MHR Exam 1

Organizational Behavior (OB)

The study of how individuals, groups, and structure impact behavior within an organization to improve effectiveness.

Systematic Study

The use of scientific methods to predict and explain behavior in organizations.

Evidence-Based Management (EBM)

Making decisions based on proven research rather than intuition.

Behavioral Sciences in OB

Fields such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science that study various aspects of behavior in organizations.

Psychology

The study of individual behavior, emotions, and personality.

Sociology

The examination of group behavior and social structures.

Anthropology

The focus on cultures and human behavior.

Political Science

The study of power, conflict, and governance within organizations.

Workforce Diversity

A mix of different demographic traits (age, gender, race, etc.) within an organization.

Gig Economy

A labor market characterized by short-term contracts and freelance work instead of full-time jobs.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Organizational efforts to improve societal well-being beyond financial performance.

Work-Life Balance

Maintaining equilibrium between job responsibilities and personal life.

Effective Manager

A manager who focuses on performance, employee satisfaction, and development.

Successful Manager

A manager who focuses on networking and promotions.

Diversity

Differences among individuals in gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, and other characteristics.

Social Identity Theory

The theory that people categorize themselves and others into groups, influencing self-concept and biases.

Surface-Level Diversity

Observable characteristics such as age, gender, race, and ethnicity.

Deep-Level Diversity

Traits that are not immediately visible, like values, personality, and work styles.

Stereotype

A general belief about a group that may not be accurate for individuals.

Stereotype Threat

Fear of being judged based on a stereotype, which can impact performance.

Discrimination

Treating individuals unfairly based on characteristics such as gender, race, or age.

Glass Ceiling

An invisible barrier that prevents minorities and women from advancing to higher leadership positions.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Law requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.

Diversity Management

Organizational strategies to create inclusive environments and maximize the benefits of workforce diversity.

Diversity Training

Programs that educate employees on diversity and inclusion to promote fair treatment.

Emotions

Intense, short-lived feelings caused by specific events (e.g., anger, happiness, sadness).

Moods

Less intense, longer-lasting emotional states without a specific cause (e.g., positive mood, negative mood).

Emotional Labor

The process of managing emotions to fulfill job roles and display appropriate emotions at work.

Surface Acting

Hiding true emotions while displaying required emotions.

Deep Acting

Changing inner emotions to match required workplace emotions.

Emotional Dissonance

A conflict between felt and displayed emotions, leading to stress and burnout.

Affective Events Theory (AET)

Workplace events trigger emotional reactions, which influence job performance and satisfaction.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

The ability to recognize, understand, and regulate emotions in oneself and others.

Self-awareness

Recognizing one’s own emotions.

Self-regulation

Controlling emotions.

Motivation (in EI)

Using emotions to achieve goals.

Empathy

Understanding others' emotions.

Social skills

Managing relationships effectively.

Emotional Contagion

The tendency of emotions to spread from one person to another in social interactions.

Emotion Regulation

Strategies to manage emotions.

Cognitive Reappraisal

Reframing how one thinks about a situation to manage emotions.

Social Sharing

Talking about emotions to release tension.

Mindfulness

Focusing on the present moment to manage emotions.

Perception

The process of interpreting and organizing sensory impressions to understand the environment.

Attribution Theory

Explains how individuals determine the cause of behavior based on consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency.

Consensus

Do others behave the same way in similar situations?

Distinctiveness

Does the person behave differently in different situations?

Consistency

Does the person behave the same way over time?

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overestimate internal factors and underestimate external factors when judging others.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute personal successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.

Selective Perception

Focusing only on information that aligns with one's beliefs while ignoring contradicting data.

Halo Effect

Forming an overall positive impression of someone based on one favorable trait.

Horns Effect

Forming a negative impression of someone based on one unfavorable trait.

Contrast Effect

Judging someone’s characteristics based on comparisons with people encountered recently.

Stereotyping

Categorizing individuals based on group membership and assuming they share the same characteristics.

Employment Interview Bias

The tendency of interviewers to form quick judgments about candidates, often within the first few minutes.

Performance Evaluation Bias

Managers' subjective perceptions influence employee assessments, leading to unfair evaluations.