QUESTIONS + ANSWERS

Negotiation

1) What causes conflict in the organizations?• Poor communication• Lack of openness• Failure to respond to employee needs2) ………… (I will give a situation), in this situation, which conflict handling intention would you use?

One of the following and explain why: Collaborating: A situation in which the parties to a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the concerns of all

parties:I win, you win Fundamental premise : Teamwork and cooperation help everyone achieve their goals while also maintaining relationships Strategic philosophy : The process of working through differences will lead to creative solutions that will satisfy both parties' concerns

When to use : • When there is a high level of trust • When you don't want to have full responsibility • When you want others to also have "ownership" of solutions • When the people involved are willing to change their thinking as more information is found and

new options are suggested • When you need to work through animosity and hard feelings• Drawbacks : • The process takes lots of time and energy • Some may take advantage of other people's trust and openness

Compromising: A situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up something:You bend, I bendFundamental premise : Winning something while losing a little is OK Strategic philosophy : Both ends are placed against the middle in an attempt to serve the "common good" while ensuring each person can maintain something of their original position When to use :

• When people of equal status are equally committed to goals • When time can be saved by reaching intermediate settlements on individual parts of complex

issues • When goals are moderately important

Drawbacks : • Important values and long-term objectives can be derailed in the process • May not work if initial demands are too great • Can spawn cynicism, especially if there's no commitment to honor the compromise solutions

Accommodating: The willingness of one party in a conflict to place the opponent’s interests above his or her own:I lose, you winFundamental premise : Working toward a common purpose is more important than any of the peripheral concerns; the trauma of confronting differences may damage fragile relationships

Strategic philosophy: Appease others by downplaying conflict, thus protecting the relationship When to use:

• When an issue is not as important to you as it is to the other person • When you realize you are wrong • When you are willing to let others learn by mistake • When you know you cannot win • When it is not the right time and you would prefer to simply build credit for the future • When harmony is extremely important • When what the parties have in common is a good deal more important than their differences

Drawbacks: • One's own ideas don't get attention • Credibility and influence can be lost

Competing: A desire to satisfy one’s interests, regardless of the impact on the other party to the conflict:I win, you loseFundamental premise : Associates "winning" a conflict with competition Strategic philosophy : When goals are extremely important, one must sometimes use power to win When to use :

• When you know you are right • When time is short and a quick decision is needed • When a strong personality is trying to steamroller you and you don't want to be taken advantage

of • When you need to stand up for your rights

Drawbacks : • Can escalate conflict • Losers may retaliate

Avoiding: The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict:No winners, no losersFundamental premise : This isn't the right time or place to address this issue Strategic philosophy : Avoids conflict by withdrawing, sidestepping, or postponing When to use :

• When the conflict is small and relationships are at stake • When you're counting to ten to cool off • When more important issues are pressing and you feel you don't have time to deal with this

particular one • When you have no power and you see no chance of getting your concerns met • When you are too emotionally involved and others around you can solve the conflict more

successfully • When more information is needed

Drawbacks : • Important decisions may be made by default • Postponing may make matters worse

3) What are the most common conflict resolution techniques? (Table 15.1 on page 407)

• Problem solving

• Super ordinate goals

• Expansion of resources

• Avoidance

• Smoothing

• Compromise

• Authoritative command

• Altering the human variable

• Altering the structural variables

4) What criteria do we use when we choose distributive and integrative bargaining?Distributive Bargaining: Negotiation that seeks to divide up a fixed amount of resources; a win-lose situation.Integrative Bargaining: Negotiation that seeks one or more settlements that can create a win-win solution

5) When to use distributive bargaining? When to use integrative bargaining?

6) What is the process in negotiation?

Preparation and planning – Definition of ground rules – Clarification and justification – Bargaining and problem solving – Closure and implementation

7) What are the individual differences in negotiation effectiveness?– Personality traits do not appear to have a significantly direct effect on the outcomes of either bargaining

or negotiating processes.– Women negotiate no differently from men, although men apparently negotiate slightly better outcomes.– Men and women with similar power bases use the same negotiating styles.– Women’s attitudes toward negotiation and their success as negotiators are less favorable than men’s.

8) What is the impact of culture on negotiation? Culture is an important variable that will affect negotiations. It is difficult to track the myriad starting points used by negotiators from different national settings, especially as

cultures are in constant flux, and context influences behavior in multiple ways. Negotiators also vary in the styles of persuasion they rely upon and their comfort with emotionality:

In American settings, appeals tend to be made to logic, relying on "objective" facts. Emotional sensitivity is not highly valued, and dealings may seem straightforward and impersonal.

Japanese negotiators value emotional sensitivity highly, and tend to hide emotions behind calm exteriors

Latin American negotiators tend to share the Japanese appreciation of emotional sensitivity, and express themselves passionately about their points of view.

Arab negotiators may appeal to emotions and subjective feelings in an effort to persuade others.

Russians, in contrast, tend to appeal to ideals, drawing everyone's attention to overarching principles

Monochronic approaches to time are linear, sequential and involve focusing on one thing at a time. These approaches are most common in the European-influenced cultures of the United States, Germany, Switzerland, and Scandinavia. Japanese people also tend toward this end of the time continuum. Negotiators from monochronic cultures tend to:

prefer prompt beginnings and endings schedule breaks deal with one agenda item at a time rely on specific, detailed, and explicit communication prefer to talk in sequence, view lateness as devaluing or evidence of lack of respect

Polychronic orientations to time involve simultaneous occurrences of many things and the involvement of many people. The time it takes to complete an interaction is elastic, and more important than any schedule. This orientation is most common in Mediterranean and Latin cultures including France, Italy, Greece, and Mexico, as well as some Eastern and African cultures. Negotiators from Polychronic cultures tend to:

start and end meetings at flexible times, take breaks when it seems appropriate, be comfortable with a high flow of information, expect to read each others' thoughts and minds, sometimes overlap talk, view start times as flexible and not take lateness personally

Another dimension of time relevant to negotiations is the focus on PAST, PRESENT OR FUTURE:

Cultures like Iran, India, and the Far East are categorized by Carbaugh as past-oriented. The United States tends to be oriented to the present and the near-future. Latin America leans toward both present and past orientations. Indigenous people in North

America combine a past- and future-oriented approach to time that stretches seven generations forward and back.

Negotiators focused on the present should be mindful that others may see the past or the distant future as part of the present. Negotiators for whom time stretches into the past or the future may need to remember that a present orientation can bring about needed change.

Organizational Structure

1) What are the determinants and outcomes of organizational structure?Organizational Structure: The formal arrangement (system of task and reporting relationships showing how workers use resources) of jobs within an organization.

2) What is the purpose of organizing?• Divides work to be done into specific jobs and departments.• Assigns tasks and responsibilities associated with individual jobs.• Coordinates diverse organizational tasks.• Clusters jobs into units.• Establishes relationships among individuals, groups, and departments.• Establishes formal lines of authority.• Allocates and deploys organizational resources.

3) What are the typical types of organizational structure in today’s business word?

1. Tall structure:

Long chain of command: As an organization grows, the number of management levels increases and the structure grows taller. In a tall structure, managers form many ranks and each has a small area of control.

2. Flat structure:

Fewer management levels, with each level controlling a broad area or group.

Focus on empowering employees rather than adhering to the chain of command

3.Virtual structure:

An organization uses information and communication technologies to replace or augment some aspect of the organization.

People are virtually organized primarily interact by electronic means.

eg: many customer help desks link customers and consultants together via telephone or the Internet

4. Boundary-less organization structure:

A contemporary approach in Organizational design.

It is an organization that is not defined by, or limited to the horizontal, vertical or external boundaries imposed by a pre-defined structure.

It behaves more like an organism encouraging better integration among employees and closer partnership with stakeholders.

5. Matrix structure:

An organization in which specialists from functional departments are assigned to work on one or more projects led by a project manager

6. Team Structure:

Use of teams as a central device for coordinating work activities. Characteristics: Breaks down departmental barriers. Decentralizes decision making to the team level. Requires employees to be generalists as well as specialists. Creates a “flexible bureaucracy.”

4) What is the relationship between organizational design and employee behavior?Research Findings:

• Work specialization contributes to higher employee productivity, but it reduces job satisfaction.• The benefits of specialization have decreased rapidly as employees seek more intrinsically rewarding jobs.• The effect of span of control on employee performance is contingent upon individual differences and abilities,

task structures, and other organizational factors.• Participative decision making in decentralized organizations is positively related to job satisfaction.

5) What affects width of span?Span of Control: The number of subordinates a manager can efficiently and effectively direct.

Width of span is affected by: Skills and abilities of the manager Employee characteristics Characteristics of the work being done Similarity of tasks Complexity of tasks Physical proximity of subordinates Standardization of tasks

6) When do we prefer decentralization? Or centralization?Centralization: The degree to which decision making is concentrated at a single point in the organization.Decentralization: The degree to which decision making is spread throughout the organization.

7) What is the difference between mechanistic versus organic organization based on ….. such as leadership, communication, decision, etc.?

8) What are the 6 key elements that define an organization’s structure?- Work place specialization- Departmentalization- Chain of Command- Span of Control- Centralization and decentralization- Formalization

9) How does globalization affect organizational structure?

As globalization becomes more prevalent, companies deal with increased cultural diversity within the workforce. These changes require small and large businesses to learn how to deal with this diversity as well as to adopt new policies and guidelines for workers.

Cultural, religious and ethnic diversity in the workplace presents a need for more employee training. In order to protect their companies and their new employees from discrimination, managers have had to implement policies and offer training to existing employees to make sure everyone can accept one another.

Organizational culture

1) What are the functions and liabilities of organizational culture?Functions:

Defining boundaries Conveying identity Promoting commitment Enhances the stability of the social system Serves as a sense-making & control mechanism

Liabilities:

Barrier to change Barrier to diversity Barrier to acquisitions and mergers

2) What are the reinforcers of organizational culture?

- Actions of founders and leaders- Culturally consistent rewards- Selecting and socializing employees- Aligning artifacts

3) How is an organizational culture created and maintained?

4) How employees learn culture?

Norms

• Expected Behavior

• Standards

• Chain of command

• Wardrobe

Languages

• Jargon

• terminology

Heroes & Heroines

• Personify values

• create role models

• intuitive & visionary

• ethic of creation not

competition

• success attainable

• symbolize company

• standard of performance

• motivate employees

Folkways

• Customs

• Unconscious acts

• Shaking hands

• Arriving early

Mores

• Subclass of folkways

• important to survival

• right-wrong behavior

• cheating on expenses

Ceremonies & Rites

• Elaborate, planned events to celebrate values

• often dramatic in nature

• reinforce specific values

• create bond of common understanding

• anoint cultural heroes & heroines

Symbols

• Events & things with special & deeply held meanings

• large office with window

• seating close to CEO

Myths

• Frequently told stories

• Based on true or

imaginary events

• shared & told to

newcomers

5) How do Hofstede’s dimensions affect business? How do we use it organizations (implications)?

Hofstede: The first cultural model, Based on 116,000 questionnaires from employees of IBM subsidiaries, in 50 countries. The dimensions are:

- Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS):

The masculinity : a preference in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness and material rewards for success. Society at large is more competitive.

Femininity: stands for a preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life

Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI):

High UAI: the members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen?

Power Distance Index (PDI):

High PDI: the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. The fundamental issue here is how a society handles inequalities among people.

Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV):

individualism (The high side): a preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of only themselves and their immediate families.

Collectivism : a preference for a tightly-knit framework in society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty.

Long Term Orientation versus Short Term (LTO):

High LTO: they encourage thrift and efforts in modern education as a way to prepare for the future.

Indulgence versus Restraint (IND):

Indulgence: allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun.

Restraint: suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms.

6) How do Trompenaars’ culture work affect business? How do we use it organizations (implications)?

Country Level:

Relationships with people:

Universalism vs. Particularism:

What is more important, rules or relationships?

Individualism vs. Collectivism:

Do we function in a group or as individuals?

Specific vs. Diffuse:

How separate we keep our private and working lives?

Neutral vs. Affective:

Do we display our emotions?

Achievement vs. Ascription:

Do we have to prove ourselves to receive status or is it given to us?

Perspective on Time:

Sequential vs. Synchronic:

Do we do things one at a time or several things at once?

Relationship with the Environment:

Internal vs. External Control:

Do we control our environment or are we controlled by it?

Corporate Level:

Family Culture

Eiffel Tower Culture

Guided Missile Culture

Incubator Culture

7) ….. for this type of business, which organizational culture is more proper?

HRM

1) Why is HR critical to firm performance? 85% of all firms in the US are service firms. Service is delivered by people. Low quality HR leads to low quality customer service. In the 21st century effective knowledge management translates into competitive advantage and

profits. Knowledge comes from a firm’s people

2) What are the activities of the major human resource management? (The Human Resource Management Process)1) Providing qualified, well-trained employees for the organization.2) Maximizing employee effectiveness in the organization.3) Satisfying individual employee needs through monetary compensation, benefits, opportunities to

advance, and job satisfaction.3) What are the major sources of potential job candidates?

4) What is the effectiveness of interviews?

Prior knowledge about an applicant Attitude of the interviewer The order of the interview Negative information The first five minutes The content of the interview The validity of the interview Structured versus unstructured interviews

5) What is a training cycle?Training is an educational process. People can learn new information, re-learn and reinforce existing knowledge and skills, and most importantly have time to think and consider what new options can help them improve their effectiveness at work. Effective trainings convey relevant and useful information that inform participants and develop skills and behaviors that can be transferred back to the workplace.

6) How do you evaluate training effectiveness? Many factors determine training effectiveness:

– Training method used– Individual motivation

– Trainee personality: those with internal locus of control, high conscientiousness, high cognitive ability, and high self-efficacy learn best

– Training climate: ability to apply the learning to the job

7) What are the purposes of performance evaluation? Purposes of Performance Evaluation

– Making general human resource decisions.• Promotions, transfers, and terminations

– Identifying training and development needs.• Employee skills and competencies

– Validating selection and development programs.• Employee performance compared to selection evaluation and anticipated performance results of

participation in training.– Providing feedback to employees.

• The organization’s view of their current performance– Supplying the basis for rewards allocation decisions.

• Merit pay increases and other rewards

8) ………………… for this position, what kind of performance evaluation method will you use?Options to Choose from:

Essay Evaluation form In this form, performance is appraised based on the use of essay evaluation method Forced Choice form This formatted performance appraisal is done by using the method called forced choice Weighted checklist form This method describes a performance appraisal method where the jobs being evaluated based on descriptive

statements about effective and ineffective behavior on jobs. Rating scale form This style of performance appraisal is made base on building a set of categories designed to elicit information

about a quantitative or a qualitative attribute. Self Appraisal form This is the style of performance appraisal in which employees make assessments on their own working

performances

9) How can you improve performance evaluations?- Emphasize behaviors rather than traits.- Document performance behaviors in a journal.- Use multiple evaluators to overcome rater biases.- Evaluate selectively based on evaluator competence.- Train evaluators to improve rater accuracy.- Provide employees with due process.

10) What are the factors that influence compensation?

11) How the selection process works in an organization? Initial Selection

– Applicants who don’t meet basic requirements are rejected. Substantive Selection

– Applicants who meet basic requirements, but are less qualified than others, are rejected. Contingent Selection

– Applicants who are among best qualified, but who fail contingent selection, are rejected. Applicant receives job offer.

12) What type of training programs we can use in today’s business?

Traditional Training Methods

– On-the-job

– Job rotation

– Mentoring and coaching

– Experiential exercises

– Workbooks/manuals

– Classroom lectures

Technology-Based Training Methods

– CD-ROM/DVD/Videotapes/ Audiotapes

– Videoconferencing/ teleconferencing/Satellite TV

E-learning or other interactive modules

Change Management

1) What are the reasons for organizational change in today’s business world?

2) What are the reasons (sources) for resistance to change?

3) What are the reasons (sources) for merger and acquisitions? (From investopedia)

The primary motive should be the creation of synergy.

Overpayment due to over-

estimating synergy

Slow pace of integration

Poor strategy

- Economies of scale and scope- Synergy and dynamic efficiency (managerial ability, know-how, technology)- Market power- Market access

- Access to inputs- Complementarity of products- Diversification (risk-spreading)- Preemption- “Empire-building” CEOs

4) What are the consequences of resistance to change?- Withdrawal - Decrements in performance - Sabotage - Acting out - Work slowdown- Loose of loyalty to the organization- Loose of motivation to work - Increase in the number of absenteeism- Increase errors and mistakes - Lower levels of job satisfaction- Higher intentions to quit- Results in politics or political behavior - Introduces costs and delays into the change process - Cripple an organization

5) How can we overcome resistance to change?

Tactics for dealing with resistance to change:

• Education and communication

• Participation

• Facilitation and support

• Negotiation

• Manipulation and cooptation

• Coercion

6) What are the main problems for organizations during a M&A?1. Deal Structure2. Cash versus Equity3. Working Capital Adjustments4. Escrows and Earn-Outs5. Representations and Warranties6. Target Indemnification7. Joint and Several Liability8. Closing Conditions9. HSR/Timing Issues10. Non-competes & Non-solicits

7) Do you think Lewin’s or Kottler’s change implementation plan work better in today’s organizations?

Kottler’s 8 Step Process:– STEP 1: Create a Sense of Urgency – STEP 2: Creating the Guiding Coalition – STEP 3: Developing a Change Vision – STEP 4: Communicating the Vision for Buy-in – STEP 5: Empowering People and Removing Barriers– STEP 6: Generating Short-term wins – STEP 7: Don't Let Up! – STEP 8: Make it Stick

8) What is a learning organization? Do we need them in today’s competitive world?

Learning Organization: An organization that has developed the continuous capacity to adapt and change.

Hint: Yes, we do need it.

Characteristics:

1. Holds a shared vision

2. Discards old ways of thinking.

3. Views organization as system of relationships.

4. Communicates openly.

5. Works together to achieve shared vision

Management issues

1) What is bullying? When to call a behavior as bullying?Bullying and harassment at work may be defined as repeated behavior, actions and practices directed at one or more workers, which may be carried out deliberately or unconsciously, but which are unwanted targets causing

humiliation, offence, and distress, and which may interfere with job performance and/or cause an unpleasant working environment.

2) Examples for bullying.• Unwarranted or invalid criticism • Blame without factual justification • Being treated differently than the rest of your work group • Being sworn at • Exclusion or social isolation • Being shouted at or being humiliated • Excessive monitoring or micro-managing • Being given work unrealistic deadlines

3) What is the difference between bullying and strong management?• Is the criticism constructive or destructive?• Is the criticism about the mistake or about the person?• Is it designed to make the person aware of their error and to get it right in future or just to humiliate them?

4) Do you believe if there is any connection between leadership style, ethics, and bullying?(Your opinion)

5) What are the reasons for WFC from employee stand point? • At an individual level, the most common causes of work-family conflict are:

1) the desire to be successful in multiple roles in life2) family characteristics (e.g., lack of support from spouse, major responsibility for childrearing) 3) work schedule inflexibility4) work-role stressors (e.g., ambiguous work-roles)

• At an organizational level, the most common causes of work-family conflict are, 1)Job control (i.e., the amount of control employees have to cope with job demands)2)Organizational and manager support3)Work overload

6) What are the consequences for WFC from employee stand point? The most common outcomes of work-family conflict for individuals are:

• higher instances of job and family distress• poor health outcomes• decreased job and life satisfaction. • A decrease in job satisfaction is, arguably, one of the most significant outcomes.

7) What is the role of organizational culture in WFC?

Degree of WFC ultimately depends on the type of culture. Bla bla bla… about the types and how they effect WFC.

8) What are the recent management trends?

• In addition to the general consensus that managing the often competing and formidable demands of paid work and family commitments may be the most central challenge in women's lives, there is growing awareness that this challenge also confronts men.

• Several demographic trends suggest that this topic will be increasing in importance to women and men in the future. With dual-earner couples now the majority of all families in the United States, men and women are juggling the demands of their own and their partners' jobs while also managing their family responsibilities.

• Moreover, globalization, the 24/7 economy, downsizings, job insecurity, and the lengthening workweek, especially among highly educated workers, all increase the likelihood of work-family conflict.

9) What are the family-friendly workplace practices?• Workplace policies designed to decrease work-family conflict are increasingly prevalent.

• These policies (e.g., flextime, part-time, flex-place) are designed to increase flexibility, improve employee recruitment, retention, morale, and productivity and reduce employee distress, burnout, and unplanned absences.

• However, many employees hesitate to take advantage of such options fearing long-term negative career consequences. These fears are reduced in workplaces in which there is strong top-down support. This support needs to be reflected in a host of related policies addressing work design, performance review, promotion, seniority, and benefits.

• Other interventions may include: giving employees more decision-making power, developing more economical ways of performing tasks, job re-design, or implementing new work systems.

10) What can managers do to lower the stress level of an employee?

• Improved personnel selection and job placement

• Training

• Use of realistic goal setting

• Redesigning of jobs

• Increased employee involvement

• Improved organizational communication

• Offering employee sabbaticals

• Establishment of corporate wellness programs

11) What is the organizational reasons that cause stress for employees?

Organizational Factors

Task demands related to the job

Role demands of functioning in an organization

Interpersonal demands created by other employees

Organizational structure (rules and regulations)

Organizational leadership (managerial style)

Organization’s life stage (growth, stability, or decline)

12) What is talent management, why is it so valuable?

Talent Management is a set of integrated organizational HR processes designed to attract, develop, motivate, and retain productive, engaged employees. The goal of talent management is to create a high-performance, sustainable organization that meets its strategic and operational goals and objectives.

13) What is diversity management, why is it so valuable?

Diversity management is the process and programs by which managers make everyone more aware of and sensitive to the needs and differences of others. OR Diversity management is the strategy of using best practices with proven results to find and create a diverse and inclusive workplace. Successful strategies link diversity progress directly to business results.