?" Based on what you've learned in the chapter, this would be a _____________ interview.

situational In a situational interview, the interviewer focuses on hypothetical situations. Here, removing ads from YouTube is a hypothetical situation. In a behavioral-description interview, the interviewer explores what applicants have actually done in the past. Cognitive, personality and performance are not interview types.