Agenda

1
Agenda

• Decision-making heuristics
• Escalation of commitment
• Rational-economic versus bounded-rationality
  models of decision-making
• Midterm review

2
Midterm Review

• Which of the following research projects is an
  example of inferential research (as opposed to
  descriptive research)?
• a) A study that found that Bank of Montreal
  employees are more motivated when Casual
  Fridays, a policy that allows employees to wear
  jeans on Fridays, is introduced than before it is
  introduced.
• b) A report that found that New Yorkers are more
  stressed today than before 9/11.
• c) A study that found that group members who are
  extraverted are more likely to emerge as leaders
  than introverted group members.
• d) An investigation of the role of traffic on
  major highways such as the Don Valley Parkway on
  productivity in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
• e) A comparison of the performance of the Ottawa
  Senators hockey team on Tuesday nights and on
  Saturday nights.

3
Midterm Review

• 5. Why arent wage incentive plans typically used
  with employees in white collar jobs?
• a) Because employees in white collar jobs are
  paid using piece-rate systems instead.
• b) Because objective indicators of performance
  are scarce.
• c) Because of concerns with the quantity of
  production.
• d) Because funds are unavailable.
• e) Because there can be an artificial
  limitations of work output.

4
Midterm Review

• 9. According to stress research, which of the
  following occupations presents a particularly
  high risk for heart disease?
• a) Night security guard
• b) Architect
• c) Dentist
• d) Cook
• e) Real estate agent

P. 427 High-risk occupations have high demands
and low control
5
Midterm Review

• QUESTION 1, PART 2 For each piece of
  self-assessment, indicate one action that you may
  do differently as a member of an organization to
  either capitalize on one of your strengths or
  compensate for one of your weaknesses
• For full marks, you needed to identify a new
  action that you would do as an employee
• Some students lost marks because they did not
  identify actions as employees
• Others lost (more) marks because they described
  how they have an advantage or a disadvantage
• Others lost marks because they did not explain
  why the action would be favorable to them

6
Midterm Review

• QUESTION 2, PART 2 Imagine that Bob and Bob
  offer a compressed work week to Peter. Using the
  insights of organizational behaviour research on
  the compressed work week, make a prediction about
  the impact of a compressed work week on Peters
  a) satisfaction with his job and b) motivation
• The findings of research on the compressed work
  week appear on p. 190 of the textbook. The
  research has found increased job satisfaction but
  no impact on motivation/performance.

7
Midterm Review

• QUESTION 3, PART 1 Describe two
  antecedent-focused strategies to cope with
  stressful events, and describe how they reduce
  stress. (20 points total 10 points per
  strategy). Hint It needs to be clear why stress
  decreases after the strategies are applied.
• Some students lost marks when the link between
  the strategy and reduced stress was incompletely
  or vaguely described