Human Relations in Organizations: Applications and Skill Building 8th Edition by Robert Lussier

Exercise 20

For this exercise, some of the class members will need to bring tape recorders to class to record small group discussions. Small tape recorders are suggested. Your instructor may assign specific people to bring them. If not, bring a tape recorder if you have one.
Objective: To see if there are any differences in male and female behavior in small groups.
AACSB: The AACSB learning standard skills developed through this exercise are analytic skills, reflexive thinking, and diversity.
Preparation: Some of the class members need to bring tape or digital recorders to class to record the small group discussion.
Experience: In a small group, you will make a decision that will be recorded, and then you will analyze the recording to determine if there are differences in male and female behavior.
Break into teams of five or six. Make the number of males and females as even as possible in each group. Be sure each group has a recorder. As a group, you will select a candidate for a job opening. As an individual, read the information below and think about whom you would hire in this situation. When all group members are ready, begin your discussion of whom to hire. Be sure to record the conversation. Discuss each candidate's qualifications fully, coming to a group consensus on whom to hire. Do not vote, unless the time is almost up. You must make a decision by the deadline stated by your instructor. Try not to finish very early, but if you do, wait for the rest of the class to finish before going on to the next procedure.
You are a member of the local school board. The board is making the decision on which candidate to hire for the open position of girls' high school tennis coach. The following is information on each candidate.
Mary Smith: Mary has been a history teacher at a nearby high school for 10 years. She was the tennis coach for one year. It has been five years since she coached the team. Mary says she stopped coaching because it was too time-consuming with her young daughter, but she misses it and wants to return. Mary's performance was rated as 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. Mary never played competitive tennis, but she says she plays regularly. You guess she is about 35 years old.
Tom Jones: Tom works as a supervisor on the 11 P.M. to 7 A.M. shift for a local business. He has never coached before. However, Tom was a star player in high school and college. He still plays in local tournaments, and you see his name in the paper now and then. You guess Tom is about 25 years old.
Wendy Clark: Wendy has been a basketball coach and a teacher of physical education classes for a nearby high school for the past five years. She has a bachelor's degree in physical education. Wendy has never coached tennis, but she did play on the high school team. She says she plays tennis about once a week. You guess she is about 40 years old.
Lisa Williams: Lisa has been an English teacher at your school for the past two years. She has never coached, but she did take a course in college on how to coach tennis. She is popular with her students. Lisa plays tennis regularly, and you have heard she is a pretty good player. She is an African American. You guess Lisa is about 24 years old.
Hank Chung: Hank has been teaching math at your school for seven years. He was a star player in high school in Japan, and he played tennis for a successful U.S. college team. He still plays for fun regularly. He has never coached or had any type of coaching courses. He applied for the job the last time it was open four years ago but was not selected. You guess Hank is about 30 years of age.
Sally Carson: Sally has taught physical education classes at your school for the past four years. She never played competitive tennis but has a master's degree in physical education and has had courses regarding how to coach tennis. Sally taught and coached field hockey at a high school for 15 years before moving to your city. You guess she is about 48 years old.
As an individual, answer the following questions. Circle the letter of your response.
1. Who spoke more?
a. males
b. females
c. equal time
2. The one individual with the most influence in the group was:
a. male
b. female
3. The one individual with the least influence in the group was:
a. male
b. female
4. Overall, who had the most influence on the group?
a. males
b. females
c. equal influence
5. Interruptions came more frequently from:
a. males interrupting females
b. females interrupting males
c. equal interruption from both
6. Of the total discussion time, I spoke for about _____ minutes. Total the group's answers to the six questions in procedure 2. All members should write the totals next to the questions above.
Play back the recorded discussion. As it plays, write down who talks and for how long they talk. If one person interrupts another, note it as "male interrupts female," or vice versa. When the tape finishes, add up the number of minutes each person spoke. Total the male and female times. As a team, answer the six questions in procedure 2 above. Were the answers the same before and after listening to the recorded discussion?
Conclusion: The instructor may lead a class discussion and/or make concluding remarks.
Application (2-4 minutes): What did I learn from this experience? How can I use this knowledge in the future?
Sharing: Volunteers give their answers to the application section.