Industrial/Organizational Psychology – Key Vocabulary

The set contains 120 vocabulary flashcards covering essential terms, theories, principles, models, and interventions in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, with emphasis on organizational theory, motivation, leadership, structure, change, HR practices, and team dynamics.

Organization

A social entity made up of people who coordinate activities to achieve agreed goals and create value.

Organizational Theory

A set of propositions explaining or predicting how groups and individuals behave in differing organizational structures and circumstances.

Classical Organizational Theory

View that organizations exist for economic reasons, have one ‘best’ structure, and should be managed by rational economic principles to maximize productivity.

Scientific Management

Frederick Taylor’s approach applying scientific principles to study work behavior to increase efficiency, emphasizing planning, standardization, specialization, and worker training.

Taylorism

Belief that there is one best way to perform a job, identified through data collection, time-and-motion studies, and scientific selection of workers.

Bureaucracy

Max Weber’s ideal organization featuring formal hierarchy, division of labor, written rules, impersonal relationships, and merit-based employment.

Administrative Management

Henri Fayol’s focus on managerial practices—planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, controlling—to improve organizational productivity.

Functional Principle

Classical idea that work should be divided into units performing similar functions, creating areas of specialization.

Scalar Principle

Chain-of-command concept stating authority flows vertically and each subordinate reports to only one superior.

Line Function

Activities directly responsible for core organizational goals (e.g., production).

Staff Function

Support activities that advise or assist line functions (e.g., HR, legal).

Span of Control

Number of subordinates directly supervised by a manager; large spans create flat structures, small spans create tall structures.

Unity of Command

Fayol’s principle that each employee should receive orders from only one superior.

Operating Core

Mintzberg’s component that performs the basic work converting inputs into outputs.

Strategic Apex

Mintzberg’s top-level executives responsible for overall organizational success.

Middle Line

Managers who link the strategic apex with the operating core, ensuring goals are implemented.

Technostructure

Specialists (e.g., HR, IT, accounting) providing technical expertise that shapes organizational processes.

Support Staff

Services (e.g., mailroom, security) that aid the organization’s basic mission without being part of production.

Ideology (Mintzberg)

Shared belief system that unifies members’ commitment to a central mission.

Politics (Mintzberg)

Informal use of power causing conflict and divisiveness not formally sanctioned by the organization.

Neoclassical Theory

Behavioral approach recognizing human relations, informal organization, and individual/group needs within organizations.

Human Relations Movement

Perspective emphasizing social and psychological factors as key to productivity and satisfaction.

Hawthorne Experiment

Elton Mayo’s study showing productivity rose when workers received attention, highlighting social factors at work.

Theory X

McGregor’s view that employees are lazy, dislike work, and require control and direction.

Theory Y

McGregor’s view that employees are self-motivated, seek responsibility, and can self-direct under proper conditions.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Phenomenon where employees behave in ways that confirm their manager’s expectations (positive or negative).

Intrinsic Motivation

Drive to perform a task for inherent enjoyment or challenge rather than external reward.

Extrinsic Motivation

Drive to perform a task to obtain external rewards or avoid negative consequences.

Need for Achievement

McClelland’s motive to excel and attain challenging goals with personal responsibility for outcomes.

Need for Affiliation

Desire to build friendly, close interpersonal relationships and be accepted by others.

Need for Power

Desire to influence, coach, teach, or encourage others to achieve.

Job Expectations Theory

Motivation theory stating discrepancies between expected and actual job characteristics affect satisfaction and motivation.

Job Characteristics Model

Hackman & Oldham’s model linking five core job features to critical psychological states and motivation.

Skill Variety

Extent a job requires use of various skills and talents.

Task Identity

Degree a job requires completion of a whole, identifiable piece of work.

Task Significance

Impact a job has on the organization or society.

Autonomy

Freedom and discretion provided to schedule work and determine procedures.

Feedback (JCM)

Direct information from the job about performance effectiveness.

Maslow’s Need Hierarchy

Five-level model (physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, self-actualization) where unmet lower needs motivate behavior.

ERG Theory

Alderfer’s condensation of needs into Existence, Relatedness, and Growth that can motivate simultaneously.

Two-Factor Theory

Herzberg’s distinction between hygiene factors causing dissatisfaction and motivators causing satisfaction.

Motivators (Herzberg)

Work-content factors (achievement, recognition, responsibility) that create job satisfaction.

Hygiene Factors

Context factors (pay, conditions, policies) whose absence causes dissatisfaction but do not motivate when present.

Achievement Motivation Theory

McClelland’s framework highlighting needs for achievement, power, and affiliation as central work motives.

Four-Drive Theory

Motivation model proposing innate drives to acquire, bond, comprehend, and defend.

Self-Regulation Theory

Idea that employees monitor their progress toward goals and adjust behaviors accordingly.

Reinforcement Theory

Behavior is shaped by its consequences; rewards increase desired behavior, punishments decrease undesired behavior.

Positive Reinforcement

Adding a desirable stimulus after behavior to increase its frequency.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing an unpleasant stimulus after behavior to increase its frequency.

Punishment

Administering unpleasant consequences to reduce unwanted behavior.

Fixed Interval Schedule

Reinforcement given after a fixed time period (e.g., weekly paycheck).

Variable Ratio Schedule

Reinforcement delivered after an unpredictable number of responses (e.g., slot machines).

Goal Setting Theory

Locke’s idea that specific, challenging goals and commitment to them enhance performance.

Equity Theory

Adams’s theory that motivation depends on perceived fairness of input-output ratios compared to others.

Valence

Desirability of an outcome to an individual in Vroom’s expectancy theory.

Instrumentality

Belief that performance will lead to a particular outcome in expectancy theory.

Expectancy

Belief that effort will lead to desired performance level in expectancy theory.

Organizational Justice Theory

Focus on fairness perceptions—distributive, procedural, and interactional—affecting motivation and satisfaction.

Distributive Justice

Perceived fairness of decision outcomes (who gets what).

Procedural Justice

Perceived fairness of the processes used to decide outcomes.

MARS Model

Predicts behavior/performance from Motivation, Ability, Role perceptions, and Situational factors.

Conscientiousness

Personality trait describing being organized, dependable, and goal-focused; strongest predictor of job performance.

IMPACT Theory

Leadership model listing six styles: Informational, Magnetic, Position, Affiliation, Coercive, Tactical.

Path-Goal Theory

Leadership theory proposing leaders adjust style (instrumental, supportive, participative, achievement-oriented) to fit follower and task needs.

Instrumental Leadership

Directive style that plans, organizes, and controls employee activities.

Supportive Leadership

Style emphasizing concern for employee welfare and needs.

Participative Leadership

Leader shares information and involves employees in decision making.

Achievement-Oriented Leadership

Leader sets challenging goals and rewards high performance.

Situational Leadership Theory

Hersey & Blanchard’s model matching leader style (directing, coaching, supporting, delegating) to follower readiness.

Delegating Style

Low task, low relationship behavior used with able and willing followers.

Directing Style

High task, low relationship behavior used with unable and unwilling followers.

Coaching Style

High task, high relationship behavior for unable but willing followers.

Supporting Style

Low task, high relationship behavior for able but unwilling followers.

Leader-Member Exchange (LMX)

Theory emphasizing different relationships (in-group vs. out-group) a leader forms with each subordinate.

In-Group (LMX)

Subordinates with high-quality, trustful relationships and greater access to resources.

Out-Group (LMX)

Subordinates with low-quality relationships and limited support from the leader.

Self-Determination Theory

Ryan & Deci’s view that motivation flourishes when needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met.

Autonomy (SDT)

Feeling of volition and control over one’s actions.

Competence (SDT)

Sense of mastery and effectiveness in activities.

Relatedness

Need to feel connected and belonging to others.

Modern Organization Theory

Perspective viewing organizations as open systems adapting to environmental changes.

Systems Approach

Conceptualizing organization as interrelated subsystems interacting with the environment.

Open System Theory

Katz & Kahn’s idea that organizations must exchange energy/information with environment to survive.

Negative Entropy

Input of energy/information preventing organizational decline toward disorder.

Equifinality

Principle that different paths can lead to the same end state in systems.

Contingency Theory

‘It depends’ view that optimal organizational practices vary with situational factors.

Mechanistic Organization

Structure with high formalization, centralized decision making, and narrow spans of control; suited to stable environments.

Organic Organization

Flexible, decentralized, low-formalization structure suited to dynamic environments.

Small-Batch Production

Woodward’s tech category producing specialty items, requiring moderate span of control and short chains of command.

Mass Production

High-volume, assembly-line manufacturing needing wider spans and longer chains of command.

Continuous Production

Fully automated, continuous-flow technology with largest spans of control.

Lewin’s Change Model

Three-step process of unfreezing, moving, and refreezing to implement organizational change.

Unfreezing

Creating motivation for change by disrupting status quo.

Moving

Implementing change and developing new behaviors or processes.

Refreezing

Stabilizing change by embedding new practices into the organization.

Kotter’s Eight-Stage Model

Expanded change model including urgency, guiding team, vision, communication, empowerment, short-term wins, build on change, anchor in culture.

Process Consultation

OD technique where consultant helps clients perceive and improve interpersonal and group processes.

Team Building

Planned activities aimed at improving group functioning, communication, and problem solving.

Job Specialization

Subdividing work into separate narrow tasks for efficiency.

Job Enlargement

Increasing a job’s scope by adding different tasks at the same level of responsibility.