HRM301 Organizational Behavior
Dr. Naomi Rotter
Objectives:
After today's session, you should be able to:
1. Define conflict and describe its organizational and interpersonal causes.
2. Discuss the various ways of managing conflict and its potential benefits and costs.
3. Define the concept of stress
4. Discuss major organizational and individual causes of stress
5. Review the effects of stress on behavior.
6. Describe individual and organizational techniques for managing stress.
I. Conflict: Organizational and interpersonal causes
A. Defined
B. Organizational causes
1. Competition over scarce resources
2. Ambiguity over jurisdiction
3. Differences in power, status, and culture
4. Group identification and bias
C. Interpersonal causes
1. Faulty attribution
2. Faulty communication
3. Competitive reward systems
4. Personal characteristics
II. Managing conflict
A. Potential costs and benefits of conflict
1. Costs
A. Negative emotions and stress
B. Stereotyping
C. Groupthink and faulty decision making
2. Benefits
A. Opens discussion of problems
B. Basis for change
C. Increases motivation and loyalty
B. Managing conflict
1. Bargaining and negotiation
A. Framing the issue
B. Orientation toward the process
2. Mediation and arbitration
3. Superordinate goals
III. Stress in the organization
A. What is stress?
B. Individual and organizational contributors to stress
1. Organizational related causes
A. Demanding jobs
B. Competing demands
C. Role ambiguity
D. Job responsibility
E. Isolation
F. Unpleasant working conditions
2. Individual related causes
A. Stressful life events
B. Daily stress
C. Personality and perception
IV. Effects of stress on the individual
A. Behavioral consequences
1. Job performance
2. Withdrawal
B. Psychological and physical reactions
1. Burnout
2. Stress related illnesses
3. Substance abuse
V. Managing stress
A. Personal approaches
1. Lifestyle approaches
2. Physiological approaches
3. Cognitive approaches
B. Organizational approaches
1. Job redesign
2. Social support
3. Family friendly policies
4. Wellness and employee assistance programs