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MGMT90018:ManagerialpsychologyNotes

Week1 Introduction pp.2

Week2 Workplacebehaviours pp.3-5

Week3 Personalityandvalues pp.6-9

Week4 Attitudes,beliefsandperception pp.10-13

Week5 Motivation pp.14-16

Week6 Wellbeingandstress pp.17-18

Week7 Decision-making pp.19-21

Week8 Teamsanddiversity pp.22-24

Week9 Conflictsandnegotiation pp.25-28

Week10 Power,influenceandleadership pp.29-33

Week11 Organisationalstructureandsocialnetwork pp.34-39

Week12 Organisationalcultureandchange pp.40-42

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Week1:Introduction

- psychology:thestudyofmind(whatyouthink)àdriveshumanfunctionsandbehaviours

p influencesbehaviours(whatyoudo),personality,humanemotions,intelligence,memory,

perception(e.g.jobsatisfaction),cognition,attention,motivation(e.g.employee

performance,citizenshipbehaviours)

- Organisationalbehaviours

individualcharacteristics

(personality,values,traits)

affect

Individualmechanism

(motivation,well-

being,stress,decision-

making,attitude,

beliefs,perception)

affect

Individualoutcome

(workbehaviours,

jobperformance,

jobsatisfaction)

groupmechanisms

(teamdiversity,conflict,power,

influence,leadership)

organisationalmechanisms

(organisationalstructure,network,

culture,change)

- individuals,groupsandorganisationalstructureshaveimpactsontheindividualoutcomeand

organisationaleffectivenessàe.g.affecthowyoufeelaboutjobsatisfaction

- psychology:thestudyofwhatyouthinkàdrivehumanfunctionsandbehaviours(whatyoudo)

- ethics:whatisrightorwrongbehaviour

morality:specificculturalstandardaboutwhatisrightorwrong

p ethicsandmoralityinvolvemakingdecisionaboutwhatisrightorwrongandgoodorbad

- philosophicaltheories:whatisrightorwrong

Utilitarian

theory

- goodorbadbasedonoutcomeorresult(focusedontheresultoftheaction,not

howtheresultsareachieved:endsjustifymeans)

- mostgoodandleastharmviacostandbenefitanalysis

e.g.itisgoodtokillonepersonifithelpstosavefivepeople

Principlesof

rights

(Deontology)

- userulestodistinguishrightorwrong(ifitpassestheline:wrong)

- actionismoreimportantthanconsequences(don’tviolatetherule)

e.g.neverrighttokillanyoneanddonothingtosavethefivepeople

Aristotle

virtueethics

- morallycorrectactionsaretodevelopgoodcharactervirtuesandarebasedon

honesty,fairness,integrityandloyalty

Ethical

relativism

- nouniversalethicalprinciplesasdifferentsocietieshavedifferentbeliefsà

cannotdeterminerightorwrongingeneral

- ethicalbehavioursaredifficult:noclearsolution,competinginterest,pressure,self-interest,

uncertainties

p developcomplianceprogramsandbuildacultureofethicstoavoidunethicalbehaviours

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Week2:Workplacebehaviours

- jobperformance:mainindividualoutcomesatworkplaceàwantemployeestoperformbetterin

jobperformancetoreachorganisationalgoalsandcommittedtotheorganisation

Task

performance

- formallyandspecificallydefinedinthejobdescriptionwhichleadsto

organisationalobjective

Routine - predictableway(dooverandovereveryday)

Adaptive - unusualandunpleasanttask(adaptimprovisechanges)

Creative - developandgeneratenovel(newanduseful)ideastofinda

bettersolution

- creativetaskperformance:doesnothavetocompletelynew,canborrowfromdifferentfields

(puttingknownideasintonewcombinations)

Fluency - thenumberofideas(themoreideasyouhave,themorecreativeyouare)

Flexibility - thenumberofcategoriesofideas(themorecategoriesyouhave,themorecreative

yourideasare)

- requiresdivergentthinkingexploringdifferentcategories

p combinationofsmallorborrowedideascanstillbenovelàtinythingscanstillbeperceived

ascreative

p creativitymixtureinthreedomains:creativethinkingskills(cognitivestyletotakenew

perspectives)xdomainknowledge(inthatparticularfield)xtaskmotivation(motivatedto

findsomethingnew)

Þ creativeideasrequireresearches,thinkingandinventioninthesethreedomains

p creativeprocess:involvesdivergent(exploreasmanycategoriesaspossible:requiresbroad

searches:moreopportunitiesyoucansee)andconvergentthinking(combineideastogether)

Þ recogniseproblemàgatherinformationàfindcreativeideasàselectideasà(then

implement:innovationpart)

Individual

creativity

facilitator

- personality(opennesstoexperience,curious,willingtoquestionauthority,

broadinterest,highself-esteem),risk-taking,seekdiverseinformation,

diversenetwork(differentperspectivesandpeople)

Individual

creativity

blocker

- resistancetochange,fearoffailureandmistake,conformity(follow

norms),inabilitytotolerateuncertainty(shutdownnewideasbefore

understanding),timepressure,notenoughorirrelevantinformation

Organisational

creativity

facilitator

- supportiveenvironment(encouragefailures,takerisks,sufficient

information,transformationalorsharedleadership),autonomy(freedom),

knowledgeaboutthetask(encouragecollectinformation),createinterest

fromthetask(intrinsicmotivation),lessemphasisinauthority

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Organisational

creativity

blocker

- harshcriticisms,avoidanceofrisk,nofreedomorautonomy,internal

politics(withouttimetothinkcreatively),centraliseddecision,close

monitoring,destructivecompetition

Þ workingcontexthavetodealwithblockersandfacilitatecreativethinking

p teamcreativity:diversityofideas,expertise,perspectives(bringinnewanglesthatyoumight

nothave)[differentviewpointsindivergeandconvergetosolveproblems]

Problems - toomuchcohesiveness:groupthink,conformity(notmakingcriticisms)and

diversity(conflicts:difficulttoconverge),lackofcommunication,notwilling

andcomfortabletoshareuniqueinformationandangle,purposefullygive

harshcriticisms

Designing

creative

teams

- balanceddiversity(avoidunnecessaryconflicts),haveintrinsicmotivation(set

goalswithexplicitexpectation),supportiveworkingenvironmentandteam

climate,appropriateexpertiseandknowledge,clearbutfluidroles

(decentralised(non-hierarchical:relevantpersonwithexpertiseshouldtake

initiativeinthataspect),effectivecommunication

- citizenshipbehaviours:extra,voluntary,optional,discretionarystuffthatemployeedoesinthe

organisation(notrecognisedbytherewardsystem),e.g.helpothersintheorganisation

Interpersonal

citizenshipbehaviour

- target:co-workers:helpingothers,showingcourtesy,showing

sportsmanship,motivatingco-workers)

Organisational

citizenshipbehaviour

- target:entireorganisation:raiseoutorganisationalproblems,civic

virtue(deeplevelofcommitment)e.g.gotovoluntaryactivities,

boosterism(saypositivethingsabouttheorganisation

p beneficialtoorganisationaloutcomeandeffectiveness:performancequality,efficiency)

Þ informallyaffectrewardorpromotion(managersmayobservewhetheremployees

involvevoluntaryactives)

Þ helptosolvetheorganisationalcrisiswithdeepcommitment(e.g.Southwestairline

employeeswillingtoreducesalaryorhelpcompanyincrisis)

Þ betterperformancewhenmorepeopleengagedinhelping,sharingknowledgeand

providingmentorship

- counterproductiveworkbehaviours:intentionalbehavioursthatarecontrarytoitslegitimate

interest(negativelyaffecttheperformanceorgoals)

interpersonal

CWB

- minor:politicaldeviance(e.g.gossiping,incivility)

- serious:personalaggression(e.g.harassment,abuse,aggressiveness)