FoundationOfOrganizationBehavior

Unit3

Unit3
Structure
3.1 Introduction Objectives 3.2 Biographiccharacteristics SelfAssessmentQuestions1 3.3 Ability SelfAssessmentQuestions2 3.4 Summary TerminalQuestions AnswertoSAQsandTQs 3.1 Introduction

FoundationOfOrganizationalBehavior

Organizational Behavior emphasizes on intellectual capital as represented by the sum total of knowledge,expertise,and dedicationofan organizations workforce. It recognizes that even in the age of high technology, people are the indispensable human resources whose knowledge and performance advance the organizations purpose, mission, and strategies. Only through human effortscanthegreatadvantagesberealizedfromothermaterialresourcesoforganizations,suchas, technology, information, raw materials, and money. A Fortune survey (1998) of Americas most admiredfirmsreportedthatthesinglebestpredictorofoverallsuccesswasacompanysabilityto attract,motivate,andretaintalentedpeople. Learningobjectives Thelearningobjectivesofthisunitareasfollows: 1. BiographicCharacteristics 2. Ability

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3.2 Biographiccharacteristics

Finding and analyzing the variables that have an impact on employee productivity, absence, turnover,andsatisfactionisoftencomplicated.Manyoftheconceptsmotivation,orpower,politics or organizational cultureare hard to assess. Other factors are more easily definable and readily availabledata that can be obtained from an employees personnel file and would include characteristics,suchas: 1. Gender 2. Age 3. Maritalstatus 4. Tenure. 1.Gender Menandwomenexhibitnoconsistentdifferencesintheirproblemsolvingabilities,analyticalskills, competitivedrive,motivation,learningability,orsociability.However,womenarereportedtobemore conforming and to have lower expectations of success than men do. And, womens absenteeism ratestendtobehigherthanthoseofmen. 2.Age The research findings concerning age are important given the aging of the workforce. People 50 years old and older account for 85 percent of the projected labor force growth between 1990 and 2005 (American Association of Retired Persons, 1995). Older workers are susceptible to being stereotyped as inflexibleand undesirable in other ways. In some cases, workersas youngas age fortyareconsideredtobeoldandcomplainthattheirexperienceandskillsarenolongervalued. Ontheotherhand,smallbusinessesinparticular,tendtovalueolderworkersfortheirexperience, stability and low turnover. Research is consistent with these preferences and also shows lower avoidableabsences(Mayrand,1992). 3.MaritalStatus There are not enough studies to draw any conclusions about the effect of marital status on job productivity.Researchconsistentlyindicatesthatmarriedemployeeshavefewerabsences,undergo lessturnover,andaremoresatisfiedwiththeirjobsthanaretheirunmarriedcoworkers(Garrison&

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Muchinsky,1977).Furtherresearchneedstobeconductedontheotherstatuses,besides,singleor married,suchas,divorce,domesticpartnering,etc 4.Tenure Theissueoftheimpactofjobseniorityonjobperformancehasbeensubjectof misconceptionsand speculations. Extensive reviews of the seniorityproductivity relationship have been conducted (Gordon&Fitzgibbons,1982):

1. Thereisapositiverelationshipbetweentenureandjobproductivity. 2. Thereisanegativerelationshipbetweentenuretoabsence. 3. Tenureisalsoapotentvariableinexplainingturnover. 4. Tenurehasconsistentlybeenfoundtobenegativelyrelatedtoturnoverandhasbeensuggested

asoneofthesinglebestpredictorsofturnover.

5. Theevidenceindicatesthattenureandsatisfactionarepositivelyrelated
SelfAssessmentQuestions1 1. Womensabsenteeismratestendtobe_________thanthoseofmen. 2.Thereisa_______relationshipbetweentenuretoabsence. 3.3Ability

Abilityreflectsapersonsexistingcapacitytoperformthevarioustasksneededforagivenjoband includes both relevant knowledge and skills (Cummings & Schwab, 1973). Aptitude represents a persons capability of learning something. In other words, aptitudes are potential abilities, whereas abilities are the knowledge and skills that an individual currently possesses. Managers need to considerbothabilityandaptitudewhileselectingcandidatesforajob.Varioustestsusedtomeasure mentalaptitudesandabilities.Someoftheseprovideanoverallintelligentquotient(IQ)score(e.g., the StanfordBinet IQ Test). Others provide measures of more specific competencies that are requiredofpeopleenteringvariouseducationalprogramsorcareerfields.Suchtestsaredesignedto facilitate the screening and selection of applicants for educational programs or jobs. In addition to mentalaptitudesandabilities,somejobs,suchas,firefightersandpolice,requiretestsforphysical
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abilities. Muscular strengthandcardiovascular enduranceare twoamong the manyphysicalability dimensions (Hogan, 1991). There must be a fit between specific aptitudes and abilities and job requirements. If you want to be a surgeon, for instance, and cannot demonstrate good handeye coordination, there will not be a good abilityjob fit. Such a fit is so important that itforms a core conceptinmanaginghumanresources. Individualsoverallabilitiesaremadeupoftwosetsoffactors:intellectualandphysical. IntellectualAbilities Intellectualabilitiesarethoserequiredtoperformmentalactivities. IQ tests are designed to ascertain ones general intellectual abilities. Examples of such tests are popular college admission tests such as, the SAT, GMAT, and LSAT. The seven most commonly cited dimensions making up intellectual abilities are: number aptitude, verbal comprehension, perceptual speed, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, spatial visualization, and memory (Dunnette,1976).Theabilitiesarecategorizedinthefollowingtable:

Description Dimension Numberaptitude Abilitytodospeedyand accuratearithmetic VerbalCommunication PerceptualSpeed Readwritespeakingability Identifysimilaritiesand differencesquicklyand accurately Inductivereasoning Deductivereasoning Logicalsequencedrawing Abilitytouselogicand assesstheimplicationsof theargument SpatialVisualization Memory Abilitytoimagine Abilitytoretainandrecall pastexperience

JobExample

Accountant

Seniormanagers Investigators

MarketResearcher Supervisors

Interiordecorator Salesperson Rememberingcustomers name

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Jobsdifferinthedemandstheyplaceonincumbentstousetheirintellectualabilities.Areviewofthe evidencedemonstratesthatteststhatassessverbal,numerical,spatial,andperceptualabilitiesare validpredictorsofjobproficiencyatalllevelsofjobs. In this regard, the theory of multiple intelligences was developed by Gardner (1983, 1993). This theory suggests eight different intelligences to account for a broader range of human potential in childrenandadults.Ithasbeenclaimedthatourintelligenceorabilitytounderstandtheworldaround us is complex. Some people are better at understanding some things than others. For some, it is relatively easy to understand how an automobile works, but it is immensely difficult for some to understand and use a musical instrument. For others music might be easy but playing football is difficult.Theseveraldifferentintelligencesarelistedbelow: 1. Linguisticintelligence("wordsmart"): 2. Logicalmathematicalintelligence("number/reasoningsmart") 3. Spatialintelligence("picturesmart") 4. BodilyKinestheticintelligence("bodysmart") 5. Musicalintelligence("musicsmart") 6. Interpersonalintelligence("peoplesmart") 7. Intrapersonalintelligence("selfsmart") 8. Naturalistintelligence("naturesmart") PhysicalAbilities Specificphysicalabilitiesgainimportanceindoinglessskilledandmorestandardizedjobs.Research has identified ninebasic abilities involved in theperformanceofphysicaltasks. Individualsdiffer in the extent to which they have each of these abilities. High employee performance is likely to be achievedwhenmanagementmatchestheextenttowhichajobrequireseachofthenineabilitiesand theemployeesabilities.

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NineBasicPhysicalAbilitiesproposedbyFleishman(1979):

StrengthFactors

Dynamicstrength

Abilitytoexertmuscularforcerepeatedly orcontinuouslyovertime

Trunkstrength

Abilitytoexertmuscularstrengthusingthe trunk(particularlyabdominal)muscles

Staticstrength

Abilitytoexertforceagainst externalobjects

Explosivestrength

Abilitytoexpendamaximumof energyinoneoraseriesof explosiveacts

FlexibilityFactors

Extentflexibility

Abilitytomovethetrunkandback musclesasfaraspossible

Dynamicflexibility

Abilitytomakerapid,repeatedflexing Movements

OtherFactors

Bodycoordination

Abilitytocoordinatethesimultaneous actionsofdifferentpartsofthebody

BalanceAbility

Abilitytomaintainequilibriumdespite forcespullingoffbalance

StaminaAbility

Abilitytocontinuemaximumeffort requiringprolongedeffortovertime

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TheAbilityJobFit Employee performance is enhanced when there is a high abilityjob fit. The specific intellectual or physical abilities required depend on the ability requirements of the job. For example, pilots need strong spatialvisualization abilities. Directing attention at only the employees abilities, or only the ability requirements of the job, ignores the fact that employee performance depends on the interactionofthetwo.Whenthefitispooremployeesarelikelytofail. Whentheabilityjobfitisout of synchronization becausetheemployeehasabilitiesthatfarexceedtherequirementsofthejob, performance is likely to be adequate, but there will be organizational inefficiencies and possible declines in employee satisfaction. Abilities significantly above those required can also reduce the employees job satisfaction when the employees desire to use his or her abilities is particularly strongandisfrustratedbythelimitationsofthejob SelfAssessmentQuestions2 1.Abilitytodospeedyandaccuratearithmeticiscalled_________aptitude. 2.Interpersonalintelligencemeans____________smart. 3.Abilitytoexertforceagainstexternalobjectsiscalledas_________strength. 3.4 Summary Organizational Behavior emphasizes on intellectual capital as represented by the sum total of knowledge,expertise,and dedicationofan organizations workforce. It recognizes that even in the age of high technology, people are the indispensable human resources whose knowledge and performance advance the organizations purpose, mission, and strategies. Only through human effortscanthegreatadvantagesberealizedfromothermaterialresourcesoforganizations,suchas, technology,information,rawmaterials,andmoney.Findingandanalyzingthevariablesthathavean impactonemployeeproductivity,absence,turnover,andsatisfactionisoftencomplicated.Manyof the conceptsmotivation, or power, politics or organizational cultureare hard to assess. Other factors are more easily definable and readily availabledata that can be obtained from an employees personnel file and would include characteristics, such as, gender, age, marital status, andtenure. Abilityreflectsapersonsexistingcapacitytoperformthevarioustasksneededforagivenjoband includes both relevant knowledge and skills (Cummings & Schwab, 1973). Aptitude represents a

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persons capability of learning something. In other words, aptitudes are potential abilities, whereas abilities are the knowledge and skills that an individual currently possesses. Managers need to considerbothabilityandaptitudewhileselectingcandidatesforajob.Individualsoverallabilitiesare made up of two sets of factors: intellectual andphysical. Intellectual abilities are those required to performmentalactivities.Thesevenmostcommonlyciteddimensionsmakingupintellectualabilities are: number aptitude, verbal comprehension, perceptual speed, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning,spatialvisualization,andmemory.Specificphysicalabilitiesgainimportanceindoingless skilled and more standardized jobs. Research has identified nine basic abilities involved in the performance of physical tasks. Individuals differ in the extent to which they have each of these abilities.Highemployeeperformanceislikelytobeachievedwhenmanagementmatchestheextent towhichajobrequireseachofthenineabilitiesandtheemployeesabilities.Employeeperformance isenhancedwhenthereisahighabilityjobfit.Thespecificintellectualorphysicalabilitiesrequired dependontheabilityrequirementsofthejob. TerminalQuestions 1.Brieflydescribetherelationshipofbiographiccharacteristicswithorganizationalbehavior. 2. Whatisability?explainthemultipleintelligencetheory. 3.Explainthesignificanceofabilityjobfit. AnswerstoSelfAssessmentQuestions SelfAssessmentQuestions1 1.Higher 2.Negative SelfAssessmentQuestions2 1.Number 2.People 3.Static AnswerstoTerminalQuestions 1.Refertosection3.2 2.Refertosection3.3 3.Refertosection3.3

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