Individual Behavior and Learning
2C H A P T E RT W OIndividual Behaviorand LearningIndividual
Behavior and LearningFour factors that affect individual behavior
in organizations:Drive BehaviorMotivationAbilityProvide
opportunities and constraintsRole perceptionsSituational
ContingenciesMotivationIndividualBehavior andPerformanceModel of
Individual
BehaviorRolePerceptionsSituationalContingenciesAbilityEmployee
MotivationForces within a person that drive his or her direction,
intensity, and persistence of voluntary behaviorDirection - goal
orientedIntensity - amount of effortPersistence - continuing
effortAbilityNatural Aptitudesbased on talents, size,
capabilitiescannot be learned, or acquiredLearned Capabilitiescan
be taught and learnedphysical and mental skillsCompetency vs Person
Job FitGeneric competencies not specific task abilitiesAssessing
Competencies at EMCWhen EMC was about to dramatically expand its
work force, an executive team at the enterprise storage products
firm developed an Employee Success Profile. This list of generic
competencies represented the traits of successful employees, such
as goal-orientation and integrity.
Courtesy of EMC Corp.RolesRole Perceptions - beliefs about what
behaviors are appropriate or necessary in a particular situation,
including job tasks, relative importance, and preferred behaviors
to accomplish those tasksRole ProblemsRole OverloadRole
ConflictRole AmbiguitySituational ContingenciesEnvironmental
Factors outside of employee control that constrain or facilitate
their behavior and/or performance
time, people, resources, working conditions, customersTypes of
Work-Related BehaviorsJoining the organizationRemaining with the
organizationMaintaining work attendancePerforming required job
dutiesIn-role performanceOrganizational citizenship
behaviorExtra-role performanceJoining OrganizationsApplying,
Interviewing, Hiring, Socialization into the organization
Often driven by external factors:money, prestige of
organization, etc.
Has changed with technologySocialization into the
organizationLearning the history of the organizationExamining and
understanding the structure of the organizationLearning the culture
and atmosphere
Remaining with the OrganizationDifficult to keep employees with
low unemployment ratesJob SatisfactionSatisfaction does not
motivate but...Job Dissatisfaction cause someone to leaveThings
like money become less motivating and become areas of possible
dissatisfactionRemaining cont...Organizational Commitment - the
drive to remain with an organizationThree aspectsAffective - liking
your organizationNormative - feeling an obligation toward an
organizationContinuance - remaining with an organization for lack
of another optionIn-Role PerformanceTask performance -
goal-directed activities that are under the individuals
controlPhysical and mental behaviorsMost can be measured and
controlledThis is what we get paid forExtra-Role BehaviorDeviant
Behavior - behaviors detrimental to the organization, the
individual, and othersExamples: ??Organizational Citizenship -
behavior above and beyond in-role requirements that in the
aggregate promote individual, organizational, and stakeholder
performanceInfluenced by many factors including:individual beliefs,
fairness perceptions, group characteristics, management
behaviorsDefinition of Learning A relatively permanent change in
behavior (or behavioral tendency) that occurs as a result of a
persons interaction with the environment.Behavior ModificationWe
operate on the environment alter behavior to maximize positive and
minimize adverse consequences.Operant versus respondent
behaviorsLaw of effectlikelihood that an operant behavior will be
repeated depends on its consequencesConsequences
What happensAfter
behaviorEmployeereceivesattendancebonusExampleA-B-Cs of OB
ModificationBehavior
What personsays or
doesEmployeeattendsscheduledworkAntecedents
What happensbefore behaviorAttendancebonus systemis
announcedBehaviorIncreases/MaintainedBehaviorDecreasesConsequenceis
IntroducedConsequenceis RemovedContingencies of
ReinforcementPunishmentPositivereinforcementExtinctionPunishmentNegativereinforcementNoConsequenceSchedules
of ReinforcementContinuous reinforcement- after every behaviorgood
for starting behaviorsdrastic fall of after some timeFixedFixed
interval- after set amount of timeFixed ratio- based on a set # of
behaviorsVariableVariable interval- average time, but no
patternVariable ratio- average number of behaviors, no pattern
OB Modification LimitationsCant reinforce non-observable
behaviorReinforcer tends to satiateVariable ratio schedule is a
form of gamblingEthical concerns about perceived
manipulationLearning through FeedbackAny information about
consequences of our behaviorClarifies role perceptionsCorrective
feedback improves abilityPositive feedback motivates future
behaviorEvaluatedEmployeeCo-workerCustomerSubordinateProjectleaderSupervisorCo-workerSubordinateSubordinateMulti-Source
(360 Degree)
FeedbackEffectiveFeedbackSpecificFrequentTimelyRelevantCredibleGiving
Feedback EffectivelySocial Learning Theory(Bandura, 1990)Cognitive
and environmental process combine to facilitate learningBehavioral
modeling, Vicarious LearningObserving and modeling behavior of
othersLearning behavior consequencesObserving consequences that
others experienceSelf-reinforcementReinforcing our own behavior
with consequences within our controlRewards signal information
about selfLearning Through ExperienceBenefits of experiential
learningHelps acquire tacit knowledge/skillsAllows implicit
learning Practicing experiential learningReward experimentation
Recognize mistakes as part of learningAction learning --
investigating a real problemSuccess experience increase
self-efficacy
