Influences on Employee Behavior

A Major Purpose of Human Resource Development To change employee behavior through training and other incentives

Model of Employee Behavior Forces that influence behavior: External to the employee: External environment (economic conditions, laws and regulations, etc.) Work environment (supervision, organization, coworkers, outcomes of performance) Within the employee: Motivation, attitudes, knowledge/skills/abilities (KSAs)

The External Environment

Factors in the External Environment Economic conditions Technological changes Labor market conditions Laws and regulations Labor unions Source: Heneman, Schwab, Fossum & Dyer (1989)

Factors in the Work Environment Outcomes Supervision and leadership Organization Coworkers

Influences on Employee Behavior Factor Issues Outcomes Types   Effect on Motivation   Supervision Leadership   Performance Expectations   Organization Reward Structure   Organizational Culture   Job Design   Coworkers Norms   Group Dynamics   Teamwork   Control of Outcomes

Outcomes Can Influence Employee Behavior Personal outcomes Organizational outcomes Both expectancy theory and equity theory predict that employee perceptions of the outcomes they receive (or hope to receive) influences their performance of that behavior.

Supervisor Characteristics Leadership Performance expectations (Pygmalion effect) Evaluation of efforts

Organizational Influences Reward structure Organizational culture Job design

Coworker Influence Norms Group dynamics Teamwork Control over outcomes

Motivation Psychological processes that cause the arousal, direction, and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal-directed

Motivation Characteristics Pertains to voluntary behavior Focuses on processes affecting behavior such as: Energizing of effort Direction of effort Persistence of effort An individual phenomenon

Energizing Effort The generation or mobilization of effort

Direction of Effort Applying effort to one behavior over another

Persistence Continuing (or ceasing) to perform a behavior

Explanations of Work Motivation Need-based Cognitive-based Noncognitive-based

Need-Based Theories Underlying needs, such as needs for survival, safety, power, etc., are what drives motivation Theories: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory Alderfer’s existence, relatedness, and growth (ERG) theory Herzberg’s two-factor theory

Need Activation-Need Satisfaction Process

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Self-Actualization Needs Esteem Needs Belonging & Love Needs Safety Needs Survival Needs

Cognitive Theories Expectancy theory Goal-setting theory Social learning theory Equity theory

Expectancy Theory Expectancy – expect effort to result in success Motivation is viewed as a conscious choice People put their efforts into actions they can perform to achieve desired outcomes Three key elements: Expectancy – expect effort to result in success Instrumentality – performance results in reward Valence – value individual puts on outcome

Expectancy Theory

In Other Words… You believe you can do it You believe your performance is linked to the results You believe that the results are worth the effort You won’t do it if you don’t believe it’s worth the effort

Goal Setting Theory Specific, difficult, and understood goals generally lead to higher performance Keys to success are the level of difficulty and the clearness of goals

Social Learning Theory Self-efficacy – judgment of what you think you can do with the skills you have Major prediction of the theory is that expectations determine: Whether a behavior will be performed How much effort will be expended How long you will perform the behavior

Self-Efficacy and Effort

Equity Theory Major assumptions: If you are treated fairly, you will keep working well If you think you are being treated unfairly, you will change your behavior in order to be treated fairly

Equity Theory

A Noncognitive Theory Reinforcement theory e.g., behavior modification

Complexity of Behavior

Behavior Modification Principles for controlling employee behavior: Positive Reinforcement Negative Reinforcement Extinction – decrease occurrences by eliminating reinforcement that causes the behavior Punishment – introduce an adverse consequence immediately after behavior

A Specific Example Sleeping in Class: 1. Warning 2. Leave class and explain to the Assistant Dean why you were asked to leave Too often – you are dropped from the class Question: Is this positive or negative reinforcement, and why?

Other Internal Factors That Influence Employee Behavior Motivation Attitudes Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

Wagner-Hollenbeck Model of Motivation and Performance By permission: Wagner III and Hollenbeck, 1995

Attitudes A person’s general feelings of favor or disfavor towards something Feelings towards a person, place, thing, event, or idea Tend to be VERY stable and hard to change Attitudes are important in training – e.g., does the trainee intend to use the training or ignore it?

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) Abilities – general capacities related to the performance of specific tasks Skills – combines abilities and capacities, generally the result of training Knowledge – understanding of the factors or principles related to a specific subject HRD programs mostly focus on changing skills and knowledge

Bloom’s Taxonomy Bloom Cognitive Psychomotor Affective HRD Knowledge Skills/Abilities Attitudes

Summary HRD generally seeks to change human behavior (some efforts to change attitudes) Behavior is influenced by both external and internal factors Worker motivation is the key We can work on knowledge, skills and abilities Attitudes are often where the problem lies