Chapter 14 Understanding Individual Behavior

Learning Objectives Describe the dimensions of positive individual behaviors and their impact on organizational performance Explain the characteristics of individual personalities and strength profiles Explain how individual attitudes and beliefs affect team and organizational dynamics Interpret how stress, deviance, and dysfunctional behavior manifest and negatively affect team and organizational performance Design a plan for maximizing individual behavior to change an organizational culture or performance positively - 2 14- 2 14- 2 Management 1e Management 1e Management 1e Management 1e

How Individuals Make a Difference (p. 352) Positive psychology Explores ways to help people recognize their positive traits or strengths, rather than their perceived weaknesses and failings Abundance – conscious pursuit of purposeful possibilities that are sustainable and stable over time In economically rough times, it is difficult to instill the message of positive psychology 14- 3 Management 1e Management 1e

How Individuals Make a Difference (cont.) Stress – physiological and emotional reactions experienced by individuals to excessive pressures or demands at work (p. 352) Consequences of stress Absenteeism Burnout Negative affectivity – general dimension of personality where an individual experiences negative mood states Lowers likelihood of making contributions to the organization Even under adverse conditions, managers must try to promote positive affectivity (p. 353) Outward display of positive emotions 14- 4 Management 1e Management 1e

How Individuals Make a Difference (cont.) Self-awareness (p. 353) Ability to look objectively at a circumstance and make subjective, principle-based judgment decisions simultaneously In order to make judgments about others, one must be keenly aware of one’s own behavior Involves focusing on external relationships Mangers who practice self-awareness are more likely to receive feedback from others, listen to other perspectives, encourage communication, and treat others fairly 14- 5 Management 1e Management 1e

How Individuals Make a Difference (cont.) Purposeful thinking (p. 353) Involves continually seeking pathways for possibilities and looking for opportunities to learn and grow Linked to self-awareness Relationships of thoughtful candor Candor – quality of being open, frank, and sincere in speech or expression Must hold oneself responsible first, then others Show gratitude for the acts of others 14- 6 Management 1e Management 1e

How Individuals Make a Difference (cont.) Challenging work (p. 354) Comprised of two types of tasks Pleasureful tasks – provide an immediate feeling of joy and delight, with little effect on overall life satisfaction Purposeful tasks – provide a sense of accomplishment that has lasting meaning Moral courage Taking a position against something or someone even though you know the outcome may be unpopular Involves taking risks The probability of loss or undesirable consequences 14- 7 Management 1e Management 1e

How Individuals Make a Difference (cont.) Joyful living (p. 354) Feelings and emotions defined by interest, passion, curiosity, contentment, enthusiasm, satisfaction and quality of life A measurable culmination of the other dimensions of abundance, providing the means for progress and motivation 14- 8 Management 1e Management 1e

How Individuals Make a Difference (cont.) Power of perception and a positive approach (p. 354) Perception – process by which individuals select, interpret, and organize information in the world around them Selective perception – process by which individuals accept information consistent with their values and beliefs, while screening out information that is not aligned with their own needs Commitment – degree to which an employee is psychologically devoted to an organization or team (p. 355) Confidence – certainty about handling something that a person desires or needs to do 14- 9 Management 1e Management 1e

How Individuals Make a Difference (cont.) Type A personality (p. 355) Behavioral pattern where individuals tend to be ambitious, goal oriented, impatient, determined, highly organized, competitive, and aggressive Type B personality Behavioral pattern where individuals tend to be more patient, relaxed, easygoing, and more sensitive to the feelings of others Psychological contract Informal expectation between employee and organization that determines quality and satisfaction 14- 10 Management 1e Management 1e

Personalities and Strengths (p. 356) Stereotyping Tendency to ascribe characteristics or attributes to a particular group or individual unfairly Attribution Ascribed quality or characteristic that is related to a particular individual or situation 14- 11 Management 1e Management 1e

Personalities and Strengths (cont.) “Big Five” personality traits (p. 357) Five broad domains of human psychology 14- 12 Management 1e Management 1e

Personalities and Strengths (cont.) Attitudes (p. 357) Person’s or group’s inclinations toward an idea or situation Individual differences Variable psychological, behavioral, cultural, and physical dimensions that uniquely distinguish each team member Locus of control Degree to which an individual or team feels in control of circumstances and outcomes Internal – one feels in control of own fate External – one feels that fate, rather than the actions of an individual, controls outcomes in life Management 1e

Personalities and Strengths (cont.) Authoritarianism (p. 358) Management philosophy that using the threat of punishment, power, and legitimacy is required to produce superior results Less prevalent as organizations have adopted flatter structures Machiavellianism Pragmatic management philosophy that condones unethical and manipulative behavior if it produces desirable results Machiavellian leaders have little respect for their subordinates, tend to take credit for their ideas, and rule with fear Management 1e

Attitudes and Belief Systems (p. 361) Cognitive dissonance Psychological strain that occurs when a person is faced with two or more conflicting cognitions (e.g., beliefs, attitudes, or items of knowledge) Creativity Ability to devise innovative ideas to meet the needs of a particular task or organizational goals Management 1e

Stress, Deviance, and Dysfunctional Behavior (p. 363) Actions that show a lack of commitment, lack of trust, fear of confrontation or conflicting opinions, a refusal to accept responsibility, and a tendency to focus on their own individual needs ahead of the team and organization Deviance Intentional behavior and attitudes that differ from or violate the accepted social norms Positive deviance – deviance that is honorable Management 1e

Stress, Deviance, and Dysfunctional Behavior (cont.) General adaptation syndrome (GAS; p. 364) Physiological reactions to long-term stress that can be grouped into three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion Citizenship Commitment to the overall functions of the team and organizational culture in order to improve performance Management 1e

Positive Deviance and Performance (p. 365) Emotional intelligence (EI; p. 366) Capacity to recognize and appreciate emotional responses in one’s self and others EQ – managers who have insight into their own emotions and the feelings of others can inspire a higher quality of work performance Requires getting substantial feedback from others to increase self-awareness Inducements Formal or informal agreements intended to entice positive or desirable behaviors Management 1e

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