Submitted to

Dr. Khondoker Bazlul Hoque

Professor

Department of International Business

Faculty of Business Studies

University of Dhaka

Submitted By

Md. Rakibul Islam

Roll No: 19

Session: 2008-2009

Department of International Business

Faculty of Business Studies

University of Dhaka

Course title: Organizational Behavior

Course code: 309

Date of Submission: July 08, 2012.

To

Prof. Dr. Khondoker Bazlul Hoque

Department of International Business

Faculty of Business Studies

University of Dhaka.

Subject: Submission of Term Paper.

Dear Sir,

With due respect, I would like to inform you that I have prepared my

term paper according to your guidelines. For preparing my term paper I

have taken help from text book, Journals and internet. I am delighted for

getting such an opportunity. Now I would like to submit it for your kind

consideration. I have tried my best to make it accurate and pragmatic.

But there may have some unexpected mistakes where I expect your kind

consideration.

Yours Obediently

Md. Rakibul Islam

Roll: 19

BBA(IB-2nd) 15th batch, session: 2008-09

Department of International Business

University of Dhaka

Table of contents

Topics Pages Introduction 5

Meaning of individual behavior 5Meaning of Biographical Characteristics 5

Effects of biographical characteristics 6-8Meaning of ability 9

Meaning of intellectual abilities 9Dimensions of intellectual abilities 10

Nine basic physical abilities 11-12

Meaning of learning 12

Various theories of learning 13-15

Methods of shaping behavior 15-16

Some specific applications of learning theory in organizations

16

Conclusion 16

Introduction

People are one of the two most fundamental concepts of organizational behavior.

Thus people which mean individual just as an individual or individual as a member

of a group is critical element in the study of organizational behavior. Individuals

are important because intelligence is but one thing that people bring with them

when they join an organization and this intelligence is a function of certain

biographical characteristics of people and their ability. Intelligence in its turn

affects employee performance and job satisfaction.

In this term paper I would show meaning of individual behavior, various

biographical characteristics such as (gender and age) and ability (both physical and

intellectual) affect employee performance and satisfaction. Then I show how

people learn behaviors and what management can do to shape those behaviors.

Meaning of individual behavior

Individual behavior refers to how individual behaves at work place; his behavior is

influenced by his attitude, personality, perception, learning and motivation. This

also refers to the combination of responses to internal and external stimuli.

Meaning of Biographical Characteristics

Biographical characteristics mean characteristics such as age, gender, marital status

and tenure that are objective and easily obtained from personnel records.

In organization, biographical characteristics have tremendous effects bon turnover,

absenteeism, productivity and job satisfaction.

Effects of biographical characteristics on turnover, absenteeism, productivity and job satisfaction

Biographical characteristics such as age, gender, marital status and tenure have a

important impact on employee turnover, absenteeism, productivity and job

performance in the organization. These are described in the following:

1. Effect of age:

Job performance:

The relationship between age and job performance is likely to be an issue of

increasing importance during the next decade for at least thee reasons. First, there

is a widespread belief that job performance declines with increasing age. Second is

that the workforce is aging. The third reason is U.S. legislation that, for all intents

and purposes, outlaws mandatory retirement.

Biographical characteristics

Age

Gender

Marital status

Tenure

Turnover:

The older you get, the less likely you are to quite your job. That conclusion is

based on studies of the age-turnover relationship. Of course, this shouldn’t be too

surprising. In addition, older workers are less likely to resign than are younger

workers because their long tenure tends to provide paid vacations, and more

attractive pension benefits.

Absenteeism:

It’s tempting to assume that age is also inversely related to absenteeism. After all,

if older workers are less likely to quit won’t they also demonstrate higher stability

by coming to work more regularly. In general, older employees have lower rates of

avoidable absence than do younger employees.

Productivity:

There is a widespread belief that productivity declines with age. It is often assumed

that an individual’s skills- particularly speed, agility, strength and coordination

decay over time and that prolonged job boredom and lack of intellectual

stimulation contribute to reduced productivity.

Job satisfaction:

Our final concern is the relationship between age and job satisfaction. On this

issue, the evidence is mixed. Most studies indicate a positive association, at least

up to age 60.

2. Effects of gender:

Few issues initiate more debates, misconceptions and unsupported opinions than

whether women perform as well on jobs as men do.

Job performance:

There are no consistent male-female differences in problem-solving ability,

analytical skills, competitive drive, motivation, sociability or learning ability.

Psychological studies have found that women are more willing to confirm

authority and that man are more aggressive and more likely than women to have

expectations of success, but those differences are minor. There is no significant

difference in job productivity between men and women.

Absenteeism and turnover:

Women’s quit rates are similar to those for men. The research on absence,

however, consistently indicates that women have higher rates of absenteeism than

men do.

3. Effects of marital status:

There are not enough studies to draw any conclusions about the effect of marital

status on productivity. But whatever research has been done that consistently

indicates that married employees have fewer absences, under go fewer turnovers

and are more satisfied with their jobs than are their unmarried co-workers.

4. Effects on tenure:

Research findings demonstrate a positive relationship between seniority and job

productivity. Studies consistently demonstrate seniority to be negatively related to

absenteeism. Tenure is also a potent variable in explaining turnover. The longer a

person is in a job, the less likely he or she is to quit. Further, evidence indicates

that tenure and satisfaction are positively related.

Meaning of ability

Ability is the individual’s capacity to perform the various tasks in a job. An

individual’s overall abilities are essentially made up of two sets of factors

intellectual and physical abilities.

Intellectual abilities are those needed to perform mental activities, while physical

abilities are those needed to do tasks demanding stamina, dexterity, strength or

similar talents.

Ability=Knowledge×Skill

Meaning of intellectual abilities

Intellectual abilities are abilities needed to perform mental activities- for thinking,

reasoning, and problem solving. People in most societies place a high value of

intelligence, and for good reason. Compared to others, smart people generally earn

more money and attain higher levels of education. Smart people are also more

likely to emerge as leaders of groups. Intelligence quotient (IQ) tests, for example,

are designed to ascertain a person’s intellectual abilities.

Dimensions of intellectual abilities

Dimension Description Job exampleNumber aptitude Ability to do speedy and accurate

arithmeticAccountant: computing the sales tax on a set of items.

Verbal comprehension

Ability to understand what is read or heard and the relationship of words to each other.

Plant manager: Following corporate policies.

Perceptual speed Ability to identify visual similarities and differences quickly and accurately.

Fire investigator: Identifying clues to support a charge of arson.

Inductive reasoning

Ability to identify a logical sequence in a problem and then solve the problem.

Market researcher: Forecasting demand for a product in the next time period.

Deductive reasoning

Ability to use logic and assess the Implications of an argument.

Supervisor: Choosing between two different suggestions offered by employees.

Special visualization

Ability to imagine how an object would look if its position in space were changed.

Interior decorator: Redecorating an office.

Memory Ability to return and recall past experiences.

Salesperson: Remembering the names of customers.

Nine basic physical abilities

Physical ability is the capacity to do tasks that demand stamina, dexterity, strength,

and similar characteristics. Though the changing nature of work suggests that

intellectual abilities are becoming increasing important for many jobs, physical

abilities have been and will remain important for successfully doing certain jobs.

Research on the requirements needed in hundreds of jobs has identified nine basic

abilities involved in the performance of physical tasks. These are described as

following:

1. Strength factors:

1.Strength factors

1. Dynamic factors

2. Trunk strength

3. Static strength

4. Explosive factors

2.Flexibility factors

5. Extent flexibility

6. Dynamic flexibility

3.Other factors

7. Body coordination

8. Balance

9. Stamina

1. Dynamic factors

Ability to exert muscular force repeatedly or continuously over time.

2. Trunk strength Ability to exert muscular strength using the trunk (particularly abdominal) muscles.

3. Static strength Ability to exert force against external objects.

4. Explosive factors

Ability to expand a maximum of energy in one or a series of explosive acts.

2. Flexibility factors:

3. Other factors:

Meaning of learning

Any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience

is known as learning. It is to be noted that learning has taken place to a person,

only when an individual behaves, reacts, responds as a result of experience in a

manner different from the way he formerly behaved. Thus learning has few

components, and these are:

Learning involves change. The change must be relatively permanent. The changed

must be reflected in the behavior i.e. it must be reflected in actions. Learning must

be the outcome of some experiences.

5.Extent flexibility

Ability to move the trunk and back muscles as far as possible.

6. Dynamic flexibility

Ability to make rapid, repeated flexing movements.

7.Body coordination

Ability to coordinate the simultaneous actions of different parts of the body.

8. BalanceAbility to maintain equilibrium despite forces pulling off balance.

9. Stamina Ability to continue maximum effort requiring prolonged effort over time.

Various theories of learning

1. Classical conditioning theory:

Classical conditioning theory is a type of conditioning in which an individual

responds to some stimulus that would not ordinarily produce such a response.

Classical conditioning theory is passive. It is elicited in response to a specific

identifiable event. Classical conditioning grew out of experiments to teach dogs to

salivate in response to the ringing of a bell conducted at the turn of the twentieth

century by a Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Initially the dog salivate with

ringing and presenting a piece of meat. But afterwards the dog salivate with

ringing, even without meat.

1. Classical conditioning theory

2. Operant conditioningn theory

3. Social learning theory

2. Operant conditioning theory:

Operant conditioning theory argues that behavior is a function of its consequences.

People learn to behave to get something they want or to avoid something they

don’t want. Operant behavior means voluntary or learned behavior in contrast to

reflexive or unlearned behavior. The tendency to repeat such behavior is

influenced by the reinforcement or lack of reinforcement brought about by the

consequences of the behavior. Therefore, reinforcement strengthens a behavior and

increases the likelihood that it will be repeated.

3. Social learning theory:

Social learning theory is an extension of operant conditioning that is, it assumes

that behavior is a function of consequences-it also acknowledges the existences of

observational learning and the importance of perception in learning. People

responds to how they consequences, not to the objective consequences themselves.

The influence of models is central to the social learning viewpoint. Four processes

have been found to determine the influence that a model will have on an

individual.

i. Attention processes: People learn a model only when they recognize

and pay attention to its critical features. We tend to be most influenced

by models that are attractive, repeatedly available, important to us, or

similar to us in our estimation.

ii. Retention processes: A model’s influence depends on how well the

individual remembers the model’s action after the model is no longer

readily available.

iii. Motor reproduction processes: After a person has seen a new behavior

by observing the model, the watching must be converted to doing. This

process then demonstrates that the individual can perform the modeled

activities.

iv. Reinforcement processes: Individuals are motivated to exhibit the

modeled behavior if positive incentives or rewards are provided.

Behaviors that are positively reinforced are given more attention,

learned better, and performed more often.

Methods of shaping behavior

There are four ways to shape behavior: through positive reinforcement, negative

reinforcement, punishment, and extinction.

1. Positive reinforcement:

Following a response with something pleasant is called positive reinforcement. For

example, praising an employee by the boss for a job well done.

Methods of shaping behavior

1. Positive reinforcement

2. Negative reinforcement3. Punishment

4. Extinction

2. Negative reinforcement:

Following a response by the termination or withdrawal of something unpleasant is

called negative reinforcement.

3. Punishment:

To punish is to cause suffering for an offence. Punishment is causing an unpleasant

condition in an attempt to eliminate an undesirable behavior. Giving an employee a

2 days suspension from work without pay for showing up drunk is an example of

punishment.

4. Extinction:

Extinction refers to elimination. College instructor who wishes to discourage

students from asking questions in class can eliminate this behavior in their students

by ignoring those who raise their hands to ask questions.

Some specific applications of learning theory in organizations

1. Using lotteries to reduce absenteeism.2. Well pay vs. sick pay.3. Discipline problem employees.4. Developing training programs.5. Creating mentoring program.6. Self management.

Conclusion

Individual behavior affects the behavior of an organization. Organizations can shape their employer’s behavior by different ways. Organizational success depends largely on individual behavior.