Individual Behaviour

Behaviour is what a person does

Observable activities of human beings
•There may be differences in behaviour of an
i di id l over time
individual ti (intra-individual)
(i t i di id l)
•There may be differences in behaviour among
individuals at the same stimuli (inter
(inter-individual)
individual)
Factors/Causes of Individual Behaviour

Individual Variables/Factors
Physiological Variables
•Age
•Gender
•Physical
Ph i l Characteristics
Ch t i ti
•Heredity
Psychological Variables
•Aptitude
•Intelligence
•Personality
Personality
•Education
•Experience
•Value
V l systemt
•Cultural background
Factors/Causes of Individual Behaviour

Situational Variables/Factors
Organizational Variables
•Type of organization
•Type of supervision
•Training
T i i
•Type of incentives
•Social environment at workplace
Job Variables
•Method of work
•Design
Design of work
•Work equipment
•Physical conditions of work
Managerial Implications of Individual Behaviour

¾Differences in individual behavior give rise to

differences in performance
¾Managers can achieve the desired results by
taking individual differences into account
¾O theory
¾One th or assumption
ti may nott apply
l to
t all
ll
¾A successful manager is like a good
diagnostician
¾ Individual differences should be seen as an
opportunity because they infuse variety and
versatility
¾They help in allocation and specialization
Models of Man

Based on behaviour various models of man have

been proposed:

Edgar Schien
¾R ti
¾Rationall Economic
E i Man
M
¾Social Man
¾Self-actualizing Man
¾Complex Man

Whyte talked about

¾Organization Man
Who may be fitted in between social and self-
actualizing
t li i man
Human Behaviour: Caused or Autonomous?

Perspective I
Behaviour is orderly,
orderly systematic
Behaviour is caused ( cause-effect relationship)
Behaviour may be predicted based on cause
P
Perspective
ti II
Behaviour is random, arbitrary
Behaviour is autonomous (not caused)
Behaviour cannot be predicted
Yet managers may establish cause-effect
relationship to some extent and predict with
some efficacy. On the basis of this, some
generalizations may be drawn. A manager may
actt on theth basis
b i off pastt experiences
i andd
personal judgment.
Process of Human Behaviour

Behaviour (response) is caused by a situation or

force (stimulus).
(stimulus) This is the S-R Model.
Model

Stimulus Response

However, the S-R Model does not give a

complete picture since bahaviour is also caused
by internal/individual factors. Thus the role of
organism also comes in the model. This gives
the S
S-O-R
O R Model of behaviour.
behaviour
Stimulus Organism Response
Process of Human Behaviour

In the S-O-R Model, O is viewed as a mediating,

maintenance and adjustment function.
function
Mediating function: O is constantly active,
scanning its surrounding, overseeing its action.
M i t
Maintenance f
function:
ti O
Organs off O are
responsible for ensuring O’s normal activity.
‰Receptors (sense organs)
‰Connectors (nervous organs)
‰Effectors (muscles and glands)
Adjustment function: O monitors his activities to
overcome obstacles and satisfy his needs.
Though the insertion of O in the S-R Model gives
some importance to the human variables,
variables it still
remains a relatively mechanistic and simple idea.
Process of Human Behaviour
The S-O-B Model incorporates a more complex,
mechanism of human behaviour which modifies
and extends the S-O-R Model.
9In the S-O-B Model, S stands for the situation
and incorporates all aspects of the environment
viz. immediate stimulus, physical conditions and
socio-cultural environment.
9O isi the
th organism,
i b t it does
but d nott representt
only the physiological being but also the
psychological
p y g being.
g
9There is a double-headed arrow between S and
O and between O and R representing interaction
between the situation and the organism.
organism
 Process of Human Behaviour
S-O-B Model

Stimulus Organism Behaviour

Organism

Stimulus Sensation Perce Cognitive Deci Response

ption Process
sion
Action
Input
p Information Central Info Output
receiving Processing

Feedback
 Process of Human Behaviour
The S-O-B Model consists of various elements:
p
Stimulus/Input: Lecture byy teacher
Sensation/Receiving: Students listening to lecture
Info Processing: Interpreting lecture by students
¾Perception: One
One’ss way of viewing a stimuli
¾Cognition: Thinking, reasoning & problem-solving
¾Decision Making: Selecting an alternative
A ti
Action: St d t acts
Student t by
b noting
ti d
down l t
lecture or asking
ki
questions or looking out of the window etc.
Response:
p The notes/questions/reactions
q become the
output/response.
Feedback: The response of students serves as
feedback This may affect further course e.g.
feedback. e g teacher
may continue with the lecture or ask questions.