Chapter 13
Foundations of behavior
Organizational Behavior
Understanding the actions of people at work.
Individual behavior and group behavior are two aspects of OB.
OB tries to explain and predict behavior in the organization.
Attitudes- Evaluative statements concerning objects, people, or
events.
3 components of Attitude
1. Cognitive - Beliefs, opinions, knowledge held by the
individual.
2. Affective- emotional aspect of the attitude
3. Behavioral- the intention to behave in a certain fashion
Job Satisfaction- A person’s general attitude about the job
Job Involvement- A person degree of identification with the job (actively participates)
Organization commitment- Loyalty towards the company
Attitudes and Consistency- People will often change their opinions so that
it will not contradict with their
actions.
Example. I will only buy American cars. They are the best. This is the opinion of the
person until the person’s father gives him a car.
Sororities- They are great until the person gets passed over.
Cognitive Dissonance
Any incompatibility between attitude and behavior
This inconsistency creates a feeling of uncomfortable
Individuals should try to reduce the level of dissonance
3 factors that help a person try to reduce dissonance
1. Importance of the factors that create dissonance
2. Influence of other people
3. Rewards involved with the dissonance
If theses 3 factors are reduced, dissonance
will be reduced.
Attitudes surveys
Soliciting responses from employees about how they feel
about their job, employees, etc.
Review figure 13.2
Management should try to manage dissonance. Management can use
external sources to try to show that the dissonance it the result
of external sources (Competition, customers, etc.)
Personality- We characterize people is terms of personality traits
Managers must understand their employees. Employees must understand their managers
Review
Table 13.1
Big five model of personality
A. Extroversion-
B. Agreeableness
C. Conscientious
D. Emotional Security
E. Openness to experience
Predicting Behavior from personality traits:
1. Locus of control- The degree that people feel that they are
masters of their own fate (Internal vs.
External)
2. Machiavellianism-’The ends justify the means’
3. Self esteem
4. Self monitoring- The ability to adjust one’s behavior
during situation factors
5. Risk taking-
Matching personalities with jobs
We should try to find jobs that match our personalities
Perception:
The concept of interpreting their impressions to give
meaning to their environment.
There are 3 factors that help or distort perception:
1. The perceiver- Looks at a target and interprets it from
their point of view
2. The target- Characteristics of the target
3. The situation-The context
Tools used to judge others:
1. Selectivity- ‘Speed reading’ an individual
2. Assumed similarity
3. Stereotyping
4. Halo Effect
Operant conditioning- People learn to behave a certain way (reward or punishments)
BF Skinner
Reinforcement increases the behavior.
Shaping behavior- The concept of molding individuals by guiding their learning gradually
1. Positive reinforcement-
2. Negative reinforcement-
3. Punishment -
4. Extinction- Ignoring the behavior will help to eliminate
the behavior
TAMI #2 and #4