Chapter Seven

Interpersonal Behavior in the Workplace

Interpersonal Behavior
A variety of behaviors involving the ways in which people work
with and against one another

Psychological Contracts
Peoples beliefs about what is expected of
another in a relationship
Transactional Contract:
Contract A type of
psychological contract that is characterized by
an exclusively economic focus, a brief time
span, an unchanging nature, and is narrow and
well defined in scope
Relational Contract:
Contract A type of psychological
contract in which the parties have a long-term
and widely defined relationship with a vast focus

Psychological Contracts

Trust
A persons degree of confidence in the words
and actions of another
Calculus-Based Trust:
Trust A form of trust based
on deterrence, whenever people believe that
another will behave as promised out of fear of
getting punished for doing otherwise
Identification-Based Trust:
Trust A form of trust
based on accepting the wants and desires of
another person

Developing Trust
How trust develops:
develops
Some people tend to be more trusting than others
People develop reputations for being trustworthy

How to promote trust:

trust
Always meet deadlines
Follow through as promised
Spend time sharing personal values and goals

Prosocial Behavior
Prosocial behavior can be defined as acts
that benefit others in organizations
Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)
can be defined as acts that exceed the formal
requirements of ones job
Whistle-blowing is the disclosure by
employees of illegal, immoral, or illegitimate
practices by employers to people or
organizations able to effect action

Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Organizational Citizenship Behavior

The more people believe they are treated fairly by the

organization:

The more they trust its management

The more willing they are to go the extra mile to help out when
needed

Although the effects of OCB may be indirect and difficult to

measure, they can be very profound
To promote OCB:

Go out of your way to help others

Be an example of conscientiousness
Make voluntary functions fun
Demonstrate courtesy and good sportsmanship

Whistle Blowing

Cooperation and Competition

Cooperation can be defined as those situations in which

two or more individuals, teams or organizations work
together toward some common goal
Factors that contribute to cooperation:

Reciprocity principle: the tendency for people to treat others the

way they have been treated in the past
Personal orientation: some people tend to be more cooperative,
by nature, than others
Organizational reward systems

Competition can be defined as a pattern of behavior in

which each person, group, or organization seeks to
maximize its own gains, often at the expense of others

Levels of Cooperation/Assertiveness
Collaboration:

cooperation and

assertiveness
Accommodating: cooperation and
unassertive
Compromising: between cooperative and
assertive
Forcing: assertive and uncooperative
(conflict/competition)
Avoiding: unassertive and uncooperative

Personal Orientations
Competitors
Competitors

Individualists
Individualists

People
Peoplewhose
whoseprimary
primary
motive
motiveisisdoing
doing
better
than
others,
better than others,
besting
bestingthem
themininopen
open
competition
competition

People
Peoplewho
whocare
carealmost
almost
exclusively
exclusivelyabout
about
maximizing
their
own
maximizing their owngain,
gain,
and
dont
care
whether
others
and dont care whether others
do
dobetter
betteror
orworse
worsethan
than
themselves
themselves

Cooperators
Cooperators

Equalizers
Equalizers

People
Peoplewho
whoare
are
concerned
concernedwith
with
maximizing
joint
outcomes,
maximizing joint outcomes,
getting
gettingas
asmuch
muchas
as
possible
for
their
team
possible for their team

People
Peoplewho
whoare
are
primarily
primarilyinterested
interestedinin
minimizing
minimizingthe
the
differences
between
differences between
themselves
themselvesand
andothers
others

Cooperation vs. Competition vs. Conflict

When cooperating with one another, people
contribute to attaining the same goal that they
share.
However, when competing against one another,
people attempt to attain the same goal, which
only one can have.
And, conflict occurs when there are competing
goals.

Conflict
Conflict may be defined as a process in
which one party perceives that another
party has taken or will take actions that
are incompatible with ones own interests

Intraindividual Conflict

Frustration: in the needs-drive-goal model, a

barrier is placed between the drive and the goal
resulting in: aggression, fixation, withdrawal, or
compromise.
Goal conflict: Lewin (1935) lists major types:

Approach/approach
Approach/avoidance
Avoidance/avoidance

Role conflict/ambiguity

Organizational Conflict
(embodies intraindividual, interpersonal, and intergroup)
Structural

conflict:

Hierarchical conflict: top vs. lower

management
Functional conflict: sales vs. production
Line/Staff conflict: QC vs. production
Formal/Informal conflict: Learn the ropes
vs. employee handbook

Types of Conflict
Substantive Conflict occurs when people have different
viewpoints and opinions with respect to a decision they
are making with others (leads to better decisions)
Affective Conflict occurs when people experience
clashes of personalities or interpersonal tension of some
sort (leads to poorer decisions)
Process Conflict occurs when controversies arise about
how various duties and resources will be allocated and
with whom various responsibilities will reside
Routine tasks: conflict is detrimental
Non-routine tasks: conflict is beneficial

Causes of Conflict
Malevolent
Malevolent
Attributions
Attributions

Grudges
Grudges

Competition
Competition
over
over
Scarce Resources
Scarce Resources

Conflict

Destructive
Destructive
Criticism
Criticism

Distrust
Distrust

Consequences of Conflict
Negative
Negative

Conflictyields
yieldsstrong
strongnegative
negative
Conflict
emotions
emotions
Conflictmay
maydivert
divertpeoples
peoples
Conflict
attentionfrom
fromthe
thetask
taskatathand
hand
attention
Communicationbetween
between
Communication
individualsor
orteams
teamsmay
maybe
beso
so
individuals
adverselyaffected
affectedthat
thatany
any
adversely
coordinationof
ofeffort
effortbetween
between
coordination
themisiscompromised
compromised
them
Loweredcoordination
coordinationtends
tendstoto
Lowered
leadtotodecrements
decrementsinin
lead
organizationalfunctioning
functioning
organizational

Positive
Positive

Conflictmay
mayimprove
improvethe
the
Conflict
qualityof
oforganizational
organizational
quality
decisions
decisions
Conflictmay
maybring
bringout
outinto
into
Conflict
theopen
openproblems
problemsthat
thathave
have
the
beenpreviously
previouslyignored
ignored
been
Conflictmay
maymotivate
motivatepeople
people
Conflict
appreciateeach
eachothers
others
totoappreciate
positionsmore
morefully
fully
positions
Conflictmay
mayencourage
encourage
Conflict
peopletotoconsider
considernew
newideas,
ideas,
people
therebyfacilitating
facilitatingchange
change
thereby

Managing Conflict

Managing Conflict
Bargaining:
Bargaining The process by which two or more
parties in dispute with one another work together to
find a solution that is acceptable to all the parties
involved (win/lose)
Distributive bargaining: fixed pie
Positional bargaining: sequencing, take/give

Win-Win Solutions:
Solutions Occur when outcomes are
found for all sides that allow them to believe that
they have won the negotiation process
Arbitration (lose/lose): Occurs when negotiations
fail

Tips for Negotiating Win-Win Solutions

1.
2.
3.

4.

Avoid making unreasonable offers

Seek the common ground
Broaden the scope of issues
considered
Uncover the real issues

Deviant Organizational Behavior

Actions on the part of employees that intentionally
violate the norms of organizations and/or the
formal rules of society, resulting in negative
consequences
Types of Deviant Behavior:

Incivility
Cyberloafing
Workplace Aggression
Workplace Bullying
Employee Theft

Deviant Behavior

Incivility

Deviant Organizational Behavior

Incivility: Demonstrating a lack of
regard for others and denying them the
respect they are due
Cyberloafing: I The practice of using a
companys email and/or Internet
facilities for personal use

Aggression and Bullying

Workplace Aggression:
Aggression Acts of verbal and
physical abuse toward others in organizations,
ranging from mild to severe. Causes:

High trait anger

Positive attitude toward revenge
Past experience with aggression

Workplace Bullying:
Bullying The repeated mistreatment
of an individual at work in a manner that
endangers his or her physical or mental health

Risk for Violence

Workplace Bullying

Tips for Avoiding Aggression

Establish

clear disciplinary
procedures
Treat people with dignity and respect
Train managers in ways to recognize
and avoid aggression

Employee Theft

Definition: The taking of company property for personal use

Causes:

Seeing others do it
Informal work group norms
Desire to even the score

Tips for reducing theft:

Involve employees in the creation of a theft policy

Communicate the costs of stealing
Treat people fairly
Be a good role model

Employee Theft