Part 1

The purpose of this exercise is to examine satisfaction with the work itself across jobs. This exercise uses groups, so your instructor will either assign you to a group or ask you to create your own group. The exercise has the following steps:

1.1 Use the OB Assessments for Chapter 4 to calculate the Satisfaction Potential Score (SPS) for the following four jobs:

a. A third-grade public school teacher.
b. A standup comedian.
c. A computer programmer whose job is to replace "15" with "2015" in thousands of lines
of computer code.
d. A president of the United States.

1.2 Which job has the highest SPS? Which core job characteristics best explain why some jobs have high scores and other jobs have low scores? Write down the scores for the four jobs in an Excel file on the classroom computer or on the board.

1.3 Class discussion (whether in groups or as a class) should center on two questions. First, is the job that scored the highest really the one that would be the most enjoyable on a day-in, day-out basis? Second, does that mean it would be the job that you would pick if you could snap your fingers and magically attain one of the jobs on the list? Why or why not? What other job satisfaction theory is relevant to this issue?

Part 2

The purpose of this exercise is to explore ways of managing stress to reduce strain. This exercise uses groups, so your instructor will either assign you to a group or ask you to create your own group. The exercise has the following steps:

2.1 One method of managing stress is finding a way to reduce the hindrance stressors encountered on the job. In your group, describe the hindrance stressors that you currently are experiencing. Each student should describe the two to three most important stressors following
the chart below. Other students should then offer strategies for reducing or alleviating the stressors.

HINDRANCE STRESSORS EXPERIENCED               STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING STRESSORS

Role Conflict:

Role Ambiguity:

Role Overload:

Daily Hassles:

2.2 Another method of managing stress is to improve work-life balance. The circle below represents how "waking hours" are divided among five types of activities: school, work, personal relaxation, time with friends, and time with family. Draw two versions of your own circle:

your waking hours as they currently are, and your waking hours as you wish them to be. Other students should then offer strategies for making the necessary life changes.

2.3 A third method of managing stress is improving hardiness -a sort of mental and physical health that can act as a buffer, preventing stress from resulting in strain. The table below lists a number of questions that can help diagnose your hardiness. Discuss your answers for each question, then with the help of other students, brainstorm ways to increase that hardiness factor.

HARDINESS FACTOR                                               STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING FACTOR

Relaxation: Do you spend enough time
reading, listening to music, meditating, or
pursuing your hobbies?

Exercise: Do you spend enough time doing
cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility sorts
of exercises?

Diet: Do you manage your diet adequately
by eating healthily and avoiding foods high
in fat?

2.4 Class discussion (whether in groups or as a class) should center on two issues. First, many of the stress-managing factors, especially in steps 2 and 3, take up precious time. Does this make them an ineffective strategy for managing stress? Why or why not? Second, consider your Type A score in the OB Assessments for this chapter. If you are high on Type A, does that make these strategies more or less important?

Part 3

The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate how compensation can be used to influence motivation.

This exercise uses groups, so your instructor will either assign you to a group or ask you to create your own group. The exercise has the following steps:

3.1 Read the following scenario:

Chris Clements and Pat Palmer are both computer programmers working for the same Fortune 500 company. One day they found out that Chris earns $60,820 per year, while Pat earns $72,890. Chris was surprised and said, "I can't think of any reason why we should be paid so differently." "I can think of at least 10 reasons," Pat responded. Can you, like Pat, think of at least 10 reasons that could cause this difference in salary between two people?

These reasons can be legal or illegal, wise or unwise.

3.2 Going around the group from member to member, generate a list of 10 conceivable reasons why Pat may be earning more than Chris. Remember, the reasons can be legal or illegal, wise or unwise.

3.3 Consider whether the theories discussed in the chapter-expectancy theory, goal setting theory, equity theory, and psychological empowerment-are relevant to the list of reasons you've generated. Maybe one of the theories supports the wisdom of a given reason. For example, maybe Pat's job is more difficult than Chris's job. Equity theory would support the wisdom of that reason because job difficulty is a relevant input. Maybe one of the theories questions the wisdom of a given reason. For example, maybe Chris's boss believes that salary increases are a poor use of limited financial resources. Expectancy theory would question the wisdom of that reason because that philosophy harms instrumentality.

3.4 Elect a group member to write the group's 10 reasons on the board. Then indicate which theories are relevant to the various reasons by writing one or more of the following abbreviations next to a given reason: EX for expectancy theory, GS for goal setting theory, EQ for equity theory, and PE for psychological empowerment.

3.5 Class discussion (whether in groups or as a class) should center on which theories seem most relevant to the potential reasons for the pay differences between Chris and Pat. Are there some potential reasons that don't seem relevant to any of the four theories? Do those reasons tend to be legal or illegal, wise or unwise?

Part 4

4.1 Which would be more damaging in organizational life-being too trusting or not being trusting enough? Why do you feel that way?

4.2 Consider the three dimensions of trustworthiness (ability, benevolence, and integrity). Which of those dimensions would be most important when deciding whether to trust your boss? What about when deciding whether to trust a friend? If your two answers differ, why do they?

4.3 Putting yourself in the shoes of a manager, which of the four justice dimensions (distributive, procedural, interpersonal, informational) would you find most difficult to maximize? Which would be the easiest to maximize?

4.4 Which component of ethical decision making do you believe best explains student cheating: moral awareness, moral judgment, or moral intent? Why do you feel that way?

4.5 Assume you were applying for a job at a company known for its corporate social responsibility. How important would that be to you when deciding whether to accept a job offer?

Part 5

5.1 In your current or past workplaces, what types of tacit knowledge did experienced workers possess? What did this knowledge allow them to do?

5.2 Companies rely on employees with substantial amounts of tacit knowledge. Why do companies struggle when these employees leave the organization unexpectedly? What can companies do to help ensure that they retain tacit knowledge?

5.3 What does the term "expert" mean to you? What exactly do experts do that novices don't?

5.4 Do you consider yourself to be a "rational" decision maker? For what types of decisions are you determined to be the most rational? What types of decisions are likely to cause you to behave irrationally?

8.5 Given your background, which of the decision-making biases listed in the chapter do you most struggle with? What could you do to overcome those biases to make more accurate decisions?