GROUP 2 CHAPTER 6

INDIVIDUAL GROUP AND BEHAVIOR

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR
VARIABLES IN INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR

A. Heredity- It provides some genetic explanation of individual differences.

B. abilities s and Skill:. They can either he innate of learned. li important for management to
match skills and abilities with job specifications and requirements. It is lest that manage. job
aper o6 analysis which can further facilitate job matching con analysis is the process of
studying the tasks, behaviors , responsibilities , educational requirements, and training
needed to perform a particular job well.
Today, an individual's ability is not enough to indicate one's general intelligence. Daniel
Goldman, a psychologist suggests that emotional intelligence is very important in assessing
and understanding individual abilities.
C.Perception. It is a cognitive process which involves receiving a particular stimulus,
organizing the stimulus in the brain, and translating and interpreting the stimulus that will
influence behavior.

According to research, it is important to know oneself so that it would be much easier to see
others more objectively.
An individual's own characteristics can affect how he perceives others. If he accepts himself
as he is, it is more likely that he can see favorable aspects of others. Perception can also be
influenced by time pressures, attitudes of peers, and individual needs and desires.

Attribution theory explains the relationship between perception and behavior. According to
attribution theory, perceived causes greatly influence behavior. In this theory,? supervisor for
example can more accurately gauge his subordinate's behavior through the degree to which
other subordinates engage in the same behavior (consensus); the extent by which the
subordinate engages in the same behaviors different times (consistency); and the degree to
which the subordinate behaves similarly in other situations (distinctiveness). Say, a
subordinate takes a leave whenever he is reprimanded by his superior. His co-employees do
the same when they are reprimanded (consensus). The employee does the same thing every
time he is reprimanded (consistency).
He also takes a leave whenever an erring customer complains on a delayed delivery
(distinctiveness).

Common Attribution Errors. Fundamental attribution error is the tendency to underestimate

the importance of external factors in making attributions about others' behavior. Self-serving
bias is the tendency to deny accountability for a below average work and to take credit for a
job well done.

It is important for managers to identify and understand the attributions employees make and
at the same time know that their own attributions may differ from their subordinates.

Attribution theory asserts how an individual sees the causes of his behavior and others'

Harold Kelly's Attribution Theory. Kelly proposed that individuals form attributions based on
the following: consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency. Consensus is a cue which
indicates the behavior of peers in a similar situation.
Distinctiveness is the degree to which the individual behaves the same way in another
situation. Consistency is the frequency of behavior over time.
Suppose a supervisor receives several complaints about one of his sales representatives,
Juan. He did not receive complaints about the other sales representatives (low consensus).
Juan's records show that he also received many complaints during his previous job as a sales
clerk (low distinctiveness). The complaints are consistently coming in for the past several
weeks (high consistency). The supervisor may conclude that the complaints come from Juan's
behavior (internal attribution).

Suppose Maria is performing poorly in achieving her sales quota. This behavior is prevalent
with Maria's co-workers (high consensus). For the first time, she has not achieved her target
(high distinctiveness). However, she is a good salesperson (low consistency). The supervisor
may conclude that there is something wrong with the situation, not with her performance
(external attribution).

Attitudes. It is defined as a mental state of readiness, learned and organized through

experience that exerts a specified influence on a person's response to people, objects, and
indispensable with which it is related (Ivancevich and Matteson,
2002).
Attitudes are learned and organized close to the core of the individual's personality. Attitudes
can be changed. They provide the emotional aspect of building relationships with others. They
form individual tendencies, predilections, and objections s with things and situations.
Attitudes are the individual's general affective, cognitive, and intentional responses toward
objects, other people, themselves, or social issues. (Ivancevich)

COMPONENTS OF ATTITUDES
a.Cognition (perceptions, opinions, beliefs). These are the thought component of attitudes
which emphasize rationality and logic.
b.Affect (emotions, feelings). These are the emotional component of attitudes drawn from
experiences learned from teachers, mentors, parents, and peers.
C.Behavior (actions). These are the tendency to act in a

PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE

Individual differences are factors such as skills, abilities, personalities, perceptions, attitudes,
values, and ethics that dice, from one individual to another.
Personality is defined as a relatively stable set of characteristics that influence an individual's
behavior (Nelson and Quick, 1997),

PERSONALITY THEORIES
1. Trait Theory. Gordon Allport, the most popular trait theorist, saw that traits are broad or
general guides that lend consistency to behavior. When all these traits are combined, they
form an individual's personality. In order to understand an individual, there is a need to break
down behavior patterns into observable traits. Another leading theorist, Raymond Cattell
identified 16 traits in bipolar adjective combinations such as self-assured / apprehensive,
reserved/outgoing, and submissive/
dominant.
2. Psychodynamic Theory. Sigmund Freud is the most prominent figure in psychodynamic
theory. This theory emphasizes the unconscious determinants of behavior.
Freud conceptualized the theory of personality based on the interaction of the id, ego, and
superego. The id is the impulsive, primitive element that operates in an uncensored manner.
The id is considered the child figure, acting on impulses. The ego is the adult figure. The
superego contains the shoulds and should nots of personality. It acts as the parent figure of
the personality.
Sometimes, the ego and the super-ego clash, resulting in conflict. The ego compromises by
using defense mechanisms to justify a behavior. Examples of defense mechanisms are denial,
suppression, repression, among others.
3. Humanistic Theory. This is the personality theory that emphasizes individual growth and
improvement. The leading theorist in humanistic theory is Carl Rogers. He believed that all
people have a basic drive toward self-actualization. This theory contends that the self-concept
is an integral part of an individual's personality.
4. Integrative Theory. This approach describes the personality as a combination of an
individual's psychological make up. A person's personality based on his psychological
structure includes his emotions, cognition, attitudes, expectations, dreams, and fantasies.

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS FOUND IN AN ORGANIZATION

1. Locus of Control. It is a person's generalized belief on internal control vs. external
control. A person who believes that he can control what will happen to his life has an
internal locus of control. He has an external locus of control if he believes that his fate
is controlled more by others or some circumstances. It is advantageous for managers
to know their subordinates' locus of control. Internals who believe they are responsible
for their own actions would want to have some power on how they will perform. They
do not want close supervision. Externals, on the other hand, may need the opposite.
They would prefer a more structured work setting and closer supervision. They trust
that their superiors would be in a better position to provide them with a more stable
and comfortable work environment.
2. Self-esteem. This is an individual's general feeling of his self-worth. Those with high
self-esteem have more positive feelings about themselves. They know how to accept
mistakes without losing their self-confidence. They also have a brighter outlook in life
so they can handle frustrations well. Managers can further enhance their self-esteem
by providing them with more challenging tasks. Those with low self-esteem should
always be motivated and encouraged; would require counseling from time to time and
be provided with programs that would boost their self-confidence.
3. Self-efficacy. It is an individual belief on his ability to accomplish specific task
4. Self-assessment. It is the extent to which an individual base his cues or future actions
based on other people of situations
5. Mood Dispositions. These are positive and negative aspects of one's self. Those who
focus on their positive aspects have vibrant moods.

PERSONALITY INFLUENCES
1. Hereditary Factors. Some aspects of personality such as moods and temperaments are
influenced by heredity.
2. Culture. It greatly influences one's personality over time through the society's system
of beliefs, norms, traditions, practices, and social class. One's social class influences
individual personality with regard to perception of oneself and others Family
Relationships. The degree to which the individual personality develops close ties with
family members influences his personality.

PERSONALITY MODELS
A. .Openness to Experience. It is the ability to take risks and is open to a broad range of
interests.
B. Extroversion. It is the tendency to be sociable and friendly.
C. Emotional Stability. The tendency to overcome conflicts triumphantly and handle
emotions with depth and maturity.
D. Agreeableness. It is being forgiving, courteous, and kind.
E. Conscientiousness. It is being dependable and responsible.

GROUP BEHAVIOR
TYPES OF GROUPS
1.Formal Groups. These are groups made by the organization to perform assigned
tasks.
a.Command Group. A good example is the organizational chart.
b..Task Group. This is a group formed to complete a particular project. Another term for
this group is self-managed team.
2.Informal Groups. These are groups formed out of social needs.
a..Interest Group. It is formed to meet a particular objective such as to ask for pay
hikes.
b.Friendship Group. It is formed out of members who have something in common or
have formed some kind of camaraderie.

TEAMS
A team is a formal group comprising of members who have a shared commitment and interact
with each other in order to accomplish the group's objectives. Their skills complement each
other and they are accountable to accomplish their tasks and agreed-upon goals and
objectives.

BASIC ROLES OF TEAMS

-Adviser/Analyzer
-Controller/Provider
-Maintainer or evaluator
-Organizer or Assesor
-Promoter or Disseminator
-Coordinator/Initiator

TYPES OF TEAMS
-
1. Project and Development Teams. They are formed to complete a certain project. They may
be highly skilled with a mixture on a single project.
of different specializations
2.Action/Negotiation Teams. These consist of highly skilled individuals who are entirely task-
focused. Examples are:
surgical teams, sports teams, and military combat teams.
3.Production/Service Teams. These are teams involved in production or service like production
line assembly teams,
data processing teams, and mining or drilling teams.
4.Advice and Involvement Teams. These include top level management teams, quality control
circles, or financial planning teams. They are also called problem solving teams.

ELEMENTS OF TEAM EFFECTIVENESS

1. Training. Members should be trained on how to accomplish their tasks more
effectively.
2. Communication. There should be open communication among members.
3. Empowerment. The team must be given authority to make decisions.
4. Rewards. Efforts are rewarded as a team and not individually if tasks are accomplished
in a team setting.