Chapter 2: INDIVIDUAL

BEHAVIOR,

PERSONALITY AND

VALUES

MARS Model of

Individual

Behavior and

Performance

What is MARS Model of Individual

Behavior and Performance?

M RA S

MARS is the acronym for:

• MOTIVATION,

• ABILITY,

• ROLE PERCEPTIONS and

• SITUATIONAL FACTORS

•These four factors directly

influence voluntary individual

behavior and performance.

1. EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION

• Motivation- the forces within a person that affect his or her direction,

intensity, and persistence of voluntary behavior.

• Intensity- is the amount of effort allocated to the goal. It is all bout

how much people push themselves to complete a task.

• Persistence- is the continuing effort for a certain amount of time.

2. ABILITY

• Ability- includes both the natural aptitudes and learned capabilities required to successfully complete a task.

• Aptitudes- are the natural talents that help employees learn specific tasks more quickly and perform them better.

• Learned capabilities- are the skills and knowledge that you currently possess.

• Competencies- are skills, knowledge, aptitudes, and other personal characteristics that lead to superior performance.

• Person-Job Matching Strategies

1. To match a person’s competencies with the job’s task requirements is to select applicants who already demonstrate the required competencies.

2. To provide training so that employees develop required skills and knowledge.

3. To redesign the job so that employees are given tasks only within their current learned

capabilities.

3. ROLE PERCEPTIONS

• The extent to which people understand the job duties (roles)

assigned to or expected of them.

• Three components of role

perception concept

1. Employees have accurate role perceptions when they

understand the specific tasks assigned to them, that is

when they know the specific duties or consequences

for which they are accountable.

2. People have accurate role perceptions when they

understand the priority of their various tasks and

performance expectations.

3. Understanding the preferred behaviors or procedures

for accomplishing the assigned tasks.

4. Situational Factors

• Situational Factors- this include conditions beyond the employee’s immediate control that constrain or facilitate behavior and performance.

• Some situational characteristics—such as consumer preferences and economic conditions—originate from the external environment and, consequently, are beyond the employee’s and organization control.

• However, other situational factors—such as time, people, budget, and physical work facilities—are controlled by people within the organization.