Organizational Behavior (OB) - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core OB concepts, definitions, and related fields mentioned in the lecture notes.

Organizational Behavior (OB)

A field of study devoted to understanding, explaining, and improving the attitudes and behaviors of individuals and groups in organizations.

Job Performance

The effectiveness with which an employee carries out their job duties; a primary outcome studied in OB.

Organizational Commitment

The desire to stay with, identify with, and be loyal to the organization; a primary outcome studied in OB.

Careful Hiring

Hiring practices designed to ensure the right fit, including multiple interviews, panel reviews, and sometimes personality tests.

Job Security

Confidence that one’s job is secure and not at risk of being laid off or terminated.

Power to the People

Empowering employees to make decisions and have flexibility in their work.

Generous Pay for Performance

Compensation tied to performance outcomes, often including bonuses or tiered incentives.

Lots of Training

Extensive training opportunities (on-the-job, regulatory, and skills development) provided by the organization.

Less Emphasis on Status

An egalitarian culture where status differences are deemphasized and people are respected regardless of title.

Trust Building

Efforts to foster open, honest communication and trust between employees and management.

Employee Engagement Survey

An annual survey used to assess employee satisfaction with supervisors, training opportunities, pay, and related factors.

Human Resource Management (HRM)

A related field focusing on applying OB principles to manage people within organizations.

Strategic Management

A related field examining how organizations achieve effectiveness by applying OB insights to strategy and performance.

Psychology

A field studying perception, learning, motivation, and leadership—key concepts in OB.

Sociology

A field examining power, structure, and social dynamics that influence attitudes and behaviors in organizations.

Social Psychology

A field focusing on groups and communication within organizations.

Anthropology

A field studying culture and environment as they relate to organizational behavior.

Political Science

A field addressing politics and power dynamics within organizations, including nonprofit contexts.

Philosophy

A field addressing ethics and ethical decision-making in organizational settings.

Individual Mechanisms

Internal processes such as motivation, trust, justice, ethics, learning, and decision making that influence outcomes.

Organizational Culture

Shared values, beliefs, and norms that shape behavior within an organization.

Organizational Structure

The arrangement of roles, responsibilities, and authority that coordinates work in an organization.

Team Processes and Communication

How teams function and communicate, affecting performance and coordination.

Leadership Styles and Behaviors

Different approaches leaders use to influence others, including how they enact power and negotiation.