Conflict

Conflict is the feeling of being pulled in two or

more directions by opposing motives.
Conflict is frustrating and stressful.
There are four types of conflicts:
Approach-approach
Avoidance-avoidance
Approach-avoidance
Multiple approach-avoidance
 Types of Conflict
Approach-approach conflict. Aka win win
The least stressful type.
Each of two goals is desirable and both are within
reach.
For example:
two equally good summer jobs
Prom date with your best friend or that cutie in Psyc
class
choosing between 2 of your favourite restaurants
Types of Conflict
Avoidance-avoidance conflict. Aka lose lose
More stressful.
A person is motivated to avoid each of two
negative goals. Avoiding one of them requires
approaching the other. Not choosing may be
impossible or undesirable.
For example:
Choosing between going to the dentist or suffering
with a toothache.
Lie to your favorite teacher about cheating on a
project and risk her finding out or telling the truth
and risk losing your stature as a respected and
upstanding citizen.
 Types of Conflict
Approach-avoidance conflict. *Win/lose
The same goal produces both approach and avoidance
motives.
It has a positive and negative aspect
For example:
Eating ice cream it tastes yummy but is not a healthy
choice
Super hot day at the beach but you can get a super sun-
burned back
Types of Conflict
Multiple approach-avoidance conflict. Win
lose with lots of options!
Each of several alternative courses of action
has pluses and minuses.
Decision making can also be stressful
especially when there is no clear correct choice.
Example which university should I go to?
Queens, McGill, UVic, SFU or UBC
For this woman, choosing between pie and ice cream is a minor
approach-approach conflict; deciding whether to take a job that will
require weekend work is an approach-avoidance conflict; and
choosing between paying higher rent and moving is an avoidance-
avoidance conflict.
 7

Expectancy Value
Theory
and
Theory X vs Theory
Y Managers
 8

Expectancy Theories
People will do what they can do when they
want to do it. The question is what makes
them want to do it?
Expectancies refer to beliefs about how we will
do if we engage in a certain behaviour

So if we expect to do well then we will be

more likely to engage in the behaviour
If we feel that the chance of succeeding is
poor we will be less likely to become
involved
 9
Expectancy Theory
Victor H. Vroom suggests that the motivation to
work depends on the relationships between three
factors:
Expectancy: How much a person believes that
working hard will result in a desired level of task
performance.
Instrumentality: How much a person believes
that successful task performance will be followed
by rewards.
Valence: The value a person assigns to the
rewards.
 Expectancy Theory - Multiplier 10

Effect
Implies that for motivation to be high, Expectancy,
Instrumentality and Valence must be high.
Motivation =
Expectancy x Instrumentality x Valence
A zero at any location on the right side of the equation will
result in zero motivation.

Expectancy: How much a person believes that working hard will result in a desired
level of task performance.
Instrumentality: How much a person believes that successful task performance will
be followed by rewards.
Valence: The value a person assigns to the rewards.
 Expectancy x Value Theory 11

So the more complicated formula is

Motivation = Expectancy x Instrumentality x Valence

And the simplified formula for our class is

Motivation = Expectancy x Value
 12

EXPECTANCY THEORIES

People will be motivated

to work hard and do
activities that they value
and that they feel they
can be successful in.
Classical Approaches to Management
McGregors Theory X and
Theory Y
According to Theory X,
managers believe workers
dislike work
lack ambition
are irresponsible
are resistant to change
prefer to be led
McGregors Theory X and Theory Y
According to Theory Y,
managers believe
workers
are willing to work
are capable of self control
accept responsibility
are imaginative and
creative
self-directed
 McGregors Theory X and Theory Y
Theory X managers assume workers are lazy, error-
prone, and extrinsically motivated by money. Thus, need
simple tasks, close monitoring, and incentives to work
harder.
Theory Y managers assume workers are intrinsically
motivate to work for reasons beyond $ - to promote self
esteem
Thus, given enough freedom & challenge, employees will
demonstrate competence & creativity
Theory Y managers likely to give employees control over
work procedures, to welcome employee participation in
decision making, and to have creative subordinates
McGregors Theory X and Theory Y

Managers create self-fulfilling prophesies

Theory X managers create dependent and
reluctant workers
Theory Y managers create workers who perform
as expected with initiative and enthusiasm
central to notions of empowerment
 Task!
Choose your own groups of 4. I will randomly
assign groups the following types of conflict & you
will need to act out a scene that allows us (the
audience) to guess which type of conflict you are
demonstrating:
Approach-approach
Avoidance-avoidance
Approach-avoidance
Multiple approach-avoidance
 Organizational Psychology
Goals of
Organizational
Organization Psychology Research
Maximizing worker motivation,
al satisfaction, and productivity
psychology:
studying and
consulting Understanding organizational
about how structures and dynamics
worker
productivity Facilitating organizational
and change
motivation is
affected by
different Improving teamwork and
patterns of leadership
worker-
management
engagement,
Satisfaction & Engagement
Employees who are
satisfied in an
organization are likely
to stay longer.
Employees who are
more engaged
(connected, passionate,
and energetic) get more
work done.

Because a happy worker is a productive worker,

organizational psychologists study factors related to
employee satisfaction, such as whether a worker:
feels that they personally matter to the organization
and to other people.
feels a sense that effort pays off in the quality of the
work and in rewards such as salary and benefits.
Employee Engagement: Three Levels
Many employees are Organizational
engaged (connected, psychologists find that
passionate, and people are most
energetic about the engaged in work
companies/organizations when they:
they work for). know what is
Some are not engaged; expected of them.
they show up and get have the materials
tasks done but show they need to do the
little passion or energy. work.
have opportunities to
Others are actively excel.
disengaged; they are feel fulfilled.
unhappy, alienated, feel part of
and not invested, even something important.
undermining what have opportunities to
people are trying to grow/develop in the
accomplish.
What are the implications for
management?
Theory X managers tend to blame
problems on employees (like some
instructors blame problems on
students!)
Theory Y managers take responsibility
for problems no bad troops, only bad
officers)
What is your ideal workplace?
Describe the characteristics or qualities that your
ideal workspace (classroom) would have.
Belonging Revisited
Remember that people in every society on earth
belong to groups and prefer and favour us over
them

Much of our social behaviour aims to increase

our feelings of belonging (hence changing
ourselves to fit in with a group).
Brain reward systems are activated through
feelings of love
Belonging Revisited

Social isolation can put us at risk of decline in

our mental and bodily health

Social ostracism (exclusion from society/ group)

is often used as a means of controlling behaviour
People experience real pain when experiencing
ostracism
The anterior cingulate cortex is activated and is
activated in response to physical pain
Exclusion
Can be motivating towards remediation of a
situation but it can also be detrimental and lead
to poor outcomes
Rejection can interfere with empathy, self-esteem
and prosocial behaviour