Individual Behavior &
Performance
OBJECTIVES
 DESCRIPTION OF BASIC ATTRIBUTES
OF INDIVIDUALS
 UNDERSTAND WHAT VALUES, ATTITUDES &
PERCEPTUAL PROCESS ARE
 DISCUSS MOTIVATION THEORIES
 UNDERSTAND WHAT IS LEARNING,
REINFORCEMENT, AND SELF - MANAGEMENT
 DESCRIPTION OF JOB DESIGN STRATEGIES
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Description of Basic Attributes
of Individuals
 OBJECTIVE:
TO UNDERSTAND
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
INDIVIDUAL ATTRIBUTES &
JOB REQUIREMENTS
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Individual Performance Factors
OP = I x WE x OS
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OP =
I =
WE =
OS =
organizational performance
individual attributes
work effort
organizational support
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Individual Attributes
 Individual Attributes = a capacity to perform
OP =
I x WE x OS
THAT IS:

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
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GENDER (MEN, WOMEN)
AGE
APTITUDE
ABILITY (WHAT A PERSON CAN DO)
PERSONALITY
VALUE & ATTITUDE
PERCEPTION
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
 Aptitude
= THE CAPACITY TO LEARN SOMETHING
 Ability
= THE CAPACITY TO PERFORM VARIOUS
TASKS NEEDED FOR A GIVEN JOB
 Competency
= ABILITY + APTITUDE
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Personality…
 … REPRESENTS THE OVERALL PROFILE OR
COMBINATION OF CHARACTERISTICS THAT
REFLECTS THE UNIQUE NATURE OF A PERSON
AS THAT PERSON REACTS AND INTERACTS
WITH OTHERS
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
How Personalities Differ:
Personality Dimensions
 EXTRAVERSION: sociable, assertive
 AGREEABLENESS: trusting, cooperative
 CONSCIENTIOUSNESS: responsible
 EMOTIONAL STABILITY: relaxed, secure
 OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE: imaginative
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
(Personality) Social Traits
 REFLECT THE WAY A PERSON APPEARS TO
OTHERS WHEN INTERACTING IN VARIOUS
SOCIAL SETTINGS
 5 PERSONAL CONCEPTIONS:
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
1. Locus of Control
 IS THE INTERNAL - EXTERNAL ORIENTATION, i.e. THE
EXTENT TO WHICH A PERSON FEELS ABLE TO AFFECT
HIS/HER OWN LIFE
 INTERNALS
ARE PERSONS WITH AN
INTERNAL LOCUS OF
CONTROL. THEY ARE
PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE
THAT THEY CONTROL
THEIR OWN FATE OR
DESTINY
 EXTERNALS
ARE PERSONS WITH AN
EXTERNAL LOCUS OF
CONTROL, WHO BELIEVE
THAT WHAT HAPPENS
TO THEM IS BEYOND
THEIR CONTROL
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Locus of Control: Examples
 Many of the unhappy things in peoples’ lives
are partially due to bad luck
 Peoples’ misfortunes result from the mistakes
they make (b)
 As far as world affairs are concerned, most of
us are victims of forces we can neither
understand nor control
 By taking an active part in political & social
affairs, people can control world events (b)
(b shows an internal orientation)
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
2. Authoritarianism
 IS A PERSONALITY TRAIT THAT FOCUSES ON
THE RIGIDITY OF A PERSON´S BELIEFS –
A TENDENCY TO ADHERE RIGIDLY TO
CONVENTIONAL VALUES AND TO OBEY
RECOGNIZED AUTHORITY
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
3. Dogmatism
 IS A PERSONALITY TRAIT THAT REGARDS
LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY AS ABSOLUTE
AND ACCEPTS OR REJECTS OTHERS BASED
ON THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF AUTHORITY
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
4. Machiavellians
 ARE PEOPLE WHO VIEW AND MANIPULATE
OTHERS FOR PURELY PERSONAL GAINS
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
5. Self-monitoring
 REFLECTS A PERSON’S ABILITY TO ADJUST
HIS OR HER BEHAVIOR TO EXTERNAL,
SITUATIONAL (ENVIRONMENTAL) FACTORS
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Values & Attitudes
WHAT ARE VALUES?
 Beliefs that guide actions & judgments across
a variety of situations
 Values reflect a person’s sense of right & wrong
WHY ARE VALUES IMPORTANT?
 Values & attitudes influence the way people
perceive what happens, their behavior & outputs
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Sources of Values
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Parents (family)
Friends
Teachers
External reference groups
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Types of Values
 Terminal values ARE VALUES THAT REFLECT A
PERSON´S BELIEFS ABOUT ENDS TO BE
ACHIEVED
 Instrumental values ARE VALUES THAT
REFLECT A PERSON´S BELIEFS ABOUT THE
MEANS FOR ACHIEVING DESIRED ENDS
 WHAT ARE THE VALUES OF THE YOUNG GENERATION?
 WHAT ARE THE VALUES OF SLOVAK PEOPLE?
 WHAT ARE THE VALUES OF PEOPLE IN THE USA?
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Top 9 Work-related Values
IMPORTANT FOR THE NEW WORKFORCE
AS ORGANIZATIONAL SPECIALISTS BELIEVE
1. RECOGNITION FOR COMPETENCE &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2. RESPECT & DIGNITY
3. PERSONAL CHOICE & FREEDOM
4. INVOLVEMENT AT WORK
5. PRIDE IN ONE’S WORK
6. LIFESTYLE QUALITY
7. FINANCIAL SECURITY
8. SELF-DEVELOPMENT
9. HEALTH & WELLNESS
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
What Are Attitudes?
 …PREDISPOSITIONS TO RESPOND IN A
POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE WAY TO SOMEONE
OR SOMETHING IN ONE´S ENVIRONMENT
 ATTITUDES ARE INFLUENCED BY VALUES, BUT
THEY FOCUS ON SPECIFIC PEOPLE OR OBJECTS,
WHILE VALUES HAVE A MORE GENERAL FOCUS
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Example
“EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO
PARTICIPATE”
IS A VALUE (YOUR POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE FEELING
ABOUT YOUR JOB)
 WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU “LIKE” OR “DISLIKE”
SOMEONE OR SOMETHING,
YOU ARE EXPRESSING AN ATTITUDE
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
 AN IMPORTANT WORK - RELATED ATTITUDE IS
JOB SATISFACTION
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Components of Attitudes
1. COGNITIVE COMPONENTS ARE THE BELIEFS,
OPINIONS, KNOWLEDGE, OR INFORMATION
A PERSON POSSESSES
2. BELIEFS REPRESENT IDEAS ABOUT SOMEONE OR
SOMETHING AND THE CONCLUSIONS PEOPLE DRAW
ABOUT THEM
3. AFFECTIVE COMPONENTS ARE THE SPECIFIC
FEELINGS REGARDING THE PERSONAL IMPACT OF
SOME FACTS (e.g. “I don’t like my job”)
4. BEHAVIORAL COMPONENTS ARE THE
INTENTIONS TO BEHAVE IN A CERTAIN WAY BASED
ON A PERSON´S SPECIFIC FEELINGS OR ATTITUDE
(e.g. “I’m going to quit my job”)
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Components of Attitudes
Systematically Relate to Each Other as Follows:
Beliefs &
Values
“My job
lacks
responsibility
”
CREATE
Attitudes
THAT
Behavior
PREDISPOSE
“I don’t
like my
job”
“I’m going
to quit my
job”
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Job Satisfaction as an Attitude

JOB SATISFACTION IS THE DEGREE TO WHICH
INDIVIDUALS FEEL POSITIVELY OR
NEGATIVELY ABOUT THEIR JOBS

TWO CLOSELY RELATED ATTITUDES TO JOB SATISFACTION ARE:
1. Organizational Commitment -
THE DEGREE TO
WHICH A PERSON STRONGLY IDENTIFIES WITH AND FEELS A
PART OF THE ORGANIZATION
2. Job Involvement
- THE WILLINGNESS OF A PERSON TO
WORK HARD AND APPLY EFFORT BEYOND NORMAL JOB
EXPECTATIONS
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Job Satisfaction & Performance
“I SPEND 42 HOURS A WEEK HERE –
AM I SUPPOSED TO WORK, TOO?”
 JOB SATISFACTION - PERFORMANCE CONTROVERSY:
S -> P
Performance causes satisfaction: P -> S
 Satisfaction causes performance:

 Reward causes both performance & satisfaction:
R -> P&S
 Which one do you prefer and why?
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Perception
 PERCEPTION IS THE PROCESS THROUGH WHICH
PEOPLE
RECEIVE,
ORGANIZE,
AND
INTERPRET
INFORMATION FROM THEIR ENVIRONMENT
 Factors influencing perception:
 Perceiver (experience, needs & motives, values, attitudes)
 Setting (physical, social organizational)
 The perceived (figure, intensity, size, motion, repetition)
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
Common Perceptual Distortions
 HALO EFFECT – OCCURS WHEN ONE ATTRIBUTE OF A PERSON OR
SITUATION IS USED TO DEVELOP AN OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE
PERSON OR SITUATION
 SELECTIVE PERCEPTION – IS THE TENDENCY TO SINGLE OUT
FOR ATTENTION THOSE ASPECTS OF A SITUATION OR PERSON THAT
REINFORCE OR EMERGE AND ARE CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING
BELIEFS, VALUES, AND NEEDS
 PROJECTION – IS THE ASSIGNMENT OF PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES TO
OTHER INDIVIDUALS
(E.G.MANAGERS WHO ASSUME THAT THE NEEDS OF THEIR
SUBORDINATES AND THEIR OWN COINCIDE)
 CONTRAST EFFECT – OCCURS WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL’S
CHARACTERISTICS ARE CONTRASTED WITH THOSE OF OTHERS
RECENTLY ENCOUNTERED, WHO RANK HIGHER OR LOWER ON THE
SAME CHARACTERISTICS
 SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY – IS THE TENDENCY TO CREATE
OR FIND IN ANOTHER SITUATION OR INDIVIDUAL THAT WHICH ONE
HAS EXPECTED TO FIND
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007
An Old Hag or a Young Woman?
A Problem of Perception
© J. Rudy, Organizational Behavior, FMCU, Fall 2007