critical thinking questions

1. A friend suggests that organizational behavior courses 6. What does evidence-based management mean? Describe
are useful only to people who will enter management ca- situations you have heard about in which companies have
reers. Discuss the accuracy of your friend’s statement. practiced evidence-based management, as well as situa-
2. Problem solving, teamwork, communication, and tions in which companies have relied on fads that lacked
adaptability/initiative are four of the top skills identified by sufficient evidence of their worth.
employers as most important when hiring (see Exhibit 1.1). 7. Work–life integration is one of the most important issues
How have these skills been important (or unimportant) that job applicants consider when choosing where to work.
for you in jobs that you have held or as a student? Identify Think about the variety of specific benefits, working condi-
one other skill that you would place at or near the top of tions, or resources that employers offer to support work–life
the list for working effectively in organizations. integration. Which of these is most valuable to you person-
3. Organizational behavior provides valuable knowledge to ally at this stage in your life and career? Why? In what ways
improve and maintain organizational effectiveness. Scan have you personally been able to minimize conflict between
through the topics of this book to identify a few ways your work (including school) and nonwork roles?
that OB knowledge is useful. Your answer should refer 8. Automattic and several other businesses (e.g., Emsisoft,
not only to the OB chapter theme, but also to open sys- Gitlab) are completely remote (distributed) companies.
tems, human capital, and/or stakeholders. Everyone who works for these firms performs their jobs
4. After attending a seminar on human capital, a mining from home or cafés. In your opinion, will distributed
company executive argues that this view of organizations companies become more common in the future? Why or
ignores the fact that mining companies could not rely on why not? Would you prefer working in a remote company—
people alone to stay in business. They also need physical one that has no physical location, just (maybe) an
capital (such as digging and ore-processing equipment) occasional gathering of staff at a conference setting or
and land (where the minerals are located). In fact, these resort? Or do you prefer working face-to-face most days
two may be more important than what employees carry with coworkers at a company worksite? Why?
around in their heads. Discuss the mining executive’s 9. A federal government department has high levels of
comments in the context of human capital and organiza- absenteeism among the office staff. The head of office
tional effectiveness. administration argues that employees are misusing
5. Most companies actively hire and retain employees with the company’s sick leave benefits. However, some of
diverse backgrounds, particular race, ethnicity, gender, the mostly female staff members have explained that fam-
disability, and sexual orientation. Based on this ongoing ily responsibilities interfere with work. Using the MARS
effort, many claim their organization is an inclusive model, as well as your knowledge of absenteeism behav-
workplace. Explain why the existence of a diverse work- ior, discuss some of the possible reasons for absenteeism
force differs from having an inclusive workplace. here and how it might be reduced.

CASE STUDY: PROMOTING SAFE BEHAVIOR AT MOTHER PARKERS

Most companies try to create a safe work environment, but Another way that Mother Parkers supports safe behavior is
few are as dedicated as Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee Inc. by investing in employee training. Staff learn safety procedures
As North America’s largest private label coffee producer, before they are allowed to enter the production floor. They also
Mother Parkers infuses safety knowledge, awareness, and learn about new safety technology and practices from commu-
engagement in every employee and contractor. “One of our nity experts at special health and safety day events.
priorities here has been to provide a safe workplace to our Employee involvement is an important part of safety im-
employees,” says Adrian Khan, Mother Parkers Senior provement at Mother Parkers. Employees participate in
Manager of Environmental, Health, Safety, and Security for safety issues so decisions are based on a full complement of
North America. “They make a commitment to us to help knowledge from employees, not just from management and
produce great quality products; we make a commitment to outside experts. “We wanted to empower the operators to
them to provide them with a safe working environment.” recognize hazards in their work area, voice those concerns,
To begin with, Mother Parkers creates a physically safe and to be a part of the solutions,” says Khan, who recently
work environment through well-designed barriers and cues won a national safety leadership award. “When it comes
at its award-winning automated production facilities in Fort down to it, they are the experts running the machines who
Worth, Texas, and Ontario, Canada. The production floor know exactly what the hazards are in the workplace.” For
includes physical barriers to separate people from moving example, when the company decided to buy an ergonomic
equipment. Safe walking areas are brightly marked, includ- roll lifter (a machine that holds and transports heavy rolls
ing specific spots where people must stop and look both of metal), employees on the ergonomics team tested many
ways before crossing forklift travel areas. At eye level next to of the roll lifters on the market to determine which one was
doors are signs specifying what equipment (shoes, eyewear, the best fit for their application.
etc.) must be worn before entering the next area. Updated Mother Parkers has held numerous “ergonomic blitzes,”
lighting systems provide superior visibility and eye comfort. whereby an external consultant and production staff
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conduct an intensive review of health and safety concerns even a daily event. “Safety is the core of everything we do
in each specific work area. “We jump-started our program here,” explains the production manager of Mother Parkers’
by having ergonomics blitz events so that the team could award-winning RealCup operations. “We begin our produc-
‘Find It’ (hazards), ‘Fix It’ (countermeasures), and ‘Check tion meetings and shift handovers by talking about safety.”
It’ (happy operators),” says Khan. “From there, the team Safety-focused expectations also extend to contractors,
would have a number of short-term solutions that could be all of whom complete a safety training program before their
implemented immediately, and also a list of longer-term im- projects begin. “We set expectations and standards with
provements that could be planned for.” contractors before they come on site on what it means to be
A special cross-functional team developed from these on site at Mother Parkers from a health and safety perspec-
“ergo blitzes,” whose members now serve as role models for tive,” says Mike Bate. “Before they even get approved to
safety behavior and as valuable sources of safety knowledge. come on site and work with us as a contractor [they have
“This creates a go-to group of operators on the floor that to] register themselves to say they have gone through this
their peers feel comfortable with and can go to if they want education. So by the time they arrive, [contractors] under-
to report an issue,” Khan observes. stand the risks, they bring the proper protective equipment
Employee involvement also generates employee commit- that may be required, or they understand what they need
ment to safety. “There’s a high level of engagement here,” from us to make the workplace safe for them to work in.”
says a Mother Parkers production manager. “The operators
have been developing most of the procedures for equipment Discussion Questions
operation, cleaning, quality checks, and troubleshooting. 1. Apply the MARS model to explain how Mother Parkers
The operators take ownership of their positions.” Mike Bate, improves safety in the workplace.
Mother Parkers vice president of human resources, notes
2. What other organizational behavior topics are generally
that employees are more motivated to act safely because the
apparent in this description of how Mother Parkers cre-
company pays attention to their ideas. “Our health and
ates a safe workplace?
safety committees are now engaged, they have plans, they
have ideas, people’s voices get heard. And when they bring © 2019 Steven L. McShane
issues on the table, those issues get dealt with and they get Sources: Based on information in: J. Smith, “Top Plant: Mother Parkers:
addressed and they are part of the planning process.” Recipe for Growth,” Plant Engineering 68, no. 10 (2014): 26–31; “We Listen,
Another way that Mother Parkers promotes workplace We Lead,” Canadian HR Reporter, October 13, 2016; Canadian HR
safety is by continuously reminding everyone that safety is Reporter, “2016 COS Safety Leader of the Year,” YouTube, December 15
2016; C. Lotz. Interview: 2016 Canadian Safety Leader of the Year. Mich-
an important part of everyone’s job. This message occurs
igan: Humantech, Inc. 2016; A. Silliker. Meet the 2016 Safety Leader
through ongoing safety training, employee involvement in of the Year. Luxembourg: Thomson Reuters Corporation. 2017; A. Silliker,
ergonomic risk prevention, and the presence of numerous “Tea Time: Meet the 2016 Safety Leader of the Year,” Canadian Occupational
workplace safety cues. Reminding everyone about safety is Safety, December/January 2017, 28–30

TEAM EXERCISE: WYE & VALVE PLUMBING: A MARS DIAGNOSTIC EXERCISE

PURPOSE This exercise is designed to help you practice be assigned under one of the four MARS elements (e.g., a
using the MARS model to diagnose a specific issue relat- strategy to improve employee motivation would be stated
ing to employee behavior and performance. under the “M” category).
Step 3: The class debriefing will discuss the strategies sys-
MATERIALS Teams should have a way to document their tematically for each MARS element. For example, the class
analysis for other teams to view. This might be flip chart will review the “M” strategies across teams and comment on
paper for face-to-face classes or a dedicated virtual white similarities and difference among those recommendations.
board for each team in remote classes.
WYE & VALVE PLUMBING INCIDENT
INSTRUCTIONS Step 1: Students are organized into Wye & Valve Plumbing is a plumbing supplies retailer with
teams (typically five to seven people per team). After reading three dozen stores in one region of the United States. The
the Wye & Valve Plumbing incident, the team will diagnose company mainly sells plumbing supplies (valves, fittings,
Wye & Valve’s customer service issues and discuss specific pipes, etc.) to tradespeople as well as to do-it-yourself
ways the retailer can improve customer service at the company. (DIY) customers trying to fix specific plumbing problems
The discussion should explain whether and in what ways in their home. The stores are a moderate size with the
each MARS element can guide better customer service. All most common supplies and tools located in aisles where
four elements of the MARS model should be considered. customers can browse and select. However, items that are
Step 2: The team summarizes its recommendations on specialized (less often purchased) or are small yet expen-
flip chart paper (in-person) or presentation slide or virtual sive are retrievable only by staff in an area behind the
white board (remote class). Each recommendation should main customer desk.
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