ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
WWW.PRENHALL.COM/ROBBINS
T E N T H
E D I T I O N
Biographical Characteristics
 Age – Q: Are older workers “better” or “worse”
than younger workers in terms of performance?
 Gender – Q: Any differences between male and
female workers?
 Marital Status – Q: So, should we hire only
married employees?? Why? Why not?
Ability
Physical Ability
The Ability-Job Fit
Employee’s
Abilities
Ability-Job
Fit
Job’s Ability
Requirements
Learning
Learning
• Involves CHANGE
• Is relatively PERMANENT
• Is acquired through EXPERIENCE
Theories of Learning
Key Concepts
• Unconditioned stimulus: “meat”
• Unconditioned response: “saliva”
• Conditioned response: “saliva” after bell
Theories of Learning (cont’d)
Key Concepts
• B.F. Skinner – behavior is learned
• Reinforcement is key
Theories of Learning (cont’d)
Theories of Learning (cont’d)
Key Concepts
• Reinforcement is required to change behavior.
• Some rewards are more effective than others.
• The timing of reinforcement affects learning
speed and permanence.
Schedules of Reinforcement
Schedules of Reinforcement
Fixed-ratio
Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement
Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement (cont’d)
OB MOD Organizational Applications
 Well Pay versus Sick Pay
– Reduce absenteeism by rewarding attendance, not
absence.
 Employee Discipline
– The use of punishment can be counter-productive.
 Developing Training Programs
– OB MOD methods improve training effectiveness.
 Self-management
– Reduces the need for external management control.
Summary
 Employee age seems to have NO relationship to
productivity.
 Ability: directly influences an employee’s level of
performance and satisfaction through the ability-job fit.
An effective selection process (including a job analysis) will
improve the fit. Promotion and transfer decisions *should*
reflect the abilities of the candidates.
 Learning
Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for managers
Try to use reinforcement instead of punishment if you can
Your employees learn from your behavior - think about your
actions – you are a role model whether you realize it or not!