Download pdf - The Individual

THE INDIVIDUALFactors Influencing Work Behaviour

© 2014 Berlin Asong. All rights reserved. 2

Learning Objective

I. Discuss the factors which influence individual behaviour at work.


To achieve a pass in LO1.3, we must discuss the factors which influence individual behaviour at work.


The human being is the most studied subject. Yet still least understood.

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human behaviour atAn area that continues to attract attention is

WORK .

Picture source: green-mission.info


work behaviour.An individual

?


Meet Cheery. She takes

pride in her work.


Why does she take pride inher work? Why others don’t?

10 minutes

List as many reasons.


Jim and Kim are just coming out froma meeting chaired by their line manager.

“What a waste of my time!” “Wow. What a great manager!”

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List as many factors that couldaccount for the difference in opinion held by

Jim and Kim towards their line manager.

10 minutes


There are many factors that influencean individual work behaviour. All of which

cannot be covered in this session.These factors are grouped into three major influences…


Personal Influences.

Organisational Influences.

Situational Influences.

Factors InfluencingIndividual Work Behaviour


Personal Influences

Our physical and psychological make-up, and desires affect what we do and how we act; and explain why we act the way we act at work. Personal influences include…


Age Gender Abilities Motivations Perception Personality

MoodsAttitude


Young Individuals Less Younger Individuals

Less experienced Highly experienced

New skills and knowledge Have some obsolete skills and knowledge

Seek to disrupt the status-quo Seek to preserve the status-quo

Seek to embrace new work technologies Seek to embrace routine work systems

Rely on the experience of the old Rely on the novelty of the young

A simplified comparison howage influences work behaviour.

Age


Jim and Kim are just coming out froma meeting chaired by their line manager.

“What a waste of my time!” “Wow. What a great manager!”

Gender

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Compassion.

Multi-tasking.

Communication.

Physical strength.

Decision-making.

Career choices.

Risk-taking.

Perception.

Etc.

Areas of Gender Differences at Work


Beware of gender stereotypes at work.

10 minutes

Any examples?


Education.

Knowledge.

Skills.

Physical qualities.

Experience.

Ability comprises


Source: usainbolt.com

The science behind Usain Bolt’s sprinting superiority.www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-08/video-superhuman-biomechanics-behind-usain-bolt


Needs | Goals | Expectations of the individual.

Motivation


1. Physiological

2. Safety

3. Social

4. Esteem

5. Self-Actualisation

Food, Sex, Sleep,

Safety, security, protection

Affection, Affiliation, Belonging, Be Accepted

Respect,recognition,

status

Ultimateaspirations

& potentials

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory

Maslow, A. (1943), “A Theory of Human Motivation by Abraham Maslow”. Psychological Review, vol. 50, NO. 4, pp. 370-396


Why do we work? Why do we avoid work? Why our work motivation is hardly stable? Do managers understand why we (avoid) work?

20 minutes


Personality

A set of enduring, observableand unobservable qualities that influence how a person looks,

feels, thinks and behaves. Hellriegel, G. and John, W. S. (2011), “Organisational Behavior”. 13th edition, Cengage Learning: Mason,. p. 70


Who am I?

Picture source: © Riona 2013


Often used methods ofdetermining one’s personality

are traits and types.


Traits MethodAccording to personality trait theory, there arefive major traits that underlie human personality.


Big Five Personality Traits

Extraversion.

Conscientiousness.

Openness to new experience.

Agreeableness.

Neuroticism/Emotional stability.

Mullins, L. J. (2010), "Management and Organisational Behaviour". 9th edition, Prentice Hall: Harlow,. p. 133


Use the mnemonic—OCEAN—to remember theBig Five personality traits: Openness, Conscientiousness,

Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism.

© 2014 Berlin Asong. All rights reserved. 30Source: Costa, P. T & McCrae, R. “Big Five Personality Traits”



Extraversion 20%

Conscientiousness 40%

Openness to new experience 98%

Agreeableness 70%

Neuroticism 42%

Cilia’s Big Fiver personality test score.

Picture source: kellymartinspeaks.co.uk


What sort of role or profession is the best fit for Cilia? How would youexpect Cilia to behave in a teamwork environment? Assuming Cilia holds amanagement position, what could be her major strength and weaknessbased on her Big 5 personality test score?

15 minutes

To complete this exercise, you need to know the meanings of each of the five personality traits. See slide 29 or 30.


Extraversion 99%

Conscientiousness 70%

Openness to new experience 65%

Agreeableness 40%

Neuroticism 50%

Dino’s Big Fiver personality test score.


Amongst the tools you are using in deciding the best candidate for the postof Events Manager is the Big Five personality trait test. Base on thepersonality test scores of Cilia and Dino; which of the two candidateswould you hire. Justify your answer.

15 minutes

To complete this exercise, you need to know the meanings of each of the five personality traits. See slide 29 or 30.


Type MethodAccording to personality type theory,there are 16 discrete personality types.


ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

Myers-Briggs 16 Personality Types

Mullins, L. J. (2010), "Management and Organisational Behaviour". 9th edition, Prentice Hall: Harlow,. p. 136


Click slide to access description of 16 personality types. Internet connection is required.

http://www.16personalities.com/type-descriptions

http://www.16personalities.com/type-descriptions


Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)


Attitude is an opinion or judgement held byan individual towards a person or object.

Attitude


Do you like your job? What aspects about your jobdo (don’t) you like? Do you identify yourself with members of

your organisation? Are you proud of your organisation?

20 minutes


What do you think of your boss? Competent? Lazy?Vulnerable? Hardworking? Pleasant? Does the opinion you hold

about your boss influence your behaviour towards them?

20 minutes


An individual’s attitude is formed through direct andindirect experiences, imagination and personal beliefs.


Perception describes how a person selects,organises, and interprets input from their senses

to make meaning of the world around them.

Perception

Hellriegel, G. and John, W. S. (2011), “Organisational Behavior”. 13th edition, Cengage Learning: Mason,. p. 104



Stimuli Response

How the individual processesinformation determines the response.


Individuals are susceptible to perceptual errors like stereotyping, selective distortion, selective attention, self-

fulfilling prophecy, attribution bias, etc. For example…


Premier League Referee Sian Massey

Source: politiken.dk

Sky sport commentators, Andy Gray & Richard Keys sacked for making sexist comments about Ms. Massey & female referees.

“Women [don’t] know the offside rule”.

2010—


Half-full or half-empty?


Created by and courtesy of Dr. Akiyoshi Kitaoka, Ritsumeikan University

Are these objects rotating or static?


"What" do you see?


"What" do you see?


You have four referral grades. Whydid you perform poorly in your exams?Some individuals would attribute their underachievement to

external factors rather to their own making. — Attribution bias


Wow. You passed your exams inflying colours—five distinctions. Explain

the reasons for your success?Some individuals would attribute their achievementsolely to their own making. — Attribution bias

55© 2014 Berlin Asong. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting Perception

Perceiver

Perceived objectContext


Have you been in a situation at work where colleagues perceivedan issue differently from you? Or a problem to which your colleagues’

interpretation is completely different from yours? What could have accounted for the difference in interpretation or perspective?

20 minutes


Organisational Influences

These are factors outside the individual but inside the organisation that affect how a person acts, feels and thinks at work.


Teams.

Leadership.

Organisational culture.

Organisational structure.

Interpersonal relationships.

Physical workplace design.

Job characteristics.

Organisational Influences


What does the job entail?

What tools & knowledge are required to do the job?

Where and when would the job be carried out?

With whom would I be doing the job?

Are responsibilities and accountabilities clearly defined?

How would performance on the job be assessed?

Would job performance lead to valuable rewards?

Does the job make effective use of my skills?

How does the job affect other jobs in the organisation?

Is the job routine or dynamic?

What unexpected issues could affect the job?

Etc.

Job Characteristics &Impact on Individuals Behaviour




Situational Influences

These are factors outside the organisation that affect people’s

behaviour at work.


Weather conditionsPicture source: forwallpaper.com


PESTEL Forces

National values & norms with regards to work; work-life balance.

Depressing & uncertain economic climate, redundancy, pay-cut on

employee moral & outlook.

Effect of new work technologies & workplace

design on employees

Effect of green issues &workplace design on employees.

Changes in employmentlaws, employee rights.

Political risks & governmental policies on economic, social & legal matters

that directly/indirectly affect employees.


Organisationalinfluences

Situational influences

Personalinfluences

Source: ealingreflexology.co.uk


NEXT CLASSCompare the effectiveness of differentleadership styles in different organisations.