Chapter One: Making OB Work For Me

Common sense suffers three major weaknesses:

>overreliance on hindsight >lack of rigor >lack of objectivity

Calls for using the OB concepts and tools that best suit the situation, instead of trying to rely on "one best way".

Contingency approach

Three skills most valued by employers are:

Critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork

Situations with two choices, neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically acceptable manner.

Ethical Delimma

Process:

Individual level, group/team level, and organizational level

The difference between what people know and what they actually do.

Knowing-Doing Gap

A difference or gap between an actual and a desired state or outcome.

Problem

A systematic process for closing these gaps

Problem solving

Arguable the most common action managers take and simply means choosing a satisfactory solution, one that works but is less than ideal.

Resolving problems

All the elements outside ourselves that influence what we do, the way we do it, and the ultimate results of our actions.

Situation factors

Relate to human interactions and include both interpersonal skills and personal attributes.

Soft Skills

True or False: The truth is that very few unethical acts are also illegal, most are not punished in any way, and even if illegal, few are prosecuted.

True

Interpersonal skills (with which we foster respectful interactions)

active listening, positive attitudes, effective communication

Input:

personal and situation factors

Potential reasons for unethical behavior:

personal motivation to perform (I must be #1) pressure from a supervisor to reach unrealistic performance goals along with threats for underperforming reward systems that honor unethical behavior employees perception of little or no consequences for crossing the line

Three common elements that will help you qualify the best solution

selection criterial consequences choice process

Steps of the 3 step approach

1. define the problem 2. identify potential causes using OB concepts and theories 3. make recommendations and if appropriate take action

Guides behavior by identifying right, wrong, and the many shades of gray in between.

Ethics

Technical expertise and knowledge required to do a particular task or job function such as financial analysis, accounting, or operations.

Hard skills

Describes an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding and managing people at work.

Organizational Behavior

Infinite characteristics that give individuals their unique identities.

Person factors

Soft skills are not job specific. They are instead _______, more or less relevant in every job, at every level, and throughout your career.

Portable skills

Gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your success.

Self awareness

Personal attributes (which we build goodwill and trust and demonstrate integrity) include:

attitudes, personality, teamwork, and leadership

Outcomes

individual level, group/team level, and organizational level

States that behavior is a function of interdependent person and situation factors.

interactional perspective

The most sought after skills for MBA graduates are:

problem solving, leadership, and communication