Midterm

Question 1

What is Organizational Behaviour?

Answer 1

Is the study of people and what they think, feel amend do within an organization.
It is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behaviour within organizations for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organizations effectiveness.

It is an interdisciplinary f study drawing upon: psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

Question 2

Why organizations use Org. Behaviour?

Answer 2

o All organizational members benefit from understanding organizational behaviour

o Understanding processes studied by the field of organizational behaviour may lead to improved individuals, groups, and organizations,

o “The success of our organizations is directly dependent on the effective use of Human Resources”

Question 3

Why study org. Behaviour

Answer 3

o To learn..
 More about organizations and how they function
 How to predict what people might due under certain circumstances

o To help…
 Achieve their goals
 Create positive outcomes & address negative outcomes

o To improve…
 Training leadership development, decision making, and organizational design

o Almost everything you do gives you the opportunity to see OB in action

Question 4

What is perception?

Answer 4

o “The process of taking in, interpreting, and taking action based on information that is obtained from the environment” (Elsback / Keyes)

o “A process by which we organize and interpret sensory impressions to give meaning to our environment. What we perceive can be substantially different from objective reality.”

Question 5

Factors that contribute to perception

Answer 5

1. The perceiver
2. The object
3. The context

Question 6

The perceiver:

Answer 6

 Experience
 Knowledge base
 Values
 Emotions
 Motivation
 Personality

Question 7

The object

Answer 7

 Novelty – what is new or different
 Appearance
 Motion
 Sounds
 Size
 Background
 Prolixity
 Similarity

Question 8

The context

Answer 8

1. Time
2. Work setting
3. Social setting

Question 9

Limitations & Bais’ of Perception

Answer 9

o Selective Perception – the process where information is consistent with peoples values and beliefs is noticed, and information that us not ignored.

o Hindsight Bias – looking back, deciding that an event was inevitable.

o In-group Favoritism – preferential treatment to a member of your group, even if unintended.

o Halo Effect – one positive characteristic of a person effects all other perceptions of that person.

o Horns Effect – one negative characteristic of a person effects all other perceptions of that person.

o Self-Fulfilling Prophecy – when someone’s expectations influence the behaviour of another person to meet those expectations.

o Self-Serving Bias – when people take credit for personal success, but deny responsibilities for failures.

o Bias Blind Spot – when people honestly do not see, or flat out ignore their own bias.

o Stereotype – deciding that someone holds a certain trait based on a category.

Question 10

What are Attitudes

Answer 10

• Evaluative statements – either positive or negative, concerning objects, people, or events.

• They reflect how we feel about something.

• Attitude influences an individuals choice of action, and responses to challenges, incentives, and rewards.

Question 11

Three components of Attitudes

Answer 11

• Cognitive component: a descriptive of, or belief in the way things are. It is stating a fact.

• Affective component: the emotional or feeling segment of an attitude.

• Behavioral component: an intention to behave in a certain way based on the previous two components.

Question 12

What is diversity?

Answer 12

• The similarities and differences among people…the process of valuing differences in experience background, and perspective.”

• The state of being different

Question 13

Levels of Diversity

Answer 13

1. Surface level
2. Deep level

Question 14

Surface Level Diversity

Answer 14

• Surface level of diversity: differences in easily perceived characteristics. These do not necessarily reflect how people think or feel but may end to stereotyping
o Gender
o Age
o Generational
o Race- heritage
o Ethnicity
o Disability
o Ability

Question 15

Deep Level Diversity

Answer 15

• Deep-level Diversity differences that are not easily seen and progressively becoming more important for determining similarities as people get to know one another better
o Values
o Personality
o Work preferences
o Hidden disabilities
o Religion
o Sexual-orientation & gender identity

Question 16

Challenges of Diversity

Answer 16

• Discrimination – making judgments of individuals based on stereotypes and assumptions
• Communication – “simple often unintended words and behaviors, signs and symbols, can lead to misunderstandings, embarrassment, conflict, or vent lost

Question 17

What is Motivation

Answer 17

• Motivation: the intensity, direction, and persistence of effort a person shows in reaching a goal
o Intensity: how hard a person tries
o Direction: where effort is channeled
o Persistence: how long effort is maintained

Question 18

Theory X

Answer 18

 Theory X: the assumption that employees dislike work, will attempt to avoid it, and must be coerced, controlled, or threatened with punishment if they are to perform

Question 19

Theory y

Answer 19

 Theory Y: the assumption that employees like work, are creative, seek, responsibility, and can exercise self-direction and self-control if they are committed to the objectives.

Question 20

Types of motivation

Answer 20

o Intrinsic Motivation: doing things because they feel personally meaningful or satisfying
 A love/passion for what you are doing
 An attitude of thankfulness
 A posture of Worship

o Extrinsic Motivation: seeking to meet other people’s expectations
 Shame/blame
 Punishment/reward

Question 21

Needs Theory of Motivation

Answer 21

1. Self Actualization (self-fulfillment needs): achieving ones full potential, including creative activities.
2. Esteem needs (Psychological needs): prestige of feeling of accomplishment.
3. Belongingness & Love needs (Psychology needs): intimate relationships, friends.
4. Safety needs (Basic Needs): security & safety.
5. Physiological Needs (Basic needs): food, water, warmth, rest.

Question 22

From Individual to Team Member

Answer 22

• Members bring with them their personalities and previous experiences. There are some essential elements that need to be resolved to become a team.

o Roles
 A role is set of expected behaviour patterns associated with someone occupying a given position in a social unit.
 Groups benefit when individuals know their roles
 Role overlaid occurs when what is expected of a person far exceeds what he or she is able to do.
 Role under-load occurs when too little is expected of someone, and that person feels that he or she is not contributing to the group.

o Norms
 Acceptable standards of behaviour within a group that are shared by the groups members. Norms car as a means of influencing the behaviour of group members, with a minimum of external controls.

Question 23

Creating Effective Teams

Answer 23

• Context:
o The four contextual factors that appear to be most significantly related to team performance are the presence of
 Adequate resources.
 Effective leadership.
 A climate of trust.
 A performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions.

• Composition:
o Includes variables that relate to how teams should be staffed.

• Work Design:
o Is the work suitable for a team.

• Team Processes:
o Process variables includes member commitment to a common purpose, establishment of specific team goals, team efficacy, shared mental models, a managed level of conflict, and a system of accountability.