Caselet Themes: ( Hansika miss)
Leadership
VUCA
Coaching
Negotiation concepts
DIvya miss:
Transactional analysis
Johari Window
DISC model
DMIS/Bennet Model
MODULE 1
Q1] Differentiate between IO Psychology and Business Psychology. Discuss how each
affects workplace effectiveness.
Aspect IO Psychology Business Psychology
Focus Workplace behavior, performance, HR Broader business strategy and
practices behavior
Scope Micro-level (individual/teams) Macro-level (organization-wide)
Application Recruitment, performance, job design Leadership, branding, change
Area management
Effect on Workplace Effectiveness:
● IO Psychology helps create efficient hiring practices, improves employee morale, and
reduces turnover.
● Business Psychology improves leadership, fosters a positive organizational culture,
and enhances decision-making.
Q2] Discuss how personal, emotional, and professional context influence
individual behaviour in business settings.
Individual behavior in the workplace is shaped by multiple layers of context:
1. Personal Context:
○ Includes values, beliefs, life experiences, and personality traits.
○ Influences work ethics, motivation, and interpersonal interactions.
○ Example: An individual raised in a collectivist culture may prioritize teamwork.
2. Emotional Context:
○ Includes mood, stress levels, emotional intelligence, and coping skills.
○ Affects how one reacts to pressure, feedback, or conflict.
○ Example: An employee with high emotional intelligence handles criticism
constructively.
3. Professional Context:
○ Includes job roles, organizational norms, hierarchy, and career goals.
○ Influences risk-taking, goal-setting, and communication style.
○ Example: A person in a leadership role may feel compelled to suppress
vulnerability.
Q3] Analyse how psychology is integrated into different business models
such as subscription-based, freemium, and shared economy models. (Give
a company example for each)
Psychology plays a crucial role in influencing customer behavior across business models:
1. Subscription-Based Model (e.g., Netflix):
○ Leverages habit formation by offering continuous access.
○ Loss aversion and sunk cost fallacy keep users subscribed even when usage
drops.
2. Freemium Model (e.g., Spotify):
○ Offers a basic service for free to attract users.
○ Uses nudging and scarcity effect to convert free users to premium.
○ Example: Frequent ad interruptions create a desire for an ad-free experience.
3. Shared Economy Model (e.g., Airbnb):
○ Builds on trust psychology, using peer reviews and ratings to reduce risk.
○ Utilizes reciprocity and social proof to build community and encourage bookings.
Q4] How can professionals use mental models to adapt to changing
business environments?
Mental models are internal representations of how the world works. They help simplify
complexity and guide decision-making.
Ways professionals use mental models:
1. Problem Solving:
○ Models like First Principles Thinking break problems down to the basics for
innovation (used by Elon Musk).
2. Adaptability:
○ Reframing helps professionals see problems from different perspectives.
○ Growth mindset encourages learning from failure.
3. Strategic Thinking:
○ Systems thinking helps in understanding interdependencies and anticipating
long-term outcomes.
○ SWOT and PESTEL models guide decision-making in dynamic environments.
4. Improved Decision-Making:
○ Use of opportunity cost, inversion ("what could go wrong?"), and second-order
thinking enhances foresight.
MODULE 2
Q1] Evaluate the role of DISC model in leadership and team dynamics
The DISC model identifies four primary personality types:
● D (Dominance) – Direct, result-oriented
● I (Influence) – Sociable, enthusiastic
● S (Steadiness) – Cooperative, patient
● C (Conscientiousness) – Analytical, detail-focused
Role in Leadership:
● Helps leaders adapt communication to different team member styles.
● Encourages situational leadership by aligning leadership approach with team needs.
● Increases emotional intelligence and empathy.
Role in Team Dynamics:
● Enhances team composition by balancing personality strengths.
● Reduces conflict through better understanding of diverse behaviors.
● Improves collaboration by aligning roles to natural tendencies (e.g., assigning planning
to "C", brainstorming to "I").
Q2] Describe the DISC personality model and its application in business
DISC Personality Model Overview:
● A behavioral assessment tool categorizing people into four types:
○ D: Assertive, competitive
○ I: Expressive, people-oriented
○ S: Stable, supportive
○ C: Logical, rule-oriented
Application in Business:
1. Recruitment & Team Building:
○ Helps in selecting candidates whose personality fits the job role.
○ Ensures diversity in team behavior profiles.
2. Leadership Development:
○ Aids leaders in adjusting their management styles to team members'
personalities.
3. Sales & Customer Service:
○ Customizing communication to match the client’s DISC type boosts rapport and
conversion.
4. Conflict Resolution:
○ Encourages understanding of differing communication styles, reducing
misinterpretations.
Q3] Explain how the Johari Window model enhances self-awareness and
interpersonal communication in the workplace. Provide examples of how it
can be applied with team dynamics.
The Johari Window model consists of four quadrants:
1. Open Area – Known to self and others
2. Blind Area – Known to others but not self
3. Hidden Area – Known to self but not others
4. Unknown Area – Unknown to both self and others
Enhancing Self-Awareness:
● Feedback reduces the Blind Area, making individuals aware of how others perceive
them.
● Self-disclosure reduces the Hidden Area, promoting transparency and trust.
Improving Communication:
● By expanding the Open Area, teams communicate more effectively with fewer
misunderstandings.
Team Application Example:
● During team-building workshops, members share strengths and areas for growth
(self-disclosure).
● Peer feedback sessions reveal blind spots (e.g., “You interrupt often during meetings”),
improving self-regulation and collaboration.
Q4] Evaluate the impact of reducing blind spots in professional
development and career growth
Blind spots are behaviors or traits that others notice but the individual is unaware of. Reducing
them is crucial for personal and professional growth.
Impact:
1. Enhanced Self-Awareness:
○ Improves emotional intelligence and self-regulation.
○ Helps align behavior with organizational expectations.
2. Better Leadership:
○ Leaders who understand their impact on others can adjust behaviors for better
influence.
3. Stronger Relationships:
○ Reduces misunderstandings and fosters trust with colleagues and teams.
4. Continuous Improvement:
○ Awareness of gaps allows for targeted skill development and coaching.
5. Career Advancement:
○ Professionals open to feedback and change are seen as adaptable and
growth-oriented, making them ideal candidates for leadership roles.
Q5] Explain the concept of Transactional Analysis with respect to various
ego states. How can understanding these states improve communication
and conflict resolution in organizations?
Transactional Analysis (TA) is a theory of communication and personality. It involves three
ego states:
1. Parent: Critical or nurturing; based on learned behavior.
2. Adult: Rational, logical, and data-driven; processes reality.
3. Child: Emotional, spontaneous, or rebellious; rooted in feelings and experiences.
Improving Communication:
● TA helps identify the ego state behind a message.
● Ideal communication occurs between Adult-Adult states, leading to objective, respectful
dialogue.
Conflict Resolution:
● Conflicts often arise when people respond from Child (defensive) or Critical Parent
(judgmental) states.
● Understanding ego states helps de-escalate tension by encouraging a shift to Adult
behavior (e.g., asking instead of blaming).
Example:
● A manager yelling (Critical Parent) triggers an employee's Child state (defensiveness).
Awareness can shift both to Adult-Adult: “Let’s talk about what went wrong and how to fix
it.”
Module 5
Q1) Evaluate the impact of cognitive bias and heuristics on investment
decisions. How can investors overcome these biases?
Cognitive biases and heuristics (mental shortcuts) influence how investors process
information and make decisions, often leading to errors in judgment.
Impact on Investment Decisions:
● Confirmation Bias: Investors seek information that supports existing beliefs, ignoring
contradictory data.
● Overconfidence Bias: Leads to underestimating risk and overestimating knowledge or
predictions.
● Anchoring Bias: Relying too heavily on initial information (e.g., past stock prices) when
making decisions.
● Herding Behavior: Following the crowd, which can fuel market bubbles or crashes.
● Loss Aversion: Fear of losses leads to holding onto poor investments longer than
rational.
How to Overcome Biases:
1. Education & Awareness: Understanding common biases can reduce their influence.
2. Diversified Thinking: Seeking alternative viewpoints and using structured decision
frameworks.
3. Data-Driven Approaches: Relying on objective analysis rather than emotion or intuition.
4. Behavioral Finance Tools: Using checklists or consulting unbiased advisors.
Q2) Discuss the psychological factors that contribute to the defense
stage in ethnocentric orientation
The defense stage in ethnocentric orientation is characterized by viewing one’s own culture as
superior while actively devaluing others.
Key Psychological Factors:
1. Ingroup-Outgroup Bias:
○ Natural tendency to favor one’s own group and stereotype outsiders.
2. Fear of Cultural Threat:
○ Anxiety that foreign cultures may challenge or dilute one’s identity and traditions.
3. Lack of Exposure:
○ Limited intercultural interaction fosters reliance on stereotypes.
4. Cognitive Dissonance:
○ Discomfort from encountering beliefs different from one’s own can lead to
defensive rejection.
5. Social Conditioning:
○ Cultural norms and upbringing reinforce ethnocentric views over time.
Q3) Why is the denial stage of ethnocentric orientation considered a
barrier to cultural competence? How can individuals and
organizations move past this stage?
Denial Stage: Individuals in this stage are unaware or indifferent to cultural differences and
assume their worldview is universal.
Why It’s a Barrier:
● Leads to miscommunication and misunderstandings in diverse settings.
● Prevents development of empathy, openness, and adaptability.
● Limits collaboration in multicultural environments.
● Inhibits growth in global markets or diverse teams.
Moving Past the Denial Stage:
1. Cultural Awareness Training:
○ Workshops, simulations, and exposure to diverse perspectives help develop
sensitivity.
2. Active Engagement:
○ Encouraging interactions with diverse groups through travel, multicultural
projects, or community events.
3. Self-Reflection:
○ Recognizing biases and challenging assumptions through journaling or coaching.
4. Inclusive Leadership:
○ Leaders modeling cultural curiosity and inclusive behaviors encourage others to
follow.
Q4) Analyse how marketers leverage cognitive heuristics to nudge
consumer behaviour with relevant examples
Cognitive heuristics are mental shortcuts that simplify decision-making. Marketers exploit
these to influence consumer behavior subtly.
Examples of Heuristics Used in Marketing:
1. Scarcity Heuristic:
○ “Only 2 items left in stock” triggers urgency and FOMO.
○ Example: Amazon’s limited-time offers or countdown timers.
2. Social Proof:
○ People follow the behavior of others when uncertain.
○ Example: “Best-seller” tags or showing number of people who purchased a
product.
3. Anchoring:
○ Initial information serves as a reference point.
○ Example: Showing original price next to the discounted price (“Was ₹2000, now
₹999”).
4. Authority Heuristic:
○ Consumers trust expert recommendations.
○ Example: “Dentists recommend this toothpaste” in ads.
5. Representativeness Heuristic:
○ Judging a product by how much it matches a stereotype.
○ Example: Eco-friendly packaging suggests a “natural” product, regardless of
ingredients.
Case Study Themes
• Transactional Analyses
• Johari Window
• Cognitive biases and heuristics
• DISC personality Model
• Coaching
• Leadership
• Sustainability and Green Consumerism
• Psychological safety
• VUCA world
• CSR
• Negotiation tactics
