Midterm Exam

1. Midterm Exam By: Joana Erika Perez MSE 608bOL Management of Engineering Professionals Dr. Mark Rajai

2. Developing Self-Awareness

3. Dimensions of Self-Awareness • Self-awareness – ability to master oneself is important but insufficient. The illustration below reflects what it should be: • Self-awareness, self-insight, self-understanding is very essential to one’s productive personal and interpersonal functions.

4. Enigma of self-awareness • Our knowledge about ourselves which comprises our self-concept is important in terms of management skills. • Improving ourselves must start by knowing the capabilities that we currently posses. • We must be completely honest with ourselves and accept that not we cannot achieve everything in this world. • Being honest with oneself can help you search for more information about the self and a desire for self-improvement.

5. Enigma of Self-Awareness • The Sensitive Line: This concept talks about how humans become defensive when they hear some comments that are not in-line with their self-concept or when they encounter pressure in changing their behaviors. • Threat-rigidity response is when you hear an uncomfortable information about yourself, feel threatened, or encounter uncertainty. • Increased self-knowledge can control defensiveness by: obtaining reliable information about yourself and Self-disclosure. • We must also understand and appreciate individual differences.

6. Important Areas of Self-awareness • Emotional Intelligence – the ability to handle/maintain oneself and to maintain relationships with others. • Values – all other attitudes and behaviors that was derived from an individual’s values. Includes cultural and personal values. • Learning Style – how an individual gather, process and retain information. • Orientation Toward Change– Focuses on the methods people use to adjust to their environment. • Core Self-evaluation – captures the important aspects of personality attributes.

7. Cultural Values Dimensions • Below is a table that summarizes cultural values under the second area of self-awareness:

8. Personal Value Types • Below is a table that explains the two types of personal values: Terminal and Instrumental:

9. Values Maturity: Stages of development • The table below summarizes value maturity:

10. Ethical Decision Making and Values • Awareness of own level of values has a huge impact on ethical decision making. • Most ethical trade-offs involve conflict between Economic and Social performance. Trade-offs are inevitable. • People who can clearly manage between both good or both bad decisions have developed principled level of moral maturity.

11. Types of test for making moral/ethical choices • Front page test: Would I be embarrassed if my decision became a headline in the local newspaper? • Golden rule test: Would I be willing to be treated in the same manner? • Dignity and liberty test: Are the dignity and liberty of others preserved by this decision? • Equal treatment test: Does this decision benefit those with privilege but without merit? • Personal gain test: Is an opportunity for personal gain clouding my judgment? • Congruence test: Does it violate the spirit of any organizational policies or laws? • Procedural justice test: Can the procedures be used to make this decision stand up to scrutiny by those affected? • Cost-benefit test: Can the harmful effects be mitigated? • Goodnight’s sleep test: Whether or not anyone else knows about my action, will it produce a goodnight’s sleep?

12. Learning Style • Learning style is based on two key dimensions: • The manner in which you gather information • The way in which you evaluate and act on information • The figure below is a model of two dimension learning style: Information Evaluation Concrete Experience (CE) Information Gathering Active Experimentatoin (AE) Reflective Observation (RO) Abstract Conceptualization (AC)

13. Model of Two Dimension Learning Style • Definition of Terms base on the model from previous slide: • Concrete Experience: Taking information through direct experience. • Abstract Conceptualization: Taking information that is abstract symbolic or theoretical. • Reflective Observation: Strategies for interpreting, evaluating, and responding to information. Differences on this dimension is the reliance on a particular problem-solving pattern. • Active Experimentation: Inclination on acting immediately on the information they receive. Being proactive, testing new information, and applying information to a problem.

14. Common Types of Learners • Diverging – has dominant scores on the concrete experience (CE) and reflective observation (RO) dimensions. People with this style are best at viewing concrete situations from many different points of view. • Assimilating – has dominant scores on the reflective observation (RO) and abstract conceptualization (AC) dimensions. People with this style are best at processing a wide range of information and putting it in a clear and logical form. • Converging – has dominant scores on the abstract conceptualization (AC) and active experimentation (AE) dimensions. People with this style are best at fining practical uses for ideas and theories. • Accommodating – has dominant scores on the active experimentation (AE) and concrete experience. People with this style are best at hands-on experience.

15. Attitudes toward Change • One’s ability to process information partly constrained by one’s fundamental attitude about change. • There are two dimensions of change orientation: • Tolerance of Ambiguity – refers to the extent to which individuals have difficulty in coping with situations that unpredictable, complex and ambiguous. The higher the tolerance of ambiguity, the more cognitively complex you are. • Locus of Control – refers to the attitude people develop regarding the extent to which they are in control of their own destinies. Two types: Internal locus of control – individuals interpret the reinforcement they receive to be contingent upon their own actions; External locus of control – individuals interpret the reinforcement as being a product of outside forces.

16. Core Self-Evaluation • A personality concept where people have overall positive self-regard; the extent to which people value themselves and feel proficient as individuals. • “Big Five” personalities: extroversion (outgoing), agreeableness (friendly), conscientiousness (task-oriented), neuroticism (fearful), openness (open to ideas). • Core Self-evaluation is comprised of four components: • Self-esteem – people see themselves as capable and worthy. • Generalized Self-efficacy – sense of one’s ability to perform capably across a variety of circumstances. • Neuroticism – tendency to have a negative outlook or pessimistic approach to life. • Locus of Control – ability to control his/her own experiences.

17. Conclusion • Interpersonal or group interactions will only be successful if an individual has a firm sense and foundation of self-awareness. • Our ability to successfully interact with other individuals come from relating our own experiences with them. • We are able to recognize ourselves and our behaviors, we will begin to understand other people’s behaviors.

18. Gaining Power and Influence

19. Introduction to Power and Influence • Building a Strong Power Base & Using Influence Wisely: • Political Competence isn’t inherent but a skill you’ll learn. • Political Competence is relevant for today’s workforce. • Getting cooperation from different constituencies is extremely difficult than making money for a business. • A Balanced View of Power: • Effective use of power is the most critical element of management. • Powerful leaders learned how to build a strong power base in their organizations. • These leaders are influential because they used their power to help peers and subordinates accomplish exceptional tasks.

20. Lack of Power • Negative views on “Personal Power” – common in cultures with high value on ascription rather than achievement, and on collectivism rather than individualism. • People who view power through ascription believe that power resides in stable, personal characteristics/demographics. • Main concern: placing too much emphasis on individual power might not be the best for larger groups. • Power need not be associated with aggression, brute force, craftiness, or deceit. It can also be viewed as a sign of efficacy; the ability to mobilize resources to accomplish productive work

21. Indicators of a Manager’s Upward Power • Powerful managers can: • Intercede favorably on behalf of someone in trouble. • Get a desirable placement for a talented subordinate. • Get approval for expenditures beyond the budget. • Get items on and off the agenda at policy meetings. • Get fast access to top decision makers. • Maintain regular, frequent contact with top decision makers. • Acquire early information about decisions and policy shifts.

22. Abuse of Power • Managers with institutional power use their power to improve and advance the goals of the organization. • Managers with personal power tend to use their power for personal gain. • Two specific Management Skills: • Gaining power (overcoming feelings of powerlessness) • Converting power effectively into interpersonal influence in ways that avoid the abuse of power.

23. Characteristics that Derail Manager’s Careers • Insensitive to others; abrasive and intimidating • Cold, aloof, and arrogant • Betraying other’s trust • Overly ambitious; playing politics & always trying to move up • Unable to delegate to others or to build a team • Over-dependent on others (e.g. a mentor)

24. Personal Power: Stepping-Stone or Stumbling Block Personal Performance Empowered Effective Abuse of Power Lack of Power Ineffective Sufficient Inadequate Excessive Personal Power

25. The necessity of Power & Empowerment • Organizations are becoming less hierarchical or flatter, as they downsize layers of management (middle managers) & as they outsource work that can be done more cheaply by someone else. • Information technology, such as computers, is helping to decentralize the flow of information to lower levels of the organizational hierarchy. • Traditional boundaries within and between organizations are becoming blurred. • The percentage of the workforce working in companies with fewer than 100 employees is increasing.

26. Sources of Personal Power • The four important source of power are summarized in the table below: • Expertise – the great organizational equalizer because it can come from formal education, self-directed learning or on-the-job experience. • Attraction – source of personal power: charisma (ability to inspire others), agreeable behavior (associated with friendship), and physical characteristics (attractive appearance, socially desirable).

27. Sources of Personal Power (cont’d) • Effort – most highly prized characteristics of employees because it means they are dependable, reliable human resources. Extraordinary effort focuses on enhanced performance while extraordinary image focuses on enhanced regard (without performance). • Legitimacy – actions that are congruent with the prevailing value system are deemed credible, or legitimate, by other organizational members. It increases acceptance which is a key to personal influence.

28. Sources of Position-Power • Nature of one’s position and task assignments play an important role. • There are four important characteristics of a position account for its power potential in an organization:

29. Sources of Position-Power • Centrality – one of the most important ways of gaining power in an organization. Power is accrued via horizontal & vertical network relationships by virtue of one’s location & function in the network. • Flexibility – a critical requirement for building a power base; freedom to exercise one’s judgment. It is also correlated with the life cycle of a position. Reward system is a good example of flexibility. • Visibility – can be gained by interacting with influential people in your organization & participating in problem-solving task forces. People-oriented are powerful than task-oriented positions. • Relevance – being associated with activities that are directly related to the central objectives and issues in an organization. One must be sensitive to the relevance of activities in a company when seeking influential position.

30. Transforming Power into Influence • Requires an understanding of the difference between power and influence. • The goal is not to help people gain power for their sake. Instead, we focus on helping people accomplish the exceptional in organizations, recognizing that this generally requires political clout. • Influential people have power, but not all powerful people have influence. • Influence entails actually securing approval of others to work with you to accomplish an objective.

31. Influence Strategies: The Three R’s • The table below summarizes the Three R’s that managers use as influential strategies to obtain compliance:

32. The pros and cons of each strategy • Retribution table:

33. The pros and cons of each strategy • Reciprocity table: • Reason table:

34. Exercising Upward Influence – A Special Case of Reason Strategy

35. Acting Assertively: Neutralizing Influence Attempts • Characteristics of Abusive Bosses • Micromanager – obsessed with details and perfection. • Inexplicit direction with decisive delivery – treats everything as a priority, requiring immediate, careful attention. • Mercurial mood swings – responses are very predictable. • Obsession with loyalty & obedience – believe, “You are either for me or against me.” • Status derogation – criticizes subordinates in public, to the point of ridicule. • Capricious actions – known for arbitrariness and hypocrisy. • Exercises raw power for personal gain – feels entitled to the “spoils of victory.”

36. Neutralizing Retribution Strategies • Use countervailing power to shift dependence to interdependence – perception of inequality in power. Discuss more acceptable means of satisfying the boss. • Confront the exploiting individual directly – describe problems in terms of behaviors, consequences, and feelings and make specific suggestions. • Actively resist – consider “fighting with fire”. Should be pursued only after all efforts to counter threats have failed.

37. Neutralizing Reciprocity Strategies by others • Examine the intent of any gift or favor-giving activity – when in doubt about a benefactor’s motives, as questions or decline the gift. • Confront individuals who are using manipulative bargaining tactics – state that you do not approve of the manipulative strategy. • Refuse to bargain with individuals who use high-pressure tactics – disengage from the negotiation process or focus your attention on its inequality.

38. Neutralizing Reason Strategies by others • Explain the adverse effect of compliance on performance – by acknowledging the other person’s need, explaining your side, and helping find alternatives, overcommitting is avoided. • Defend your personal rights – co-workers have the right to request your help but you also have the right to decline. • Firmly refuse to comply with the request – firmly restate your refusal and terminate discussions. You may seek help from higher authority when things worsens.

39. Conclusion • Two skills are highlighted in this chapter: gaining power and translating power into influence. • Both skills must be developed when one wants to maximize the potential power. • Uncontrolled power may be harmful to subordinates which erodes the manger’s power base. • Abuse of power is organizationally and personally destructive.

40. The Case of Missing Time

41. Case Study: The case of missing time • What principles of time and stress management are violated in this case? • Failed to spend time on more important matters, he spends his time on the urgent matters. • Failed to prioritize tasks. • Failed to allocate specific time to accomplish goals. • Failed to determine 20% of his critical tasks. • Failed to keep track of his time. • Failed to schedule personal time to relax and enjoy. • Failed to write down important tasks, he just remembers it mentally. • Failed to tell his subordinates to suggest solutions for their problems. • Failed to increase decision-making authority to his subordinates. • Failed to delegate work to his subordinates.

42. Case Study: The case of missing time • What are the organizational problems in this case? • The organizational chart is cluttered with people that are under Chet’s supervision. They do not have someone who can handle issues such as personal problems, vacation leave approvals and other trivial things. • They do not combine tasks and train people to know the entire process in their field so that when one is away, they can cover for them. • They lack identifiable work units such as teams with related tasks. This takes away productivity and a sense of belongingness in a group. • They lack open feedback channels regarding the manager’s expectations from his/her subordinates. • Chet’s subordinates and staff could not address certain problems by themselves and they need him to solve them.

43. Case Study: The case of missing time • Which of Chet’s personal characteristics inhibit his effective management of time? • He always feels rushed because he does not keep track of the time. • He does not know how to prioritize tasks. He always try to solve urgent and trivial problems rather than focusing on the important ones. • He tend to rely on his old habits which prohibits him on accomplishing important goals. • He lack creativity and uniqueness in problem solving. • He is unorganized in terms of time management. He has no specific schedule for the tasks that he needs to accomplish for the day.

44. Case Study: The case of missing time • If you were hired as a consultant to Chet, what would you advise him? • Establish short-term and long-term goals and list them down on a notebook or on the board. Suggest to follow the model for short-term planning and goal setting: • Establish a goal • Specify actions and behavioral requirements • Generate accountability and reporting mechanisms • Identify criteria of success and a reward • Learn to keep track of time and make a daily schedule of activities to accomplish. • Learn to take a break and relax. Give time for yourself to meditate and reflect on your goals and achievements. • Give time for recreation and bonding with family. • Maintain a healthy and nutritious diet and exercise regularly.