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:
Psychology – Studies individual behavior, emotions, and personality.
Sociology – Examines group behavior and social structures.
Anthropology – Focuses on cultures and human behavior.
Political Science – Studies 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 with 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.
Managerial Roles in OB:
Effective Manager – Focuses on performance, employee satisfaction, and development.
Successful Manager – Focuses on networking and promotions.
Diversity – Differences among individuals in gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, and other characteristics.
Social Identity Theory – 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. Components:
Self-awareness – Recognizing one’s own emotions.
Self-regulation – Controlling emotions.
Motivation – 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, such as:
Cognitive Reappraisal – Reframing how one thinks about a situation.
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 whether behavior is internally or externally caused based on:
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 (personal traits) and underestimate external factors (situational influences) 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.