Chapter 2 - Individual and Cultural Differences Flashcards

Question

what are the three parts of the basic incongruity thesis?

Answer 1

what individuals want from organizations, what organizations want from individuals, and how these two potentially conflicting sets of desires are harmonized

Answer 2

1. employees allowed minimal control over their work 2. expected to be passive 3. allowed short-term horizon in their work 4. placed on repetitive jobs that require minimal skills 5. on basis of first four, people expected to produce under conditions leading to psychological failure

Answer 3

organizations that have very formalized structures and segmented positions may not allow us the room to learn and grow and have control when there is conflict between what an organization and employee want, employees face difficult decisions --> leave organization or work hard to become manager --> stay and adapt through defense mechanisms (strikes, union activities, dissociation, focus on materialistic reward, etc.)

Answer 4

a means to help match employees to the position assumption is that individuals have different personalities and traits and that these affect their behaviour and performance also that jobs have different requirements

Answer 5

two cases in which discrimination might apply to selection practices disparate treatment = involves intentional discrimination against an individual disparate impact = involves adverse effect of selection practices on minorities regardless of whether these practices were intended to have an adverse impact or note (care must be taken to demonstrate the characteristics measured actually predict job performance)

Answer 6

a judgement by an individual that certain things are good or bad, important or unimportant...

Answer 7

values people have tend to be stable over time because of the manner in which they are acquired --> learn a value and taught it is always good or bad as we grow, we are increasingly confronted with new and often conflicting situations which may change or develop our values

Answer 8

1. personal values - standards for behaviour, decision making, conflict resolution - influence on employee motivation (work ethic!) 2. standards of behaviour - values place limits on our behaviour to make decisions concerning right and wrong (ethical behaviour) - ethical behaviour influenced by societal norms, gray zones make harder - people must determine their own standards of behaviour in gray zones

Answer 9

tests designed to measure an individual's level of integrity or honesty based on the notion that honest or dishonest behaviour and decisions stem from a person's underlying values

Answer 10

- collective mental programming of people - members within a culture tend to exhibit similar behavioral patterns that reflect the way we grew up - knowledge of culture's patterns can help us interact with its members

Answer 11

1. how people view humanity 2. how people see nature 3. how people approach interpersonal relationships 4. how people view activity and achievement 5. how people view time 6. how people view space (physical space, live together or separate, should people be physically separated from others)

Answer 12

1. power distance index 2. individualism 3. masculinity vs femininity 4. uncertainty avoidance index 5. long vs short term orientation 6. indulgence vs restraint

Answer 13

Hofstede = more specific measures of power, individualism vs collectivism, etc. Kluckhohn = how people see things (perspective), motivations...

Answer 14

Hofstede = more specific measures of power, individualism vs collectivism, etc. Kluckhohn = how people see things (perspective), motivations..

Answer 15

cultural factors influence our actions and how we behave at work - by influencing our values, which affect attitudes and behaviors persons from different cultures usually have different behavioural patterns, so managers should know these patterns

Answer 16

model that depicts the four variables that directly influence an individual's voluntary behaviour and performance Motivation Ability Role perceptions Situational Factors

Answer 17

if any of the variables is low in a given situation, the employee is less likely to engage in the behaviour or will perform the behaviour poorly

Answer 18

direction = path along which people steer their effort, motivation is goal-directed intensity = the amount of effort allocated to the goal persistence = the length of time that the individual continues to exert effort towards objective car = direction is where you steer, intensity is how much you put your foot down on the pedal, persistence is how long you drive towards your destination

Answer 19

learned capabilities and aptitudes

Answer 20

- select employees who already demonstrate required abilities - train employees who lack specific knowledge or skills needed or the job - redesign job so that employees are given tasks only within their current abilities

Answer 21

perceptions range from role clarity to ambiguity it is important because it represents how well employees know where to direct their effort employees with role clarity perform work more accurately and efficiently whereas those with role ambiguity waste time and NRG performing wrong tasks or the right tasks the wrong way people more confident exerting the required effort when they know what is expected of them

Answer 22

1. work context constraints or facilitates behaviour and performance 2. the work environment provides cues to guide and motivate people