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Address the following in your report: Taking into consideration industry, job, and organizational fit, explain which Big Five personality trait you believe is the most important for NoJax management to seek out during an interview process. Support your choice with observations from the case document. Taking into consideration industry, job, and organizational fit, explain which Big Five personality trait you believe is the least important for NoJax management to seek out during an interview process. Support your choice with observations from the case document. Provide an in-depth analysis of a minimum of four of the management pairs working together utilizing personality scores and employee background information. For example, you might choose Design Manager Alice Bloom and Lifting Shoes Manager Anam Basra. For each pair, identify potential strengths of them working together and two potential weaknesses of them working together. This does require some hypothesizing based on employee personality traits scores and background information. Considering job tasks and job design helps here too.Attached you will find my notes, company background and directions also attached is the paper I wrote that I need help with mod02_notes.docx nojax_company_background_doc.docx module_02.docx mfauber_mod02_organizationalbehavioranalysis_112019.docx Unformatted Attachment Preview Emotion Within Organizational Behavior Emotions have the ability to impact a large number of organizational behavior factors and factor heavily into decision-making. Employees regularly make decisions based on their current emotions or, at the very least, allow their emotions to influence their thought process. Emotions are one of the largest causes of conflict. They also play a large part in leadership, job attitudes, and motivation. In short, everything an employee does within a business is somewhat related to emotions. Emotions impact actions and these actions set the stage for the overall culture of the company. This means that understanding emotions is a key aspect to analyzing organizational behavior. There are a wide variety of emotions that a person can feel, each with very different impacts on how a person acts. At a basic level, emotions can be categorized as having a positive effect or negative effect. These categories help us simplify more complex emotions in an effort to see how they influence employees. For example, excitement would be considered a positive effect because it is a desirable emotion that improves a persons outlook. On the other hand, stress would be considered a negative effect because it is undesirable and it creates a negative outlook. Emotions are also influenced by many factors that may not be obvious at first glance. Time of day, energy level, or even the day of the week can play a role in shaping the emotions of an employee. Its easy to compare employee emotions on a sunny Friday afternoon with a dreary Monday morning. Emotions also have the ability to carry over from personal events to work events and vice versa. An argument at home can easily lead to an argument on the job. The important takeaway here is to understand the variability of emotions and to recognize how emotions are a key area of focus when working on the organizational behavior of a company. Managers that do not understand emotions cannot effectively improve the operations of the business or recognize key strategies for development. Developing Emotional Intelligence We now recognize that emotions are complicated and differ from employee to employee. There are a wide variety of emotions. Understanding the basics of emotions is important in developing an effective and efficient business culture. However, properly utilizing your understanding of emotions requires a managers use of emotional intelligence (EI). EI is a skill that involves being aware of ones own emotions as well as recognizing the emotions within others. Managers with high EI can control their own emotions while reacting to the emotions theyve recognized in others. One of the more popular theories on EI, called the Ability Model, measures EI through four key skills. Those skills are perceiving emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions, and managing emotions. Perceiving Emotions – This is the ability to recognize the emotions of others through the analysis of their body language, facial expressions, and other nonverbal indicators. This also includes the ability to recognize one’s own emotions through self-reflection and awareness. This skill is fundamental to every other aspect of EI and one of the hardest to master. Every other aspect of the Ability Model relies on the ability to perceive emotions. Managing Emotions – This is the ability to control and regulate emotions in both yourself and others in order to accomplish goals. This skill is different than the “using emotions” aspect of EI because it relates to manipulating and changing emotions. A manager is not just harnessing existing emotions but instead actively changing the emotions in themselves and others. It can be as simple as complimenting a depressed employee in a meaningful way in order to alter their emotions positively. Understanding Emotions – This is the ability to understand the subtlety and complexity of the relationship between multiple emotions. This includes recognizing how people could have a variety of emotions about a single topic and how those emotions can change over time. People rarely feel only a single emotion at a time. They often have conflicting emotions. Understanding emotions at this level leads to a deeper level of insight into people’s actions and motivations. Using Emotions – This is the ability to use emotions, both your own and those of others, to accomplish work and achieve goals. Emotions are a big part of the work process and have to be considered during the work process. An easy example of this would be calling on an excited team member to lead a team meeting. The positive emotions of the employee are being tapped to motivate and energize other people. The Big Five Personality Traits Each person has a unique makeup. This simple statement impacts the dynamic interactions that people have with each other. A core aspect of each persons individuality is their personality. There are a lot of different definitions for personality, but try to think of personality as the traits within a person that influence their behaviors, emotions, and reactions. As one can imagine, this topic is very important to organizational behavior. A persons personality influences the culture and successes of the business. Understanding the personality of employees better allows a company to influence outcomes. This will be covered in more detail later on. For now, understand that there are many different theories about personalities. One of the most popular is the Big Five Model. This model seeks to measure a person on five traits that are at the core of our personalities. Those traits are extraversion, neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. Its important to realize that people can be high in a personality trait, low, or anywhere in between. Think of each trait as more of a sliding scale that a person can be rated on. Its not an all-or-nothing measurement. Extraversion – the extraversion dimension measures a person’s ability and willingness to develop relationships and be outgoing. A person with a high extraversion score is sociable and outgoing. These employees typically know many of their co-workers and have established a dynamic relationship with them. They’re strong communicators. People with low extraversion skills, called introverts, tent to keep to themselves and prefer low-touch communication methods such as e-mail. Neuroticism – Emotional stability addresses a person’s ability to keep control of their own emotions and manage stress. Employees with high scores in this category are cool, collected, and under control. Those with a low score in this category, called neuroticism, are typically insecure, nervous, and easily rattled. Managers have to be careful in how to handle these types of employees. Openness – Openness focuses on how willing a person is to try new things and accept challenges that may be out of their comfort zone. A person with a high score in this category generally loves taking on new projects, has a wide range of interests, and is willing to train toward new areas of expertise. Those with low scores in openness prefer being comfortable with what they know and more likely to be very skilled in a single area of expertise. Conscientiousness – A person with a high score in the conscientiousness category tends to be dependable and thoughtful. Employees that demonstrate this trait can be relied upon to hit deadlines and work to the best of their ability. Low scorers in this personality trait tend to be disorganized and easily distracted. Extra management intervention may be essential for these types of employees. Agreeableness – Agreeableness as a personality trait refers to a person’s willingness to put their own thoughts and goals aside in order to better get along with others. These types of employees are cooperative with others in a group setting while also more likely to defer to other’s opinions. Employees with a low score in this category are likely to be cold and quick to argue with others. The Impact of Personality on Organizational Behavior Understanding personality and how to measure it is one thing. Recognizing the role it plays in organizational behavior and how to use that understanding as a tool to shape company culture is another. Specifically, personality is a direct indicator of whether an employee is a good fit for their job and a good fit for the company overall. The basic premise is that if an employee is a good fit for their job and company, then theyll be more productive and have a positive attitude. Employees that arent a good fit for their position or the business they work in are more likely to be dissatisfied and potentially leave the organization. This negativity can also spread to other employees and impact the behavior of the entire organization. For this reason, organizational behavior experts are very interested in analyzing personality in an effort to find strong person-job and person-organization matches. Person-Job Fit – The personality traits of a person can directly indicate the types of jobs that they’ll enjoy and succeed at. Accomplishments and compatibility with a position lead to more productivity and happier, stress-free employees. This positive outlook also has a tendency to spread to other employees as well. For example, an employee that scores high in the openness category should be put in a position that challenges them with work responsibilities that are constantly changing. Employees with high extraversion scores need a position that offers a social component and regular contact with others. This isn’t always possible and gets tricky when multiple scores on multiple traits are analyzed. However, management needs to be aware of it in order to properly develop a strong business culture. Person-Organization Fit – On a large scale, the values and personality of a business have to coincide with the values and personality of its employees. Imagine a technology firm with a supportive culture that constantly looks to innovate through the use of teamwork. This company will look to hire employees with high scores in openness, agreeableness and extraversion. Those traits fit with how a business operates and what they focus on. Again, hiring compatible employees leads to long-term success for organization behavior. NoJax Inc. Company Background NoJax Inc. is a small American company that designs and manufactures specialized athletic shoes, clothing, and accessories. The business was first started in 2010 when two cousins, Noah and Jaxson Williams, recognized that very few quality options were available for people that led an active lifestyle, specifically regular gym goers. This realization led the Williams cousins to create a shoe prototype designed with weight lifters in mind. The first shoe, dubbed the NJ Elite, emphasized comfort and support that wouldn’t interfere with weight lifting form while exercising. As the NJ Elite gained popularity with local retailers, NoJax expanded their offerings into sports apparel. Since then growth has been tremendous, and NoJax has grown from those small local stores carrying their products to over 200 retailers nationwide. Currently, NoJax has four main areas of focus: shoes for running, apparel for running, shoes for weight lifting, and apparel for weight lifting. The NoJax brand is targeted at the fitness lifestyle. This psychographic segmentation strategy goes beyond typical demographic boundaries and has allowed them to position themselves as a high quality option for people serious about exercise. While this is currently a niche market, it’s a market that continues to grow as cultural trends shift more towards health and wellness. Much of NoJax’s marketing involves online advertising with fitness websites and sponsoring fitness competitions, such as the CrossFit Games and the Chicago Marathon. Revenue for the business has grown consistently as their market and the consumer base has expanded. Last year, NoJax earned $6 million in sales with a 15\% profit margin, which is above industry average. The brand is moderately priced when compared to the competition. Shoes sell for around $80, shirts go for $50, and pants average a sales price of $60. NoJax is currently considering expansion into other markets. However, they have decided to bring in an outside consultant to analyze the company’s design for its impact on organizational behavior. Other than the addition of new product lines, very little about the company has been updated or changed since their operation began. NoJax senior management is concerned that the outdated company design and the new employees that they’ve hired may be negatively impacting the business’ effectiveness. Below is data for the consultant on the company structure, policy, and key employees. NoJax Inc. Company Structure NoJax Inc. currently uses the matrix structure pictured below. Product managers each oversee a single specific product line. There are currently four product managers that oversee four different types of products. Those products are running shoes, running apparel, weight lifting shoes, and weight lifting apparel. There are also three different departments with their own expertise. Those departments are Design, Marketing, and Research and Development (R&D). The Senior Management team currently consists of the two company founders, Noah and Jaxson Williams. There are a total of 50 employees working at NoJax in the positions shown below. Senior Management Alice Bloom Design Manager Carrie Durant Running Shoes Manager Jesse Mercado Running Apparel Manager Lynn Bryant Lifting Apparel Manager Anam Basra Lifting Shoes Manager Janet Johnson Marketing Manager Orlando Grant R&D Manager NoJax Inc. Policy • • • • • • • • • • • • • • NoJax currently adheres to a very centralized power and decision making structure. Employees are heavily monitored in order to make them as efficient as possible at their positions. This includes weekly status meetings with managers and daily activity reports that must be filled out by each employee. When decisions do have to be made it generally requires multiple approvals from both direct managers and someone from the senior management team. Routine decisions regularly take 48 hours to be made. Disagreements between the product and department managers happen frequently and a clear mediation process for these instances has yet to be developed. Roles and members of teams stay consistent. Employees do not rotate through positions at the company and are restricted from changing teams. Job tasks and design is very clearly defined with little variation between roles. Yearly evaluations of employees include ranking all of the employees in the company. Raises are handed out based on each employee’s ranking. The top workers can receive up to a 6\% raise and the bottom employees receive no raise. All employees are paid a base salary. Pay is slightly above industry average, and employees average 50 hours of work in a week. NoJax does offer health and dental to employees but nothing in the form of investments or retirement plans. The hiring process at NoJax Inc. includes individual interviews with a product manager, a department manager, and then senior management. Typical time from receiving a resume to being hired is three months. Employees are allocated ten days off a year. Those days are meant to cover everything. This includes sick days, vacation, and personal days. Any days missed past that must be emergencies with some form of proof, such as a doctor’s note. Human Resource responsibilities are handled by the senior management team, as an actual HR department has never been created. All manufacturing and distribution of NoJax products are outsourced to third-party partner businesses. Discipline at NoJax works on a point system. Infractions, such as being late or acting out, cause employees to accumulate points. After an employee reaches 10 points they are written up. An additional 10 points can lead to a suspension. Points reset every calendar year and there is no carry over from the previous year. Employee: Alice Bloom • • • • • • • Position: Design Department Manager Sex: Female Age: 62 Race: Caucasian Work Experience: 40 years Education: High School Diploma Personality: o Extraversion--High o Emotional Stability--Medium o Openness--Low o Conscientiousness--Medium o Agreeableness--Low Employee: Janet Johnson • • • • • • • Position: Marketing Department Manager Sex: Female Age: 27 Race: African American Work Experience: 5 years Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing Personality: o Extraversion--High o Emotional Stability--Low o Openness--High o Conscientiousness--Medium o Agreeableness--Medium Employee: Orlando Grant • • • • • • • Position: Research and Development Department Manager Sex: Male Age: 29 Race: African American Work Experience: 4 years Education: Associate’s Degree in Marketing Personality: o Extraversion--High o Emotional Stability--High o Openness--High o Conscientiousness--Low o Agreeableness--Medium Employee: Carrie Durant • • • • • • • Position: Running Shoes Product Manager Sex: Female Age: 41 Race: Caucasian Work Experience: 12 years Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Communications Personality: o Extraversion--Medium o Emotional Stability--Medium o Openness--Medium o Conscientiousness--Medium o Agreeableness--High Employee: Jessie Mercado • • • • • • • Position: Running Apparel Product Manager Sex: Female Age: 34 Race: Hispanic Work Experience: 10 years Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management Personality: o Extraversion--Low o Emotional Stability--Medium o Openness--Medium o Conscientiousness--High o Agreeableness--High Employee: Lynn Bryant • • • • • • • Position: Lifting Shoes Product Manager Sex: Female Age: 52 Race: Caucasian Work Experience: 20 years Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology Personality: o Extraversion--Medium o Emotional Stability--High o Openness--Medium o Conscientiousness--High o Agreeableness--Medium Employee: Anam Basra • • • • • • • Position: Lifting Apparel Product Manager Sex: Female Age: 38 Race: Pakistani Work Experience: 10 years Education: Master’s Degree in Sports Management Personality: o Extraversion--Medium o Emotional Stability--Medium o Openness--Low o Conscientiousness--High o Agreeableness--High Instructions NoJax is finally ready for you to start in-depth evaluations of organizational behavior at the micro level. Start by viewing the NoJax Company Background document and cross referencing the employee profiles with the organizational structure provided. This will give you an idea of what managers are working together. Pay particular attention to the given personality trait scores, education, and experience for each manager. From there, start to form an opinion about how these managers will be working together, both positively and negatively. The section on policy will also provide some context on working conditions and employee interaction. Senior management would like you to write a report providing analysis of your observations. Address the following in your report: • • • Taking into consideration industry, job, and organizational fit, explain which Big Five personality trait you believe is the most important for NoJax management to seek out during an interview process. Support your choice with observations from the case document. Taking into consideration industry, job, and organizational fit, explain which Big Five personality trait you believe is the least important for NoJax management to seek out during an interview process. Support your choice with observations from the case document. Provide an in-depth analysis of a minimum of four of the management pairs ... Purchase answer to see full attachment