Management Critical Thinking Questions

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Question 1 Joan is an accountant who opposes the introduction of a new financial control system. For 15 years she has worked with the old, manual system. Now the firm is introducing a new, computer based system. How would you attempt to change Joan’s attitude about the new system? Gibson, Ivancevich, Donnelly & Konopaske (2012) explain that managers often need to take action to change the attitudes of employees because those attitudes are having an adverse impact on job performance. In order to promote positive attitude changes, managers need to have trusting relationships with subordinates, effectively convey why the change is important, and try to make changes a pleasant experience. These authors propose that although many factors exist which may affect attitude change, they can be described in three general ways: “trust in the sender, the message itself, and the situation” (p. 101). Trust is important so the employee will be open to the manager’s suggestion, or message. Employees will also be more open to the manager’s suggestions if the proposed change is more appealing that the current situation. Changing an employee’s attitude, such as Joan’s, is a very difficult task, but managers which address these three areas will have a better chance of success. In order to change Joan’s attitude, I would first make sure I have a positive relationship with her so that trust is established. If I don’t have that relationship with her, I would find someone in the company who does. I would empathize with Joan regarding her concerns, but provide her with the message that the new system is critical for the company’s continued success in an ever-changing world. I would reassure Joan that she is a valued employee and the company ne... ... middle of paper ... ...that this may include employee responsibilities, level of autonomy, employee recognition, membership in teams, compensation and pay packages, and reward systems. By inferring motivations and acting to meet the needs of employees, managers will be better able to encourage employees to exhibit those work behaviors which are desired by the organization. References Gibson, J., Ivancevich, J., Donnelly, Jr., J., & Konopaske, R. (2012). Organizations: Behavior, structure, processes (14th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Ming-Jer, C., & Miller, D. (2010). West meets east: Toward an ambicultural approach to management. Academy Of Management Perspectives, 24(4), 17-24. doi:10.5465/AMP.2010.55206381 Skiba, M., & Rosenberg, S. (2011). The disutility of equity theory in contemporary management practice. Journal Of Business & Economic Studies, 17(2), 1-19.

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