Org Behavior Exam 3 Terms

Teams

A group of individuals who combine their skills and coordinate efforts to achieve a shared objective

Groups

Individuals working alongside each other primarily to accomplish their own assigned tasks rather than a shared collective output

Psychological safety

A shared environment where individuals feel comfortable expressing ideas, asking questions, and taking risks without fear of negative consequences

Benefits of psychological safety

Open communication, Knowledge sharing, Greater reporting of errors, Improved learning behaviors, Ability to learn from failure, Increased creativity

Factors of an effective team

Nurture relationships, Honest feedback, Support remote workers, Match people with purpose

Forming (Tuckman Model Step)

Initial stage where members come together, get acquainted, and begin understanding expectations

Storming (Tuckman Model Step)

Stage where disagreements and tension arise as individuals assert opinions and roles

Norming (Tuckman Model Step)

Stage where conflicts are resolved and members begin working more cohesively

Performing (Tuckman Model Step)

Stage where the group functions efficiently and focuses on achieving goals

Adjourning (Tuckman Model Step)

Final stage where tasks are completed and the group disbands

Team norms

Shared expectations and informal guidelines that influence how members behave and interact.

Team charter

A formal document that defines the purpose, goals, responsibilities, and timeline for a group effort

Team synergy

When combined efforts produce a result greater than what individuals could achieve separately

Process gains

Improvements in efficiency or performance that occur when people work together effectively

Process losses

Reductions in efficiency or performance due to issues such as poor coordination or lack of effort

Social facilitation

Increased effort or improved performance when others are present

Social loafing

Decreased effort when individuals feel less accountable in a group setting

Cyber-loafing

Using work time for non-work-related online activities

Virtual team

Individuals collaborating from different locations using digital communication tools

Self-managing team

A group that operates independently and makes decisions without direct supervision

Problem-solving team

A group focused on identifying issues and developing solutions

Cross-functional team

A group composed of members from different areas of expertise working toward a shared goal

Model of team effectiveness

A framework explaining how performance is shaped by inputs, team interactions, and outcomes, showing that success depends on both the conditions surrounding a group and how members work together.

Inputs in the model of team effectiveness

The starting conditions that influence performance, including external support and internal characteristics of the group

Contextual influences in the model of team effectiveness

External conditions such as resources, task structure, interdependence, and organizational systems that shape how well a group can operate

Composition factors in the model of team effectiveness

Internal characteristics related to the people involved, including size, skills, personality, and diversity

Processes in the model of team effectiveness

The interactions among members, including communication, coordination, effort, and conflict management, that determine how effectively work gets done

Outputs in the model of team effectiveness

The results of group work, including performance quality, member satisfaction, and overall effectiveness

Contextual factors

External elements such as resources, structure, and environment that influence how a group operates

Composition factors

Internal characteristics such as size, skills, personalities, and diversity within the group

Decision-making

The process of selecting a course of action from multiple alternatives

Problem-solving

The process of identifying an issue and generating possible solutions

Programmed decisions

Routine choices made using established rules or procedures

Non-programmed decisions

Unique choices made in unfamiliar situations without clear guidelines.

Bounded rationality

Making choices within limits such as time, information, and cognitive capacity

Complete rationality

Making choices by considering all possible options and outcomes logically

Satisficing

Selecting an option that meets minimum requirements rather than the optimal one

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts used to simplify complex decisions

Availability heuristic

Relying on information that is most easily remembered

Anchoring and adjustment heuristic

Basing decisions heavily on the first piece of information received

Representativeness heuristic

Making judgments based on how similar something is to a known category

Common-information bias

Prioritizing information shared by all rather than unique insights

Confirmation bias

Seeking or favoring information that supports existing beliefs

Ease-of-recall bias

Giving more importance to information that is easier to remember

Hindsight bias

Believing events were predictable after they have already occurred

Projection bias

Assuming others think or feel the same way

Escalation of commitment

Continuing to invest in a failing course of action

Sunk-cost bias

Allowing past investments to influence current decisions

Framing error

Being influenced by how information is presented rather than the content itself

Lack of participation error

Poor decisions due to limited input from others

Randomness error

Seeing patterns in random or unrelated events

Creativity

The ability to produce original and useful ideas

Innovation

The process of developing and applying new ideas into practical use

Three-component model of creativity

Expertise in a field, Creative thinking processes, and motivation to engage in the task

Creative potential

The capacity to generate ideas

Practiced creativity

The application of creative abilities in real situations

The Three Parts of the Innovation process

Idea Generation, Problem Solving, Implementation & Diffusion

Product innovation

Creating new or improved goods or services

Process innovation

Improving methods used to produce or deliver products

Organizational innovation

Changing structures or systems within an organization

People innovation

Improving how individuals are managed or developed

Exploitative innovation

Enhancing existing products or processes

Exploratory innovation

Developing entirely new ideas or approaches

Communication

The transfer of information, ideas, or meaning from one person to another

Shannon-Weaver Communications Model

A structured explanation of communication as a process where information is created, transmitted, potentially disrupted, and then interpreted by another party

How the Shannon-Weaver Communications Model works

A person develops an idea, converts it into a message, sends it through a channel where it may be disrupted, and another person interprets it and responds, meaning communication success depends on every step functioning properly.

Sender

The individual who initiates the communication by forming an idea

Encoding

The process of converting an idea into a message using words, symbols, or gestures

Message

The information or meaning being communicated

Channel

The medium used to send the message, such as speaking, writing, or digital platforms

Noise

Any interference that distorts or disrupts the message during transmission

Receiver

The individual for whom the message is intended

Decoding

The process of interpreting the message and assigning meaning to it

Feedback

The response that indicates whether the message was understood correctly

Oral communication

Sharing information through spoken words

Written communication

Sharing information through text

Electronic communication

Sharing information through digital tools and platforms

Nonverbal communication

Conveying meaning through body language, facial expressions, and tone

Channel richness

The ability of a medium to effectively convey detailed or complex information

Filtering

Altering information as it is passed along

Emotions

Personal feelings that influence how messages are interpreted

Information overload

Receiving more information than can be processed effectively

Differing perceptions

Interpreting the same message in different ways

Formal networks

Official pathways used to share information within an organization

Informal networks

Unofficial pathways where information spreads socially

Grapevine

Informal spread of information through personal connections

Gossip chain

Spreading unverified or inaccurate information

Cluster chain

Sharing information within small, connected groups

Cross-cultural communication

Interaction between individuals from different cultural backgrounds

Ethnocentrism

Viewing one’s own culture as superior to others

Low-context culture

Communication style that relies on clear, direct, and explicit messages

High-context culture

Communication style that relies on indirect messages and nonverbal cues

Trust

Confidence in another’s reliability, integrity, and competence

Disposition-Based Trust

Derived from possessing personality traits that include a general propensity to trust others.

Cognition-Based Trust

Derived from relying on factual information as a basis for trust.

Affect-Based Trust

Derived from putting faith in others based on feelings and emotions.

Authenticity (Trust Triangle)

I experience the real you

Logic (Trust Triangle)

I know you can do it; your reasoning and judgement are sound.

Empathy (Trust Triangle)

I believe you care about me and my success.

Psychological contracts

Unspoken expectations between individuals and organizations