Lecture 3: Chapter 3: Perceiving Ourselves and Others in Organizations Flashcards
What is the self-concept?
An individual’s self-beliefs and self-evaluations
What 3 characteristics belong with the self-concept? What happens when all three are present?
- Complexity: number of separate roles that a person sees in himself
- Consistency: degree to which personality/values differ per role
- Clarity: degree to which a person has clearly defined his self-concept
If all three present, better psychological well-being
What is a positive and a negative aspect of high self-concept complexity?
+: helps to adapt
-: too much variation causes internal tension and conflict
What is a benefit of having a low self-concept complexity?
Less stressful and less resources necessary –> Better work performance, lower absenteeism and turnover
Which of the 3 characteristics of self-concept is most important for leadership? What is a benefit and a negative thing about this?
Clarity:
+: feel less threatened by interpersonal conflict so they’re better at solving conflicts
-: role inflexibility –> poor adaptation
What are the 4 processes that shape self-concept and motivate a person’s decisions and behavior?
- Self-enhancement
- Self-verification
- Self-evaluation
- Social self/social identity
What is self-enhancement?
A person’s inherent motivation to have a positive self-concept and to have others perceive him favorably
E.g. being competent, pretty, ethical, important
What is self-verification? Why would a person do that?
A person’s inherent motivation to confirm and maintain his or her existing self-concept
Why: reassurance of stabilized self-view which influences actions/thoughts
What is the advantage and disadvantage of high self-enhancement?
+: Better mental/physical health
-: overestimate future outcomes and make wrong decisions
What is the difference between self-enhancement and self-verification?
Both attempt to improve the self-concept, but with self-verification the feedback you receive can also be negative
How does self-verification affect organizational behavior? Name 3 ways
- Perceptually: employees remember info consistent with self-concept
- Individuals with higher clarity often dismiss feedback that contradicts their self-concept
- Teamwork: employees more motivated to interact with others who agree with their self-views, which leads to better relationships
What are the 3 factors of self-evaluation?
- Self-esteem
- Self-efficacy
- Locus of control
What is self-esteem and how is it related to self-evaluation? What is global self-esteem?
Extent to which people are satisfied with themselves
The higher the self-esteem, the more positive the self-evaluation
Global self-esteem = overall evaluation of oneself from all the different roles/contexts
What is self-efficacy? What is general self-efficacy?
Individual’s beliefs about completing a task successfully
General self-efficacy = people believe they can be successful across different situations
What is a locus of control and what is the difference between internal and external?
General beliefs about how much control they have over personal life events
Internal: personal events are caused by personal characteristics
External: personal events are caused by external environmental characteristics (fate, luck)
When can you best observe the locus of control?
In new situations where individual’s ability to control the situation is tested
What is a characteristic of a person with an internal locus of control?
More positive self-evaluation
At what three levels does an individual’s self-concept exist?
Individual - relational - collective
What two opposing human motives influence how people view themselves? Which type of self-concept and identity belongs with each?
- Motivation to be distinctive from others
- Personal identity and internal self-concept - Motivation for inclusion and assimilation with others
- Social identity and external self-concept
What is the social identity theory?
People define themselves by the groups to which they belong to or have an emotional attachment with
Social identity is a combination of different factors arranged in a hierarchy of importance.
How is the importance of factors in the social identity theory determined?
- One’s minority status in a group
- Group’s status in society because associations with the group bring on self-enhancement
What characteristics concerning selfconcept does an individual have to be more likely to be a team-player and be more susceptible to peer pressure?
They have a selfconcept defined on social identities
What characteristics concerning self-concept does an individual have to be more likely to speak against majorities and are not big team players?
They have a selfconcept defined on personal identity
What are contrasting groups of:
1. Shell company employees
2. American citizens
3. Harvard graduates
- Employees at other companies
- Citizens from other countries
- Graduates from other schools