Decision Making, Judgment, & Perception

Some Exam Topics (Preliminary and subject to change) Note: This serves only as a general guideline for you to refer when studying for the exam. Much of the exam will cover the topics identified below and their related issues, handouts, videos, and articles.

A few short essay questions are likely – especially on the Dead Poets Society video.

Group Presentations: Questions pertaining to each presentation will be asked on the exam

Performance Evaluation & Judgment Issues Consider 360-degree evaluations: who is involved and why? Identify key ways to make the appraisal process fair. What is the fair process effect and why is it important? Know and apply the relevant judgment issues and concerns: halo & horn effects, contrast effect, spillover effect, confirmation bias, & recency effects.

Work-Family, Work-Life issues Identify types of programs and reasons for having work-life balance programs (See slides titled work-nonwork conflict. What are the benefits of alternative work arrangements? SAS institute video, Daddy-track video. Make the case that work-family/work-life programs/alternative work arrangements are good for business.

Personality dimensions/ implications of personality Big 5 model (know which 5 dimensions are included in the Big 5 and what we know about each in terms of career success and other relevant predictions you can make). Also define and know the implications of: Locus of control, self-monitoring, Type A and Type B. Consider Southwest Airlines examples.

Leadership & Organizational Culture Identify the components of Charismatic Leadership, transformational leadership, transactional leadership (see slide titled transformational leadership) and Kouzes and Posner’s Key Leadership Practices and be able to each to Dead Poets Society (DPS). What is an organizational culture and why is it important? Apply to DPS and to Rob Parson Case. Consider why Keating was the scapegoat in Dead Poets Society.

One Potential Essay for Dead Poets Society

1. Using the concepts of Charismatic Leadership, transformational leadership, and transactional leadership (see single slide on web page) and a few relevant (from your perspective) practices as described in the Kouzes & Posner Key Leadership Practices/Behaviors slides, compare and contrast the leadership style of Mr. Nolan (The headmaster/principal) and Mr. Keating (Robin Williams) providing a few examples to support your arguments. How effective was each person in terms of a) influencing others? B) Inspiring others? 2. Why did the students stand on their desks during the final scene of the film? 3. What need on Maslow’s hierarchy was Neal Perry trying to fulfill through his pursuit of acting? 4. How would you describe the organizational culture of Welton Academy? Was Mr. Keating a good fit? What might be some consequences or things to consider when an employee is a good or not a good fit with an organization’s culture?

Emotional Intelligence Identify and define the major components of “EI”(see slides) – for example, what does self- regulation mean? Overall, what are the implications of EI for job & career success?

International issues: Hofstede’s dimensions of national culture: including individualism-collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance: What predictions can you make regarding the implications of the dimensions for management practice? For example, if a country is high in power distance what management style would be expected by subordinates? Apply to Sealed Air Taiwan case.

Organizational change/ Managing Subordinates: Basic questions about Peter Browning. Identify types of subordinate performance issues (ways to categorize employees) according to the article: Face your problem subordinates now article info. Know at least 4 of the ways to enact a successful change based on the article: ‘Leading Change: Why transformation efforts fail.”

Ethical Issues/ Federal False Claims Act: What are the things to know about this act? What happened to Jim Alderson?