Individual Behavior, Personality & Values Flashcards
What are the four factors that directly influence
individual behaviour and performance.
Motivation, Ability, Role Perceptions, Situational Factors
What is the definition of motivation?
Motivation represents the forces within a person that affect his or her
direction, intensity and persistence of voluntary behavior.
What is direction?
Direction refers to the path along which people steer their effort (and can also be referred to as goal direction).
What aspect of the MARS model is direction a sub-component of?
Motivation
What is the definition of intensity?
Intensity is the amount of effort allocated to the
goal. Intensity is all about how much people push themselves to complete a
task.
What aspect of the MARS model is intensity a sub-component of?
Motivation.
What is the definition of persistence?
Persistence is the measure of how much time an employee spends on a goal - and whether they reach the goal or give up beforehand.
What aspect of the MARS model is persistence a sub-component of?
Motivation.
What is the definition of Ability?
Ability includes both the natural aptitudes and the learned capabilities required to complete a task successfully.
What aspect of the MARS model is natural aptitudes as sub component of?
Ability.
What is the definition of natural aptitudes?
Aptitudes are the natural talents that
help employees learn specific tasks more quickly and perform them better.
What is the definition of learned abilities?
Learned capabilities are the skills and knowledge that you currently possess. These capabilities include the physical and mental skills and knowledge you have acquired.
What aspect of the MARS model is learned abilities a sub component of?
Ability.
Aptitudes and learned capabilities are part of what part of the MARS model?
Ability
Abilities can also be referred to as what?
Competencies
Why is it good to match peoples competencies with the job requirements?
Because a good match tends to increase employee performance and wellbeing.
What are the four job matching strategies?
- Select candidates who already have the required competencies for the job.
- Train employees who lack specific aptitudes or capabilities for the job.
- Redesign the job to match the persons current abilities.
- Allow employees to modify their job to match their work style.
What is the definition of role perceptions?
Role perceptions refer to how clearly people
understand the job duties (roles) assigned to or expected of them.
What are the three forms of role perceptions (also called job clarity) that someone would need to know to be able to do a job right.
- What the specific duties are.
- The priority of their duties.
- The preferred behaviors/conduct required to complete their duties.
What are the advantages of role clarity?
Employees with role clarity perform work more accurately and efficiently, allows employees to coordinate better & motivates employees by contextualizing their efforts.
What is the definition of situational factors?
Refers to conditions beyond the employee’s immediate control that constrain or facilitate behavior and performance.
Why are the four factors in the MARS model important?
Because they effect all voluntary behaviors and performance in the workplace.
What are the different kinds of workplace behaviors and performance mentioned in the MARS model?
- Task Performance
- Org citizenship
- Counterproductive work behaviors
- Joining/staying with the organization
- Maintaining attendance
What is the definition of task performance?
Task performance refers to goal-directed behaviours under the individual’s control that support organizational objectives.
What are the three kinds of task performance?
- Proficient task performance.
- Adaptive task performance.
- Proactive task performance.
Define proficient task performance.
Proficient task performance refers to performing work efficiently and accurately. It involves accomplishing assigned work at or above the expected standards of quality, quantity and other indicators of effectiveness.
Define adaptive task performance.
Adaptive task performance refers to how well employees modify their thoughts and behaviour to align with and support a new or changing environment. Essentially, adaptive task performance is about how well employees respond to change in the workplace and in their job duties.
Define proactive task performance.
Proactive task performance refers to how well employees take the initiative to anticipate and introduce new work patterns that benefit the organisation. Proactive behaviours bring about change in oneself, co-workers and the workplace to contribute to what is perceived to be a better future for the organisation.
In what context is adaptive and proactive task performance relevant?
Adaptive and proactive task performance are also important when the nature of the work is ambiguous.
Define organizational citizenship.
Organizational citizenship includes various forms of cooperation and helpfulness to others that support the
organization’s social and psychological context.
Are organizational citizenship behaviors required?
Yes and no. Some organizations do, and some don’t as part of the job description.
What are the positive effects of engaging in org citizenship behaviors?
Hint: for individuals and teams.
- Higher individual performance.
2. Higher team performance.
What are the negative effects of engaging in org citizenship behaviors?
- Higher rates of work/family conflict.
2. Lower effort expended on core role tasks.
Define counterproductive work behaviors.
CWBs are voluntary behaviours that have the potential
to directly or indirectly harm the organisation.
What are the advantages of retaining employees (from an org effectiveness perspective)?
Much of an organisation’s intellectual capital is the knowledge carried around in employees’ heads.
What are downsides of high employee turnover?
Loss of intellectual capital, high costs to replace leavers and reduced capacity/services offered (in some sectors).
What factors effect regular work attendance behaviors?
Situational factors, motivation to attend, work relates stress/dissatisfaction, amount of sickleave available, absence norms, values/personality.
What is presenteeism?
Presenteeism occurs when people
attend work even though their capacity to work is significantly diminished by illness, fatigue, personal problems or other factors.
Why do people do presenteeism?
- Low job security.
- Lack financial security/sick leave.
- org/team norms.
- Personality.
What is the definition of personality?
Personality is the relatively enduring pattern of thoughts, emotions and behaviours that characterise a person, along with the psychological processes behind those characteristics.
What are personality traits?
Traits are broad concepts that allow us to label and understand individual differences.
What are the two aspects that determine personality?
Nature and nurture.
What is nature (with regards to personality)?
Nature refers to our genetic or hereditary origins—the genes that we inherit from our parents - and it these can influence our attitudes, decisions and behaviors.
Define nurture (with regards to personality)?
Nurture refers to our socialization, life
experiences and other forms of interaction with the environment.