Study Guide Organizational Behaivor

Exam 3 MGT 304 Concepts to Know

Your third examination will cover conflict management techniques, leadership theories, and organizational development/change.  In addition, you should be familiar with readings  8, 9, 10 and the following cases: Lisa Benton, Dick Spencer, and HP (Carly).

Some specific terms, topics to know include:

1. Make sure you can discuss the various structural techniques that might be used to manage conflict (e.g, dominance approach, decoupling, etc and examples of each); also, understand the differences between various confrontational techniques (mediation vs arbitration vs process consulting)
2. For the leadership theories, you need to particularly understand the outgrowths of the OSU studies (Blake and Mouton; Hersey and Blanchard; Path goal theory) – make sure you understand their relative strengths, weaknesses; know and understand Fiedler’s theory (the first contingency approach) and how it is applied; understand House’s path goal theory and how to apply it; understand the difference between transactional vs transformational styles (and note similarities between charismatic leadership qualities and transformational); understand what authentic leadership is all about (and be able to give examples of individuals who display these different styles)
3. For organizational change and development:

1. understand the three historical roots of the field (know what Lewin contributed; the Hawthorne studies; Coch and French studies)
2. understand what some of the targets of change are; why people resist change and how to manage resistance; understand what contingency factors need to be considered in using a top-down approach vs more of a participative approach

1. Review the readings and cases; make sure you can apply reading material to cases if asked to do so in a short answer or essay question

As usual, I will put a twitter extra credit question on the exam.  FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN DOING TWEETS, MAKE SURE YOU MAKE A LIST, GIVE ME YOUR TWITTER NAME, AND TURN THEM IN ON THE LAST DAY (THIRD EXAM DAY).   TO RECEIVE CREDIT, YOU MUST FULFILL THE POSTED DIRECTIONS.