Question 1. Answer all parts of this question. (15 marks, 600 words in total)
Question 1. Answer all parts of this question. (15 marks, 600 words in total)
A call centre employs 100 customer service staff. The manager describes how they intend to improve motivation and reduce feelings of unfairness among customer service staff in the call centre: We will completely remove subjectivity in determining an employees performance, and we will do this by using only measurable indicators of performance and by calculating monthly bonuses for each employee, using a formula that applies those metrics. Furthermore, we will prominently display in the staff room the bonuses of all employees who work there, along with the formula calculation that determined that bonus. No one can feel their bonus is unfair with this procedure in place.
Address the following questions:
1a. Summarise equity theory, then explain and illustrate what the theory predicts about the motivation of staff in this case. (You can make up some extra example situations for this case if it helps to illustrate your points when predicting outcomes):
(5 marks, approx. 200 words)
Please type your response below.
1b. Choose one other motivation theory that you have studied in OB, contrast it with equity theory, and explain how your chosen theory might be applied to improve motivation in this case.
(10 marks, approx. 400 words)
Please type your response below.
Question 2. Answer all parts of this question. (10 marks, 400 words in total)
You tell your manager that you are studying organisational behaviour and just learned about [some theory/model]. They seem interested and exclaim to you: Oh, I read about that in some business book! What insights can we get from [that theory/model] to apply to our work?
For one (1) of the following topics, choose a theory/model/concept to fit into the above sentence.
Describe and critique the theory/model (e.g., strengths and weaknesses). Compare and contrast it with another theory/model/concept from that topic. Evaluate its usefulness in an organisation of your choice.
Draw on at least one assigned journal article (from the weekly reading list) to support your arguments. It may also be useful to draw on other learning materials (e.g., seminar activities, videos and other content on the unit site), as relevant, to support your arguments.
Topics list:
Topic 2: Individual behaviour, personality, values and perceptions
Topic 6: Team dynamics and communicating in teams
Topic 8: Leadership in organisational settings
Topic 10: Organisational change
(10 marks, maximum of 400 words)
Please type your response below.
Question 3. Answer all parts of this question. (15 marks, 600 words in total)
You have just been transferred from the Singapore office to the Melbourne office of your company, an international sales organisation of electrical products for developers and contractors. Under your leadership in Singapore, your team members regularly called customers after a sale to ask whether the products arrived on time and whether they are satisfied. But the team you now lead in the Melbourne office does not have the habit of making these follow-up calls, even though early after you joined, you tried to persuade them it would be a good customer service activity to do. One of the team members explained to you that other co-workers discouraged her from making those calls. Later, another team member suggested that some people in the team were doing the follow-up calls, but they were making everyone else look lazy.
3a. Focusing on team dynamics, give three possible reasons why the norms in Melbourne might be different from those in the Singapore office, even though the customers, products, sales commissions, and other characteristics of the workplace are almost identical. Supplement your three team dynamics reasons with at least one concept each from the personality and culture topics that may add to your explanation of why the norms vary.
(9 marks, approx. 350 words)
Please type your response below.
3b. As a formal team leader, how would you use your power and influence to convince the team to adopt your suggested practice of making follow-up calls? In your response, explain your source/s of power, and one influence tactic that would be suitable to use (and why), and one influence tactic that would NOT be suitable to use (and why not).
(6 marks, approx. 250 words)
Please type your response below.
Question 4. Answer all parts of this question. (10 marks, 400 words in total)
Two university graduates recently joined the same major newspaper as journalists. Both work long hours and have tight deadlines to complete their stories. They are under constant pressure to scout out new leads and be the first to report new controversies. One journalist is increasingly fatigued and despondent and has taken several days of sick leave. The other is getting the work done and seems to enjoy the challenge.
4a. Use your knowledge of stress to explain why these two journalists are reacting differently to their jobs. (5 marks, approx. 200 words)
Please type your response below.
4b. Describe the strategies available to the journalists to deal with stressful events in their workplace. Which are likely to prove most effective and why?
(5 marks, approx. 200 words)
Please type your response below.
