WGU C715 - Organizational Behavior - Glossary Terms

WGU C715 - Organizational Behavior - Glossary Terms Leave the first rating Students also studied Terms in this set (401) Save wgu C715 Organizational Behavior 267 terms rc626184Preview WGU C715 - Organizational Behavio...42 terms trand1wguPreview

C715 WGU

127 terms ericchi56Preview WGU O 12 terms Ann abilityAn individual's capacity to perform the various tasks in a job.accommodatingThe willingness of one party in a conflict to place the opponent's interests above his or her own.action researchA change process based on systematic collection of data and then selection of a change action based on what the analyzed data indicate.affectA broad range of feelings that people experience.affect intensityIndividual differences in the strength with which individuals experience their emotions.affective componentThe emotional or feeling segment of an attitude.affective events theory (AET)A model that suggests that workplace events cause emotional reactions on the part of employees, which then influence workplace attitudes and behaviors.agreeablenessA personality dimension that describes someone who is good natured, cooperative, and trusting.allostasisWorking to change behavior and attitudes to find stability.anchoring biasA tendency to fixate on initial information, from which one then fails to adequately adjust for subsequent information.anthropologyThe study of societies to learn about human beings and their activities.

appreciative inquiry (AI)An approach that seeks to identify the unique qualities and special strengths of an organization, which can then be built on to improve performance.arbitratorA third party to a negotiation who has the authority to dictate an agreement.assessment centersA set of performance-simulation tests designed to evaluate a candidate's managerial potential.attitudesEvaluations employees make about objects, people, or events.attribution theoryAn attempt to determine whether an individual's behavior is internally or externally caused.attribution theory of leadershipA leadership theory that says that leadership is merely an attribution that people make about other individuals.authentic leadersLeaders who know who they are, know what they believe in and value, and act on those values and beliefs openly and candidly. Their followers would consider them to be ethical people.authorityThe rights inherent in a managerial position to give orders and to expect the orders to be obeyed.automatic processingA relatively superficial consideration of evidence and information making use of heuristics.autonomyThe degree to which a job provides substantial freedom and discretion to the individual in scheduling the work and in determining the procedures to be used in carrying it out.availability biasThe tendency for people to base their judgments on information that is readily available to them.avoidingThe desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict.BATNAThe best alternative to a negotiated agreement; the least the individual should accept.behavioral componentAn intention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something.behavioral ethicsAnalyzing how people actually behave when confronted with ethical dilemmas.behavioral theories of leadershipTheories proposing that specific behaviors differentiate leaders from nonleaders.behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS)Scales that combine major elements from the critical incident and graphic rating scale approaches. The appraiser rates the employees based on items along a continuum, but the points are examples of actual behavior on the given job rather than general descriptions or traits.behaviorismA theory that argues that behavior follows stimuli in a relatively unthinking manner.

Big Five ModelA personality assessment model that taps five basic dimensions.biographical characteristicsPersonal characteristics—such as age, gender, race, and length of tenure—that are objective and easily obtained from personnel records. These characteristics are representative of surface-level diversity.bonusA pay plan that rewards employees for recent performance rather than historical performance.boundary spanningWhen individuals form relationships outside their formally-assigned groups.bounded rationalityA process of making decisions by constructing simplified models that extract the essential features from problems without capturing all their complexity.brainstormingAn idea-generation process that specifically encourages any and all alternatives while withholding any criticism of those alternatives.bureaucracyAn organization structure with highly routine operating tasks achieved through specialization, very formalized rules and regulations, tasks that are grouped into functional departments, centralized authority, narrow spans of control, and decision making that follows the chain of command.centralizationThe degree to which decision making is concentrated at a single point in an organization.chain of commandThe unbroken line of authority that extends from the top of the organization to the lowest echelon and clarifies who reports to whom.challenge stressorsStressors associated with workload, pressure to complete tasks, and time urgency.changeMaking things different.change agentsPersons who act as catalysts and assume the responsibility for managing change activities.channel richnessThe amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode.charismatic leadership theoryA leadership theory that states that followers make attributions of heroic or extraordinary leadership abilities when they observe certain behaviors.circular structureAn organizational structure in which executives are at the center, spreading their vision outward in rings grouped by function (managers, then specialists, then workers).citizenshipActions that contribute to the psychological environment of the organization, such as helping others when not required.coercive powerA power base that is dependent on fear of the negative results from failing to comply.

cognitive componentThe opinion or belief segment of an attitude.cognitive dissonanceAny incompatibility between two or more attitudes or between behavior and attitudes.cognitive evaluation theoryA version of self-determination theory which holds that allocating extrinsic rewards for behavior that had been previously intrinsically rewarding tends to decrease the overall level of motivation if the rewards are seen as controlling.cohesivenessThe degree to which group members are attracted to each other and are motivated to stay in the group.collaboratingA situation in which the parties to a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the concerns of all parties.collectivismA national culture attribute that describes a tight social framework in which people expect others in groups of which they are a part to look after them and protect them.communicationThe transfer and the understanding of meaning.communication apprehensionUndue tension and anxiety about oral communication, written communication, or both.communication processThe steps between a source and a receiver that result in the transfer and understanding of meaning.competingA desire to satisfy one's interests, regardless of the impact on the other party to the conflict.compromisingA situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up something.conceptual skillsThe mental ability to analyze and diagnose complex situations.conciliatorA trusted third party who provides an informal communication link between the negotiator and the opponent.confirmation biasThe tendency to seek out information that reaffirms past choices and to discount information that contradicts past judgments.conflictA process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about.conflict managementThe use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the desired level of conflict.conflict processA process that has five stages: potential opposition or incompatibility, cognition and personalization, intentions, behavior, and outcomes.