Managing Individual Work

The foundation of organizational behavior is the individual employee. In the following, we look at basic understanding of individual behavior, differences in individu and work behavior, and personalities- are discussed in more detail.

1. Individual Differences and Work Behaviora. Individual differences have a direct effect on behavior

• People who perceive things differently behave differently• People with different attitudes respond differently to directives• People with different personalities interact differently with bosses, coworkers,

subordinates, and customers.b. Individual differences help explain:

Why some people embrace change and others are fearful of it Why some employees will be productive only if they are closely supervised, while

others will be productive if they are not Why some workers learn new tasks more effectively than others.

2.Understanding Individual Behavior

Keys variable in understanding individual behavior are:

a. AttitudeAttitude – a mental state of readiness. It is evaluative statement concerning objects, people, or events.Characteristics of attitude:1. Attitudes are learned2. Attitudes define one’s predispositions toward given aspects of the world3. Attitudes provide the emotional basis of one’s interpersonal relations and

identification with others4. Attitudes are organized and are close to the core of personality.

b. PersonalityPersonality is a relatively stable set of feelings and behaviors that have been significantly formed by genetic and environmental factors.Some Major Forces Influencing Personality:1. Hereditary Contribution

The impact of heredity on personality is a very active but stil unsettled area of understanding. The problem is that geneticists face a major obstacle in gathering information scientifically on the human being.

2. Cultural ContributionTraditionally, cultural factors are usualy considered to make a more siiignificant contribution to personality than biological factors. Culture is the key concept in analysing the content of learning because what a person learns has a content.

3. Family RelationshipThe family probably has the most significant impact on early personality development. The parents play an especially important part in the identification process, which is important to the person’s early development. Also, a substansial amount of empirical evidence indicates that the overall home environment created

by the parents, in addition to their direct influence, is critical to personality development.

4. Socialization ProcessBesides the biological, cultural, and family influences on personality, there is increasing recognition given to socialization process. It is especially relevant to organizational behavior because the process is not confined to early childhood; rather, it takes place throughout one’s life. In particular, evidence is accumulating that socialization may be one of the best explanatiions for why employees behave the way they do in today’s organization.

c. PerceptionIs a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment. Personal characteristics affecting perception inlude attitudes, personality, motives, interests, past experiences, and expectations.

d. Learning ProcessIs any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience.

3. Individual Differences in the Workplace

4. Increase Your Effectiveness in Changing Attitudes How to Increase Your Effectiveness in Changing Attitudes:

a. Concentrate on gradually changing the attitude over a period of timeb. Identify the beliefs or values that are part of the attitude and provide the attitude

holder with information that will alter those beliefs or values

c. Make the setting (in which the attempted change occurs) as pleasant and enjoyable as possible

d. Identify reasons that changing the attitude is to the advantage of the attitude holder.

Summary:

The field of organizational behavior is concerned with the cations of people-managers and operatives alike- in organizations. Key variables in understanding individual behavior are attitudes, personality, perceptions, and learning processes. Attitudes are evalative statements concerning objects, people, or vents. Since individuals seek to minimize dissonance, a knowledge of an employee’s attitudees can guide managers inpredicting his or her behavior. Individuals differ in terms of personality traits. An understanding of personality difeerences can be especially valuable in matching personality types with compatible jobs. Perceptions is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.

References:

1. Robbins, Stephen P. 1984. Management: Concepts and Practices. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

2. Ivancevich, John M. 2007. Perilaku dan Manajemmen Organisasi, Edisi Ketujuh. Jakarta: PT Gelora Aksara Pratama

3. Luthan, Fred. 1989. Organizational Behavior, Fifth Edition. United States of America: University of Nebraska

Arranged by:Siti AminahBussiness English/ B09360062