PY3105 Workplace Psychology

Self-determination Theory (SDT)

A theory that specifies three forms of motivation (intrinsic, extrinsic, amotivation) that drive achievement behaviours.

Intrinsic Motivation

Engaging in a behaviour for the inherent pleasure or satisfaction derived from the activity itself

Extrinsic Motivation

Engaging in behaviour for reasons outside of inherent enjoyment, such as rewards or approval

Amotivation

A state of lacking motivation or intention to engage in a behaviour

Equity Theory

A theory suggesting that individuals are motivated by fairness in their input-outcome ratios, comparing themselves with others

Expectancy Theory (Vroom)

A cognitive theory suggesting that motivation is based on the belief that effort will lead to performance, performance will lead to outcomes, and these outcomes are valued

Goal-Setting Theory (Locke)

The theory that suggests motivation is influenced by directing efforts toward specific establish goals, which should be SMART(specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound).

Core Job Characteristics

Characteristics of a job that influence motivation, including skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feed back.

Motivating Potential Score (MPS)

A calculation based on core job characteristics that predicts an employee’s internal motivation and job satisfaction.

Needs Theory (Maslow)

A theory proposing a hierarchy of needs that must be fulfilled to motivate individuals.

Work Motivation

A set of energetic forces that initiate work related behaviour and determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration.

Empirical Support

Evidence that supports a theory based on observation or experience.

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation driven by internal rewards, such as personal satisfaction or enjoyment from the task

Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation that comes from external factors, such as rewards or recognition from others

What are the main learning objectives in the context of training and organisational learning?

Describes roles of on-the-job training, discuss learning and task performance relation, assess training needs, summarise training methods, identify active learning benefits, justify importance of diversity and harassment training, describe mentoring roles, explain knowledge transfer from training, evaluate training programs

What is the difference between training and development within organisations?

Training focuses on on enhancing knowledge and skills for immediate roles, while development enhances knowledge skills without immediate application

Explain the 70:20:10 model for learning and development.

70% informal experiences, 20% interactions with others, 10% formal training

What are the 3 stages of training needs assessment?

1. Organisational analysis, 2. Task analysis, 3. Person analysis

Define diversity training and its primary objectives

Training aimed at improving interpersonal sensitivity and awareness of differences among workers, with objectives to increase awareness of diversity issues, reduce bias, and change behaviours

Servant Leadership

A leadership style prioritising growth, wellbeing, empowerment, and development of employees, where the leader serves the followers

Traits of Servant Leadership

1. Standing back: prioritising others’ interests. 2. Forgiveness: Willingness to forgive. 3. Courage: Risk taking. 4. Empowerment: encouraging followers. 5. Accountability: Holding followers accountable. 6. Authenticity: Sincerity and openness. 7. Humility: Learning from criticism. 8. Stewardship: Long-term vision and social responsibility.

Implicit Leadership Theory

The assumption that people form cognitive representations of leadership based on their experiences and perceptions of leaders, which influence their evaluations of leader effectiveness

Dark Side of Leadership

Negative traits and behaviours in leaders such as abusive supervision, toxic environments, and traits from the dark triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) that can harm organisations

Gender Diversity Issues in Leadership

Challenges faced by women in leadership roles, including stereotypes of male leadership, perceived lack of fit, and backlash against women deviating from traditional gender roles.

Cross-Cultural Leadership

The study of how different cultures understand and practice leadership, including variations in desired leadership traits and behaviours across cultural contexts

Authentic Leadership

A leadership style that emphasises genuineness, transparency, and being true to oneself, while fostering trust and integrity in leader-follower relationships

Transformational Leadership

A leadership approach that inspires positive changes in followers and emphasises motivation, performance, and the development of individuals towards high-level goals

Performance Management

The ongoing process of establishing goals, observing and evaluating performance, providing feedback and coaching to align resources with organisational goals

Performance Appraisal

The assessment and documentation of individual employee performance, often done periodically to identify strengths and weaknesses

360 Feedback

A performance appraisal method involving feedback from multiple sources such as peers, subordinates, supervisors, and self-evaluation

Rater Bias

The tendency for evaluators to be influenced by subjective factors that affect their ratings, such as personal relationships or stereotypes

Dunning-Kruger Effect

A cognitive bias where individuals with limited knowledge or ability overestimate their competence in a given area

Halo Effect

A cognitive bias where the perception of one positive trait influences the overall judgement of a person’s performance

Positive Leniency Error

A rating error where a rater consistently rates individuals higher than their actual performance

Leadership

The process whereby one individual influences other group members toward the attainment of defined group or organisational goals

Full-range Leadership Model

A comprehensive framework that incorporates different leadership styles including transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire

Transformational Leadership

A leadership style that transforms followers by increasing their awareness of the value of task outcomes and encouraging them to transcend self-interest

Transactional Leadership

A leadership style focused on exchanges between the leader and followers, emphasising rewards for compliance and management of exceptions

Team

A social collection of individuals who interact on a regular basis to accomplish shared objectives for which they share responsibility

Work Team

A bounded, cooperative work unit within a larger organisation which functions to fulfil organisational objectives

Storming Stage

A phase of a team development where conflicts arise and the reality of the task becomes apparent

Norming Stage

A phase of a team development where team members understand their roles and establish trust

Organisational Culture

A pattern of shared basic assumptions developed by a group as it learns to cope with its problems of adaptation and intergration

Power Distance

The extent to which less powerful members of society defer to more powerful members

Individualism

The extent to which individuals priorities personal goals over group goals; valuing autonomy and self-reliance

Collectivism

The extent to which group goals and cooperation are valued over individual interests

Personnel Selection

The process of determining who to hire and who not to hire

Predictor Validity

The extent to which a predictor accurately predicts a criterion, such as job performance

Selection Battery

A set of tests or predictors used for hiring decisions

Cutoff Score

The determining value of that separates successful from unsuccessful candidates