ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
WWW.PRENHALL.COM/ROBBINS
T E N T H
E D I T I O N
Biographical Characteristics
 Age – Are older workers “better” or “worse” than
younger workers?
 Gender – Any differences b/w male and female
workers?
 Marital Status – So, should we hire only married
employees??
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
• Unconditioned response
• Conditioned response
Theories of Learning (cont’d)
Key Concepts
• Reflexive (unlearned) behavior
• Conditioned (learned) behavior
• Reinforcement
Theories of Learning (cont’d)
Key Concepts
• Attention processes
• Retention processes
• Motor reproduction processes
• Reinforcement processes
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.