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Chapter 2 Perspectives onIndividual behavior

Week 2- 05/03/2008

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Individual behavior

Both innate factors and Environmentalfactors affects our behavior. (Lewin, 1951)

B=f (P, E)

where: B=Behavior

P=Person (innate), and

E=Environment

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Individual behavior and WorkEfficiency

Perceptions Learning

Demographic

Ability

Personality

Attitude

Need

Motivation

BehaviorStimulus

Work efficiency

Evaluation

Personality

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Demographic Characteristics

Age

Gender

Marital status

Tenure

Dependent variables:Productivity (Job performance)

Absenteeism

Turnover

Job satisfaction

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Ability

What is Ability? An individuals capacity to perform the various tasks in a job.

Intellectual Abilities

That required to do mental activities (e.g., number aptitude,

verbal comprehension, memory, reasoning, spatialvisualization).

Physical Abilities

That required to do tasks demanding stamina, dexterity,strength, and similar characteristics.

The Ability - Job Fit

Employee performance and job satisfaction are enhancedwhen there is a high ability - job fit

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Types of Ability

Intellectual AbilityVerbal Ability

Numerical Ability

Reasoning Ability

Deductive Ability

Memory

Spatial Ability Perceptual Ability

Physical Ability Motor Skills (e.g. reaction

time, dexterity)

Physical Skills (e.g.strength, endurance)

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Individual behavior and personality

What is personality:

characteristic patterns of behaviour and modes of

thinking that determine a persons unique way of

interacting with the environment

Theoretical models:

Trait, Humanistic, Psychoanalytic, Type

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What Determines Personality?

Heredity (nature)

Environment (nurture)Situation (high constrained vs. low

constrained)

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Personality Tests

Personality tests are used for:

selection training workers

for team work

career development

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Other approaches

Humanistic approach (Rogers, 1970):a need for personal growth and fulfillment (self-actualization)

Psychodynamic theoryId (basic drive which act irrationally and on impulse;Superego: environmental influences on the mind or conscienceEgo : balance the conflicting directions f the id and superego.Behavioral characteristics: denial, compensation

Jungs personality theory

Extrovert/ Introvert; Sensing/intuitive; Thinking/Feeling;Judging/Perceiving

MBTI( Myers-Briggs Type Indicator-basis for personality testing)http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

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Major Personality Attributes

Influencing OB Locus of Control - the degree to which people believe they

are masters of their own fate. (internal vs external)

Machiavellianism - pragmatic, emotional distance, endsjustify means.

Self-Esteem - liking or disliking of themselves.

Self-Monitoring - adjust behavior to external, situational

factors. Risk-Taking

Type A Personality

Type B Personality

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Type A and Type B

Type A Personality

Always moving, walking, and eating rapidly

Feel impatient with the rate

Strive to think or do two or more things at once

Cannot cope with leisure timeObsessed with numbers

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Type A and Type B (cont..)

Type B Personality

Never suffer from a sense of time urgencyFeel no need to display or discuss either their

achievements or accomplishments

Play for fun and relaxation

Can relax without guilt

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Personality and national culture

A countrys culture influences the dominantpersonality characteristics of its population.

Locus of control: In North American people believe thatthey dominate their environment; in some other societies,such as Middle Eastern countries, believe that life is essentially

preordained.

Type A personality: 50% of the North Americanpopulation is Type A; in culture such as Sweden and France,where materialism is less revered, a smaller proportion of Type

A personality.