Org Behavior Exam 2

Conflict

Process through which one party perceives its interests are opposed or negatively affected by another party

Task Conflict

• Also called constructive conflict

• Discussion focused on the issue/work

• People demonstrate respect for others with different points of view

Relationship Conflict

• Also called destructive conflict

• Discussion focused on people/personalities

Sources of conflict

Incompatible goals, differentiation, task interdependence, scarce resources, ambiguous rules, communication problems

Conflict handling styles

assertiveness and cooperativeness

Assertiveness

degree to which party prioritizes own interests

cooperativeness

degree to which party prioritizes others’ interests

5 Conflict handling styles

forcing, problem solving, compromising, avoiding, yielding

Forcing is effective when…

• Need quick solution

• Other party would take advantage

• Your position is the ethical one

Problem solving is effective when

• Parties’ interests not totally opposed

• Parties trust each other and have time to share information

Compromising is effective when…

• Parties have equal amounts of power

• Limited time to resolve the conflict

• Parties lack trust/openness

Avoiding is effective when…

• Conflict is too emotionally-charged

• Cost of trying not worth it

Yielding is effective when…

• Other party has a lot more power

• Issue is less important to you

Negotiation

deciding what each party will “give” and “take” in an exchange

The Negotiation process

a structured back-and-forth communication and decision-making process where two or more parties with shared and opposing interests attempt to reach a mutually beneficial agreement

Congruent negotiation

Parties share same preferences

Distributive negotiation

Parties have different preferences

Bargaining zone

Area of potential agreement

BATNA

Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement

Power

The capacity of a person, team, or organization to influence others

Influence

Any behavior that attempts to alter someone’s behavior or attitudes

Power comes from perceptions of … on

somebody else

dependance

Dependence revolves around access to …

resources

5 sources of Power

Legitimate, Reward, Coercive, Expert, Referent

Legitimate power

Agreement that people in certain roles can request certain behaviors of others

Reward power

Ability to control the allocation of rewards valued by others and to remove negative sanctions

Coercive power

Ability to apply punishment

Expert power

Possessing knowledge or skills that others value and do not have

Referent power

Occurs when others identify with, like, or respect the person

Hard Influence tactics

Siletn authority, Assertiveness, Information control, coalition formation, upward appeal

Soft Influence tactics

Ingratiation and impression management, persuasion, exchange

Consequences of Influence tactics

Resistance, compliance, commitment

Resistance

People refuse to do what the influencer asks of them

Compliance

People implement what the influencer asks, but minimally, and only for instrumental reasons

Commitment

People identify (agree) with what the influencer asks and are highly motivated to do it

Leadership

Influencing/motivating and enabling others to contribute to the effectiveness of the organization

Motivating

energizing people through communication and influence tactics

Enabling

creating an environment in which people can do their work more easily

Perspectives on leadership

Personal Attributes, Implicit, Tranformational, Managerial, Situational

Personal Attributes

Leaders succeed if they have certain traits

Implicit

Leader success depends on followers’ perceptions

Tranformational

Leaders succeed by acting as “change agents”

Managerial

Leaders succeed by acting as “everyday” managers

Situational

Leaders succeed if they adapt to the situation

Why is Situational Theories the best

They emphasize that different leadership approaches

(styles) are best suited to different situations

Path-goal leadership model

a contingency leadership framework stating that a leader's behavior directly impacts the motivation, satisfaction, and performance of their subordinates

Directive leadership

The leader clarifies performance goals and performance standards. Uses rewards and disciplinary practices.

Supportive leadership

Leader provides psychological support. Shows respect and concern for employee needs and well-being.

Participative leadership

Leader encourages employee involvement. Asks employees for and considers input

Achievement-Oriented leadership

Leader helps employees reach peak performance. Sets challenging goals and shows confidence in employees’ abilities

Organizational Culture

The basic pattern of shared values and assumptions that shape how people within an organization think and act

Shared values

Evaluative beliefs people use to determine which types of behaviors, situations, and outcomes are desirable or undesirable

Individual values

Own beliefs, may differ from another employee’s beliefs (in same organization)

Shared assumptions

Taken-for granted, nonconscious ideas about the “right” way to behave and think

Espoused values

stated values of an organization

Enacted values

values actually exhibited by people in an organization

Artificats in organizations

Observable signs and symbols of an organization’s culture

Model of Organizational culture

a structural framework used to define, analyze, and diagnose the shared values, basic assumptions, artifacts, and behavioral norms that shape how people think, feel, and act within a company

4 categories of artifacts

physical structures, language, rituals/ceremonies, stories/legends,

Organizational subcultures

• Based on department/unit/function, role, generation, etc.

• Values can enhance or oppose dominant culture

• Functions of opposing countercultures:

  • Provide surveillance and critique of dominant view

  • Source of emerging values that keep organization aligned with its environment

Culture strength

How widely/deeply employees “hold” organization’s values and assumptions

Strong cultures

Most employees understand and embrace dominant values and assumptions

Weak cultures

Dominant values and assumptions held only by a few people (at top of organization)

Benefits of Strong Cultures

Social control, social glue, improves sense-making

Mechanisms of Cultural “fit”

Attraction, Selection, Attrition, Socialization

Attraction

Organization tries to make culture known/clear so applicants share similar values

Selection

Organization tries to hire people who seem to share same values

Attrition

Organization expects people whose values clash will leave (quit)

Socialization

Process through which newcomers learn culture

Dangers of selecting for “fit”

Supposed to be about selecting candidates with values that align with organizational culture, BUT can lead to only hiring people who are personally similar to interviewers

Risks of selecting for “fit”

inadvertent discrimination, less diversity, missing out on top performing candidates

Organizational structure

The pattern of roles, relationships, and procedures that enable coordinated action by people in an organization

Division of labor

Divide up labor into distinct, manageable tasks that individuals/teams can do

coordination

Integrate labor across individuals/teams to accomplish common goals

Ways of coordinating work activities

informal communication, standardization, formal hierarchy

Span of control

Number of people who report to next level in hierarchy

Centralization

Formal decision making authority is held by a few people, usually at the top

Decentralization

Decision making authority is dispersed throughout the organization

Formalization

Degree to which behavior is standardized through rules, procedures, training, etc.

Mechanistic structure

• Narrow span of control

• High centralization

• High formalization

Promotes predictable and accountable behavior

Better for organizations operating in stable environments

Organic Structures

• Wide span of control

• Decentralization

• Low formalization

Promotes flexibility and adaptation

Better for organizations operating in stable environments

Departmentalization

• Organizes people (and their work activities) into clear groups (e.g., departments, units)

• Evolves over time as companies grow

Functional structure

Organizing based on specialized knowledge and resources

Divisional structure

Organized based on geography, products/services, or clients

Matrix structure

• Combines functional and divisional approaches

• “Dual reporting relationships”: Division and function managers have equal authority, and employees report to both of them

• Two bosses!

Team-based structure

• Self-directed work teams

  • Organized around work processes and outputs (e.g., building a product, designing an app)

• Highly decentralized (day-to-day decisions made by teams)

• Little formalization (few rules) or supervision

Lewin’s force field analysis model

a change management and decision-making model that evaluates the competing forces acting on an organizational or situational change

driving forces

• Push organizations toward new state of affairs

  • Trigger/engine for change

• Include external and leader-created forces

  • External: New competitors or technologies, other environmental changes

  • Leader-created: Higher standards, better practices

Restraining forces

• Counteract driving forces

• Maintain the status quo

• Represent resistance to change

• Result in stability when are equal to driving forces

6 reasons employees resist change

negative valence of change, fear of the unknown, non-invented-here syndrome, breaking routines, incongruent team dynamics, incongruent organizational systems

6 strategies to reducing employee resistance

communication, learning, employee involvement, stress management, negotiation, coercion

Work-life balance

Preferred allocation of time between…

- Work (career, professional ambitions)

- Life (family, hobbies, exercise, etc.)

Work-life conflict

• Work ambitions and life goals are not necessarily in opposition to one another…

• …BUT many people experience conflict between

work and life demands

Balance-supportive employer benefits

On-site childcare, child-care subsidies, parental and adoption leave, elder care subsidy and/or referral services, family sick days

balance-supportive arrangements

part-time jobs, job sharing, flextime, remote or hyprid options