U
Uncertainty avoidance, a national culture attribute that describes the extent to which a society feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them
Unfreezing, changing to overcome the pressures of both individual resistance and group conformity
Unity of command, the idea that a subordinate should have only one superior to whom he or she is directly responsible
Utilitarianism, a system in which decisions are made solely on the basis of their outcomes or consequences and to provide the greatest good for the greatest number
V
Value system, a hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual’s values in terms of their intensity
Values, basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence
Variable-pay program, a pay plan that bases a portion of an employee’s pay on some individual and/or organizational measure of performance
Virtual organization, a small, core organization that outsources major business functions
Virtual teams, teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members to achieve a common goal
Vision, a long-term strategy for attaining a goal or goals
Vision statement, a formal articulation of an organization’s vision or mission
Voice, dissatisfaction expressed through active and constructive attempts to improve conditions
W
Wellness programs, organizationally supported programs that focus on the employee’s total physical and mental condition
Whistle-blowers, individuals who report unethical or illegal practices by their employers to outsiders
Work group, a group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility
Work specialization, the degree to which tasks in an organization are subdivided into separate jobs
Work teams, a group whose individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs
Workforce diversity, the concept that organizations are becoming more heterogeneous in terms of gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and inclusion of other diverse groups
Z
Zero-sum approach, an approach to bargaining in which the gains made by one side come at the expense of the other side, and vice versa