Organizational Behavior Week 1 & 2

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Questions and Answers

What is criterion-related validity primarily concerned with?

The relationship of items to a criterion variable (correct)

The superficial appearance of measurement accuracy

The strength of correlation between two variables

Expert opinions on measurement content

How do reliability and validity relate to each other in measurement?

Validity ensures reliability

Reliability guarantees validity

They are unrelated concepts

High reliability can occur with low validity (correct)

Why is it often beneficial to use multiple items to measure a single construct?

To ensure face validity

To reduce measurement errors and improve reliability (correct)

To simplify the survey process

To increase the sample size

Which of the following best describes content validity?

Consulting experts to assess whether the test covers the relevant content Signup and view all the answers

What does a correlation coefficient of r = -0.60 indicate?

A moderate negative correlation Signup and view all the answers

What is one major limitation of using surveys in research?

They can be influenced by social desirability bias Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of correlation analysis includes evaluating the strength and direction of the relationship?

Magnitude and direction Signup and view all the answers

Which sample size is generally preferred for better representativeness, assuming similar characteristics?

Larger sample sizes for reduced bias Signup and view all the answers

What primarily distinguishes reliability from validity in measurement?

Reliability measures consistency, while validity measures accuracy. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of validity assesses whether a measurement tool correlates with an external criterion?

Criterion-related Validity Signup and view all the answers

When assessing construct validity, what is the primary focus?

Whether the measurement accurately captures the theoretical concept. Signup and view all the answers

Which method can help ensure that low response rates in surveys do not adversely affect validity?

Ensuring the sample is representative. Signup and view all the answers

What type of error does reliability specifically focus on assessing?

Random error Signup and view all the answers

Which statistical analysis would be useful in assessing the strength of a relationship between two variables?

Correlation Analysis Signup and view all the answers

A researcher's measure consistently produces scores that are 5 points higher than actual values. This is an example of what type of error?

Systematic error Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of criterion-related validity?

The correlation between a predictor and a criterion Signup and view all the answers

What effect does a restricted range have on the observed correlation between variables?

It lowers the observed correlation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the difference between reliability and validity?

Reliability measures the consistency of a test, while validity measures its accuracy Signup and view all the answers

What does the validity coefficient represent in the context of predictive validity?

The strength of the relationship between cognitive ability and job performance Signup and view all the answers

Which item is NOT a consideration when choosing predictors for personnel selection?

Dimensions of cognitive ability Signup and view all the answers

In the context of personnel selection, why are letters of recommendation often considered a negative selection tool?

People avoid writing them for fear of providing negative feedback Signup and view all the answers

What does a factor analysis help determine regarding cognitive ability?

The dimensionality of cognitive ability Signup and view all the answers

How is the validity of a recommendation letter quantified in the context provided?

Through a product of its elements, e.g., 0.26*0.26 Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Week 1

OB is the scientific study of behaviours and mental processes in organisations
Hawthorne Studies demonstrated that worker behavior is influenced by more than just physical or monetary incentives
The Hawthorne Effect is a change in behavior following a new treatment, with a gradual return to the previous behaviour level
The Hawthorne Studies were the first to predict that work behaviour is influenced by factors beyond physical environment and monetary incentives

Week 2

Research designs include Case Studies (in-depth study of individuals/organisations), Naturalistic Observation (watching behaviour in natural environments) and Survey methods (questionnaires/interviews) and experimental methods (manipulating variables to observe effects).
Key considerations for research studies are External Validity (generalizability) and External Validity (control of other variables).
Validity is related to accuracy of measurement and reliability refers to consistency of measurement.
Reliability is checked by measuring errors of measurement, which assess random errors, not constant errors. Longer tests can be more reliable as errors cancel out.
Correlation describes the relationship between two variables, with magnitude (strength) and direction (positive/negative).
Coefficient of determination is the square of the correlation (explaining the variation). Moderation refers to the role of a variable in influencing the relationship between two other variables.

Week 3

Cognitive ability is a strong predictor of job performance across various jobs and cultures
Personality traits, like the Big 5 (Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness to Experience), also predict job performance. Neuroticism has a negative relation with job performance, while conscientiousness is positively related.
Intelligence can be thought as multi-dimensional, as a person who is smart in one area, can be smart in other areas related to it
Intelligence in one area can predict performance in other areas related to that intelligence

Week 4

Cultural values like Individualism, Power Distance, Achievement Orientation, Uncertainty Avoidance, Future Orientation, and Indulgence/Restraint influence work attitudes and behaviours.
These can strongly influence work values like honesty, fairness, and concern for others
Individual level cultural values are better at predicting attitudes and behaviours than country level cultural values

Week 5

Decision making is influenced by factors beyond rationality, including information constraints, time constraints, and political considerations
Risk-taking varies across cultures and is associated with different cultural norms
Heuristics (mental shortcuts) and biases can affect decision-making
Escalation of commitment is continuing to invest in failing decisions due to self-justification, gambler's fallacy and perceptual blindness

Week 6

Leadership is about influencing others to achieve organizational goals
Various theories predict leadership effectiveness, including the traits approach (e.g., intelligence, energy, self-confidence) and leadership theories like House's Path-Goal Theory, Transformational Leadership, and Ethical Leadership

Week 7

Motivation is affected by both biological and sociological factors.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, self-actualization) and Alderfer's ERG theory (existence, relatedness, growth) are important need theories.
Self-Determination Theory suggests that people are motivated by autonomy, competence, and relatedness
Equity theory focuses on social comparison and fairness perceptions.

Week 8

Key steps in negotiation include: Preparation, Relationship building, Information gathering and using, Bidding, Closing the deal, and Implementing the deal.
Strategies for distributive negotiation include assessing your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement), determining resistance points, and using anchoring and making the first offer strategically
Important to build rapport with the other party to establish relationships
Patterns and magnitude of concessions can impact negotiation success

Week 9

Emotion regulation ability can affect well-being and socioeconomic success
Ability to down-regulate negative emotions is correlated with better well-being, and ability to up-regulate positive emotions is correlated with greater well-being and financial success
Emotion regulation skills can be enhanced through training

Week 10

Persuasion is about influencing others’ thoughts, feelings, or behaviours using various strategies like Reciprocity, Authority, Commitment/Consistency, Scarcity, Liking, and Social Proof.
These persuasion tactics have different degrees of influence
Normative data and culture can affect people behaviour, to maximize the effect of persuasion

Week 11

Some common causes of conflict are group identification (and intergroup bias), interdependence, differences in power and status, ambiguity, and scarce resources.
Strategies for resolving conflict include avoidance, accommodation, competition, compromise, collaboration, and negotiation.
Negotiations have stages such as preparation, relationship-building, information gathering, bidding, closing the deal, and implementation of the deal

Week 12

Agreeableness can negatively affect income and career advancement based on stereotypical perceptions.
Cultural and gender norms affect how traits are valued in certain settings
There are variations between self-report data and actual observed behavior when measuring the importance of factors like pay
Understanding the diverse social norms impacting these behaviors could help managers and organisations better design effective and fair employment practises or reward systems

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Description

This quiz covers key concepts from the first two weeks of Organizational Behavior studies, focusing on the impact of various factors on worker behavior, including the renowned Hawthorne Studies. It also delves into different research designs and the importance of validity and reliability in research methods. Test your understanding of these foundational concepts in the field of organizational psychology.