Chapter 1

Question 1

Absorptive Capacity

Answer 1

The ability to recognize the value of new information, assimilate it, and use it for value-added activities.

Question 2

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Answer 2

Organizational activities intended to benefit society and the environment beyond the firm’s immediate financial interests or legal obligations.

Question 3

Deep-level Diversity

Answer 3

Differences in the psychological characteristics of employees, including personalities, beliefs, values, and attitudes.

Question 4

Ethics

Answer 4

The study of moral principles or values that determine whether actions are right or wrong and outcomes are good or bad.

Question 5

Globalization

Answer 5

Economic, social, and cultural connectivity with people in other parts of the world.

Question 6

High-performance Work Practices (HPWP)

Answer 6

A perspective which holds that effective organizations incorporate several workplace practices that leverage the potential of human capital.

Question 7

Human Capital

Answer 7

The stock of knowledge, skills, and abilities among employees that provides economic value to the organization.

Question 8

Intellectual Capital

Answer 8

A company’s stock of knowledge, including human capital, structural capital, and relationship capital.

Question 9

Open Systems

Answer 9

• Ability to coexist with the external environment
• Think efficiency and adaptability

Question 10

Organizational Behaviour (OB)

Answer 10

The study of what people think, feel, and do in and around organizations.

Question 11

Organizational Effectiveness

Answer 11

A broad concept represented by several perspectives, including the organization’s fit with the external environment, internal-subsystems configuration for high performance, emphasis on organizational learning, and ability to satisfy the needs of key stakeholders.

Question 12

Organizational Efficiency

Answer 12

The amount of outputs relative to inputs in the organization’s transformation process.

Question 13

Organizational Learning

Answer 13

A perspective which holds that organizational effectiveness depends on the organization’s capacity to acquire, share, use, and store valuable knowledge

Question 14

Organizations

Answer 14

Groups of people who work interdependently toward some purpose.

Question 15

Stakeholders

Answer 15

Individuals, organizations, and other entities who affect, or are affected by, the organization’s objectives and actions.

Question 16

Structural Capital

Answer 16

Knowledge embedded in an organization’s systems and structures.

Question 17

Surface-Level Diversity

Answer 17

The observable demographic or physiological differences in people, such as their race, ethnicity, gender, age, and physical capabilities.

Question 18

Values

Answer 18

Relatively stable, evaluative beliefs that guide a person’s preferences for outcomes or courses of action in a variety of situations.

Question 19

Virtual Work

Answer 19

Work performed away from the traditional physical workplace by means of information technology.

Question 20

Work-life Balance

Answer 20

The degree to which a person minimizes conflict between work and nonwork demands

Question 21

Answer 21

Inputs are:

1. Raw materials
2. Human Resources
3. Information
4. Financial resources
5. Equipment

Outputs are:

1. Products/services
2. Employee behaviours
3. Profits/losses
4. Waste/pollution

Question 22

Answer 22

1. Knowledge Sharing
2. Knowledge Use
3. Knowledge Storage
4. Knowledge Acquisition

Question 23

Answer 23

1. Multidisciplinary
2. Systemic research
3. Contingency
4. Multiple levels of analysis

Question 24

Answer 24

1. Human capital
2. Structural capital
3. Relationship capital

Question 25

Three Objectives of studying OB

Answer 25

1. Understand Organization Events (OE)
2. Predict OE
3. Influence OE

Question 26

Contingency Approach

Answer 26

A particular action may have different consequences in different situations

This means there is no single, “one-best” way.
Ex. learning, conflict resolution, communication, motivation, leadership

Question 27

The Four perspectives of Organizational Effectiveness

Answer 27

1. Open Systems
2. Organizational Learning
3. High Performance Work Practices (HPWP)
4. Stakeholder Perspective

Question 28

Effects of Globalization on Organizations

Answer 28

• New organizational structures
• Different forms of communication
• More diverse workforce
• More competition, mergers, work intensification and demands for work flexibility

Question 29

Challenges for Organizations

Answer 29

Globalization

Changing Workforce

Emerging Employment Relationships

Question 30

Emerging Employment Relationships

Answer 30

Work/life Balance - Priority for Canadians looking for new jobs, ie. time for child, etc.

Employability - “New deal” employment relationship

Contingent Work - Part time employment/ minimum hours vary

Labour Market Shortage - Employee recruitments & Retention(low turnover rate)

Question 31

Changing Workforce Trends

Answer 31

Diversity of people, ie, generations, racial, ethnic > different values and customs

Question 32

Multidisciplinary Anchor

Answer 32

The field should develop from knowledge in other disciplines, ie. psych, sociology, econ

Question 33

Systematic Research Anchor

Answer 33

OB Knowledge should be based on systematic research (evidence-based management)

Question 34

Multiple Levels of Analysis Anchor

Answer 34

OB topics should be viewed from the individual, team, and organization levels of analysis

Question 35

Three things the OB theory helps people do

Answer 35

1. Make sense of the workplace
2. Question and rebuild their personal mental models
3. get tings done in organizations