Organizational Behavior Study Guide: Values, Attitudes, Job Satisfaction & Behavior

Vocabulary flashcards covering core definitions, frameworks, models, and real-world examples from organizational behavior lecture notes.

Values

Abstract ideals or deeply held global beliefs that guide and influence the choices individuals make.

Personal Values

Broad, enduring principles that can influence behavior across various situations.

Attitudes

Beliefs that are specific to particular people, objects, or situations.

Theory of Planned Behavior

A theoretical framework in which intentions serve as the key link connecting attitudes to planned behavior.

Intention

A person's planned course of action, identified by Ajzen as a strong predictor of behavior.

Attitude Toward the Behavior

An individual's evaluation of whether performing a specific behavior is positive or negative.

Subjective Norm

The perceived social pressure felt by an individual for or against performing a behavior.

Perceived Behavioral Control

An individual's belief regarding how easy or difficult it will be to perform a given behavior.

Workplace Attitudes

Key job-related attitudes—including job satisfaction, employee engagement, organizational commitment, and perceived organizational support—resulting from individual, group, and organizational processes.

Individual Processes

Processes at the individual level that influence workplace attitudes, including personality, values, emotions, and perceptions.

Group Processes

Processes at the team level that influence workplace attitudes, including team dynamics, leadership, and communication.

Organizational Processes

Processes at the system level that influence workplace attitudes, including culture, structure, policies, and practices.

Job Satisfaction

The extent to which an individual likes their job, representing an affective or emotional response toward various facets of the work.

Employee Engagement

An employee's energy, involvement, enthusiasm, and willingness to give their all, characterized in part by a sense of urgency to complete work.

Organizational Commitment

The degree to which an employee identifies with an organization and commits to achieving its goals.

Perceived Organizational Support (POS)

An employee's belief that their organization values their contributions and cares about their personal well-being.

Psychological Contract

An individual's perception of the terms and conditions of a reciprocal exchange, especially unwritten expectations between employee and employer.

Cisco Example

An organizational practice example where commitment is increased using flextime, a company manifesto outlining expectations, and support for employee volunteer work.

Hilton Example

An organizational practice example where commitment is increased by having executives work directly alongside frontline employees.

Need Fulfillment Model

A model of job satisfaction proposing that satisfaction is driven by understanding and meeting employee needs.

Met Expectations Model

A model of job satisfaction stating that satisfaction results from meeting employees' expectations about what they will receive from their jobs.

Value Attainment Model

A model proposing that job satisfaction is fostered by structuring the job and its rewards to match employee values.

Equity Model

A model of job satisfaction that emphasizes monitoring and maintaining employees' perceptions of fairness.

Disposition Model

A model suggesting that job satisfaction is influenced by personal traits, advocating for hiring employees with an appropriate disposition.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)

Voluntary, prosocial, extra-role behaviors that exceed minimum formal job requirements to help the organization.

Counterproductive Work Behavior (CWB)

Intentional behaviors that harm the organization or its members, damaging productivity, trust, safety, or morale.