Org Psych MidTerm Study Guide
Cue/Topic
Answer/Details
Good work vs.
good job
The difference between good work and good job is a matter of quality. Good
work is an activity in which you can engage your expertise, skills, and
abilities in tasks that have wider and broader implications for the “wider”
world. In a way, good work is work that is important in some respect; the
work itself not only provides for the material and activity needs of the
employee, but also provides, directly or indirectly, some benefit to one’s
neighborhood, society, nation, or world. A good job is perhaps a place where
one feels confident in one’s job security. One may enjoy or at least not dislike
one’s work. It lacks the added additive quality of good work.
Personnel, Organizational, Human Factors (human engineering)
 Individualism vs. collectivism
 Masculinity / Femininity: accumulating wealth vs. people
 Power distance
 Uncertainty avoidance: seeking certainty, accepting uncertainty
 Long-term vs. short-term
3 branches I/O
Hofstede’s
multicultural
model
(I.M.P.U.L.)
Motivation
definition:
basic model:
Deci’s SDT
 3 needs

basic
description

types of selfregulation

General
Causality
Orientations
concerns the conditions responsible for variations in intensity, persistence,
quality, and directions of ongoing behavior.
(performance = mot * ability – constraints)
1. self-determination (autonomy)
2. relatedness
3. competence
Self-determination theory is based on the idea that humans have basic needs
natural to existence. When these needs are met, intrinsic motivation is high.
When these needs are undermined, intrinsic motivation decreases.
 Amotivation: non-regulation
 Extrinsic Motivation:
o External regulation: compliance, rewards, punishments
o Introjected: ego-invovlement, internal rewards, punishments
o Identified: conscious valuing, somewhat internal
o Integrated: congruence, awareness, self-synthesis
 Intrinsic: interest, enjoyment, inherent satisfaction
 Autonomy: high degree of experienced choice regarding intiation and
regulation of own bx. less controlled by extrinsic rewards, seeks
opportunities for self-determination
 Control: being organized with respect to external or internal controls.
More controlled by extrinsic rewards, relies on controlling events.
 Impersonal: experience bx as beyond intentional control (luck, fate)
Hackman &
Oldham’s JCM
Meaningfullness of Work
 Characteristics, 1. Skill variety
2. Task identity
Psychological
3. Task significance
States
4. Autonomy
Responsibility for Outcomes
5. Feedback
Knowledge of results
 High intrinsic motivation
 Outcomes (4)

Moderators (4)
Relationship
Between JCM and
SDT (3)
Other Theories (4)
Effective Pay
strategies (5 +
groups &
individuals)
Defective pay
strategies (5)
Work Attitudes
3 components of
attitude
mood vs. emotion
core selfevaluations








High job performance
High job satisfaction
low absenteeism and turnover
Growth need strength
job as vehicle for personal growth, sense of achievement, etc.
Knowledge and skills
Satisfaction with extrinsic aspect of work
Both are concerned with autonomy as an important psychological state
which is related to intrinsic motivation.
 JCM’s feedback can be autonomy supportive (informational) or
controlling. controlling feedback tends to decrease motivation, while
informational feedback supports intrinsic motivation.
 Differing levels of growth needs, etc. should be placed in corresponding
work situations.
 Vroom’s VIE: valence, instrumentality, expectancy. motivation is a
function of the interaction of these three variables.
 Festinger’s Dissonance theory:
 Adam’s Equity Theory: Perceived discripancy between input/output ratio
for self and ratio for others leads to psychological states.
 Goal-setting theory (Locke): goal is motivational force; need to accept
(commit) to goals; goals should be optimal (difficult, but obtainable).
Incorporates feedback loop! Important construct in motivation.
 set high goals for performance
 develop accurate ways to measure performance
 train supervisors in appraisal
 link pay to performance
 make increases noticeable and meaningful
For groups: team incentives, stock options, gain/profit sharing
For individuals; tied to individual performance
 bonuses or merit pay is too small
 non-existent link b/w pay and performance
 poor perf appraisal
 effect of unions
 adaptation problems
 belief
 evaluation
 bx intention
moods are more enduring – not tied to specific stimulus or environmental
event; also partly dispositional. (think PA and NA)
 Def: self-assessment of circumstances. includes:
o self-esteem: estimation of social standing, value to others
o self-efficacy: belief in one’s ability to successfully accomplish
task
o locus of control: internal vs. external causation of life events
o absence of neuroticism
 Predicts:
o perceptions of work characteristics
o job satisfaction
o life satisfaction
Job Satisfaction
definition/hx
Spector – JSS
JDI – Smith,
Kendall
Types of
Satisfaction
Work Commitment

Def: “positive attitude or emotional state resulting from the appraisal or
one’s job or job exeperience.”
 know Hawthorne effect
 Is it a dependent or independent variable?
 Small relationship with job performance, commitment, abstenteeism, etc.
Job Satisfaction Survey
 facet satisfaction: pay, promo, supervision, conditions, coworkers, etc.
Job Descriptive Index
 facet satisfaction
 Progressive Satisfaction: attempts to achieve higher level of current
satisfaction
 Stabilized: motivated to maintain current level
 Resigned: decrease aspiration to maintain satisfaction
 Pseudo: denail of negative work situation
 Constructive Dissatisfaction: attempts to master situation
 Fixated: gets stuck in problems
 Affective:**emotional attachment
 Continuance: avoid cost of quitting
 Normative: obligation
 Different commitment levels to different aspects of job