OB-Chapter 6

Identify the causes of counterproductive work behaviors and the measures used to prevent them.

Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) may result from personal characteristics coupled with a lack of autonomy and job satisfaction. CWBs are more likely in situations where supervisors are abusive and responsible for many employees. Organizations can limit CWBs by hiring individuals with appropriate cognitive skills and personality traits. They can design jobs to promote satisfaction. They can develop managers to supervise effectively without abuse and should deliver immediate feedback and discipline if anyone engages in CWBs.

Identify eight important correlates/consequences of job satisfaction, and summarize how each one relates to job satisfaction

Eight major correlates/consequences of job satisfaction are motivation (moderate positive relationship), job involvement (moderate positive), organizational citizenship behavior (moderate positive), absenteeism (weak negative), withdrawal cognitions (strong negative), turnover (moderate negative), perceived stress (strong negative), and job performance (moderate positive).

Describe the values model of work/family conflict, and specify at least three practical lessons from work/family conflict research.

General life values determine one's values about family and work. Work/family conflict can occur when there is a lack of value similarity with family members. Likewise, work/family conflict can occur when one's own work values are not congruent with the company's values. When someone does not attain his or her values because of work/family conflicts, job or life satisfaction, or both, can suffer. Six practical lessons from work/family conflict research are (1) work/family balance begins at home, (2) an employer's family-supportive philosophy is more important than specific programs, (3) informal flexibility in work hours and in allowing people to work at home is essential to promoting work/family balance, (4) mentors can help, (5) individuals should take a proactive approach to managing work/family conflict, and (6) self-employment has its rewards, but it is associated with higher work/family conflict and lower family satisfaction.

Define the work attitudes of job involvement/employee engagement and job satisfaction.

Job involvement is the extent to which a person is preoccupied with, immersed in, and concerned with his/her job. Employee engagement is similar to job involvement and represents an individual's satisfaction, involvement, and enthusiasm for his/her work. Job satisfaction reflects how much people like or dislike their jobs.

Describe the model of organizational commitment. Organizational commitment reflects how strongly a person identifies with an organization and is committed to its goals.

Organizational commitment is composed of three related components: affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. In turn, each of these components is influenced by a separate set of antecedents: An antecedent is something that causes the component of commitment to occur.

Explain Schwartz's value theory, and describe three types of value conflict.

Schwartz proposed that 10 core values guide our behavior across contexts and time (see Table 6-1). Each value possesses motivational mechanisms that drive behavior. Figure 6-1 further shows the relationships among the ten values. Some are consistent and positively related, whereas others are inconsistent and conflict with each other. Three types of value conflict are intrapersonal, interpersonal, and individual-organization.

Identify the three components of attitudes and discuss cognitive dissonance

The three components of attitudes are affective, cognitive, and behavioral. The affective component represents the feelings or emotions one has about a given object or situation. The cognitive component reflects the beliefs or ideas one has about an object or situation. The behavioral component refers to how one intends or expects to act toward someone or something. Cognitive dissonance represents the psychological discomfort an individual experiences when his or her attitudes or beliefs are incompatible with his or her behavior. There are three main methods for reducing cognitive dissonance: change an attitude or behavior, belittle the importance of the inconsistent behavior, and find consonant elements that outweigh dissonant ones.

Identify and briefly describe five alternative causes of job satisfaction.

They are need fulfillment (the degree to which one's own needs are met), discrepancies (satisfaction depends on the extent to which one's expectations are met), value attainment (satisfaction depends on the degree to which one's work values are fulfilled), equity (perceived fairness of input/outcomes determines one's level of satisfaction), and dispositional/genetic (job satisfaction is dictated by one's personal traits and genetic makeup).

Explain how attitudes affect behavior in terms of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior. Intentions are the key link between attitudes and behavior in Ajzen's model.

Three determinants of the strength of an intention are one's attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm (social expectations and role models), and the perceived degree of one's control over the behavior. Intentions, in turn, are powerful determinants of behavior.