Fill in the words. There are extra words. Organizational Behaviour is a complex topic incorporating aspects of psychology, social psychology, anthropology and (1)………….. . All four of these disciplines combine to inform us on the organization which can broadly be defined as ‘a collection of people who are involved in (2)…………… defined objectives. Many textbooks, journals and articles have been written on this topic and the study of it is often believed to assist in understanding the dynamics of individuals, (3)…………, and managers/leaders.
Fill in the words. There are extra words.
Organizational Behaviour is a complex topic incorporating aspects of psychology, social psychology, anthropology
and (1)………….. . All four of these disciplines combine to inform us on the organization which can broadly be defined as ‘a collection of people who are involved in (2)…………… defined objectives.
Many textbooks, journals and articles have been written on this topic and the study of it is often believed to assist in understanding the dynamics of individuals, (3)…………, and managers/leaders. There is however valid criticism from some quarters that much of the academic literature is skewed towards the ‘WEIRD’ demographic, namely; Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic societies. This criticism implies that theories and concepts are presented as being (4)……….. across the globe and can fail to take account of true human diversity and heterogeneity across different nations and cultural groups.
Typically, the study of organizational behaviour starts with considerations at the level of the individual. One of the key concepts at this level is that of the ‘psychological contract’.
This deals with the (5)……… beliefs that individuals have in the (6)………… obligations and expectations that really exist between a person and an organization. It is often represented using an iceberg analogy in which only the formal and (7)………….. elements of the relationship are easily observed as the ‘tip’ of the iceberg, while other more abstract elements are more difficult to perceive as they are considered to be below the waterline. Examples of these elements include (8)……………., loyalty, and responsibility.
A core concept of the contract theory is that the iceberg is perceived to ‘rise’ with time as familiarity and experience grow between the individual and the organization, therefore making these obligations and expectations more visible. Even a perceived (9)……………. or violation of the contract increases the chance of conflict and confrontation between the parties.
An individual’s expectations are often said to be formed by their intrinsic cultural backgrounds. The cultural dimensions theories of Geert Hofstede are often used to explain certain elements of culture that may be considered critical in interpreting aspects of the relationship between an individual and an organization.
Hofstede’s dimensions include ‘power distance’ – the degree to which an individual expects and (10)……….. that power and authority will be distributed unevenly and unfairly.
Also represented is the concept of individualism vs. its opposite; collectivism. This dimension seeks to examine the extent to which individuals expect that they should be (11)…………. . Someone who is highly individualistic is expected to be less engaged in a team or group environment, while a collectivist person is more likely to seek the opportunity to belong, and show loyalty to, a wider group.
The dimensions of ‘masculinity’ and ‘uncertainty avoidance’ are also often cited. The former looks at preferences for conflict and confrontation over cooperation and (12)…………. , while the latter considers the degree to which (13)…………….. and certainty are valued over (14)…………….. and change.
In attempting to evaluate the suitability of people for organizational roles, many organizations rely not only on traditional methods of (15)………… such as face-to-face interviews, but also use various forms of psychometric testing. Some estimates suggest that as many as 75% of Fortune 500 companies use some form of psychometrics in evaluating people for (16)……….. and suitability. This form of testing is intended to be (17)…………. of certain non-test behaviours and attitudes by using a standardized procedure to sample and describe behaviour using quantifiable scales.
The attempt to quantify is often referred to as (18)………… judgement – the use of norm-referenced statistical data to make more scientific judgements. Advantages to this approach may include the elimination of inconsistency, (19)…………., and fatigue. This may be contrasted with ’clinical’ ((20)…………..) judgement which, inter alia, confers the possibility to make exceptions in judgment for legal, financial, ethical reasons, etc.
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