Organization & People key words
Chapter 1
Organizational behavior A field of study that investigates the
impact individuals, groups, and structure
have on behavior within organizations, for
the purpose of applying such knowledge
toward improving an organization’s
effectiveness.
Systematic study Looking at relationships, attempting to
attribute causes and effects, and drawing
conclusions based in scientific evidence.
Evidence-based management The basing of managerial decisions on the
(EBM) best available scientific evidence
Intuition An instinctive feeling not necessarily
supported by research
Psychology The science that seeks to measure,
explain, and sometimes change the
behavior of humans and other animals
Social psychology An area of psychology that blends
concepts from psychology and sociology
to focus on the influence of people on one
another.
Sociology The study of people in relation to their
social environment or culture
Anthropology The study of societies to learn about
human beings and their activities
Contingency variables Situational factors or variables that
moderate the relationship between two or
more variables
Workforce diversity The concept that organizations are
becoming more heterogenous in terms of
gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual
orientation and other characteristics
Positive organizational scholarship An area of OB research that concerns how
organizations develop human strengths,
foster vitality and resilience and unlock
potential
Ethical dilemmas and ethical Situations in which individuals are required
choices to define right and wrong conduct
Model An abstraction of reality, a simplified
representation of some real-world
phenomenon
, Inputs Variables like personality, group structure
and organizational culture that lead to
processes
Processes Actions that individuals, groups and
organizations engage in as a result of
inputs that lead to certain outcomes.
Outcomes Key factors that are affected by other
variables
Attitudes Evaluative statements or judgements
concerning objects, people or events
Stress An unpleasant phycological process that
occurs in response to environmental
pressures
Task performance The combination of effectiveness and
efficiency at doing core job tasks
Organizational citizenship behavior Discretionary behavior that contributes to
(OCB) the psychological and social environment
of the workplace
Withdrawal behavior The set of actions employees take to
separate themselves from the
organization
Group cohesion The extent to which members of a group
support and validate one another while at
work
Group functioning The quantity and quality of a group’s work
output
Productivity The combination of the effectiveness and
efficiency of an organization
Effectiveness The degree to which an organization
meets the needs of its clientele or
customers
Efficiency The degree to which an organization can
achieve its ends at low costs
Organizational survival The degree to which an organization is
able to exist and grow over the long term.
Chapter 2
Attitudes Attitudes are evaluative statements or
judgements concerning objects, people or
events
Cognitive component the opinion or belief segment of an attitude
Chapter 1
Organizational behavior A field of study that investigates the
impact individuals, groups, and structure
have on behavior within organizations, for
the purpose of applying such knowledge
toward improving an organization’s
effectiveness.
Systematic study Looking at relationships, attempting to
attribute causes and effects, and drawing
conclusions based in scientific evidence.
Evidence-based management The basing of managerial decisions on the
(EBM) best available scientific evidence
Intuition An instinctive feeling not necessarily
supported by research
Psychology The science that seeks to measure,
explain, and sometimes change the
behavior of humans and other animals
Social psychology An area of psychology that blends
concepts from psychology and sociology
to focus on the influence of people on one
another.
Sociology The study of people in relation to their
social environment or culture
Anthropology The study of societies to learn about
human beings and their activities
Contingency variables Situational factors or variables that
moderate the relationship between two or
more variables
Workforce diversity The concept that organizations are
becoming more heterogenous in terms of
gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual
orientation and other characteristics
Positive organizational scholarship An area of OB research that concerns how
organizations develop human strengths,
foster vitality and resilience and unlock
potential
Ethical dilemmas and ethical Situations in which individuals are required
choices to define right and wrong conduct
Model An abstraction of reality, a simplified
representation of some real-world
phenomenon
, Inputs Variables like personality, group structure
and organizational culture that lead to
processes
Processes Actions that individuals, groups and
organizations engage in as a result of
inputs that lead to certain outcomes.
Outcomes Key factors that are affected by other
variables
Attitudes Evaluative statements or judgements
concerning objects, people or events
Stress An unpleasant phycological process that
occurs in response to environmental
pressures
Task performance The combination of effectiveness and
efficiency at doing core job tasks
Organizational citizenship behavior Discretionary behavior that contributes to
(OCB) the psychological and social environment
of the workplace
Withdrawal behavior The set of actions employees take to
separate themselves from the
organization
Group cohesion The extent to which members of a group
support and validate one another while at
work
Group functioning The quantity and quality of a group’s work
output
Productivity The combination of the effectiveness and
efficiency of an organization
Effectiveness The degree to which an organization
meets the needs of its clientele or
customers
Efficiency The degree to which an organization can
achieve its ends at low costs
Organizational survival The degree to which an organization is
able to exist and grow over the long term.
Chapter 2
Attitudes Attitudes are evaluative statements or
judgements concerning objects, people or
events
Cognitive component the opinion or belief segment of an attitude
