Business Practice Explored

Assumptions about People and Work

Everyone makes some assumptions about why people work and how they can be made to work
more effectively. However, these assumptions are rarely specified and examined by the individual
who holds them.
The following list of statements is designed to help you understand the assumptions you hold about
people and work. There are no right or wrong answers, so try to answer the items in a way that
accurately reflects your views.

For each pair of statements, a total of 10 points is to be awarded. You have to decide how to
allocate these points between the two statements. (E.g. 0-10, 1-9, 2-8, etc.)

Points

1. Most people will do the minimum amount of work they can get   (a)
away with.

When people avoid work, it's usually because it has been divided   (b)
up and allocated in a way that deprives it of all meaning.
Total 10

2. Open communication and free access to information will usually   (c)

result in employees behaving more responsibly.

If employees have access to more information than they need to   (d)

do their immediate tasks, they will usually misuse it.
Total 10

3. Most employees have such a limited view of a firm's problems that   (e)
it is of little value to ask them for suggestions.

If employees are asked about their ideas, this will broaden their   (f)
perspectives and lead to the development of many useful
suggestions. Total 10

4. Few people have sufficient imagination and inventiveness to be   (g)

able to solve problems arising in their own job.

Most people can be quite creative but do not use this ability at   (h)
work because of the limitations imposed by their job and position
in the organisation. Total 10

5. When people are made responsible for rectifying their own   (i)
mistakes, they will usually raise their standards

Unless people are made to pay, in some way, for their mistakes   (j)
they will tend to lower their standards.
Total 10

6. On the whole it is wiser to give employees both good and bad   (k)
news about the business they work in.

It is better to withhold unfavourable information about the business   (l)

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 Business Practice Explored
because most employees would react unfavourably to it.
Total 10
7. A supervisor should only admit she was wrong to a subordinate in   (m)
very exeptional circumstances otherwise, it will undermine the
supervisors authority.

People at all levels are entitled to equal rspect and, therfore, a   (n)
supervisor will increase her authority when she supports this
principle and admits to a subordinate that she was wrong.
Total 10

8. If you pay people well enough they are unlikely to complain too   (o)
much about boring work.

If you give employees interesting work, they are unlikely to   (p)

complain too much about their pay.
Total 10

9. When people are allowed to set their own standards of   (q)

performance, they usually set them HIGHER than their boss would.

When people are allowed to set their own standards of   (r)

performance, they usually set them LOWER than their boss would.
Total 10

10. The more experise an employee has, the MORE controls are   (s)
needed to ensure that he uses it to contribute to organisational
objectives.

The more experise an employee has, the FEWER controls are   (t)
needed to ensure that he uses it to contribute to organisational
objectives. Total 10

Now add up the scores for (a), (d), (e), (g), (j), (l), (m), (o), (r) and (s) Total   (X)

Now add up the scores for (b), (c), (f), (h), (i), (k), (n), (p), (q) and (t) Total   (Y)

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