MGT 3332: Organizational Behavior Module 3 Assignment 1: Workplace Equity Dilemma

Guidelines and Rubric Overview: This workplace dilemma activity provides an opportunity for you to assume a role in a type of situation you may encounter in your career. Facing difficult decisions and determining how to handle them is a soft skill that you will develop in this assignment. You will apply what you have learned in this module about trust, justice, and ethics to communicate a tough decision to a team, while considering the importance of managing the organizational environment. You will also explore how your personal management style or management preferences could influence the tough decision you are facing. You will discover in this assignment how critical it can be when making tough decisions to keep the remaining team motivated to maintain or even increase organizational commitment. Directions: First, consider the following scenario:

John and Mary are full-time professors in the same medical school department of a large private university. As a private institution, neither the school nor the university makes the salaries and benefits of its faculty a matter of public record. Mary has pursued a long-term (14 years) career in the medical school, rising through the academic ranks, while being married to a successful businessman with whom she has raised three children. Her research and teaching contributions have been broad ranging and award winning. John has joined the medical school within the last three years and was recruited for his leading-edge contribution to a novel line of research on a new procedure. Mary thought he was probably attracted with a comprehensive compensation package, yet she had no details until an administrative assistant gave her some information about his salary and benefits a month ago. Mary learned that John’s base contract salary is 16% higher than hers ($250,000 versus $215,000), that he was awarded an incentive pay component for the commercialization of his new procedure, and that he was given an annual discretionary travel budget of $35,000 and a membership in an exclusive private club. Mary is in a quandary about what to do. Given pressures from the board of trustees to hold down costs associated with increasing tuition fees, Mary wonders how to close this $70,000 inequity gap.

Then develop a two- to three-page paper that addresses the critical elements below and thoughtfully presents an approach for the department leadership that would facilitate more equity in the workplace of this medical school department while also addressing the motivation aspects of this dilemma.

MGT 3332: Organizational Behavior

Specifically, be sure to address the following in your written paper:

1. Determine the equity issues in this medical school department situation using what you have learned about social exchange and equity theory. Specifically, be sure to address the following:

a. Do the outcome differences here appear to be gender-based, age-based, performance-based, or marital status-based? b. Do you need more information? If so, what kind of additional information do you need? c. Assess how your personal preferences, management styles, and biases may have influenced your responses to the two

questions above.

2. Consider the strategies for the resolution of inequity as portrayed in this situation. Specifically, be sure to address the following: a. Which ones are feasible to pursue based on what you know? b. Which ones are not feasible? Why? c. What are the likely consequences of each strategy or course of action? d. Reflect on your personal management style. If you were Mary’s mentor, what would you advise Mary to do?

3. Assume the role of a leader in this academic department and develop a specific plan of action to resolve the inequity so that Mary and

the department can achieve fair treatment at work. Specifically, be sure to address the following: a. What strategies should you consider to keep Mary motivated to contribute at her exemplary levels and to keep the medical school

a competitive program for future students. b. What is your rationale for the strategy? Reference examples from the textbook or other sources.

Guidelines for Submission:? Your assignment should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document, two to three pages in length, double-spaced, using 12-point type and 1-inch margins, and any sources that are used must be referenced in APA format. Instructor Feedback:? This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center.

MGT 3332: Organizational Behavior