Job Characteristics Theory and Ethical Decision-Making

This set of flashcards covers key concepts from the lecture on Job Characteristics Theory, correlation with organizational commitment, the Four-Component Model of Ethical Decision-Making, and the relationship between distributive and procedural justice.

Job Characteristics Theory (JCT)

A theory explaining how job characteristics influence employee motivation, satisfaction, and performance.

VISAF

An acronym for the five core job characteristics: Variety, Identity, Significance, Autonomy, and Feedback.

Variety

Use of different skills and talents in a job, leading to experienced meaningfulness of work.

Identity

Completing a whole, identifiable piece of work, leading to experienced meaningfulness.

Significance

The impact of work on others, leading to experienced meaningfulness.

Autonomy

Freedom in scheduling and decision-making, leading to experienced responsibility for outcomes.

Feedback

Information about performance effectiveness, leading to experienced knowledge of results.

Motivation

The drive that causes an employee to take action and perform.

Job Satisfaction

A positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job.

Perceived Organizational Support

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

Ethical Decision-Making

The process of considering ethical values and norms when determining how to act.

Moral Awareness

Recognizing a situation as containing an ethical issue.

Moral Judgment

Deciding what the ethical course of action is.

Moral Intent

Prioritizing ethical values over personal gain or other pressures.

Moral Behavior

Acting in a manner that aligns with ethical decisions.

Distributive Justice

Perceived fairness of outcomes, such as pay and promotions.

Procedural Justice

Perceived fairness of processes used to determine outcomes.

Moderating Relationship

A condition where one variable affects the strength or direction of the relationship between two other variables.

Trust

The belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of others.

Employee Attitudes

Employees' feelings and evaluations regarding their job and workplace.

Negative Reactions

Dissent or dissatisfaction that employees may express in response to perceived unfairness.

Key Idea of JCT

Jobs high on VISAF lead to stronger psychological states, resulting in higher motivation, performance, and satisfaction.

Correlation

A statistical measure that indicates the extent to which two variables fluctuate together.

Psychological State

The mental state resulting from job characteristics, influencing motivation and performance.

Ethical Action

Actions that align with moral values and ethical principles.

Personal Gain

Benefits or advantages sought by an individual, typically at the expense of others.

Process Fairness

The fairness perceived in the processes that lead to outcomes.

Outcomes

Results or consequences of processes and actions in the workplace.