Organization Behavior Exam 3

How email has altered communication?

Preferred channel for coordinating work, often increases communication volume, significantly alters communication flow, reduces some use of telephone and face-to-face, somewhat reduces status differences and stereotyping

What are problems with email?

Communicates emotions poorly, reduces politeness and respect (more flaming), inefficient for ambiguous, complex, novel situations, increases information overload

Ranks communication channels based on their ability to transmit information, resolve ambiguity, and provide immediate feedback

Media richness

Active Listening Process & Strategies

Sensing, responding, evaluating

View conversations more as power, status, functionality (give advice quickly, dominate conversation)

Gender communication differences men

Consider more interpersonal relations

Gender communication differences women

Researchers, led by Philip Zimbardo, created a fake prison at Stanford University. College students were randomly assigned roles as either “guards” or “prisoners” to study how people behave in positions of power.

Stanford prison experiment

The “guards” became increasingly controlling and abusive, while the “prisoners” became stressed, anxious, and submissive. The situation got so intense that the experiment had to be stopped early (after only 6 days).

Stanford prison experiment students

The participants’ behavior became harmful and emotionally damaging. The guards misused their power, and the prisoners showed signs of severe distress.

Stanford prison experiment ended

What can we learn from the Stanford Prison Experiment?

People can change their behavior based on roles and authority, power can strongly influence actions, sometimes in harmful ways, situations and environments can shape behavior more than personality.

What is the main lesson about power from this experiment?

Power can control people more than people control power. It can “take on a life of its own,” so it’s important to be aware of how dangerous unchecked power can be.

Power and Dependence Diagram

What are the 5 bases of power?

Reward, coercive, legitimate, expert, referent

The ability to give something valuable (like money, praise, promotions).

Reward power

The ability to punish or threaten.

Coercive power

Power based on a person’s role or position (like a boss or teacher).

Legitimate power

Power from knowledge or skills.

Expert power

Power based on respect, admiration, or charisma.

Referent power

What are the three consequences of influence?

Resistance, compliance, commitment

When someone refuses or pushes back against influence.

Resistance

When someone does what is asked but doesn’t truly agree.

Compliance

When someone fully agrees and is motivated to help.

Commitment

Trading something for cooperation.

Exchange

Using logic or emotions to convince someone.

Persuasion

Trying to make yourself look good or likable.

Impression management

Influence through presence or position without saying much.

Silent authority

Using support from higher authority.

Upward appeal

Controlling or limiting information.

Information control

Getting others to support you.

Coalition formation

Directly demanding or insisting.

Assertiveness

When one person believes another person has negatively affected (or will affect) something they care about.

Conflict

Why is conflict called a “perception”?

Because it’s based on what people think is happening—not always reality.

What are the positive effects of conflict?

Better decisions, more ideas and creativity, questions assumptions, improves team thinking, can strengthen teams (vs other groups)

What are the negative effects of conflict?

Stress and dissatisfaction, lower performance, poor communication, wasted time/resources, can hurt teamwork (within group)

Disagreements about the work itself (ideas, decisions).

Task conflict

Personal issues and emotions between people.

Relationship conflict

Disagreements about how work should be done.

Process conflict

What level of task conflict is good and why?

Moderate levels

Ignoring or withdrawing from conflict.

Avoiding style

Pushing your solution no matter what

Forcing style

Giving in to the other person.

Yielding style

Working together to find the best solution.

Problem solving style

Each side gives up something.

Compromising style

How do you use the problem-solving style?

Listen to the other side, focus on the issue, not the person, share information, find a win-win solution

What are the 5 stages of negotiation?

Preparation, relationship Building, information Exchange, persuasion, concessions & Agreement

Research the other side, set goals, understand your strategy.

Preparation stage

Build trust and get to know the other party.

Relationship building

Share positions, ask questions, discuss options.

Information exchange

Try to influence the other side and support your position.

Persuasion

Both sides give something and reach a final deal.

Concessions & agreement

What are the three levels of organizational culture?

Artifacts, shared values, shared assumptions

Visible and observable parts of culture.

Artifacts

What the organization says is important.

Shared values

what they say

Espoused values

what they actually do

Enacted values

Deep, unconscious beliefs that guide behavior.

Shared assumptions

What are physical structure artifacts?

Buildings, office layout, design, and objects.

What do symbols show in culture?

What the organization values.

Daily routines or repeated behaviors.

Rituals

Formal events to celebrate achievements.

Ceremonies

What is language in organizational culture?

How people speak and communicate

Shared stories about real people or events

Stories and legends

What makes stories powerful in organizations?

Based on real people, believed to be true, widely known, teach lessons (right vs wrong behavior)

Explains how organizations develop strong cultures by hiring and keeping similar people.

Attraction-selection-attrition theory

People are attracted to organizations that match their values.

Attraction in ASA

Companies hire people who fit their culture.

Selection in ASA

People who don’t fit the culture leave or are removed.

Attrition in ASA

What is the main result of ASA theory?

Organizations become more similar over time.

Change that is intentional and planned in advance by managers (change agents) to improve the organization.

Planned change

Change made before a problem happens.

Proactive change

Change made after a problem occurs.

Reactive change

Big, dramatic change that transforms the organization.

Radical change

Small, gradual improvements over time

Incremental change

Fixing small problems quickly

Put out small fire

Making small adjustments to improve things.

Tweaking

Fixing serious problems before they get worse.

Stop the bleeding

Completely changing the organization.

Transformation