HRM360 Final Exam Study Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Communication, Power, Conflict Management, Leadership, and Organizational Culture based on the HRM360 Final Study Guide.

Communication Process

The sequence consisting of sender, encoding, transmitting, receiving, and decoding, including the potential for noise.

Codebook

A set of shared symbols and rules used for encoding and decoding messages.

Jargon

Specialized language that can become a communication barrier when symbols are not shared.

Asynchronous Digital Communication

Digital written messages that do not require participants to be online at the same time, reducing scheduling needs.

Digital Communincation

how employees, managers, and teams use technology to share information, coordinate work, build relationships, and influence workplace behavior.

digital messages can be less diplomatic (reduced empathy/social cues) and when they are inappropriate (novel/ambiguous situations).

Digital Appropriateness

distinguish when digital channels are useful (routine, simple messages). and when they are not (complex, emotional, urgent conversations).

Synchronicity

The extent to which a communication channel requires or allows the sender and receiver to be actively communicating at the same time.

Social Presence

The degree to which a channel creates psychological proximity and is preferred for empathy, understanding, or emotional connection.

Media Richness

The data-carrying capacity of a communication medium; channels are ranked from rich to lean based on their ability to handle complex or sensitive tasks.

Social Acceptance

How norms, expectations, and organizational culture influence which communication channels are considered acceptable or preferred.

Persuasion Channel Choice

Face-to-face communication is best for persuasion.

Written Communication for Technical Detail

Written messages are helpful when presenting complicated, technical, or structured information.

Emotional Contagion

The phenomenon where the emotions of others shape the emotions of a group.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal cues are ambiguous and why their interpretation varies by context.

Gender Differences in Nonverbal Attention

General research findings like women often being more attentive to nonverbal cues.

Cultural Silence Difference

Silence communicates different meanings across cultures (respect vs disengagement)

Cultural Interruptions

Identify cultures (France or Brazil) where interruptions may signal engagement rather than disrespect

Active Listening

A listening process involving specific verbal and nonverbal behaviors, including an evaluating stage where information is summarized and categorized.

Evaluation Stage

How active listeners organize information during the evaluating stage (Summarizing, categorizing)

The Grapevine

An informal communication network in organizations that cannot be eliminated and serves as a signal of employee concerns.

Leader use of grapevine

How leaders can use grapevine activity as a signal of employee concerns and why they should not attempt to destroy it.

Power

The capacity to influence others who resist, existing only when one person depends on another for valued resources.

Power Conditions

Power only exists when one person depends on another for valued resources

Countervailing Power

The power subordinates have to keep the power holder in check.

Legitimate Power

Power derived from a person's formal role or position, often operating within a zone of indifference.

Referent Power

Why likeability, identification, and charisma increase referent power

Dependence Mastery

How power increases when the other person depends on you more than you depen on them

Coping with Uncertainty

Three ways to gain power by reducing uncertainty (Prevention, forecasting, absorption)

Discretion

The freedom to make decisions without approval

Visibility

Being seen, known, and recognized strengthens power

Zone of Indifference

The range within which an individual is willing to accept orders without questioning authority.

Reward Power

Power based on the ability to control valued outcomes.

Coercive Power

Power based on the ability to control unpleasant outcomes.

Expert Power

Power that emerges from possessing specialized knowledge and increases the dependence of others.

Referent Power

Power based on likability, identification, and charisma.

Discretion

The freedom to make decisions without needing approval from others.

Substitutability

A factor strengthening power when an individual has unique, hard-to-replace skills or resources.

Centrality

The degree to which an individual is critical to an organization's workflow.

Network Power basics

Social networks generate power through information, resources, and social capital

Strong Ties

Social network connections characterized by close and frequent contact.

Weak Ties

Social network connections that are less frequent but provide diverse information and are useful for job searching.

Tie Strenghetning

Which tie types give the most diverse information and why weak ties help with job searching

Structural Holes

Gaps between disconnected people or groups in a social network.

Betweenness

A power-enhancing position in a network that involves bridging disconnected people.

Degree Centrality

The specific number or percentage of direct connections an individual has in a network.

Managing Networks

How to maintain power through network management (Not restricting information flow, building broad connections)

Conditions for Politics

Conditions that increase political behavior (ambiguity, scarce resorurces, low trust)

Hard Influence Tactics

Silent Authority

Soft influence tactics

Ingratiation

Ingratiation

A soft influence tactic involving increasing liking or perceived similarity to influence someone.

Silent Authority

Influencing others through position, credibility, or presence without directly pressuring them

Assertiveness

Directly and firmly asking, demanding, or reminding others

Information Control

Influencing others by controlling what information is shared, emphasized, or withheld

Coalition formation

Getting others to support your idea so there is group pressure

Upward appeal

Using support from someone higher in the organization

Persuasion

Using logic, facts, evidence, or emotional appeal to influence someone

Impression Management

Self-presentation behaviors aimed at shaping how others perceive one's competence, likability, or integrity.

Self-presentation

Exampels of behavior aimed at shaping how others perceive one’s competence, likeability, or integrity

Organizational Politics

Self-serving actions that attempt to influence others for personal gain, often triggered by ambiguity or scarce resources.

Workplace Conflict

A perceived divergence of interests where one party believes another is interfering with their goals.

Relationship Conflict

A personal and emotional form of conflict that is typically dysfunctional.

Task Conflict

Conflict focused on issues and ideas, which can be constructive by testing assumptions and improving decisions.

Constructive Conflict

Debates ideas, test assumptions, and improves decision quality

Conflict Sequence

Perceptions —> Emotions —> Conflict behavior

Sources of Conflict

Incompatible goals, differentiation, interdependence, scarce resources, communication problems

Differentiation

A source of conflict rooted in differences in values, beliefs, and backgrounds.

Interdependence

The degree to which parties must share resources or coordinate; moves from pooled —> sequential —> reciprocal, increasing conflict potential.

Goal Incompatability

Situations where departments or individuals have conflicting objectives

Forcing Style

A conflict-handling style with high assertiveness and low cooperation, best for emergencies or unpopular decisions or when important principles are at stake

Avoiding Style

Low assertiveness, low cooperation

Used to reduce emotional escalation and when it harms problem-solving

Yielding Style

A conflict-handling style with low assertiveness and high cooperation, used when the other party has more power or issue matters more to them.

Compromising Style

mid assertiveness, mid cooperation

Best when time is limited ot parties have equal power

Problem-Solving / Integrating

High assertiveness, high cooperation

Best when both sides’ interests are important and integrative solutions are possible

Collectivism & Conflict

I know that people from high collectivist cultures tend to prefer avoiding, smoothing, or compromise, and avoid direct confrontation

Power Dynamics

How relative power affects which conflict-handling approach is realistic or effective

Encouraging Constructive Conflict

Strategies leaders can use: setting norms, focusing. on issues, keeping conflict task-focused

Minimizing Relationship Conflict

How emotional intelligence, team cohesion, and trust reduce harmful conflict

Leadership

The process of influencing, motivating, and enabling others to contribute to organizational success - distinguish it from traits, positions, or dominance

Transformational Leadership

Leadership focused on being a change agent, creating a vision, and inspiring followers rather than tasks proficiency.

What they DONT do: Transformational leaders do not focus on helping people become more proficient at their current tasks

Managerial Leadership

Explain how managerial leaders help employees improve job performance, solve operational problems, and work efficiently toward current goals

Roles of Managerial Leadership

Identify roles like clarifying tasks, monitoring, improving performance, and ensuring employees have what they need to succeed

People Oriented Leadership

Show interest in staff, listen, support, and create a positive environment

Task-Oriented Leadership

(aka directive) clarifies roles, sets goals, provides structure, and monitors performance

Path-Goal Theory

A theory describing four leadership styles (directive, supportive, participative, achievement-oriented) that are matched to follower and task characteristics.

Directive leadership style (in path-goal theory)

Leader gives clear instructions, rules, deadlines, and expectations

Followers are inexperienced, tasks are unclear, or work is unstructured

Supportive leadership style (in path-goal theory)

Leader is friendly, approachable, concerned about employee wellbeing

Work is stressful, repetitive, boring, or employees need encouragement

Participative leadership style (in path-goal theory)

Leader asks for employee input before making decisions

Followrs are experienced, skilled, and want involvement

Achievement-oriented leadership style (in path-goal theory)

Leader sets challenging goals and shows confidence in employees’ abilities

Followers are motivated, capable, and want to improve performance

Locus of Control

Internal vs external locus of control influence preferred leadership styles (internals dislike directive. Externals may benefit from locus of control)

Follower Skill & Experience

Can identify which leadership approach fits employees who lack skill, lack motivation, or need clarity

Job Structure

Repetitive, unfulfilling, or highly structured tasks may require supportive leadership for motivation

Complex or Ambiguous Tasks

Complex or unclear tasks often require directive or participative leadership

Implicit Leadership Theory

Followers' preconceived beliefs about what a leader “should be like”, which influence how they judge actual leaders - regardless of the leader’s real behavior

Artifacts

Observable symbols and signs of an organization's culture, such as rituals, stories, and physical structures.

Espoused Values

The values that corporate leaders say they represent or want the organization to embody.

Enacted Values

The values that are actually practiced and evidenced by the actions of organization members.

Assumptions

Deeply embedded, unconscious beliefs that are difficult to identify but powerful in shaping behavior.

Subculture Basics

Define subcultures and explain how they form inside organizations

Counterculture Benefits

A subculture that opposes the organization's dominant values, which can be healthy for keeping leadership ethical.

Culture Misalignment Warning Signs

Subcultures or counterculures reveal cultural problems or strategic misalignment