Week 1 - OB & Learning Flashcards
Organizational Business Learning
Psychological Capital (PSYCAP)
An individual’s positive psychological state of development that is characterized by
- Self Efficacy
- Optimism
- Hope
- Resilience
An important contributor to employee success and well being is psychological
capital
Self Efficacy
confidence to take on and put in the necessary effort to succeed at challenging tasks.
Optimism
Internal attributions about positive events in the present and future
External attributions about negative events.
Hope
Persevering toward one’s goals, and when necessary making changes and
using multiple pathways to achieve one’s goals.
Resiliance
One’s ability to bounce back or rebound from adversity and setbacks to attain success.
What are organizations?
Organizations are social inventions for accomplishing common goals through group effort.
What are key characteristics of Organizations?
Social inventions
Goal accomplishment
Group effort
What are the three main goals of organizational behavior
Predicting
Explaining
Managing
Why is Organizational Behavior Important?
- Important for organizational effectiveness
- Contemporary management is based on understanding and adapting contingencies (not one size fits all)
- OB and good management is based on evidence not “common sense”
What is managment?
Management is the art of getting things accomplished in organizations through others.
How does prediction and explanation relate to management?
- If behavior can be predicted and explained, it can often be managed.
- Effective management involves evidence-based management
How is management different from the other main goals of OB
Prediction and explanation involves analysis while management is about action
What is learning?
Any process through which practice or experience at one time can alter an individual’s behavior at another time.
What are the three types of learning?
Classical conditioning
Operant learning
Observational learning
Classical conditioning
- Before conditioning: unconditioned stimulus & response
- Before Conditioning: neutral stimulus, no response
- During Conditioning: combined stimulus, unconditioned response
- After Conditioning:
Conditioned stimulus & response
Operant learning
Learning in which the subject learns to operate on the environment to achieve certain consequences
connection between consequence and CONSCIOUS behavior (press a switch)
Classical involves no action (hear a bell)
What is +’ve reinforcement?
The addition of a stimulus that increases the probability of a desired response.
Reward stimulus is conditional on action
What is -‘ve reinforcement?
The removal of a stimulus that increases the probability of an undesirable response.
Removed stimulus was a negative reinforcer
Name 4 organizational errors involving reinforcement
- Rewards not made contingent on specific desired responses
- Failing to appreciated individual differences/preferences for reinforcers
- Neglecting important sources of reinforcement such as those administered by co-workers or intrinsic to the job.
- Ignoring performance feedback and social recognition as important reinforcers
What are the two main strategies for stopping unwanted behavior?
Extinction - remove/take away reinforcer
Punishment - apply negative stimulus
What are problems with using punishment?
- Does not demonstrate the correct behavior/Only indicates what’s wrong
- It is a temporary suppression
- Can provoke strong emotional responses from the punished individual
Give an example of positive reinforcement
An apprentice machinist learns to operate a lathe correctly as the master machinist praises his performance overt time
Give an example of negative stimulus removal
A shipping clerk whose boss is a chronic nagger learns that she has filled an order properly when the boss stops nagging
Give an example of Negative stimulus added
An engineer stops providing suggestions for ways to cut costs because her boss always criticizes the suggestions harshly
Give an example of Extinction
A salesperson stops calling on established customers after making ten visits without a sale
What is the 5 step process of Reinforcement and Observation to Learning
- Attentional Processes
- Retention Processes
- Production processes
- Reinforcement
Attentional Processes
Learner focuses attention on the critical behaviors exhibited by the model
Retention Processes
Learner must remember the behaviors of the model once the model is no longer present
Production Processes
Learner must have the appropriate skill set and be able to reproduce the behavior
Reinforcement
Learner must view the model receiving reinforcement for the behavior and then receive it themselves
How does self efficacy affect learning?
Your effort and persistence along with choice to participate lead to learning
Name some activities that involve self-regulation
Collect self observed data Observe models Set goals Rehearse Reinforce oneself Compare to goals
Name organizational learning practices
Organizational behaviour modification (O.B. Mod.)
Employee recognition programs
Training programs
Career development
