ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR W W W . P R E N H A L L . C O M / R O B B I N S T E N T H E D I T I O N

Biographical Characteristics Age – Are older workers “better” or “worse” than younger workers? Gender – Any differences b/w male and female workers? Marital Status – So, should we hire only married employees??

Ability

Physical Ability

Job’s Ability Requirements The Ability-Job Fit Ability-Job Fit Employee’s Abilities Job’s Ability Requirements

Learning Learning Involves change Is relatively permanent Is acquired through experience

Theories of Learning Key Concepts Unconditioned stimulus Unconditioned response Conditioned response

Theories of Learning (cont’d) Key Concepts Reflexive (unlearned) behavior Conditioned (learned) behavior Reinforcement

Theories of Learning (cont’d) Key Concepts Attention processes Retention processes Motor reproduction processes Reinforcement processes

Theories of Learning (cont’d) Key Concepts Reinforcement is required to change behavior. Some rewards are more effective than others. The timing of reinforcement affects learning speed and permanence.

Schedules of Reinforcement

Schedules of Reinforcement Fixed-ratio

Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement

Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement (cont’d)

OB MOD Organizational Applications Well Pay versus Sick Pay Reduce absenteeism by rewarding attendance, not absence. Employee Discipline The use of punishment can be counter-productive. Developing Training Programs OB MOD methods improve training effectiveness. Self-management Reduces the need for external management control.