Exploring Job Performance: Behaviors That Drive Success

School

University of Windsor**We aren't endorsed by this school

Course

MGMT 2400

Subject

Management

Date

Dec 12, 2024

Pages

Uploaded by SargentQuailPerson1155

1. Understanding Job Performance Job performance refers to behaviors employees engage in that contribute (positively or negatively) to organizational goal accomplishment. It’s important to distinguish between behaviors and the results of those behaviors. Sometimes, job performance evaluations focus too much on results rather than behaviors, which can lead to an incomplete assessment. Job performance is a core concept in organizational behavior, focusing on how employees contribute to the achievement of organizational goals through their behavior. •The key is understanding job performance not only as the results or outcomes but also as the behaviors leading to those outcomes. This helps organizations evaluate employees more comprehensively. 1. Job Performance OverviewJob performance refers to the behaviors that contribute to the goals of an organization. It includes:oTask PerformanceoCitizenship BehavioroCounterproductive Behavior2. Task PerformanceDefinition: Involves activities that transform organizational resources into goods or services.Examples:oA firefighter rescuing victims.oAn accountant preparing financial reports.Types:oRoutine Task Performance: Completing predictable, regular tasks (e.g., flight attendants demonstrating seatbelt fastening).oAdaptive Task Performance: Handling unexpected or unusual situations (e.g., flight attendants helping passengers during a crash landing).oCreative Task Performance: Coming up with new ideas to improve tasks (e.g., swimsuit designers suggesting new designs).3. Citizenship BehaviorDefinition: Voluntary actions that help improve the overall work environment, though not part of the job description.Categories:oInterpersonal Citizenship Behavior: Helping coworkers (e.g., assisting a new employee).Examples: Helping, courtesy, sportsmanship.oOrganizational Citizenship Behavior: Supporting the organization (e.g., attending voluntary meetings).

Examples: Voice (suggesting changes), civic virtue (participating in company events), boosterism (speaking positively about the company).Importance: Boosts team morale, efficiency, and job satisfaction.Counterproductive BehaviorDefinition: Behaviors that hinder the organization’s ability to achieve its goals, done intentionally( on purpose.)Key Points:oIntentionis central—these behaviors are not accidental but deliberate.oThere's only a weak negative relationship between task performance and counterproductive behavior—meaning good performers can still engage in counterproductive actions.Types of Counterproductive Behavior:1.Production Deviance(Organizational, Minor):oWasting Resources: Using too many materials or time.oSubstance Abuse: Using drugs or alcohol on the job, leading to decreased performance.2.Property Deviance(Organizational, Serious):oSabotage: Deliberately destroying equipment or resources (e.g.,sabotaging production lines).oTheft: Stealing organizational assets or funds, leading to financial losses.3.Political Deviance(Interpersonal, Minor):oGossiping: Spreading untrue rumors or damaging others' reputations.oIncivility: Rudeness or lack of respect in communication with coworkers.4.Personal Aggression(Interpersonal, Serious):oHarassment: Unwanted physical conduct toward colleagues.oAbuse: Physical or psychological harm toward others, such as bullying or mistreatment.Prosocial Counterproductive Behavior:Actions that, while intended to help others or the organization, violate norms or rules and can still cause harm (e.g., a cashier not charging full amounts to help customers).Important Notes:Counterproductive behaviors can occur even in high-performing employees.Supervisors who show incivility may create a negative environment, reducing organizational effectiveness.

Examples like sabotage can cause immense financial losses, and personal aggression, such as harassment, can lead to severe psychological and legal consequences.What Does It Mean to Be a "Good Performer"?A good performer excels in the following areas:1.Task Performance:oCompleting job tasks effectively and efficiently, whether they areroutine, adaptive, or creative.2.Citizenship Behavior:oEngaging in helpful, voluntary behaviors directed toward coworkers (interpersonal citizenship behavior) and the organization as a whole (organizational citizenship behavior).oExamples include helping colleagues, attending voluntary meetings, or speaking up to offer improvements.3.Avoiding Counterproductive Behavior:oRefraining from actions that harm the organization or its members, whether through minor actions like wasting resources or serious offenses like theft or personal aggression.Visual Summary:Task Performance: Routine, adaptive, and creative tasks that are part of the employee’s job description.Citizenship Behavior: Going beyond job requirements to assist coworkers and the organization (e.g., helping, sportsmanship, voice).Counterproductive Behavior: Intentional acts that hinder organizational effectiveness (e.g., sabotage, gossip, harassment).The Goal:Employees should perform well in tasks, engage in citizenship behaviors, and avoid counterproductive actions to be considered "goodperformers." This combination enhances overall organizational effectiveness and workplace environment.Trends Affecting Job PerformanceOrganizations are facing new trends that influence how job performance is defined and assessed. Two key trends shaping the modern workplace are knowledge workand service work:1. Knowledge Work:Definition: Jobs that require problem-solving and the use of theoretical knowledge, instead of physical labor.Impact:oKnowledge work is becoming more common as industries move away from traditional factory jobs.oEmployees now need to learn continuously, as information and tools are constantly evolving (e.g., software, databases).oExpectations for job performance are higher, with a focus on completing complex, data-driven tasks.2. Service Work:

Definition: Jobs that provide services, not products, to customers. These include customer service representatives, retail workers, and food service staff.Impact:oService jobs are growing rapidly and represent about 55% of economic activity.oPerformance in service work is highly visible, as it directly affectscustomer satisfaction.oGood task performance and high levels of citizenship behaviorare critical because mistakes are harder to hide in service jobs, and poor performance is immediately noticed by customers.Key Example:Amazon emphasizes the importance of customer service in their business model. CEO Jeff Bezos personally answers customer service calls to set a high standard, and Amazon's service quality ranks above many competitors as a result.These trends demonstrate how job performance is evolving. Both knowledge and service work require employees to be adaptable, skilled, and focused on providing high-quality outputs, whether in complex problem-solving or delivering excellent customer service.Performance Management MethodsManagement by Objectives (MBO):oEmployees meet managers to set measurable objectives.oSuccess is evaluated based on achieving these goals.Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS):oPerformance is rated using specific behavioral examples for eachjob task (e.g., excellent, very good, average).360-Degree Feedback:oPerformance feedback from multiple sources (supervisors, peers,subordinates).oFeedback is combined for a comprehensive performance review.Forced Ranking:oEmployees are ranked into categories (e.g., top 20%, middle 70%, bottom 10%).oCan lead to competitive behavior and lower cooperation in team-based environments.4. Social Networking Systems for PerformanceUsage in Organizations:oSocial platforms like Facebook or internal systems help collect and assess employee performance feedback.oAllows employees to post feedback or get feedback from colleagues anonymously.oReal-time feedback helps organizations improve performance evaluation over traditional yearly reviews.