Fundamentals of OB in Brief

1Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter: Management 4e 2006 Pearson Education Australia

Foundations of Behaviour

Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter: Management 4e 2006 Pearson Education Australia 2

Understanding individual behaviour

z Organisational behaviour (OB) The actions of people at work

z Dual focus of OB Individual behaviour Group behaviour

Norms, roles, team building, leadership, and conflict

z Goals of OB To explain, predict and influence behaviour.


Organisational behaviour

Organisational behaviour is the study of the actions of people at work.

Figure 13.1 Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter: Management 4e 2006 Pearson Education Australia 4

Important employee behaviours

z Employee productivity A performance measure of both efficiency and effectiveness

z Absenteeism The failure to report to work when expected

z Turnover The voluntary and involuntary permanent withdrawal from

an organisation

2Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter: Management 4e 2006 Pearson Education Australia 5

Important employee behaviours

z Organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) Discretionary behaviour that is not a part of an employees

formal job requirements, but which promotes the effective functioning of the organisation.

z Job satisfaction The individuals general attitude toward his or her job


Attitudes

Attitudes are evaluative statements concerning objects, people or events


Psychological factors

z Attitudes Evaluative statementseither favourable or

unfavourableconcerning objects, people, or events.

z Components of an attitude Cognitive component: the beliefs, opinions, knowledge,

or information held by a person.

Affective component: the emotional or feeling part of an attitude.

Behavioural component: the intention to behave in a certain way.


Psychological factors (contd)

z Job satisfaction Job satisfaction is affected by level of income earned and by

the type of job a worker does.

z Job satisfaction and productivity For individuals, productivity appears to lead to job satisfaction. For organisations, those with more satisfied employees are

more effective than those with less satisfied employees.



z Job satisfaction and absenteeism Satisfied employees tend to have lower levels of absenteeism.

z Job satisfaction and turnover Satisfied employees have lower levels of turnover; dissatisfied

employees have higher levels of turnover.

Turnover is affected by the level of employee performance. The preferential treatment afforded superior employees

makes satisfaction less important in predicting their turnover decisions.



z Job satisfaction and customer satisfaction The level of job satisfaction for frontline employees is related

to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Interaction with dissatisfied customers can increase an employees job dissatisfaction.

Actions to increase job satisfaction for customer service workers:

Hire upbeat and friendly employees.

Reward superior customer service.

Provide a positive work climate.

Use attitude surveys to track employee satisfaction.



z Job involvement The degree to which an employee identifies with his or

her job, actively participates in it, and considers his or her performance to be important to his or her self-worth

z Organisational commitment Is the degree to which an employee identifies with a

particular organisation and its goals and wishes to maintain membership in the organisation.

Leads to lower levels of both absenteeism and turnover. Could be becoming an outmoded measure as the

number of workers who change employers increases



z Perceived organisational support Is the general belief of employees that their organisation

values their contribution and cares about their well-being.

Represents the commitment of the organisation to the employee.

Providing high levels of support increases job satisfaction and lower turnover


Cognition-Beliefs and

opinions

Cognition-Beliefs and

opinions

Behaviour-Intention

Behaviour-Intention

Affect-Feelings and

Emotions

Affect-Feelings and

Emotions

Attitude ComponentsAttitude Components

In summary


Cognitive dissonance

Desire to reduce dissonance is determined by:

Desire to reduce dissonance is determined by:

Importance of factorscreating dissonance

Importance of factorscreating dissonance

Perceived degree of influenceOver these factors

Perceived degree of influenceOver these factors

Rewards involvedRewards involved


Cognitive dissonance theory

z Cognitive dissonance Any incompatibility or inconsistency between

attitudes or between behaviour and attitudes.

Any form of inconsistency is uncomfortable and individuals will try to reduce the dissonance.

The intensity of the desire to reduce the dissonance is influenced by:

The importance of the factors creating the dissonance.

The degree to which an individual believes that the factors causing the dissonance are controllable.

Rewards available to compensate for the dissonance.


The importance of attitudes

z Implication for managers Attitudes warn of potential behavioural problems:

Managers should do things that generate the positive attitudes that reduce absenteeism and turnover.

Attitudes influence behaviours of employees:Managers should focus on helping employees become

more productive to increase job satisfaction.

Employees will try to reduce dissonance unless:Managers identify the external sources of dissonance.

Managers provide rewards compensating for the dissonance.


Personality

z PersonalityThe unique combination of psychological characteristics (measurable traits) that affect how a person reacts and interacts with others.


Style ofDecision Making

Preference forDecision Making

Preference forGathering Data

Judgmental (J)Perceptive (P)

Thinking (T)Feeling (F)

Introvert (I)Extrovert (E)

Intuitive (N)Sensing (S)

Myers Briggs Type Indicator

SocialInteraction

4 Dimensions* Preferences*

*Combining dimensions/preferences results in 16 personality types.


The Big-FivePersonality Model

Extraversion Agreeableness

Emotional Stability

ConscientiousnessOpenness toExperience


Other personality insights

z Locus of control External locus: persons who believe that what happens to

them is due to luck or chance (the uncontrollable effects of outside forces) .

Internal locus: persons who believe that they control their own destiny.

z Machiavellianism (Mach) The degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains

emotional distance, and seeks to gain and manipulate powerthe ends justify the means.


Other personality insights (contd)

zSelf-Esteem (SE) The degree to which people like or dislike

themselves

High SEsBelieve in themselves and expect success.

Take more risks and use unconventional approaches.

Are more satisfied with their jobs than Low SEs.

Low SEsAre more susceptible to external influences.

Depend on positive evaluations from others.

Are more prone to conform than high SEs.Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter: Management 4e 2006 Pearson Education Australia 22


z Self-MonitoringAn individuals ability to adjust his or her behaviour to external, situational factors.

High self-monitors: Are sensitive to external cues and behave differently in

different situations.

Can present contradictory public persona and private selves.

Low self-monitors Do not adjust their behaviour to the situation.

Are behaviourally consistent in public and private.



z Risk-Taking The propensity (willingness) to take risks.

High risk-takers take less time and require less information than low risk-takers when making a decision.

Organisational effectiveness is maximized when the risk-taking propensity of a manager is aligned with the specific demands of the job assigned to the manager.


Assortment of non-cognitive skills, capabilities and competencies that influence a persons ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures

Emotional intelligence (EI)

Self-awareness

Self-management

Social skillsSelf-motivation

Empathy


Emotions and intelligence

z EmotionsIntense feelings (reactions) that are directed at specific objects (someone or something)

Universal emotions:Anger

Fear

Sadness

Happiness

Disgust

Surprise


Emotions and intelligence

zEmotional intelligence (EI) An assortment of non-cognitive skills, capabilities,

and competencies that influence a persons ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures.

Dimensions of EI:Self-awareness: knowing what youre feeling

Self-management: managing emotions and impulses

Self-motivation: persisting despite setbacks and failures

Empathy: sensing how others are feeling

Social skills: handling the emotions of others


Hollands theory of personality-job fit

Type Personality Occupations

Realistic

Investigative

Social

Conventional

Enterprising

Artistic

Shy, Stable, Practical

Analytical, Independent

Sociable, Cooperative

Practical, Efficient

Ambitious, Energetic

Imaginative, Idealistic

Mechanic, Farmer,Assembly Worker

Biologist, Economist,MathematicianSocial Worker,

Teacher, CounsellorAccountant, Manager,

Bank Teller

Lawyer, Salesperson

Painter, Writer,Musician

Table 13.3 Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter: Management 4e 2006 Pearson Education Australia 28

Perception

z Perception A process by which individuals give meaning (reality) to

their environment by organizing and interpreting their sensory impressions.

z Factors influencing perception: The perceivers personal characteristicsinterests, biases

and expectations The targets characteristicsdistinctiveness, contrast, and

similarity) The situation (context) factorsplace, time, locationdraw

attention or distract from the target


FactorsThat CanInfluence

Perception

FactorsThat CanInfluence

Perception

Thesituation

Thesituation

Theperceiver

Theperceiver

Thetarget

Thetarget

Perception


Perception challenges: what do you see?

Figure 13.3

Documents

Fundamentals of OB in Brief