Management Development Institute, Gurugram
(End Term Exam.)
HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN OROGANIZATIONAL (HBO)
Closed Book
PGPM 2017-19, Section A & PGHR 2017-19, Term=1
Anil Anand Pathal
Faculty
1 Case Incident Based _(20 Ma
(Attempt any one of the two Case Incidents) i
‘Case Incident 1: Calamities of building Consensus
When itis time for groups to reach a decision, many turn to consensus. Consensus, a situation
of agreement, seems like a good idea. To achieve consensus, groups must cooperate and
collaborate, which ultimately will produce higher levels of camaraderie and trust. In addition,
if everyone agrees, then the prevailing wisdom is that everyone will be more committed to
the decision.
However, there are times when the need for consensus can be detrimental to group
‘functioning. Consider the recent “fiscal cliff” faced by the U.S. government toward the end of
2012. The White House and Congress needed to reach a deal that would reduce the swelling
budget deficit. However, many Republicans and Democrats stuck to their party lines, refusing
to compromise. Many viewed the end product that achieved consensus as a less than optimal
P ve approval rating of only 13 percent, expressing
but the group may not have been able to functionRobert contributing & word.
meeting passed without
first person, nor is he
Robert is certainly not the first person. h s
While some employees ma! actually lack abilit the highly inte
found that if we believe our peers are smartet ve caper
our ability to think effectively. In other words, WORSE
makes you dumber. The study also found the effect Was worse
they are more socially attuned.
In other cases, failing to speak up may be attributed to personality. W
to be assertive and assured in group settings, the more
their thoughts before speaking—if they spgak at all. But
extraverted can remain quiet, especially when they feel they:
What to do? Michael Woodward, an organizational p
someone more assertive who can pull you into the
if it means talking to the person facilitating the meeting
And finally, the realization that others may be feeling the
the confidence to speak up.
2. What could be some other reasons for becoming
you are leading @ team meeting and you notice that #
contributing. What specific steps might you take to try to