Organizational Learning and Stress Management Quiz

Week 11 Communication

• Communication is the transfer and understanding of meaning, not just imparting it.
• Communication serves five main functions within groups or organizations: management, feedback, emotional sharing, persuasion, and information exchange for decision-making.
• The communication process involves steps between a source and receiver resulting in meaning transfer.
• Formal channels are communication paths established by the organization for professional matters.
• Informal channels spontaneously develop in response to individual needs

Communication Process

• Communication channels can be vertical (downward, upward) or lateral (formal, small-group networks, chain, wheel, all-channel, informal grapevine).
• Communication channels or networks differ in the structure and flow of information.
• Dealing with gossip and rumors: Share what's known and unknown, explain decisions, respond to rumors non-committally, and invite employees to voice concerns.

Modes of Communication

• Oral, written, and non-verbal communication are different modes of delivering messages.
• Tone and emphasis alter meaning in oral communication

Choice of Communication Channel

• Channel richness refers to the amount of information transmitted during a communication episode.
• Different communication channels vary in their richness (e.g., face-to-face communication is richer than email).

Persuasive Communication

• Automatic processing involves superficial consideration of information, using heuristics.
• Controlled processing uses evidence like facts, figures, and logic.
• Factors that influence processing strategies include interest levels, prior knowledge, and personality traits like need for cognition.
• Message characteristics are also part of the process.

Barriers to Effective Communication

• Filtering, selective perception, information overload, emotions, language, silence, communication apprehension, and lying can all hinder effective communication.

Cultural Factors

• High-context cultures rely heavily on nonverbal cues, while low-context cultures emphasize words.

Week 12 Leadership

• Leadership is the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals.
• Leadership and management are both crucial for organizational effectiveness, with leaders setting the vision and managers overseeing daily tasks.
• Contemporary theories of Leadership:

Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory

• Explains how leaders create in-groups and out-groups among subordinates.
• Ingroup members exhibit higher performance, less turnover, and greater job satisfaction.
• The selection process of in-group members is not fully understood.
• LMX can be stronger for leaders and followers of the same gender.

Charismatic Leadership

• Attributions of heroic or extraordinary abilities when followers observe specific behaviors.
• Individuals are born with traits that make them charismatic, and these may be learned through training and experience.
• Key characteristics: vision and articulation of a compelling future, personal risk, sensitivity to follower needs, and unconventional behavior.

Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership

• Transactional leaders motivate followers toward established goals by clarifying roles and tasks.
• Transformational leaders inspire followers to go beyond their self-interests, producing highly positive outcomes.

Full Range of Leadership Model

• A model that describes seven distinct management styles on a continuum of effectiveness.
• Seven Styles on a continuum: Laissez-Faire to Management by Exception (Active) to Management by Exception (Passive) to Contingent Reward to Inspirational Motivation to Intellectual Stimulation to Individualized Consideration to Idealized Influence.

Trait Theories of Leadership

• Trait theories identify personal characteristics of leaders that distinguish them from non-leaders.
• Key traits include certain personality characteristics
• Big 5 framework shows extraversion, openness, emotional stability are factors of effectiveness, but not always domineering leaders

Behavioral Theories of Leadership

• Behavioral theories suggest leadership effectiveness is less about traits and more about behaviors.
• Key behaviors such as initiating structure (organizing the job) and consideration (caring about followers) are crucial.

Contingency Theories

• Contingency theories propose leadership effectiveness is contingent on the specific situation.
• Fiedler's contingency model suggests the best leader is one whose style matches the situation, and situational leadership theory focuses on follower readiness. • Path-goal theory suggests that a leader's job is to help followers achieve goals that are compatible with the organization's objectives. • Leadership style varies with followers' readiness. • The Leader-participation model helps determine the amount and form of participative decision-making in different situations.

Week 13: Power & Politics

• Power is the capacity that A has to influence B's behavior to achieve A's wishes, based on B's dependence on A.
• Organizational power can come from formal sources (coercive, reward, legitimate) or personal sources (expert, referent).
• Power tactics are ways to translate power bases into action.
• Political behavior refers to actions that aren’t formally required but affect distribution of resources.
• Political skill is the ability to influence others for one’s gain.

Week 14: Conflict & Negotiation

• Conflict involves one party feeling harmed or about to be harmed, based on a perception that another party is impacting something important to the first.
• Types of conflict include task conflicts (over content), relationship conflicts (over interpersonal issues), and process conflicts (about how work is done).
• The conflict process involves five stages: potential opposition or incompatibility, cognition and personalization, intentions, behavior, and outcomes.
• Conflict can be functional or dysfunctional, depending on whether it supports or hinders group performance.
• Negotiation is a process where two or more parties exchange goods or services to reach an agreement.
• Bargaining strategies include distributive bargaining (win-lose) and integrative bargaining (win-win).
• Individual differences, like personality, emotional stability, and agreeableness impact negotiation effectiveness.
• Third-party negotiation is also discussed in detail.

Week 18 : Organizational Change & Stress Management

• Forces for change can be external (technology, globalization, economic shocks) or internal (workforce diversity, new strategies).
• Planned change is intentional, goal-oriented activity to improve organizational effectiveness.
• Resistance to change is a natural response to disruptions.
• Change agents initiate change.
• Lewin's Three-Step Model and Kotter's Eight-Step Plan outline models for change management.
• Action research provides a systematic means to analyze data and implement change.
• OD (Organizational Development) seeks to improve organizational effectiveness and well-being.
• Effective change considers the impacts of culture and time orientation.
• Stress can be present in employees and can affect their jobs in ways that are positive or negative.
• Individual and organizational approaches can manage stress more effectively.

Other Relevant Topics:

• Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile environment.

Test your knowledge on key concepts related to learning organizations, stress models, and leadership styles. This quiz covers topics such as the Demands-Resources Model of Stress, Appreciative Inquiry, and the Big Five personality traits. Perfect for students and professionals interested in organizational behavior and management.