MANA 3318 Exam 1

What is Organizational Behavior (OB)?

study of individual behavior & group dynamics in organizations

a social science dedicated to understanding how people think/feel/act in organizations

What is the Goal of OB?

to apply knowledge toward improving organizations’ effectiveness

What are the 3 levels of OB analysis?

Individual, Group, Organization System

What are OB’s interdisciplinary influences?

Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Engineering, Medicine, Management

What are some absolutes in OB?

• generalizations cannot be made

• humans are complex & diverse

  • OB reflects situational conditions

What is the primary goal of an organization?

to sustain a competitive advantage

What are formal elements of an organization?

aspects of the organization which are most official, legitimate, and visible

What are informal elements of an organization?

aspects of the organization which are unofficial, unstructured, and less visible

What is the impact of the Hawthorne Studies?

revealed the importance of informal elements and how people management impacted productivity

What is ethnocentrism?

the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one’s own culture

What are Hofstede’s 5 Dimensions of cultural differences?

1. Individualism/Collectivism

2. High/Low Power Distance

3. High/Low Uncertainty Avoidance

4. Masculinity/Femininity

5. Long/Short-term Orientation

What is diversity?

a workforce comprised of employees from multiple walks of life

What are the challenges to diversity?

• resistance to change

• lack of cohesiveness

• communication issues

• interpersonal conflicts

• slower decision-making

What is inclusion?

a workplace environment in which all individuals are treated fairly & respectfully, have access to opportunities & resources, and contribute fully to org’s mission

What are Cox & Blake’s 6 reasons for diversity value?

1. cost

2. creativity

3. resource acquisition

4. system flexibility

5. marketing

6. problem solving

Equity v. Equality

Equity: everyone given different help to reach same outcome

Equality: everyone given same amount of extra help

What does DEI stand for?

Diversity/Equity/Inclusion

What is social perception?

the process of interpreting info about another person

What are the 3 factors that influence social perception?

Characteristics of the …

• situation

• perception

• target

What are characteristics of the perception?

• perceptual lenses

• attitude

• mood

• self-concepts (positive v. negative)

• cognitive structure (personality)

What are perceptual lenses and some examples?

filters used to make a quick initial assessments

• trust

• power (relationship)

• ego (superiority)

What are the 5 common barriers to social perception?

1. selective perception

2. stereotype

3. first-impression error

4. projection

5. self-fulfilling prophecy/confirmation bias

What is selective perception?

the tendency to ignore info that doesn’t support your viewpoint/deviates from your current focus

What is stereotype and stereotyping?

level 1 - in your head

stereotype: assuming everyone in a group is the same

stereotyping: using a stereotype to judge a person

What is meta-stereotype?

level 2 - in your head

when we think another group is holding a stereotype of our group

What is stereotype threat?

level 2 - in your head

degree to which we internally agree w/ the generally negative stereotyped perceptions of our group – fear of validating other’s stereotypes of your own group

What is level 3 of stereotype?

action & behavior - discrimination

What is first-impression error (aka primacy effect)?

forming lasting opinions about an individual based on initial perceptions

What is projection?

the tendency that we project our own thoughts/attitudes/motives onto others

What is self-fulfilling prophecy/confirmation bias?

when previously held beliefs about an individual influences how you interpret future info you receive about them

What is personality?

a relatively stable set of characteristics that influence an individual’s behavior & characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior

What is trait theory?

breaking down behavior patterns into a series of observable traits to understand human behavior

What are the Big 5 Personality Traits?

CANOE

Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Openness, Extraversion

What is conscientiousness?

dependable, organized, reliable, ambitious, hardworking, persevering

What is agreeableness?

kind, cooperative, sympathetic, helpful, courteous, warm & trusting

What is neuroticism?

nervous, moody, emotional, insecure, jealous, unstable

What is openness?

curious, imaginative, creative, complex, refined, sophisticated

What is extraversion?

talkative, sociable, passionate, assertive, bold, dominant

Which Big 5 Personality trait is the best predictor of job performance?

1. conscientiousness

2. neuroticism

How may personality theories be applied in organizations?

• used for employee selection for best fit w/ position

• used for career development for a greater understanding of oneself

What is attribution theory?

explains how individuals identify the causes/reasons behind their own & other’s behavior

Internal v. External locus of control

internal = in my control

external = out of my control

What is the fundamental attribution error?

the tendency to make attributions to internal causes (when focusing on someone else’s behavior) - He got a 60/100, so it must be because He didn’t study

What is self-serving bias?

the tendency to attribute one’s successes to internal causes but one’s failures to external causes (when focusing on your own behavior)