MO 221 MIDTERM STUDY GUIDE
Organizations - Answer -Group of people who work interdependently towards some
purpose
Collective entities
Collective sense of purpose
Organisational Behaviour - Answer -Study of what people think, feel and do in and
around organizations
Way which a group of people within an organization interact and work together to
achieve goals
Lewin's Formula: B = f(I, E) - Answer -Peoples behavior (B) at work = a function of the
individual (I) and the environment (E)
Managers and teammates can't directly control any individual (I)
Managers and teammates can only control or influence the environment (E)
Pedagogy: Kolb's Experiential Learning Model - Answer -Circle:
> Concrete Experience (engage in class) > Reflect Observation (Think about/discuss
what happened/importance) >Abstract Conceptualization (Develop a theory as to why
and how) > Active Experimentation (Test your theory) >
Fundamentals of Perception: Understanding the Mind's Architecture - Answer -The
mind is structured to help us be efficient - want to save mental energy
We have a high need to anticipate and interpret our environment (survival instinct)
We form associations (shortcuts) based on our experiences (system 1 thinking)
Perceptual errors shape our attributes and behaviors
Fundamental Attribution Errors - Answer -Tendency to see the person rather than the
situation as the main cause of that person's behavior
Error: Self-Serving Bias - Answer -Tendency to attribute our successes to internal
factors and failures to external factors
Error: Confirmation Bias - Answer -Tendency to search for, interpret, favor and recall
information that confirms preexisting beliefs
The name pronunciation effect - Answer -easier to pronounce names get a more
positive response than those with harder names
Implicit Bias - Answer -Attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions,
and decisions in an unconscious manner
Implicit Biases are:
Favorable and Unfavorable assessments
Activated involuntarily without our awareness/control
, Usually favoring our "in-group"
Pervasive - anyone has them
Malleable - can be unlearned
Strategies to reduce bias: Seek out meaningful interaction - Answer -it is harder to
stereotype with increased interaction.
Interaction should:
be close and frequent
involve tasks with shared goals
grant participants equal status
Strategies to reduce bias: Develop Perspective-Taking - Answer -Sensitivity to the
feelings, thoughts and situations of others
Strategies to reduce bias: Practice Self-Awareness - Answer -Awareness of your
values, beliefs, and prejudices
Take an implicit association test
Apply the Johari Window
Johari Window Model - Answer -Model of self-awareness and mutual understanding
Four "windows"
Open area—information about you known to you and others
Blind area—information known to others but not to yourself
Hidden area—information known to you, unknown to others
Unknown area—not known to you or others
Increase open area through two processes:
Disclosure—tell others about yourself
Feedback—receive feedback about your behavior
Strengths in Organizational Contexts - Answer -"Strength-based" employers like to
focus on helping employees use their strengths (vs remediating weakness)
You can overuse or unintelligently use strengths:
how much you work on weaknesses should depend on how critical they are for your job
greatest weaknesses can be the other side of our strengths
Strengths shouldn't drain you - good at but hate doing isn't necessarily a strength
Big Five Personality Model (CANOE) - Answer -Conscientiousness - organized,
dependable, thorough
Agreeableness - trusting, helpful, good-natured
Neuroticism - anxious, insecure, self-conscious
Openness to Experience - imaginative, creative, curious
Extraversion - outgoing, energetic, talkative
CANOE: Conscientiousness - Answer -High:
More well organized, reliable and consistent
Enjoy planning, seeking achievements, pursuing long-term goals
Organizations - Answer -Group of people who work interdependently towards some
purpose
Collective entities
Collective sense of purpose
Organisational Behaviour - Answer -Study of what people think, feel and do in and
around organizations
Way which a group of people within an organization interact and work together to
achieve goals
Lewin's Formula: B = f(I, E) - Answer -Peoples behavior (B) at work = a function of the
individual (I) and the environment (E)
Managers and teammates can't directly control any individual (I)
Managers and teammates can only control or influence the environment (E)
Pedagogy: Kolb's Experiential Learning Model - Answer -Circle:
> Concrete Experience (engage in class) > Reflect Observation (Think about/discuss
what happened/importance) >Abstract Conceptualization (Develop a theory as to why
and how) > Active Experimentation (Test your theory) >
Fundamentals of Perception: Understanding the Mind's Architecture - Answer -The
mind is structured to help us be efficient - want to save mental energy
We have a high need to anticipate and interpret our environment (survival instinct)
We form associations (shortcuts) based on our experiences (system 1 thinking)
Perceptual errors shape our attributes and behaviors
Fundamental Attribution Errors - Answer -Tendency to see the person rather than the
situation as the main cause of that person's behavior
Error: Self-Serving Bias - Answer -Tendency to attribute our successes to internal
factors and failures to external factors
Error: Confirmation Bias - Answer -Tendency to search for, interpret, favor and recall
information that confirms preexisting beliefs
The name pronunciation effect - Answer -easier to pronounce names get a more
positive response than those with harder names
Implicit Bias - Answer -Attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions,
and decisions in an unconscious manner
Implicit Biases are:
Favorable and Unfavorable assessments
Activated involuntarily without our awareness/control
, Usually favoring our "in-group"
Pervasive - anyone has them
Malleable - can be unlearned
Strategies to reduce bias: Seek out meaningful interaction - Answer -it is harder to
stereotype with increased interaction.
Interaction should:
be close and frequent
involve tasks with shared goals
grant participants equal status
Strategies to reduce bias: Develop Perspective-Taking - Answer -Sensitivity to the
feelings, thoughts and situations of others
Strategies to reduce bias: Practice Self-Awareness - Answer -Awareness of your
values, beliefs, and prejudices
Take an implicit association test
Apply the Johari Window
Johari Window Model - Answer -Model of self-awareness and mutual understanding
Four "windows"
Open area—information about you known to you and others
Blind area—information known to others but not to yourself
Hidden area—information known to you, unknown to others
Unknown area—not known to you or others
Increase open area through two processes:
Disclosure—tell others about yourself
Feedback—receive feedback about your behavior
Strengths in Organizational Contexts - Answer -"Strength-based" employers like to
focus on helping employees use their strengths (vs remediating weakness)
You can overuse or unintelligently use strengths:
how much you work on weaknesses should depend on how critical they are for your job
greatest weaknesses can be the other side of our strengths
Strengths shouldn't drain you - good at but hate doing isn't necessarily a strength
Big Five Personality Model (CANOE) - Answer -Conscientiousness - organized,
dependable, thorough
Agreeableness - trusting, helpful, good-natured
Neuroticism - anxious, insecure, self-conscious
Openness to Experience - imaginative, creative, curious
Extraversion - outgoing, energetic, talkative
CANOE: Conscientiousness - Answer -High:
More well organized, reliable and consistent
Enjoy planning, seeking achievements, pursuing long-term goals
