Organizational Behavior

Module-7
 Foundations of Individual
Behaviour
Individual Differences:
Ability
Intellectual Abilities
Physical abilities
The Ability-Job Fit.

Biographical Characteristics:
Age
Gender
Race
Tenure
 PERSONALITY
Definition
“Personality may be understood as the
characteristics patterns of behavior and
modes of thinking that determine a person’s
adjustment to the environment”.
“Personality can be described as how a person
affects others, how he understands and views
himself, and his pattern of inner and outer
measurable traits”.
 Determinants
• Heredity
• Environment
• Contribution from the family
• Socialization Process
• Situational Consideration
Personality Traits
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)-Its a
100 question personality test that asks people how
they usually feel or act in particular situations. Based
on the answers individuals give to the test they are
classified as-
-Extroverted v/s Introverted(E or I)
-Sensing v/s Intuitive (S or N)
-Thinking v/s Feeling (T or F)
-Judging v/s Perceiving (J or P)
 The Big Five Model-This test was
described by John Bearden where he
explained five basic dimensions or
factors like-
• Extroversion
• Agreeableness
• Conscientiousness
• Emotional Stability
• Openness to experience
 Theories of Personality
Type Theories- Kretschmer and Sheldon
came out of this type theory where
relationship was established between features
of face or body and personality. The second
basis to type personalities is psychological
factors of an individual.Ex: Extrovert and
Introvert.
Trait Theories- A personality trait is
understood as an enduring attribute of a
person that appears consistently in a variety
of situations. e.g.. Shy, aggressive,
ambitious,submissive,lazy etc..
Psychoanalytic theory: ( By Sigmund
Freud):is based on the in-depth study of
individual personalities.
- He structured personality into Three: id,
ego, and super ego.
Social Learning theory
 Measuring Personality
Three main ways
Self-report surveys
Observer-rating surveys
Projective measures (Rorschach Inkblot
test and Thematic appreciation test)
Major Personality Attributes
influencing OB
Core Self-Evaluation
Self esteem and Locus of Control
Machiavellianism: refers to individual’s propensity to
manipulate people.
High Mach- Highly pragmatic, maintains emotional distance etc.
Low Mach- Less logical, emotional.
Narcissism
Sense of self importance, excessive admiration
Sense of entitlement, arrogant

Self-Monitoring: it measures an individual’s ability to adjust

his or her behaviour to external, situational factors.
Risk Taking
Type A and Type B personality.
Proactive Personality
 Perception-Definitions
Stephen P.Robbins: The process by which
individual organize and interpret their
sensory impression in order to give meaning
to their environment.
The process of receiving, selecting,
Organising interpreting, checking and
reacting to sensory stimuli or data. ---by
Udai Pareek.
The process by which people select,
organize, interpret, retrieve, and respond
to information.
Perceptual information is gathered from:
Sight.
Hearing.
Touch.
Taste.
Smell
 Factors influencing Perception
Factors in the Perceiver
Attitudes
Motives
Interest
experience
Expectations
Factors in the situation:
Time
Perception
Work setting
Social setting
Factors in the target
Nature, Motion,
sounds, size
Background
Similarity
 Perceptual Process
Receiving Stimuli
Selecting Stimuli
Perceptual Organization
The Process of Interpreting
The Process of Checking
The Process of Reacting
 Common perceptual distortions/
Errors
 Common perceptual distortions include:
Stereotypes or prototypes.
Halo effects.
Selective perception.
Projection.
Contrast effects.
Self-fulfilling prophecy.
 What is attribution theory?
 Attribution theory aids in perceptual
interpretation by focusing on how
people attempt to:
Undetand the causes of a certain event.
Assess responsibility for the outcomes of
the event.
Evaluate the personal qualities of the
people involved in the event.
 What is attribution theory?

 Internal versus external attributions of

causes of behavior.
Internal causes are under the individual’s
control.
External causes are within the person’s
environment.
 What is attribution theory?
 Factors influencing internal and external
attributions.
Distinctiveness — consistency of a person’s
behavior across situations.
Consensus — likelihood of others
responding in a similar way.
Consistency — whether an individual
responds the same way across time.
 What is attribution theory?

 Fundamental attribution error.

Applies to the evaluation of someone’s else
behavior.
Attributing success to the influence of
situational factors.
Attributing failure to the influence of
personal factors.
 What is attribution theory?

 Self-serving bias.
Applies to the evaluation of our own behavior.
Attributing success to the influence of
personal factors.
Attributing failure to the influence of
situational factors.
 What is attribution theory?

 Attributions across cultures.

The fundamental attribution error and self-

serving bias operate differently in different
cultures.
 Learning
Learning: Def: is any relatively
permanent change in behavior that
occurs as a result of experience.
Learning is a change in behavior.
Theories of Learning:
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Social Learning
 Theories of Learning
Classical conditioning: is a simple form of learning in
which conditioned response is linked with an
unconditioned stimulus.
Oldest model of change.
Russian Psychologist, Ivan Pavlov experiment:
Food ----- salivation
(Unconditioned stimulus) ------ (unconditioned
response)
Bell with Food -------- Salivation
Unconditioned stimulus ------ unconditioned
response
Ringing of the Bell ------ Salivation
(Conditioned stimulus) ------- (conditioned
 Theories of Learning
Operant Conditioning/Instrumental learning
B.F.Skinner: Reinforcement
Positive re-inforcement ( desirable behaviour if rewarded)
Negative reinforcement ( undesirable behaviour will not be repeated if
punished).
Extinction
Punishment
Social Learning:
Individuals learn by observing what happens to other people and just
by being told about something, as well as by direct experiences.
Learn both through observation and direct experience
The influence of Model is central to the social-learning. Four processes:
1. Attentional Process: people learn from a model only when they
recognise and pay attention to its critical features.
2. Retention: a Models influence will depend on how well the
individual remembers the model’s action after the if the model is no
longer available.
3. Motor Reproduction: after observation watching converts into
actions.
4. Reinforcement: individuals will be motivated to exhibit the models
behaviour if positive rewards are provided.
Orgl applications:
Well Pay vs Sick pay
Employee discipline
Developing training programmes
Self-management.
 Attitudes
Attitude is described as a persistent tendency to
feel and behave in a particular way towards
some object.
Attitudes are evaluative statements- either
favorable or unfavorable- concerning objects or
events. They reflect how one feels about
something.
Components of Attitudes:
1. cognitive component
2. Affective
3. Behavior
C
o

Components of Attitudes
g
ni
ti
v
e, Cognitive = evaluation
af ex;: my supervisor gave a promotion to
fe a coworker who deserved it less than
ct me. My supervisor is unfair
,
b
e
Affective = Feeling Negative
h
attitude
a I dislike my supervisor
towards
vi
supervisor
o
r
a Behavioral = action
r
Iam looking for other work; I’ve
e
complained about my supervisor
to anyone who would listen
 Types of Job Attitudes
Job related attitudes:
Job Satisfaction : how one feels about one’s job.
Positive attitude.
Job Involvement: this refer to the extent to which an
individual identifies psychologically with his or her job
and will try to perform the job to the his/ her ability.
Positive disposition towards his
colleagues/subordinates. Derive a pleasure in
performing duties.
Organisational Commitment: this can be visible in
how an employee has identified with an orgn, its
goals, vision and is also proud to be a part of the
orgn. High degree of Orgl commitment will posses a
sense of belonging towards the orgn.
 Changing Attitudes
Attitudes change faster that the culture.
It changes with new knowledge developed based on
research.
Barriers to Attitudinal Change:
1. Prior Commitments:
2. Result of Inadequate information.
Measures of Changing Attitudes:
1. Provide additional information
2. Use of Fear
3. Resolving discrepancies
4. Influence of friends and peers
5. The co-opting Approach: means involving people who are
dissatisfied with a situation to understand the things and
change their attitude.
 Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Leon Festinger- to explain the linkage
between attitudes and behaviour. It refers to
any incompatibility that an individual might
perceive two or more attitudes or between
behaviour and attitudes.
Dissonance means inconsistency.

Any form of inconsistency is uncomfortable

and individuals will attempt to reduce the
dissonance.
 Module 8
Interpersonal Behavior
 Conflict in Organizations
Conflict: conflict is antagonism or opposition
between or among persons.
It is an inevitable element of interpersonal
relationships in orgn.
Nature of Conflict:
Traditional view
Human relations view
Interactionist view:
Functional and dysfunctional conflict
Levels of Conflcit