From Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Psychology A theory (Fiedler 1978) that leadership effects on group performance depend on three ‘contingencies’ (see s. 1) – leader–member relations (good–bad), task (structured–unstructured) and leader’s power (weak–strong) – and their moderating effect on leadership style.
From The New Penguin Business Dictionary
A theory of motivation. An employee will exert more effort when he believes increased effort will result in a good performance appraisal, that a good appraisal will lead to some form of tangible reward (such as a pay rise), and that it will also satisfy personal goals.
From The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology Lit., motivation that originates in factors outside the individual. Behaviour that is motivated by rewards and/or punishments administered by outside forces is extrinsically determined.
From The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology A point of view in historical investigations which contends that accomplishments in a field are due primarily to the efforts of great men.
From The Concise Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science
Intrinsic motivation is a type of motivation based in people’s inherent interest in activities that provide novelty and challenge. Intrinsically motivated behaviors are an expression of an individual’s self and do not depend on external reinforcements.
From Elsevier's Dictionary of Psychological Theories The term reinforcement contains a considerable amount of diversity of usage in psychology where most of the definitional variations stem from theoretical issues in learning theory concerning what reinforcement is and how it functions.
From The New Penguin Business Dictionary A contingency theory of leadership that focuses on the readiness and maturity of followers. In essence, it says ‘leaders are as good as their followers’.
From Elsevier's Dictionary of Psychological Theories The earliest investigation of leadership that is regarded as uniquely psychological is attributed to the Italian statesman Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) in his 16th century book “The Prince.”
From Business: The Ultimate Resource A theory that describes sets of feelings, thoughts, and behavior or ego states that influence how individuals interact, communicate, and relate with each other.
From Business: The Ultimate Resource The idea that effective leadership is based on inspiring and enthusing subordinates with a corporate vision in order to gain their commitment.
Although his initial training at the University of Chicago was in clinical psychology, Fiedler has always been interested in industrial and organizational psychology.
David McClelland is the founder and chairman of the Board of MoBer and Co. and Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. His forty years of research have resulted in an internationally recognized theory of human motivation.
From BUSINESS: The Ultimate Resource
Canadian academic. An authority on the psychological analysis of behavior in organizations, whose work includes contributions on motivation, leadership styles, and decision making. He described his expectancy theory in Work and Motivation (1964).
From A glossary of political theory
A contentious concept that some see as a form of power while others contrast it to power. Authority involves a relationship between one individual or group and another, and is characterised by persuasive pressures rather than a threat of force.
From Business: The Ultimate Resource Since the 1950s, brainstorming has been put forward as a significant antidote to all forms of organizational rigidity and defensiveness—and an important catalyst for liberating organizational creativity.
From Business: The Ultimate Resource A style of leadership that uses standards, procedures, and output statistics to regulate the organization. A command and control approach to leadership is authoritative in nature and uses a top-down approach.
From The Dictionary of Alternatives The term has its origins in the turn within radical politics away from COLLECTIVISM and towards issues of individual consciousness and emancipation.
From Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology Groupthink is a condition in which highly cohesive groups in “hot” decision situations display excessive levels of concurrence seeking that suppress critical inquiry and result in faulty decision making.
From Collins Dictionary of Sociology The notion that societies are so organized that those who occupy top positions and positions of authority tend more readily to have their versions of the truth accepted, while the views of those who are ‘underdogs’ or ‘outsiders’ often go unrepresented.
From Encyclopedia of Ethics Integrity is ascribed to people, newspapers, works of art, nations, and other things, but it will be considered here simply as human virtue.
From QFinance: The Ultimate Resource A form of employee development whereby a trusted and respected person, the mentor, uses his or her experience to offer guidance, encouragement, career advice, and support to another person, the mentee.
From The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology The state of being calmly, intentionally and actively aware of what one is feeling, thinking and doing; hence the state of being attentive to the moment without becoming entangled in it.
In psychology, the intention of achieving a goal, leading to goal-directed behavior. Some human activity seems to be best explained by postulating an inner directing drive.
From Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Political Thought A neologism, denoting any person or group that has a vital interest (a ‘stake’) in the success or conduct of an enterprise. In discussing business enterprises the stakeholder is usually contrasted with the shareholder.
From Business: The Ultimate Resource ollaboration by a group of people to achieve a common purpose. Teamwork is often a feature of day-to-day working, and is increasingly used to accomplish specific projects, in which case it may bring together people from different functions, departments, or disciplines.
From Cambridge dictionary of sociology
Values refer to moral principles or other judgments of worth. The term is used by sociologists in a number of different ways.
