scientific management  

The dominant behavioral perspective in the U.S. between 1900 and 1950. It was championed by Frederick Taylor, an engineer who felt that applying scientific principles to human behavior was an efficient way to maximize performance.

human relations approach  

Took the view that the best way to improve production was to respect workers and show concern for their needs. Became popular in the 1920s and remained influential through the 1950s.

hawthorne effect  

The boost in morale and improved productivity that can occur simply because employees feel that management care enough about them to investigate their working conditions.

contingency approach  

The dominant perspective in organizational behavior, it argues that there's no single best way to manage behavior. What 'works' in any given context depends on the complex interplay between a variety of person and situational factors.

breakthrough culture  

A corporate value system which recognizes that normal business rules and pressures don't apply to innovative thinking.

self-enhancing tactics  

Direct attempts to influence the perceptions of others via self promotion (e.g., name dropping) and image control.

other-enhancing tactics  

Indirect methods of influencing others' perceptions by boosting their self-image (e.g., flattery, opinion agreement).

audience extraction  

The process whereby perceivers (the audience) subtlely pulls/draws behavior from others (also known as the Pygmalion effect).

audience selectivity  

This terms refers to our tendency as social observers to selectively look for and process certain pieces of information about people to form impressions

personal constructs  

A very general belief about what other people are like (e.g, untrustworthy) that has wide effect on our perceptions of others behavior.

halo effect  

A more specific perceptual bias that affects perceptions of others; in particular, the use of one piece of information observed about a person is used to infer other characteristics that may or may not be there.

stereotypes  

A perceptual bias that involves using one characteristic about a person - their group membership (e.g., race, gender, or age group) - to infer other traits they think might also be present.

internal attribution  

Ascribing/assigning the cause of a person's behavior at work to something about them (e.g, their effort, their innate ability, etc.).

external attribution  

Attributing the cause of work behavior to some reason that is external to the person (e.g., bad luck, unfair circumstances, etc.).

actor-observer effect  

The tendency for observers to make internal attributions and for actors to make external attributions for behavior.

self-serving attributions  

A bias effect in attributions whereby people tend to take credit (internal attribution) for success and to make external attributions for failure.

turnover  

The percentage of employees who leave the firm during a specified time interval (usually a one year period)

affective commitment  

An employee's inclination to stay with and committed to a firm based on their emotional attachment and identification with the firm and its goals.

normative commitment  

The degree to which an employee is committed to their company based on the influence of other people in the firm.

continuance commitment  

A tendency to stay with a company that is based on a cost- benefit or economic analysis of options.

organizational citizenship behaviors  

The voluntary, 'above the call of duty' behaviors(e.g., talking up the firm to outsiders, helping coworkers, etc.) that are vitally important but often unrecognized sources of firm success.

glass ceiling  

A term that refers to the many barriers that can exist to thwart a woman's rise to the top of an organization; one that provides a view of the top, but a ceiling on how far a woman can go.

diversity programs  

A set of training and information dissemination programs that help employees recognize the value of differences among people.

motivation  

Originates from movere-Latin for 'to move.' A process that arouses and channels employee effort and behavior toward achieving goals.

content theories of motivation  

Theories that identify the needs that arouse or energize employee behavior.

process theories of motivation  

Theories that explain the processes by which employee behavior can be aroused and then directed.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory  

A theory which argues that people are motivated by five needs that are triggered in a hierarchical order.

Herzberg's two-factor theory  

Motivation theory which argues that the factors which cause satisfaction on the job are different than those which cause dissatisfaction.

hygiene factors  

The factors in Herzberg's theory that cause dissatisfaction (e.g., working conditions, pay, and coworker relations).

motivating factors  

The factors in Herzberg's theory that cause satisfaction (e.g., need for achievement, challenge, and recognition)

equity theory  

Theory which argues that perceptions of fairness drive motivation. Employees decide whether their situation is unfair or not by comparing themselves to others (e.g., friends, family, coworkers).

tiered wage system  

An approach to paying workers based on their hiring date. In their simplest form, two wage classifications exist, with workers hired after a particular date being paid much less than those already on the payroll.

churning  

When firms fire many people and hire many people at the same time.

reinforcement theory  

A motivation theory which argues that by linking consequences to
behavior, desired behaviors can be strengthened and undesirable ones eliminated.

positive reinforcement  

Administering a positive consequence (e.g., praise) to strengthen a positive behavior.

negative reinforcement  

Removing or stopping something unpleasant (e.g., eliminating time-consuming paperwork) to strengthen a positive behavior.

extinction  

Removing all reinforcement for a behavior, thereby letting it atrophy on its own.

punishment  

Administering a sanction like docking pay in an effort to eliminate a negative behavior.

goal theory  

A theory which argues that establishing future performance targets can help motivate employees.

stretch targets  

Goals which are virtually unattainable. Often designed to encourage 'doing it different' rather than 'doing what we already do better.'

Management by Objectives (MBO) program  

A generic name for the systematic use of goal-setting throughout the firm. Usually involves a joint goal-setting process between managers and subordinates.

expectancy theory  

A motivation theory which argues that employees will choose to give maximum effort if there's a decent chance that their efforts will lead to performance and that achieving a certain level of performance will result in valued outcomes (e.g., a big raise).

skill-based pay programs  

Programs that increase pay or give bonuses when employees can demonstrate that they've acquired a new skill.

decision making  

The process of evaluating two or more options in order to reach the best possible outcome.

rational-economic models  

A set of decision making approaches, often that use aids and are quantitative in form, that try to maximize the use of information and/or possible choices.

information-processing models  

Rational models that focus on evaluating the quality and relative weight of various pieces of information that need to be combined together to reach a decision.

decision-choice models  

Rational models that shift the focus away from the information sources to the actual options in trying to reach a systematic decision.

administrative model  

A set of decision making principles that recognize that a completely rational analysis of information and choice options is often not feasible in realistic decision-making.

bounded rationality  

The understanding that rational decisions are very much bounded or constrained by practical constraints (e.g., time, money, etc.).

satisficing  

A method for making decisions under bounded rationality; to choose the first option that meets a set of minimal criteria that have been established.

script  

A reference to a type of non-rational decision making that doesn't make use of existing data, but instead is based on a commonly understood sequence of behavior.

policy