CHAPTER 1

Making OB Work
for Me

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• Major Questions You Should
Be Able to Answer
1.1 How can I use knowledge of OB to enhance my job performance and
career?
1.2 Why do people engage in unethical behavior, even unwittingly, and what
lessons can I learn from applying that?
1.3 How can I apply OB in practical ways to increase my effectiveness?
1.4 How could I explain to a fellow student the practical relevance and
power of OB to help solve problems?
1.5 How can the Organizing Framework help me understand and apply OB
knowledge to solve problems?
1.6 How can I use my knowledge about OB to help me achieve professional
and personal effectiveness?

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• What Is OB?
OB draws upon multiple fields to enhance our understanding
and managing of people in the workplace.

OB attempts to overcome the pitfalls of relying on common

sense by
• Relying on a systematic science-based approach

Based on a contingency perspective as

• No one best way to manage people, teams, or organizations
• The best course of action often will depend upon the interplay of
multiple person and situational factors.

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• The Three Levels in OB
In OB, we are concerned with three levels at work.
• Individual
• Group/Team
• Organization

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• The Value of OB to My Job and Career (1 of 2)
Soft skills are among the most valued skill by
W
employers. it
we h wh
res fos ich
In this course you will be exposed to numerous int pe ter
era ctf
interpersonal (soft) skills. cti ul
on
s

Personal Attributes Interpersonal Skills

• Active listening
• Attitude
W
ith • Positive attitudes
we wh • Personality
go bui ich • Effective
tru odw ld • Teamwork
int st an ill communication
eg d • Leadership
rit
y

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• FIGURE 1.1 Relative Importance of Different
Skills Based on Job Level

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• The Value of OB to My Job and Career (2 of 2)
What criteria determine
which applicant is hired?
Technical skills
• Nuts and bolts of doing a job
Ability to get the job done
• Based on job or function
specific knowledge
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What criteria determine
which employee is promoted?
• Ability to manage people
• Strong team skills
• Ability to build and
manage relationships
• Test Your OB Knowledge (1 of 5)
The contingency approach to OB calls for all of the
following EXCEPT
A. relying on one best way to manage situations.
B. using OB concepts and tools as situationally
appropriate.
C. using a pragmatic approach.
D. not relying on simple common sense.
E. being systematic and scientific.

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• Ethics and My Performance
The Importance of Ethics
• Employees are confronted with ethical challenges throughout
their careers.
• Unethical behavior can damage relationships, making it
difficult to conduct business.
• Unethical behavior reduces cooperation, loyalty, and
performance.
• The legal system cannot always be relied upon to assure work
conduct that is ethical.

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• Ethical Dilemmas...No Perfect
Solution
Situations arise where no clear ethical resolution
arises.
• Not always a pure choice between right and wrong

• Places people in an uncomfortable position

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• Causes of Unethical Behavior
Ill-Conceived Goals
We set goals and incentives
to promote a desired
behavior, but they
encourage a negative one.
The slippery slope
We are less able to see
others’ unethical behavior
when it develops gradually.
Motivated Blindness Indirect Blindness
We overlook the unethical We hold others less
behavior of another when accountable for unethical
it’s in our interest to remain behavior when it’s carried
ignorant. out through third parties
Overvaluing One’s personal
outcomes motivation to
We give a pass to unethical perform
behavior if the outcome is
good.

Pressure from a Reward systems that Employees

supervisor incentivize bad perception of no
behavior consequences for
crossing the line

Harvard Business Review. “Ethical Breakdowns: Good People Often Let Bad Things Happen” by M. Bazerman and A. Tenbrunsel, April 2011.
Copyright © 2011 by the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; all rights reserved.
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• Test Your OB Knowledge (2 of 5)
Which of the following statement about ethics is NOT
true?
A. Ethical dilemmas occur when neither of two
choices ethically resolves a situation.
B. Most people working in organizations are good
people with good intentions.
C. If something is unethical it is also illegal.
D. Our conduct is shaped by our environment.
E. Reward systems can cause unethical behavior.

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• Applying OB to Solve Problems
Problems frequently arise and may be viewed as a gap
between an actual and desired outcome.

Closing the Gap: A Three-Step Approach

Stop 1: Define The Problem.
Stop 2: Identify OB Concepts to Solve the Problem.
Stop 3: Make Recommendations and Take Action.

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• Test Your OB Knowledge (3 of 5)
Which one of these is NOT true about defining a problem?
A. Managers usually do not spend enough time on
defining the problem.
B. It is advisable to skip this step and proceed to
making recommendations.
C. After defining the problem, OB concepts or theories
can be used to solve the problem.
D. People often make assumptions.
E. Once problems are defined, OB knowledge can
produce better performance for an organization.
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• Structure and Rigor in
Solving Problems
The Person–Environment Distinction
Person factors
Situation factors

• Individual behavior often results from the interaction of

these interdependent factors.
• We need to understand the interplay among both factors to
be effective.

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• Test Your OB Knowledge (4 of 5)
Which of the following is MOST IMPORTANT when
using OB to solve problems?
A. person factors
B. interdependence of person factors and
environmental characteristics
C. environmental characteristics
D. interdependence of person factors and changes
on a group or team level
E. independence of person factors and
environmental characteristics
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• The Organizing Framework for
Understanding and Applying OB
Figure 1.3 Organizing Framework for Understanding and Applying OB

Jump to Appendix 1 for description

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• Using the Organizing Framework for
Problem Solving
Select the most effective solution considering
• Selection criteria -for a decision can be based on its effects on bottom-
line profits, its impact on others, its impact on the reputation with customers
or the community, the organization’s values, and ethical implications.

• Consequences - The consequences of each alternative should be

considered, including the trade-offs between who wins and loses, ideal versus
practical options, perfection versus excellence, and superior versus satisfactory
results.

• Choice process -may be an individual, team, or third-party decision, and

if more than one person is involved, the decision-making method must be
determined

• Necessary resources -including which people will be key sources of

support for (and resistance to) the ultimate selection.
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• Test Your OB Knowledge (5 of 5)
The organizing framework for understanding and
applying OB is based upon
A. a systems approach.
B. using person and environmental factors as
inputs.
C. processes including individual level, group or
team level, and organizational level.
D. outcomes organized into individual level, group
or team level, and organizational level.
E. All of these are correct.
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