Chapter 2 Perspectives on Individual behavior

Week 1- 12/09/2008 1-

Lecture Plan
Demographic characteristics Ability Individual behavior and personality
What is personality? Personality theories Personality in the organization

Individual behavior
Both innate factors and Environmental factors affects our behavior. (Lewin, 1951)
B=f (P, E) where: B=Behavior P=Person (innate), and E=Environment

Individual behavior and Work Efficiency

Stimulus Perceptions Learning Personality Behavior Work efficiency

Demographic Attitude Ability Need Personality Motivation

Evaluation

Demographic Characteristics
Age Gender Marital status Tenure Dependent variables:
Productivity (Job performance) Absenteeism Turnover Job satisfaction

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

Intellectual Abilities
 That required to do mental activities (e.g., number aptitude, verbal comprehension, memory, reasoning, spatial visualization).

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

The Ability - Job Fit

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

Types of Ability
Intellectual Ability Physical Ability
Verbal Ability Numerical Ability Reasoning Ability Deductive Ability Memory Spatial Ability Perceptual Ability Motor Skills (e.g. reaction time, dexterity) Physical Skills (e.g. strength, endurance)

Managing Ability in Organizations

AbilityAbility-Job Fit using Human Resource Management
Selection Placement Training Rewards

Individual behavior and personality

What is personality: characteristic patterns of behaviour and modes of
thinking that determine a persons unique way of person interacting with the environment environment

Theoretical models: Trait, Humanistic, Psychoanalytic, Type Humanistic, Psychoanalytic,

What Determines Personality?

Heredity (nature): sets the limits on the (nature): development of personality characteristics. Environment (nurture): determines (nurture): development within these limits Across all characteristics there is about a 50-50 heredity-environment split. 50- heredity-

What determines personality? (cont.)

 Key environmental factors in personality

development. Cultural values and norms. Situational factors (high constrained vs. low
constrained).

Personality Tests
Personality tests are used for: for:
selection training workers for team work career development

Trait theories
The Big Five Model:
Extraversion - sociable, talkative and assertive. Agreeableness - good-natured, cooperative and goodtrusting. Conscientiousness - responsible, dependable, persistent and achievement oriented. Emotional stability - calm, enthusiastic, secure (positive) Openness to experience - imaginativeness, artistic sensitivity and intellectualism. Online test : http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/

The Humanistic Approach

Developed by Carl Rogers
(b. 1902- d. 1987) 1902-

States that individual feel a need for personal growth and fulfillment, what he terms self actualization. actualization SelfSelf-concept, how people perceive themselves, is very important in the humanistic approach and has a strong influence upon the individuals development. individual

Psychodynamic Theory
Psychodynamics is the "systematized study and theory of the psychological forces that underlie human behavior, emphasizing the interplay between unconscious and conscious motivation". Behaviour can be driven by unconscious or hidden personality factors which can be used to explain irrational behaviors. Sigmund Freud says behavior and personality being determined by a constant struggle between the id, the superego and the ego.
Id (basic drive which act irrationally and on impulse; Superego: environmental influences on the mind or conscience Ego : balance the conflicting directions f the id and superego.

Behavioral characteristics: denial, compensation compensation

Criticisms: It is unscientific and mostly unproven.

Jung Jungs Personality Theory

Jung Jungs personality theory
Extrovert/ Introvert; Sensing/intuitive; Thinking/Feeling; Judging/Perceiving

Led to the development of the Myers-Briggs Type MyersIndicator (MBTI-basis for personality testing) (MBTIhttp://www.humanmetrics.com/cgihttp://www.humanmetrics.com/cgiwin/JTypes1.htm

Major Personality Attributes Influencing OB

Locus of Control Machiavellianism - pragmatic, emotional distance, ends justify means. SelfSelf-Esteem - A belief about ones worth based on an one overall self-evaluation, liking or disliking of themselves. selfSelfSelf-Monitoring - adjust behavior to external, situational factors. RiskRisk-Taking Type A Personality Type B Personality

Personality in the Organization: Organization: Locus of Control

Locus of control: an important personality characteristic in individuals working in organizations. Locus of Control: is the extent to which a person feels able to control his or her own life and it is concerned with a persons internalexternal person internal orientation.

Locus of Control

(continued)

 Locus of control: control:

 Internal locus of control. People believe they control their own destiny.  External locus of control. People believe that much of what happens to them is determined by environmental forces.

Locus of Control

(continued)

External Locus of Control:

In general, externals are more extroverted in their interpersonal relationships and are more oriented toward the world around them. Internals tend to be more introverted and are more oriented toward their own feelings and ideas

Internal Locus of Control:

Internals tend to do better on tasks requiring complex information processing and learning, as well as initiative. Many managerial and professional jobs have these kinds of requirements.

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 time Obsessed with numbers

Type A and Type B (cont..)

Type B Personality
Never suffer from a sense of time urgency Feel no need to display or discuss either their achievements or accomplishments Play for fun and relaxation Can relax without guilt

Personality and national culture

A countrys culture influences the dominant country personality characteristics of its population.
Locus of control: In North American people believe that control:
they 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 American personality:

population is Type A; in culture such as Sweden and France, where materialism is less revered, a smaller proportion of Type A personality.

DISCUSSION QUESTION
1. Identify two leading characters who have been in the news during the last two weeks and identify their behavioral characteristics and personality traits, drawing on material from chapter two. What are their main differences and why? 2. Personality tests have no value in terms of contributing to the recruitment process. Discuss.