Strategic Performance Management

Prof. K. B. L. Srivastava
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Lecture – 12
Behavior, result and trait approach system

We will discuss three different approaches to performance that is behavior, result, and trait
approach. Earlier, we discussed the performance and its two dimensions- task and context.

When it comes to measurement of performance, these three things are important, including
the behavior leads to results. Another important determinant is the trait and characteristics,
which is related to individual and is equally important. While measuring performance, we
have to look at these three factors- behavior result and trait approach. So, we are going to
discuss how these behavior, result, and trait approach contribute to the performance of the
people.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:10)

If you look at an individual or a team, who is going to perform certain tasks, they have certain
traits and characteristics like personality, beliefs, motivation, emotion, and characteristics.
The individual or team using traits performs in a given context or situation, which is a part of
the context. One is going to engage in certain behaviors in a context. One carries out certain
activities as defined by his job description. When we say he engages in certain activities as
defined by his job description, it is a part of the behavior, which is going to produce certain
results.

Three things are coming out as traits are characteristics depending upon that he is going to
engage in certain behaviors that produce results. It happens in a given context that is the
environment. The performance is dependent on the context of the environment in which a
person is working.

(Refer Slide Time: 03:14)

We have three different approaches to measure performance. You engage in a specific

behavior to produce results. Now, the question is why given a similar context, and we do not
expect the same behaviors or results from the employees because employees behave
differently. For example, if a teacher has 100 students in the class, the context is identical, the
same the classroom, the teaching, the environment, but when it comes to their behavior and
results, they are different. Similarly. If different employees are working in different
situations, then you also expect different kinds of results. Why does it happen? It is because
when you measure performance, you probably only consider either their behavior or the
results. You do not consider the trait. So, when we measure performance, we need to look at
all three aspects.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:53)

Coming to the behavior approach, I will discuss the activities which are b performed by
individuals in a given job. Still, it is not considered as traits of the employees and the results
that are achieved. For example, we take the behavior of a salesman.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:33)

What are the activities that a salesman does as a part of his job? That is the point of contact.
He is going to contact their customers, going to communicate with the customers. Then he
describes the product which he wants to sell and negotiate with the customers and persuade
them to buy the product.
When we consider behaviors, it means that to sell a product. One gets engaged in behaviors
like contacting the customers, communicating with them, talking about the product,
negotiating with the customers, and persuading the customers to buy the product.

The salesperson is trying to sell a product. In the behavior approach, we talk about what he
did as a part of his job. As a salesman, you engage in those kinds of activities produce results,
which is ‘X’ units he sold to different customers. He repeats the same thing with different
customers.

Your behavior changes. In the case of customer one, you engage indifferently. In the case of
another customer, he engages in a different kind of behavior. Due to the different
characteristics of the customer. Another important trait that is important is to understand the
customers in terms of their needs and requirements. Depending upon the customer's need, he
is going to sell one product.

Ultimately the number of units that he sells will be the result, and all this is going to be part
of your behavior.

(Refer Slide Time: 08:40)

For example, a professor engages in certain behaviors like teaching, communicating, giving
feedback to the students, building relationships with the students. It is called rapport building,
evaluation, and taking exams. It is a part of the job done to produce results, that is the
performance of the students. The performance of the professor depends upon what he does.
Another very important factor is the context. What is the context of the performance? It
relates to all the necessary support, tools, equipment, top management commitment, and
support. If it is not there, then performance gets affected. If a sales supervisor does not guide
a salesperson, he will probably not be able to do it, as he does not get all kinds of resources
and help that is required to sell a product.

(Refer Slide Time: 10:40)

The said process results in a certain outcome, but it does not talk about the outcome as such.
We need to examine the appropriate behavior. For example, if one can not understand the
needs and expectations of the customers, how he would handle the customer.. He will not be
able to close the deal.

We have to say that whether one is taking a long time to achieve the desired outcomes. If one
is taking a long time, then he will not be successful, suggesting that his behavior and results
are in sync. It means that he does not reflect the desired behavior, and he is making certain
undesirable behaviors. He can not expect results in this case. Sometimes the context is not
supporting, and cannot perform well. So, even he is making the appropriate behavior. It may
not result in a good performance because the context is not supporting as the environment is
not under control.

For example, a salesman, despite his effective behavior and communication, is not able to
close the sales due to the economic recession. In general, people are not buying goods that he
is selling. So, what will happen? Certain things are beyond the control of the employees, and
then the results are affected. One needs to ensure that if favorable conditions are present, one
can probably not succeed.

(Refer Slide Time: 12:13)

Look at the example of a company called Zenser technology. I have given this example to
explain of behavior approach. Zenser technology is a provider of local wireless long-distance
voice and voice over IP services. It is in the field of technology. In this company, how
employees are evaluated. How are development plans for the employees made? How are they
using different core competencies of people? These are the dimensions of the performance
related to the behavior. Each employee gets evaluated on certain skills and dimensions related
to the behavior like acting with integrity, focusing on the customers, delivering results,
building a relationship, and demonstrating leadership.

These competencies are expected from the employees. How many of them are related to
behavior, and how many of them are related to results?. Only one is related to delivering
results, others like acting with integrity, focusing on the customer,s building relationships are
behavioral competencies. So, it is important to look at behavioral skills because that makes a
difference.

In the evaluation or the development process, you look for desired behavior. For example,
how are they performing the job? Are they acting with integrity? Are they focusing on the
customers well? Are they to close the deals? Whether they developed a good relationship
with the stakeholders, including customers? Have they shown leadership capability because
that will make a difference to the performance?

So, when you look at the behavior, you need to engage in the desired behavior. To identify
the competencies depending upon the job description, you need to identify behaviors that are
relevant, critical, and important to the individual. It contributes to the performance and then
when we are going to evaluate them.

Even in the development process, you make sure to develop desired behavioral competencies
to enable them to perform well. The company did consider both the task performance as well
as contextual performance and finally developed a sound performance management system.

(Refer Slide Time: 15:07)

I am taking another example of a retail store manager. In a retail store manager, what are the
different kinds of behavior that you are looking forward? In this example, we expect a store
manager to have good teamwork, welcoming and thanking customers, providing assistance to
the employees, monitoring customers and employees also for theft. These are not the
expected results but the behavior which helps in producing results.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:03)

When it comes to measuring behavior, you make sure that you relate behavior with the result,
and you can provide feedback. The challenge is to identify the relevant and critical behaviors
that can be measured. You need to identify all such critical, relevant behaviors that contribute
to performance. People make different kinds of behaviors leading to similar results.

So, it is very important to look into these challenges. Is it possible to capture the full range of
behavior that could be considered critical and relevant? If there are deviations, then there
could be different behaviors leading to the same results. One should try to capture a set of
behaviors or the range of possible behaviors that might be related to results.

(Refer Slide Time: 18:02)