Organizational Behaviour Flashcards

Flashcards on Organizational Behaviour and related concepts.

What is Organizational Behaviour (OB)?

OB analyses the impact of individuals, groups, and organizational structures on behaviour within organizations, with the goal of applying this knowledge to enhance organizational effectiveness.

What are the main fields contributing to Organizational Behaviour?

The main contributing fields are Psychology, Social Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology.

How does Psychology contribute to OB?

Psychology contributes insights into individual behaviour, including perception, emotions, personality, motivation, job satisfaction, and decision-making.

How does Social Psychology contribute to OB?

Social Psychology blends psychology and sociology to understand how individuals influence one another, contributing to understanding and changing attitudes, building trust, and conflict resolution.

How does Sociology contribute to OB?

Sociology contributes to OB by examining group behaviour, organizational culture, organizational structure, communications, and power.

How does Anthropology contribute to OB?

Anthropology contributes to OB by understanding differences in behaviours, norms, and values across different nations or organizations, as well as organizational environment and culture.

What is Organizational Culture?

Organizational Culture is defined as a set of shared norms and values among an organization's employees that distinguishes it from other organizations. It is the 'vibe' or personality of the organization.

Name seven key characteristics of Organizational Culture.

The seven key characteristics are: Innovativeness and risk-taking, Detail-orientation, Result-based, People-based, Team-based, Competitiveness, and Steadiness.

What is Organizational Ecology?

Organizational Ecology looks at how social, economic, and political factors affect how organizations grow, change, and survive over time, focusing on diversity, difficulty in adjusting, and organizations coming and going.

What is Organizational Learning?

Organizational Learning is a continuous process where an organization gains and uses new knowledge to improve and adapt to change.

Why is Organizational Culture important?

Organizational culture is important because it shapes the workplace, boosts engagement, reduces turnover, improves productivity, strengthens brand identity, transforms employees into advocates, helps retain top talent, supports onboarding, and encourages teamwork.

How does a strong organizational culture impact employee engagement and turnover?

A clear, purpose-driven culture motivates employees and makes them more involved and productive, boosting engagement. When employees feel respected and supported, they are more likely to stay, reducing turnover.

What are Organizational Subcultures?

Organizational subcultures are smaller groups within an organization that share beliefs or norms as their common characteristic and align with the dominant organizational culture to varying degrees.

What are Enhancing Subcultures?

Enhancing subcultures have members who strongly adhere to the shared values of the dominant organizational culture and are more motivated toward embodying the organization’s core values.

What are Orthogonal Subcultures?

Orthogonal subcultures involve members who embrace the values of the dominant culture but also have their own distinct set of values that do not conflict with the wider workplace culture.

What is the Cultural Web Model and who created it?

The Cultural Web Model, created by Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes in 1992, is a tool used to understand an organization’s culture by showing it is made up of different, connected parts.

What are the six key elements of the Cultural Web Model?

The six key elements are Stories, Symbols, Rituals and routines, Organisational structure, Control systems, and Power structures.

What are Stories in the Cultural Web Model?

Stories share an organization's history, values, and beliefs, helping employees connect to the company’s identity and inspiring them toward common goals.

What are Symbols in the Cultural Web Model?

Symbols like logos, mission statements, and slogans represent an organization’s culture and help employees feel connected to company values and purpose.

What are Rituals and routines in the Cultural Web Model?

Rituals and routines are the everyday actions or traditions that define a company’s culture, such as daily routines, social events, or celebrations, helping build community and reinforce values.

What is Cultural Universalism?

Cultural Universalism suggests that different cultures can be analyzed by universal standards, believing some elements like family or music are common across all cultures.

What is Cultural Relativism?

Cultural Relativism means judging a culture by its own standards rather than your own, involving an open-minded willingness to understand new values and norms.

What is Culture Shock?

Culture Shock is the disorientation people feel when exposed to a new way of life, often linked to differences in language, food, routines, and etiquette.

What is Ethnocentrism?

Coined by William Graham Sumner, ethnocentrism is the belief that your own culture is superior to others, which can lead to misunderstandings and conflict.

What is Cultural Lag?

Cultural Lag, introduced by William F. Ogburn, refers to the delay between the introduction of new material culture and its acceptance in nonmaterial culture, as material culture tends to change faster.

What is the fundamental difference between Organizational Culture and Organizational Structure?

Organizational Culture is 'The Vibe' (informal, emotional, based on beliefs and values), while Organizational Structure is 'The Blueprint' (formal, logical, based on policies and roles).

How do Organizational Culture and Structure change?

Culture changes with leadership, experiences, and team dynamics. Structure changes with restructuring, new departments, or roles.

What is a Clan (or collaborative) culture?

A Clan culture focuses on teamwork and creating a family-like atmosphere, encouraging shared opinions and valuing employees, common in smaller businesses.

What are the pros and cons of a Clan culture?

Pros: Strong coworker relationships, open feedback, high market growth potential, high engagement. Cons: 'Employee-first' mindset can hinder tough decisions, excessive collaboration can reduce productivity, workplaces can become too relaxed.

What is a Hierarchy (or control) culture?

A Hierarchy culture features a vertical leadership structure with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, thriving where strict control and oversight are essential.

What is an Adhocracy (or creative) culture?

An Adhocracy culture encourages experimentation, risk-taking, and innovation, ideal for companies needing constant new ideas to stay competitive.

What is a Market (or compete) culture?

A Market culture prioritizes results and competition, where employees strive to outperform one another, and success is tied to individual performance.

What is Organizational Structure?

Organizational structure is the foundation that determines how a company functions daily, how decisions are made, and how teams work together. An organizational chart visually represents this structure.

What is a Hierarchical structure?

A Hierarchical structure is the most traditional, resembling a pyramid with the CEO at the top and layers of management below, where power and communication flow downwards.

What is a Functional structure?

A Functional structure organizes employees and teams based on specific functions, such as marketing, finance, or HR, allowing deep specialization.

What is a Flat or horizontal structure?

A Flat or horizontal structure eliminates middle management layers, with employees often reporting directly to senior management, encouraging independence and quick communication.

What is a Matrix structure?

A Matrix structure blends two or more organizational structure types, typically project-based and functional, leading to employees having dual reporting relationships.

What is Leadership?

Leadership is the ability to guide others toward shared goals and adapt to change, focusing on behaviour rather than personality, meaning it can be learned.

Name three important leadership traits.

Three important traits are Accountability, Adaptability, and Confidence. Other traits include Empathy, Focus, Positivity, Risk-taking, Stability, and Team Building.

What are some unfavourable leadership traits?

Unfavourable traits include unwillingness to change, indecisiveness, lack of accountability, apathy, lack of integrity, and poor communication.

What is Contextual Leadership?

Contextual leadership posits that the most effective leadership approach is not universal but depends on the specific situation or context.

What is the Cynefin Framework?

The Cynefin framework, developed by Dave Snowden, is a decision-making model used to understand and navigate different types of problems or challenges by categorizing them into five domains based on complexity.

Describe the Chaotic Context in Cynefin.

In a Chaotic Context, cause-and-effect relationships are impossible to determine as they constantly shift, and no patterns emerge. It's the realm of 'unknowables'.

What leadership style and organizational structure work best in a Chaotic Context?

A command leadership style and a dominator hierarchy structure work best, with top-down communication and a clear chain of command.

Describe the Obvious Context in Cynefin.

In an Obvious Context, work is stable and repeatable, with clear cause-and-effect relationships. The 'right' answer is usually obvious, and it's the domain of 'best practices'.

What leadership style and organizational structure work best in an Obvious Context?

A coordination leadership style and a dominator hierarchy structure work best, focusing on efficient processes and strategy implementation.

Describe the Complicated Context in Cynefin.

In a Complicated Context, cause and effect exist but require expertise to identify, and there are often multiple 'good practices' rather than one 'best practice'.

What leadership style and organizational structure work best in a Complicated Context?

A mentor or servant leadership style and a supportive hierarchy structure are ideal, focusing on empowering employees and facilitating decisions.

Describe the Complex Context in Cynefin.

In a Complex Context, cause and effect are only clear in hindsight, and repeating actions can lead to different results. The approach is to try small experiments, learn, and adjust.

What leadership style and organizational structure work best in a Complex Context?

A facilitation and collaboration leadership style spread across the network, and a distributed network structure with no traditional managers, work best.

What is the McKinsey Perspective on leadership?

The McKinsey Perspective emphasizes that effective leadership depends heavily on the company's organizational health.

What is the Leadership Staircase model?

The Leadership Staircase model compares leadership behaviors to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, suggesting that different behaviors become more important as an organization's health improves.

Describe the Directing leadership style.

The Directing style is appropriate for followers who are low in competence and commitment, where the leader provides clear instructions and close supervision.

Describe the Coaching leadership style.

The Coaching style is used for followers who have some competence but lack commitment, where the leader provides guidance and support while still offering direction.

Describe the Supporting leadership style.

The Supporting style is effective for followers who are high in competence but may need encouragement, where the leader provides support and allows the follower to take ownership.

Describe the Delegating leadership style.

The Delegating style is best for followers who are high in both competence and commitment, where the leader can delegate tasks and provide minimal supervision.

What is Transformational Leadership?

Transformational Leadership inspires and encourages employees to go beyond their self-interest for the benefit of the organization, working well in dynamic industries requiring change and innovation.

What is Transactional Leadership?

Transactional Leadership focuses on rewards and penalties based on performance, best suited for routine, structured tasks requiring clear direction.

What is Democratic Leadership?

Democratic Leadership is effective when team input is valuable and collaboration is necessary, benefiting from diverse perspectives and collective problem-solving.

What is Autocratic Leadership?

Autocratic Leadership is ideal in high-pressure situations or when quick decision-making is required, effective in highly structured environments needing authority and discipline.

What is Servant Leadership?

Servant Leadership prioritizes employee well-being, engagement, and development, fostering trust and loyalty.

What is Laissez-Faire Leadership?

Laissez-Faire Leadership is best in environments where employees are highly skilled, self-motivated, and require minimal supervision, valuing autonomy and innovation.

What are Trait Theories of Leadership?

Trait theories suggest that leaders are born, not made, focusing on identifying inherent qualities (like confidence, decisiveness) that differentiate them from non-leaders.

What are Behavioral Theories of Leadership?

Behavioral theories emphasize leadership as a learned skill, with two main types: task-oriented and relationship-oriented, where effective leaders adapt their style to fit situations.

What are Contingency Theories of Leadership?

Contingency theories suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all leadership style, and the most effective style depends on the specific situation, leader's personality, task, and followers.

What is Fiedler's Contingency Model (LPC Theory)?

Fiedler's model suggests that a leader's effectiveness depends on the interaction between their style (task-oriented or relationship-oriented) and the favorableness of the situation (leader-member relations, task structure, position power).

What is Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory?

LMX Theory emphasizes the importance of leaders' relationships with team members, where high-LMX relationships (trust, support) lead to increased performance and job satisfaction.

What is Path-Goal Theory?

Path-Goal Theory outlines how leaders can guide their followers towards achieving goals by considering followers' needs and environmental factors, using directive, supportive, participatory, and achievement- oriented styles.

What is Motivation?

Motivation is defined as a state of mind filled with energy and enthusiasm that drives a person to work in a certain way to achieve desired goals. It is the force that prompts employees to act.

Why is understanding motivation important in business and management?

Understanding motivation is essential because it affects how people behave, and motivated employees tend to be more productive and contribute to higher profits. It helps managers achieve organizational goals and manage staff effectively.

What do Content Theories of Motivation explain?

Content theories explain what motivation is, focusing on the specific factors that motivate people, such as individual needs and goals.

What is Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchical Needs?

Postulated by Abraham Maslow, this theory suggests a person is motivated when their needs are fulfilled, arranged in a hierarchy (pyramid), where lower-level needs must be satisfied before ascending to upper-level needs.

What are the five levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?

The five levels are Physiological needs, Safety needs, Social (belongingness and love) needs, Self-esteem needs, and Self-actualization needs.

What is Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory?

Frederick Herzberg classified needs into two categories: Hygiene Factors (dis-satisfiers) which prevent dissatisfaction, and Motivating Factors (satisfiers) which increase job satisfaction and motivation.

What are Hygiene Factors (Herzberg)?

Hygiene Factors relate to the job context (e.g., working conditions, pay, company policies). They can cause dissatisfaction if poor, but improving them does not necessarily increase motivation.

What are Motivating Factors (Herzberg)?

Motivating Factors relate to the job content (e.g., achievements, recognition, responsibility, personal growth). Improving these factors increases job satisfaction and motivation.

What is McClelland’s Theory of Needs?

David McClelland suggested that individuals have three primary motivating drivers—Achievement, Affiliation, and Power—which are developed and learned from life experiences.

What is Alderfer’s ERG Theory?

C. P. Alderfer developed Maslow’s theory into three core need groups: Existence (E), Relatedness (R), and Growth (G). Unlike Maslow, it's more flexible, allowing an individual to work on growth needs even if lower needs are unsatisfied.

What is the Frustration-Regression Aspect in ERG Theory?

If a higher-level need is frustrated, an individual may revert to increasing the satisfaction of a lower-level need.

What do Process Theories of Motivation describe?

Process theories describe how motivation occurs and how motives change over time.

What is Vroom’s Theory of Expectancy?

Victor Vroom's theory states that an individual’s motivation is affected by their expectations about the future, seen as a result of calculating whether increased effort will lead to desired outcomes.

What are the three key factors in Vroom's Expectancy Theory?

The three key factors are Expectancy (E), Instrumentality (I), and Valence (V). The formula is Motivation = Valence * Instrumentality * Expectancy (M = V * I * E).

What is Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory?

Based on B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning, this theory focuses on the consequences of human behavior as a motivating factor, where behavior is influenced by what follows it (e.g., positive reinforcement).

What is Adams’ Equity Theory?

Adams’ Equity Theory states that individuals are motivated when they feel treated equitably and receive what they consider fair for their efforts, comparing their inputs and outcomes to others.

What is Locke’s Goal-Setting Theory?

Edwin Locke's theory posits that goals are key determinants of behavior, stressing goal specificity, difficulty (challenging but attainable), and acceptance (goal commitment) for effective motivation.

What are McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y?

Douglas McGregor proposed two contrasting sets of assumptions managers hold about employees: Theory X (employees dislike work, need control) and Theory Y (employees are self- motivated, take pride), which influence management style.

What is Theory Z?

Developed by Dr. William Ouchi, Theory Z aims to increase employee loyalty by providing job security and focusing on employee well- being, encouraging group work and social interaction.

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

The Hawthorne Effect suggests that employees are more productive when they know their work is being measured and studied, highlighting the need for recognition and valuing employee opinions.

What is the relationship between employee motivation and employee engagement?

Motivation is the energy or force that prompts employees to act, while employee engagement is a desirable outcome resulting from well-crafted employee experiences, where employees feel passionate and committed. To achieve high engagement, organizations must leverage elements of employee motivation.

Why is it imperative for managers to understand motivation theories?

Understanding motivation theories provides insight into what makes an employee perform better, offers a tool to motivate employees, helps managers realize monetary incentives are not the only motivators, and enhances both individual and organizational performance.

What are Group Dynamics (or Team Dynamics)?

Group dynamics refer to the intangible factors that influence how effectively a team performs, encompassing interactions, shared values, communication styles, trust, and collaboration.

Name three common challenges faced by groups.

Common challenges include lack of Trust, imbalance of Effort among members, and lack of creativity. Others include autonomy issues and the formation of unaligned sub-groups.

Name three common roles individuals take on within a group.

Common roles include Coach, Compromiser, Coordinator, Critic, Facilitator, and Initiator.

Who developed Tuckman's Stages of Group Development?

The model was first described by Bruce Tuckman in 1965 and later expanded to include a fifth stage in 1970.

What are the five stages of Tuckman's Model?

The five stages are Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning.

Describe the Forming stage of group development.

This is the initial stage where team members meet, get to know each other, and assess capabilities. Members are typically polite and cautious, with low conflict. The leader clarifies roles and sets goals.

Describe the Storming stage of group development.

As trust develops, members may express opinions more freely, leading to conflict. Members might question leadership or goals. This is the most critical stage where groups are most likely to fail.

Describe the Norming stage of group development.

Conflicts from storming begin to resolve, and members develop respect and understanding for each other's roles. Trust increases, and cooperation becomes the new normal.

Describe the Performing stage of group development.

At this stage, the group operates with high efficiency and relative ease, solving problems autonomously. The team shares common goals and understands each member's role, operating almost automatically.

Describe the Adjourning stage of group development.

This is the final stage when a team dissolves, often due to a project ending. It's important to maintain positive relationships and conduct debriefs.