Organizational Behavior Test 4

Flashcards covering vocabulary and key concepts from Chapter 13 (Power and Politics), Chapter 14 (Organizational Structure and Change), and Chapter 15 (Organizational Culture).

Power

The ability to influence the behavior of others to get what you want, or the ability to get things done the way one wants them to be done.

Conformity

People's tendencies to behave consistently with social norms, often resulting from a desire to fit in or looking to others in ambiguous situations.

Milgram Studies outcome

A study where all participants were willing to go up to $300\,\text{volts}$, and ${65}\%$ were willing to administer the maximum of $450\,\text{volts}$ when instructed by a researcher.

Asch Studies result

A finding where participants went along with an obviously wrong group answer ${37}\%$ of the time, illustrating the power of social pressure.

Dependency

Power that a person or unit gains from their ability to handle actual or potential problems facing the organization, dictated by scarcity, importance, and substitutability.

Scarcity

The uniqueness of a resource; the more difficult something is to obtain, the more valuable and powerful it makes the possessor.

Substitutability

One's ability to find another option that works as well as the one offered; limited options increase a person's dependency on the provider.

Legitimate power

Power that comes from one's organizational role or position, leading others to comply because they accept the legitimacy of the office.

Reward power

The ability to grant a reward, such as an increase in pay, a perk, or an attractive job assignment.

Coercive power

The ability to take something away or punish someone for noncompliance, often working through fear.

Expert power

Power that comes from a person's specialized knowledge and skill.

Information power

Power distinguished by access to specific information, such as price data or internal communications.

Referent power

Power stemming from personal characteristics like charisma, which causes others to like, respect, and want to be like the individual.

Rational persuasion

The most commonly applied influence tactic, which includes using facts, data, and logical arguments.

Inspirational appeals

Influence tactics that seek to tap into values, emotions, and beliefs to gain support; they result in commitment ${90}\%$ of the time.

Consultation

An influence tactic where the agent asks others for help in directly influencing or planning to influence another person or group.

Ingratiation

Different forms of making others feel good about themselves, such as flattery, used before or during an influence attempt.

Coalition tactics

Groups of individuals working together toward a common goal to influence others, often utilizing peer pressure.

Impression management

Actively shaping the way you are perceived by others through nonverbal cues, verbal communication, and behavior.

Organizational politics

Informal, unofficial, and sometimes behind-the-scenes efforts to sell ideas, increase power, or achieve other targeted objectives.

Political skill

An interpersonal style including the ability to relate well to others, self-monitor, and inspire confidence and trust.

Social networks

Visual maps of relationships between individuals that deliver private information and access to diverse skill sets.

Central connectors

People in a social network who are linked to the greatest number of people.

Boundary spanners

People who connect one network to another within a company or across different organizations.

Peripheral specialists

People in a network who have special expertise but often work independently of the group.

Centralization

The degree to which decision-making authority is concentrated at higher levels in an organization.

Formalization

The extent to which policies, procedures, job descriptions, and rules are written and explicitly articulated.

Span of control

The number of employees reporting to a single manager.

Functional structures

Organizational designs that group jobs based on similarity in functions, such as marketing, manufacturing, and finance.

Divisional structures

Organizational designs where departments represent unique products, services, customers, or geographic locations.

Mechanistic structures

Structures similar to bureaucracies that are highly formalized, centralized, and emphasize efficiency.

Organic structures

Flexible, decentralized structures with low levels of formalization that are conducive to innovativeness.

Matrix organizations

A structure that crosses a traditional functional structure with a product structure, requiring employees to report to multiple managers.

Boundaryless organization

A term coined by Jack Welch referring to organizations that eliminate traditional barriers between departments and the external environment.

Learning organization

An organization where acquiring knowledge and changing behavior as a result of newly gained knowledge are part of the design.

Organizational change

The movement of an organization from one state of affairs to another, encompassing changes in structure, strategy, or culture.

Active resistance

The most negative reaction to change, where individuals may sabotage the effort and be outspoken objectors.

Passive resistance

A reaction to change where individuals quietly dislike the change and feel stressed without voicing their opinions.

Unfreezing

The first stage of Lewin's three-stage model, ensuring that organizational members are ready for and receptive to change.

Refreezing

The final stage of Lewin's model, ensuring that the change becomes permanent and new habits become the norm.

Organizational culture

A system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs that show employees what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior.

Assumptions

The deepest level of organizational culture; taken-for-granted beliefs about human nature and reality.

Artifacts

Visible, tangible aspects of organizational culture, such as physical layout, dress code, and company policies.

Outcome-oriented cultures

Cultures that emphasize achievement, results, and action as important values, often utilizing performance-based rewards.

Stable cultures

Cultures that are predictable, rule-oriented, and bureaucratic, aiming for efficiency in certain environments.

ASA framework

A process (Attraction-Selection-Attrition) through which organizational culture is maintained by attracting and retaining employees who fit the values.

Onboarding

The organizational socialization process through which new employees learn the required attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors.

Subculture

A culture that emerges within different departments, branches, or geographic locations within a larger organization.

Counterculture

Shared values and beliefs that are in direct opposition to the values of the broader organizational culture.

Rituals

Repetitive activities within an organization that have symbolic meaning and root in corporate history.