Introductory Case Study [PDF]

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Too Nice to People John has just graduated from the college of Business Administration at State University & has joined his family’s small business, which employees 25 semi-skilled workers. During the first week on the job, his dad called him in & said: “John, I’ve had a chance to observe you working with the men & women for the past two days and, although I hate to, I feel I must say something. You are just too nice to people. I know they taught you that human behavior stuff at the university, but it just doesn’t work here. I remember when we discussed organizational behavior when I was in university and everyone seemed excited about it, but believe me, there is more to managing people than just being nice to them”. 1. How would you react to your father’s comments if you were John? John’s father is having a great experience of managing people. 2. How would you explain to your father the new perspective that is needed & how the study of organizational behavior will help you to be successful? How Is This Stuff Going to Help Me? Jane Arnold wants to be a manager. She enjoyed her accounting, finance, and marketing courses. Each of these provided her with some clear-cut answers. Now the professor in her organizational behavior course is telling her that there are really very few clear-cut answers when it comes to managing people. The professor has discussed some of the emerging challenges and the historical background and ways that behavioral science concepts play a big role in the course. Jane is very perplexed. She came to school to get answers on how to be an effective manager, but this course surely doesn’t seem to be heading in that direction. 1. How would you relieve Jane’s anxiety? How is a course in organizational behavior going to make her a better manager? 2. Why did the professor start off with a brief overview of emerging challenges? 3. How does a course in organizational behavior differ from courses in fields such as accounting, finance 0r marketing?