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Submitted to Dr. Khondoker Bazlul Hoque Professor Department of International Business Faculty of Business Studies University of Dhaka Submitted By Md. Rakibul Islam Roll No: 19 Session: 2008-2009 Department of International Business Faculty of Business Studies University of Dhaka
Course title: Organizational Behavior Course code: 309

Date of Submission: July 08, 2012.

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To Prof. Dr. Khondoker Bazlul Hoque Department of International Business Faculty of Business Studies University of Dhaka.

Subject: Submission of Term Paper.

Dear Sir, With due respect, I would like to inform you that I have prepared my term paper according to your guidelines. For preparing my term paper I have taken help from text book, Journals and internet. I am delighted for getting such an opportunity. Now I would like to submit it for your kind consideration. I have tried my best to make it accurate and pragmatic. But there may have some unexpected mistakes where I expect your kind consideration.

Yours Obediently Md. Rakibul Islam Roll: 19 BBA(IB-2nd) 15th batch, session: 2008-09 Department of International Business University of Dhaka
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Table of contents

Topics Introduction Meaning of individual behavior Meaning of Biographical Characteristics Effects of biographical characteristics Meaning of ability Meaning of intellectual abilities Dimensions of intellectual abilities Nine basic physical abilities Meaning of learning Various theories of learning Methods of shaping behavior Some specific applications of learning theory in organizations Conclusion

Pages 5 5 5 6-8 9 9 10 11-12 12 13-15 15-16 16

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Introduction
People are one of the two most fundamental concepts of organizational behavior. Thus people which mean individual just as an individual or individual as a member of a group is critical element in the study of organizational behavior. Individuals are important because intelligence is but one thing that people bring with them when they join an organization and this intelligence is a function of certain biographical characteristics of people and their ability. Intelligence in its turn affects employee performance and job satisfaction. In this term paper I would show meaning of individual behavior, various biographical characteristics such as (gender and age) and ability (both physical and intellectual) affect employee performance and satisfaction. Then I show how people learn behaviors and what management can do to shape those behaviors.

Meaning of individual behavior

Individual behavior refers to how individual behaves at work place; his behavior is influenced by his attitude, personality, perception, learning and motivation. This also refers to the combination of responses to internal and external stimuli.

Meaning of Biographical Characteristics

Biographical characteristics mean characteristics such as age, gender, marital status and tenure that are objective and easily obtained from personnel records. In organization, biographical characteristics have tremendous effects bon turnover, absenteeism, productivity and job satisfaction.
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Effects of biographical characteristics on turnover, absenteeism, productivity and job satisfaction

Age

Tenure

Biographical characteristics

Gender

Marital status
Biographical characteristics such as age, gender, marital status and tenure have a important impact on employee turnover, absenteeism, productivity and job performance in the organization. These are described in the following: 1. Effect of age: Job performance: The relationship between age and job performance is likely to be an issue of increasing importance during the next decade for at least thee reasons. First, there is a widespread belief that job performance declines with increasing age. Second is that the workforce is aging. The third reason is U.S. legislation that, for all intents and purposes, outlaws mandatory retirement.

 Turnover: The older you get, the less likely you are to quite your job. That conclusion is based on studies of the age-turnover relationship. Of course, this shouldnt be too surprising. In addition, older workers are less likely to resign than are younger workers because their long tenure tends to provide paid vacations, and more attractive pension benefits. Absenteeism: Its tempting to assume that age is also inversely related to absenteeism. After all, if older workers are less likely to quit wont they also demonstrate higher stability by coming to work more regularly. In general, older employees have lower rates of avoidable absence than do younger employees. Productivity: There is a widespread belief that productivity declines with age. It is often assumed that an individuals skills- particularly speed, agility, strength and coordination decay over time and that prolonged job boredom and lack of intellectual stimulation contribute to reduced productivity. Job satisfaction: Our final concern is the relationship between age and job satisfaction. On this issue, the evidence is mixed. Most studies indicate a positive association, at least up to age 60. 2. Effects of gender: Few issues initiate more debates, misconceptions and unsupported opinions than whether women perform as well on jobs as men do.
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 Job performance: There are no consistent male-female differences in problem-solving ability, analytical skills, competitive drive, motivation, sociability or learning ability. Psychological studies have found that women are more willing to confirm authority and that man are more aggressive and more likely than women to have expectations of success, but those differences are minor. There is no significant difference in job productivity between men and women. Absenteeism and turnover: Womens quit rates are similar to those for men. The research on absence, however, consistently indicates that women have higher rates of absenteeism than men do. 3. Effects of marital status: There are not enough studies to draw any conclusions about the effect of marital status on productivity. But whatever research has been done that consistently indicates that married employees have fewer absences, under go fewer turnovers and are more satisfied with their jobs than are their unmarried co-workers. 4. Effects on tenure: Research findings demonstrate a positive relationship between seniority and job productivity. Studies consistently demonstrate seniority to be negatively related to absenteeism. Tenure is also a potent variable in explaining turnover. The longer a person is in a job, the less likely he or she is to quit. Further, evidence indicates that tenure and satisfaction are positively related.

Meaning of ability
Ability is the individuals capacity to perform the various tasks in a job. An individuals overall abilities are essentially made up of two sets of factors intellectual and physical abilities. Intellectual abilities are those needed to perform mental activities, while physical abilities are those needed to do tasks demanding stamina, dexterity, strength or similar talents. Ability=KnowledgeSkill

Meaning of intellectual abilities

Intellectual abilities are abilities needed to perform mental activities- for thinking, reasoning, and problem solving. People in most societies place a high value of intelligence, and for good reason. Compared to others, smart people generally earn more money and attain higher levels of education. Smart people are also more likely to emerge as leaders of groups. Intelligence quotient (IQ) tests, for example, are designed to ascertain a persons intellectual abilities.

Dimensions of intellectual abilities

Dimension Number aptitude Description Ability to do speedy and accurate arithmetic Ability to understand what is read or heard and the relationship of words to each other. Ability to identify visual similarities and differences quickly and accurately. Ability to identify a logical sequence in a problem and then solve the problem. Ability to use logic and assess the Implications of an argument. Job example Accountant: computing the sales tax on a set of items. Plant manager: Following corporate policies. Fire investigator: Identifying clues to support a charge of arson. Market researcher: Forecasting demand for a product in the next time period. Supervisor: Choosing between two different suggestions offered by employees. Interior decorator: Redecorating an office. Salesperson: Remembering the names of customers.

Verbal comprehension Perceptual speed

Inductive reasoning

Deductive reasoning

Special visualization Memory

Ability to imagine how an object would look if its position in space were changed. Ability to return and recall past experiences.

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Nine basic physical abilities

1.Strength factors
1. Dynamic factors 5. Extent flexibility 2. Trunk strength 8. Balance 3. Static strength 4. Explosive factors 6. Dynamic flexibility

2.Flexibility factors

3.Other factors
7. Body coordination

9. Stamina

Physical ability is the capacity to do tasks that demand stamina, dexterity, strength, and similar characteristics. Though the changing nature of work suggests that intellectual abilities are becoming increasing important for many jobs, physical abilities have been and will remain important for successfully doing certain jobs. Research on the requirements needed in hundreds of jobs has identified nine basic abilities involved in the performance of physical tasks. These are described as following: 1.
1. Dynamic factors

Strength factors:
Ability to exert muscular force repeatedly or continuously over time.

2. Trunk strength

Ability to exert muscular strength using the trunk (particularly abdominal) muscles.

3. Static strength

Ability to exert force against external objects.

4. Explosive factors

Ability to expand a maximum of energy in one or a series of explosive acts.

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2. Flexibility factors:
5.Extent flexibility Ability to move the trunk and back muscles as far as possible.

6. Dynamic flexibility

Ability to make rapid, repeated flexing movements.

3. Other factors:
7.Body coordination Ability to coordinate the simultaneous actions of different parts of the body.

8. Balance

Ability to maintain equilibrium despite forces pulling off balance.

9. Stamina

Ability to continue maximum effort requiring prolonged effort over time.

Meaning of learning
Any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience is known as learning. It is to be noted that learning has taken place to a person, only when an individual behaves, reacts, responds as a result of experience in a manner different from the way he formerly behaved. Thus learning has few components, and these are: Learning involves change. The change must be relatively permanent. The changed must be reflected in the behavior i.e. it must be reflected in actions. Learning must be the outcome of some experiences.
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Various theories of learning

1. Classical conditioning theory

2. Operant conditioningn theory

3. Social learning theory

1. Classical conditioning theory: Classical conditioning theory is a type of conditioning in which an individual responds to some stimulus that would not ordinarily produce such a response. Classical conditioning theory is passive. It is elicited in response to a specific identifiable event. Classical conditioning grew out of experiments to teach dogs to salivate in response to the ringing of a bell conducted at the turn of the twentieth century by a Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Initially the dog salivate with ringing and presenting a piece of meat. But afterwards the dog salivate with ringing, even without meat.

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2. Operant conditioning theory: Operant conditioning theory 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. Operant behavior means voluntary or learned behavior in contrast to reflexive or unlearned behavior. The tendency to repeat such behavior is influenced by the reinforcement or lack of reinforcement brought about by the consequences of the behavior. Therefore, reinforcement strengthens a behavior and increases the likelihood that it will be repeated. 3. Social learning theory: Social learning theory is an extension of operant conditioning that is, it assumes that behavior is a function of consequences-it also acknowledges the existences of observational learning and the importance of perception in learning. People responds to how they consequences, not to the objective consequences themselves. The influence of models is central to the social learning viewpoint. Four processes have been found to determine the influence that a model will have on an individual. i. Attention processes: People learn a model only when they recognize and pay attention to its critical features. We tend to be most influenced by models that are attractive, repeatedly available, important to us, or similar to us in our estimation. ii. Retention processes: A models influence depends on how well the individual remembers the models action after the model is no longer readily available. iii. Motor reproduction processes: After a person has seen a new behavior by observing the model, the watching must be converted to doing. This
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process then demonstrates that the individual can perform the modeled activities. iv. Reinforcement processes: Individuals are motivated to exhibit the modeled behavior if positive incentives or rewards are provided. Behaviors that are positively reinforced are given more attention, learned better, and performed more often.

Methods of shaping behavior

2. Negative reinforcement

3. Punishment

1. Positive reinforcement

4. Extinction

Methods of shaping behavior

There are four ways to shape behavior: through positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. 1. Positive reinforcement: Following a response with something pleasant is called positive reinforcement. For example, praising an employee by the boss for a job well done.
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2. Negative reinforcement: Following a response by the termination or withdrawal of something unpleasant is called negative reinforcement. 3. Punishment: To punish is to cause suffering for an offence. Punishment is causing an unpleasant condition in an attempt to eliminate an undesirable behavior. Giving an employee a 2 days suspension from work without pay for showing up drunk is an example of punishment. 4. Extinction: Extinction refers to elimination. College instructor who wishes to discourage students from asking questions in class can eliminate this behavior in their students by ignoring those who raise their hands to ask questions.

Some specific applications of learning theory in organizations

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Using lotteries to reduce absenteeism. Well pay vs. sick pay. Discipline problem employees. Developing training programs. Creating mentoring program. Self management.

Conclusion
Individual behavior affects the behavior of an organization. Organizations can shape their employers behavior by different ways. Organizational success depends largely on individual behavior.
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