Ch. 1 Organizational Behavior: The Quest for People-Centrered Organizations and Ethical Conduct Flashcards
Organization
System of consciously coordinated activities of two or more people. Organizations are a social invention helping us to achieve things collectively that we could not achieve alone. For better or for worse, they extend our reach.
Organizational behavior
Interdisciplinary field dedicated to better understanding and managing people at work. Its both research and application oriented. 3 basic levels of analysis in OB are: individual, group, and organizational.
Theory X
One of McGregor’s theories; pessimistic and negative. Typical of how managers traditionally perceived employees.
Theory Y
McGregor’s modern and positive assumptions about employees being responsible and creative.
Total quality management (TQM)
An organizational culture dedicated to training, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction.
Principles of TQM (4)
(1) Do it right the first time to eliminate costly rework and product recalls.
(2) Listen to and learn from customers and employees.
(3) Make continuous improvement an everyday matter.
(4) Build teamwork, trust, and mutual respect
The Deming Legacy
- Formal training in statistical process control techniques and teamwork.
- Helpful leadership, rather than order giving and punishment.
- Elimination of fear so employees will feel free to ask questions.
- Emphasis on continuous process improvements rather than on numerical quotas.
- Teamwork.
- Elimination of barriers to good workmanship.
- 85-15 rule.
E-business
Running the entire business via the Internet and managing virtual teams.
Human capital
The productive POTENTIAL of one’s knowledge and actions.
Social capital
The productive POTENTIAL of strong, trusting, and cooperative relationships.
Management
Process of working with and through others to achieve organizational objectives, efficiently and ethically, amid constant change.
Contingency approach
Using management tools and techniques in a SITUATIONALLY APPROPRIATE manner; avoiding the one-best-way mentality or “One size fits all”.
Ethics
Study of moral issues and choices.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
Corporations are expected to go above and beyond following the law and making a profit.
Carroll’s Global Corporate Social Responsibility Pyramid
- Economic Responsibility (Be profitable)
- Legal Responsibility (Obey the law)
- Ethical Responsibility (Be ethical)
- Philanthropic Responsibility (Be a good global corporate citizen)
Kent Hodgson; The magnificent seven: General moral principles for managers
- Dignity of human life
- Autonomy
- Honesty
- Loyalty
- Fairness
- Humaneness
- The common good
Improving on-the-job ethics
- Behave ethically yourself
- Screen potential employees
- Develop a meaningful code of ethics (distributed, supported, specific, enforced)
- Provide ethics training
- Reinforce ethical behavior
- Create positions, units, and other structural mechanisms to deal with ethics.
- Create a climate in which whistle-blowing becomes unnecessary.
5 sources of OB research insights
- Meta-analyses
- Field studies
- Laboratory studies
- Sample surveys
- Case studies
Whistle-blowing
Reporting unethical/illegal acts to outside third parties.
Morally attentive
Faithfully considering the ethical implications of one’s actions.
Meta-analysis
Pools the results of many studies through statistical procedure. Vast number of subjects. Focus on general patterns of research evidence, not fragmented bits and pieces or isolated studies.
Field study
Examination of variable in real-life settings. Probes individual or group processes. Results often have immediate and practical relevance for managers.
Laboratory study
Manipulation and measurement of variables in contrived situations. Highly controlled. Enhances research precision.
Sample survey
Questionnaire responses from a sample of people.
Case study
In-depth study of a single person, group, or organization. Limited scope. Yields realistic but not very generalizable results.
