ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

Diversity

• The concept of diversity includes acceptance and respect.

It means understanding that each individual is unique,
and recognizing individual differences.
• These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity,
gender, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities,
religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.
• It is about understanding each other and moving beyond
simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich
dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.
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 Benefits of Cultural Diversity in the
Workplace

• Increased productivity
• Improved creativity
• Increased profits
• Improved employee engagement
• Reduced employee turnover
• Improved company reputation
• Wider range of skills
• Improves cultural insights
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Biographical Characteristics

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 Ability

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 Dimensions of
Intellectual Ability

••Number
Numberaptitude
aptitude
••Verbal
Verbalcomprehension
comprehension
••Perceptual
Perceptualspeed
speed
••Inductive
Inductivereasoning
reasoning
••Deductive
Deductivereasoning
reasoning
••Spatial
Spatialvisualization
visualization
••Memory
Memory
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 Dimensions of Intellectual Ability

1. Number Aptitude: Ability to do speedy and accurate

arithmetic
2. Verbal Comprehension: Ability to understand what is
read or heard and the relationship of words to each other.
3. Perceptual Speed: Ability to identify visual similarities
and differences quickly and accurately.
4. Inductive Reasoning: Ability to identify a logical
sequence in a problem and then solve the problem.

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 Dimensions of Intellectual Ability,
Contd.,

5. Deductive Reasoning: Ability to use logic and assess the

implications of an argument.
6. Spatial Visualization: Ability to imagine how an object
would look if its position in space were changed.
7. Memory: Ability to retain and recall past experiences.

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 Physical Ability

The capacity to do tasks

demanding stamina, dexterity
(swiftness or precision),
strength, and similar
characteristics.

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 Nine Physical Abilities
Strength
StrengthFactors
Factors
••Dynamic
Dynamicstrength
strength
••Trunk
Trunkstrength
strength
••Static
Staticstrength Flexibility
strength FlexibilityFactors
Factors
••Explosive
Explosivestrength ••Extent
strength Extentflexibility
flexibility
••Dynamic
Dynamicflexibility
flexibility
Other
OtherFactors Factors
••Body
Bodycoordination
coordination
••Balance
Balance
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©•
Stamina
Stamina
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 Nine Physical Abilities, Contd.,
1. Dynamic strength: 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 strength: Ability to expend a maximum of
energy in one or a series of explosive acts.
5. Extent flexibility: Ability to move the trunk and back
muscles as far as possible. 2–
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 Nine Physical Abilities, Contd.,

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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 The Ability-Job Fit

Ability-Job
Employee’s Fit Job’s Ability
Abilities Requirements

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Shaping Behavior: A Managerial Tool
Systematically reinforcing each
successive step that moves an
individual closer to desired
response.

Key
KeyConcepts
Concepts
••Reinforcement
Reinforcementis
isrequired
requiredto
tochange
changebehavior.
behavior.
••Some
Somerewards
rewardsare
aremore
moreeffective
effectivethan
thanothers.
others.
••The
Thetiming
timingof
ofreinforcement
reinforcementaffects
affectslearning
learning
speed
speedand
andpermanence.
permanence.
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 Four Methods of Shaping Behavior
1. Positive reinforcement: Following a response with
something pleasant, e.g., boss praises an employee for
job well done.
2. Negative reinforcement: Following a response by the
termination or withdrawal of something unpleasant,
e.g., If your college instructor asks a question and you
don not know the answer, looking through your lecture
notes is likely to preclude your being called on. This
negative reinforcement because you have learned that
looking busily through your notes prevents the
instructor from calling on you.
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 Four Methods of Shaping Behavior,
Contd.,
3. Punishment: Causing unpleasant condition in an
attempt to eliminate an undesirable behavior, e.g., giving
an employee a two-day suspension from work without
pay for showing up drunk is an example of punishment.
4. Extinction: Eliminating any reinforcement that is
maintaining a behavior, e.g.,College instructors who wish
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.

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 Schedules of Reinforcement

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 Schedules of Reinforcement
(cont’d)

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 Intermittent Schedules of
Reinforcement

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Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement (cont’d)

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 Behavior Modification

Problem-solving
Problem-solvingModelModel
••Identify
Identifycritical
criticalbehaviors
behaviors
••Develop
Developbaseline
baselinedata
data
••Identify
Identifybehavioral
behavioralconsequences
consequences
••Apply
Applyintervention
intervention
••Evaluate
Evaluateperformance
performanceimprovement
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 OB MOD Organizational Applications
• Well Pay
• Reduce absenteeism by rewarding attendance.
• Employee Discipline
• The use of punishment can be counter-productive.
• Developing Training Programs
• OB MOD methods improve training effectiveness.
• Self-management
• Reduces the need for external management control.

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