Summary
Summary LSE MG105 Week 2 Reading Summaries
- Course
- Institution
WEEK 2 READING 1: “The Rationalizing Animal” in Psychological dimensions of organizational behaviour READING 2: What have we learned from our mistakes?
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
vu1
Content preview
READING 1: “The Rationalizing Animal” in Psychological dimensions of organizationalbehaviour
1. WHO were the authors of this article (last names only) and what year was it
published?
- Aronson, E. (1973)
2. WHAT is the purpose of this reading and its main conclusions?
- Purpose of the reading:
o Discuss the theory of cognitive dissonance, which states that a person can
simultaneously hold two inconsistent beliefs.
o Explore situations where cognitive dissonance can happen
dissonance due to effort: before making a decision, people seek as much
information as possible about their different alternatives. However, after
making the decision, they tend to reassure they have made the right
choice by seeking or altering information to make it in favour of that
choice
Decision to behave immorally: despite knowing an action to reach a goal is
unethical, people still chose to act that way to reach their desires.
insufficient justification: if people act in a way that they have neither been
rewarded adequately or threated with the consequences of their actions,
they will find internal reasons/excuses to explain for their behaviour
- Conclusions
o Dissonance can be reduced and counteracted by several motives
o Dissonance is important because it provides a lesson for people to learn from
their mistakes
o “As utility increases, individuals will come to prefer dissonance-arousing but
useful information. But as dissonance increases, or when commitment is high,
future utility and information tend to be ignored”
3. HOW did the authors reach these conclusions? (i.e., the methods they used)
- Looked at previous studies and research hypotheses by other authors and applied to
the author’s work, such as Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance
- Carried out experiments and commented on the results to reach a conclusion
4. WHY do these conclusions matter? (i.e., for our understanding of organisational
behaviour or leadership)
- Understanding how psychological flaws and tendencies may affect people’s behaviours
can help companies devise effective marketing strategies
- Apparent in interpersonal relationship:
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller vu1. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.13. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
75323 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now