Understanding Behavior and Performance In Organizations

Managing people Involves two things: Understanding, predicting and controlling behavior Developing and implementing systems and conditions for people to perform.

Performance & Behavior Casual relationship between performance & behavior Cause: behavior independent Effect: performance dependent Performance is a function of behavior

Work behavior What a person does in relation to a given situation or task. An action that can be observed and measured in some way. An observable response to a work-related situation Measurable in some way (e.g. frequency or completeness).

Why measure work behavior? Basis for influencing behaviors Reinforcement of the desirable or acceptable behaviors at the work place for continuation. Minimization or termination of the undesirable or unacceptable behaviors

Importance of managing behaviour Causal relationship between behaviours and organisational performance and effectiveness. Job satisfaction, organisational commitment and loyalty, organisational citizenship, turnover. Performance, productivity, efficiency, change Understanding and managing behaviour essential for effective management of the organisation.

Theoretical frameworks Trait approach: A person’s traits or attributes determine behaviour Psychoanalytical approach: Unconscious processes control behaviour Cognitive framework: A person’s internal processes determine behaviour Behaviouristic framework: Environmental forces determine a person’s behaviour Social cognitive framework: A person’s behaviour is determined by interactions between internal and environmental factors

Model for behaviour management Integrative social cognitive approach The cognitive approach is helpful to understand human behaviour The behaviouristic is helpful to predict and control human behaviour The social cognitive approach is helpful to understand, predict and control human behaviour The model thus fulfils the objectives of OB

Determinants of work behavior Person’s Beliefs about the outcomes of the behavior Environmental Factors for performance Motivation of the person Attitude to specific behavior Behavioral Intentions related to work performance Behavior related to work performance Subjective Norms towards behavior Ability of the person Normative Beliefs what others think about the behavior Source: Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) Revised model is based on Theory of Reasoned Action & Theory of Planned Action

Determinants of work behavior Subjective forces that create behavioral intention Beliefs (Self and of others) Attitudes Subjective norms Enabling forces that translate the behavioral intention into an actual behavior Ability Motivation Work environment