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The Foundationsof Individual
Behavior
Prepared by:GREGAR DONAVEN E. VALDEHUEZA, MBA
Lourdes College Instructor
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Objectives:
Identify two types of ability
Define the key biographical characteristics
Understand how to shape the behavior of others
Distinguish between the four schedules ofreinforcement
Clarify the role of punishment in learning
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ABILITY
- Refers to an individuals capacity to
perform the various tasks in a job.
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Types of ability
1. Intellectual abilitiesthe capacity to do mentalactivities - thinking, reasoning, and problemsolving.
2. Physical abilitiesthe capacity to do tasksdemanding stamina, dexterity, strength, andsimilar characteristics.
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Dimensions of Intellectual AbilityDimension Description Job Example
Number aptitude Ability to do speedy and accuratearithmetic
Accountant: computing the sales
tax on a set of itemsVerbal comprehension Ability to understand what is read or
heard and the relationship of
words to each otherPlant manager: following
corporate policies on hiringPerceptual speed Ability to identify visual similarities
and differences quickly andaccuratelyFire investigator: identifying
clues to support a charge ofarsonInductive reasoning Ability to identify a logical
sequence in a problem and then
solve the problemMarket researcher: forecasting
demand for a product in the
next time periodDeductive reasoning Ability to use logic and assess the
implications of an argumentSupervisor: choosing between
two different suggestionsoffered by employees
Spatial visualization Ability to imagine how an objectwould look if its position is
space were changedInterior decorator: redecorating
an office
Memory Ability to retain and recall pastexperiences Salesperson: remembering thenames of customers
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Nine Basic Physical AbilitiesStrength Factors
1. Dynamic strength Ability to exert muscular force repeatedly or continuously overtime
2. Trunk strength Ability to exert muscle strength using the trunk (particularlyabdominal) muscles
3. Static strength Ability to exert force against external objects4. Explosive strength Ability to expend a maximum of energy in one or a series of
explosive acts
Flexibility Factors5. Extent flexibility Ability to move the trunk and back muscles as far as possible6. Dynamic flexibility Ability to make rapid, repeated flexing movements
Other Factors7. Body coordination Ability to coordinate the simultaneous actions of different parts of
the body8. Balance Ability to maintain equilibrium despite forces pulling off balance9. Stamina Ability to continue maximum effort requiring prolonged effort
over time
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The ability-job fit
- jobs make differing demands on people and thatpeople differ in their abilities
- employee performance in enhanced when thereis high ability-job fit
- poor ability-job fit, employees will likely to fail
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BIOGRAPHICALCHARACTERISTICS
- Personal characteristics that are
objective and easily obtained
from personnel records.
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Ageeffect of age on turnover:
- older you get, less likely to quit
reasons:- fewer job opportunities- higher benefits
effect of age on absenteeism:- older employees, lower rates on unavoidable absence
effect of age on productivity:- unrelated
reason:- some decay due to age, offset by gains
due to experienceeffect of age on satisfaction:- tends to increase among professionals- tends to decrease among nonprofessionals duringmiddle age and rises in later years
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Gender
- no consistent male-female differences in problem-
solving ability, analytical skills, competitivedrive, motivation, sociability, or learningability
- women are more willing to conform with
authority- men are more aggressive and more likely to have
expectations of success
- women with pre-school children prefer part-timework, flexible work schedules, andtelecommuting to accommodate familyresponsibilities
- issue on absenteeism, no significant difference
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Race
- some scholars argue that it is not productive to discussrace for:
1. policy reason (divisive issue or can causedisagreement)
2. biological reason (large percentage are amixture of races)
3. genetic & anthropological reason(anthropologists & evolutionaryscientists reject concept of distinct racialcategories)
- Department of Education classifies individuals according
to five racial categories:African American, NativeAmerican (American Indian/Alaskan Native),Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, andWhite
- racial differences in cognitive ability tests continues to behotly debated.
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Tenure- most recent evidence demonstrates a positive
relationship between seniority and job
productivity.- tenure (work experience) appears to be a good
predictor of employee productivity- in terms of both frequency of absence and total
days lost at work, tenure is the single mostimportant explanatory variable.- potent (strong) variable in explaining turnover- longer a person in a job, less likely to quit
- past behavior is the best predictor of futurebehavior- tenure and job satisfaction are positively related- stable predictor of job satisfaction than
chronological age
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LEARNING
Any relatively permanent change in
behavior that occurs as a result of
experienceAlmost all complex behavior is learned.
Learning is a continuous, life-long process.The principles of learning can be used to shape
behavior
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Theories of learning
Classical conditioning (Ivan Pavlov)
a type of conditioning in which an individualresponds to some stimulus that would not ordinarily
produce such a response.4 key concepts:
- unconditioned stimulus
- unconditioned response- conditioned stimulus
- conditioned response
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Operant Conditioning (B.F. Skinner)
- The theory that behavior is a function of itsconsequences and is learned through experience.
- Operant behavior: voluntary or learned behaviors
Behaviors are learned by making rewards contingent to
behaviors.
Behavior that is rewarded (positively reinforced) is likelyto be repeated.
Behavior that is punished or ignored is less likely to be
repeated.
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Social learning
-the view people can learn through observation and
direct experience.
- Attributes of models that influence learning:
Attentional: the attractiveness or similarity of the model
Retention: how well the model can be recalled
Motor reproduction:the reproducibility of the modelsactions
Reinforcement: the rewards associated with learning themodel behavior
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Shaping: A Managerial ToolShaping behaviorsystematically reinforcing each
successive step that moves an individual closerto the desired response.
Methods of shaping behavior Positive reinforcement: rewarding desired behaviors.
Negative reinforcement: removing an unpleasantconsequence once the desired behavior is exhibited.
Punishment: penalizing an undesired behavior.
Extinction: eliminating a reinforcement for anundesired behavior.
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Schedules of reinforcementSchedules of Reinforcement
Reinforcement
Schedule Nature ofReinforcement Effect on Behavior Example
Continuous Reward given aftereach desired behavior Fast learning of new behavior butrapid extinction Compliments
Fixed-interval Reward given at fixedtime intervals Average and irregularperformance with rapid extinction Weekly paychecks
Variable-interval Reward given atvariable time intervals Moderately high and stableperformance with slow extinction Pop quizzes
Fixed ratio Reward given at fixedamounts of output High and stable performanceattained quickly but also with
rapid extinctionPiece-rate pay
Variable ratio Reward given atvariable amounts of
outputsVery high performance with slow
extinction Commissionedsales
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Organizational behavior
modification (OB Mod)
- application of reinforcement conceptsto individuals in the work setting.
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Five steps in OB Mod:
1. identifying critical behaviors
2. developing baseline data
3. identifying behavioral consequences
4. developing & implementing an interventionstrategy
5. evaluating performance improvement