FOUNDATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR Biographical characteristics and ability

FOUNDATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR • Biographical characteristics and ability affect employee’s performance (productivity, absence, turnover) and satisfaction, which determine his/her behavior • How to shape the behavior so that it goes on the line with the company’s way ? • Biographical characteristics = personal characteristics (age, gender, marital status, tenure)

AGE • Older workers are less likely to quit the job : fewer job opportunities + long tenure provides higher wage rates and other benefits, low absenteeism, strong ethic, experience, loyalty, quality • avoidable absence - unavoidable absence • productivity declines with age ? • Job satisfaction between professional and non-professional

GENDER • No evidence indicating it affects job satisfaction and productivity • absenteeism depends on the culture, social environment and the nature • no meaningful conclusion for turnover • some important differences still exist : consistency, analytical skill, motivation, sociability, learning ability, physical ability

MARITAL STATUS AND TENUR • Married employees : fewer absence, less turnover, more satisfied • Productivity ? Widow/widower ? Living together ? The issue : culture influence personality • the impact of seniority on performance : experience • negatively correlate with absenteeism and turnover • tenure and satisfaction is positively related

ABILITY • Equality, strengths and weaknesses in terms of ability • Management standpoint : knowing how people different in abilities and using that knowledge to increase the likelihood an employee will perform the job well • intellectual ability : to perform mental activities, measurement, dimension - test for future performance • physical ability : basic factors • the ability-job fit : adequate job performance depends on the ability requirements of the job and the capacities of the workers

LEARNING • complex behavior is learned. • to predict behavior by knowing how people learn • learning involves change : to change is to facilitate learning processes • theories of learning : classical conditioning, operant conditioning, social learning • how to tech the employees in ways that most benefit to the organization = shaping behavior that moves the employees to the desired response by rules and rewards/punishment

PERSONALITY • behavior is shaped by personality • personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others • determinants : the result of the influences of heredity, environment and situation • environment : culture in which someone is raised that establish norms, attitudes and values • situation influences the effects of heredity and environment • traits : primary traits, personality types of Myers-Briggs, the big five model

PERSONALITY (Continued) • attributes : locus of control, Machiavellianism, self esteem, self monitoring, risk taking, type A • how to utilize those different individuals ? • personality-job fit : to match individuals to specific jobs (Holland’s Typology of Personality and Congruent Occupation) • personality-organization fit : concerns about the flexibility to meet, organization’s culture and changing situations • results : higher satisfaction and reduced turnover

EMOTIONS • little attention : emotion-free organization, emotion is disruptive • potentials : constructive, ability to stimulate performanceenhancing behaviors and unavoidable • emotion : intense feeling or reaction on an object • mood : less intense and not directed on an object • example, emotional labor and what to do with emotions ? • dimensions : variety, intensity, frequency and duration • men’s and women’s emotions : job and organization fit • external constraints : organization, culture-professionalism

THE APPLICATIONS • • • selection process - emotional intelligence decision making motivation leadership interpersonal conflict deviant workplace behavior