Organizational Behavior Final MC and Short Answer Textbook

One of your Facebook friends has posted this note: "Help! I have just been assigned to head a new product design team at my company. The division manager has high expectations for the team and me, but I have been a technical design engineer for four years since graduating from college. I have never 'managed' anyone, let alone led a team. The manager keeps talking about her confidence that I will be very good at creating lots of teamwork. Does anyone out there have any tips to help me master this challenge?" You have been through this and know you can help. What will you tell your friend?

"Saw your message and wanted to respond. Don't worry. Go into the job with confidence, but try to follow some basic guidelines as you build and work with the team. First, remember that a 'team' isn't just a 'group.' You have to make sure that the members—and that includes you—identify highly with the goals and will hold themselves collectively accountable for results. I suggest that you communicate high-performance standards right from the beginning. Set the tone in the first team meeting and even create a sense of urgency to get things going. Be sure that the members have the right skills, and find ways to create some early 'successes' for them. Don't let them drift apart; make sure they spend a lot of time together. Give lots of positive feedback as the project develops and, perhaps most important, model the expected behaviors yourself. Go for it!"

How do cohesiveness and conformity to norms influence team performance?

A basic rule of team dynamics is that members of highly cohesive groups tend to conform to group norms. Thus, when group norms are positive for performance, the conformity is likely to create high-performance outcomes. When the norms are negative, however, the conformity is likely to create low-performance outcomes.

Define a relational violation and give one workplace example and one personal example.

A relational violation is a crossing of the boundary of what is acceptable and what is not in a relationship. These boundaries will vary depending on the nature and quality of the relationship. In marriage, infidelity is a relational violation. In the workplace, breaking trust in a manager-subordinate relationship is a relational violation.

What is the key to using active listening effectively?

Active listening works by increasing the flow of information to help the communicator analyze the issue being processed. In active listening, the focus should be on the communicator, not the listener. At the beginning of the conversation the listener helps increase information flow to open up communication by listening for content and feelings. The listener also uses reinforcing statements to support those feelings and create a safe environment. Once the information has been processed, the listener helps the communicator identify a course of action by turning to reflecting and advising statements that help represent what the communicator expressed.

Explain why you would want to attain network centrality.

Actors who are central in a network are in favorable positions relative to others given that network centrality has the greatest degree of exposure and engenders power in influencing others in that network.

Which of the following statements about advancing your career using networks is true?

All of the statements are true.

What do we mean when we say power is based on dependencies?

An individual's power is directly proportional to the dependence others have on him or her. If a dependency can be easily removed, an individual has power only as long as the other is willing to give it to him or her. If a dependency cannot be easily removed, an individual has little choice but to go along.

What are the risks associated with charisma and how can they be avoided?

Because charismatic leadership arouses strong emotions among followers, it can produce radical behaviors even if a leader did not intend it. Psychological needs of followers can cause them to want and need hero figures that make them feel secure and special. Leaders should be careful not to get caught up in the allure of charisma and should analyze their own intentions to avoid becoming a personalized charismatic. They should also work to reduce power distance and direct energies onto the collective rather than to themselves.

_____________ help(s) to bridge structural holes.

Brokers

Cristos is starting his first job after graduating from college. He is very excited but also very nervous. He has heard from others that the organization he will be working in has a highly political environment and that he needs to be careful. What advice would you give him about how to best manage himself in terms of power and politics in his organization?

Cristos should be careful not to get sucked into any negative political behaviors of others and build his power bases so they are available for him to use when needed. He should work to be in the know and connected but should not become part of a political coalition that uses power and politics negatively in ways that are self-interested and that disadvantage others and the organization. Cristos can build his power bases by establishing competence and added value to the organization (position and personal power) and by developing organizational and professional networks (information and connection power). He should make himself non-substitutable. He should also develop his political savvy, which is skill and adroitness at reading political environments and understanding how to influence effectively in these environments. One of the best ways to do this is by finding a mentor or sponsor who can provide him with developmental feedback and coaching on how to interpret and respond to the political environment in the organization.

________ is the literal meaning of a word, as defined by the dictionary.

Denotation

What are the different types of follower role orientations?

Findings show that some followers hold passive beliefs, viewing their roles in the classic sense of following—that is, passive, deferential, and obedient to authority. These individuals have a power distance orientation. Others hold proactive beliefs, viewing their role as expressing opinions, taking initiative, and constructively questioning and challenging leaders. These individuals have constructive follower orientations. Because social construction is dependent on context, however, individuals are not always able to act according to their beliefs.

About six months ago, Angela was promoted to a management position in her company, and the first performance evaluations of her subordinates are near at hand. She is understandably a little nervous about giving good evaluations that are supportive but also point out areas of needed improvement for each employee. What advice would you give Angela about how to provide good feedback?

Giving effective feedback includes giving both positive and negative information in a way that helps the employee feel valued and needed. Remind Angela that characteristics of effective feedback include: -Be positive and focus on things the individual can improve, not on things he or she can't change. -Give feedback as soon as you can after the issue occurs so that it is fresh in mind. The more specific you are the better, because generalities don't help. That will just leave the person wondering. -Communicate in a place that is safe and comfortable for the other person. Don't force the conversation when the person is tired, distracted, or busy; it could cause the person to become impatient with what you are trying to communicate. -Limit the focus and start with the things you think the person can handle. If the conversation is going well and he or she wants to talk more then you can go deeper. Don't pour it on. Start with the basics of what you need to cover and then let the person determine how far he or she wants to go. -Reinforce and make sure the person knows there are good things about him or her, too. Convey a sense of caring and that you are trying to help. Above all, be kind; it will be appreciated eventually. When difficult conversations go right, they help the individual do better and they help strengthen relationships.

_____________ is the tendency for actors in a network to form connections with and share the opinions and behaviors of others who are similar in terms of attributes.

Homophily

_________ occurs when words convey one meaning but body posture conveys something else.

Incongruence

What are the differences between instrumental and expressive ties?

Instrumental ties, also known as professional ties, are relationships that involve exchange and cooperation for the achievement of some goal or particular purpose. Expressive ties, or personal ties, are characterized by friendship, kinship, and social support.

_____________ ties are known as professional ties while _____________ ties are known as personal ties.

Instrumental; expressive

How can inter-team competition be bad and good for organizations?

Inter-team competition can create problems in the way groups work with one another. Ideally, an organization is a cooperative system in which groups are well integrated and help one another out as needed. When groups get competitive, however, there is a potential dysfunctional side. Instead of communicating with one another, they decrease communication. Instead of viewing one another positively, they develop negative stereotypes of one another. Instead of viewing each other as mutual partners in the organization, they become hostile and view one another more as enemies. Although inter-team competition can be good by adding creative tension and encouraging more focused efforts, this potential negative side should not be forgotten.

Why is it important to see leadership as a relational process?

Many people think leadership is just about leaders. But this misses the other half of the equation that is required for leadership to occur: followers. Seeing leadership as a relational process allows us to understand the bigger picture of leadership as a relationship between leaders and followers (or leading and following). This understanding is necessary if we are to both create and maintain effective leadership relationships and dynamics.

___________ are figures of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not actually applicable.

Metaphors

_____________ exists when an actor has ties with many other actors in a network

Network centrality

How can understanding networks help you in searching for a job?

Networking is about making contacts and building relationships. Who you know can help you get a job. Networking can help you obtain leads, referrals, advice, information, and support by connecting you to people with whom you have ties. Relationships can include people with whom you have strong ties and people with whom you have weak ties. Both types of ties can yield opportunities. Oftentimes, weaker ties open up more new ideas, skills, and opportunities that those in one's inner circle and can be as valuable to more valuable to you in your job search.

Why do we have politics in organizations?

Organizational politics involve efforts by organizational members to seek resources and achieve desired goals through informal systems and structures. Most politics involve workarounds, which means working around the system to accomplish a task or goal when the normal process or method isn't producing the desired result. In less political environments, actions are more direct and straightforward (more rational); in more political environments, individuals need to interpret and watch out for behaviors happening behind the scenes.

How can you tell if someone's power is positional or personal?

Position power comes from the formal hierarchy or authority vested in a particular role, whereas personal power is generated in relationships with others. You can tell if the power a person holds is position or personal because personal power goes with the individual when he or she leaves a position.

_____________ help individuals have influence in organizations and provide protection against powerful others.

Power bases

Why is powerlessness a problem in organizations?

Powerlessness is a problem in organizations because it can create spirals of helplessness and alienation. When people feel powerless, they try to regain some sense of control over themselves and their work environment. The resulting behaviors can be extremely detrimental to organizations (e.g., absenteeism, tardiness, theft, vandalism, grievances, shoddy workmanship, and counterproductive behavior).

_____________ is the ability to speak openly and freely without fear of reprimand or negative consequences.

Psychological safety

Which is a rule for active listening?

Reflect back what you think you are hearing.

_________ means paraphrasing back what others said.

Reflecting

_____________ involves actions to return the relationship to a positive state.

Relational repair

What traits have been found to be most associated with leaders?

Some of the most common traits associated with being a leader are extraversion and conscientiousness. This is because being naturally social, talkative, expressive, and assertive makes an individual more likely to emerge as a leader. In addition, leadership requires attention to detail to get a job done, and those who are highly conscientious are more organized, disciplined, goal oriented, and thoughtful.

Describe the steps in a typical team-building process.

Team building usually begins when someone notices that a problem exists or may develop in the group. Members then work collaboratively to gather data, analyze the situation, plan for improvements, and implement the plan. Everyone is expected to participate in each step, and the group as a whole is expected to benefit from continuous improvement.

____________ shows us why developmental feedback is so important.

The Johari Window

What is the Johari Window model?

The Johari Window is a visual that shows us that there are some things we know about ourselves that others know ("open"), and some things we know about ourselves that others don't know ("hidden"). But there are also things we don't know about ourselves but others do. This is called our blind spot: we are blind to our blind spot but others are not. This is a problem because it means others are aware of something about us, but we are in the dark. The only way to reduce blind spots is through feedback from others.

What is the diversity-consensus dilemma?

The diversity-consensus dilemma occurs when a team with high membership diversity gets caught between diversity advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, the team has the potential advantages of many viewpoints, perspectives, and enriched information. On the other hand, it suffers the potential pitfalls of members having a hard time learning how to work well with one another; this can make it hard to reach consensus.

Explain the framing effect

The framing effect is a shift in one's preference for risk based on the words used to introduce and describe a situation. It shows that how options are framed makes particular aspects of a circumstance more or less attractive. When a choice is communicated in terms of possible gains, most people choose the option with less risk, but when a choice is communicated in terms of potential losses, most people are willing to take more risk. The implication is that framing is a powerful way to alter the way people interpret information.

Define fundamental attribution bias.

The fundamental attribution bias is the tendency to attribute causes of problems to others rather than to ourselves.

Define the norm of reciprocity and list its components.

The norm of reciprocity says that when one party does something for another an obligation is generated and that party is indebted to the other until the obligation is repaid. It can be seen relative to three components: (1) equivalence represents the extent to which the amount of what is given back is roughly the same as what was received (e.g., exactly the same or something different), (2) immediacy refers to the time span of reciprocity—how quickly the repayment is made (e.g., immediately or an indeterminate length of time), and (3) interest represents the motive the person has in making the exchange. Interest can range from pure self-interest, to mutual interest, to other interest (pure concern for the other person).

Your roommate is student government president and has been having trouble getting others to listen to him. Each night it is a different complaint about how terrible the other people in student government are and how they are lazy and not willing to do anything. You really want to help him figure out this problem. What do you say to him?

Your roommate is externalizing blame and probably assuming that he is a leader because he has the title of student government president. But to be a leader, you need to have willing followership. A key step is to help your friend think about how others see him and why they don't see him as a leader. What can he do to better tap into others' implicit theories and get them to grant his leadership claims? He can also consider the kinds of followers they are and how he can better meet their identities as followers. Finally, what are aspects of the context that he can tap into to help him meet the needs of the situation and generate collective processes that help advance more positive outcomes for the organization?

High-quality LMX relationships are NOT characterized by which of the following aspects?

a high level of contractual exchanges

Conformity is an example of _______________.

anti-prototypical followership

Power that comes from people you know is called _____________.

association power

Ignoring or not mentioning unpleasant topics is called ____________.

avoidance

When a team member engages in social loafing, one of the recommended strategies for dealing with this situation is to _______________.

better define member roles to improve individual account-ability

When someone says, "I will be the leader" they are making a leadership _______________.

claim

For leadership to work, identity _______________ must be matched with _______________.

claims; grants

Which type of social network consists of more than three people?

clique

In social networks, _____________ are subgroups of actors who are tied together because they have similar traits or characteristics.

clusters

When the leadership role at the top is divided among multiple people, it is called _______________.

co-leadership

What form of power stems from the expectation that a person will be punished if he or she fails to conform to influence attempts?

coercive power

One of the essential criteria of a true team is _______________.

collective accountability

_____________ occurs when individuals accept another's influence because of the positive or negative outcomes tied to it.

compliance

In today's interdependent society and knowledge-based organizations, _____________ is becoming increasingly important.

connection power

Shifting to another topic is called _________________.

deflecting

If all of the actors within a network are directly tied to each other the network has a high degree of _____________.

density

When someone feels they are being put down they feel ___________.

disconfirmed

When followers feel tension because their leader doesn't match their expectations they are experiencing _______________.

dissonance

_______________ leadership helps us to see that leadership is not just restricted to managerial positions but can occur throughout the organization.

distributed

_____________ involves ignoring or dismissing a request.

dysfunctional resistance

The idea that it is beneficial to reduce power distance is the basis for the trend toward _____________.

empowerment

Seeking to learn more about ourselves, our performance, and how others perceive us is called ___________________.

feedback seeking

The best size for a problem-solving team is usually _______________ members.

five to seven

Social power differs from _____________, which is power made operative against another's will.

force

Knowing that you need to tailor a message to your audience is called _____________.

framing

When two groups are in competition with one another, _______________ may be expected within each group.

greater cohesiveness

The statement, "On our team, people always try to do their best" is an example of a(n) _______________ norm.

high achievement

Which of the following is NOT a type of social capital?

identifying

Organizational politics occur in the _____________ of an organization.

informal systems

A person facing a dilemma between work demands and family pressures is experiencing _____________conflict.

inter-role

To increase team cohesiveness, one would _______________.

isolate the group of others

_______________ are formed through processes of claiming and granting.

leadership identities

The _______________ environment is the environment outside the boundaries of the organization.

macro

A team member who encourages others to participate, praises others' contributions, and tries to harmonize across differences is providing leadership by contributing _____________ activities to the group process.

maintenance

Which stage in the relational testing process happens after a relationship is formed?

maintenance evaluation

It is during the _______________ stage of team development that members begin to come together as a coordinated unit.

norming

Helping, civic virtue, and social participation are examples of _______________.

organizational citizenship behaviors

Members of a team tend to become more motivated and better able to deal with conflict during the _______________ stage of team development.

performing

Individuals who have _____________ know how to read political situations and respond effectively.

political

Legitimate power is a form of _____________ power.

position

Asking for additional information can also be called ________________.

probing

Using an "I" statement is being _____________.

problem-oriented

The team effectiveness equation states: Team output = _______________ × (Process gains − Process losses).

quality of inputs

The primary focus of supportive communication principles is _________________.

reducing defensiveness and disconfirmation

Charisma is most aptly described as a _______________ process.

relational

Leadership is a _______________ process.

relational influence

Two main categories of leader behaviors found in the behavioral approaches are _______________.

relations-oriented and task-oriented behaviors

The framing effect occurs when the choice between two alternatives _____________, depending on whether the scenario focused on the potential gain or the potential loss associated with each alternative.

reverses

Questions asked to make a point rather than to get an answer are _____________ questions.

rhetorical

When leaders and followers are getting to know one another and evaluating one another's needs, motivations, and capabilities they are in the _______________ stage.

role-finding

The norm of reciprocity can be seen relative to three components. Which of the following is NOT one of those components?

safety

_______________ place primary emphasis on humility and see their responsibility as being stewards for the good of the whole.

servant leaders

The relationship-building process occurs through relational testing and _____________.

social exchange

The Ringlemann effect describes _______________.

social loafing

When a person holds a prestigious position as a vice president in a top management team, but is considered just another member of an employee involvement team that a lower level supervisor heads, the person might experience _______________.

status incongruence

When a team of people is able to achieve more than what its members could by working individually, this is called _______________.

synergy

An effective team is defined as one that achieves high levels of task performance, member satisfaction, and _______________.

team viability

Failure to comply because a directive does not fall in the acceptable range of requests is called _____________.

the zone of acceptance

_______________ study the personal qualities and characteristics of leaders to identify their association with leader emergence and effectiveness.

trait approaches

A _____________ is when individuals go outside the formal system to accomplish a task or goal.

workaround

The belief that for me to win, you must lose is known as _________.

zero sum