Management 131- Introduction to Human Relations

and Behavior in Organizations

B. Individual Level
 B1. Foundations of Individual Behavior

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session,

students should be able to:
1. Identify the key biographical characteristics and the types of ability
that affect OB
2. Explain the different theories of learning
3. Differentiate between the different kinds of reinforcement.
a. Biographical characteristics
1. Age
The older a person gets, it is less likely that he/she will quit
his/her job.
In general, older Employees have lower rates of avoidable
absence than younger employees. However, they have higher
rates of unavoidable absence.
The demands of most jobs, even those with heavy manual labor
requirements, are not extreme enough for any declines in
physical skills attributable to age to have an impact on
productivity.
Satisfaction tends to continually increase among professionals
as they age while among non-professionals, satisfaction falls
during middle age and then rises again in the later years.
a. Biographical characteristics (Contd)
2. Gender
In general, there is no significant difference in job productivity
between men and women
There is no significant difference in turnover rates between men and
women
Women have higher rates of absenteeism than men.
 a. Biographical characteristics (Contd)
3. Marital Status
Research reveals that married employees have fewer absences, undergo less turnover
and are more satisfied with their jobs.
4. Tenure
There is a positive relationship between seniority and job productivity
Seniority and absenteeism are negatively related.
The older the person is in the job, it is less likely that he/she will quit his/her job.
Tenure and job satisfaction are positively related
B. Ability
Intellectual Ability those needed to perform mental activities
Physical Ability needed for less skilled and more standardized jobs

If employees lack the required abilities, they are likely to fail while
Abilities significantly above those required can reduce the
employees job satisfaction.
 C. learning
Definition: any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of
experience.
Theories of learning
1. Classical conditioning involves building up an association between conditioned
stimulus and unconditioned stimulus
2. Operant conditioning argues that behavior is a function of its Consequences. People
learn to behave to get something they want or to avoid something they dont want.
3. Social Learning Individuals can also learn by observing what happens to other people
and just by being told about something as well as by direct experiences.
SHAPING (OB Modification) A Managerial Tool
A. Types of reinforcement
1. Positive Reinforcement following a Positive response with
something pleasant. e.g. recognition or reward
2. Negative Reinforcement following a Positive response by the termination or
withdrawal of something unpleasant.
E.G. shortening jail term (Parole)
3. Punishment causing an unpleasant condition in an attempt to eliminate an
undesirable behavior. E.G. suspension
4. extinction eliminating any reinforcement that is maintaining a particular behavior.
E.g. ignoring the person
SHAPING (Contd)
B. Schedules of Reinforcement
1. Continuous reinforcement reinforces the desired behavior each and
every time it is demonstrated. It is appropriate for newly emitted,
unstable or low frequency responses.
2. Intermittent reinforcement - not every instance of the desirable
behavior is reinforced. It is appropriate for stable or high-frequency
responses.
 OB Modification Program:
Five-Step Problem Solving Model
1. Identifying critical behaviors
2. Developing baseline data
3. Identifying behavioral consequence
4. Developing and implementing an intervention strategy
5. Evaluating performance improvement
Some Organizational Application

a. Well pay vs. sick pay

b. Employee discipline
c. Developing training programs
d. Self-management