Question

In each question, be sure to support facts and give examples to demonstrate learning. In answering questions, you must define and explain the organizational behavior terms that you use.

1. You own and operate a hardware store in Maumelle, Arkansas. Following a major tornado in town, you see that there is a demand for generators. You have purchased the 200 in your shop over time for between $150 and $175, and you sell them for $250 each except for sales, when you sell them for $225, but there is only a SKU on the boxes, no tag. You find that one of your employees is driving through the town, selling each generator for $500 each, and another is doing the same, but selling them for $200 each.

a. Identify the ethical dilemma in the case. Why is it an ethical dilemma?

b. Define the steps in problem solving.

c. Give three legal and ethical alternatives to solving the case that would not lead to business failure. Why are they appropriate?

d. What steps would you take with each employee? Why? Remember to support facts and give examples using text materials, videos, and other sources to demonstrate learning.

2. You find that you are constantly stressed because your boss is criticizing you in a way that embarrasses you in front of other employees.

a. Do you view the stress as distress or eustress? Why?

b. What resources seem to be lacking in the situation?

c. What coping mechanism(s) would you use and why? Remember to define and discuss. Remember to support facts and give examples using text materials, videos, and other sources to demonstrate learning.

3. What are preconditions for trust at work and how does trust affect productivity? Give examples. Remember to define, discuss, and give examples. Remember to support facts and give examples using text materials, videos, and other sources to demonstrate learning.

Answer 1

Answer 1.a. According to the given business problem, the ethical dilemma's in this case for the owner are below:

- In the first scenario where one of his employee is selling the generator below the selling price, where the owner should accept or approve it or not.

- In the second scenario where one of his employee is selling the generator above the selling price, where the owner should accept or approve it or not.

The above two scenarios are considered to be an ethical dilemma because of the following reasons:

- In the first scenario, the employee has violated the sales term by selling it below the selling price without the prior approval of the owner. Now the owner has to decide if he is willing to let go the profit margin and approve the sales due to greater good and serve the people at the time of crisis. Also to appreciate the same to his employee to create a example of corporate social responsibilities at the time of need or to punish him for not adhering to the terms of sales.

-In the second scenario, the employee has violated the sales term by selling it above the selling price without the prior approval of the owner. Now the owner has to decide if he is willing approve the same to increase his profit margin and to appreciate the same to his employee or to punish him for not adhering to the terms of sales.

1.b. The following are the steps for problem solving:

- Always acknowledge the situation and try to confront the involving parties.

- One who is in the dilemma should always access the internal and external factor and the environment in which the problem arises. Try to prove to himself and others that one of the actions are wrong without any bias.

- If sometime both the actions are wrong, one should choose the lesser evil over the other to justify the end.

- Educate employees with trainings and real life examples.

1.c. Three legal & ethical alternatives to follow are:

- Keep the employees out of the field till they complete and pass the ethical & business trainings conducted by the companies

- Find out the customers who were over charged and provide them with vouchers or discounts on the next purchase

- Replace the sold products with the one which have proper tags and define proper business rules for future sales engagements.

1.d. The steps taken may be below:

- Employee should be give proper training of the business rules and regulations with some ethical business conduct regulations.

- If this is something happened due to some un controlled internal and external factor and the environment then they should be left with just a warning.

2.a. All depends upon the situation and the back ground of the story. If the criticizing is because of some thing genuine and is done towards me because I am supposed to do it but unable to deliver it then it should be considered as a eustress. But if it is due to merely let me down and not a positive criticizing then it is a distress.

2.b. In this scenario, the resources are lacking business process knowledge with mandatory business ethics trainings. Also a proper standard operating procedure should have been in place to minimize this kind of scenarios and risks from resources.

2.b. Below are the coping mechanism that should be in place:

- Proper standard operating procedures with best business practices in place to manage and assign inventory to sales person

- Monthly trainings to keep pace with the changing business norms and processes.

- Involve technologies to identify the gaps and manage the sales and distribution and supply chain management areas to reduce human errors and interferences.

3. Preconditions for trust at work are as follows:

- Develop and train employees on business and work

- Involve and keep informed the employees with every important events and scenarios

- Provide employees with challenging work and responsibilities

- Respect and protect the interest of employees

- Timely appreciation and appraisal to support the cause

Below are the ways in which trust affect productivity:

- Promotes more co operation with less complaints

- Attracts more people to build up a team

- Less time in supervision

- More understanding and less miscommunication

-Finally pro active efforts to complete a task