Chapter Seven Interpersonal Behavior in the Workplace Learning Objectives DESCRIBE two types of psychological contracts in work relationships and the types of trust associated with each DESCRIBE organizational citizenship behavior and IDENTIFY ways in which it may be promoted IDENTIFY ways in which cooperation can be promoted in the workplace DESCRIBE competition and why it is inevitable in organizations DESCRIBE the causes and effects of conflict in organizations IDENTIFY three forms of deviant organizational behavior and EXPLAIN how to minimize them 2 Three Good Reasons Why You Should Care About... Interpersonal Behavior 1. Cooperation between people can make life on the job not only more pleasant, but more productive as well 2. The effects of conflict can be beneficial in organizations, if managed properly, but harmful if mismanaged 3. Managers can take several effective steps to reduce the likelihood of deviant organizational behavior, thereby avoiding its disruptive costs 3 1
Interpersonal Behavior A variety of behaviors involving the ways in which people work with and against one another 4 Psychological Contracts People s beliefs about what is expected of another in a relationship Transactional Contract: A type of psychological contract that is characterized by an exclusively economic focus, a brief time span, an unchanging nature, and is narrow and well defined in scope Ideals: constitutes a special, nonstandard arrangement that may be of longer duration Relational Contract: A type of psychological contract in which the parties have a long-term and widely defined relationship with a vast focus 5 Ideals Idiosyncratic deals (i-deals): arrangements that are meant to be ideal for everyone concerned Ex-post i-deals made after a person is hired Ex-ante i-deals made before a person is hired 6 2
Psychological Contracts 7 Trust A person s degree of confidence in the words and actions of another Calculus-Based Trust: A form of trust based on deterrence, whenever people believe that another will behave as promised out of fear of getting punished for doing otherwise Identification-Based Trust: A form of trust based on accepting the wants and desires of another person 8 Developing Trust How trust develops: Some people tend to be more trusting than others People develop reputations for being trustworthy How to promote trust: Always meet deadlines Follow through as promised Share personal values and goals 9 3
Prosocial Behavior Prosocial behavior can be defined as acts that benefit others in organizations Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) can be defined as acts that exceed the formal requirements of one s job Whistle-blowing is the disclosure by employees of illegal, immoral, or illegitimate practices by employers to people or organizations able to effect action 10 Organizational Citizenship Behavior 11 Organizational Citizenship Behavior The more people believe they are treated fairly by the organization: The more they trust its management The more willing they are to go the extra mile to help out when needed Although the effects of OCB may be indirect and difficult to measure, they can be very profound To promote OCB: Go out of your way to help others Be an example of conscientiousness Make voluntary functions fun Demonstrate courtesy and good sportsmanship 12 4
Whistle Blowing 13 Cooperation and Competition Cooperation can be defined as those situations in which two or more individuals, teams or organizations work together toward some common goal Factors that contribute to cooperation: Reciprocity principle: the tendency for people to treat others the way they have been treated in the past Personal orientation: some people tend to be more cooperative, by nature, than others Organizational reward systems: include team-based rewards in which at least a portion of an individual s compensation is based on the performance of his or her work group Competition can be defined as a pattern of behavior in which each person, group, or organization seeks to maximize its own gains, often at the expense of others 14 Personal Orientations Competitors People whose primary motive is doing better than others, besting them in open competition Cooperators People who are concerned with maximizing joint outcomes, getting as much as possible for their team Individualists People who care almost exclusively about maximizing their own gain, and don t care whether others do better or worse than themselves Equalizers People who are primarily interested in minimizing the differences between themselves and others 15 5
Cooperation vs. Competition When cooperating with one another, people contribute to attaining the same goal that they share. However, when competing against one another, people attempt to attain the same goal, which only one can have. 16 Conflict Conflict may be defined as a process in which one party perceives that another party has taken or will take actions that are incompatible with one s own interests 17 Types of Conflict Substantive Conflict occurs when people have different viewpoints and opinions with respect to a decision they are making with others Affective Conflict occurs when people experience clashes of personalities or interpersonal tension of some sort Process Conflict occurs when controversies arise about how various duties and resources will be allocated and with whom various responsibilities will reside 18 6
Causes of Conflict Malevolent Attributions Grudges Conflict Destructive Criticism Competition over Scarce Resources Distrust 19 Types of Criticism 20 Consequences of Conflict Negative Conflict yields strong negative emotions Conflict may divert people s attention from the task at hand Communication between individuals or teams may be so adversely affected that any coordination of effort between them is compromised Lowered coordination tends to lead to decrements in organizational functioning Positive Conflict may improve the quality of organizational decisions Conflict may bring out into the open problems that have been previously ignored Conflict may motivate people to appreciate each other s positions more fully Conflict may encourage people to consider new ideas, thereby facilitating change 21 7
Managing Conflict 22 Managing Conflict Bargaining: The process by which two or more parties in dispute with one another work together to find a solution that is acceptable to all the parties involved Win-Win Solutions: Occur when outcomes are found for all sides that allow them to believe that they have won the negotiation process 23 Tips for Negotiating Win-Win Solutions 1. Avoid making unreasonable offers 2. Seek the common ground 3. Broaden the scope of issues considered 4. Uncover the real issues 24 8
Deviant Organizational Behavior Actions on the part of employees that intentionally violate the norms of organizations and/or the formal rules of society, resulting in negative consequences Types of Deviant Behavior: Incivility Workplace Aggression Workplace Bullying Employee Theft 25 Deviant Behavior 26 Incivility Demonstrating a lack of regard for others and denying them the respect they are due 27 9
Aggression and Bullying Workplace Aggression: Acts of verbal and physical abuse toward others in organizations, ranging from mild to severe. Causes: High trait anger Positive attitude toward revenge Past experience with aggression Workplace Bullying: The repeated mistreatment of an individual at work in a manner that endangers his or her physical or mental health 28 Risk for Violence 29 Workplace Bullying 30 10
Tips for Avoiding Aggression Establish clear disciplinary procedures Treat people with dignity and respect Train managers in ways to recognize and avoid aggression 31 Employee Theft Definition: The taking of company property for personal use Causes: Seeing others do it Informal work group norms Desire to even the score Tips for reducing theft: Involve employees in the creation of a theft policy Communicate the costs of stealing Treat people fairly Be a good role model 32 Employee Theft 33 11