OB Final Exam

Organizational behaviour

The study of what people think, feel, and do in and around organizations

Systematic research (anchor of OB)

Process of forming research questions, collecting data, and testing hypotheses (uses EBM)

Evidence-based management

Making decisions and taking actions based on research evidence

Practical orientation (anchor of OB)

theories and models in OB need to be useful in practice

Multidisciplinary (anchor of OB)

Import knowledge from other disciplines, not just rely on or create OB-only knowledge

Contingency (anchor of OB)

Effect of one variable on another often depends on many other factors

Multiple levels (anchor of OB)

Recognize that OB-relevant phenomena occur at all levels of the organization

Remote work

performing the job away from the organization’s physical work site

Motivation (MARS)

Internal forces that affect a person’s effort or voluntary behaviour

* Direction
* Intensity
* Persistence

Ability (MARS)

Aptitudes (natural talents) and learned capabilities (skills) required to successfully complete a task

Role perceptions (MARS)

The degree to which people understand the job duties (roles) assigned to or expected of them

Situational factors (MARS)

Any part of the context that is beyond individual’s immediate control

* constraints
* cues

Task performance

Voluntary goal-directed behaviour that contributes to org effectiveness

* Proficient
* Adaptive
* Proactive

Organizational citizenship work behaviours (OCBs)

Cooperation and helpfulness to others that support org’s social and psychological context

Counterproductive work behaviours (CWBs)

Voluntary behaviours that potentially directly or indirectly harm the organization

Joining/staying

Forming and maintaining relationship with org

Attendence

Reducing amount of unscheduled time that employees are not at work

Presenteeism

Attending when unable to fully perform job

Theory

General set of propositions that describe interrelationships among several concepts

Inductive reasoning (bottom up)

Specific observations (experiences) used to reach an overarching conclusion

Deduction reasoning (top down)

A general premise (assumption) is applied to specific situations to reach a conclusion

Constructs

Abstract ideas constructed by researchers that can be linked to observable information

Operationalization

The process by which we determine how a construct will be measured

Scientific method

Set of principles and procedures that help researchers to systematically understand previously unexplained events and conditions (quantitative)

Grounded theory

A process of developing knowledge through the constant interplay of data collection, analysis, and theory development (qualitative)

Establishing causality

* Variables are correlate with each other
* IV (causes) precedes DV (outcomes) in time
* Association cannot be explained by a third variable

Laboratory experiments

Any research study in which independent variables are variables outside the researcher’s main focus of inquiry can be controlled to some extent

Field surveys

Research design strategies that involve collecting and analyzing information in a natural environment, such as an office, a factory, or other existing location

Observational studies

A form of field research that collects information in natural setting without any intervention (e.g., collecting responses from participants)

Personality

Relatively enduring patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviours that characterize a person, along with psychological processes behind those characteristics

Conscientiousness (big 5)

organized, dependable, thorough

Agreeableness (big 5)

trusting, helpful, good-natured

Neuroticism (big 5)

anxious, insecure, self-conscious

Openness to experience (big 5)

imaginative, creative, curious

Extraversion (big 5)

outgoing, talkative, energetic

HEXACO

‘expanded’ model includes honesty and humility

Dark Triad

* Machiavellianism
* Narcissism
* Psychopathy
* Sadism

Values

Stable, evaluative beliefs that guide our preferences for outcomes or courses of action in a variety of situations

Openness to change (schwartz)

pursue innovation and new experiences

* hedonism
* stimulation
* self-direction

Conversation (schwartz)

Preserve that status quo

* conformity
* tradition
* security

Self-enhancement (schwartz)

Self interest

* hedonism
* achievement
* power

Self-transcendence (schwartz)

Welfare of nature and others

* Benevolence
* Universalism

Individualism/collectivism (hofstede)

degree of individual integration into groups

Power distance (hofstede)

Acceptance and expectation of unequal distribution of power

Uncertainty avoidance (hofstede)

Tolerance for ambiguity and instructed situations

Achievement/nurturance (hofstede)

Preference for assertiveness, achievement, and competition vs. modesty, caring and cooperation

Complexity

Number of distinct and important roles

Consistency

Degree to which roles require different attributes

Clarity

Degree to which self-concept is clear, defined, and stable

Self-enhancement

Drive to protect/promote a positive self-viewed favourably by others

Self-verification

Drive to confirm and maintain existing self-concept

Self-esteem (self-evaluation)

extent to which people like, respect, and are satisfied with themselves (global self-evaluation)

Self- efficacy (seld-evaluation)

Belief about capacity to successfully complete a task

Locus of control (self-evaluation)

General belief about amount of control over life events

Social self

Three levels of self-concept recognize two opposing motivations

* need to be different from others
* need to be included and assimilated with others

Perception

Process of receiving information about and making sense of our surrounding environment

Perceptual process

1. Receive environmental stimuli through senses
2. Screen out some information
3. Organize and interpret remaining information
4. Impact on attitudes and behaviour

Stereotyping

Process of assigning traits to people based on their membership on a social category

Self-fulfilling prophecy

perceptual process in which expectations about another person cause that person to act in ways consistent with those expectations

self-fulfilling prophecy process

1. form expectations about other person
2. expectations affect behaviour toward other person
3. behaviour affects other person’s ability and motivation
4. other person behaviour becomes more consistent with initial expectations

Emotions vs. attitudes

Experiences (emotions) vs. judgements (attitudes)

Emotional labour

Effort, planning, and control needed to express organizationally desired emotions during intentions

display rules

requirement to display behaviours specific emotions and to hide observable evidence of other emotions

Surface acting

pretending to be experiencing expected emotions even if actual emotions are different

Deep acting

Producing expected emotions for a particular situation

Emotional Intelligence

Abilities to perceive and express emotion, assimilate emotion in thought, understand and reason with emotion, and regulate emotion in oneself and others

Job satisfaction

A person’s evaluation of his or her job and work context

* an appraisal of job characteristics, work environment, and emotional experiences
* A collection of attitudes about different parts of the job

Exit

Leaving situation. Quitting, transferring, absence

Voice

Attempt to change dissatisfying situation

Loyalty

Wait for situation to improve

Neglect

Passive activities with negative consequences for org. (reduce effort)

Affective commitment

emotional attachment, involvement, and identification

Continuance commitment

Calculative attachment to the organization

Normative commitment (norm of reciprocity)

A felt obligation or moral duty to the organization

Building affective commitment

* justice and support
* shared values
* trust
* organizational comprehension
* employee involvement

Stress

Adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to the person’s well-being

Distress

Physiological, psychological, and behavioural deviation from healthy functioning

Eustress

‘Normal’ levels of stress

Work related stressors

* organizational constraints
* Interpersonal conflict
* work overload
* task control

Managing stress

* remove the stressor
* withdraw from stressor
* change stress perceptions
* control consequences
* receive social support

Intrinsic motivation

Fulfilling for competence and autonomy by engaging in the activity itself, rather than from an extremely controlled outcome of that activity

Extrinsic motivation

Occurs when people want to engage in an activity for instrumental reasons, to receive something that is beyond thier personal control

Basic psychological needs

* necessities
* nutriments
* satisfaction
* motivation

Autonomy

Sense of ownership and volition in behaviour

Competence

Effective in interactions with environment and develop capabilities

Relatedness

Intimate and caring connections with others

Need for achievement

* want to accomplish challenging goals
* desire clear feedback and recognition
* prefer working alone
* not motivated by money

Need for affiliation

* seeking approval and conform to others
* avoid conflict and confrontation
* biases by need for approval when making decisions

Need for power

* desire control, involvement, and maintaining leadership positions
* rely on persuasion with others
* personalized vs socialized power

Expectancy (E-to-P)

Perceived probability that effort will result in particular level of performance

Instrumentality (P-to-O)

Perceived probability that performance level will lead to a particular outcome

Valence

Anticipated satisfaction of dissatisfaction from receiving outcome

ABC’s of OB mod

* Antecedents
* Behaviour
* Consequences

Positive reinforcement

introducing consequences increases or maintains behaviour

Punishment

Consequences decrease future probability of behaviour

Extrinction

Behaviour decreases because no consequences follow

Negative reinforcment

Removing consequences increase behaviour

Continuous reinforcement

Positive reinforcement after every occurance

Variable ratio

Positive reinforcement after variable number of times

SMARTER goals

Specific - Measurable - Achievable - Relevant - Time-framed - Exciting - Reviewed