INDIVIDUAL

BEHAVIOR

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR

BEHAVIOR is defined as
The Manner in which one Behaves!
The actions or reactions of a person in response to an
external or internal stimuli !
Though people differ in their
attitudespersonalityemotionstheir
Behavior can be similar to a given stimulus

Example : Increase in the petrol prices (STIMULUS)most of

us are not too happy (BEHAVIOR)

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR

Over the yearsthere have been changes in the way BEHAVIOR has
been explained
THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH

BEHAVIOR IS THE OUTCOME OF A STIMULUS

Example: A very unfriendly working environmentyou demonstrate an
irritable behavior at work
THIS IS CALLED THE SR MODEL OR THE STIMULUS RESPONSE
MODEL

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR

BEHAVIORAL PERSPECTIVE
PROCESS

INPUT

SITUATION

ORGANISM

OUTPUTS

BEHAVIOR

Physiological

Responses

Cognitive

Patterns of
Behavior

Stimulus
Environment
Psychological

INFORMATION PROCESSED
INDIVIDUAL
RECEIVES
INFORMATION

PERSONALITY & EXPERIENCE

OF THE INDIVIDUAL INFLUENCE THIS
PROCESS

THESE ARE THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY

THE INDIVIDUAL AND ARE EXPLICIT
OUTWARDLY DEMONSTRATED

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR

We study organization behavior at 3 levels:

Individual
Team
Organization
Following factors influence the individual behaviour:
Personal factors
- Biographical/Physiological factors
Psychological factors
Environmental factors

Biographical/Physiological
factors
Let us understand how the Biographical
Characteristics of the individual influence his
performance and satisfaction.
Some of the Biographical characteristics of the
individuals can be
AGE
GENDER
MARITAL STATUS
TENURE ON THE JOB

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR

AGE

The Older you getthe less likely it is that you will quit your job

Older workers have fewer alternatives outside their job

Further, their long tenure gives them options such as longer paid vacations,
more attractive pension benefits

Older workers however have higher rate of unavoidable absences.

Contrary to the myth that younger workers demonstrate speed, agility,

strength, and coordination at work vis--vis the older workers, there will be
no decline of skills with age.

Age is directly related to Satisfaction

Among Non Professional Workers Satisfaction falls in the middle age and
then rises in later years

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR

GENDER

There are little differences between Men and Women in terms of Job
Performance

No differences with respect to problem-solving ability, analytical skills,

sociability, learning ability

Women may conform more to authority than Men

Women report higher rate of absenteeism, largely due to home/family

responsibilities such as day care.

However, this has changed now with Men being interested in day care.

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR

MARITAL STATUS

No clear evidence on the impact of marriage on performance.

Married men however report lower absences, less turnover, and are more
satisfied with their jobs.

This may well be the other way aroundsatisfied people getting married.

TENURE

More work experience leads to higher productivity on the job.

Seniority is inversely proportional to absenteeism.

The longer the job tenure, the higher is the employees satisfaction.

Psychological Factors
These factors refer to an individuals
mental characteristics and attributes.
Few important psychological factors
are:
Perception
Attitude
Values
Needs
Personality
Learning
Ability

Perception
Perception is a process by which
individuals organize and interpret
their sensory impressions in order to
give meaning to their environment.
Perception leads to formation of
attitude.

Attitude
Attitudes are learned predispositions
towards aspects of our environment.
They can be positively or negatively
directed towards people, objects,
situations or institutions.
Attitudes can change over a certain
period of time.

Values
Value is a concept that an individual
holds to determine what is desirable
and right.
Values are derived from social and
cultural systems.
Values are endurable and difficult to
change.

Environmental Factors
These factors are :Social Factors- Social strata, system,
values, norms and cultures affect an
individuals behavior.
Economic factors- Economic conditions
such as employment level, wage rates,
technological changes etc. greatly
affect behavior at work.

 Political factors- The political climate

hovering in a country in which an
individual lives affects his behavior as
it affects the employment
opportunities to some extent. Also the
political system creates certain inbuilt
personality traits in the individual since
childhood.

Organisational Factors
Physical Facilities:
Noise level, heat, light, ventilation, cleanliness, etc.
Organisation structure and Design:
Reporting system, lines of communication etc.
Leadership:

Reward System

Cultural factors- People living in

different regions imbibe different
cultural values.
Culture is made up of factors like
basic beliefs, values, work ethics etc.