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Submitted to
Dr. Khondoker Bazlul Hoque
Professor
Department of International Business
Faculty of Business Studies
University of Dhaka

Submitted By
Md. Rakibul Islam
Roll No: 19
Session: 2008-2009
Department of International Business
Faculty of Business Studies
University of Dhaka

Course title: Organizational Behavior
Course code: 309

Date of Submission: July 08, 2012.


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To
Prof. Dr. Khondoker Bazlul Hoque
Department of International Business
Faculty of Business Studies
University of Dhaka.

Subject: Submission of Term Paper.

Dear Sir,
With due respect, I would like to inform you that I have prepared my
term paper according to your guidelines. For preparing my term paper I
have taken help from text book, Journals and internet. I am delighted for
getting such an opportunity. Now I would like to submit it for your kind
consideration. I have tried my best to make it accurate and pragmatic.
But there may have some unexpected mistakes where I expect your kind
consideration.

Yours Obediently
Md. Rakibul Islam
Roll: 19
BBA(IB-2nd) 15
th
batch, session: 2008-09
Department of International Business
University of Dhaka


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Table of contents


Topics Pages
Introduction 5
Meaning of individual behavior 5
Meaning of Biographical Characteristics 5
Effects of biographical characteristics 6-8
Meaning of ability 9
Meaning of intellectual abilities 9
Dimensions of intellectual abilities 10
Nine basic physical abilities 11-12

Meaning of learning 12
Various theories of learning 13-15
Methods of shaping behavior 15-16

Some specific applications of learning
theory in organizations

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Conclusion

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Introduction
People are one of the two most fundamental concepts of organizational behavior.
Thus people which mean individual just as an individual or individual as a member
of a group is critical element in the study of organizational behavior. Individuals
are important because intelligence is but one thing that people bring with them
when they join an organization and this intelligence is a function of certain
biographical characteristics of people and their ability. Intelligence in its turn
affects employee performance and job satisfaction.
In this term paper I would show meaning of individual behavior, various
biographical characteristics such as (gender and age) and ability (both physical and
intellectual) affect employee performance and satisfaction. Then I show how
people learn behaviors and what management can do to shape those behaviors.

Meaning of individual behavior
Individual behavior refers to how individual behaves at work place; his behavior is
influenced by his attitude, personality, perception, learning and motivation. This
also refers to the combination of responses to internal and external stimuli.

Meaning of Biographical Characteristics
Biographical characteristics mean characteristics such as age, gender, marital status
and tenure that are objective and easily obtained from personnel records.
In organization, biographical characteristics have tremendous effects bon turnover,
absenteeism, productivity and job satisfaction.


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Effects of biographical characteristics on turnover,
absenteeism, productivity and job satisfaction


Biographical characteristics such as age, gender, marital status and tenure have a
important impact on employee turnover, absenteeism, productivity and job
performance in the organization. These are described in the following:
1. Effect of age:
Job performance:
The relationship between age and job performance is likely to be an issue of
increasing importance during the next decade for at least thee reasons. First, there
is a widespread belief that job performance declines with increasing age. Second is
that the workforce is aging. The third reason is U.S. legislation that, for all intents
and purposes, outlaws mandatory retirement.

Biographical
characteristics
Age
Gender
Marital
status
Tenure


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Turnover:
The older you get, the less likely you are to quite your job. That conclusion is
based on studies of the age-turnover relationship. Of course, this shouldnt be too
surprising. In addition, older workers are less likely to resign than are younger
workers because their long tenure tends to provide paid vacations, and more
attractive pension benefits.
Absenteeism:
Its tempting to assume that age is also inversely related to absenteeism. After all,
if older workers are less likely to quit wont they also demonstrate higher stability
by coming to work more regularly. In general, older employees have lower rates of
avoidable absence than do younger employees.
Productivity:
There is a widespread belief that productivity declines with age. It is often assumed
that an individuals skills- particularly speed, agility, strength and coordination
decay over time and that prolonged job boredom and lack of intellectual
stimulation contribute to reduced productivity.
Job satisfaction:
Our final concern is the relationship between age and job satisfaction. On this
issue, the evidence is mixed. Most studies indicate a positive association, at least
up to age 60.
2. Effects of gender:
Few issues initiate more debates, misconceptions and unsupported opinions than
whether women perform as well on jobs as men do.


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Job performance:
There are no consistent male-female differences in problem-solving ability,
analytical skills, competitive drive, motivation, sociability or learning ability.
Psychological studies have found that women are more willing to confirm
authority and that man are more aggressive and more likely than women to have
expectations of success, but those differences are minor. There is no significant
difference in job productivity between men and women.
Absenteeism and turnover:
Womens quit rates are similar to those for men. The research on absence,
however, consistently indicates that women have higher rates of absenteeism than
men do.
3. Effects of marital status:
There are not enough studies to draw any conclusions about the effect of marital
status on productivity. But whatever research has been done that consistently
indicates that married employees have fewer absences, under go fewer turnovers
and are more satisfied with their jobs than are their unmarried co-workers.
4. Effects on tenure:
Research findings demonstrate a positive relationship between seniority and job
productivity. Studies consistently demonstrate seniority to be negatively related to
absenteeism. Tenure is also a potent variable in explaining turnover. The longer a
person is in a job, the less likely he or she is to quit. Further, evidence indicates
that tenure and satisfaction are positively related.



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Meaning of ability

Ability is the individuals capacity to perform the various tasks in a job. An
individuals overall abilities are essentially made up of two sets of factors
intellectual and physical abilities.
Intellectual abilities are those needed to perform mental activities, while physical
abilities are those needed to do tasks demanding stamina, dexterity, strength or
similar talents.
Ability=KnowledgeSkill


Meaning of intellectual abilities

Intellectual abilities are abilities needed to perform mental activities- for thinking,
reasoning, and problem solving. People in most societies place a high value of
intelligence, and for good reason. Compared to others, smart people generally earn
more money and attain higher levels of education. Smart people are also more
likely to emerge as leaders of groups. Intelligence quotient (IQ) tests, for example,
are designed to ascertain a persons intellectual abilities.






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Dimensions of intellectual abilities
Dimension Description Job example
Number aptitude Ability to do speedy and accurate
arithmetic
Accountant: computing
the sales tax on a set of
items.
Verbal
comprehension
Ability to understand what is read
or heard and the relationship of
words to each other.
Plant manager: Following
corporate policies.
Perceptual speed Ability to identify visual
similarities and differences quickly
and accurately.
Fire investigator:
Identifying clues to
support a charge of arson.
Inductive
reasoning
Ability to identify a logical
sequence in a problem and then
solve the problem.
Market researcher:
Forecasting demand for a
product in the next time
period.
Deductive
reasoning
Ability to use logic and assess the
Implications of an argument.
Supervisor: Choosing
between two different
suggestions offered by
employees.
Special
visualization
Ability to imagine how an object
would look if its position in space
were changed.
Interior decorator:
Redecorating an office.
Memory Ability to return and recall past
experiences.
Salesperson:
Remembering the names
of customers.








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Nine basic physical abilities

Physical ability is the capacity to do tasks that demand stamina, dexterity, strength,
and similar characteristics. Though the changing nature of work suggests that
intellectual abilities are becoming increasing important for many jobs, physical
abilities have been and will remain important for successfully doing certain jobs.
Research on the requirements needed in hundreds of jobs has identified nine basic
abilities involved in the performance of physical tasks. These are described as
following:
1. Strength factors:







1.Strength factors
1. Dynamic factors
2. Trunk strength
3. Static strength
4. Explosive factors
2.Flexibility factors
5. Extent flexibility
6. Dynamic
flexibility
3.Other factors
7. Body
coordination
8. Balance
9. Stamina
1. Dynamic
factors

Ability to exert muscular force repeatedly or
continuously over time.
2. Trunk
strength
Ability to exert muscular strength using the trunk
(particularly abdominal) muscles.
3. Static
strength
Ability to exert force against external objects.
4. Explosive
factors
Ability to expand a maximum of energy in one or a
series of explosive acts.


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2. Flexibility factors:





3. Other factors:







Meaning of learning
Any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience
is known as learning. It is to be noted that learning has taken place to a person,
only when an individual behaves, reacts, responds as a result of experience in a
manner different from the way he formerly behaved. Thus learning has few
components, and these are:
Learning involves change. The change must be relatively permanent. The changed
must be reflected in the behavior i.e. it must be reflected in actions. Learning must
be the outcome of some experiences.
5.Extent
flexibility
Ability to move the trunk and back muscles as far
as possible.
6. Dynamic
flexibility
Ability to make rapid, repeated flexing
movements.
7.Body
coordination
Ability to coordinate the simultaneous actions of
different parts of the body.
8. Balance
Ability to maintain equilibrium despite forces
pulling off balance.
9. Stamina Ability to continue maximum effort requiring
prolonged effort over time.


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Various theories of learning


1. Classical conditioning theory:
Classical conditioning theory is a type of conditioning in which an individual
responds to some stimulus that would not ordinarily produce such a response.
Classical conditioning theory is passive. It is elicited in response to a specific
identifiable event. Classical conditioning grew out of experiments to teach dogs to
salivate in response to the ringing of a bell conducted at the turn of the twentieth
century by a Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Initially the dog salivate with
ringing and presenting a piece of meat. But afterwards the dog salivate with
ringing, even without meat.

1. Classical conditioning theory
2. Operant conditioningn theory
3. Social learning theory


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2. Operant conditioning theory:
Operant conditioning theory argues that behavior is a function of its consequences.
People learn to behave to get something they want or to avoid something they
dont want. Operant behavior means voluntary or learned behavior in contrast to
reflexive or unlearned behavior. The tendency to repeat such behavior is
influenced by the reinforcement or lack of reinforcement brought about by the
consequences of the behavior. Therefore, reinforcement strengthens a behavior and
increases the likelihood that it will be repeated.
3. Social learning theory:
Social learning theory is an extension of operant conditioning that is, it assumes
that behavior is a function of consequences-it also acknowledges the existences of
observational learning and the importance of perception in learning. People
responds to how they consequences, not to the objective consequences themselves.
The influence of models is central to the social learning viewpoint. Four processes
have been found to determine the influence that a model will have on an
individual.
i. Attention processes: People learn a model only when they recognize
and pay attention to its critical features. We tend to be most influenced
by models that are attractive, repeatedly available, important to us, or
similar to us in our estimation.
ii. Retention processes: A models influence depends on how well the
individual remembers the models action after the model is no longer
readily available.
iii. Motor reproduction processes: After a person has seen a new behavior
by observing the model, the watching must be converted to doing. This


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process then demonstrates that the individual can perform the modeled
activities.
iv. Reinforcement processes: Individuals are motivated to exhibit the
modeled behavior if positive incentives or rewards are provided.
Behaviors that are positively reinforced are given more attention,
learned better, and performed more often.


Methods of shaping behavior


There are four ways to shape behavior: through positive reinforcement, negative
reinforcement, punishment, and extinction.
1. Positive reinforcement:
Following a response with something pleasant is called positive reinforcement. For
example, praising an employee by the boss for a job well done.
Methods
of shaping
behavior
1. Positive
reinforcement
2. Negative
reinforcement
3. Punishment
4. Extinction


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2. Negative reinforcement:
Following a response by the termination or withdrawal of something unpleasant is
called negative reinforcement.
3. Punishment:
To punish is to cause suffering for an offence. Punishment is causing an unpleasant
condition in an attempt to eliminate an undesirable behavior. Giving an employee a
2 days suspension from work without pay for showing up drunk is an example of
punishment.
4. Extinction:
Extinction refers to elimination. College instructor who wishes to discourage
students from asking questions in class can eliminate this behavior in their students
by ignoring those who raise their hands to ask questions.

Some specific applications of learning theory in
organizations
1. Using lotteries to reduce absenteeism.
2. Well pay vs. sick pay.
3. Discipline problem employees.
4. Developing training programs.
5. Creating mentoring program.
6. Self management.
Conclusion
Individual behavior affects the behavior of an organization. Organizations can
shape their employers behavior by different ways. Organizational success depends
largely on individual behavior.


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