Organizational Behavior Chapter 2 case scenario questionaire The Global Recession and Workplace Malfeasance 1) Does this case prove economic downturns and company layoffs fail to lead to work malfeasance? Why or why not? - This case does prove that economic downturns and layoffs actually lead to work malfeasance. It talks about when the economy is in a downfall and there are many loosing their jobs unpredictably, employees will panic and do anything to guarantee their positions, steal from their companies to build a back up, or act irrationally due to frustration and insecurity.Financial insecurity can push any individual to do stupid things or act unethically when they find themselves unable to feed their families. The case points out how employee layoffs may have a parallel effect with employee theft, fraud, and violence because of the increased levels of stress and financial insecurity.
An increase in employee misconduct due to their anxiety and frustration is psychologically normal. Violence, intolerance, and impatience are some of the several symptoms of frustration.This case includes a statistic report on what employees think in regards to a possible increase of employee theft in the work place but the numbers of reported individuals who think there's an increase are mostly based on personal opinion not actual fact or knowledge on these crimes and is not necessarily a high number, at least in comparison to what? An increase from last year? The case also noted how the headlines on that report are rather exaggerated and are suspected to be linked to favoring certain companies who offer software that deals with the issue.This case also includes a few examples such as the situation in which a laid off immigrant lost his job and then murdered 13 people which they link to his desperation. In conclusion, although employee malfeasance is possible in any economy it is more likely in an unpredictable economy where individuals are afraid of loosing their jobs and some are actually loosing their jobs and their psychological well being due to the increased levels of stress. 2) Does the case prove we can learn nothing from the business press? This particular case does emphasize how the media and business press can be manipulative by publishing lies or "exaggerated" truths in favor to benefit some company or service of their choice.
The case included a statistic report on 400 people rating their awareness in regards to the recession having an impact on employee theft and misconduct, in which results indicated an 18% of individuals rating an increase in work malfeasance, 40% indicating no increase, and 40% been unsure.Although this case does not prove the business press was lying about the statistic's results, the article's name and story did exaggerate the truth to make it seem as if the results were a huge indication on the rise of employee malfeasance in the workplace, when in fact this statistic was based on opinion not actual knowledge/fact on the issue. The case does prove that the business press can be rather unreliable and it could be means to advertise desirable content more than supply accurate information. That is why as a consumer, we have to verify sources and the information for credibility and accuracy provided before making decisions.
) Does this chapter provide any clues for how you can be an informed consumer of business news on OB issues? - This chapter provided with several ways on how a consumer can stay informed on 4) Some companies install surveillance equipment (cameras, computer software) to monitor their employees. Valenti Management, which owns and runs 117 Wendy's and 17 Chili's restaurants, had installed fingerprints scanners on all it's cash registers. Do you think these measures infringe too much on individual privacy? Can a company take prevention too far? How do you strike a balance between prevention and intrusion? I agree with having fingerprint scanners on cash registers. I have a personal experience in which I was working as a cashier in a retail store; each cashier does cash transactions on a cash register independently. One day at work, another cashier used my register a few times when I was away on break and that specific day I was short by a couple of tens of dollars and obviously it was blamed on me since it was the registered I was responsible for.
There was no actual evidence that the coworker used my register until the manager decided to check the camera for any suspicious behavior, of course any suspicious action on my behalf.I cannot say that it was my coworker's fault but I have never had such an amount of shortage in cash from a register before. Also, fingerprints scanners cannot stop this from happening but there could have been evidence of the coworker using my register in the first place. I am also familiar with the usage of these fingerprint scanners in employee clock in and out equipment which have saved companies from having employees clock in their coworkers when requested by their peers to do so when they are late or can't make it to work.I like privacy and dislike companies trying to intrude and get too much personal information or video taping everything I do while at work, but if I was a business owner I would like to trust my employees, and what better way than them knowing that I am watching them all the time? If the employees don't like it, they can go work somewhere else.
It's not about mistrusting anybody in particular but everything to do with preventing mishaps and unethical behavior behind the company's back.With this software that creates a means of properly investigating any problems that arise, companies will have a way of finding who is guilty and prevents blaming the innocent bystanders. Now, as long as companies don't require regular blood sampling or anything that hurts, or goes inside my body (like putting a chip under my skin), or having monitoring cameras in the bathroom, or timing how long one goes to the bathroom amongst other things, I believe the fingerprint scanners and cameras are a safe and the most efficient way to give employees less opportunities to cheat.
