Organizational Behavior

FOR FINAL

Introduction 1

Stress & Counseling 2

Power, Politics & Conflict 5

Leadership 7

Motivation 8

Empowerment 9
 Introduction

Organizational Behavior: A field of study that investigates the impact of individuals, groups
& structures have on behavior within organizations, for the purpose of applying such
knowledge toward improving orgs effectiveness.
Goals Factors

1. To desire 1. People
2. To understand 2. Structure
3. To predict 3. Technology
4. To control 4. Environment

Nature of people Nature of organization

● Individual difference ● Social system

● Perception a. Formal
● Motivated behavior b. Informal
● Self efficacy ● Mutual interest between org & people
● Value of a person ● Ethics ( Triple Reward- achieving
individual, organizational and social
goals)
Characteristics
1. Goal oriented
2. Ongoing process
3. Multilevel analysis
4. Part of management
5. Cause & effect relationship
6. Part of social & normative science
7. Beneficial for organization & individual

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 Stress & Counseling
Employee Stress
Stress is the general term applied to the pressures people feel in life. The presence of stress
at work is almost inevitable in many jobs. When pressure begins to build up it can cause
adverse strain on a person’s emotions, thought process, behaviors, and physical condition.
Negative Symptoms
Physiological Ulcer, Digestive problems, Headaches, High bp, Sleep disruption

Psychological Emotional instability, Moodiness, Nervousness & Tension, Chronic

worry, Depression, Burnout

Behavioral Excessive smoking, Abuse of alcohol/drugs, Absenteeism, Aggression,

Safety & Performance problems.
Extreme Products of Stress
1. Burnout: When employees are emotionally exhausted, become detached from their
clients and their work, and feel unable to accomplish their goals.
a. Examples: Helping professionals (Counselors, healthcare pros, social
workers) and continuous high stressful jobs (air traffic control, CSR, stock
brokers)
b. Symptoms: Complaints, attribute their error to others, magnify dominant
traits, highly irritable, alienation, intention to quit job, absenteeism,
performance low.
c. Solution Organizations must identify jobs that lead to burnout and change
those parts of jobs and train employees to cope with stress.
2. Trauma: It occurs following a major threat to one's security. The event can be a
natural disaster, organizational crisis, dramatic employee abuse, personal job loss.
a. Examples: Ocean based oil rigs who suffer hurricane, overseas workers who
faced kidnapping.
b. Types
i. Workplace Trauma: disintegration of employees’ self concepts and
beliefs in their capabilities. Caused by- harassment in the workplace,
wrongful termination/discrimination.
ii. Layoff Supervisor Sickness: They are simultaneously glad to have a
job and guilty that their workmates were displaced
iii. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The shock of sudden and dramatic
violent incidents often produces immediate stress-related symptoms.
More significantly, the effects of these traumatic crises may last for
years and require lengthy treatment
Causes of Stress
Conditions that tend to cause stress are called stressors. Although even a single stressor
may cause major stress, usually stressors combine to pressure an employee in a variety of
ways until major feelings of stress develop
a. Job Related Causes
Work Overload Time Poor Job Insecurity Lack of personal control
Pressure Supervision

Unusual Change Role conflict Value conflict Technology

without training

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 b. Frustration: It is a result of a motivation (drive) being blocked to prevent one
from reaching a desired goal. may become irritable, develop an uneasy
feeling in the stomach, or have some other reaction. These reactions to
frustration are known as defense mechanisms.

Reaction Aggression: Apathetic: Withdrawal: Regression:

Being aggressive Not responding to job Wanting to quit job Self pity

Sources Management Co workers Supervisor Hassles

Stress Management (didn’t cover)

= Social Support, Relaxation, & Personal Wellness:
1. Resist working long hours or accepting overtime.
2. Volunteer for flextime or other alternative work schedules.
3. Identify the people who cause stress and avoid them.
4. Maintain a healthy diet and eat regularly.
5. Obtain regular exercise and get enough sleep.
6. Avoid procrastination.
7. Set reasonable goals for yourself.
8. Develop a simple method of organizing things, and adhere to it.
9. Step back from stress and decide whether you need to fight every battle.
10. Consult with a trusted friend before becoming involved in new activities.
11. Develop a balance of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual capacities.
12. Find or create opportunities to laugh.
Employee counseling
Discussion with an employee of a problem that usually has emotional content in order to
help the employee cope with it better.
Characteristics
1. It is an exchange of ideas and feelings between two people
2. nominally a counselor and a counselee, so it is an act of communication.
3. it should improve organizational performance, because the employee becomes more
cooperative, worries less about personal problems, or improves in other ways.
4. Helps the organization become more human and considerate of people’s problems.
Characteristics of good mental health (didn’t cover)
1. Feel comfortable about themselves
2. Feel right about other people
3. Are to meet the demands of life
Functions of Counseling
Advice Telling a person what you think should be done; coaching

Reassurance Giving people courage and confidence that they are capable of
facing a problem

Communication Providing information and understanding

Release of emotional Providing information and understanding

tension

Clarified thinking Encouraging more coherent, rational, and mature thought

Reorientation Encouraging an internal change in goals, values, and mental models

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Types of Counseling
Non Directive Directive Participative

Counseling Employee primarily Counselor primarily Exchange of idea

method controls the direction of controls the direction of between counselor
the conversation and the conversation and & employee
doest most of the talking does the most talking

Responsible Employee Counselor Both

Status of Employee & counselor on Counselor implicitly Employee &

participants equal level superior counselor on equal
level

Role of Employee is independent Employee is Both independent

participants psychologically
dependent

Emphasis Solution of deep Solution of current Critical problem

placed emotional problem problem

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 Power, Politics & Conflict

Conflict
Conflict: The state of disagreement or misunderstanding, resulting from the actual or
perceived dissent of needs, beliefs, resources and relationship between the members of the
organization.
Factors Sources

1. Unclear Responsibility 1. Organizational change

2. Interpersonal Relationship 2. Different sets of values
3. Scarcity of Resources 3. Threats to status
4. Conflict of Interest 4. Contrasting perceptions
5. Lack of trust
6. Personality clashes

Levels of conflict
1. Intrapersonal conflict: refers to an internal dispute and involves only one individual.
2. Interpersonal conflict: occurs between two or more people in a larger organization.
3. Intergroup conflict: occurs between different groups within a larger organization or
those who do not have the same overarching goals.

Perceptions of conflict
1. Constructive: Conflict is not all bad but it rather may result in either productive and
non-productive outcomes.
2. Destructive: If the conflict lasts a long period of time, becomes too intense, or is
allowed to focus on personal issues, it might cause destruction.

Outcomes of conflict
1. Lose-lose: both parties are worse off than they were before.
2. Lose-win: Party A is defeated while party B is victorious.
3. Win-Lose: reversed situation. Party B losing to party A.
4. Win-win: both parties perceived that both are in a better position than before.

Resolution Strategies
● Avoiding ● Forcing ● Confronting
● Smoothing ● Compromising ● Negotiating

Assertive Behavior: Behavior which enables a person to act in his own best interests, to
stand up for himself without undue anxiety, to express his honest feeling comfortably, or to
exercise his own rights without denying the rights of others. It is the expression of one’s
feelings, beliefs, opinions, and needs in a direct, honest and appropriate manner.

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 Stage Example

Describe the behavior When you do this…

Express your feelings I feel…

Empathize I understand why you…

Offer problem-solving alternatives I want you to consider changing to

either…

Indicate consequences If you do (don’t), I will…

Power & Politics

Power: The ability to influence the behavior of others to get what you want. It is often visible
to others within organizations.
Types Effects

Reward power- control over reward ◆ Resistance

Coercive power- punish or threat ◆ Compliance
Legitimate power- position in organization ◆ Commitment
Expert power- extensive knowledge and
Referent/Personal power- personal
charisma.

Organizational Politics: Intentional behaviors that are used to enhance or protect a person’s
influence and self-interest while also inspiring confidence and trust by others.
Characteristic Dimensions of Political Skill

1. Politics is common in most ◆ Being socially astute

organizations. ◆ Having interpersonal influence
2. Managers must be good at politics to ◆ Creating useful networks
succeed. ◆ Expressing sincerity
3. Politics becomes more important at
higher levels.
4. Politics can detract from organizational
efficiency.

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 Leadership
Leadership: The process of influencing and supporting others to work enthusiastically
toward achieving objectives.
Traits: The physical, intellectual or personality characteristics that differed between leaders
and nonleaders or between successful and unsuccessful leaders.
Primary Traits Secondary Traits

Honesty & Integrity Cognitive ability

Personal drive & energy Flexibility, Creativity
Desire to lead Knowledge of business
Self confidence Charisma

Skills

1. Technical 2. Human 3. Conceptual

Elements

1. Leader 2. Follower 3. Situation

Styles

1. Autocratic 2. Consultative 3. Participative

Fiedler’s Contingency Model

1. Leader Member Relation 2. Task Structure 3. Leader Position Power

Path Goal Model

Leader does this-

Identifies employee needs > Set goals > Connect rewards w/goals > Provides Assistance
> Employees satisfied & motivated > Effective performance > Reach goals
Leadership Styles:
1 Directive, 2 Supportive, 3 Achievement oriented, 4 Participative

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 Motivation
Motivation: The set of internal and external forces that cause an employee to choose a
course of action and engage in certain behaviors.
Elements
Direction & focus of behavior Level of effort provided Persistence of behavior
Drives
Achievement Affiliation Power
Types of Needs
Primary (Basic physical) & Secondary (Social & psychological)
Maslow Herzberg Alderfer

Self actualization & Work M

O
fulfillment Achievement T
Growth I
Responsibility V Growth needs
A
T
Advancement I
Esteem & status Recognition O
N
A
Status L Relatedness needs

Belongings & social Relation w/colleagues M

A
Quality of supervision I
N
Safety & security Company policy T Existence needs
E
Job security N
A
Physiological needs Working condition N
C
Pay E

Equity Model: The ratio of own output & input vs others output & input
Inputs: Education, Seniority, Experience, Loyalty & commitment, Time & effort, Performance
Outputs: Direct pay & bonus, Fringe benefits, Job security, Social & psychological rewards
Type of inequity reactions Overrwarder reactions Under Rewarded reaction

Internal, physical Work harder Low productivity

Internal, psychological Discount the reward Inflate the reward value

External, physical Encourage to obtain more Bargain for more or quit

External, psychological Change in person Change in person

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 Empowerment
Empowerment: Process that provides greater autonomy to employees through the
sharing of relevant information and the provision of control over factors affecting job
performance.
Approaches:
1. Helping employees achieve Job mastery
2. Allowing more Control
3. Providing successful Role model
4. Using Social reinforcement & persuasion
5. Giving Emotional support
Process:
Remove conditions of Perception of
powerlessness empowerment

Changes Effectiveness
Leadership
Reward system
Job
● Competence
Enhance job related self ● Autonomy
efficacy ● Job meaning
● Sense of impact
Job mastery Satisfaction
Control & accountability
Role models
Reinforcements
Support

Participation: The mental and emotional involvement of people in group situations that
encourages them to contribute to group goals and share responsibilities for them.
Participation improves Leader-Member relation
Factors of Participation Factors of less Participation

Research results Theory X beliefs of managers

Productivity improvement pressures
Utilization of workforce diversity
Employee desires for meaning
Employee desires & expectations
Ethical arguments
Lack of support from top level
Fear of Power-Status-Control loss
Lack of training in managers & employees
Problems faced in early stages
Substantial efforts needed to implement

Autocratic View Power Participative View Power

● Fixed amount ● Variable amount

● Comes from authority ● Comes from people
● Applied by management ● Applied by shared ideas & activities
● Flows downward ● Flows in all directions

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Responsibilities of employees Responsibilities of manages

● Be responsible for their action ● Identify issues

● Operate within org policies ● Specify level of involvement desired
● Be contributing team member ● Provide relevant info & training
● Respect & utilize others’ thoughts ● Allocate fair rewards
● Be dependable & ethical
● Demonstrate responsible self
leadership

Programs for Participation Prerequisites of Participation

● Suggestion programs ● Enough time to participate

● Quality circles ● Potential benefits greater than costs
● Total quality mgt ● Relevance to employee interest
● Self managing teams ● Enough employee abilities to deal
● Employee ownership plans with subject
● Mutual communication ability
● No feeling of threat for either party
● Restriction in job freedom

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 Chapter: Teams & Team Building

Team Development
➔ Organization
The process of starting with the total amount of work to be done and dividing it into
divisions, departments, work clusters, jobs, and assignments of responsibilities to people.
➔ Characteristics
◆ Modern organizations are more flexible, organic, and open.
◆ Tasks and roles are less rigidly defined, allowing people to adjust them to
situational requirements.
◆ Communication is more multidirectional. It consists more of information and
advice and joint problem solving rather than instructions and decisions.
◆ Authority and influence flow more directly from the person who has the ability
to handle the problem at hand.
◆ Decision making is more decentralized, being shared by several levels and
different functions.
◆ The organization also is more open to its environment.
➔ Team
A task team is a cooperative small group in regular contact that is engaged in coordinated
action.

Dimensions Group Team

Work products Individual Collective

Performance Monitoring External Internal

Focus of activity Efficient task performance Problem solving

Leadership Single Share

View of conflict Dysfunctional & discouraged Functional & encouraged

➔ Life Cycle/Stages of TeamDev

◆ Forming
◆ Storming
◆ Norming
◆ Performing
◆ Adjourning

➔ Ingredients/Elements of Effective Teams

◆ Supportive Environment
◆ Skills & Role Clarity
◆ Superordinate Goals
◆ Team Reward
➔ Empowered Teams
◆ Potency (have a can do attitude)
◆ Meaningfulness (have commitment to purpose)

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 ◆ Autonomy (freedom to control resources & make decisions)
◆ Impact on result (can access, monitor & celebrate contributions & results)
➔ Potential Problems
◆ Changing composition
◆ Social loafing
Team Building
➔ Need/Importance
◆ Interpersonal conflicts among team members, or between the team and its
leader
◆ Low degree of team morale or low team cohesiveness
◆ Confusion or disagreement about roles within the team
◆ Large influx of new members
◆ Disagreement over the team’s purpose and tasks
◆ Negative climate within the team, evidenced by criticism and bickering
◆ Stagnation within the team, with members resisting change and new ideas
➔ Process
◆ Identification of a problem
◆ Collection of relevant data
◆ Data feedback and confirmation
◆ Problem solving experience
◆ On the job application & follow up
➔ Problems/Issues
◆ Unaware of/Disagreement about purpose of the team
◆ Confusion about the fit
◆ Confusion about work relationship between people and tasks
◆ Interpersonal conflicts

➔ Skills
◆ Feedback
◆ Process consultation
Facilitating Behaviors Desired Effects onTeam Members

Encouraging open communication Examine intended vs actual roles

Observing team meeting Identify problems

Probing & Questioning Examine consequences of behavior

Stimulating problem solving React constructively

Attend to nonverbal cues Explore new alternatives

Encouraging learning Think & act independently

➔ Characteristics of Mature Teams

◆ Member takes pride in achievement/contribution
◆ Feels comfortable asking questions
◆ No one dominates

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 ◆ Criticizes constructively
◆ Group is not threatened by change
◆ Relatively informal environment
◆ Members encourage each other
➔ Outcomes of Effective Team
◆ Performance Improvement
◆ Members Behaviors
◆ Member Attitudes
➔ Self Managing Team
Self-managing teams—is also known as self-reliant or self-directed teams. They are natural
work groups that are given substantial autonomy and in return are asked to control their own
behavior and produce significant results.
Positives Negatives

Improved flexibility of staff Extended time to implement

More efficient ops Hight training investment
Lower absenteeism & turnover rates Early inefficiencies due to job rotation
Higher level of organizational commitment Inability of some employees to adapt
& job satisfaction

➔ Supervisory Roles
Traditional Self Managing Team

Authority figure Coach & Counselor

Expert Champion & cheerleader
Teacher Resource allocator
Problem solver Liaison & boundary manager
Coordinator Facilitator

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