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Organisational behaviour Flashcards

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1
Q

Organisation

A

a social arrangement for achieving controlled performance to achieve collective goals

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2
Q

Organisational behaviour

A

the study of behaviour in organisational settings the interface between human behaviour and the organisation

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3
Q

Individual characteristics e.gs

A

personality, values

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4
Q

individual processes e.g

A

learning, perception, motivation

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5
Q

Interpersonal processes e.g.s

A

trust, justice, power/politics

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6
Q

Theory for explaining behaviour with reference

A

Behaviour is a function of the person and the environment (Lewin,1931)

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7
Q

Intelligence theory with reference

A

General intelligence (g) (Spearman,1904)
People tend to get similar scores on each area of intelligence i.e. each area of intelligence is highly correlated

Idea of underlying ‘g’ has empirical support

Job complexity increases the positive relationship between GMA and job performance

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8
Q

GMA and job performance

w ref

A

Meta-analytic support (Hunter and Hunter,1984)
Person with high GMA learns more and quicker

GMA is often used in selection processes

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9
Q

Critical evaluation of ‘g’

A

Link between intelligence and success is robust

Specific cognitive abilities predict job performance better when they match the demands of the role

The test results in a ‘maximum performance paradigm’ i.e. the best you can perform in a test might not reflect everyday performance

Potential bias against minority HOWEVER, intelligence tests predict job performance across ethnic groups, use of culture free tests and other factors predict differences e.g. marital status

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10
Q

Alternative theories to intelligence only affecting job performance

A

Emotional intelligence as ability (Mayer et al., 2000)

Extends traditional models of intelligence and addresses individuals’ ability to
perceive, process and manage emotions and emotional information
effectively

Performance-based measure (MEIS)

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11
Q

Critical evaluation of E.I

A

Important for jobs with emotional demands
More difficult to measure (compared to GMA):
* Measurement issues for ability EI, e.g. scoring
* Potential for faking/impression management in
EI self-reports → Problematic for selection!
* Some evidence of EI predicting job performance

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11
Q
A
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12
Q

Personality w reference

A

Characteristics of the person that account for
consistent patterns of experience and action
(Pervinet al, 2004)

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13
Q

Trait theories w reference

A

The big 5 (Costa & McCrae, 1987)
Openness to Experience: like working with ideas and possibilities, ready to re-examine attitudes and values
Conscientiousness: organised , thorough and a desire to do things well
Extraversion: quantity and intensity of energy directed
outwards into the social world, outgoing, assertive
Agreeableness: being helpful to others, mindful of others’ feelings, preferring cooperation to competition, kind, sympathetic
Neuroticism: prone to worry and self-doubt, highly affected by their emotions in stressful situations

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14
Q

way to remember big 5 model

A

O
C
E
A
N

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15
Q

Critical evaluation of personality tests

A

consistency
Strength of relationship between a predictor and criterion

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16
Q

Big 5 predicting performance

w ref

A

Metanalytic evidence (Wilmot and Ones,2021)
Openness- positive impact on training performance
Conscientious- across a range of jobs
Extraversion- positive relationship in some jobs i.e. sales
Agreeableness- positively related to teamwork
Neuroticism (low)- army/ law enforcemnt

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17
Q

Importance of motivation (reference)

A

Given your ability to perform and an environment which allows you to perform motivation determines whether you will do it (Muchinsky,2006)

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18
Q

What motivates you (ref)

A

Intrinsic doing an activity for it’s inherent satisfaction

Extrinsic when an activity is done to attain a separable outcome
(Ryan & Deci,2000)

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19
Q

Needs theories for motivation w ref

A

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs (Maslow,1943)
Self actualisation
Esteem
Social
Safety
Physiological

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20
Q

Critical evaluation of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

A

Very little empirical evidence

can people move down hierarchy

unclear how one need activates another

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21
Q

Process theories of motivation

A

Goal-setting theory (Locke & Latham,1990)

Goals provide direction, release energy and enhance persistency

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22
Q

critical evaluation of goal setting theory

A

Strong empirical support
But
Goals may conflict i.e. quantity or quality
Task performance only

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23
Q

Example of Goal setting theory

A

Lboro performance development review

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24
Influences on attitude formation at work
Personality Values (extrinsic/intrinsic) Social influence Work situation
25
Job design (ref)
the process of assigning tasks to a job including the interdependency of those tasks with other jobs (Bratton,2010)
26
Scientific management | w reference
(Taylor,1910) Systematic approach of determining the best way to do a job through standardization
27
Critical evaluation of Taylorism
low job satisfaction lead to poor mental health/turnover and absenteeism
28
Job characteristics model
(Hackman & Oldham,1980) Job Characteristics Psychological states Skill variety Task identity meaningfulness at work Task significance Autonomy Experience and responsibility Feedback Knowledge of results at work
29
Skill variety
Degree to which the work involves different activities
30
Task identity
The degree to which the job requires completion of a identifiable piece of work
31
Task significance
Degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people
32
Autonomy
Freedom for people to take and implement decisions i.e. scheduling of work, use of tools and procedures to carry it out and independent decision making.
33
Feedback
The extent to which the job itself provides info on how well one is performing.
34
Critical evaluation of the job characteristics model
Lack of social context
35
Theory of purposeful work behaviour (ref)
(Barrick et al.,2013) Individual differences in motivational strivings are linked to peoples preferences for goals and job characteristics
36
Attitudes
a predisposition to feel think and act towards some object person or event in a favourable way
37
Measuring attitudes
* Almost always self-report * Likert scale- from agreement to disagreement * Range of items * Potential problem socially desirable responding
38
Components of job satisfaction
* Pay/ benefits * Co-worker supervision * The work itself
39
Possible reasons for the relationship between job satisfaction
Job satisfaction causes job performance i.e. people tend to work harder when happy Job performance causes job satisfaction JS and JP are correlated due to another variable i.e. personality unconsciousness big 5 influence both
40
Factors influencing job satisfaction
Procedural/distributive justice personality differences Job characteristics Leadership behaviour
41
Big 5 correlation with job satisfaction w ref
-.29 for Neuroticism, .25 for Extraversion, . and .26 for Conscientiousness.
42
Why do those with high neuroticism have lower job satisfaction w ref
(Emmons et al1985) in part, because they select themselves into situations that foster negative affect
43
Most important predictor for job satisfaction+ what it is w ref
(McFarlin & Sweeney, 1992,) Distributive justice fairness of allocation of rewards
44
Satisfying work theory w ref
(Hackman & Oldham, 1976) Task identity Skill variety task significance Feedback Autonomy
45
3 Forms of commitment w ref
(Allen & Meyer, 1990) Affective-emotional attachment Continuance- cost and risk of leaving Normative- moral dimension (loyalty)
46
Organisational Commitment w ref
(Mowday et al., 1979) The relative strength of an employee’s identification with and involvement in an organisation
47
Empirical findings of organisational commitment
High affective OC linked to high performance High continuance OC sometimes linked to poor performance
48
Job Satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job performance Meta-analytic evidence:
JP (Judge et al., 2001)
49
Critical evaluation of the Job attitude – Work behaviours relationship
Moderate (to strong) relations Social pressure not to reveal attitudes Lack of opportunity and/ ability
50
Theory of planned behaviour w ref
(Ajzen & Madden, 1986) Attitude Subjective norm perceived behaviour control i.e. having to be home at a certain time Leads to intention which can lead to behaviour (PBC can lead to behaviour directly)
51
Example of attempts to alter behaviour
NHS ads for COVID aimed at changing social norm about covid
52
Behaviour modification theory w ref
Operant conditioning (Skinner,1938) Learned and reinforced response Positive adds something Negative takes something away Reinforcement increases behaviour while punishment decreases it
53
Business use of operant and conditioning w ref
to improve productivity absenteeism reduce theft etc (Martin& Pear,2019) Financial rewards private desk Recognition
54
Organisation behaviour modification w ref
(Luthans & Kreitner,1985) 5 stages Identify critical behaviours i.e. unsafe Measure them Analyse behaviour Develop intervention strategy Evaluate intervention strategy
55
Evaluation of behaviour modification theory w ref
May lead to a decrease in other behaviours that you want as workers concentrate their efforts on behaviours that get rewarded Expensive undermines intrinsic motivation (Shaw & Gupta,2015)
56
Social learning theory w ref and experiment
(Bandura, 1971) People are not passive objects observational learning and self efficacy both important for learning Bobo doll experiment adult attacks doll child copies
57
Self-efficacy
belief in own ability to master certain tasks and reach specific goals – central for personal agency
58
Processes in observational learning w ref
(Bandura, 1971) Attention- observing models behaviour Retention- memorising behaviour Production- rehearsing behaviour Motivation- reinforcement of behaviour
59
Self-efficacy is influenced by:
Self-assessment of past performance * Verbal persuasion from other people * Observational learning
60
What does self-efficacy influence
Goals and activities a person chooses to engage * How hard and long a person strives to achieve a goal * Appraisal & emotions of person during tasks, (challenge vs hindrance; hope vs. anxiety)
61
Manager’s role in employee learning
Develop employee’s self-efficacy Provide models/examples of desired behaviour Allow opportunity for people to reflect Appreciate individual differences
62
Evaluation of Bandura’s work
Strong empirical support for importance of self-efficacy Bandura’s many concepts have not been brought together as one coherent theory * Can be difficult to measure learning - not all social learning can be easily observed
63
Theory of planned behaviour
(Ajzen & Madden, 1986) Attitude Subjective norm Perceived behavioural control(belief of a persona that they can perform required behaviour) All lead to intention which leads to behaviour PBC can lead to behaviour directly
64
Evaluation of T Planned Behaviour w ref
(Conner & Armitage, 2001) Meta-analytic results found a) Intentions predict behaviour to a moderate degree b) TBP variables predict intentions moderately well Assumes humans are rational Subjective norm weak predictor
65
Process of perception w ref
Buchanan et al. (2017) Bottom up: brings the sensory input from the environment to the brain for interpretation Top down: brain uses knowledge, beliefs and expectations to help us interpret the sensory information
66
Process of perception - application
Successful interpersonal relationships depend on some overlap between our perceptual world
67
Process of perception – critical evaluation w ref
Dynamic interplay between bottom-up and top-down processes(Shelton et al, 2017)
68
Fundamental Attribution Error
We are too inclined to see the person as the cause of their own behaviour. We neglect the influence of other persons involved (observers) and the general situation – especially when bad things happen
69
Actor observer effect
Attributing other people's behaviour to their character and one's own behaviour to the situation
70
Application of attribution theory w ref
Performance appraisal Discrimination Leadership attributions account for significant proportions of the variance in leadership behaviors (Martinko et al., 2007)
71
Attribution theory w ref
Heider (1957) – people make causal attributions about events that happen around them – These can be: Personal- how skilled someone is Situational- how difficult the task is
72
Attribution theory critical evaluation
Attributional dimensions: Controllability: smallest amount of research attention High predictive power, e.g.: ▪ attributions account for significant proportions of the variance in leadership behaviors (Martinko et al., 2007)
73
Halo effect
perception of a person on one quality influences positively the perception of them on another quality
74
Horns effect
general judgements about a person are made from the perception of a negative characteristic
75
Stereotyping w ref
simplifying the process of perception, making judgements of other people instead of dealing with a range of complex stimuli (Mullins, 2016)
76
Stereotype e.g w ref
Happy people viewed as more competent (Todorov et al,2005)
77
Perceptual Defence
The tendency to screen out information that we find perceptually threatening or difficult to process. i.e smoking
78
Projection
attribution of your own thoughts, feelings, values, attitudes on to others.
79
Unconscious bias
Is about unconscious social preferences and is closely related to all other perceptual errors
80
Group w ref
Schein’s (1980) A group is a number of people who interact with each other; are psychologically aware of each other; perceive themselves to be a group.
81
Team w ref
Brill’s (1976) A team is a group of people, each of whom possesses particular expertise; each of whom is responsible for making individual decisions; who together hold a common purpose
82
Stages of team development w ref
(Tuckman 1965) Stage 1: Forming- individualistic comms from leader to members Stage 2: Storming- comms often aggressive, stress over roles dissipating energy Stage 3: Norming- Informal experts emerge Communication to each other as well as to leader Stage 4: Performing- Team is pro-active Team share leadership
83
Critical evaluation of Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development Theory | REF
Lack of quantitative research / The model was based on a literature review and observation of a limited number of small group settings Recent theories recognize the complexity of group dynamics in today's world and are not easily represented in a simple model (Humphrey et al,2014)
84
team role def w ref
A tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.“ (Belbin, 1981)
85
Shaper contribution and weaknesses
Action oriented role. thrives on pressure. The drive and courage to overcome obstacles. Prone to provocation
86
coordinator contribution and weaknesses
People oriented Mature, confident, a good chairman(delegates well). Can often be seen as manipulative
87
Plant contribution and weaknesses
Cerebal oriented imaginative, unorthodox. Solves difficult problems. Too pre-occupied to communicate effectively.
88
Application of Belbin's theory
Only as a tool for awareness of own strengths and abilities understanding own role within a team helps to deal better with the demands of the team environment
89
Team Problems – Belbin Solutions
Conflict- team worker Underachievement- Shaper Mistakes prone- Monitor evaluator -
90
According to Belbin, each member performs two roles:
A functional role (professional knowledge) A team role (pattern of team interaction)
91
Critical evaluation of Belbin’s team roles
Reductionist – we are more than team roles The interaction between situation and team task requirements needs to be better understood: Which roles required for which task in which situation?
92
Pros of Decision Making in Teams
More information from different sources Mutually acceptable solution
93
Cons of Decision Making in Teams W REF
Pressures to conform experiment (Asch, 1951) Lines of responsibility can become unclear
94
Groupthink Definition w ref
is the psychological drive for consensus at any cost that suppresses dissent and appraisal of alternatives in cohesive decision-making groups.” (Janis, 1982)
95
Suggestions for Minimising Groupthink | REFERENCE
Impartial leader Critical evaluators Devil’s advocate (Janis,1972)
96
Definition of group polarisation w ref
Groups tend to make more extreme decisions than we might expect, given the initial preferences of group members (Bettenhausen, 1991)
97
Why does group polarisation occur?
social comparison (we like to present ourselves in a socially desirable way) persuasive argumentation (information consistent with the views held by the majority will dominate the group discussion)
98
“Clearer lens” vs “Narrower scope” perspective personality theory w ref
“Narrower scope” perspective: Expressions of personality differ across contexts (work & private life) but are consistent within a context “Clearer lens” perspective: acquaintance-rated conscientiousness better predictor of job performance and CWB than self–ratings (Connelly & Hülsheger 2012)
99
Primary Mental Abilities (PMAs) w ref
Thurstone’s (1938) Intelligence – a set of PMAs all rather independent of one another Produces intelligence profiles rather than a single IQ score
100

Organisational behaviour (1 decks)

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