MGMT Midterm 1

Chp. 1, 2, 3, 9, 12, 6

Organizational Behavior (OB)

The study of how people behave and work together in organizations, aimed at improving teamwork, attitudes, and performance.

What are the two primary outcomes of OB studies?

Job performance, Organizational commitment

Job Performance

How well an employee performs their specific job tasks.

Organizational Commitment

An employee's attachment to, loyalty toward, and involvement in their organization.

Factors affecting OB outcomes

Individual characteristics, Individual mechanisms, Group mechanisms, Organizational mechanisms

Why are firms good at OB more profitable?

Effective people management leads to higher performance, stronger commitment, lower turnover, and better teamwork, enhancing overall organizational efficiency.

Role of Theory in the Scientific Method

Theory explains relationships between variables and guides research; it helps predict outcomes and provides a framework for understanding observations.

Types of Correlation

• Direction: Positive (both increase) or Negative (one increases, one decreases)

• Strength: Measured numerically (e.g., r = 0.1 is weak, r = 0.5 is moderate, r = 0.8 is strong)

• Correlation does not equal causation.

Meta-analysis

A combination of results from different studies to identify consistent patterns or findings.

Resource-based view (RBV)

A perspective suggesting that a firm's competitive advantage is derived from unique and valuable resources, specifically its employees and organizational culture.

The Four Ways of Knowing

1. Method of experience: Learning from personal observation

2. Method of intuition: Relying on gut feelings or instincts

3. Method of authority: Relying on experts or trusted sources

4. Method of science: Systematic research and evidence

Meta-analysis

Combining several studies, each using different kinds of samples and measures, to determine the cause of a specific outcome (e.g., employee turnover).

Why are people inimitable according to the Resource-based view?

They are inimitable (cannot be easily copied) because they make many small decisions that cannot be replicated by other organizations.

Organizational Behavior (OB)

The study of how people behave and work together in organizations, aimed at improving teamwork, attitudes, and performance.

Two Primary Outcomes of OB Studies

Job performance, Organizational commitment

Job Performance

The value of the set of employee behaviors that contribute, either positively or negatively, to organizational goal accomplishment.

Task Performance Types

• Routine: Well-known, predictable tasks.

• Adaptive: Responding to changes or unexpected situations.

• Creative: Developing new and useful ideas/solutions.

Job Analysis

Process of identifying the tasks, responsibilities, and behaviors required for a job.

Interpersonal Citizenship Behavior

Voluntary behaviors that benefit coworkers and colleagues, including:

• Helping: Assisting with tasks.

• Courtesy: Keeping coworkers informed.

• Sportsmanship: Maintaining a positive attitude.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Voluntary behaviors that benefit the larger organization, including:

• Voice: Speaking up to improve things.

• Civic Virtue: Participating in organizational life.

• Boosterism: Positively representing the firm.

Counterproductive Behavior Categories

• Production Deviance (Minor/Org): Wasting resources, substance abuse.

• Property Deviance (Serious/Org): Sabotage, theft.

• Political Deviance (Minor/Interpersonal): Gossiping, incivility.

• Personal Aggression (Serious/Interpersonal): Harassment, abuse.

Remote and Knowledge Work

Work that is less visible and harder to measure, relying heavily on employee autonomy and self-motivation, which makes managing job performance more challenging.

Management by Objectives (MBO)

A management system where employees and managers set specific, measurable goals for a specific time period.

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)

A performance evaluation method that uses 'critical incidents'—short descriptions of effective and ineffective behaviors—to create a measure for evaluating performance.

Forced Rankings

A system (popularized by Jack Welch) that ranks employees into specific categories (e.g., top 20\%, vital 70\%, and bottom 10\%, who are often let go).

Resource-based view (RBV)

The perspective that a firm's competitive advantage comes from resources that are valuable and rare, specifically its people and culture.

Scenario: Eric throwing away cookie dough scraps

This is an example of wasting resources, which falls under production deviance (a form of counterproductive behavior).

True or False: O*NET captures the 'numerous small decisions' that provide competitive advantage.

False. O*NET provides general job tasks; it is the Resource-Based View that argues 'numerous small decisions' by people make a firm inimitable.

The Four Ways of Knowing

1. Experience: Personal observation.

2. Intuition: Gut feelings.

3. Authority: Expert advice.

4. Science: Systematic research/evidence.

Correlation Basics

• Positive: Variables move together.

• Negative: Variables move in opposite directions.

• Strength: Measured from 0 to 1 (e.g., 0.1 weak, 0.5 moderate, 0.8 strong).

Meta-analysis

A method that combines results from multiple studies to determine the overall strength or cause of a specific outcome, such as turnover.

Three components of Job Performance

1. Task performance

2. Citizenship behavior

3. Counterproductive behavior

Organizational Behavior (OB)

The study of how people behave and work together in organizations, aimed at improving teamwork, attitudes, and performance.

What are the two primary outcomes of OB studies?

1. Job performance

2. Organizational commitment

Job Performance

The value of the set of employee behaviors that contribute, either positively or negatively, to organizational goal accomplishment.

Organizational Commitment

The psychological attachment an employee feels toward their organization, influencing whether they stay and how they behave at work.

Withdrawal Behavior

Actions employees take to avoid work tasks or disengage from their job, often linked to low organizational commitment.

How are organizational commitment and withdrawal behavior connected?

Employees with low commitment are more likely to engage in withdrawal behaviors; high commitment reduces withdrawal.

Affective Commitment

Commitment based on emotional attachment to the organization; employees stay because they want to.

Models of Affective Commitment

• Erosion model, Social influence model

Continuance Commitment

Commitment based on the cost of leaving; employees stay because they need to (due to financial or personal costs).

Normative Commitment

Commitment based on a sense of obligation; employees stay because they feel they ought to.

The Four Responses to Negative Events (EVLN)

1. Exit: Leaving the organization.

2. Voice: Speaking up to improve the situation.

3. Loyalty: Patiently waiting for conditions to improve.

4. Neglect: Reducing effort or interest.

Psychological Withdrawal

Mentally disengaging from work while still physically present (e.g., daydreaming, socializing, looking busy, moonlighting, or cyberloafing).

Physical Withdrawal

Physically avoiding work or tasks (e.g., tardiness, long breaks, missing meetings, absenteeism, or quitting).

Progressive Model of Withdrawal

A theory that withdrawal behaviors start small (like daydreaming) and increase in severity (like absenteeism) over time.

Employee Types: Lone Wolves

Low commitment, high task performance employees who respond with exit, leaving when dissatisfied.

Employee Types: Apathetics

Low commitment, low task performance employees who respond with neglect, doing minimal work and disengaging.

Perceived Organizational Support (POS)

The extent to which employees believe the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being, which increases commitment.

Task Performance Types

• Routine: Well-known, predictable tasks.

• Adaptive: Responding to changes or unexpected situations.

• Creative: Developing new and useful ideas/solutions.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Voluntary behaviors that benefit the larger organization, including Voice, Civic Virtue, and Boosterism.

Counterproductive Behavior Categories

• Production Deviance: Wasting resources, substance abuse.

• Property Deviance: Sabotage, theft.

• Political Deviance: Gossiping, incivility.

• Personal Aggression: Harassment, abuse.

Resource-Based View (RBV)

A perspective suggesting that a firm's competitive advantage is derived from unique and valuable resources, specifically its employees and organizational culture.

The Four Ways of Knowing

1. Method of experience: Personal observation.

2. Method of intuition: Gut feelings.

3. Method of authority: Experts/sources.

4. Method of science: Systematic research.

Correlation Strength

Measured numerically (e.g., r = 0.1 is weak, r = 0.5 is moderate, r = 0.8 is strong).

Management by Objectives (MBO)

A system where employees and managers set specific, measurable goals for a specific time period.

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)

A performance evaluation method that uses 'critical incidents'—short descriptions of effective and ineffective behaviors—to evaluate performance.

Forced Rankings

A system that ranks employees into categories (e.g., top 20\%, vital 70\%, and bottom 10\%, who are often let go).

Survivor syndrome refers to the anger, depression, fear, distrust, and guilt of the employees who remain after an organization downsizes.

True

Charissa works in the shipping department at Bison Prairie Winery. Charissa consistently ranks in the middle or near the bottom in terms of units shipped, and she often gets distracted by calls from her teenage son. She also spends more time than she should socializing with friends in other departments. However, everyone, including the bosses, loves Charissa because of her loyalty to the company and her team. What else is most likely true of Charissa?

She volunteers to do the mundane tasks others avoid, and she does things like buying birthday cards for coworkers and organizing parties.

Reginald could not understand his coworkers’ dissatisfaction with Sunni, although Reginald did not have to work directly with her as some of his coworkers did. His coworkers complained that although she attended every meeting, Sunni never had any of her assigned tasks completed on time. She seemed to be a quiet worker as he hardly heard anything from her. In addition, every day he saw her zoom past his cubicle with a handful of papers looking like she was on a mission of some type. It may be that Sunni was:

Looking busy

Deangelo, Journey, Bradley, Roland, and Saori work in the quality control department at a solar energy component manufacturer. In the next two weeks, one of them will quit. Based on their behavior, who do you think will be the one to leave?

Saori, who always arrives late and leaves early and has been out sick four times in the last six weeks

Organizational commitment

The degree to which an employee identifies with an organization and desires to remain a member of it.

Withdrawal behavior

Actions employees take to distance themselves from work, either mentally (psychological) or physically.

How are organizational commitment and withdrawal behavior related?

Lower commitment leads to higher withdrawal; higher commitment reduces withdrawal behaviors.

Affective commitment

Emotional attachment to the organization; employees stay because they want to.

Erosion model of affective commitment

Commitment weakens when employees have fewer social bonds and connections in the organization.

Social influence model of affective commitment

Employees’ commitment is shaped by the attitudes and commitment levels of coworkers.

Continuance commitment

Commitment based on the perceived costs of leaving the organization; employees stay because they need to.

Normative commitment

Commitment based on a sense of obligation; employees stay because they feel they ought to.

What are the four primary responses to negative events at work?

Exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect.

What is exit?

Leaving the organization; a form of physical withdrawal.

What is voice?

Actively trying to improve the situation by speaking up or offering suggestions.

What is loyalty?

Remaining supportive of the organization while hoping conditions improve.

What is neglect?

Reducing effort and interest at work; often linked to psychological withdrawal.

“Stars”

High commitment and high task performance employees who respond with voice.

“Citizens”

High commitment but low task performance employees who respond with loyalty.

“Lone Wolves”

Low commitment but high task performance employees who respond with exit.

“Apathetics”

Low commitment and low task performance employees who respond with neglect.

Psychological withdrawal

Mentally disengaging from work while still physically present.

Examples of psychological withdrawal

Daydreaming, socializing, looking busy, moonlighting, cyberloafing.

Physical withdrawal

Physically removing oneself from work tasks or the workplace.

Examples of physical withdrawal

Tardiness, long breaks, missing meetings, absenteeism, quitting.

Progressive model of withdrawal

Withdrawal behaviors begin small (psychological) and escalate over time into physical withdrawal and eventual exit.

How does workplace diversity affect organizational commitment?

Inclusive environments increase commitment; exclusion or unfair treatment reduces commitment.

How have employee–employer relationships changed in modern organizations?

Relationships are less lifelong and more transactional, which can reduce long-term commitment.

Perceived organizational support (POS)

Employees’ belief that the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being.

How does POS affect organizational commitment?

Higher POS increases affective and normative commitment and reduces withdrawal behaviors.

How can organizations increase affective commitment?

Build social connections, recognize contributions, and create a positive culture.

How can organizations reduce withdrawal behavior?

Increase support, fairness, communication, and employee involvement.

Personality

The structures and propensities inside people that explain their characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior; it captures what people are like.

Cultural Values

Shared beliefs about desirable end states or modes of conduct in a given culture, influencing the development of a person's personality traits.

The Big Five Taxonomy

Thinking of personality through five broad dimensions:

1. Conscientiousness

2. Agreeableness

3. Neuroticism

4. Openness to Experience

5. Extraversion

Conscientiousness

Dimensions characterized by being dependable, organized, reliable, ambitious, and hardworking. It has the strongest positive effect on job performance and organizational commitment.

Agreeableness

Dimensions characterized by being kind, cooperative, sympathetic, helpful, and warm; focused on 'communion striving' or a desire to obtain acceptance in personal relationships.

Neuroticism

Dimensions characterized by being nervous, moody, emotional, insecure, and jealous. It is synonymous with negative affectivity and is often associated with an external locus of control.

Locus of Control

Whether people attribute the causes of events to themselves (Internal) or to the external environment/fate (External). Neurotic people tend to have an external locus of control.

Extraversion

Dimensions characterized by being talkative, sociable, passionate, assertive, and dominant. It is the easiest to judge in zero acquaintance situations (when people just meet).

Status Striving

A strong desire to obtain power and influence within a social structure as a means of expressing personality; highly associated with Extraversion.

Openness to Experience

Dimensions characterized by being curious, imaginative, creative, complex, and refined. It is highly beneficial in jobs that are fluid or require high levels of creative performance.