T Josie

MNGT-5590
Lecture/Discussion Week One Questions
Chapters 3, 4, and 5..

3-11. Do you think employees have a right to say what they want to about their organizations
online, as opposed to in private?
Yes. However, I believe employees should be held to some kind of ethical standard. They are
also representing the companies that they work for; therefore, they should be held
to a contractual standard. There should be unacceptable forms of expression that are harmful
to people. The First Amendment doesn’t give us the right to say
whatever we want, whenever we want, to whomever we want. Yet it
does not prevent us from thinking so. Employees should not be able to write anything about the
company that will incite violence or hatred or violence against the company or the people who
work there.
3-12. How would you react if you learned one of your employees posted unflattering
comments about you as a manager? Would your reaction be any different if the employee
posted unflattering comments about you as a person?
If an employee posted unflattering comments about my managerial style, I believe I would try to
receive that information as constructive feedback and explore ways of improving my skills in the
area(s) that the employee is referring to. I believe everyone in an organization should be heard
and their opinion respected when given in a constructive manner and if it is not given
constructively, I would make an attempt to find the useful information in the statements and
address them appropriately. If an employee were making disparaging remarks about me as a
person, I would consider that unethical, and unprofessional.

3-13. Do you feel it is acceptable to post comments anonymously, or do you think people
should include their names? Why or why not?
I do feel that it is acceptable. There will be some employees that will only give honest
feedback if it is anonymous. I would want my employees to be honest. I would also like to think
that I am open to any and all constructive criticism because it gives us an opportunity to
improve and grow as a team. A team is always stronger together. I believe criticism can be a
very useful tool. I think the company that can encourage open dialogue of constructive criticism
can really benefit from it if used properly. That is without taking it personally rather looking at it
from different perspectives.

3-14. Do you think only certain individuals are attracted to flexible work arrangements? Why
or why not?
Flexible work arrangements can be beneficial for both the employee and the employer. It can
mean the difference between retaining great talent and losing a huge asset because of rigid
rules for the workplace. It can also save the company money that can be used for employee
incentive programs or new projects. Although a flexible work arrangement may work for
people for many different reasons. Today we have multiple generations in the
workplace. So, the challenge for the leaders would be to bridge the gaps with shared goals that
can meet the needs of the various groups as well as the company. So, we have to know what
motivates them Baby Boomers are goal-oriented generation they can be motivated by
promotions, professional development, and having their expertise valued and acknowledged.
Prestigious job titles and recognition like office size and parking spaces are also important to
Boomers. They can also be motivated through high levels of responsibility, perks, praise, and
challenge. They may not be the group for flexible work arrangements. Members of the
generation X are in their 30's and 40's and spent a lot of time alone as children of hard-working
parents. According to INC.com, this created an entrepreneurial spirit with them. Now, make up
the highest percentage of startup founders at 55 percent. Even if they're not starting their own
businesses, Gen Xers prefer to work independently with minimal supervision. They
need opportunities to grow and make choices, as well as having relationships with mentors. This
generation believes that promotions should be based on competence and not by rank, age, or
seniority, and can definitely be motivated by flexible schedules, and benefits like
telecommuting, recognition from the boss, and bonuses, stock, and gift cards as monetary
rewards. I believe the down side to this is that they may be out of sight out of mind- no
promotions. Then there are the Millennials, who are content with selling their skills to the
highest bidder. That means unlike Boomers, they're not as loyal, and have no problem jumping
from one organization to another. Generation Z is motivated by social rewards, mentorship,
and constant feedback. They also want to do meaningful things and be given
responsibility. They also demand flexible schedules.

3-15. What characteristics of flexible work arrangements might contribute to increased levels
of job satisfaction?
Flexible work arrangements can allow you to work from home. It can allow you to set your
hours that are more convenient and therefore more productive for the company. These work
arrangements are mutually beneficial agreements between organizations and people and the
arrangements describe when and where people will work, and how they will stay connected, in
order to meet organizational goals. They include flextime where employees choose the hours
they will work and compressed workweeks that allow employees to work longer hours Monday
through Thursday and have Friday off. I believe when the workforce can choose when and how
they work it can make for a more productive workforce.
3-16. How might flexible work affect a company’s bottom line?
Productivity grows when employees are in a work arrangement that is most convenient for
them. This can positively impact the company in several ways. One way would be saving on
office space, utilities, sick time, unscheduled days off. All of these can positively impact the
company’s bottom line. When employees are satisfied, productivity grows, and employee
loyalty grows. So, companies can create long term employees and avoid the high cost of
employee turnover. The company can experience enhanced recruiting because now people are
hearing how flexible the company is. The company’s carbon footprint also shrinks. Employees
may value more flexibility in lieu of a raise or bonus, which means savings for the company.

4-14. Do you think the strategic use and display of emotions serve to protect employees, or
does covering your true emotions at work lead to more problems than it solves?
I believe strategic use and display of emotions can be very beneficial to the employees,
employers and the organization as a whole. It prepares the way for deeper dialogue, denoting a
willingness to affect change in the work environment which can lead to more fulfilled
employees. This will create a better work environment for everyone-workers, managers, and
executives. I think emotions at work can be effective when we can label them appropriately
and distinguish between emotions, moods, and affect. Once we learn that we can determine
how to use and respond to the displays. closely intertwined: affect, emotions, and moods.
Affect is a generic term that covers both emotions and moods. Emotions are intense feelings
directed at someone or something while moods are less intense than emotions and is usually
not triggered by a specific event. A leader should have the emotional intelligence to understand
the meaning of emotions in oneself as well as the employees in order to be effective.

4-15. Have you ever worked where the free expression of emotion was part of the
management style? Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this approach from your
experience.
I have worked in an environment where self-disclosure was encouraged, and feedback was
encouraged. There were resource managers who solicited emotions from the employees
to make it easier to reach team goals. I believe that one advantage to a free expression
management style is that it gives management opportunities to channel authentic emotions
properly to promote over all well-being of the company and its employees. The
disadvantage may be the difficulty in channeling negative emotions efficiently and effectively for
the well-being of the group. The goal would be to grow a positive environment where
everyone’s opinions and feelings matter, and so emotions like grudges, rumors, poor jokes,
insults, and the like should be discouraged.

4-16. Research shows that the acts of coworkers (37 percent) and management (22 percent)
cause more negative emotions for employees than do acts of customers (7 percent). What can
Laura’s company do to change its emotional climate?
Laura’s company can be aware that abusive behavior stifles the employee and creates a
pathway for disloyalty and a high turnover for the company. The company needs to discourage
bad behavior on the jobs and understand that negative emotions net negative
results. Expressing one’s feelings can keep the team emotionally healthy. When team members
feel that they have to keep emotions bottled up inside it can lead to high levels of stress on the
job. The company should understand Affective Events Theory (AET) which say employees react
emotionally to things that happen to them on the job, and this reaction influences how well
they do their jobs and how satisfied they are with their work. Using this model, a company can
glean valuable insights into how workplace problems and positive events impact work
performance. If the company can channel those emotions properly, they can use them to the
advantage of the entire organization.

4-17. Have you observed tall poppy syndrome in your workplace or school? Which traits
seemed to bother the observers the most?
Yes, I have. I believe the traits that bother the observers are the traits that
the observers envy; high achievement, getting tasks completed quickly and getting the pat on
the back by management. The tall poppy syndrome seems to be motivated by the
observers’ personality
traits, emotions, and perception of justice. They believe that they deserve a higher status than
what they’ve been given, and that the high achiever does not deserve the status and so they are
hoping and happy when the high achiever is brought down. (Robbins et al 2017). It also appears
to relate to judgmental people with low self-esteem and who do not place a high value
on power and achievement who think high achiever should not get the recognition that they do
not deserve.

4-18. In what specific ways do you think high performers can mitigate feelings of envy and
resentment? Give examples.

High achievers can try to be more of a team player and bring team members into his or her task
for completion. They can offer to assist team members in the completion of various
assignments and encourage other team members to take the lead and offer support. High
achievers can demonstrate humbleness and humility which may help them elevate the
performance of co-workers so they will no longer feel resentful. They can be more approachable
and ask for help themselves and show gratitude. I would try to encourage my co-workers
and try to nurture my work relationships. Maybe order food for lunch with my team.

4-19. In what ways do you think managers can foster a group attitude toward success?
Management can increase work group identity so the team will see individual achievements as
team achievements. Management can implement an incentive system that supports employee
cooperation and encourage open communication. Management can also place high achievers in
mentor positions. I believe teams that work well together understand the strengths and
weaknesses of each team member and how they can work together for the benefit of the
team. Management should foster effective communication and effective listening so that every
team member feels valued. The benefits of the team working well together and
understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses fosters strong teamwork where team
leaders and members can efficiently and effectively identify all aspects of a project and can
delegate the right task to the right or most appropriate team members.

5-11. In your experience, do younger individuals differ from older individuals in terms of how
long they plan to remain with a given employer?
I believe younger individuals differ from older individuals in terms of how long the job satisfies
them and meets their needs. While the older employee will consider his or her job as a binding
contract between employer and employee and will view job hopping as irresponsible and a
breach of an agreement between employee and employer. In my experience, the younger
generation does not plan to stay with one employer all or even most of their lives. They appear
to be a generation concerned with “now” and what better serves the present.

5-12. Do you think you should feel free to “job surf”—purposely move from job to job as soon
as the desire strikes? Do you think employers have a right to ask about “job surfing” plans
when they interview you?
I believe that people should feel free to job surf, however I also believe that employers have a
right to ask if they plan to job surf. Furthermore, I think that there should be something written
into the job acceptance criteria that stipulates that employees must give notice before leaving
the job. I believe we need our youth to stay in positions long enough to grow because they are
the future leaders and as such, I believe companies need to find out what will keep the youth on
the job and not transient. The older more traditional generations are retiring, and our
companies need employees who can commit with staying power.

5-13. If you had an interview with Foster or someone with his views of Millennials, how might
you combat his preconceptions?
I would understand where his views stemmed from, however, I would suggest to him that not all
millennials are the same and that he should give me an opportunity to prove my commitment
to my word by accepting the position. I would offer character references of teachers
and summer job employers that could confirm my work ethics and commitment to my work. I
would also ask questions of my own. I would ask him why he believes all millennials are job
hoppers. I would ask if the position(s) he is offering has development potential. I would inform
him that the younger generation want to be relevant and so they want to be in positions
that value them and their input.
5-14. Do you think employers must choose between agreeable employees and top
performers? Why or why not?
I think it depends on the field. Some fields require more agreeable employees like the education
field and the healthcare industry. I think the average company should have a mix of employees
agreeable as well as the top performer they will work together for a shared goal in the
company. I think top performers can be just as dedicated and committed as agreeable
employees, they would simply expect to be paid a salary to match their input. When
the organization and the employees have shared values, it is better than an agreeable or top
performer who do not share the values of the organization. The employees who do have shared
values with the organization will be committed to the organization’s goals and on board with
reaching them.

5-15. Often, the effects of personality depend on the situation. Can you think of some job
situations in which agreeableness is an important virtue, and some in which it is harmful to
job performance?
There are job situations where agreeable employees will not work as hard as top
performers and so the goals for the company may not be met because they are less competitive
than top performers. Agreeable employees will do well in customer service positions, sales, and
human resource positions. Teaching and nursing positions will serve agreeable persons
well. Agreeable employees would be harmful in finance positions, accounting, collections, and
engineering positions where goals have to be met in a timely manner. I also believe medical
doctors and surgeons would not benefit from being agreeable. I prefer the top performer who
can be agreeable as the need arises.
5-16. In some research we’ve conducted, the negative effect of agreeableness on earnings has
been stronger for men than for women (that is, being agreeable hurt men’s earnings more
than women’s). Why do you think this might be the case?
I think the salaries of agreeable men are negatively affected because society views the male
figure as the strong head of the family. Society would perceive an agreeable man as a weakness
and offer him less than a disagreeable or demanding
employee. Moreover, Women are expected to be more agreeable and so their work
responsibilities are going to be attuned to suit them. Men are expected to be more analytical
and to challenge more than women and so the agreeable male employee’s judgement may
come into question and may be seen as passive whereas the female employees’ agreeable
behavior may be seen as a natural occurrence for a woman.