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Chapter 2

Creating a Positive Work Environment: Attitudes, Values, Ethics

 

Chapter Scan

This chapter focuses on the individual differences that have an impact on creating a positive work environment: attitudes, values, and ethics. The first section describes what a positive environment looks like and the various elements that organizations must pay attention to if they are going to create a positive place to work. The second section explores the relationship between employee values and individual perception as it relates to a positive work environment. The third section discusses several work-related attitudes and the effect they can have on individual and organizational performance. The fourth section discusses ethics in the workplace and those factors that influence individual ethical choices. Finally, the chapter identifies the impact these attitudes and values can have on organizational effectiveness.

 

Detailed Chapter Contents

The People at Four Seasons Set the Experience Apart

Why Is It Important to Create a Positive Work Environment?

What Does a Positive Work Environment Look Like? 

Organizational Environment

Components of a Job

Understanding Individual Differences

Values 

Instrumental and Terminal Values

Factors That Influence Values

Cultural Differences in Values 

Cross-Cultural Studies: Analyzing Differences Across Cultures

Power Distance

Individualism versus Collectivism

In-Group Collectivism

Assertiveness

Gender Differentiation  Performance Orientation

Uncertainty Avoidance

Future Orientation

Humane Orientation

Interested in Where Canada Ranks on These Dimensions?

Employee Attitudes 

Work-Related Attitudes

Job Satisfaction

Cultural Differences and Job Satisfaction

Organizational Commitment

Organizational Citizenship Behaviour

Employee Engagement

Attitudes, Behaviour, and Outcomes 

Influence on Organizational Performance

Influence on Individual Behaviour

Ethical Behaviour 

Influences on Organizational Behaviour

Individual Influences1

Locus of Control

Machiavellianism

Cognitive Moral Development

Value Systems

Organizational Influences 

Implications for Organizational Effectiveness 

Chapter Summary 

Key Terms 

Review & Discussion Questions 

Ethics 

Experiential Exercise 2.1 

Mini-Case: Stokes Printing Company 

Case: Canine Companions for Independence: Values-Based Service for Disabled People  Scoring Instructions for Self-Assessments 

CBC Videos 

Take 2 Videos 

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, the student will be able to do the following:

1. Explain why it is important for organizations to create a positive workplace environment.
2. Explain what a positive work environment looks like and the major elements that organizations must consider.
3. Distinguish between different types of values and describe the factors that influence these values.
4. Describe what attitudes are and discuss the factors that influence the relationship between attitudes and behaviour.
5. Define the work-related attitudes of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and employee engagement.
6. Identify the individual and organizational outcomes that can result when organizations are not viewed as a positive place to work.
7. Explain the importance of ethics in the workplace and describe the individual and organizational influences that can impact ethical behaviour.

 

The Chapter Summarized

1. To achieve optimum organizational performance, organizations need to understand individual differences and the influences these differences have on an individual’s ability to perform effectively. High-performing organizations utilize best-practice methods to achieve this state and are cognizant of triple-bottom-line thinking; considering not just profits as a sole indicator of performance but also how the organization is viewed from a community and employee perspective. Creating a positive work environment impacts employee satisfaction, which in turn impacts customer satisfaction and ultimately positively influences organizational profitability.
2. Organizations that focus on creating a positive work environment take into account individual differences such as values, attitudes, and personality as well as understanding the interplay and influence that the job and organizational climate can have on an individual’s experience. Some of the elements that contribute to an employee’s positive experience at work are clear roles and goals, adequate tools to do the job, strong leadership, and the individual’s having values congruent with organizational values.

 

3. Values are enduring beliefs and are strongly influenced by cultures, societies, and organizations. Instrumental values reflect the means to achieving goals; terminal values represent the goals to be achieved. Several factors influence an individual’s values. Understanding the influence of diversity on an employee’s value system is an important element to consider. The nine main dimensions for analyzing crosscultural values are assertiveness, power distance, individualism versus collectivism, in-group collectivism, performance orientation, humane orientation, uncertainty avoidance, gender differentiation, and future orientation.
4. Attitudes are an evaluative response to a particular situation and are formed through direct experience and social learning. Three important work attitudes are job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and employee engagement. Job satisfaction is a positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences; organizational commitment focuses on an individual’s identification with the organization and employee engagement is the state of emotional and intellectual involvement that employees have in an organization.
5. Attitudes have a direct influence on individual and organizational outcomes. Individuals who are satisfied and engaged demonstrate a high level of motivation, commitment, and citizenship behaviour. Individuals who are disengaged/dissatisfied typically demonstrate EVLN: exit, voice, decreased loyalty, and increased neglect. Organizationally an engaged workforce demonstrates employee and customer satisfaction.
6. Ethics is the study of moral values and moral behaviour, and ethical issues are becoming a major concern in organizations. Increasing governance regulations, pressure from environmentalists and social activists, continued scrutiny by the media, and the potential repercussions created by an environment in which decision making has been pushed to the lowest possible levels has significantly contributed to the need for corporations to manage the “ethical dimension” of their business.
7. Ethical behaviour is influenced by the individual’s value system, locus of control, Machiavellianism, and cognitive moral development and by organizational influences such as codes of conduct, training, and establishment of applicable rewards and punishment.

 

 

LEARNING AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS TO PROMOTE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

 

Topic/Learning Objective	Suggestions
Introduction to chapter two	My Absolute Worst Job in chapter 1 on page 29.  Follow process as outlined in the exercise. The “bad” environment information generated can be listed on the board and then used to anchor and compare to the content of chapter 2.
Job Satisfaction	Self-Assessment 2.1 page 45 If some students haven’t yet held jobs, ask them to think about how important the elements covered in the assessment would be to them if they were starting a new job tomorrow.
Elements of a positive workplace environment	Periodically stop (about every 7-10 minutes) and engage students in buzz groups, paired discussion, one minute papers or quick exercises such as the diversity one outlined below.  Here are some questions that could be used, depending on your focus and time available.  It is not expected that all questions or activities can be used: •       If you were the boss, why should you care if you had a positive work environment? •       What would your most positive work environment be like?

• Would your effort be the same in a positive, neutral (neither positive nor negative) or negative environment? Would you be a satisfied employee? Why? This could be used as a Turning Point clicker slide exercise. If done this way, you can follow up and discuss the response distributions.
• If you were a customer and knew that a particular company was not a good place to work, would you continue to go there, buy their products, etc? If their prices were the best, would you still go there?

This last question can be a good lead into a discussion of values.

 

Values and Influences on them	Self Assessment 2.1, What are Your Cultural Values, available on www.sniderman2e.nelson.com               or, to relate to such topics as age or career stage, the following: Ask what is important to their parents at work besides getting paid?  What is important to people who are just starting out?  What about someone with a young family?  What about someone who holds strong religious beliefs about not working on their holy day?
Organizational commitment, and employee engagement	Buzz groups – have them discuss why they stay at or have stayed at a job.  Was it the money, too much hassle to find another, etc.?  Large group debrief and link to organizational commitment. Ask how many have taken part in school events such as fund raisers, school social activities, etc.  Link to organizational citizenship.
Attitudes Behaviours and Outcomes	Using the example in the first paragraph on page 49, engage students in buzz group discussion of the example given. Debrief for common responses. This could also be used as a Turning Point clicker exercise.
Outcomes of nonpositive workplaces	Triad discussion – What do you do when you are not happy in your job? How many of you serve customers?  If you are not happy, do you give the customer the best service or do you skimp, cut corners, or work slowly?
Ethical behaviour and how locus of control, Machiavellianism, and cognitive moral development and value systems affect ethical behaviour	Experiential Exercise 2.1 page 57 An alternative way to handle this exercise, if time is limited, is to have all groups work on one or two of the ethical issues and then explore how individual differences may have influenced their positions.   The Emperor’s Club video clip from Biz Flix •     Small group discussion on their responses followed by a large group debrief. Or, CBC Emperors of Avarice video clip and debrief with questions provided.
Turning Point clicker discussion topics	p. 35 Reference to the fairytale Snow White. The seven dwarfs gave Snow White work to do, kept her safe from the wicked stepmother and provided her with positive relationships. Use the following question: Which of the following did the seven dwarfs give Snow White? a. a job

1. safe environment
2. positive relationships
3. b and c only
4. All of the above

 

An additional question could be based on the following:

1. 50 Cabinet minister example at the end of the first paragraph under Ethical Behaviour and/or example of John MacKey in the second last paragraph on the same page.

 

 

Critical Thinking (including Bloom Box exercises)

 

Self- Assessment 2.1 Assess your Job Satisfaction

• Note that this exercise can later be related to the Job Characteristic Model in chapter 5.
• This short student survey is an abbreviated version of the Job Diagnostic Survey. Be sure to emphasize that the longer version has validity and that they should only get an impression of the tool through this questionnaire, rather than a valid assessment.
• Students can transfer their understanding of the Hackman/Oldham core job characteristics by discussing the level of autonomy, skill variety, feedback, task significance, and task identity that they have toward a position after they finish this survey.

 

Experiential Exercise 2.1 Is This Behaviour Ethical?

The purpose of this exercise is to compare opinions about ethical issues faced at work.  If possible, the class should be divided into twelve groups, one group for each issue. •      Students should try to avoid beginning their answers with, “It depends.”

• Question #4 is slightly different than the others because it does not have a specific example from which to draw.
• This is a particularly useful and interesting discussion in which to have international students involved. International students are sometimes more aware of the nuances of exchanging gifts than North American students.
• It is useful to have the students list their positions on paper before they develop the answers and justifications. This is helpful to you because they may stray away from the intent of the question, or may not consider the breadth of the question.
• By submitting the approach they intend to take, you are able to enlarge on their perspective immediately, rather than waiting until they present their solutions to class.
• The depth of the answer is also very important. For example, on question #2 regarding exaggeration on credentials, there is a tendency to brush aside the deeper issues.
• Remember to remind students that their classroom performance is evaluated on the depth and breadth of their discussions.

 

 

 

Key Terms

affective commitment	in-group collectivism
assertiveness	job satisfaction
attitude	locus of control
best-practice methods	Machiavellianism
cognitive moral development	normative commitment
continuance commitment	organizational citizenship behaviour

cultural relativism  organizational commitment (OC) deontology     performance orientation employee engagement         power distance ethical behaviour           psychological contract future orientation  terminal values

gender differentiation                                              triple bottom line high-performing organizations        utilitarianism

humane orientation uncertainty avoidance    individualism versus collectivism         values

 

 

Review Questions and Suggested Answers

 

1. Describe what a positive environment looks like. What are the outcomes associated with a positive workplace?
   • Individual differences are understood and utilized to benefit both the persona and the organization
   • The organization has good communication practices, appropriately involves employees in decision-making and adheres to a strong set of values
   • People know what their job is, have the tools to do it, are trained to do it and have clear goals
   • Employee satisfaction
   • Customer satisfaction (Value Profit Chain)
   • Long-term growth and profitability

 

2. Define what an attitude is and list the factors that influence the relationship between attitudes and behaviour. Why do some individuals seem to exhibit behaviour that is inconsistent with their attitudes?
   • Attitude – a psychological tendency, expressed by evaluating an entity with some degree of favour or disfavour
   • Self-interest may play a role in determining responses to specific situations or events; for example, if something is highly relevant to you, your attitude may predict your behaviour
   • Self-monitoring – high self-monitors may, based on the clues from the environment or situation, adjust their behaviour to something less consistent with their attitudes, whereas low self- monitors display more consistency between their attitudes and behaviours
   • Social context may inhibit preferred behaviours by overriding cultural belief systems.
   • Both self-monitoring and social context may influence people to behave differently

 

3. Discuss three work-related attitudes that are commonly used to describe an employee’s level of positive feeling towards an organization. How can managers encourage organizational citizenship?
   • Job satisfaction – pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting form the appraisal of one’s job experiences
   • Organizational commitment – strength of a person’s identification with an organization. Affective commitment involves loyalty and concern for the organization’s welfare.  Continuance commitment refers to the tendency to stay with an organization because the person cannot afford to leave.  Normative commitment refers to the perceived obligation of the person to stay with the organization because they should.
   • Employee engagement – the state of emotional and intellectual involvement that a person has in their organization. These employees are fully involved and enthusiastic.
   • Encourage employee involvement and participation in problem solving
   • Understanding employee differences and effectively managing to ensure the best contributions from everyone
   • Listen to employees and value their opinions

 

4. Define values and discuss the factors that can influence values.
   • Values are enduring beliefs that a specific mode of conduct or end state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence.
   • Primary and secondary diversity such as age, gender and career stage
   • Culture ,especially when operating in a global marketplace, such as power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, in-group collectivism, assertiveness and gender differentiation

 

5. What are the nine main dimensions used to describe cross-cultural differences?

• Assertiveness, future orientation, gender equalitarianism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, institutional emphasis on collectivism versus individualism, in-group collectivism, performance orientation, and humane orientation.

 

6. What are the individual and organization influences which impact ethical behaviour?
   • Individual influences include:

Value systems

Locus of control

Machiavellianism

Cognitive moral development

• Organizational influences include:

Engaging in ethical behaviour

Modelling behaviour and raising awareness

Rewarding behaviour that is consistent with the company values and ethical standard

 

 

Ethics Questions and Suggested Answers

 

1. Is it ethical for an organization to influence an individual’s ethical behaviour? In other words, is ethics a personal issue that organizations should stay away from? Is it an invasion of privacy to enforce codes of conduct?
   • Manipulation is related to this question. Some US organizations received notoriety for attempting to influence their members (Cracker Barrel, Coors Brewery), and these efforts have been seen as an invasion of privacy.   
   • Codes of ethics reinforcements are about business practices, not personal lifestyles.
2. Suppose a co-worker is engaging in behaviour that you find personally unethical, but the behaviour is not prohibited by the company’s ethical standards. How would you handle the issue?
   • This becomes a personal issue, rather than a workplace issue.
   • Students may need an example to begin their analysis. A useful example is use of “colourful language” by professors in the classroom. How would students handle offensive language? If they do not act on their principles (because of power and authority differences), would they really stand up to a person at work?

 

3. Some people have argued that the biggest deficiency of business school graduates is that they have no sense of ethics. What do you think?

• This is an excellent question to discuss in class, particularly if there are students from other disciplines enrolled in the course.
• Business students have heard this allegation often. They have also heard that they are selfserving.
• Students are often quick to point out numerous examples of “ethical conduct.” This question is often answered differently depending on the emphasis placed on the topic among the majors.
• It may be helpful to ask the students to check or think of recent business news articles in which this issue is discussed. Given new corporate governance guidelines and laws in many jurisdictions, today this is more often emphasized in business schools.

 

4. Is it possible to operate in a completely ethical manner and be successful in business when your competitors engage in unethical tactics?

• Yes; if one looks at a company like Johnson & Johnson, they operate from a corporate credo that governs all of their actions. This was the foundation of their response to the Tylenol product tampering incident in the 1980’s which has since become the benchmark that other companies are measured against.

 

ETHICAL DILEMMA

 

1. What is Sara’s obligation to the client? Does this obligation affect her decision?
   • Sara’s obligation to the client is to get the job done the best way possible. Some will argue that this means picking Paula no matter what other circumstances exist.
   • Others will argue that who Sara picks is not important as long as the end result is a quality product completed on time and within the budget.
   • Again, it depends on what side you argue in the first question. If you believe the only way for Sara to meet her obligations to the client is to choose Paula, then it does affect the decision. But if you believe Sara’s only obligation is the final product, then it does not.

 

2. Discuss the value systems of each of these individuals. How would you describe their work attitudes?
   • Sara – moderately assertive – tired of doing what others expect – may move to high, moderate to high future orientation, high employee commitment, humane orientation
   • Paula – individualism, low organizational citizenship, moderate to high Mach
   • Mark – collectivism, performance orientation, humane orientation, high organizational citizenship, low Mach

 

3. Using the guidelines for ethical decision making from Exhibit 2.6, provide a rationale for your decision.

Assuming that the decision is to give Mark the opportunity:

• Front page test: Would I be embarrassed if my decision became a headline in the local newspaper? NO
• Golden rule test: Would I be willing to be treated in the same manner? YES
• Dignity and liberty test: Are the dignity and liberty of others preserved by this decision? Yes
• Equal treatment test: Are the rights and welfare of lower-status people given full consideration?

YES

• Personal gain test: Is an opportunity for personal gain clouding my judgment? NO
• Congruence test: Is this decision or action consistent with my espoused principles? YES
• Procedural justice test: Can the procedures used to make this decision stand up to scrutiny by those affected? YES
• Cost–benefit test: Does a benefit for some cause unacceptable harm to others? NO How critical is the benefit? Can the harmful effects be mitigated?
• Good night’s sleep test: Whether or not anyone else knows about my action, will it produce a good night’s sleep? YES

 

MINI CASE: Stokes Printing Company

 

1. Why do you think there has been increased turnover?
   • Lack of opportunities for younger employees to advance and contribute ideas as Bill thinks older more experienced workers know best.

 

2. Do you think demographics plays a role in why some employees are feeling dissatisfied? Why or why not?
   • Yes, because Gen X and Gen Y needs are not being met.
   • Their values are different as are their career stages when compared to the longer service employees.
   • Bill and the younger employees are operating without a clear understanding of the psychological contract perceptions of the other.
   • Poor values fit for new hires
3. What advice would you give to Bill Stokes?
   • He should ask for ideas from newer as well as long service employees on how to improve the company
   • Give younger workers challenging projects and responsibility for outcomes
   • Adjust rewards and benefits to accommodate younger workers’ preferences
   • Provide learning opportunities for younger employees – perhaps a mentoring program pairing junior and more seasoned employees to ensure knowledge sharing and transfer

 

Case: Canine Companions for Independence: Values Based Service for Disabled People  

 

This case has elements that address attitudes values and ethics. Attitudes, or psychological tendencies toward evaluating phenomena favorably or unfavorably, can be inferred from the actions of the Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) organization and the CCI volunteers. Values, or enduring beliefs about a mode of conduct or end result, are also inferred from the organization’s and volunteers’ actions. The notions of instrumental values and terminal values are highly relevant to the case. In particular, the case shows examples that suggest some instrumental values and terminal values that have potential relevance to CCI and its volunteers. Ethics, or moral values and moral behaviour, is clearly evident in CCI’s purpose and methods for achieving that purpose, as well as in the volunteers’ reasons for involvement with CCI. Ethics reflects the way in which people act out their values. The actions of the CCI organization and the CCI volunteers seem to clearly and directly reflect their respective instrumental and terminal values.

 

Connections to other topics/chapters:

Motivation, rewards

 

1. Discuss the types of work-related attitudes prevalent for the volunteer puppy raisers and explain the linkage between the volunteer puppy raisers’ attitudes and their behaviours.
   • They have: high job satisfaction, affective commitment, engage in organizational citizenship behaviours.
   • They go above and beyond the call of duty, making personal presentations of the puppies to their new owners, in some cases.

 

2. What instrumental values and terminal values become evident through the activities of Canine Companions for Independence? For the CCI puppy raisers?
   • In general, values are enduring beliefs that a certain mode of behaviour or a specific end state is more desirable or socially preferable than an alternative behavioural mode or end state.
   • Instrumental values reflect acceptable behavioural modes whereas terminal values refer to desired end states.
   • For the CCI organization, the key instrumental values are helpfulness and caring. Helpfulness is manifested in the training programs for the dogs and in the training programs for the disabled people and professionals who will be using the Canine Companions.
   • The instrumental value of caring also is essential to fulfilling the training commitments undertaken by the CCI organization.
   • For the CCI puppy raisers, the key instrumental values most likely pertain to being helpful, patient, caring, and affectionate.
   • The puppy raisers are helpful in terms of their commitment of time and energy to preparing puppies to enter the formal CCI training program. Raising the puppies is an extremely important stage in the development of Canine Companions to effectively assist disabled children and adults.
   • Patience is evident in training animals in basic behaviour, housebreaking them, and socializing them.
   • The puppy raisers also demonstrate the value of caring both through the activities associated with raising the dogs and their commitment to the ultimate purpose that the dogs will serve.
   • Affection is clearly evident in the emotional bonds that develop between the puppy raisers and the animals.

 

3. What impact might the instrumental and terminal values of CCI puppy raisers have on their propensity to behave ethically or unethically?
   • According to the chapter, ethics reflects the way in which people act out their values. As indicated in the suggested answer for the preceding question, the CCI puppy raisers may be described as possessing (a) the instrumental values of being helpful, patient, caring, and affectionate; and (b) the terminal values of enabling greater independence and an improved quality of life for disabled adults and children.
   • By all indications, the volunteers behave in ways that are highly consistent with these values. Therefore, the volunteers, by definition, are behaving ethically.

 

MEDIA RESOURCES AND TAKE 2 VIDEO CASES

Please check the Media Resources in the appendices for instructor materials.

 

 

 

ALTERNATIVE EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE

 

Bargaining, United Nations Style:

Exploring the Impact of Cultural Values

The 1990 Annual: Developing Human Resources, Pfeiffer.

 

This exercise is intended to expose students to a different culture, and to experience the interaction effects between members of different cultures.  In addition, it allows students to experience the process of negotiation between two people whose values differ.

 

The class is divided into four subgroups of three to eight members each.  Each subgroup receives copies of one of the four cultures:  Anonymites, Personameans, Religionians, and Agnosticatians.  The experience is more realistic and fun if a table is set up as a buffet styled reception.  The classroom should be large enough to allow the four subgroups to work without disturbing one another and open enough to allow mingling in a party-like atmosphere.  It is easiest to provide cookies and bottled liquids so that students have to share and pour for each other.  The food setup can be as simple or as elaborate as the instructor wishes.

 

Instructor’s Notes:

Students should spend approximately forty-five minutes completing the instruction sheet for their subgroup.  However, this has been completed in less time successfully.  While the students are working, the instructor sets out the food, drinks, and so forth and assists the groups as necessary.

 

After forty-five minutes, ask the groups to stop and spend the next twenty minutes attending a United Nations mixer.  They should stay in their roles as members of their assigned cultures.  They are instructed to share a “meal” with at least one member of another culture and to speak with as many people from other subgroups as possible so that they can learn about the customs, values, needs, and resources of the different cultures.  After clarifying the task and answering questions, the students are asked to attend the reception.

 

After exactly twenty minutes the subgroups are asked to reassemble.  Each subgroup should spend 20 minutes sharing the information they have collected about the other cultures, deciding which culture they want to negotiate with to trade resources, analyzing that culture, choosing a member to serve as their representative in negotiations, and developing a negotiation strategy.

 

Next, ask the subgroups to conclude their meetings and announce their chosen representatives.  The representatives are invited to take turns negotiating with one another in accordance with the decisions made by their subgroups.  (Only one negotiation takes place at a time, so that the entire class can watch the negotiation process.)  After five minutes, the negotiation process is completed, regardless of the success of the bargaining.

 

If you need to run this exercise in less than two hours, it is advisable to distribute the sheets to the class before you use the exercise.  Other options include eliminating the need and instructions for food, running the activity with only two cultures that have differing values, (for example, the Anonymites and the Personameans), and to run the activity without the negotiation phase.

 

 

 

BARGAINING, UNITED NATIONS STYLE:

INSTRUCTION SHEET FOR THE PERSONAMEANS

 

The Personameans come from the land of Persona, a culture in which the individual is paramount.  The members are generally outgoing and assertive.  Because their culture is male dominated, Personameans generally choose male leaders.  Personameans are often loud and argumentative and feel that they must have the last word in any negotiations.  The culture is fiercely proud of its laws, which protect the rights of the individual.  Etiquette demands that a Personamean not eat any food that has been touched by another.  Occasionally, Personameans act together as a group, but only as a last resort.

 

Persona’s greatest resource is money.  Each year the government provides every citizen with $25,000.  Persona’s greatest need is for transportation.  The country is vast, and the residents must commute great distances to work.  Each Personamean needs an automobile.

 

Instructions:  You and your fellow subgroup members are Personameans.  You are to complete the following tasks, remembering that all of your choices and decisions must be consistent with the preceding description of Personameans.

 

1. Create a verbal greeting and a physical gesture for leaving.
2. Decide what personal distance will be acceptable in your culture. For example, how close to one another will people stand while talking?  Will people look at one another during a conversation?
3. Define your cultural attitude toward authority.
4. Identify a strongly held belief and how you will act when that belief is questioned or violated.
5. Define a gesture that is offensive.
6. Define how your culture views bargaining. How will you act during negotiations?  Choose one member as a representative to speak at negotiations.
7. In some Arabic cultures, it is taboo to touch someone with the left hand. What is your culture’s taboo?
8. Define how you will act if someone admires something you have.

 

After completing these tasks, you will be invited to a United Nations mixer to interact with people from three other cultures.  While mingling and eating, you must maintain the characteristics of Personameans.  Find out as much as you can about the customs, values, resources, and needs of the other cultures.  Later your representative will use this information to negotiate a trade of resources with another culture’s representative.

BARGAINING, UNITED NATIONS STYLE:

INSTRUCTION SHEET FOR THE ANONYMITES

 

The Anonymites come from the land of Anon, a culture in which the good of community is more important than the welfare or the rights of any individual.  Hence, the values of the Anonymite culture stress the importance of getting along with others, sacrificing for the good of the group, and sharing resources.  For example, etiquette in this culture demands that a person break bread with his or her companions by eating from the same dish or dividing and sharing the food.

 

Anon’s greatest resource is a skilled labor force capable of building magnificent cars.  However, because the country is small and has excellent public transportation, few Anonymites buy cars.  Although many automobiles are exported each year, there is still a surplus.

 

Anon’s greatest need is a highly skilled labor force that is capable of building magnificent automobiles.  However, Anonymites are crafty negotiators.  Because their culture is female-dominated, the Anonymites generally choose female leaders.

 

Anon’s greatest need is to acquire food for its people.  Food is extremely expensive in Anon, costing an average of $20,000 per person per year.

 

Instructions:  You and your fellow subgroup members are Anonymites.  You are to complete the following tasks, remembering that all of your choices and decisions must be consistent with the preceding description of Anonymites.

 

 

 

1. Create a verbal greeting and a physical gesture for leaving.
2. Decide what personal distance is acceptable in your culture. For example, how close will people stand while talking?  Will people look at one another during a conversation?
3. Define your cultural attitude toward authority.
4. Identify a strongly held belief. How will you act when that belief is questioned/violated?
5. Define a gesture that is offensive.
6. Define how your culture views bargaining. How will you act during negotiations?  Choose one member as a representative to speak at negotiations.
7. In some Arabic cultures, it is taboo to touch someone with the left hand. What is your culture’s taboo?
8. Define how you will act if someone admires something you have.

 

After completing these tasks, you will be invited to a United Nations mixer to interact with people from three other cultures.  While mingling and eating, you must maintain the characteristics of Anonymites.  Find out as much as you can about the customs, values, resources, and needs of the other cultures.  Later your representative will use this information to negotiate a trade of resources with another culture’s representative.

 

 

 

INSTRUCTION SHEET FOR THE RELIGIONIANS

 

The Religionians come from the land of Religionia, a culture in which the good of the people is decided by a tribunal of elders whose religious beliefs govern their actions.  Each is fiercely loyal to what he or she perceives as God-given rights and responsibilities.  Because the culture is female-dominated, Religionians tend to elect female leaders.  Individual Religionians are outgoing and personable, but also rigid and demanding.  Like the elders, they hold staunch religious beliefs.  Etiquette demands that a Religionian eat only after having given thanks visibly and verbally to the heavenly provider.

 

Religionia’s greatest resource is the wealth of gold mined in its mountains.  Each member of the culture owns two gold bars.

 

Religionia’s greatest need is for energy.  Each Religionian needs a barrel of oil to support his or her energy needs.

 

Instructions:  You and your fellow subgroup members are Religionians.  You are to complete the following tasks, remembering that all of your choices and decisions must be consistent with the preceding description of Religionians.

 

1. Create a verbal greeting and a physical gesture for leaving.
2. Decide what personal distance will be acceptable in your culture. For example, how close to one another will people stand while talking?  Will people look at one another during a conversation?
3. Define your cultural attitude toward authority.
4. Identify a strongly held belief and how you will act when that belief is questioned or violated.
5. Define a gesture that is offensive.
6. Define how your culture views bargaining. How will you act during negotiations?  Choose one member as a representative to speak at negotiations.
7. In some Arabic cultures, it is taboo to touch someone with the left hand. What is your culture’s taboo?
8. Define how you will act if someone admires something you have.

 

After completing these tasks, you will be invited to a United Nations mixer to interact with people from three other cultures.  While mingling and eating, you must maintain the characteristics of Religionians.  Find out as much as you can about the customs, values, resources, and needs of the other cultures.  Later your representative will use this information to negotiate a trade of resources with another culture’s representative.

 

BARGAINING, UNITED NATIONS STYLE:

INSTRUCTION SHEET FOR THE AGNOSTICATIANS

 

The Agnosticatians come from the land of Agnostica.  They are practical, pragmatic people who work diligently.  Because their culture is male-dominated, Agnosticatians tend to choose male leaders.  However, they value egalitarian and democratic principles; in negotiations they tend to go with the general good.  Their values stress that knowledge is of supreme importance and must constantly be researched and updated.  Consequently, science plays a large role in their society.  Etiquette demands that Agnosticatians inspect their food thoroughly for contamination before eating it.

 

Agnostica’s greatest resource is its wealth of oil wells.  Each member of the culture owns two barrels of oil.

 

Agnostica’s greatest need is for gold to buy food and medicine for its people.  One gold bar is required to support each Agnosticatian’s needs.

 

Instructions:  You and your fellow subgroup members are Religionians.  You are to complete the following tasks, remembering that all of your choices and decisions must be consistent with the preceding description of Religionians.

 

1. Create a verbal greeting and a physical gesture for leaving.
2. Decide what personal distance will be acceptable in your culture. For example, how close to one another will people stand while talking?  Will people look at one another during a conversation?
3. Define your cultural attitude toward authority.
4. Identify a strongly held belief and how you will act when that belief is questioned or violated.
5. Define a gesture that is offensive.
6. Define how your culture views bargaining. How will you act during negotiations?  Choose one member as a representative to speak at negotiations.
7. In some Arabic cultures, it is taboo to touch someone with the left hand. What is your culture’s taboo?
8. Define how you will act if someone admires something you have.

 

After completing these tasks, you will be invited to a United Nations mixer to interact with people from three other cultures.  While mingling and eating, you must maintain the characteristics of Agnosticatians.  Find out as much as you can about the customs, values, resources, and needs of the other cultures.  Later your representative will use this information to negotiate a trade of resources with another culture’s representative.

 

EXTRA EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE

 

The following alternative exercise to supplement the material in the textbook can be obtained from:

 

Marcic, Dorothy, Seltzer, Joseph, & Vaill, Peter. Organizational Behaviour: Experiences and Cases, 6^th Ed. South Western College Publishing Company, 2001.

 

Moral Dilemmas.  p. 255-260.  Time:  45 minutes or more.

Purpose:  To discuss the ethics of making certain decisions.

 

 

 

ROLE PLAYS

Additional role plays relevant to the material in this chapter are located in Appendix A (pages 275-322) of this instructor’s manual.