R04V : Human Relations
Question 1
Pamela wants to obtain as much useful self-knowledge as she can, so she obtains a personal evaluation from a counseling psychologist. Among the findings from a personality standpoint are that Pamela scores high on (a) extraversion, (b) openness, (c) agreeableness, (d) conscientiousness, and (d) optimism. She score lows on the personality factors of (a) neuroticism, (b) self-monitoring, (c) risk taking and thrill seeking. Among the findings related to cognitive ability, Pamela scores quite high on practical intelligence and linguistic intelligence. She scores average on analytical intelligence, and quite high on emotional intelligence. Imagine yourself as Pamela's supervisor, and you want to build an effective working relationship with her. You have given Pamela a key role in a project of major significance to your team. A useful approach in dealing with Pamela would be to:
move slowly in forming a working relationship with her, follow up frequently on your requests, and impose strict deadlines.
give her a lot of freedom, do not nag, and be particularly friendly and warm toward her,
monitor her progress closely, encourage her to try far-out ideas, and focus your conversation on the task.
be careful not to express your anxiety and fears about the project, and look out for her saying things that she thinks you want to hear.
Question 2
Marketing assistant Jody has been having financial problems recently. She has been late with some bills, and has neglected other bills for months. She figures that if she can at least concentrate on her job, she will perform well enough to get a salary increase in four months. Any extra money she receives will be applied immediately toward rent reduction. During a product launch meeting, she feels a small vibration coming from her handbag, and recognizes that it is her cell phone indicating a call or text message is waiting. Jody peeks at her phone to see a text message from her landlord that states, "Pay $750 by tomorrow or be evicted." Jody feels the urgent need to reply to the message, explaining that she will have the money in five days. From the standpoint of displaying good interpersonal skill, what should Jody do about responding to the call?
Pick up her cell phone immediately and send a response explaining her plan to pay in five days.
Place her cell phone on her lap and send a text message the best she can without appearing to be sending a text message.
Begin to cough, holding up five fingers suggesting that she has to leave the room and will return in a few minutes. While out of the conference room, Jody then sends the urgent text message.
Wait for a break in the meeting, and then discretely compose a message to her landlord.
Question 3
Victoria and Ted are part of an environmental protection team for a large company that manufactures and distributes carbonated beverages, juice drinks, and snacks. A major part of their responsibilities as team members is to investigate how the company can become more environmentally friendly. Included on the eight-member team are packaging design specialists, biologists, marketing specialists, and a financial analyst. A good deal of heated discussion takes place on the team about methods of preserving the environment that would be cost effective and truly helpful to the environment. Both Victoria and Ted want to do a good job as well as be good team players. One day the team leader asks Victoria and Ted to perform an analysis of the type of trash found regularly in the company Dumpsters. In discussing the assignment with each other, the two teammates and friends agree that such an assignment is totally vile. To preserve their goal of being good team players, yet still enjoy their wo
Explain to the team leader that they both want to be good organizational citizens, but garbage analysis is too far removed from their job description.
Acquire the necessary technical expertise, get the job done as quickly as possible, and don't criticize the assignment.
Explain to the team leader that analyzing the contents of a Dumpster does not fit the big picture of preserving the environment.
Explain to the team leader that his job is so important they would like to have three other team members' help with the garbage analysis so that a
Question 4
Kathy is an office manager at a growing law firm that specializes in pursuing awards for accident victims. She is assigned as the head of a problem-solving group to decide on where to locate a new, expanded office downtown. A major decision facing the group is to rent space in a sleek, new office building or renovate space in a former factory building. The space in the old factory building would have brick walls, and resemble a large loft. During the second meeting on this topic, the discussion has become quite heated, with comments such as these: "Are we going to look like a law firm, or a wild, creative advertising gang?" "The new office building might give the impression that we are a rich law firm exploiting our poor clients. The converted office building would look like we are human and caring." The mood of the problem-solving group is turning toward negativism and disagreement. To help deal with some of the emotion that has surfaced during the second meeting, group leader Kathy
call for a standup meeting, which will probably shorten the debate.
ask that each person with a strong preference for either type of rental space fully express his or her opinion, including facts and feelings.
explain that since this is a law firm, only facts, not feelings, can be entered into debate.
explain to the group that disagreement on major issues is dysfunctional (harmful).
Question 5
Isabella is a production supervisor for an American company that manufactures high-tech equipment for the optics industry. She is sent to Beijing, China, to help troubleshoot a problem with a machine installed at a major client in Beijing. As Isabella attends the first meeting, the Chinese managers and professionals are courteous, and they smile frequently. Yet she detects a little resistance in dealing with her. One of the Chinese managers says, "When will your boss be here?" Another manager says, "You must be the secretary from America. I hope the technical details in the meeting will not bore you." To begin asserting her authority, Isabella might try which one of the following tactics?
Give the group a small lecture about gender egalitarianism, and explain that she is from the United States, not China.
Say to the group, "I understand that my job might seem a little unusual, but I am the production supervisor sent here to work with you. I want to help you because you are an honored customer."
Explain that although she is the manufacturing supervisor sent to fix the problem, she is flexible enough to carry out such roles as serving coffee and tea at the meeting.
Say to the group, "You are an honored customer and our company wants to fix your problem. But I suggest that we cancel our meeting, and I will return after your management team has completed diversity training."
Question 6
Roberto has been a hard-working and high-performing distribution specialist for a food distribution company. Based on his good performance and positive interpersonal skills, he is appointed as team leader of the group that distributes food to schools and hospitals. Several weeks into the job, Roberto notices that the team of workers is really not working much like a team. The team members each seem to do their own job acceptably, but there is not a high level of cooperation and coordination among them. Roberto has been somewhat successful in his preliminary attempt to move the group toward better teamwork. To help sustain the teamwork, Roberto is advised to use which approach to leadership?
Authoritarian
Avoidance of all charismatic traits and behaviors
Participative or shared leadership
Micromanagement
Question 7
Justine is the director of international marketing in her company. One of the people assigned to her team is marketing associate Sebastian. Although Sebastian is performing satisfactorily, Justine is not entirely satisfied with his performance. As Justine perceives the situation, Sebastian seems to feel that because he is a recent marketing graduate he is a highly knowledgeable marketing professional. Also, he recently gave a PowerPoint presentation to management that Justine attended. Justine observed several factual errors as well as a few embarrassing spelling errors. Justine has a coaching session this morning with Sebastian. She wants to coach him on doing a more careful job when making a PowerPoint presentation. An effective tactic for Justine would be to :
tell Sebastian to please listen for ten minutes before saying anything in the coaching session.
explain to Sebastian that his recent PowerPoint presentation was wretched, and that anybody else in the department could have done a better job.
point out a couple of specific errors Sebastian made in his recent PowerPoint presentation.
accuse Sebastian of being careless and sloppy in his PowerPoint presentation.
Question 8
Steve is the cafeteria manager at the company headquarters of a major financial services firm located in Texas. He is well prepared and well experienced for his role as cafeteria manager, and aspires toward other positions in the company. Steve says, "Some people think I have reached my ceiling as cafeteria manager. I don't think so. I can see myself someday taking on other responsibilities, including become the facilities manager. If I continue to run an outstanding cafeteria and make the right connections, I can move up." Today Steve is meeting with Clarissa, the manager of human resources, to discuss plans for expanding the cafeteria staff. Steve has heard that at his company, getting along well with coworkers is a key criterion for being promoted. Steve regards Clarissa as a coworker, but they have had only two brief contacts because Clarissa is relatively new to the company. What might Steve do to best develop a good relationship today in their meeting in her office?
Flatter Clarissa by telling her that he has heard she is one of the most outstanding human resource managers in the southern United States.
Suggest to Clarissa that he is willing to help her with some of her toughest tasks, because he has great natural talents in dealing with people.
Explain to Clarissa that he understands how important her role is in the organization, and that without the right people a business firm is destined to fail.
Brag about his skill in managing people, and how he sees his job as a stepping stone to bigger responsibility.
Question 9
Bruce is the administrative support manager at a large legal firm. His managerial duties include purchasing supplies and equipment, human resource management, and supervising the support staff. The law firm has been cited by the state bar association for engaging in several unethical practices, such as overcharging clients and advertising too aggressively. The partners at the firm have therefore decided that the law firm must reestablish its reputation by being highly ethical in dealing with the public and employees. A representative from a computer manufacturer calls on Bruce with the intent of equipping the entire legal staff, including both attorneys and paralegals, with a new model netbook computer. The rep, Samantha, explains that if the entire staff is equipped with this line of computers, productivity will increase by at least 15 percent, based on experience with other legal firms. Bruce is a little skeptical of these productivity gains, yet he is willing to listen because part
Ask if any kickback Samantha might have in mind could also be shared with his boss.
Request immediately that their conversation be kept strictly confidential.
Explain to Samantha that his law firm makes purchasing decisions strictly on the merits of the product or service.
Ask Samantha what she means by "treats decision makers very well" before discussing the possible purchase of netbook computers any further.
Question 10
At age twenty-four, DeShaun had earned a business degree and aspires to becoming a retail executive. To launch his career, he took a retailing position that would give him the biggest responsibility at an early age, the manager of a dollar store. After two years as manager, DeShaun has performed outstandingly well. Sales have exceeded quota in his store, employee turnover is well below average, and inventory shrinkage (theft) is below average. DeShaun feels that he is ready to advance his career. DeShaun decides to quietly conduct a job search in order to explore how much he might be in demand. To achieve the best results from his job search, how should DeShaun state his job objective?
State that he is searching for more responsibility in a higher-paying field.
State that it would be best for the prospective employer to decide where he best fits.
State that he is searching for a position in retail management.
State that he searching for a position as a discount-store manager.
