Case Assignment : INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WORKPLACE

Assignment Overview

Managers often notice the relationship between attitudes and job performance. Have you ever heard someone say, "With that go-get 'em attitude, she will set new sales records!" or "His attitude is so poor, he never produces quality work."

However, managers seldom realize that they can affect an employee's work attitudes (such as job satisfaction and commitment), which in turn can affect job outcomes such as turnover, absenteeism, and productivity.

In this first Case Assignment, you will be viewing a video clip from the movie "Office Space." This video demonstrates work attitudes, factors that can shape those attitudes, and the end effect on work behavior.

As you watch the clip, make some notes about examples you see that give you some clues about the different characters and:

o Job satisfaction

o Attitudes toward management

o Attitudes toward co-workers

o Organizational Commitment

o Work environment and conditions (such as physical surroundings)

View the following movie clip from the movie Office Space:

Case Assignment

Read the following article from the Trident University Library:

Riordan, C. (2013) The power of "thank you": 3 steps to a culture of gratitude. HR Specialist, 11(17),7.

Hint: Just copy and paste the title of the article into the Library Access search box on the Trident University Portal page. Do not include the author's name or publication; the article title is all you need.

After reading the above article, background material, and reviewing your notes on the video, consider the following questions:

• How would you characterize the general work environment at Initech?

• What are Peter's attitudes about working at Initech? What are the likely causes of those attitudes?

• How does he feel about his supervisors?

• Do his co-workers show similar attitudes?

• What do you predict would be the effect of these attitudes on job commitment, absenteeism, and turnover? Why?

Now, write a 3- to 4-page paper discussing the video clip and the above questions. A good way to organize your paper would be to divide it into the following sections:

1. Introduction that briefly describes the situation at Initech. (one paragraph)

2. The Environment at Initech (including supervision style and physical environment)

3. The observed job attitudes of Peter and his co-workers

4. The likely outcomes of those attitudes

5. Conclusion that makes one recommendation for a change that Lumbergh could make that would improve job satisfaction among employees at Initech.

Assignment Expectations

The Case papers in this course will be evaluated using the criteria as stated in the Case rubric. The following is a review of the rubric criteria:

• Assignment-Driven: Does the paper fully address all aspects of the assignment? Is the assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?

• Critical Thinking: Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?

• Business Writing: Is the essay logical, well organized and well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?

• Effective Use of Information: Does the submission demonstrate that the student has read, understood, and can apply the background materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by student's use of relevant and quality sources? Do additional sources used provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?

• Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all sources cited in the paper been included on the References page?

• Timeliness: Has the assignment been submitted to TLC (Trident's learning management system) on or before the module's due date?