MG 630 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

ETHICAL DILEMMA: GENERATIONAL VALUES AND STAYING PUT

1. In your experience, do younger individuals differ from older individuals in terms of
how long they plan to remain with a given firm?
Performance and happiness go hand in hand in making an organization successful.
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Happiness coaching is spreading through business culturelarge companies are hiring happiness
coaches to train their staffs, and graduate schools are now offering classes that promote
workplace happiness.
Try implementing some of the simple, yet highly effective strategies below to boost the
happiness of your employees:
1. Have staff members evaluate their strengths and utilize them to work more effectively. They will
become more engaged and happier over time.
2. Encourage employees to write positive emails to colleagues that praise them on work they have
recently completed. This will help promote good employee relations.
3. Allow workers to take multiple breaks during the workday. Studies prove that short time away
from work reenergizes individuals and helps them increase their productivity.
4. When appropriate, suggest that employees use their vacation and sick time. Ample vacation or
recovery time will help them return revitalized and productive.
5. Help staff members take advantage of training and educational opportunities when available.
Learning new information or skills will help them achieve greater success and will increase their
happiness.






2. Do you think you should feel free to job surf purposely move from job to job as
soon as the desire strikes? Do you think employers have a right to ask about job
surfing plans when they interview you?
- Verbal warning on the first tardy (8 minutes after the required time) or absence,

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C.D. Fisher. Why Do Lay People Believe That Satisfaction and Performance are Correlated? Possible Sources of a
Commonsense Theory, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, no. 6, (2003): 753-77.

3. If you had an interview with Dave Foster or someone with his views of Millennials,
how might you combat his preconceptions?
Performance and happiness go hand in hand in making an organization successful.
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How do you take good care of your employees without losing sight of the results and profitability of the
business?
Recent surveys from reputable sources, including The Conference Board, Mercer and
CNNMoney, reveal that American workers are the unhappiest they have been in more than two
decades. Statistics that highlight workforce unhappiness include: 84 percent of employed
Americans are unhappy at their current jobs (CNNMoney), only 45 percent of workers are
satisfied with their current jobs (the Conference Board) and one in three American workers is
serious about leaving their current job (Mercer).
These gloomy statistics leave company leaders searching for strategies to keep their employees
content and productive. It is a fact that retention rates increase when employees are satisfied with
their jobs, and their job satisfaction is influenced by many factors, such as the work they do, the
support they receive and the people they work with. Another key indicator for job satisfaction is
the level of happiness employees have when they are working. Research shows that creating a
positive work environment increases productivity and overall health in employees.
There are multiple reasons why happiness is an instant productivity booster for workers. Here are
a few:
1. Employees who are happy relate better with others, including their coworkers and clients.
This helps improve teamwork and customer service.
2. People who are happy tend to be more creative and are open to different ideas. Increased
creativity also helps employees problem solve more effectively.
3. People who are happy at their jobs enjoy what they do, so they have more motivation to
perform well.
4. Those who are happy tend to get sick less frequently. Being sick instantly decreases
productivity, and employees who dislike their jobs are prone to stress, making them more
susceptible to catching a cold or getting ulcers.
5. People who are happy are also more likely to be optimistic. Optimists are more
successful and productive and complain far less than those who are unhappy.

2
C.D. Fisher. Why Do Lay People Believe That Satisfaction and Performance are Correlated? Possible Sources of a
Commonsense Theory, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, no. 6, (2003): 753-77.
Prior to the happiness workshop, MEC attempted to foster happiness in various ways. Paying attention
to individual needs and desires is important, according to Kaplowitz, who says that while happiness for
one employee might come in the form of having an iPhone, a worker with kids in day care might
appreciate a flexible work schedule.
MEC North America CEO Marla Kaplowitz buys into that proposition. I believe that a person who is
happy in their personal life is also a happier person professionally, and youre going to have happier
clients when theyre dealing with a happy person. It sounds really basic, but I really do believe there is a
connection there, Kaplowitz says. So keeping people motivated and happy is, to me, job one.
http://www.fastcocreate.com/1682068/how-one-company-taught-its-employees-how-to-be-
happier-and-what-happened-next
http://blog.capital.org/happiness-the-productivity-booster/
References
5 Flextime-Friendly Companies. (2009). Retrieved from Career Builder:
http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-632-Job-Search-Five-Flextime-Friendly-Companies/
Absenteeism Law & Legal Definition. (n.d.). Retrieved from USLegal:
http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/absenteeism/
Sick Leave and Personal Days. (n.d.). Retrieved from Inc.: http://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/sick-leave-
and-personal-days.html