Running head: INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
My Individual Results and Applications
BUSI 240 – ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR I
Professor Kathryn J. McMahon
Joseph Wolfe
Liberty University
May 16, 2018
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 2
Abstract
I am currently self employed as a residential construction contractor. I operate as a single
member LLC. My daily duties can vary; however, I am more likely to do the following on any
given day: talking to customers and potential customers via email or telephone, visiting
homeowners for estimates, writing contracts, purchasing and organizing materials needed for a
jobsite, performing the scope of work that I am in contracted for, and organizing tools. There is a
direct coalition between everything I just mentioned and customer satisfaction. Every task that I
perform is reflective of my talents, accountability, and organizational skills. The tasks also
emphasize punctuality and drive. All of these tasks create the mechanism of self-employment
and must be done so in a tedious manner for the business to survive.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 3
Are you introverted or extroverted?
1. The purpose is to identify my personality type as either introverted or extroverted.
2. Introverted, 20 points. Extroverted, 23 points
3. My introvert score is on the high side of low and my extrovert score is middle range. The
results show that I am highly capable of following company procedures and I can work
independently from others while maintaining my alignment with company values. I have an
appreciation for personal freedom and control over my own life.
4. The results of this test were as expected. I was already aware that I was a little bit of both
personalities. Thus, why I have succeeded in managing my own company; however, I was not
aware that being introverted was the personality trait that seems to aid my business the most.
Though it is my lower score of the two personalities, the ability to maintain a quality output with
low supervision is key for my company. Often, I am in someone’s house alone, with little or no
supervision other than the family pet demanding my attention. There are many times where it
would be easy to take the easy way of doing something without anyone being the wiser. I often
assumed the it was my extroversion alone that was the reason I started a company. For some
reason I associated entrepreneurship with the extrovert characteristic. Upon my reflection of the
testing I can assume the extroverted side of me really enjoys being in control. I enjoy the ability
to take personal time when I need it, and I also enjoy the occasional customer interactions.
I feel that having an almost even split of these personality types has helped shape not
only my work ethic but also my relationships. I can, at times, be quite social and talkative; I
enjoy time with others, but I can also recharge by being alone and isolating myself from daily
norms (McShane & Von Glinow, 2008, p. 40).
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 4
How do you cope with stressful situations?
1. The assessment is designed to help me determine my preferred style of coping with stress.
2. Problem solving, 13 points. Social Support, 16 points. Avoidance, 7 points. Blaming others, 7
points
3. My scores trended “High” on problem solving and social support, while my scores were
considered “Low” on avoidance and blaming others. I attempt to remove the stressor in the by
changing the circumstances that create them. I tend to ask for advice and seek counseling from
others. I sometimes avoid dealing with stress and I occasionally look for fault in others as a
reason for the stress.
4. In my current line of work I often must find solutions for problems by myself. The stress is
usually uncovered when I demo a floor or a wall and see the poor work of someone else behind
them, creating an immediate onslaught of thoughts in my mind. There are times, however, when
the problem is between the customer and me. Most of the problems that create stressors are due
to differences in mental models (McShane & Von Glinow, 2018, p. 73). I never talk down to a
customer who has a hard time envisioning or understanding a concept. Instead, I take the time to
explain the situation differently or perhaps draw something to show them. I rely on talking to
friends or my spouse about the problems I have had.
I believe I utilize healthy strategies when coping with stress, considering stressors can be
found in my work and personal life (McShane & Von Glinow, 2018, p. 110). Talking to others
and refusing to avoid the stress are the main components needed in defeating it. Realizing that
others are entitled to different viewpoints and understanding there is a good chance that there is
more than one plausible solution to any problem are both good thinking habits to have when
coping with stressors.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 5
How strong are your growth needs?
1. The purpose of the assessment is to find out what I value most in a job.
2. Growth-Need Strength, 22 points
3. The result of the self-assessment states that I have a “Low” growth need. I have minimal need
for personal growth and development within my job function.
4. I found this study to be baffling. I don’t see myself as someone who has a low need for
personal growth within my job. I am constantly trying to learn new things to better grow my
business. For example, a little over a year ago I decided that I wanted to learn how to make
cabinets and small furniture, so that one day I could work entirely from home. Today, 20% of my
business comes from making these items, and I am moving in the direction that I want to. I must
digress though; ironically, research results on this topic have been mixed. Apparently, there are
some employees who are motived about their job due to its structure, not necessarily the job
characteristics or how high or low they have scored on growth needs assessments (McShane &
Von Glinow, 2018, p. 167). I believe this is where I align. I am more focused on structuring my
company to suit my needs in my personal life, not necessarily to heighten my self-actualization.
Though the research may be conflicting, it still is evident that there is at least some
weight to the theory that growth needs motivate people. I have hired several people that have
high growth needs. I enjoy having these folks around, because they inspire my desire to teach the
trade. Now understanding where I fall in line with growth needs will help me become more
aware of other’s growth needs, potentially making the company knowledge higher, and in turn
helping me gain free time and a larger income to focus on the company’s structure.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 6
What is your preferred decision-making style?
1. The purpose of the assessment is to help me understand my decision-making style.
2. Rational decision style, 13 points. Intuitive decision style, 8 points
3. My scores reflect that I have a moderate preference for the rational decision-making style and
a low preference for the intuitive decision-making style.
4. In the world of owning a small business, the decisions that I make can affect me positively or
negatively, and for short or long term. As an independent owner, I have very little room for errors
because I have essentially zero financial safety nets. I also have no alternative income if I were to
become suddenly disabled. These are everyday worries that I process. It is important to me to
make decisions logically, with as much information as I can gather, and intuitively; it must make
sense to me. To play it safe, however, I must rely more on rational decision making. At one time,
there was no job to big or small for me. I would answer yes to every potential client, whether it
was a financial risk, meaning I was not educated enough not to make a mistake, or whether it
was a physical risk, by not owning the proper equipment or safety gear. Now, having learned
from many mistakes, I save the intuitive decision making for business structure and less on job
duties.
I find it interesting that have I similar scores in both types of styles. Apparently, that
doesn’t mean that I contradict myself, because emotions are present somewhere in every decision
that I can make (McShane & Von Glinow, 2018, p. 192). Emotionless decisions are for
computers, and I am not a computer. To take away my emotions in decision making is to take
away my personality. If I were to take away my personality than I would have no reason to make
decisions to begin with. So far, I have not made a business mistake that has decimated the
company, but I have learned some tough lessons and have grown wiser because of them.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 7
What team roles do you prefer?
1. The assessment is designed to help me identify my preferred role in a meeting and other
relative team activities.
2. Encourager, 3 points. Gatekeeper, 9 points. Harmonizer, 5 points. Initiator, 7 points.
Summarizer, 4 points
3. The testing scores reflect that I have low preference in all areas with the exception of
Gatekeeper. My preference, or tendency, is to encourage all members of a meeting to participate
in the conversation.
4. The meetings that I participate in on a regular basis are generally sales meetings with clients.
It is just an initial face to face time, where I go over the scope of work that the client wants me to
perform. During the meeting I often try to up sale certain aspects of the scope so that I can add a
more decorative touch, present a better product, and hopefully make more money. Since, I
facilitate the meeting and all its appendages, I believe my test scores reflect what I am best at. I
like to make sure that everyone in the discussion is participating. As one can imagine, I deal
mostly with married couples who are trying to better their living situation. Sometimes, the
husband speaks the whole time. Regardless, I like to make sure that I hear from both parties. It
helps me create a mental model that will be best for both the husband and wife. It also, makes the
process of doing the physical work easier when I know that both parties have mutually agreed on
a way of doing something, rather than surprising me with changes after I have started.
I believe that the ability to be a gatekeeper is something that I could carry over in to other
types of meetings I may be a part of. I am sometimes a part of church meetings. I think that
knowing my team role will help create a more rounded discussion and hopefully help the church
achieve its goals (McShane & Von Glinow, 2018, p. 227).
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 8
Are you an active listener?
1. The purpose of the assessment is to establish if I am an active listener.
2. Avoiding interruption, 5 points. Maintaining interest, 4 points. Postponing evaluation, 6
points. Organizing information, 3 points. Showing interest, 7 points. Total score 25 points
3. My score on the assessment indicates that I am moderately proficient at active listening. I
have a moderate ability to interpret the speakers message and assess and reply properly.
4. I have learned over the years that I am, what I consider to be, a horrible listener. My mind
wanders, my body gets fidgety, I interrupt, and I assume what the speaker is going to say. These
are all horrible traits to have when you manage a business. Luckily for me, it is only about 20%
of what I do, but it can hurt or help the other 80% of what I do. I have learned to cope with this
problem by writing almost everything down that a client tells me. So often though, I get caught
up in the sales pitch. I am more concerned about my communication as a speaker and less
concerned in my role as a listener (McShane & Von Glinow, 2018, p. 268). Unfortunately, my
speech is a direct reflection of my listening. I am sure it can be quite annoying for someone to
have to repeat to me everything that they just said.
According to the assessment results it is more than obvious that I need to practice
different tactics for listening. I feel that being a better active listener would improve my social
and business skills tremendously. It is even more detrimental to learn this skill since I aspire to
be a family counselor when I finish here at Liberty. I believe that we all can grow at the things
that we are weak at. I feel that listening is an attribute that is derived from laziness, and laziness
is not something that I implement anywhere else in my life. Showing more interest, avoiding
interrupting, and organizing the words that I hear is a good start to becoming an active listener.
What is your approach to influencing co-workers?
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 9
1. The exercise is designed to help me understand different methods of influence when working
with co-workers, and measure my preference on influence tactics, respectively.
2. Persuasion, 7 points. Silent authority, 6 points. Exchange, 4 points. Assertiveness, 1 point.
Information control, 6 points. Coalition information, 6 points. Upward appeal, 4 points.
Ingratiation, 7 points
3. Persuasion and ingratiation are my highest levels of influence according to the assessment. I
can see how knowing this about myself would become useful in a meeting with an existing client
or a prospect client. Persuasion is the key to my success as a salesman/contractor. I often must
prove my intelligence about the topic at hand to encourage the client to spend their money
(McShane & Von Glinow, 2018, p. 293). The more proficient I am at the given subject the easier
the persuasion is. Ingratiation, or impression management is equally important (McShane & Von
Glinow, 2018, p. 294). Many clients base their value of me on my likeability. I try very hard to
present myself as a pleasant and intelligent person. After all, first impressions are key when
making a sales pitch.
Silent authority, information control, and coalition are tactics that I integrate after a
contract has been drawn, the work has begun, and questions or concerns arise from the customer.
Often, customers feel as though they know more than me on various topics such as: plumbing,
electrical, tile work, etc. Although I cannot pinpoint the reasoning behind it, my responses are
usually given with the three methods mentioned. For example, I refer to the knowledge of other
contractors, city and state regulations, and licensing I have obtained. I am simply promoting my
authority in the situation the only way I can, without resorting to less impressive methods such as
assertiveness and exchange.
What is your preferred conflict handling style?
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 10
1. The assessment is designed to interpret the way I tend to act in a conflict with someone else.
2. Yielding, 6 points, Compromising, 11 points, Forcing, 10 points. Problem solving, 8 points.
Avoiding 6 points
3. This assessment places my style as moderate in compromising and forcing while remaining
low in the other styles. I tend to leverage conflict by offsetting my losses by methods of gaining.
4. Though the style of forcing may seem unromantic, it’s sometimes necessary to use to make
sure the profits of my company remain intact. I do not use compromising and forcing as means to
sale a product or service. I typically only resort to them when I am trying to collect money from
an unwilling customer. This is not very common in the residential contracting business, but it is
very common in the commercial contracting world. Residential cliental seem to be more
connected emotionally with me, while commercial customers and their superintendents are trying
to hold a line of profit and are less concerned with the success of my business.
Conflict happens in both worlds of business for me. On the residential side of the
business the inability to communicate effectively is the number one reason I have conflict
(McShane & Von Glinow, 2018, p. 311). Since I am a poor active listener, sometimes I may do
things in a manner than is contrary to the customers vision and more in line with my vision. At
this point, problem solving is key. It is important for me to find common ground with the
customer and work out our differences by doing extra work or giving monetary credits towards
the contract in favor of the client. I operate solely by word of mouth. I do not spend a penny on
advertising and I am well known. It all boils down to how I conduct myself professionally, the
presentation of my work, and how effectively I handle conflict. It only takes one unhappy
customer to untangle the networking that I have worked so hard for.
Do leaders make a difference?
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 11
1. The assessment’s intent it to help me determine my beliefs about leaders.
2. Total score, 30 points
3. According to the assessment I am an average outlook on the romance of leadership. I only
partially place the successes and failures of organizational events on the leaders, while I accept
the equal responsibility of outside factors.
4. I wish that I could say that the sweat of my brow is all the turns the gears of my organization,
but that would simply not be true. In 2008, when the economy took a nose dive, I had to abandon
my company and find gainful employment. It was tough to walk away from what I loved to do
simply to suffer in a mediocre job just to pay my bills. I can only control my part of an ever-
changing world. My success does depend on me, but it also depends on the amount of money
other people have and the affordability of raw materials on the market. It’s easier to accept the
blame, or to pass the blame to the leader of an organization for its troubles rather than computing
the various networks of outside forces (McShane & Von Glinow, 2018, p. 350).
When I make a mistake that leads to failure it is easy to quantify. I expect to suffer a loss
in one regard or another. Therefore, I try to stay informed as best I can. I talk to lumber stores
about rising prices. I speak to managers about new products I have found that I would like to see
in their stores. I listen to talk radio to get an idea about the current economy and trends in the
market. I also listen to local politics to see if there may be upcoming changes to municipalities
that could affect me, such as taxes. My customers like to question the cost of labor prices and
materials. It’s difficult for people to see the big picture when they have never owned a business.
For outside the box it seems luxurious, but in the box it’s a spinning top, wobbling to one side or
the other.
What organizational structures do you prefer?
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 12
1. The assessment’s purpose is to estimate my preferred organizational structure.
2. Tall hierarchy, 13 points. Formalization, 9 points
3. I prefer a tall hierarchy with a smaller group of employees per supervisor. I have an average
preference for a job that has high clarity and partial discretion.
4. I have had as many as eight employees at one time. Though I enjoy being a supervisor, I am
not at all thrilled with having more than two employees. I have learned that when I have too
many employees that it keeps me isolated in the supervisor role, not able to do anything but the
duties of a supervisor. I am not able to perform tasks in the manner that I prefer because I am
constantly educating and correcting other. I have also learned that since I have a partial
preference to clarity it is more difficult to relay information and set standards to a larger group. It
is much easier for me to groom and mold one or two employees to my way of thinking that many
at once.
In my previous experiences as an employee, I imagine my employer must have
discovered similar problems when hosting a large group. I once worked for the electric
company’s call center. There were only two supervisors for my group of thirty. The
organizational was very structured and rule oriented. For a supervisor, that’s a lot of questions to
answer, and a lot of mistakes to correct all at one time. I felt as though my learning process was
hindered by sheer group size. I wasn’t getting the individual attention that I needed to be more
proficient. My personal company is somewhat organic, if my employees show the ability to
make wise decisions, then I implement little formalization (McShane & Von Glinow, 2018, p.
370). I prefer to let others utilize their own talents, or simply discover them as they move from
job to job or task to task.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 13
References
McShane, S., & Von Glinow, M.A. (2018). Organizational behavior (8th ed.) NY, NY: McGraw-
Hill.
