1.

Defend or refute the following statement: “Reaching a plateau in the organization drastically
reduces the productivity and satisfaction of employees.” Describe the reasoning behind your
position?

2. What characteristics distinguish a solid citizen from a deadwood plateaued employee in an

organization? What can organizations do to prevent solid citizens from becoming deadwood?
What forces may prevent organizations from taking these actions?

3. What triggers a desire to make a midcareer change, and what factors inhibit people from actually
making such a change? When is a midcareer change an adaptive behavior and when is it used to
shield workers from their real problems?

4. What are some common stereotypes of the older employee? Do you think these stereotypes are
generally accurate or inaccurate? How do stereotypes of aging affect the ways in which
organizations manage their older employees?