1. Lecture 3 – Organisational Behaviour
Foundations of Individual Behavior

2. Lecture Format Why do we behave in the ways that we do?
Age
Gender
Tenure (time in job)‏
Ability
Learning – past, current, future
Examples of learning in organisations
Well pay versus sick pay
Discipline
Training
Self-management
Future chapters will consider further reasons for behavior

3. Reasons for Behavior: 1. Age
Age is no barrier to productivity
An aging population should be serviced by a similar workforce
Older people can provide mentoring, coaching, and the benefits of experience

4. Reasons for Behavior: 2. Gender
No significant difference in performance between men and women...
But significant differences in management styles

5. Reasons for Behavior: 3. Tenure
People who have worked at the same organisation for a long time have seniority
Power and influence can flow with seniority, as can knowledge of the “informal organisation”

6. Reasons for Behavior: 4. Ability
Ability An individual’s capacity to perform the various tasks in a job.
Intellectual Ability (IQ) The capacity to do mental activities. Where does it come from?
Multiple Intelligences Intelligence contains four subparts: cognitive, social, emotional (EQ), and cultural.
What about the ability to handle adversity (AQ?)‏

7. Reasons for Behavior: 5. Learning
“Any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience”
Learning
Involves change
Is relatively permanent
Is acquired through experience

8. Reasons for Behavior: 5. Learning
Classical Conditioning (learning)‏
A type of conditioning (learning) in which an individual responds to some stimulus that would not ordinarily produce such a response, eg. The alarm of a machine; the musical horn of the “tuck truck”; the man who sweated.

9. Reasons for Behavior: 5. Learning
Operant Conditioning (learning)‏
A type of conditioning in which desired voluntary behavior leads to a reward or prevents a punishment. We learn to behave according to the consequences (outcomes) of our behavior.
We can use reinforcement to shape behavior in ourselves and others.

10. 4 types of reinforcement
Positive reinforcement – following a response with something pleasant. eg. Praise, salary increase, bonus, bigger office (intrinsic & extrinsic rewards).
Negative reinforcement – following a response by removing something unpleasant. eg. Stop criticism (person feels less pressure and may respond positively); studying to avoid failing (a negative consequence)‏

11. 4 types of reinforcement
Punishment – creating something unpleasant to eliminate poor behavior,eg. Demotion; counselling session with boss
Extinction – eliminating any reinforcement eg. No response to attention-seeking behavior.

12. Timing of Reinforcement
Continuous eg. Every sale; every task completed.
Intermittent (variable) eg. When boss decides so that people are pleasantly surprised; random quizzes for students.
Reinforcement can be given by variable or fixed time periods or variable or fixed number of behaviors

13. Reasons for Behavior: 5. Learning
Social-Learning Theory
An extension of Operant Conditioning.
People can learn through observation and direct experience. Many people argue that “experience is the best teacher”.
Much depends on our perceptions (next lecture).

14. Examples of learning in organisations
Well pay versus sick pay
Discipline
Training
Self-management