CHAPTER 1 Personal Growth

An Overview of Human Behavior in Organizations Personal growth makes a person highly competitive in the
WHAT IS HUMAN BEHAVIOR? workplace. The chance to achieve personal growth is enhanced
by knowledge of OB. For instance, knowledge of the behavior
 Human behavior refers to the physical actions of a of others through the study of OB will help the person
person that can be seen or heard such as smiling or understand his own behavior.
whistling.
 With his thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sentiments, A person who strives to know himself better is entering the
the person exhibits behaviors similar or different when realm of intrapersonal intelligence, which is a very useful type
he is in or out of organizations. of intelligence for one who wants to achieve his personal goals.
 Human behavior in organization is more appropriately Enhancement of Organizational and Individual Effectiveness
referred to as organizational behavior (OB).
Effectiveness is a major attribute of successful organizations, as
Figure 1: THE PLACES WHERE THE PERSON EXHIBITS HIS BEHAVIOR well as individuals. When the right decisions are made,
effectiveness follows. In decision making, knowledge of OB can
be very useful.

WHAT IS ETHICS?

Ethics refers to the set of moral choices a person makes based

on what he or she ought to do.

Organizational Ethics – These are moral principles that define

right or wrong behavior in organizations.

Ethical Behavior – This refers to behavior that is accepted as

morally “good” and “right” as opposed to “bad” and “wrong”.

What constitutes right and wrong behavior in organization is

determined by:

1. The public
2. Interest groups
3. Organizations
4. The individual’s personal morals and values
WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR?

 Organizational behavior or OB may be defined as the study ETHICAL ISSUES

of human behavior in organization, of the interaction
between individuals and organization, and of the There are important ethical issues that confront organizations.
organization itself.
They consist of the following:
 Is the study and application of knowledge and theories
about how people as individuals and as groups act within 1. Conflict of interest
an organization. 2. Fairness and honesty
3. Communication
THE BENEFITS OF STUDYING OB
4. Relationships within the organization
The study of OB offers certain benefits. They are as follows:
Conflict of interest exists when a person is in the position of
1. development of people skills; having to decide whether to advance the interests of the
organization or to operate in his or her own personal interests.
2. personal growth;
Fairness And Honesty
3. enhancement of organizational and individual effectiveness.
People in organizations are expected to be fair and honest.
Development of People Skills Ethical behavior demands that, beyond obeying the law, they
There are two types of skills that a person will need to succeed should not knowingly harm customers, clients, and competitors
in his chosen career: through deception, coercion or misrepresentation.

1. The skill in doing his work; and Communication

2. The skill in relating with people. People can become victims of organizations that provide false
and misleading information about their products and services.
A person who is much adept in the performance of his work
may be successful up to a certain extent, but he will require Relationship within the organization
another skill to make other people believe that he should be Within the organization, people may still be performing
more successful than his current achievement. unethical acts.
 Chapter 2 2. Generational and Age-Based Differences
Individuals Differences, Mental Ability, and Personality A worker that belongs to a certain generation may behave
differently from a worker who belongs to another. This
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES difference is called generational difference.
 Individual differences refer to the variation in how people 3. Culture
respond to the same situation based on personal characteristics. Differences in job performance and behavior are sometimes
 The idea is that each person is different from all others and that caused by the differences in culture.
these differences are usually substantial rather than meaningless. Culture refers to the learned and shared ways of
thinking and acting among group of people or society.
CONSEQUENCES OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Two dimensions of culture:
Individual differences become serious concerns when people are 1. Social Culture- which refers to the social environment of
situated in the workplace. Those concerned with managing people or human-created beliefs, customs, knowledge, and practices
simply those that want to relate well with people must be aware that that define conventional behavior in a society.
there are consequences arising out of differences between people. 2. Organizational Culture- Is the set of values, beliefs, and
norms that is shared among members of an organization.
These pertain to the following:
APTITUDE AND ABILITY
1. People differ in productivity
Aptitude - the capacity of a person to learn or acquire skills.
-Productivity refers to the rate of output per worker. It
Ability - an individual’s capacity to perform the various tasks in a job.
differs from person to person.
2. People differ in the quality of their work *Aptitudes and abilities are very important considerations
-Because people are different from each other, it is not when
surprising that the quality of their work will also be different. people are considered for employment in an organization.
3. People react differently to empowerment
-Empowerment means giving someone the power to do Physical Ability- the capacity of the individual to do tasks demanding
something. stamina, dexterity, strength, and similar characteristics.

4. People react differently to any style of leadership

9 PHYSICAL ABILITIES NEEDED TO PERFORM CERTAIN TASKS
- If all subordinates in a given unit will respond well to a
single style of leadership, managing them or simply 1. Dynamic strength – the ability to exert muscular force
relating with them would be a much easier task. repeatedly or continuously overtime.
5. People differ in terms of need for contact with other people 2. Trunk strength – the ability to exert muscular strength
-Regarding the need for social contact, people are different using the trunk (particularly the abdominal muscle)
from one another. Some will need more contact, while muscles.
others can work alone the whole day. Other people cannot
3. Static strength – the ability to exert muscular strength
be productive unless they meet people as they work.
using the trunk (particularly the abdominal muscle)
6. People differ in terms of commitment to the organization muscles.
-Commitment to the organization varies among individuals.
4. Explosive strength – the ability to expand a maximum of
Some are so committed and loyal to the organization that
energy in one series of explosive acts.
they are putting in more than the required hours. Those
who are highly committed to the organization tend to 5. Extent flexibility – the ability to move the trunk and back
produce high quality output, while those less committed muscles as far as possible.
are less concerned about output and attendance.
6. Dynamic flexibilty – the ability to make rapid, repeated
7. People differ in terms of self-esteem flexing movements.
-Those with low self-esteem tend to be less productive.
7. Body coordination – the ability to coordinate simultaneous
They
actions of different parts of the body.
also avoid accepting more responsibilities. They do so
various reasons. The opposite happens when people have 8. Balance – the ability to maintain equilibrium despite forces
high regard of themselves. pulling off balance.
9. Stamina – the ability to continue maximum effort
What makes people different from each other? requiring prolonged effort over time.
People are different from each other because they are
different in terms of the following: MORE ON PHYSICAL ABILITY
1. Demographics 1. Sense of sight – People differ in what they actually see. For
2. Aptitude and ability instance, some persons are color blind.
2. Personality 2. Sense of hearing – People differ in their ability to hear.
DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY Some people may not able to distinguish one tone from
Performance in the workplace and the behavior of workers are another. This alone makes them different from other
sometimes affected by the differences between the people in terms of hearing ability.
demographic characteristics of individual workers. 3. Sense of taste – A person’s tongue may be sensitive in
various tastes and this makes him or her different from
Sources Of Demographic Diversity: another person who is less sensitive to taste.
1. Gender Differences 4. Sense of smell – People have different degrees of
The differences in the perception of male and female roles are sensitivity to smell. Those with excellent sense of smell
referred to as gender differences. Research findings indicate would fit in jobs related to the manufacture of perfume,
that there are very few differences between men and women soap, food and some others.
that affect job performance.
5. Sense of touch – A person’s sense of touch may differ in 3. Openness to experience – This is a personality factor
degree with another person’s. As such, their behavior will describing a person who is imaginative, cultured, curious,
differ when confronted with similar situations. original, broad-minded, intelligent, and artistically
sensitive.
o The opposite is the person who is conventional and
INTELLECTUAL OR MENTAL ABILITY
finds comfort in the familiar.
Intellectual or mental Ability of a person (also referred to 4. Agreeableness – This factor refers to the person’s
as intelligence) is one of the major sources of individual interpersonal orientation. An agreeable person is
differences. cooperative, warm, and trusting. The person who is not
agreeable is cold, disagreeable, and antagonistic.
4 Subparts of Intelligence:
5. Self-monitoring behavior – This reflects a person’s ability
1. Cognitive intelligence – refers to the capacity of a person to adjust his or her behavior to external, situational or
to acquire and apply knowledge including problem solving environmental factors.
problems. o High self-monitors are pragmatic and are capable of
2. Social intelligence – refers to a person’s ability to relate putting on different faces for different audiences.
effectively with others. o Low self-monitors find it hard to act or behave as the
3. Emotional intelligence – refers to a person’s qualities such situation requires
as understanding one’s own feelings, empathy for others,
and the regulation of emotion to enhance living. 6. Risk taking and thrill seeking – These refers to the person’s
willingness to take risk and pursue thrills that sometimes
4. Cultural intelligence – refers to an outsider’s ability to
are required in the workplaces.
interpret someone’s unfamiliar and ambiguous behavior
o sSome job like those of movie stunts are dangerous and
the same way that person’s compatriot would.
will require a high degree of risk taking and thrill
seeking sense.
PERSONALITY
 Personality refers to the sum total of ways in which an
7. Optimism – This refer to the tendency to experience
individual reacts and interacts with others.
positive emotional states and to typically believe that
 The “ways” are the patterns of behavior that are consistent
positive outcomes will be forthcoming from most activities.
and enduring.
o This is the opposite of pessimism which is the tendency
to experience negative emotional states.
Environmental Factors

Environmental factors are those that exert pressures on

the formation of an individual’s personality.

It includes the following:

1. Cultural factor – which refer to the established norms,

attitudes, and values that are passed along from one
generation to the next and creates consistency over time.
2. Social factor – which refer to those that reflect family life,
religion and the many kinds of formal and informal groups
in which the individual participates throughout his life.
3. Situational factors – which indicate that the individual will
behave differently in different situations.

Personality Factors and Traits

 A person’s personality traits could either be on the

positive or negative side of the factors, and they will be in
various degrees of development.
 It is not hard to think that two or more persons will have
the same traits that are developed in different degrees.

The 7 factors are briefly described below:

1. Emotional stability – This personality factor characterize

one as calm, self-confident, and secure. Its opposite is
emotional instability characterized by nervousness,
depression, and insecurity.
o A person who possesses a high degree of emotional
stability can be expected to withstand stress.
2. Extraversion – This is the personality factor describing
someone who is sociable, gregarious,, and assertive. The
opposite is introversion, which describes a person who
tends to be reserved, timid, and quiet.
Chapter 3: Values, Attitudes, and Job Satisfaction
DIFFERENCES IN PERSONAL DISPOSITION
Positive Affectivity
VALUES - refers to personal characteristic of employees that inclines them to be
 refer to the importance a person attaches to things or ideas that served as predisposed to be satisfied at work. People who have positive affectivity
guide to action. Values are enduring beliefs that one’s mode of conduct is are optimistic, upbeat, cheerful, and courteous.
better than the opposite mode of conduct. Negative Affectivity
 An example of a belief is the importance placed by a person on academic - a personal characteristics of employees that inclines them to be
titles or degrees and the doubt casted on the ability of a person without predisposed to be dissatisfied at work. People who have negative
sufficient academic qualifications. affectivity are generally pessimistic, downbeat, and irritable.
 The definition implies that values are made of a set of
beliefs. Values may be attached to things or ideas like HOW ATTITUDES ARE FORMED?
loyalty (to the company or friends), teamwork, honor, Attitudes are formed through learning. The two methods that mostly influence
obedience, honesty, and the like. attitude formation are direct experience and indirect means of social learning.
1. Direct experience - among the information stored in the human mind, those
HOW PEOPLE LEARN VALUES? that were gathered through direct experience are the most accessible.
- Values are not inborn, they are learned. As they grow, people learn values 2. Indirect means – the result of social interactions with the family, peer
through any or all of the following: groups, religious organizations, and culture.

1. Modeling EFFECTS OF EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

Parents, teachers, friends, and other people oftentimes become models - Attitudes provide clues to the behavioral intentions or inclinations of an employee.
to persons who would later exhibit good behavior in the workplace. The manner in which a person will act can be gleaned from his attitudes.
2. Communication of Attitudes
When a person often hears from acquaintances the risk of buying Employee attitudes may be classified as either:
products imported from a certain country, the person may develop 1. Positive Job Attitudes
negative values about the country. -indicate job satisfaction and are useful in predicting constructive
3. Unstated but Implied Attitudes behaviors like serving customers beyond official working hours, and
If a person sees joy and happiness in every member of his family performing excellently in all aspects of their jobs.
whenever another member graduates from college, the person will 2. Negative Job Attitudes
develop the same values impliedly exhibited. - includes those concerning job dissatisfaction, lack of job involvement,
4. Religion low commitment to the organization, and strong negative words.
The just and fair treatment of people is a value that is taught by priest and
ministers of various religious sects. Persons who are exposed to the When employees are dissatisfied with their jobs, they will
teaching develop values that support such beliefs. have a strong tendency to engage in any or all of the following:
1. Psychological withdrawal like daydreaming on the job;
TYPE OF VALUES 2. Physical withdrawal like unauthorized absences, early departures,
Classification that is most relevant to the workplace indicates that values are of extended breaks, or work slowdowns; and
the following types: 3. Aggression, like verbal abuse or dangerous actions against another employee.

1. Achievement – this is a value that pertains to getting things done and JOB SATISFACTION – the positive feeling about one’s job resulting from an
working hard to accomplish goals; evaluation of its characteristics.
2. Helping and concern for others – this value refers to the person’s concern JOB DISSATISFACTION - When the feeling about one’s job is not positive
with other people and providing assistance to those who need help;
3. Honesty – this is a value that indicates the person’s concern for telling the When people are satisfied with their jobs, these benefits become possible:
truth and doing what he thinks is right; and 1. High productivity
4. Fairness – This is a value that indicates the person’s concern for 2. A strong tendency to achieve customer loyalty
impartiality and fairness for all concerned. 3. Loyalty to the company
4. Low absenteeism and turnover
Individual versus Organizational Values 5. Less job stress and burnout
- Organization have values that may or may not be compatible with the values 6. Better safety performance
of the individual workers. 7. Better life satisfaction
- There is value incongruence if the individual’s value is not in agreement with
organization’s value. As a result of such incongruence, conflicts may arise over FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH JOB SATISFACTION
such things as goals or the manner in which the goals will be achieved. These are certain factors associated with job satisfaction. They are the
following:
Espoused Values 1. Salary - adequacy of salary and perceived equity compared with others.
- are what members of the organization say they value. A business organization, 2. Work itself – the extent to which job tasks are considered interesting and
for instance, may state that it highly values its good relationship with provide opportunities for learning and accepting responsibility.
customers.
Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life
Enacted Values - Confucious
- If the employees of the said company give priority to calls from relatives and
friends rather than responding immediately to customer’s inquiries, they are Factors Associated with Job Satisfaction
not actually practicing the values espoused by the company. 1. Promotion Opportunity- chances for further advancement.
2. Quality Of Supervision – the technical competence and the interpersonal
Terminal Values
skills of one’s immediate superior;
- represent the goals that a person would like to achieve in his or her lifetime.
3. Relationship With Co-Workers – the extent to which co-workers are
Ex. Happiness, love, pleasure, self-respect, and freedom.
friendly, competent, and supportive.
Instrumental Values 4. Working conditions- the extent to which the physical work environment is
- preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving the terminal values. Ex. comfortable and supportive of productivity.
Ambition, honesty, self-sufficiency, and courageousness. 5. Job security – the beliefs that one’s position is relatively secure and
continued employment with the organization is a reasonable expectation.
ATTITUDES
- form the basis for job satisfaction in the workplace. JOB INVOLVEMENT
- are feelings & beliefs that largely determine how employees will perceive their  Job involvement is another positive employee attitude.
environment, commit themselves to intended actions, and ultimately behave.  It refers to the degree to which a person identifies with the job, actively
- reflect how one feels about something. participates in it, and considers performance important to self-worth.
 A positive self-image is a result of a person’s holding a meaningful job and
The Main Components of Attitudes actively performing it.
Attitudes consist of the following components:
THE COMPONENT OF
1. Cognitive component - the opinion or belief segment of an attitude.
AN ATTITUDE
2. Affective component - the emotional or feeling segment.
3. Behavioral component – the intention to behave in a certain way
toward someone or something.