1. What is the difference between e-commerce and e-business? Describe the E-business implications for organizational behavior.
In today’s business environment, e-commerce and e-business are interchangeably used. E-commerce (or electronic commerce) means the purchasing and sales of products and services through electronic means, specifically the Internet. An e-commerce environment is focused on the smooth transactions between the buyers and the sellers. It is centered on web design, applications and systems required to market goods and services online. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009)
E-commerce is basically involved in the supplier, buyer and customer interchanges. It requires new business models and the prospects of making more profits or losing it due to intense competition. Common business technologies drawn out of e-commerce include electronic transfer of funds, electronic data interchange, supply chain management, etc. E-commerce is just a part of e-business. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009)
E-business encompasses e-commerce. It is deeply invovled with the organizational structure, culture and processes of one business organization. It involves all the phases of conducting business through the Internet. It integrates online business transactions and oeprations with the traditional commercial activities. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009)
E-business dramatically changes organizational behavior due to different business dynamics. With an e-business environment, different structural hierarchical complexities correspond to changes in the organization’s structures, purpose, culture, standards, etc. Because of its new nature, organizational behavior in e-business are affected by various variables different from the traditional business set ups.
2. Distinguish between the various layers of diversity, giving at least three examples of each of the layers.
Diversity is often related with abstracted forms of differences. In work organizations, it usually refer to a multi cultural backgrounds. Diversity consists of several different dimensions. It is a crucial issue because it affects business oeprations. Thus, the main reason for diversity management is because of the need to sustain the success of the business, especially in the context of more intense and global competition. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009)
The different layers of corporate diversity are the following: internal, external, organizational, and personality dimensions. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009) The personality dimension is the core layer of diversity because an individual is born and raised with inherent characteristics, ideals, basic values, and ethics which are all individually his. An example of this dimension includes one’s openess, level of cooperation and introvertness or extrovertness.
Internal dimension is also specific to indivduals but it is more or less human defined characteristics. Examples of these are one’s age, race, religion and sex. External dimension is a more ocntrolled layer of diversity yet it is also influenced by an individual’s outside environment that is attributed to his behavior and outlook. Thse aree xemplified by one’s work experience/s, educational background and parental status. Lastly, organizational dimension is the most flexible layer of diversity in work organizations. Examples of this include group or union affiliation, location of work and rank or manageemnt position, organizational status and seniority. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009)
3. Explain the mentoring process. What benefits does the organization gain through mentoring? Why should you as an individual seek a mentor or mentors?
According to Kreitner & Kinicki (2009), management refers to the "process of working with and through others to attain organizational goals efficiently and morally.” Managers help guide, lead, control, and mold an organization. They ensure that organizational goals are realized. They properly delegate tasks and responsibilities. They give good feedback and identify good performance of his staff.
Mentoring significantly helps the organization in attaining its goals and in promoting teamwork and cooperation among employees. It also provides an open line for more effective communications. Mentoring also helps the organization to retain and develop their reliable and well trusted employees. It is like ensuring the success of the organization by way of succession in terms of leadership and responsibilities. One must seek mentor or mentors in order to grow more rapidly than just by mere experience and the unitary course of professional development. It is also an enriched way of nurturing superior-staff relationships and to maximize learning in more specific ways related to real organizational task and situations.
4. Compare and contrast culture shock and reentry shock.
Culture shock is defined by Kreitner & Kinicki (2009) as disorientation. It is mainly the doubts and anxiety due to too much unfamiliar social symbols and expectations. This usually happens when one goes into another country or when they first start in a new work environment. Some people cannot manage their culture shock and they feel very discomforted that they just revert to their old situations. This is simialr with re entry shock wherein an individual, an expat for instance, feel discomforted when he goes back to his home country or to his original destination. Both concepts consist of the elements of arriving at one place (whether it is their own home country or a foreign country) and being alienated or disoriented with the surroundings and adjusting to the present environment.
Reentry shock is the opposite of culture shock as it pertains to the difficulties an idividual face when he is again emerged to his own culture. It is said that re entry shock is more difficult to adjust with because of a constant expectation. While in culture shock, one is open to being frustrated of the things he does not expect, in reentry shock, one has a more definite view of how things should be. Hence, it creates more frustration for the indiviudal to find out that things have changed.
5. List and explain the Big Five personality dimensions. Describe the relationship between the Big Five and job performance.
The big five personality dimensions as discussed by the etxtbook are the following: extraversion, agreeableness, emotional stability, conscientiousness, and openness to learning. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009) Extraversion is characterized by one’s assertion, sociability, being outspoken, and being outgoing. Agreeableness pertains to the level of cooperation, well intention, softheartedness, and trustworthiness of a person. Emotional stability is the overall emotional state of an individual as indicated by his calmness, sense of security and level of anxiety. Conscientiousness means being focused on one’s goals, dependability, persistence, and sense of responsibility. Lastly, openness to learning means being liberally minded, imaginative, curious, and pursuing intellectual matters.
As personality traits, they have distinct relationship with an individual’s job performance. For instance, an individual’s conscientiousness and agreeableness may be winning factors for his successful entry into the professional field. By being greagarious and persistent or goal oriented, the individual may be accepted well by his superior and his new co workers. Personality dimensions such as being calm, being smart and open minded are also crucial factors in one’s job performance. When one is dependable and persistent, he is more likely to perform better in his job. At the same time, he is treated well by his co workers and be relied upon by his manager.
6. What is an attitude? Explain the three components of attitudes. How are attitudes related to cognitive dissonance? Give an example of cognitive dissonance.
Attitude generally refers to our feelings towards the outside world. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009) It is usually learned, it defines our own perspective about the aspect of the world and it forms the foundation of the emotional elements included in how we relate and identify with others. Attitude is often related with our personality traits and characteristics.
The three components of attitude are: the cognitive, affect and behavior components. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009) While cognition generally pertains to how an individual views a certain incident or event, the two other components (their feelings and reactions to this event) cannot be differentiated from it. While these three components determine our attitudes, attitudes are also defined by these three components. To add, each person’s specific value and value system also determne his atttitudes. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009)
Attitude is linked with behaviors through the theory of dissonance. Cognitive dissonance refers to the differences which an individual can detect from his attitudes or behaviors or between his attitude/s and his behavior/s. When one acknowledges the discrepancy among these elements, he will eithr alter his attitude or behavior. If not, he will rationalize his inconsistency. For instance, a foreign worker may find his local co-workers uncooperative (attitude). He may do something about it. He may either ignore them (behavior) or initiate an open discussion with them (behavior). If not, he may just rationalize that the culture in this foreign land is passive and workers are not very participative when it comes to group efforts. He may just accept the situation and work better on their behalf or he may leave his job if he cannot resolve this cognitive dissonance.
7. Describe the process by which stereotypes are formed and maintained. Can people decrease their use of stereotypes? Explain. 200
People normally perceive the environment by his own interpretations. Hence, it is often loaded with his own pre-judgments, personal interpretation and stereotypes. Stereotypes refer to the assumptions or beliefs about certain groups. Poeple often resort to stereotyping others to be able to simplify their perceptions about the people and the world around them. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009) However, these pressumptions may not be true or updated. Hence, some people are obscured in their perceptions and decision making. In work situations, stereotypes may even cause barriers in communication and decrease job satisfaction and loyalty.
Stereotyping involves several processes:
1. Grouping and labeling people according to inherent factors such as their color, gender, work status, and age.
2. Concluding that the people inside the structured group all have the same characteristics.
3. Creating expectations and interpreting their behaviors according to the defined stereotypes.
4. Maintaining these stereotypes through false interpretations of expected and unexpected behaviors, differentiating one’s self from a minority group and by aggrandizing the indications of stereotyped behaviors.
People can decrease their stereotyping simply by not generalizing people and their behaviors. It can also be avoided when people avoid expecting constant actions or reactions from people and by refusing to reinterpret these distinct behaviors according to their own beliefs.
8. Define the need for achievement, need for affiliation, and need for power as per McClelland's Need Theory. Discuss the managerial implications of McClelland's needs.
According to McClelland’s theory of motivation, the human needs can be explained according to their three distinct needs - the need for achievement, power, and affiliation. These needs may not be inherent and may develop over time. It explains that a strong need will drive people to engage in behaviors that will fulfil these needs.
Those with a strong need for achievement will exert greater efforts to overcome a difficult tasks and attain their goals and improve one’s self while others are merely content with what they have. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2009) Those with a strong need for affiliation often flourish among their peers. They like working with a group and they develop close interpersonal relationships and friendships. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2008) Lastly, those people with a strong need for power will attempt to affect the behaviors of other people.
This theory may direct the various performances of personnel in a management setting. This can be a reference for management training and further motivation. For instance, the goal oriented personnel may be more innovative and persistent. They can be mentored to become executive managers. Sociable employees can be depended on for coordinated functions. They may become project managers since they have people skills. Power motivated employees may also be led to functions which enable them to direct others and perform well.
9. Distinguish between learning goals and performance outcome goals. Explain how performance outcome goals could distract employees from the discovery of task relevant strategies.
Kreitner & Kinicki (2009) classify goals according to distinct types and these are: learning goals and performance outcome goals. Learning goals are more generalized goals. They encourage learning, creativity, and the development of skill/s for general applications in any work related tasks or function. Meanwhile, pperformance-outcome goals are more specific. They are intended for a distinct outcome or work performance. Examples of learning goals are: developing more computer related skills and programs which can be applied to one’s work functions in various demands related to the successful work performance. Meanwhile, an example of performance outcome goals consist of intended skills or knowledge geared towards achieving the expected outcomes for individuals in specific work aspects such as customer care, personal and professional development, technology, finance, among others. While, learning goals may be a generalized goal to develop skills, performance goals are rigid sets of expected outcomes related to specific work functions.
Since performance outcomes goals are more precise and targeted, this may distract employees to a general application of the learned knowledge and skills. They may think that the strategies they learned only applied to the tasks presented at hand. This is because the skills or knowledge is not presented as a general equipping tool for various tasks.
References:
Kreitner, R. & Kinicki, A. (2009). Organizational Behavior, 9th Edition. New York: McGraw Hill.
