Exam 2 Study Guide: Motivation, Teams, Communication & Power

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering essential terms, models, theories, and concepts from Exam 2 study guide on Motivation, Teams, Communication, and Power.

Productivity

Achieving organizational goals by transforming inputs into outputs at the lowest cost, requiring both effectiveness and efficiency.

Intensity

A key element of motivation describing how hard a person tries.

Direction

A key element of motivation describing the orientation of effort toward organizational goals.

Persistence

A key element of motivation describing how long a person keeps trying.

Hygiene Factors

Job factors in Herzberg's theory—such as company policy, supervision, salary, and working conditions—whose absence causes dissatisfaction, but whose presence does not motivate.

Motivators

Job factors in Herzberg's theory—such as achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and growth—that drive job satisfaction.

Need for Achievement (nAch)

In McClelland's theory, the drive to excel and achieve in relation to a set of standards, preferring moderately difficult goals and feedback.

Need for Power (nPow)

In McClelland's theory, the need to make others behave in a way that they would not have behaved otherwise.

Need for Affiliation (nAff)

In McClelland's theory, the desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships.

Self-Determination Theory

A theory of motivation stating that people prefer to feel they have control over their actions, where extrinsic rewards for previously enjoyable work can diminish intrinsic motivation.

Skill Variety

The degree to which a job requires a range of different activities, skills, and talents.

Task Identity

The degree to which a job requires completion of a whole, identifiable piece of work.

Task Significance

The degree to which a job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people.

Autonomy

The degree of freedom, independence, and discretion provided to schedule work and determine the procedures for carrying it out.

Feedback (Job Characteristics Model)

The degree to which carrying out work activities results in direct and clear information about performance effectiveness.

Motivating Potential Score (MPS)

A predictive index calculated as \text{MPS} = \t\left[\frac{\text{skill variety} + \text{task identity} + \text{task significance}}{3}\right] \times \text{autonomy} \times \text{feedback}, which drops to zero if autonomy or feedback is zero.

Goal-Setting Theory

A cognitive motivation theory stating that specific, difficult goals—when accepted—lead to higher performance than easy or 'do your best' goals.

Management by Objectives (MBO)

A program that encompasses specific goals, participative decision-making, an explicit time period, and performance feedback.

Reinforcement Theory

A behavioristic approach arguing that behavior is a function of its consequences, ignoring inner cognitive states.

Equity Theory

A theory proposing that individuals compare their job inputs and outcomes with those of relevant referents and respond to eliminate any perceived inequities.

Distributive Justice

Perceived fairness in the amount and allocation of rewards among individuals.

Procedural Justice

The perceived fairness of the process and methods used to determine the distribution of rewards.

Interactional Justice

The perceived quality of interpersonal treatment received when procedures are implemented, including interpersonal and informational justice.

Expectancy Theory

A theory stating that motivation depends on the strength of beliefs that effort leads to performance, performance leads to rewards, and those rewards are valued.

Expectancy

In expectancy theory, the perceived probability that exerting a given amount of effort will lead to successful performance.

Instrumentality

In expectancy theory, the degree to which an individual believes that performing at a particular level will lead to the attainment of a desired reward.

Valence

In expectancy theory, the value or importance an individual places on an organizational reward or outcome.

Five-Stage Model of Group Development

The sequential stages groups move through: Forming (uncertainty), Storming (intragroup conflict), Norming (cohesiveness), Performing (task functionality), and Adjourning (wrapping up).

Punctuated Equilibrium Model

A framework for temporary groups with deadlines where direction is set in the first meeting, followed by inertia, a transition at the midpoint, another period of inertia, and a final burst of activity.

Norms

Acceptable standards of behavior shared by group members that dictate what ought and ought not to be done.

Role Conflict

A situation where compliance with one role requirement makes it difficult or impossible to comply with another role requirement.

Social Loafing

The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively as part of a group than when working individually.

Status

A socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others.

Cohesion

The degree to which members are attracted to each other and motivated to stay in the group.

Groupthink

A phenomenon where conformity pressures within a group suppress dissenting views and prevent the realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action.

Group Shift (Group Polarization)

A change in decision risk between a group's decision and an individual's decision, causing members to shift toward a more extreme version of their initial positions.

Production Blocking

A barrier in brainstorming where only one person can speak at a time, resulting in other members' ideas being lost or forgotten.

Evaluation Apprehension

A barrier in brainstorming where individuals withhold their ideas out of fear of being negatively judged by others.

Self-Managed Teams

Groups of employees that operate without a manager and take on the responsibilities and duties of their former supervisors.

Cross-Functional Teams

Teams made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level but different functional areas or work departments who come together to accomplish a task.

Virtual Teams

Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members to achieve a common goal across distance, time, or boundaries.

Wheel Network

A communication network where all information flows through a single central figure, characterized by high speed and accuracy but low member satisfaction.

All-Channel Network

A communication network where all group members actively communicate with one another, producing the highest member satisfaction and strong creativity.

Filtering

The deliberate manipulation of information by a sender so that it appears more favorable to the receiver.

Power

The capacity that person A has to influence the behavior of person B so that B acts in accordance with A's wishes, requiring only dependence.

Coercive Power

A formal power base that depends on fear of negative results and the ability to punish or administer unpleasant consequences.

Legitimate Power

Formal power a person receives in an organization's hierarchy based on their structural position.

Expert Power

A personal power base derived from special expertise, skill, or knowledge.

Referent Power

A personal power base that develops out of admiration, identification with, and the desire to be like another person.

Rational Persuasion

An influence tactic that involves using logical arguments and factual evidence to demonstrate that a request is reasonable.

Ingratiation

An influence tactic using flattery, praise, or friendly behavior prior to making a request.