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ACCA Applied Knowledge · Business and Technology · Individual and group behaviour in business organisations

A manager notices that a new team member, who is quiet in meetings, is assumed by colleagues to be unskilled and uninterested, and so is given only routine work. Over time the employee loses confidence and performs poorly. Which concept best explains this outcome?

This is a self-fulfilling prophecy: colleagues' low expectations lead them to give the employee only routine work, which erodes confidence and causes poor performance, confirming the original assumption. The halo effect, cognitive dissonance and locus of control do not describe expectations producing the very outcome predicted.

  1. AHalo effect
  2. BSelf-fulfilling prophecyCorrect
  3. CCognitive dissonance
  4. DLocus of control

Explanation

The expectation that the employee is weak leads to treatment that causes the poor performance, confirming the original belief: a self-fulfilling prophecy. The halo effect is where one positive trait colours overall judgement. Cognitive dissonance is discomfort from conflicting beliefs, and locus of control is a belief about control.

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